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April 30, 2008

New research finds 40 percent of inmates returned to prison

By Globe Staff

Nearly four out of 10 Massachusetts prison inmates released in 2002 returned to prison within three years, according to new research by the Urban Institute and the state Department of Correction.

Thirty-nine percent of the 1,786 inmates released that year returned, compared with the national average of 53 percent.

Interviews with 178 of those who returned showed that substance use and employment instability were among their greatest challenges when they were back in the community, the Urban Institute said in a statement.

While they were incarcerated, 96 percent of those interviewed had participated in a prison program and 76 percent had received help preparing to return to society. But when they returned to the community, few used any local programs or services, researchers found.

The research highlighted the need for programs to be provided to inmates when they return to society, officials said.

"When the inmates get out and go back to their communities, they need assistance in the community, particularly with substance abuse (problems) and employment. ... They just start to unravel without those supports," said Rhiana Kohl, who was a co-author on the two studies for the Department of Correction.

Posted by mfinucane at 6:16 PM | Comments (0)

Down and out in Boston: A resident's lament, sans gas

(Editor's note: The gas outage in downtown Boston doesn't just affect businesses and restaurants. Here's a resident's take on a life put on hold.).

By Paula Nelson, Globe Staff

So, it's Day 5 without a hot shower in my own apartment. No gas service. No clear end in sight.
And no one to tell me just when I might be able to turn that shower spigot back on, to wash and dry my laundry, or to cook some of the $200 worth of groceries I bought last Friday night.

But thankfully as The Globe said today, Mayor Thomas Menino is "satisfied with the pace of the service restoration."

I spent the first night in my apartment in the Financial District hoping for the best. The second and third nights at the Doubletree at $150 a night. That was a "special" rate. No one can seem to tell me if I'll get that money back.

I spent the fourth night in my apartment, wanting to try to correct the crick in my neck from the too-soft hotel mattress, then going to a friend's apartment for a hot shower before work this morning.

Now, I'm waiting to hear anything from anybody about what I'll be doing tonight. Such a great adventure (dripping sarcasm).

They actually replaced the gas meters in the basement of the building where I live on Water Street. But the gauges, as I understand it, need to be replaced next. It's unclear who is supposed to do that; at one point National Grid said they would have someone do it, but they have since advised that we should have a plumber take care of it.

Even after they are replaced, the lines between the gauges and the appliances need to be bled of water. There is no gas flowing to my appliances at this point, including my beautiful Thermador oven. If that water got into the beautiful Thermador oven, then that will need to be replaced. Who's responsible for that?

As I mentioned, the meters were actually replaced late yesterday, yet my landlord Michael got a call from National Grid at 1:30 this morning telling him to open the building so that they could replace the meters! Who's in charge of this whole thing? He told them that they had already replaced the meters. Sigh.

I guess I'll try to make my way to the third floor of City Hall, where they have set up a window or something for residents to bring their complaints and sad stories. I'll bring my hotel bills. But I'm running out of clean underwear, what do I do then?

Paula Nelson is the Globe's director of photography.

Posted by rgreene at 5:47 PM | Comments (0)

Tennessee official to become chancellor of UMass-Amherst

By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff

Robert C. Holub, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Tennessee, is poised to become the next chancellor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Jack M. Wilson, president of the University of Massachusetts, announced this afternoon he will recommend Holub over three other finalists to become head of the university's flagship campus at a special board of trustees meeting Monday. The 22-member board is expected to approve Holub decisively.

"Robert Holub is a distinguished scholar, a proven administrator and is driven by a desire to make UMass Amherst one of the premiere public universities in the nation," Wilson said in a statement. "Excellence has been the hallmark of Dr. Holub’s academic career and will be his watchword and goal at UMass Amherst."

Before coming to Tennessee, where he served as the Knoxville campus's chief academic officer the past two years, Holub was a professor and administrator at the University of California at Berkeley for nearly three decades. In 2003, he was named dean of the College of Letters and Science, which has 18,000 undergraduates.

Holub, 58, said he was honored by Wilson's recommendation.

"This is an outstanding university that aspires to rise even higher," he said. "I was attracted to this position because President Wilson, the Board of Trustees and the UMass Amherst community all harbor an ambitious vision for this campus. It is a vision that inspires me and calls me to this great flagship campus,” Holub said.

Holub specializes in 19th- and 20th-century German intellectual, cultural and literary history, and has written extensively on the poet Heinrich Heine and the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Holub and his wife Sabine have three young children.

Holub's appointment comes after a lengthy national search. If approved, he will succeed interim chancellor Thomas W. Cole Jr., who took over for John Lombardi when he departed last year to become president at Louisiana State University.

Last spring's news that Lombardi would be stepping down as UMass-Amherst chancellor as part of a restructuring of university leadership outraged faculty members, who cast a vote of no confidence in Wilson and the board of trustees.

Posted by mfinucane at 5:27 PM | Comments (0)

Amber Alert issued for baby taken by parents

Police would like to know if anyone sees Lucas Whalen, Michael Whalen, or Danielle Boyle.

By Globe Staff

Authorities have issued an Amber Alert, seeking a baby who was taken by his parents even though they had lost custody of him.

Michael Whalen, 42, and Danielle Boyle, 24, were supposed to turn 6-month-old Lucas Whalen over to a temporary custodian yesterday but failed to do so, said Sergeant Robert Bousquet, a State Police spokesman. Arlington police are looking for the trio.

Because of statements and threats made by Michael Whalen, there’s reason to believe that Lucas is in danger, police said.

Michael Whalen is a white male, 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, with dirty blonde hair and tattoos. Danielle Boyle is a white female, 5-foot-4, 135 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Lucas weighs 25 to 30 pounds and has hazel eyes, police said.

The couple are believed to be driving a dark gray 2007 Ford 500 with Massachusetts license number 49RF83, Bousquet said.

Posted by mfinucane at 5:14 PM | Comments (0)

Yoko Ono, Massachusetts company joust in federal court

By Jonathan Saltzman, Globe Staff

A lawyer for a Massachusetts company insisted today that his client owns the rights to 10 hours of documentary footage of John Lennon and Yoko Ono filmed in 1970 and hopes to win a federal court battle with Lennon's widow so the world can see it.

"I'm sure there will be a substantial audience for it," Joseph T. Doyle Jr., a lawyer for World Wide Video of Lawrence, told reporters after a five-minute scheduling conference in US District Court in Boston. "We're the lawful owners, and she isn't."

US District Judge Rya W. Zobel has asked lawyers for World Wide Video and for Yoko Ono to make arguments on May 21 on a motion by Ono to dismiss the company's copyright infringement lawsuit against her.

In March of last year, she blocked World Wide from showing "3 Days in the Life," a two-hour film based on the footage, at a private school in Maine. World Wide sued her last month, and Ono filed a countersuit, alleging that she has rights to the footage.

The Globe viewed portions of the film last year. The grainy images on the black-and-white videotapes were shot in February 1970 by Ono's ex-husband, Anthony Cox, in Lennon and Ono's London estate. Lennon was 29 and was to be a member of the Beatles for just two more months.

The tapes capture Lennon in the midst of one of his most creative periods; he's recently released "Instant Karma" and is seen practicing the song "Remember." He is also seen smoking marijuana, discussing how he kicked a heroin habit, and saying he would like to spike Richard Nixon's tea with LSD.

Ono's lawyer, Jonathan Albano, declined to comment after the brief hearing.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:45 PM | Comments (0)

Tangled in lines, United Van Lines

(George Rizer/Globe Staff)

The entangled truck.

By Globe Staff

It used to work for Wile E. Coyote when he wanted to build up some speed. But getting caught in utility wires was no laughing matter this morning for the driver of a moving van in West Roxbury.

The van was snared and tipped slightly by low-hanging utility wires on Tarleton Road as it turned off Temple Street.

Police at the scene said it appeared that digging on a nearby house lot had affected one of the poles supporting the wires, causing the wires to droop.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:08 PM | Comments (0)

Former Middlesex retirement official to pay $12K in conflict of interest case

By Globe Staff

A former Middlesex Retirement Board member has admitted violating the state's conflict of interest law by improperly awarding a friend a building renovation contract for the board's headquarters, the State Ethics Commission said today.

Lawrence P. Driscoll also violated the law while on the board by voting to hire his friend as the Billerica headquarters facilities manager and submitting reimbursement requests for conferences he did not attend and personal expenses, the commission said.

Driscoll agreed to pay a $10,000 civil penalty and a civil forfeiture of $2,683, the commission said in a statement. He also repaid $2,437 of the $5,120 in expenses for which he requested reimbursement.

The commission said Driscoll had failed to disclose his friendship with the contractor who was awarded the $557,000 contract.

"Public employees who have private friendships that overlap with their public duties need to perform their public duties fairly and objectively and disclose those personal relationships to avoid creating an actual or apparent conflict of interest," said Karen L. Nober, executive director of the commission.

"It also goes without saying that public monies may not be used to reimburse personal expenses," she said.

Posted by mfinucane at 3:41 PM | Comments (0)

Battling the bullies: state health officials release prevention guide

By Globe Staff

Saying that being bullied can leave a mark on a child for life, state public health officials today released a comprehensive guide to prevent bullying in the state's schools.

"Our kids deserve to grow up in an environment that is free from harassment and violence," Department of Public Health Commissioner Jon Auerbach said in a statement. "Bullying is not an inevitable part of growing up and we need to do more to stop it."

In 2005, nearly one in four Massachusetts middle or high school students surveyed reported being bullied, health officials said. The officials cited research indicating that children who are bullied are more likely to become depressed, more likely to have considered suicide, and less likely to succeed academically. They also noted that research suggests that bullies are more likely to commit crimes as they grow up.

The guide includes chapters on what teachers can do to prevent bullying, what school personnel can do after bullying has already occurred, and what strategies students can use themselves to address bullying.

State health officials said being bullied is a particular problem for gay, lesbian and bisexual youth.

"No guide alone can change a culture of bullying, but we hope this guide will help by providing administrators, teachers, and students with practical advice on what works and what doesn't work in preventing bullying," Auerbach said.

Posted by mfinucane at 2:19 PM | Comments (0)

Man who shot girl, 3, thanks her for forgiveness

By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

Kai Leigh Harriott, a smiley 7-year-old with her hair in pig tails, watched the video screen from her wheelchair today as the man who shot her said thank you.

Anthony Warren thanked Kai for publicly forgiving him for accidentally shooting her as a 3-year-old as she sat on her porch in the summer of 2003. He said that act of reconciliation has given him strength to improve himself at the Old Colony Correctional Center, where he is serving a 13 to 15 year sentence.

(George Rizer/Globe Staff)

"To be blessed with the opportunity to be forgiven by a beautiful person like Kai, it made me want to change," Warren said on the video as he sat on a wooden bench in the prison chapel. "It made me want to be less colder and harder. It made me really want to take a look at myself and take a look at my duties and responsibilities as black man in my community."

Warren has was one of nine inmates interviewed for a video that organizers hope will deter young people from crime by showing the hard truth about life in prison. The entire video, “Voices from Behind the Wall,” will debut next month at a youth peace conference. Organizers played the short clip today of Warren at a community center in Dorchester at a press conference that designated May as “Peace Month.”

Kai sat in the front row with her mother, Tonya David, and her wide eyes on the screen as a crush of more than two dozen media cameras recorded her reaction.

“She gave me a second chance to really make a difference to show people out there that forgiveness is good,” Warren said.

He took a deep breath and leaned in, looking directly into the camera.

“I want to thank Kai,” Warren said. “I want to thank her mother. I want to thank her family. I want to apologize to my community. I just appreciate the opportunity ... that’s she’s given me.”

The video ended and reporters surrounded Kai, towering over her with cameras, microphones, and recorders.

"I want to say to him that thank you for making an apology video” Kai said in soft, whisper of a voice. “You can inspire so many other people by telling them that don't carry around guns and don't do bad things."

Posted by aryan at 1:50 PM | Comments (0)

State releases short list of rail proposals for New Bedford, Fall River

By Globe Staff

State transportation officials said today they had considered a host of proposals for providing passenger rail service connecting Boston with Fall River and New Bedford and whittled them down to a handful that will now undergo further review.

Four of the alternatives on the short list call for providing passenger service from the two cities that would link up with existing commuter rail lines. The linkup would happen either in Attleboro; in Middleborough; in both Attleboro and Middleborough; or in Stoughton.

A fifth, non-rail alternative calls for providing express bus service in a dedicated lane up Route 24 to 128 and the Southeast Expressway. The state will also study what would happen if it did not take any steps to improve transportation links at all.

The state has sought public input on the South Coast Rail project after Governor Deval Patrick said last year that he believed connecting Boston and the two cities would stimulate economic growth -- and he hoped to see it happen by 2016. Kristina Egan, South Coast Rail manager, said 65 alternatives were weighed before the list was whittled down.

Several of the rail proposals call for using existing freight lines, while one calls for construction of new track on an abandoned rail bed, Egan said.

“The Patrick Administration views South Coast Rail as a way to stimulate the economy while protecting the resources that make the area so special,” Transportation Secretary Bernard Cohen said in a statement.

The alternatives will now undergo an in-depth state and federal environmental review, during which opportunities will continue for public input, state officials said. The preferred alternative will be selected in 2010.

Posted by mfinucane at 12:26 PM | Comments (0)

Progress reported in restoring gas service in Boston

By Globe Staff

The blue flames are coming back on, gradually, in the North End and Financial District.

National Grid says it has restored natural gas service to more than half of the 410 customers who lost service after a weekend water main break that broke a gas line and sent torrents of water streaming into the company's distribution network.

The company said in a statement this morning that "virtually all" of the North End customers were back on line.

The company also said it had introduced gas back into 98 percent of the 13 miles of affected gas mains and the next task is the "tedious operation" of pumping water out of customers' pipes.

Hundreds of residents and dozens of businesses coped with a fourth day without gas Tuesday.

The company said it had opened a customer service center this morning inside Boston City Hall, where residents can get information and help submitting claims. Boston Water and Sewer Commission staff will also be available. Customers can also call National Grid at 1-800-732-3400 for more information.

Posted by mfinucane at 11:38 AM | Comments (0)

Arraignment slated in Chelsea homicide

By Globe Staff

A 21-year-old Chelsea man who had been asked by his mother and her boyfriend to leave his home allegedly forced his way back in Tuesday and stabbed the boyfriend to death.

Eugene Teixeira is facing arraignment today in Chelsea District Court on a charge of home invasion and murder in the death of Shadeed Wiggins, 25, who sustained eight stab wounds and defensive stab wounds to his hands in the alleged attack at a Chester Avenue home.

Prosecutors said that Wiggins had joined the mother in asking Teixeira and another of her sons, who was 16, to leave the home.

But they returned armed with baseball bats and forced their way inside, attacking Wiggins, prosecutors said. The 16-year-old is also facing charges of home invasion and disorderly conduct.

Posted by mfinucane at 11:27 AM | Comments (0)

April 29, 2008

African king tours Boston homeless shelter

(Dominic Chavez)

The king is greeted warmly by shelter director Reilly.

By Brian Ballou, Globe Staff

A homeless shelter for women in Boston had an unusual visitor today: an African king.

King Kpoto-Zounme Hakpon III of the Republic of Benin is nearing the end of a two-week trip to the United States, the first ever for a king from his country.

As he stepped out of the rain and into the basement of the Women's Lunch Place on Newbury Street, about 60 women gathered around him and applauded.

Hakpon was resplendent in a flowing, full-length leopard-print robe and gold accoutrements, including his cane-like "staff of office," which was handed to him when he became king in 1997.

The executive director of the shelter, Sharon Reilly, had talked with Hakpon at a private reception earlier in the trip and invited him to the facility.

Hakpon traveled to Boston to offer an apology for his ancestors' role in the transatlantic slave trade. He also said through an interpreter, "I came here so that the people of African descent can reconnect our lines and heritage, to reconstruct the homeland."

"The women here are honored to have the king visit. He gives a different level of importance to the poor and homeless here in Boston," said Reilly.

Benin is now a multiparty democracy. But kings still receive widespread public recognition as cultural icons.

Benin is a French-speaking country in West Africa with a population of more than 8.2 million citizens, with an area slightly smaller than Pennsylvania. The capital city is Porto Novo, which was founded in the 16th century by King Te-Agbanlin, one of Hakpon's ancestors.

Posted by mfinucane at 7:19 PM | Comments (0)

Grand jury indicts 13 on gambling charges

By Shelley Murphy, Globe Staff

Former New England Mafia captain Vincent M. Ferrara was among 13 people indicted today on gambling charges by a Norfolk County grand jury.

Ferrara, 59, of Boston's North End faces one count of conspiring to use a telephone for gambling purposes, based on calls that he allegedly made to bookmakers last year that were tapped by the Massachusetts State Police.

The misdemeanor charge carries a sentence of up to one year in jail and a $2,000 fine. But Ferrara, who has been on probation since his release from federal prison nearly three years ago, could be sent back to prison for up to three years if he violated a requirement that he not commit any new crimes.

Boston attorney Martin G. Weinberg, who helped win Ferrara’s freedom in the federal case, said, ‘‘Innocent people get charged with offenses they did not commit. Mr. Ferrara intends to vigorously defend himself against this misdemeanor allegation.’’

Norfolk District Attorney William R. Keating said in a statement that the indictment has "brought a substantial illegal gaming racket operating on the South Shore and in and around Boston to an end.''

He credited the State Police Special Services Section, which targets organized crime, with uncovering gambling offenses allegedly committed by members of the gambling ring between June and October of last year.

State Police Colonel Mark Delaney said, "The Massachusetts State Police are committed to disrupting criminal organizations wherever and whenever they occur. These indictments and the invstigation that led to them should make that eminently clear.''

The indictment charges the alleged ringleader, Dominic Santoro, 62, of Quincy and Marstons Mills, of organizing a gambling ring, using a telephone to register bets, placing bets and conspiracy.

One of the other defendants was Alfred Stankus, 60, of Brighton, a freelancer who has written a column on betting for the Boston Herald. He faces charges of conspiracy and placing bets by telephone.

None of the defendants have been arrested. They will be summoned to appear in court for arraignment. No date has been set.

Ferrara, who served nearly 16 years in prison for racketeering, extortion and gambling, was freed in May 2005 after a federal judge shaved several years off his sentence because of government misconduct.

US District Judge Mark L. Wolf found that Assistant US Attorney Jeffrey Auerhahn failed to tell defense lawyers in the early 1990s that a key witness had tried to recant his assertion that Ferrara ordered the 1985 slaying of Vincent "Jimmy" Limoli in the North End.

Ferrara said he was innocent of Limoli's slaying, but would plead guilty to murder, along with racketeering charges, under a deal that sent him to prison for 22 years, rather than risk a conviction that could lead to life in prison.

Posted by mfinucane at 6:26 PM | Comments (0)

Former Boston police officer pleads guilty in drug case

(Globe file photo)

Prosecutors said this still picture showed Ortiz collecting a debt for drug dealers.

By Jonathan Saltzman, Globe Staff

A former Boston police officer pleaded guilty today to federal charges that he conspired to extort $265,000 on behalf of drug dealers while in uniform and threatened to kill the man who supposedly owed them the cash.

Jose A. "Flaco" Ortiz, 45, formerly of Salem, also admitted in US District Court in Boston that he participated in a related scheme to distribute cocaine he obtained from the victim. In brief and barely audible remarks in court, he denied personally threatening the victim but said he relayed warnings from Colombian drug dealers that the victim "might be in some kind of danger" if the man did not pay the debt.

Ortiz, who spent 21 years on the force before his firing last May, is the fifth officer to plead guilty to federal charges since September. All the cases, including one involving three officers, revolved around drugs.

He could spend the rest of his life in prison if US District Judge Rya W. Zobel issues the harshest possible sentence. But federal prosecutors are recommending a prison term of 11 to 14 years because Ortiz has admitted his guilt and waived his right to appeal, if he receives the lighter sentence.

"It's not a happy day for law enforcement" when a police officer pleads guilty to a crime, First Assistant US Attorney Michael K. Loucks said after the hearing, which was handled by another prosecutor.

But Loucks praised Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis for helping federal authorities pursue cases of police corruption. ``No matter what organization, there are always going to be people who commit crimes,'' Loucks said.

Ortiz's lawyer, Scott A. Lutes, of Providence, R.I., said his client changed his plea because he wanted to take responsibility for his misdeeds.

"He candidly admits his guilt and feels terrible about it," said Lutes.

Posted by aryan at 6:12 PM | Comments (0)

Firefighters blast media in march on State House

By Megan Woolhouse and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

A sea of several hundred chanting firefighters dressed in red T-shirts marched on the State House today to defend their reputations after what union officials described as months of attacks and “bogus stories” planted in the press by City Hall.

(Bill Greene/ Globe Staff)

Edward Kelly, president of Local 718, said that the media has launched "vicious attacks" against firefighters. Boston firefighters have been criticized in the last few months for resisting mandatory drug tests after autopsy results indicated two firefighters were under the influence of alcohol and drugs when they died fighting a West Roxbury restaurant fire last August. Since then two other Boston firefighters have been arrested on drug charges.

"We do what needs to be done," said Robert B. McCarthy, president of the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts. "We ask one thing in return: respect."

The crowd of firefighters chanted: “What do we want? Respect! When do we want it? Now!”

The rally came on an annual lobbying day by firefighters for better benefits and staffing, pleas that were mixed with the criticism of the media. It was organized by the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts, an umbrella union that represents 12,000, and drew firefighters from Somerville, Brockton, New Bedford, and beyond. Union officials said that roughly 30 Boston firefighters attended.

The crowd booed at a mention of The Boston Globe, and McCarthy blasted articles in Boston Magazine and CommonWealth Magazine that he said depicted Boston firefighters as unprofessional. The sharpest rhetoric was saved for the Boston Herald, which ran an editorial Monday that said it was time to "start yanking back" on the "ludicrously long leash" given to the union during contract negotiations.

“The Herald said it was time to start tightening the noose on the fire department,” said McCarthy, apparently jumbling his words when he referenced the editorial. “We’re not dogs ... we won’t be treated as dogs.”

Boston firefighters have been locked in contentious contract negotiations in which mandatory drug and alcohol testing has become a major sticking point. Union officials said today that they deserve an increase in pay or benefits in exchange for drug testing, a quid pro quo that they said was given to other city departments.

In March, a Boston firefighter was arrested and charged with drug possession after police said they found him smoking marijuana in his Boston Fire Department vehicle in Dorchester. Anthony Gaston, 47, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Last week, a Boston firefighter on disability leave was arrested after police said he illegally bought $200 worth of OxyContin painkillers from a known drug dealer. William Boyle, 58, allegedly bought the pills Friday at the Broadway MBTA station, on the Red Line. He has been a city firefighter for 10 years and has been out on disability since last April.

(Bill Greene/ Globe Staff)

Posted by aryan at 5:50 PM | Comments (0)

They played dodgeball across the equator -- but was it a record?

By Taryn Plumb, Globe Correspondent

It was perhaps the first interhemispheric bout of its kind -- but the 10-second dodgeball game still wasn't enough to gain Guinness Book of World Records fame.

The record-keeping authority has informed a group of Bryant University students that a dodgeball game they staged across the equator in Ecuador will not be accepted as a world record. Representatives did not specify a reason in an email.

Five students played the game on Jan. 12 during a trip to Latin America sponsored by the Rhode Island university. They sent their claim to Guinness in February.

Playing two on two -- with one referee -- the students pitted northern hemisphere against southern hemisphere, using the red-painted marker of the equator as the center line. In the end, the northerners came out victorious, 2-0.

Palmer native Bryan Wojtowicz, who played on the southern team, said he and his fellow dodgeballers were a little "let down" by the news. He said he believes the bout was too spur-of-the-moment for Guinness -- the London-based agency says on its website that it prefers that record attempts be approved ahead of time.

Otherwise, the 22-year-old, who will don a cap and gown on May 17, has no other plans to go for Guinness gold. "I think I'm going to focus on getting a full-time job," he said with a laugh.

Posted by mfinucane at 5:49 PM | Comments (0)

From fire to ice in just a few days -- weather service issues frost warning

(David L. Ryan/Globe Staff)

Beautiful but deadly -- to plants -- frost etched across a window.

By Globe Staff

Last week we had fire. Tonight we could have ice.

Frost, to be exact. The National Weather Service has issued an advisory warning of "a touch of frost" in the early morning hours Wednesday in parts of coastal Massachusetts north and south of Boston as well as southeaster Massachusetts and Martha's Vineyard.

The forecasters warned farmers and gardeners to protect vegetation and to cover or bring indoors potted plants.

Don't turn the heat off tomorrow morning, either. The forecasters expect more frost early Thursday morning, with temperatures dropping near 30.

The frost warning comes after heavy rain ended a string of sunny, dry days in which brush fires broke out across the state. Just last Wednesday spring seemed well on its way, with the temperatures rising to 84 in Boston.

The weather service reported that the rains dropped more than two inches of rain in areas around the state from Monday afternoon to this afternoon.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:27 PM | Comments (0)

Boy who was overcome by fumes released from hospital

By Globe Staff

Jobanny Matias, the 11-year-old from Leominster, who was one of two boys overcome by carbon monoxide in an idling car last week in Lunenburg, has recovered enough to be released from the hospital, the Worcester County district attorney's office said today.

The other boy who was in the car, Alejandro Thomasian, 9, of Fitchburg, died Sunday of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The boys were four-wheeling with their fathers and another man in a wooded area Friday when one of their three vehicles became stuck in muddy water that had collected on a low point in the road, officials have said. The boys were overcome by the carbon monoxide as they sat in the back seat of the idling Jeep, keeping warm while the men worked to free the vehicle.

Posted by mfinucane at 3:28 PM | Comments (0)

Some gas service restored; Menino satisfied with repair effort

By John C. Drake, Globe Staff

Mayor Thomas M. Menino has asked National Grid and the Boston Water and Sewer Commission to give the city a joint assessment of how a 12-inch water main break Saturday led to a loss of natural gas service for more than 400 residents and businesses in the Financial District and North End.

At a noon press conference, Menino said he was satisfied with the pace with which National Grid is restoring gas service to customers, a process expected to continue through Thursday.

"I think they’re doing the best job they can," Menino said.

Since the break, natural gas service has been restored to roughly 85 customers, the bulk of which are in the North End, according to a release issued today by National Grid. Boston’s chief of environment and energy, James Hunt, said at the news conference that about 100 more customers "are being lit as we speak."

National Grid said it has sucked 60,000 gallons of water – the rough equivalent volume of an Olympic-size swimming pool – from 13 miles of natural gas pipes in the area, which covers 30 streets.

More than 410 business and residential customers – and many more residents who live in apartment complexes with a single meter – lost gas service early Saturday morning after the water main break in the Financial District punctured a gas line. While the bulk of the water has been removed, the complicated process of removing pockets of remaining water could stretch into winter, meaning customers will see periodic disruptions of gas service for the rest of the year.

At today’s press conference, Menino also said he did not believe there was a dispute between National Grid and the Boston Water and Sewer Commission over the incident. "They're working well together," he said.

A spokesman for the water and sewer commission told the Globe Monday it was directing customers seeking reimbursement for costs and loss of business related to the gas service interruption to National Grid. A National Grid spokeswoman said the utility did not believe it was liable.

Hunt said it was too early to say who would be ultimately responsible and said the focus for now should be on restoring service.

“Today we don’t know the cause of that, and it will be a little time before we do know the cause,” Hunt said.

Posted by aryan at 1:38 PM | Comments (0)

A gas tanker crash -- again -- in Everett

(Michael Layhe Sr. for The Boston Globe)

By Kate Augusto, Globe Correspondent

A woman was seriously injured today when a tanker truck carrying gasoline collided with her car at an Everett traffic rotary. It was the second time in recent months a tanker had crashed in the area.

Darcy DeSouza of Lynn was driving on Route 16 at Sweetser Circle at about 10:17 a.m. when she cut off a truck driven by Walter Nutting of Brockton. The truck struck DeSouza's 2001 Hyundai Elantra, causing it to roll over, said Trooper Thomas Murphy, a State Police spokesman.

DeSouza was in serious condition at Massachusetts General Hospital, a hospital spokeswoman said. Nutting was not injured, Murphy said.

There were no significant traffic delays. State police are investigating the crash, he said.

The accident happened near the scene of a crash in December, in which gasoline spilled and ignited two triple-deckers and 21 cars, while miraculously sparing residents from injury or death.

Though no fuel spilled in today’s accident, State Senator Anthony Galluccio, whose district includes Everett, said the accident highlighted the need for new safety measures regarding the tankers.

In the first accident, he said, "almost 10,000 gallons of gasoline spilled and there was a 10-foot wall of fire that continued down into the neighborhood. Today’s accident just demonstrates again that there is a serious likelihood of accidents of this nature and we have to minimize damages that flow from these accidents in every way conceivable.”

Galluccio has worked on a number of bills aiming increase tanker safety, including one that would require trucks carrying petroleum and liquefied natural gas to have double-hulled tanks and another that would allow communities to establish safer truck routes.

Posted by mfinucane at 1:19 PM | Comments (0)

Veteran federal prosecutor nominated for Superior Court judgeship

By Globe Staff

A veteran federal prosecutor who was part of the team that pursued a conviction against shoe bomber terrorist Richard Reid has been nominated to be a state Superior Court judge.

Timothy Q. Feeley, 58, of Marblehead, has served more than 17 years in the US Attorney's Office, rising to chief of the office's Major Crimes Unit.

Feeley also worked for nine years on complex civil litigation at the former Boston law firm of Gaston & Snow, where he was a partner, the governor's office said, announcing the nomination today.

“Tim Feeley brings to the trial bench humility and an understanding of the human condition that will ensure fair and thoughtful administration of justice,” Governor Deval Patrick said in a statement.

Patrick also nominated Maureen H. Monks, 49, of Jamaica Plain, a partner in the Women’s Law Collective in Cambridge, to the Middlesex County Division of the Probate and Family Court.

Lawrence Moniz, 60, a Taunton lawyer, was also nominated for a position on the Bristol County Division of the Juvenile Court, the governor's office said.

Posted by mfinucane at 12:24 PM | Comments (0)

April 28, 2008

Work-related deaths rise in Massachusetts

By Maria Sacchetti, Globe Staff

Eighty workers died in Massachusetts last year on the job or from work-related causes, the highest number since 2003, according to a report released today. The findings triggered calls for the federal government to impose tougher penalties on companies that put workers at risk.

Construction remained the most dangerous industry, with 20 worker deaths last year. They included a 28-year-old carpenter who plunged 48 feet down an elevator shaft in Woburn that had been covered with an unmarked board. In other high-risk cases, nine firefighters died across the state, most from illness, and a 53-year-old Verizon employee died in Plymouth when his bucket collided with high-voltage wires.

Labor leaders called on federal officials today to increase fines for worker deaths, and urged Massachusetts authorities to increase oversight, as well. Last year, companies paid an average of $5,383 for a worker's death, which advocates said is far too low to deter employers from breaking the law.

"The penalties are frighteningly low," said Marcy Goldstein-Gelb, executive director of the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health, a labor advocacy and training group that co-authored the report with the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. "The fines are not enough to dissuade an employer from putting a worker at risk."

Labor leaders and advocates released the report to coincide with Workers' Memorial Day amid conflicting analysis nationally on workplace safety. Senator Edward Kennedy, who called federal workplace oversight weak, will hold a hearing Tuesday in Washington on the matter.

The Bush administration countered that worker fatality rates are at historic lows and praised federal enforcement.

In Massachusetts, labor unions and advocates will gather at the State House on Tuesday to remember workers who died on the job, or from work-related illnesses.

Posted by rgreene at 5:44 PM | Comments (0)

Second boy improving after carbon monoxide poisoning

A day after the death of a 9-year-old boy who suffered carbon monoxide poisoning while four-wheeling with his father and friends in Lunenburg, a second boy injured in the tragedy is showing signs of improvement, according to police.

Eleven-year-old Jobanny Matias of Leominster was upgraded from critical to stable condition today at Massachusetts General Hospital, according to Lunenburg Police Chief Daniel Bourgeois.

"We have just been notified that the second boy's condition is now stable,'' said Bourgeois. He said the investigation into what appears to have been a tragic accident is continuing.

Nine-year-old Alejandro Thomasian of Fitchburg died yesterday. An autopsy conducted today by the state medical examiner's office confirmed carbon monoxide poisoning as the cause of death.

The boys went four-wheeling Friday night with their fathers and another man in a wooded area behind a Lunenburg auto body repair shop when one of the three vehicles they were using, a Jeep Cherokee, became stuck in the mud. The boys were overcome by carbon monoxide as they sat in the back seat of the idling Jeep while the men were working to free it from the mud, according to Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early. The Jeep's exhaust pipe was apparently blocked by mud, causing the toxic fumes to fill the car, according to officials.

When the adults discovered the boys were unconscious they rushed them to a nearby auto body shop, where they were met by emergency personnel who worked to save the boys, officials said.

Posted by jpeter at 4:58 PM | Comments (0)

Winthrop coach found not guilty in ear-biting case

By Maria Cramer, Globe Staff

Richard Fucillo, an assistant football coach at Winthrop High School who was accused of nearly biting off the ear of his wife's boyfriend in a jealous rage last March, was found not guilty of the assault in Suffolk Superior Court today.

A jury deliberated for less than two hours before delivering the verdict to Fucillo and the jubilant members of his family, who had been in courtroom every day during the six-day trial, said Fucillo's lawyer, Thomas Brant.

"It's been a nightmare," said Fucillo of the last year as he stood in the courthouse. "It has been a living nightmare."

Fucillo, who was charged with mayhem, aggravated assault and battery and violating a restraining order, would have faced up to 20 years in prison if he had been found guilty, Brant said.

Fucillo, who has three children with his estranged wife, later celebrated the verdict with beer and wine at his home in Winthrop .

"Half of Winthrop is coming," he said in a telephone interview. "It's a small town, though."

His plans after the party are simple, Fucillo said.

"I just want to go back to work, get my divorce, and see my children as much as I possibly can," he said.

Posted by jpeter at 4:28 PM | Comments (0)

Vandals rip up 18 new trees in Roxbury

(David Kamerman/Globe Staff)

Greg Mosman, the city's tree warden, replanted one of the trees today at the Clifford Playground.

By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

Vandals tore up 18 new trees that had been planted last week in a playground in an industrial corner of Roxbury.

A dog walker found the red maples and white swamp oaks this morning lying on the ground at the Clifford Playground. The 4- to 8-foot tall saplings were in a grove of 50 trees planted Wednesday by volunteers from the Home Depot Foundation. It was part of the city’s effort to plant 100,000 new trees in Boston by 2020.

“It’s disappointing and frustrating,” said city tree inspector Leif Fixen, who returned to the park today to replant the trees in a cold rain. “You try very hard to make a difference in a neighborhood and somebody comes and rips them out.”

Clifford Playground is a splash of green grass in the Newmarket Industrial Park, a neighborhood dominated by red brick factories and blacktop parking lots surrounded by chain-link fences and razor wire. The playground on Shirley Street is across from the headquarters of the city Park Department on Massachusetts Avenue.

“People just don’t realize the impact of their maliciousness,” said Parks Department spokeswoman Mary Hines, who walked to the park with an umbrella today to inspect the damage. “To deliberately pull out 18 trees, I mean, come on.”

None of the 18 trees sustained serious damage. With some fresh top soil and cedar mulch, all were replanted and upright by this afternoon.

“We are not going to let this stand in our way,” Hines said of the city’s effort to plant 100,000 trees. “It’s a blip on the screen. Those trees are back in the ground and God is watering them right now.”

Posted by aryan at 2:39 PM | Comments (0)

Motorists urged to avoid Financial District today during repairs

By Michael Naughton, Globe Correspondent, and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

Motorists are being urged to avoid the Financial District today because Congress Street will be reduced to one lane as work crews repair a water main break that knocked out natural gas services to some 400 customers, which included scores of restaurants and bars.

Gas was reconnected this morning to some businesses and residents in the North End, and service to the neighborhood should be completely restored by the end of the day, said Jackie Barry, a spokeswoman for National Grid.

Crews have divided the Financial District into five sections that are being isolated so water can be removed from the pipes. The bulk of customers in the neighborhood should have gas service back sometime today, Barry said. The hope is that all customers will be back online by Tuesday morning, Barry said.

"We are doing everything we possibly can to minimize the impact on traffic and restore service to our customers as quickly as possible," Barry said.

Nearly two dozen National Grid trucks were scattered throughout the Financial District overseeing pump trucks that collected more than 35,000 gallons of water from an area that covers 30 streets and includes 13 miles of gas lines. The break early Saturday poured into the pipes, rupturing them and causing problems for businesses and residents for most of the weekend.

Water continues to cause problems in isolated sections of the Financial District, and crews are working to remedy the problem with 12 specialized drip trucks, some of which can suck up to 2,000 gallons of liquid out of the pipes.

“It is critical to remove as much water as possible from the system in order to achieve the correct pressure levels to be able to reintroduce gas,” said William Akley, senior vice president of Gas Operations for National Grid, in a statement. “If there is too much water in the system when gas is introduced, this could cause further delays, and that’s the last thing we, or our customers, want.”

Even after service is restored, the water may continue to cause problems in the gas system for some time, Akley said. The flood may have also damaged some customers’ gas-fired equipment. [Call National Grid at 1-800-732-3400 with questions.]

On Sunday, Carolyn Carty Sapontzis of New Jersey left Boston with an unsatisfied craving for Joe's clam chowder. The stove in Brian Dacey's North End apartment did not work. And the Horan brothers, Bud and Dan, sacrificed showers.

"It'll be a good grunge day," Dan Horan said while walking his dog in front of the Marriott Long Wharf with his brother Sunday. Horan was staying at the Oakwood Apartments on India Street, only a few blocks from where the main broke at Devonshire and Washington streets. Part of Devonshire Street remained blocked off as crews worked to finish repairs. Mud, sand, and rocks still coated some of the street.

The break, which occurred about 3 a.m. Saturday, also flooded streets in the Financial District and the Blue Line platform at the State Street subway station. It did not affect subway service.

For Carty Sapontzis, the repairs were coming too late. She was visiting Boston with her husband and two children and was in search of a meal at Joe's American Bar and Grill on the waterfront when she suddenly halted after seeing a sign on the door that read in part "we will remain closed until further notice." Carty Sapontzis had eaten Joe's chowder on a previous visit to Boston and was looking forward to having another bowl.

"I'm definitely disappointed because I wanted to get some good chowder," she said, "and tonight we're on our way back to New Jersey."

While Sapontzis and her family headed toward Faneuil Hall in search of a replacement chowder, Dacey looked for a hot drink. The North End resident's gas service was cut off, rendering his stove useless.

"It's just making due without cooking and having to go to Starbucks for coffee and tea," he said while walking his dog at Christopher Columbus Park. "For us it's not a big hardship, just more of an inconvenience."

At Faneuil Hall, restaurants and the food court were not affected and remained open during the weekend. Nate Wing, a manager at Cheers at Faneuil Hall, said the restaurant was busier than usual Saturday because many other surrounding restaurants had no hot water and were forced to close.

Like Joe's, the Hard Rock Cafe near Faneuil Hall was closed Saturday and Sunday because there was no gas to heat water to wash dishes or for employees to wash their hands. The restaurant's gift shop remained open.

"As a company we're just not going to take a chance," said Mark Frisicano, manager of the restaurant. "We'll be in here every day until it comes on. When it does, we'll open as soon as we can."

While restaurants eagerly wait to reopen for business, Brain Dallas awaits a hot shower.
Dallas, 25, a Philadelphia native who has lived at the Oakwood Apartments for the past month while on business in Boston, chose a cold shower over no shower.

"It was rough," he said. "I haven't had to take a cold shower like that in a long time. It's pretty hard to shave with cold water, too."

Despite the icy shower, Dallas said he wasn't angry.

"These things happen. What can you do?" he said.

Megan Woolhouse of the Globe staff contributed to this report.

Posted by aryan at 12:50 PM | Comments (0)

April 25, 2008

Amtrak trains delayed between New York and Boston

By Jillian Jorgensen, Globe Correspondent

A signal and switch problem is causing Amtrak delays this evening between New York City and Boston, officials said.

Traffic was halted during an investigation into the problem that stopped Acela Train 2168 around New Rochelle, N.Y., just before 6 p.m. today, according to Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari.

The train was en route to Boston, Magliari said. Trains began moving again around 7:30 p.m.

Delays of up to 90 minutes were expected for trains scheduled to travel between Boston and New York in the early evening, Magliari said, with the delays getting shorter later into the evening.

Posted by mfinucane at 8:47 PM | Comments (0)

Brush fires continue to blaze across the state

By Jillian Jorgensen, Globe Correspondent

Wildfires continued to burn throughout the state today, with 73 blazes measuring a quarter-acre or more, according to the state Bureau of Forest Fire Control.

David Celino, chief fire warden for the bureau, said the blazes have raged this week because of low humidity and lack of rainfall recently.

Higher humidity levels are expected this weekend, with chances of rain Sunday and Monday, he said.

An elderly homeowner in Wendell was critically injured earlier this week when he was overwhelmed by burning brush on his property, Celino said, but there have been no wildfire fatalities.

Posted by mfinucane at 8:34 PM | Comments (0)

EPA: Charles River gets high marks for cleanliness

(Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff)

With no worries about water quality, kayakers paddled their way back to Charles River Canoe & Kayak in Newton yesterday.

By Tania deLuzuriaga, Globe Staff

The water is still murky and its shores are still home to the occasional beef jerky wrapper, plastic bag or empty bottle, but federal environmental officials said today that the Charles River is the cleanest it has been since they began monitoring water quality in 1995.

The river scored a "B++" this year, meeting boating standards 100 percent of the time and swimming standards 63 percent of the time, slightly better than last year when the river was given a "B+" for meeting boating standards 90 percent of the time and for swimming 62 percent.

"We can all be very proud that our hard work to reduce bacteria levels in the Charles River is paying off," Robert Varney, regional administrator of EPA's New England office, said in a statement.

"The Charles River is one of our signature waterways and it is clear that more than a decade of focus and attention ... has begun to turn the tide toward the promise of a clean, fishable and swimmable river," said state Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles.

Still, problems persist. For the past two summers toxic blue-green algae blooms caused by phosphorous have exploded in the river, putting humans and animals at risk. Stricter rules aimed at reducing storm water overflows and phosphorous pollution introduced by the EPA last October should improve the situation, said EPA spokesman Ken Moraff.

“When you look at the river, you don’t want to see psychedelic colors,” he said.

Posted by mfinucane at 6:39 PM | Comments (0)

Police arrest suspect in Fitchburg slaying

By Globe Staff

A 20-year-old Fitchburg man is facing a murder charge for allegedly shooting a .22-caliber rifle into his ex-girlfriend's living room Thursday night, killing her current boyfriend.

Andrew Jacob was ordered held without bail after pleading innocent at his arraignment today in Fitchburg District Court in the slaying of 18-year-old Gabriel Cintron, also of Fitchburg. Jacob is facing charges that include murder and resisting arrest, said Worcester district attorney's spokesman Tim Connolly.

Cintron was shot through the window as he stood in the living room of the home on Normandy Road in Fitchburg at about 10:22 p.m. Prosecutors said that Jacob had fathered a child with Cintron's girlfriend and had recently had an altercation with her.

Cintron, who was shot once in the chest, was taken to Leominster Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Connolly said.

Police later found the .22-caliber rifle wrapped in a sweatshirt a short distance from the murder scene, Connolly said.

Christopher LoConto, Jacob’s attorney, said he was just familiarizing himself with the case, but promised a vigorous defense.

“We’ve got a long way to go and we just started,” he said. “We certainly want to see if the case is as it appears to be.”

An autopsy is under way at University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester. The next hearing in the case is slated for May 29.

Posted by aryan at 5:20 PM | Comments (0)

Dandelions mean spring

(John Tlumacki/Globe Staff)

A carpet of dandelions stood out this afternoon on Stoughton Street in Dorchester.

Posted by aryan at 4:17 PM | Comments (0)

State Police probe fatal crash on Interstate 195

By Globe Staff

State Police are investigating a crash early yesterday on Interstate 195 in Dartmouth that killed a 20-year-old Fall River man.

Alex M. Santos of died after his 2000 Chevy Blazer went out of control at about 6:10 a.m., careening into the median and rolling over. Santos was ejected from the vehicle, which then burst into flames, State Police said in a statement.

Santos was taken to St. Luke's Hospital and later to Brigham and Women's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:14 PM | Comments (0)

Chemical brew causes hazmat incident in East Boston

(George Rizer/Globe Staff)

Firefighters wearing air tanks waited outside the facility this morning.

By Matt Collette, Globe Correspondent

Fire crews responded in force this morning when a drum of improperly mixed chemicals caused a hazardous materials situation in an East Boston boatbuilding facility, officials said.

Crews working to build pleasure boats at Boston Boat Works called for help when they noticed smoke and an unusual smell in the supermarket-sized facility, said Steve MacDonald, a Boston Fire Department spokesman. They called for help just before 8 this morning.

The hazmat situation was declared a 2-alarm incident because more manpower is needed in decontamination efforts, MacDonald said.

“This was a place that uses different kinds of chemicals in the boatbuilding process – lacquers, adhesives, bonders, epoxies, things like that,” MacDonald said. “A lot of them are meant to be mixed together."

No one was injured, but hazmat crews hosed down employees as they left the building and gave them white jumpsuits to wear as their clothes were cleaned to remove potentially hazardous particles.

Fire crews searched the facility and found a 55-gallon drum smoldering, which they determined was caused by improperly mixed chemicals, MacDonald said. The mixture was not dangerous to the employees, MacDonald said.

Hazmat crews were on the scene until noon. A private company will assist the property owners in cleanup.

Posted by mfinucane at 3:53 PM | Comments (0)

Menino blasts Public Works employees after investigation

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

Mayor Thomas M. Menino issued a strong rebuke today to the city’s Department of Public Works after an investigation found that employees routinely left early and managers failed to ensure that basic tasks were completed.

(Patricia McDonnell/Globe Staff/file)

“We can do better, and we will do better,” Menino said a City Hall press conference, adding that “any abuse of the public trust is unacceptable.”

Six to eight workers will face disciplinary hearings next week and dozens more could face similar measures as the investigation continues. To implement reforms, Elmo Baldassari was promoted to deputy commissioner of public works and will oversee the highway, sanitation and recycling divisions.

The four-month investigation of maintenance yards included undercover surveillance by a private investigator hired by the city. It was completed more than a year after the Boston Finance Commission, a city watchdog agency, found that West Roxbury public works employees assigned to fill potholes, sweep streets, and pick up trash often arrived late, left early, and performed "very little work" while on the job.

A resulting city audit of four work sites and the headquarters of the department's highway division, completed in October, showed that little had changed since the watchdog agency's report, and that the problems were potentially more widespread and chronic.

The results of that audit compelled Chief of Public Works Dennis Royer to hire a private investigator to spy on his own employees. What the investigator saw over five weeks beginning last month, including employees falsifying co-workers' time sheets with the knowledge of their supervisors, has placed many city workers' jobs in jeopardy.

According to the mayor’s office, dozens of employees are currently under investigation for falsifying records, insubordination, and untruthfulness.

Posted by aryan at 3:38 PM | Comments (0)

Boston police add Dorchester man to 'most wanted' list

By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

Boston police today asked for the public's help in locating a 28-year-old Dorchester man who allegedly participated in one of the most brutal crimes in the city in 2007, the stabbing murder of a 16-year-old on a Dorchester street.

(Boston Police photo)

Pedro Ortiz is described by police as short, stocky man who was one of six people who allegedly attacked Terrance Jacobs near the intersection of Blue Hill Avenue and Havelock Street on May 22, 2007, stabbing him to death.

Five other men have been charged in the case. Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley's office says Jacobs was attacked as the outgrowth of a "simmering dispute'' between groups in the neighborhood.

Anyone with information about Ortiz is asked to contact Crimestoppers at 1-800-494-TIPS or they can text the word “TIP” to CRIME (27463).

Posted by jellement at 2:23 PM | Comments (0)

Army identifies remains of World War II airmen from Mass.

(Defense Department)

The crew of the B-24D Liberator included Second Lieutenant Kenneth L. Cassidy of Worcester, who is in the back row, second from the left. Second Lieutenant Ronald F. Ward of Cambridge is not pictured, although he was aboard the plane when it was lost on Dec. 3, 1943.

By Globe Staff

The remains of two Massachusetts soldiers who disappeared in a 1942 bombing run over the Bismarck Sea have been identified and will be returned to their families, according to a release issued today by the Defense Department.

The airmen -- Second Lieutenant Ronald F. Ward of Cambridge and Second Lieutenant Kenneth L. Cassidy of Worcester -- were two of 11 soldiers whose remains were identified. The crew of the B-24D Liberator were lost Dec. 3, 1943 after taking off from Dobodura, New Guinea.

According to the Defense Department, the men were on an armed reconnaissance mission over New Hanover Island in the Bismarck Sea. The crew reported dropping their bombs on target but never returned to Dobodura despite several radio contacts with their base.

The men will be buried with full military honors.

The other soldiers were: Captain Robert L. Coleman, of Wilmington, Del.; First Lieutenant George E. Wallinder, of San Antonio, Texas; Second Lieutenant Irving Schechner, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; Technical Sergeant William L. Fraser, of Maplewood, Mo.; Technical Sergeant Paul Miecias, of Piscataway, N.J.; Technical Sergeant Robert C. Morgan, of Flint, Mich.; Staff Sergeant Albert J. Caruso, of Kearny, N.J.; Staff Sergeant Robert E. Frank, of Plainfield, N.J.; and Private Joseph Thompson, of Compton, Calif.

Posted by aryan at 1:29 PM | Comments (0)

Mainlanders, you're lucky: Vineyard gas has soared past $4 per gallon

By Globe Staff

If you think gas prices are getting high at your local service station, just look across the water to the island of Martha’s Vineyard, where the prices have edged over $4 per gallon.

At the airport service station, manager Jennifer Medeiros, 32, said prices for unleaded gas had edged over the $4 mark a few days ago and were now at $4.12.

“Nobody’s happy about it, but we’re trying to make the best of it. We’re trying to keep the prices down as low as we possibly can,” she said.

Glenn Seelye, a clerk at Tisbury Shell, said unleaded was $4.19 at his station. He said hard-pressed people, instead of filling up, are buying only $10 worth, enough to get them by until they can get to the mainland to buy cheaper gas.

Martha's Vineyard Taxi owner Morgan Reitzas told The Associated Press he had been forced to raise fares for longer routes to Chilmark and Aquinnah, which can now cost $75. Reitzas said that even with the higher fees and some disgruntled customers, he was barely breaking even.

On Nantucket, the other major island favored by vacationers off the coast, clerks at two gas stations reported prices just below $4 this afternoon.

AAA Southern New England reports that the average gas price in the Boston area today is $3.49, compared with $3.13 a month ago and $2.77 a year ago.

Gas prices have been hitting record highs in recent days. Experts say the average price could hit $3.90 or $4.00.

Posted by mfinucane at 1:22 PM | Comments (0)

1,000 new Boston trees for Arbor Day

(John Tlumacki/Globe Staff)

Volunteers Leasia Ward(left), Luis Sota (center), and Mike Nonni planted a tree Thursday in Harambee Park.

By Globe Staff

Oak by oak, maple by maple, and honey locust by honey locust, 1,000 trees have been planted in Boston in the month of April. With each birch, linden, and tulip tree, the city has inched closer to growing 100,000 new trees by 2020, a goal unveiled with great fanfare on Arbor Day in 2007.

A year later, officials have surged past their initial benchmark by putting 2,327 saplings in the ground, a mark well above the first-year goal of 2,000. To mark Arbor Day and the anniversary of Grow Boston Greener, Mayor Thomas M. Menino was scheduled today to plant the 1,000th tree in April at Franklin Field in Dorchester.

The project began with a comprehensive inventory of the trees in Boston that found a tree canopy covers 29 percent of the city. The coverage varies widely: West Roxbury, the city's leafiest neighborhood, is almost half-covered, while South and East Boston each have coverage of less than 10 percent. Officials say the planting of 100,000 trees would bring the proportion citywide to 35 percent by 2020.

To reach that goal, the city increased the capital budget for trees on streets to $500,000 and raised $200,000 for planting trees on private property. That includes a $125,000 grant from The Home Depot Foundation which will used to plant 1,300 trees.

According to the city, some 300 individual residents have signed up for private tree plantings. There have been three trainings for tree captains, a designation for neighborhood leaders who plant 15 trees or more. And five community workshop have been held in neighborhoods that lack shade, including Roxbury, Dorchester, and Brighton.

After meeting its 2,000-tree goal this year, the city is looking to gradually ramp up planting. Officials hope to plant more than 10,000 trees annually from 2013 to 2015; the number will then drop back to 2,000 by 2020.

Posted by aryan at 12:37 PM | Comments (0)

Exit interview: Ali Noorani reflects on immigration landscape in Massachusetts

Ali Noorani, the executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, leaves today to run the National Immigration Forum in Washington D.C. For the past four years, he has been a leading advocate for immigrants in Massachusetts.

(Globe file photo/2005)

Before leaving, he answered some questions from the Globe's immigration reporter, Maria Sacchetti:

What is the top immigration issue in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts has the opportunity to integrate a new generation of immigrants and refugees in a way that serves the entire Commonwealth. To do this, we need to serve the needs and aspirations of immigrants and refugees just like we serve the needs and aspirations of any other person.

How does the debate over immigration in Massachusetts compare to other states?

Having leadership in the State House that doesn't scapegoat immigrants at every turn makes a huge difference. But, while one could argue life hasn't gotten worse for immigrants and refugees in Massachusetts, I think we have a long way to go before life gets better.

How has the recent immigration changed Massachusetts, since the state is still mostly white?

Massachusetts is dealing with a demographic transition the rest of the country has already undergone. It is beautiful to see immigrant communities, restaurants and stores throughout Massachusetts -- it makes the area all the more special.

What should public policy makers do about immigration?

Immigration is not an abstract issue, it is about people. Fundamental to our country is the fair treatment of all people -- our laws need to reflect this core value.

What do you think your biggest accomplishment was here?

I am most proud of the fact that our Coalition has grown from less than 50 member organizations to over 115 organizations across Massachusetts doing work across New England. None of our accomplishments would have been possible without such a strong membership.

What do you wish you could have done more of?

I wish I could have figured out a way to meet the immigrants who make the Red Sox so amazing!

Noorani bio:

--A native of Salinas, Calif., Noorani graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and receiveda master's in public health from Boston University.

-- Previously served as director of public health for the Codman Square Health Center and Dorchester House Multi-Service Center, managing efforts ranging from HIV/AIDS to youth development. Also worked for the City of Boston coordinating funding and technical assistance to environmental justice projects across the region.

-- Received the Alfred L. Frechette Award from the Massachusetts Public Health
Association for exceptional leadership in promoting social justice and
received the 2007 Boston University Young Alumni Award.

Posted by rgreene at 10:42 AM | Comments (0)

Harvard gets $100 million from Rockefeller

(Dina Rudick/Globe Staff/file)

The campus of Harvard University.

By Globe Staff

Harvard University announced today that it received $100 million from David Rockefeller, the largest gift from an alumnus in the school’s history.

The money will be used to increase international learning opportunities for Harvard undergraduates and build three new study centers at Fogg Art Museum, where students will come face-to-face with original works of art.

"Harvard opened my eyes and my mind to the world," Rockefeller said in a statement issued by the school. "It was because of Harvard's language requirement that I spent the summer of 1933 in Germany and saw firsthand the ominous rise of fascism. And it was at Harvard that I first studied art history. Harvard provided me with an intellectual framework to understand what I was seeing and experiencing that has stayed with me for my entire life.”

The gift was first reported by the New York Times. Rockefeller, a member of the Harvard College Class of 1936, is the former chairman of Chase Manhattan Bank.

Here is the full release from Harvard:

David Rockefeller gives $100 million for Harvard Undergraduate Programs Largest gift from an alumnus in Harvard's history

CAMBRIDGE, MA (April 25, 2008) — David Rockefeller, a member of the Harvard College Class of 1936 and longtime University benefactor, has pledged $100 million to increase learning opportunities dramatically for Harvard undergraduates through international experiences and participation in the arts. Rockefeller's gift is the largest from an alumnus in Harvard's history.

"Harvard opened my eyes and my mind to the world," Rockefeller said. "It was because of Harvard's language requirement that I spent the summer of 1933 in Germany and saw firsthand the ominous rise of fascism. And it was at Harvard that I first studied art history. Harvard provided me with an intellectual framework to understand what I was seeing and experiencing that has stayed with me for my entire life. I have enjoyed working with President Faust in structuring this gift and I support her vision for Harvard's future. In that context, I hope my gift will help enable future Harvard undergraduates to experience similar opportunities to learn about the world in which they live."

"This is a magnificent act of generosity from an extraordinary friend of Harvard," said Drew Faust, president of Harvard University and Lincoln Professor of History. "Our students stand to benefit immeasurably from greater opportunities to experience other cultures and to engage with the arts. Harvard has had occasion to thank David Rockefeller many times before, but never more so than today, for his profound commitment to learning experiences that hold the promise to transform people's lives."

Approximately $70 million of the gift will enable undergraduates to learn about other cultures directly by participating in high-quality international experiences, which may include study for credit, internships, service, work, research, or travel. Rockefeller has designated $30 million of his gift to provide hands-on learning opportunities in the arts.

As a cornerstone of the recently announced effort to renovate the Fogg Art Museum, the arts component of Rockefeller's gift will enable the construction of three new study centers in which undergraduates will have personal encounters with original works of art. These study centers — representing the University's three main collections of the Fogg, Busch-Reisinger, and Sackler museums — will allow Harvard to add interaction with works of art to the undergraduate curriculum. Since there are more than 260,000 objects in the collection, students will have direct access to a variety of works in an exciting and suitable setting.

The gift's international component will provide annual stipends for experiences abroad to hundreds of undergraduates who might not otherwise be able to afford to participate. Rockefeller's gift will also enhance the capacity of the Office of International Programs and other offices, such as the Office of Career Services, to expand their ability to serve both faculty and students by offering robust advising and a support framework for new program development. The gift will also establish the President's Innovation Fund for International Experience, which will provide funding at the president's discretion for innovative undergraduate programming suggested by Harvard's international centers and professional schools.

Last year, 1,450 Harvard undergraduates participated in international experiences, more than double the 667 students who took part just four years earlier. Still, a recent survey of graduating seniors indicated that many did not take part in such experiences because of financial constraints.

"Internationalism permeates Harvard," said Michael D. Smith, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. "Increasingly, our society is grappling with issues of global significance, and enabling our undergraduates to incorporate international experiences into their study is thus more important than ever. This generous gift greatly enhances our efforts to build our study abroad programs around the incredible educational value of living and learning while immersed in another culture," he said.

In addition, a portion of Rockefeller's gift will provide Faust with valuable seed money to fund recommendations made by the University-wide Arts Task Force, which she formed last November. Chaired by Cogan University Professor Stephen Greenblatt, the task force draws its membership from faculty, students, and others across the University who represent many fields and modes of engagement with the study and practice of the arts. Their recommendations might include expanding a program designed to recognize and support talented student artists in the practice of their craft; launching artist-in-residence programs; or developing courses and international experiences using works of art as the basis for historical, anthropological, and cultural exploration.

Rockefeller has previously given $40 million in gifts to Harvard, including $25 million to create the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies. Established with Rockefeller's initial grant in 1994, the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies has become one of the pre-eminent institutions of its kind in the world. In May 2006, he made his most recent gift to the center of $10 million. The center is distinguished as the first interfaculty initiative for international studies at Harvard. More than 70 leading scholars from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and eight of the University's graduate and professional schools serve on the center's policy committee.

Harvard has retained the internationally renowned architect Renzo Piano to design the Fogg Art Museum's renovation. While construction dates are contingent on the community approval process, Harvard hopes that work will begin sometime in 2009.

"Students and scholars come from around the world to learn from works of art in our collections," said Thomas W. Lentz, Elizabeth and John Moors Cabot Director of the Harvard University Art Museums. "This will help to create a new intellectual and visual dimension for future generations at Harvard, especially for our undergraduates, by dramatically increasing our ability to make these works accessible. This is an extraordinary gift to those scholars," he said.

Rockefeller has enjoyed seeing the programmatic impact of his previous gifts. "The center has more than fulfilled my expectations, and has played an important role in helping Harvard transform itself from a U.S. institution with an international reputation into a truly global university," Rockefeller said. "Latin America is a critical part of the world, and understanding the changes occurring there is essential. I trust that the center will continue to be a leader in Latin American studies far into the future."

Rockefeller's desire to leverage his giving has been rewarded at the center many times over. For example, his initial gifts to the center, which provided endowments for three chairs in Latin American studies, have inspired other donors, and Harvard now benefits from seven endowed professorships dedicated to the study of Latin America. In addition, eight endowed fellowships for visiting researchers now enrich the Harvard community each year.

Working closely with Rockefeller to help take the center from vision to reality was then-President Neil L. Rudenstine. Rudenstine recognized that studying a region such as Latin America would best be achieved by engaging scholars from numerous fields and from many of Harvard's schools. He found himself immediately attracted to Rockefeller's idea.

"In the early 1990s, David Rockefeller had the vision to help lead Harvard's effort in creating the first university-wide center of its kind," said Rudenstine. "David realized that the time was right to turn attention — in a much more powerful and concentrated way — on Latin American affairs. The goal was to involve Harvard faculty and students from all the professional schools — as well as the Faculty of Arts and Sciences — to collaborate with colleagues and students throughout Latin America on a wide range of new initiatives. Since then, there have been hundreds of joint projects in research and education, as well as a full program of lectures, conferences, cultural events, and other activities. The David Rockefeller Center has quickly become a major educational presence throughout the Americas, and has, in addition, been an influential model for other university-wide international centers, not only at Harvard, but at other institutions in the United States and abroad," he said.

The research grants given to faculty by the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies have supported work on ways to reduce inequalities in access to good schools, health care, and affordable housing; reduce air pollution and protect the environment; strengthen democratic institutions; and improve U.S.-Latin American relations. The center has published a dozen books on such topics as the effectiveness of free trade agreements, the Cuban economy, and the role of social enterprise throughout the region. The center, in conjunction with the Inter-American Development Bank, also publishes books on economic development.

Rockefeller is the former chairman, president, chairman of the executive committee, and CEO of Chase Manhattan Bank, and former chairman of the board of the Rockefeller Group. He is known as an innovative philanthropist with a wide range of interests, including Latin America, modern art, and the sciences. He has been a generous donor to many of Harvard's faculties and schools. A past member of the Executive Committee of the Committee on University Resources (COUR), he also served as honorary chair of The University Campaign, which raised a record $2.6 billion for Harvard between 1994 and 1999. He has been a generous donor to the Museum of Modern Art, Rockefeller University, and numerous other institutions and causes. An active Harvard alumnus for decades, he served on the Board of Overseers from 1954 to 1966, and was president of the board from 1966 to 1968. In recognition of his many forms of service to the University, he received an honorary degree in 1969.

Posted by aryan at 9:10 AM | Comments (0)

April 24, 2008

C. Hale Champion, former senior public official, 85

By J.M. Lawrence, Globe Correspondent

C. Hale Champion, who in half a century of public service held senior positions in local, state and federal government and in academia, died Wednesday at Mount Auburn Hospital of complications from prostate cancer. He was 85.

In Massachusetts, one of Mr. Champion's highest-profile posts was serving as chief of staff for Governor Michael Dukakis while Dukakis was running for president. Mr. Champion had been the first executive dean of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government for eight years when Dukakis beckoned in 1987, asking Mr. Champion to leave the ivory tower.

“I needed somebody I could absolutely count on,” Dukakis said today, “and he was a rock. You had absolute confidence in him.”

Mr. Champion, who also served as head of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, was remembered by friends and former colleagues as a shrewd behind-the-scenes player with a strong intellect and a gift for cutting to the heart of complex matters.

“He would take a problem and boil it down to its essential elements,” said former Massport director David W. Davis, whose friendship with Champion spanned 40 years. “He was always fully engaged in the work.”

Born in Coldwater, Mich., Mr. Champion was an Army veteran of World War II.

He spent the early part of his career mostly in journalism, leaving in 1958 when he was hired as press secretary for newly elected California Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown.

Brown lost to Ronald Reagan in 1966 and Mr. Champion packed up his files to take a post at Harvard as a Kennedy Fellow at the Institute of Politics.

At Harvard, Champion was tapped by Boston Mayor Kevin White in 1968 to run the Boston Redevelopment Authority. He spent 18 months heading the BRA and oversaw the building of Quincy Market and commitments of $1 billion in commercial development, but left because of political difficulties with board members.

Mr. Champion then became executive vice president of the five-campus University of Minnesota system for two and half years before Harvard President Derek Bok convinced him to return to Cambridge. He was Harvard’s vice president for financial affairs from 1971 to 1977.

The Carter administration recruited Mr. Champion in 1977 to become undersecretary of Health Education and Welfare. Mr. Champion also was chairman of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation from 1990 to 1992 and taught at Harvard until retiring in 1995.

He spent his later years caring for his wife who suffers from Alzheimer’s, his son said.

“He became her caregiver. He stepped up and kept the home running,” Thomas said.

In addition to his son and wife, Mr. Champion leaves a daughter Katherine Champion Murphy of Cambridge; two granddaughters and a grandson. A memorial service in Cambridge is being planned.

Posted by mfinucane at 8:25 PM | Comments (0)

At MIT student BBQ, piano hurled off a dormitory roof

(Evan Richman/Globe Staff)

Pre-flight inspection: Albahar checks out the soon-to-be-flying baby grand.

By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

A cookout this afternoon at an MIT dormitory was typical for students at the science mecca: grilled chicken, veggie burgers, and hot dogs. Fruit punch and lemonade. And a piano was hurled off a seven-story roof onto another piano.

It was the revived annual piano drop at the Baker House, an event that could only take place on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

"It didn't go as well as we expected," said organizer Abdulaziz Albahar, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering who is president of Baker House. "We expected the pianos to shatter into a lot of different pieces. But the one that we dropped off the roof was really, really, really strong."

Like a true engineer, he figured that you'd have to take the sturdy baby grand up 15 stories to get it to shatter.

To build excitement, the piano drop was preceded by a different stunt. A shopping cart with a large stuffed bear inside came hurtling down.

Finding the pianos was not hard. (The baby grand came from an MIT fraternity, and another came from a donor in the suburbs of Boston.)

Getting permission from the school to drop the baby grand from the roof was another story. (Yes, they had permission.) The students had to submit schematics to officials to show that the prank was safe and get approval from the MIT police, the campus activity office, and the school facilities office. They also had to pay a state trooper to oversee the operation and promise to wear harnesses when they went on the roof to do the deed.

The piano drop tradition started in 1972, but stopped in the late 1990s until it was revived in 2005. Like most MIT pranks, there is no larger point.

Albahar said the piano that was on the ground "definitely shattered" and he had a few fragments of it as souvenirs. The baby grand, he said, would be reused next year.

Was the miraculous piano still playable?

"A little bit. Not too much," he said.

Taking wing: the piano that fell to earth.

(Evan Richman/Globe Staff)

Posted by aryan at 7:08 PM | Comments (0)

State officials, with brush fires raging, pin their hopes on rain

By Michael Levenson, Globe Staff

State fire officials, grappling with a rash of explosive, wind-driven brush fires that have raged from the Berkshires to Nantucket, are hoping that rain this weekend will soak the state and prevent even more fearsome blazes.

The National Weather Service is forecasting a quarter-inch of rain for the state on Saturday night and Sunday morning, which firefighters hope will be enough to douse the twigs, leaves and parched fields that have provided perfect kindling for scores of brush fires over the last two weeks.

In Boston, only 1.45 inches of rain have fallen this month, about an inch less than normal for April, said Rebecca Gould, meteorologist at the Weather Service’s Taunton office. The last rainfall was April 13, she said. In addition, humidity levels have been very low and the weather warm and sunny, which has allowed even seemingly minor backyard leaf fires to rage out of control.

Just yesterday, firefighters battled more than a dozen brush fires that scorched parts of Hopkinton, Weymouth, Orange, Billerica, Abington and other towns. One fast-moving blaze devoured two garages in Groton.

Most of the blazes have been unpredictable and some have kicked up flames of 15 to 25 feet, said David Celino, chief forest fire warden in the Bureau of Fire Control of the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.

“It’s keeping us hopping,” Celino said yesterday. “This is dangerous fire behavior.”

Posted by mfinucane at 6:15 PM | Comments (0)

Two-alarm fire damages Weymouth home

By Matt Collette, Globe Correspondent

Firefighters battled a two-alarm blaze in Weymouth this afternoon that displaced the residents of a single-family home.

The fire department received a report of the fire at 1:39 p.m. While en route, firefighters were informed that an elderly woman was trapped inside, said Gabe Araujo, a fire dispatcher. When firefighters arrived, the woman was safely out of the home.

Almost two hours later, just before 3:30 p.m., the fire was extinguished. The fire department did not have an estimate of the extent of the damange.

Posted by mfinucane at 5:18 PM | Comments (0)

From an environmental settlement, help for a 'green' project

By Globe Staff

A real estate company that manages a Maynard building has agreed to settle claims of environmental violations by paying $15,000 to the state to put high-tech solar hydrogen generators on the roof, state environmental regulators said today.

Wellesley Rosewood Maynard Mills LP will help fund equipment components that will be used by Nanoptek Corp., one of the building's tenants, to put the generators on the roof, the Department of Environmental Protection said in a statement.

Nanoptek has developed a device that produces hydrogen and oxygen, using only water, sunlight, and a photocatalyst. The hydrogen will be captured and used to generate power to the building complex and to fuel a shuttle bus that will transport workers and visitors from the South Acton train station to the building, the DEP said.

The DEP said that the real estate company had violated its air quality plan by burning oil rather than natural gas and it had operated an industrial wastewater pretreatment system without a licensed operator. The company agreed to comply with all regulations.

"MassDEP looks forward to the environmental gains that can come from the technology," Martin Suuberg, director of the agency's central region office in Worcester, said.

Posted by mfinucane at 5:00 PM | Comments (0)

Six injured in Saugus triple-decker fire

(Bill Brett for The Boston Globe)

Firefighters battling the blaze.

By Katheleen Conti, Globe Staff

Four firefighters and two residents were injured in a fire in a triple-decker on Central Street in Saugus this afternoon.

A fire captain was in the worst shape after barging into the building to rescue a disabled woman on the second floor. He was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital. The other firefighters and the woman and her husband were taken to Melrose-Wakefield Hospital, said Fire Chief James L. Blanchard.

The woman and her husband were in good condition. There was no further information available on the condition of the firefighters.

Blanchard said firefighters from five other communities had raced to the four-alarm fire to assist Saugus.

With schoolchildren on vacation, the street was packed in the midafternoon with both adults and children, watching the spectacle, some of them shooting pictures with their cellphones.

Blanchard said he didn't know how many people lived in the home.

Posted by mfinucane at 4:35 PM | Comments (0)

Appeals court OKs emergency search of woman's purse

By Globe Staff

A Beverly police officer who found drugs in a woman's purse was justified in the search because he was trying to help EMTs who believed she might be suffering from an overdose, the state appeals court ruled today.

Linda A. McCarthy, 54, was found "thrashing" on the floor of a Beverly restaurant in May 2006. A police officer called for EMTs, who told him they believed she had overdosed and asked whether he knew what she had taken.

The officer searched an open woman's handbag several feet from the defendant to see if he could find the drugs, which could help the EMTs in treating McCarthy. He found cocaine and marijuana.

McCarthy recovered, but she was charged with cocaine and marijuana possession. She challenged the search of her handbag in a pretrial motion.

The Massachusetts Appeals Court said there was no question that the officer had no probable cause to search the handbag and, under normal circumstances, the warrantless search would have been considered invalid.

But it said there was an "emergency exception" to the law, which applies when officers are responding "to an immediate need for assistance for the protection of life or property."

"In such medical emergencies, time is of the essence, requiring swift action," the court said, ruling that there were reasonable grounds for the officer to believe an emergency existed. "It was therefore reasonable for him to search the defendant's handbag."

Posted by mfinucane at 3:52 PM | Comments (0)

Former RMV clerk sentenced for $76,000 theft

By Globe Staff

A former clerk with the state Registry of Motor Vehicles pleaded guilty today to using her position to steal about $76,000 from the Registry.

Diana Coroniti, 36, of Walpole was convicted of larceny over $250 by continuous scheme. She was sentenced to five years in prison, the first year of which will be spent under house arrest, the attorney general’s office said.

Worcester Superior Court Judge Peter Agnes also ordered Coroniti to pay $25,000 restitution to the Commonwealth, perform 500 hours of community service, and undergo counseling for a gambling addiction.

Coroniti began work as a clerk at the Registry branch in Framingham in January 2001. In June 2004, she was she was transferred to the Milford branch.

At the Milford branch, prosecutors said, Coroniti stole $76,000 in cash between January 2005 and June 2005.

Posted by mfinucane at 2:51 PM | Comments (0)

Simmons leader stepping down; health executive to take over

(Simmons College)

Helen Drinan (left) will be an interim replacement for Simmons College president Susan C. Scrimshaw.

By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff

Simmons College president Susan C. Scrimshaw will step down at the end of the academic year, the Fenway college's trustees announced today, and will be replaced by trustee chairwoman Helen Drinan, a top healthcare executive.

Scrimshaw, a well-known public health scholar, will depart after less than two years as the head of the small, women's college to return to the health-care field.

Drinan, senior vice president of Caritas Christi Health Care System and a graduate of Simmons School of Management, will assume the post on an interim basis but has pledged to serve at least two years, college officials said. She will announce her departure from Caritas today and will begin working at Simmons next month before officially taking over in July.

Scrimshaw's departure comes as somewhat of a surprise given her relatively short tenure and the college's recent successes in boosting its stature and enrollment at a time when many women's colleges have closed, contracted, or decided to admit men to boost their ranks.

Steve Jonas, vice chairman of the board of trustees, said the board was pleased with Scrimshaw's performance and was surprised to learn of her desire to step down.

"We have been foursquare in support of the initiatives she started," he said. "She put many positive changes in motion, and now we have to see those through to the next stage."

Jonas praised Scrimshaw for sharpening academic standards, promoting faculty research, and strengthening the college's diversity and sense of community. He said the board will not begin searching for a permanent president for at least a year.

The college, which has 2,100 undergraduates and 2,600 graduate students, is currently conducting a search for a provost and may select someone with the qualifications to succeed Drinan, he said.

Drinan, a well-known figure in the business community who worked for two decades at BankBoston Corp., said she was "honored and thrilled" to become president of her alma mater, where she received a master's from the School of Library and Information Science and an MBA in 1978.

"I can hardly believe my good fortune," she said.

In 2006, Drinan was thrust into the public eye when she pressed for the removal of Caritas president Robert M. Haddad, following sexual harassment allegations. Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley had initially decided to reprimand Haddad. Caritas is part of the state's Catholic hospital chain.

Drinan called Scrimshaw a "model academician" and a "luminary in her field" who has led the college well. She said she would seek to continue Scrimshaw's emphasis on academic excellence and support for faculty research, quipping that she expected faculty to "give her the benefit of the doubt, if not more so," despite her business background.

Drinan added, however, that she planned to re-examine the college's programs and marketing with an eye on improving its competitive standing.

"Simmons is a unique franchise in higher education, but the challenge is to maintain its original mission in changing times. We're going to have to think hard about how we want to position ourselves."

With the number of high school graduates projected to decline in the coming years, Simmons needs to gain a more national profile, she said. However, the college is not considering admitting men, she said.

In a statement, Scrimshaw said she was looking foward to her "first sabbatical in four decades," and that the college was "well positioned for the future."

Posted by rgreene at 2:35 PM | Comments (0)

Boston sportscasting pioneer Don Gillis, 85

(Courtesy WCVB-TV)

By Globe Staff

Don Gillis, Boston's first TV sports anchorman, died Wednesday night at the age of 85 in Falmouth. He had suffered from Alzheimer's disease in recent years.

"We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our former colleague, the dean of Boston television sports, Don Gillis, and extend ourheartfelt sympathies to his family," WCVB-TV (Channel 5), his former station, said in a statement.

In October 1962, Mr. Gillis became the city's first nightly TV sports anchor on the old Channel 5 (WHDH-TV).

Mr. Gillis, who got his start in radio in New Bedford, was well-known as both a sports anchor and host of the "Candlepins" program. After the old Channel 5 went off the air, he served as sports director at WCVB-TV from 1972 to 1983 and hosted the bowling program until 1995.

His resume also included doing play-by-play for the Celtics, Bruins, Patriots and Red Sox.

His son, Gary, also a former Boston TV sportscaster, said, "My father was proud of his versatility. He was a good reporter and a good anchor, and he was most proud of his relationships with the athletes he covered because he felt there was mutual respect. He understood that they operated in a unique environment."

A US Navy veteran, Mr. Gillis was on board the USS Missouri when America accepted the Japanese surrender.

"He wrote the blueprint for local sportscasting, which I use to this very day. He left an enormously large pair of shoes, which I am still trying to fill and he remains the conscience of our sports department," said Mike Lynch, the current WCVB-TV sports anchor.

"A true Boston legend, there was no one better. He leaves a legacy of warmth, humor and mentorship to the many who followed in his footsteps. He will be missed," the station said.

Posted by mfinucane at 1:41 PM | Comments (0)

Channel 7 parent company: Goldklank 'deeply regretful'

(Globe Photo / Wiqan Ang/file 2007)

By Globe Staff

Randi Goldklank, the general manager of WHDH-TV, is "deeply regretful" about an incident Sunday night at Logan International Airport in which she allegedly scuffled with police officers, the president of the station's parent company, Sunbeam Television Corp., said today.

"The unfortunate events of last Sunday night were unanticipated," Ed Ansin said in a statement. Goldklank is undergoing medical treatment and has been placed on administrative leave, Ansin said.

"We wish her a speedy recovery as do her many friends in Boston and throughout the broadcasting industry," said Ansin, who described Goldklank as "an outstanding broadcast executive with a record of great success."

In the meantime, Mike Carson, the previous general manager of WHDH-TV and its sister station, WLVI-TV, who has been working as a consultant to the stations, will temporarily resume his duties as general manager beginning next week, Ansin said.

Goldklank, a hard-charging executive who oversaw an aggressive news operation, was arrested Sunday night and charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and assault and battery on a police officer.

A State Police report described her getting off a flight, flailing her arms and smelling of alcohol. She allegedly struck one state trooper, breaking the prescription eyeglasses in his shirt pocket, and threatened to call a news crew and put another trooper on television and "ruin [his] life."

Posted by mfinucane at 12:14 PM | Comments (0)

Patrick called 'budget hero' for pre-K funding

(Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff/file)

By Michael Levenson, Globe Staff

Governor Deval Patrick has gone from "failure to act" to "budget hero" in a year, according to a national education advocacy group, which is hailing his decision to increase funding for pre-kindergarten programs.

Last April, Pre-K Now sharply criticized Patrick for failing to live up to his campaign pledge to increase funding for pre-kindergarten education and called his decision to level-fund the program "an opportunity sorely missed." This year the group has singled him out for praise for proposing to triple the funding. The $15 million boost, if approved by the Legislature, will provide access to pre-K programs for 11,000 more three- and four-year-olds.

"In times of crisis, we can clearly see what a governor's priorities are," Libby Doggett, executive director of Pre-K Now, said in a statement. "Governor Patrick's commitment to funding increases for Pre-K shows true leadership that will bring long-term returns to children and to the state."

Posted by aryan at 11:30 AM | Comments (0)

Big Papi jersey fetches $175K

(Frances Roberts/AP)

Frank Gramarossa, project executive for the new Yankee Stadium, removed the jersey from the floor of a service corridor 10 days ago.

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

It's not much of a shirt, it's true. It's torn. It's dirty. Being buried in the concrete under a stadium construction project and then being drilled out by jackhammers will do that to you.

But the David Ortiz jersey that a construction worker buried under the site of the new Yankee Stadium is a quirky piece of baseball history -- and it sold this afternoon for $175,100 on eBay.

The bid from Kevin Meehan, the owner of Imperialcars.com in Mendon, was the highest of 282 for the battered No. 34 David Ortiz jersey.

"I actually thought it was going to sell for more money," said Meehan, who bid only in the final moments of the weeklong eBay auction that ended at 12:30 p.m. "I have three young boys that I take to the games and they would have killed me if I didn't buy the shirt."

The Yankees, despite being the targets of the would-be curse, donated the jersey to the Red Sox' official charity, the Jimmy Fund, which auctioned it off to raise funds for cancer care and research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Mike Andrews, The Jimmy Fund chairman and former Red Sox second baseman, said the charity was "absolutely thrilled."

"We are grateful for the generous bid, and extend our deep gratitude to the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox for coming together again in the fight against cancer," he said in a statement.

Meehan said he was eager to give to the Jimmy Fund because his father died of cancer and his stepfather has the disease.

"It's personal," he said. "It's a lot deeper than just the shirt."

Meehan plans to eventually display the jersey from his favorite Red Sox player in one of his car dealerships. He said he has no intention of selling it.

"It was just a win-win all the way around," said Meehan, who also will receive a new Ortiz jersey, a Yankees T-shirt and two tickets to a Red Sox game where he will be presented with the unusual piece of sports memorabilia.

Construction worker Gino Castignoli, a Red Sox fan from the Bronx, dropped the jersey into two feet of wet concrete during construction of the new stadium, hoping to hex the Yankees. The team found the jersey after receiving information from anonymous tipsters and had it jackhammered out.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Posted by mfinucane at 11:05 AM | Comments (0)

Red Sox tickets allegedly used to reward Big Dig inspector

(Globe file photo)

Tickets similar to those shown above were allegedly given to a plumbing inspector by P.J. Riley & Co.

By Globe Staff

A Big Dig contractor is accused of improperly rewarding a state inspector with a pair of $80 Red Sox tickets for issuing plumbing permits and performing inspections on several projects, according to the State Ethics Commission.

A vice president of P.J. Riley & Co. allegedly gave inspector Taylor Roth two tickets to several games from 2004 to 2006 in violation of the state’s conflict of interest law, according to the Ethics Commission. Roth is a senior inspector at the State Board of Examiner