Photos courtesy of Brendan McMullin

(Above) Family and friends gathered at a sunset memorial in Hawaii following the unexpected death of Liz Tarpey. Parents Chris and Mary Tarpey stand in the center. (Left) (From left) Liz Tarpey, Liz's mother Mary, and aunt Patricia McMullin-Do attend a game at Georgia Tech.

By Jessica Bartlett, Town Correspondent

For family and friends of Elizabeth “Liz” Tarpey, there aren’t enough positive words to characterize the energetic Braintree High graduate.

Yet speaking about Tarpey has been the challenge this week, after the 23-year-old died in a hiking accident in Hawaii last Saturday.

“Her joy, her good nature, it’s tough to put into a little box,” said uncle and godfather Brendan McMullin, about what he would remember most about her. “Through this last several days we’ve all been together, the whole family, no one can remember any time where Liz was ever even in a sour mood.”

According to the New York Daily News, Tarpey was hiking the Pu’u Manamana hiking trail in Kaawa, known in Yelp reviews as the most dangerous hike on the island of Oahu, when she stepped on a patch of loose soil and fell 300 feet.

Helicopter rescue crews had a difficult time reaching Tarpey, the Daily News reported. She was eventually rescued and taken to the hospital, where she later passed away.

The accident cut short a life just on the brink of blossoming, McMullin said.

A 2007 Braintree High graduate, Tarpey was already a success story leaving high school. The track, cross-country, and tennis athlete also played in the band, and was a member of the National Honors Society and Spanish National Honors Society.

Tarpey went on to Georgia Tech University. After graduating with a degree in Industrial and systems engineering in 2011, she began working as a business analyst at C&S Wholesale Grocers in Keene, N.H. She soon was given the opportunity to work in the company's Hawaii offices.

While in Hawaii, Tarpey also became a charter member of the Prince Kuhio Toastmasters Club, and volunteered in numerous organizations in Hawaii, McMullin said.

“She had such a busy life filled with friends and activities and exploring the island,” McMullin said. “She befriended so many people.”

A lover of the outdoors, McMullin said she went on many hikes, writing about her adventures in a journal she kept.

“Lots of her friends said she was always the very, very careful one. She wasn’t reckless, was always prepared and was physically fit,” McMullin said. “She kept a journal and wrote about her days, the climbs she did, people she met, places she went, and work experiences. Even then, she had a predisposition to only say positive things.”

Tarpey loved to travel, going abroad to Oxford and visiting relatives in Ireland.

In her spare moments, Tarpey was teaching herself ukulele.

“She had a lot of plans moving forward in her life. But boy, oh boy, did she not only work hard, but she took time to smell the flowers,” McMullin said. “She experienced every day of her life, she experienced life.”

McMullin said Tarpey was mother's best friend and the biggest fan of both of her brothers’ – one older and one younger .

“She never forgot any birthdays or important dates. She has lots of cousins who all have awesome memories of her,” McMullin said.

Friends came out in droves for a sunset memorial in Hawaii last Tuesday celebrating Tarpey’s life. Relatives who attended the event said it was unbelievably moving.

"She really was just loved by everybody who met her," McMullin said.

Locally, funeral arrangements have not yet been finalized.

Tarpey leaves behind parents Chris and Mary, brothers Noah and Nathan, and many cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends.

Spending on police per person, fiscal year 2012

By Matt Carroll, Boston Globe | June 27, 2013

Click here to see a larger, interactive version of this chart.
Additional town-by-town snapshots.

By Jessica Bartlett, Town Correspondent

Man arrested with 21 bags of cocaine in his mouth
A Mattapan man was arrested Friday afternoon after Braintree police allegedly found him with crack cocaine in his mouth.

According to police, a Braintree officer was working a patrol shift when he saw a black BMW traveling down Union Street with both passenger side tires over the fog line.

The detective looked up the registration and learned that it was registered to a man whose name was involved in a recent drug investigation.

The officer stopped the car and spoke to the driver. Although the driver wasn’t the man the car was registered to, the driver was also the target of a drug investigation, police said.

According to police, the car smelled of burnt marijuana. The officer also suspected that the man was hiding narcotics in his mouth.

Police reported they found several white rocks in plastic concealed under the suspect’s tongue. When police tried to apprehend him, the suspect struggled.

The suspect ultimately spit out 21 baggies of crack cocaine, police said.

Jeremy Lawrence, 39, of Mattapan, was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, resisting arrest, assault and battery, obstructing justice, operating a motor vehicle after license revocation, and failure to keep within marked lanes.

Bail was set at $20,000, police said.

Teen found with weed in South Shore Plaza

A Braintree teen was arrested on Monday after allegedly selling marijuana at the South Shore Plaza.

According to police, officers were working at the South Shore Plaza when they encountered the suspect, who had a strong odor of marijuana coming off of him.

Officers confronted the suspect and discovered a bag of marijuana in the suspect’s pocket and a mason jar of marijuana in his backpack.

The packback also contained additional baggies of marijuana, several empty plastic baggies, and a scale.

Matthew F. Connell, 17, of Braintree was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

By Jessica Bartlett, Town Correspondent

Shopping for furniture can be almost as difficult as finding a partner, but with a casting call for “The Bachelor” at Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture in Braintree next week, locals can do both at the same time.

The furniture retailer, in conjunction with ABC Boston’s WCV-TV, will host an open casting call for the popular matchmaking show from 1 to 5 p.m. on June 22.

The search is for both men and women. Though contestants for bachelor or bachelorette typically come from previous seasons of the show, a release for the casting said agents are looking for men who want to be the next bachelor, in addition to women who want to date the next bachelor.

“We are very excited to be part of 'The Bachelor’s' search for their next star,” said Rob Rubin of Bernie & Phyl’s Furniture. “We know our customers have a lot of style and personality and look forward to seeing all the eligible women and men out there who want to audition to be part of this terrific show.”

According to Amy Blumenthal, PR spokeswoman for Bernie & Phyl's, the store did a casting call last year in their Westborough store, where 120 people showed up for the chance to meet or be the next bachelor.

"We had a good turnout and they are expecting a couple hundred to come to this particular one," she said.

People will come in, will be asked to register and have photo taken, Blumenthal said. Contestants are then given a number and a time estimate for an interview.

Four camera stations will be set up so that several people can be interviewed at once.

“They just want to get them on tape and see how the answer questions on camera,” Blumenthal said.

Last year, one girl who auditioned was asked to come back with her twin. Another man was just shopping for furniture when he found out about the show and decided to audition.

"They are just looking for something they like," Blumenthal said.

In addition to being single and over 21 years of age, applicants must not be a candidate for any type of political office, must be a US citizen or resident alien living in the United States, and must have a passport.

Anyone convicted of a felony is barred from participating, and background checks are mandatory.

Strict guidelines are also given on 'The Bachelor' website for those who apply, including agreeing to disclose any information within the application to other people, agreeing to be taped 24/7 if chosen for the program, and consenting to the program filming applicants in a way that could be “embarrassing, unfavorable, humiliating, and/or derogatory and/or may portray him or her in a false light,” the website states.

Applicants also must be open to travel. In addition to agreeing to travel and live in accordance with show rules, semi-finalists to the program will have to travel to Los Angeles for further interviews, and potentially undergo physical and psychological exams.

For more information on criteria, click here.

Pre-registration is not required. Applicants will be required to sign a waiver the day of the auditions.

For more information on the casting call, click here.

By Jessica Bartlett, Town Correspondent

Man arrested for threatening shopper with knife

A Weymouth man was arrested on Sunday after allegedly threatening a Braintree man with a knife outside Weymouth Landing.

According to police, while outside a Seven-Eleven store, the suspect asked the victim for money.

The Braintree man told police that words were exchanged, and the Braintree man continued into the store to conduct his business.

While inside the store, the Braintree man said he saw the Weymouth man outside with a knife in his hand. The suspect then motioned for the Braintree man to come outside.

Police said that the Braintree man called police. Upon seeing the victim on the phone, the suspect walked away toward Weymouth.

Braintree and Weymouth police searched the area for the suspect and found him a short distance away.

Brian D. Gerbeville, 57, of Weymouth was arrested and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon. Police found three knives in his possession.

Woman charged in Braintree crash
A Braintree woman was arrested on Saturday for allegedly crashing into another car while driving under the influence, sending the other driver to the hospital.

According to police, officers responded on June 8 to a crash at the intersection of Liberty and Grove streets.

Police had received a call from a motorist who was following what he described as an erratic operator traveling north on Grove Street from Weymouth.

According to the witness, the erratic operator failed to stop for the red light at the intersection, crossed over the center line, and crashed into a Weymouth man’s car, who had been driving South on Grove Street.

The victim, a 60-year-old man from Weymouth, was transported to South Shore Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The suspect, a 47-year-old woman from Braintree, did not appear to be injured. Police spoke with the suspect and said she smelled of alcohol.

After performing several sobriety tests, the suspect was placed under arrest.

Mary Beath, 47, of Braintree was charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, failure to keep within marked lanes, and operating an unregistered motor vehicle.

By Jessica Bartlett, Town Correspondent

With only a month to go, and $22,000 left to raise, Braintree officials are hopeful more sponsors will come forward to support the annual Forth of July festivities.

The request for funds is a familiar refrain for those who know of the event, and while fund-raising for the town’s parade, after-party, and fireworks may have proven difficult in the past, organizers are optimistic about this year.

“We have really reached out, and I can’t say enough of how generous a number of businesses have been that have stepped forward to partner with us, to become sponsors,” said Town Councilor Sean Powers, who is also chairman of the Braintree July 4th Celebration Committee. “We’re confident we’ll reach our goal, but we still need to ask folks to step forward and donate.”

In 2012, fund-raising fell short, with organizers only able to raise $35,000 from private sources to fund the nearly $100,000 event.

This year, the celebration has been scaled back, but fund-raising expectations are higher.

Of the $84,000 event, the town will spend $40,000 on the parade. The remaining $44,000, which would cover the after-party and fireworks display at Braintree High School, has been left up to private donations.

Donations have been coming in so far from businesses, with the help of a new 501(c)3 designation and new website. The committee has also petitioned residents for donations through their water and sewer bills.

“The money is coming in, but we’re halfway there and we still need people to step forward,” Powers said.

More events will be forthcoming, Powers said, including a Pizza Palooza event hosted by the Braintree Chamber of Commerce.

Yet not only are organizers looking for cash, the Committee is also looking for volunteers as well as town groups that want to march in the parade, part of a renewed focus to bring the parade back to a local event.

“[The parade] will contain the same elements of marching bands, fife and drum bands, performers, but it’s going to be a Braintree focused parade,” Powers said. “We’ve been contacted and are continuing to look for a number of local organizations that want to participate in the parade and show case that they are part of the community.”

Though the parade will have a different focus since the resignation of longtime Committee member John Robinson, Powers was optimistic that people would be pleasantly surprised.

For more information about the event, visit the website.

By Jessica Bartlett, Town Correspondent

A former GateHouse Media employee accused of embezzling more than a quarter-million dollars has been released from court custody after promising to return for a September court hearing.

Karen Sullivan, 53, from Braintree, pled not guilty when she was arraigned on Friday in Quincy District Court on charges of larceny over $250 by single scheme, and embezzlement. Police said Sullivan worked in the circulation department at the Patriot Ledger, and handled revenue for the Ledger as well as for other newspapers that were owned by parent company GateHouse Media.

Sullivan was released on $10,000 surety, meaning that if she doesn’t show up to her pre-trial hearing in September, she will have to pay the court $10,000.

Editors at the Patriot Ledger deferred comment to GateHouse Media, whose officials did not return calls seeking comment. The Patriot Ledger reported on May 31 that Sullivan is no longer employed at the paper.

According to Quincy Police, Sullivan allegedly had been taking money out of deposit bags and putting them into her own accounts from 2006 until March of 2013. A police report was filed by GateHouse Media on March 29.

“[Officials at the Ledger] noticed there was a discrepancy in the money,” said Quincy Police Captain John Dougan. “They did their investigation and called us in. We got search warrants for her bank accounts and as a result of that, we were able to charge her with embezzling.”

According to Dougan, Sullivan was in charge of collecting revenues for GateHouse’s local newspapers and also was responsible for reconciling bank statements.

Management eventually noticed an ongoing discrepancy in the funds. An employee also found deposit bags that had been tampered with in Sullivan’s trash, Dougan said.

Officials from the Gatehouse Media told police that they believed approximately $279,000 had been stolen in total, Dougan said.

Though Sullivan was to be arraigned last Wednesday, she did not show up for the hearing, Dougan said. Police issued a default warrant for her arrest, but Sullivan turned herself in to Quincy District Court on Friday.

According to Quincy Police Prosecutor Sergeant Richard Potter, Judge Kevin O’Day decided to release Sullivan on $10,000 surety. Sullivan is scheduled to be back in court on Sept. 12 for a pre-trial hearing.

Attorney Dan O’Malley, who is representing Sullivan, did not have a comment on Sullivan's arrest, but said that much of the evidence needs to be reviewed before the case can move forward.

"All we’ve done so far is arraignment, therefore there is much discovery out there that we have to get and go through," O'Malley said. "The allegation of the economic crime, there is a great amount of discovery, and we don’t have any of it yet. We’re in the infancy of the case at this point."

We're obsessed with coffee over at Boston.com, so wanted to put together Coffee Week to celebrate all things java!

New interactives, maps, and galleries for the caffeine-obsessed will be unveiled each day this week. On Sunday, we wrote and mapped out how Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks are battling for coffee supremacy in Massachusetts. Today, we took a look at the national trend.

We wanted to find a way to feature local independent shops that have also developed a passionate following. Sadly, we still couldn't fit everyone in (but we've got something Wednesday that might go toward fixing that). We didn't want to leave anyone out.

By Jessica Bartlett, Town Correspondent

Longtime Braintree official and town Councilor-at-Large Leland Dingee has decided to retire after a 30-year tenure in town government, an announcement that has many reevaluating what to do in the next election.

Dingee made the announcement at Braintree’s Annual Town Meeting, where he said this term, and Town Meeting, would be his last in his elected seat.

“My wife is retired, I’m retired. We’ve places to go, things to see, and friends to be with,” said the 66-year-old Dingee. “As she’s reminded me…we’re always checking to see if there’s a meeting before we make arrangements with anybody. She said it’s time to start enjoying life.”

Dingee also said a health scare this year made him reevaluate how he spends his time, though he noted he is doing better since undergoing a heart procedure.

The announcement has shaken the apple cart of the relatively stable town government, which hasn't changed much since shifting to a mayoral form of government in 2008.

Several councilors have even had to reevaluate their own inclinations to retire, or think about whether they should run for the at-large seat.

“I was devastated by Lee Dingee’s announcement,” said Councilor John Mullaney. “He, I, and [Councilor] Hank Joyce were thinking about [retiring], and we’re concerned about leaving the council now that Lee is leaving and who will make up the council in the future.”

Mullaney said he had been leaning towards retirement, but had reconsidered due to Dingee’s announcement as well as a look at the issues facing the town.

“I had been leaning towards retirement, but I see a number of key issues I’ve hooked into in the past couple of months,” Mullaney said. “One is the direction of the medical marijuana issue and the need to do it correctly and zone it in a safe area of the town. The second thing was the concern of tracking the assets of the town.”

Mullaney announced on May 31 that he would run again.

Dingee won’t be the only one to retire at the end of this term. Councilor Ronald DeNapoli, who has been out frequently due to an undisclosed illness, also said he would not seek re-election.

DeNapoli could not immediately be reached for comment.

Mullaney said Joyce has said the past that wouldn't run, only to change his mind. Joyce could not be reached for comment, and it is still unclear what the veteran councilor will do with the election in November.

Though an at-large seat will no longer have an incumbent, and at least one councilor seat will be vacant, Dingee said he was confident the council could exist without him.

“I think it’s best to stand back,” he said. “I’m sure there are other worthwhile people who would like to run. I think it’s an opportunity for them…it’s a true test of whether [the new government] will work or not is who you will get to run for office.”

Dingee said he was proud of the work he had done in town government, both as a Selectman and as a Town Councilor.

“The most important thing was charter reform,” Dingee said. “…Other than that, I was humbled I was elected as council president. It was up to the mayor and myself to chart the course of how we wanted to set up the government, a crucial task. Once it’s in place, it’s in place. I’m proud of those first two years as council president also.”

Even though he would be leaving, Dingee said he would not be entirely absent from town government. He would still attend Town Meeting every year, and perhaps would attend council meetings every once and awhile.

“I don’t want to just walk away. I want to stay involved,” he said

By Jessica Bartlett, Town Correspondent

Braintree's Town Council has unanimously approved a $106 million budget and a $4.6 million capital plan for fiscal 2014, numbers that will not only bring in more teachers, firefighters, and policemen, but also allow for town building projects, street renovations, and equipment purchases.

Councilors passed the capital plan numbers at a meeting on May 21, and unanimously approved the budget during a May 28 meeting, neither of which involved much controversy.

"The budge is a good and forward thinking [budget," said Councilor Paul "Dan" Clifford, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. "...Braintree stands to benefit from accelerated capital spending and infrastructure needs and at the same time benefit from the economic of very low bonding rates."

Clifford called the budget "a big win for Braintree," and said the taxpayers should feel the lighter burden in future years to come.

Council President Chuck Kokoros echoed the sentiments.

“The overall budget basically was well crafted by the mayor’s department, by all the department heads in the mayor’s staff, and it was done in a thoughtful way so that we wouldn’t put ourselves in any financial constraints,” said Town Council President Chuck Kokoros. “A lot of that is to maintain a strong operating budget so all the departments have the required budgetary amounts to operate efficiently and give residents of Braintree the services that they deserve through their tax payment.”

The budget represents a $4.9 million increase over the fiscal 2013, which ends June 30. Of that increase, $2.2 million will go to an increase in Human Resources for employee services.

The schools represent the other large increase, of $2.1 million, which will not only adhere to contractual obligations and step increases, but also bring in several more teachers and other staff.

“We were able to increase the school budget by $2 million. We’re able to keep up with the demands in the school system, make sure our children are getting the best education they can through Braintree Public Schools, and once again we were happy to invest in the school department as well,” Kokoros said. “We were able to fund additional police officers and additional firefighters in this year’s budget. These are positions to bring our numbers to an area where we feel the town will be even safer.”

The town will also dedicate a hefty sum to a number of projects in town, funded through both the town’s budget as well as through borrowing.

In borrowed money, the town will conduct $1.7 million in roadwork as part of the town’s 100 Roads Program.

Additionally, the bonded money will allow for $700,000 in school remodeling projects, $300,000 in school roadway resurfacing, as well as $279,000 in school security updates.

Other upgrades include $100,000 for Thayer Public Library, $140,000 in Police Building repairs, $268,000 in Fire Building improvements, and $652,000 for a slew of Department of Public Works projects.

The town will also use money from within the budget for a number of equipment purchases for police and public works, including $32,000 for a fire vehicle, $33,000 for police radio replacements, and $41,500 for a public works pickup and mower.

Kokoros credited the newly approved 0.75 percent meals tax, which takes effect in July, for allowing the town to contribute to so many capital projects.

“The previous week we voted on the capital budget, which includes a number of roads and building to be repaired. We’ve been able to enhance that because of the meals tax, which will allow us to do anywhere from $700,000 to $800,000 more capital improvements in the 2014 fiscal year,” Kokoros said.