Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Foreign.
[00:00:16] I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quincy news update for Thursday, June 11. While the Quincy Planning Board has unanimously approved of a new 55 and older residential community to to be built in West Quincy, officials last night approved of the plans to demolish the former Harvard pilgrim building at 1600 Crown Colony Drive and put up five six story buildings with 315 units of 55 and older housing, along with a clubhouse and a total of 567 parking spaces. Atlantic Development of Hingham will be breaking ground on the project soon and hopes to have the first building ready for occupancy in 2028. Also last night the Planning Board approved a proposal for a new child care, swim school and residential building at the site of a former printing company on Columbia street in South Quincy. A proposal for a new Taco Bell and the parking lot of Stop and Shop on Newport Avenue has been withdrawn without prejudice. The board also approved a plan for four new units at 190 Franklin street and they continued a proposal for four townhouses on Station street and a battery storage unit on Hancock street. Until the July 29th planning board meeting, the Quincy City Council will continue discussing a proposal for Mayor Thomas Koch to purchase the former Eastern Nazarene College property. Tonight. The Council will meet at city hall at 6pm to continue the request for a $22.5 million appropriation to purchase the 27 acre parcel and begin planning its future. The mayor says next Monday is the deadline that the city has to let E and C know if the purchase has been approved, 21 million dollars would be used to buy the property and 1.5 million would be used for site preparation and planning. Ideas for future use include creating 55 and older housing, utilizing the college's Fine Arts center for community programming and letting Quincy College use the gym and playing fields. The mayor says the purchase would be an investment in the city's future. Some counselors say they are concerned about adding to the city's $1.8 billion in debt.
[00:02:44] Finance Committee will also continue reviewing next year's proposed city budget. Tonight at 7:30. Those meetings will be live on QATV Channel 9 and on qatv.org Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch says that a city owned building will be converted into a new cultural center for the Massachusetts tribe and a statue of their ancient leader Chickatabut. The building on Mood Island Road in Squantum has been home to the Step 1 Early Intervention Program run by Aspire Health Alliance. Aspire's lease with the city expires this year and Koch says Aspire will relocate the program to their location on Miller street in West Quincy on June 30. Koch says Aspire wants to downsize their space because the program has become less robust since the pandemic. The the program is geared to babies and toddlers with special needs. Aspire says the Miller street location is smaller but has been recently renovated and is easily accessible to families who are served by the program in Quincy, Milton and Randolph. Aspire says they will not have to downsize the program at the new location. Some parents told the City Council recently that the Miller street space has no outdoor location and urged the mayor to reconsider the movement. Koch says he has been working with the tribe for many years to find a suitable location for their center. Koch says the center will likely open this fall.
[00:04:14] It will be much easier for people who speak different languages to vote in Quincy this year. City Clerk's office says they'll have iPads at the polls that can translate 88 different languages, including Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Spanish, British, Portuguese and many other languages that are common to Quincy residents. The iPads are actually recycled pole pads that have been used in the past to check in voters. The city repurposed the devices and purchased the language translation software from Inclusion Solutions in an effort to save money. The translating iPads will be available at the polls for the state election this year and will also be available at various city departments year round to assist with translation services in person. Translators will also still be available at the polls.
[00:05:10] The Water is safe for swimming at Quincy, City beaches and all of Wollaston beach this week. Results of the first beach water tests of the season show safe levels of bacteria in the water at 13 City Run beaches and all of Wollaston beach, which is run by the state.
[00:05:31] Beach water is tested weekly from Memorial Day to Labor Day. If bacteria levels exceed safe limits, signs will be posted warning people to swim at their own risk. Officials recommend waiting 24 hours after a heavy rainfall before swimming.
[00:05:48] The summer beach season is underway across Massachusetts, bringing sunny skies, warm temperatures but growing crowds to the shoreline and and beachgoers are enjoying the weather. Police departments are preparing for a different summer trend, the so called beach takeovers. Officials say unsanctioned gatherings organized through social media can draw thousands of teens and young adults to beaches with little warning, sometimes leading to fights, alcohol violations, traffic problems and dozens of arrests. The concern comes after recent incidents at Hampton Beach, N.H. where police responded to more than 100 calls and made about 50 arrests during large gatherings that attracted crowds from across the region.
[00:06:34] Police agencies across Massachusetts coastline say they are paying close attention as the busiest beach months approach. Departments from the South Shore to the North Shore say they are increasing staffing, monitoring social media activity and coordinating with regional law enforcement partners to prevent similar incidents this summer. Police say they are encouraging families to continue enjoying local beaches or reminding visitors to follow local rules and report suspicious activity as communities prepare for another busy summer season.
[00:07:10] A former sheriff's deputy in Massachusetts has pleaded guilty to federal charges after investigators raised ethical questions. Thomas Brady, who worked with the Norfolk County Sheriff's Office, is admitting that he pressured employees to perform free plumbing and electrical work at his home. Brady pleaded guilty to charges of bribery and witness tampering. He and his attorney signed an agreement with the U.S. attorney's office last Friday. In 2023, officials began looking into allegations that Brady was having employees in at the Norfolk County Jail do work at his house in Norwood during their shifts. Mike Rampone, a licensed plumber who worked for the Sheriff's Department until earlier that year, said he was told to do the work in 2022. Last year, Brady stepped down from his $142,000 a year salary job, from which he was about to be fired. Short time later, federal agents arrested him on allegations that he forced his subordinates at the Norfolk county jail to do personal work for him. A Norfolk county sheriff spokesperson confirmed the deputy has left the job as the state Ethics Commission investigates allegations he had department employees do work on his home. He is scheduled to be sentenced in September. Records show Brady is collecting a pension of more than $6,000 per month, but he's now in jeopardy of losing it because of the guilty plea.
[00:08:40] Quincy State Representative Tacky Chan's mother has died. Sue Hae Chan died last Friday at the age of 80 after living with lung cancer. Mrs. Chan was born in China and emigrated to Canada, then the United States, settling first on south street in Quincy Point and then on Meadowbrook road in Wollaston. Mrs. Chan was a nurse at New England Medical center, formerly Tufts Medical center, for 35 years. Her husband died of colon cancer in 1987. Couple had two sons, including Representative Tacky Chan and Rocky Chan of Quincy, English minister at the Chinese Baptist Church of Greater Boston. Mrs. Chan was a founding member of the Quincy Chinese Church of the Nazarene and volunteer her time visiting Quincy's elder care facilities.
[00:09:32] In addition to her sons, she's survived by two brothers and two sisters. Visiting hours are today from 4 to 8 at Kohane Funeral Home and a Celebration of Life service will be said Friday at 10am at the funeral home. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Quincy Chinese Church of the Nazarene, 37 E. Elm Ave. Quincy.
[00:09:57] Check of business news this morning and stocks are down. The Dow dropping 953 points. The Nasdaq lost 555.5.
[00:10:05] The S&P fell 119.
[00:10:08] Asian shares were mixed following another sell off of artificial intelligence stocks that dragged the US Markets sharply lower. The dollars down. The euro rose oil $92 a barrel.
[00:10:22] Sports Rays beat the Red Sox in Tampa Bay 7 to 5.
[00:10:28] The Rangers come to Fenway tomorrow night at 7:10.
[00:10:33] The National Weather Service forecast for today, hazy, hot and humid with the chance for showers and thunderstorms and a high of 93.
[00:10:42] Muggy night tonight, low around 70. Tomorrow hot and humid at a high 93.
[00:10:49] Sunny and hot on Saturday, high 90 and Sunday partly sunny, high 91.
[00:10:56] The marine forecast calling for a one foot wave, southwesterly winds 5 to 10 knots become easterly. High tide 8:26am Sunrise 5:06 sets at 8:20.
[00:11:08] I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quincy news update for Thursday, June 11th.
