Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Foreign.
[00:00:16] I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quincy news update for Friday, March 13th. The Quincy City Council on Monday will be discussing the issue of pay raises for the mayor and and city councilors and elected officials. The Ordinance committee will be meeting at 6:30 at City hall and take up orders that would repeal the mayor's raise, city Councilors raises and raises for all elected officials. The committee will also discuss a request to have the City Solicitor answer questions regarding raise deferments. The former Quincy City council approved a $285,000 annual salary for the mayor. The Mayor has since changed that to $225,000 and deferred it until 2028. The former City Council also approved councilors annual raises of $44,500, which took effect this year. Many counselors though, are donating the extra cash to charities or putting it in escrow accounts until the issue is resolved. Many of the new counselors campaigned on the salary issue, arguing that the public was shut out of the process.
[00:01:30] Also Monday, the Quincy City Council's Finance Committee will debate a request from the administration to spend over $2.6 million for new firefighter turnout gear. That request comes after the current gear was found to contain cancer causing forever chemicals. The firefighters union says independent testing revealed the presence of PFAS chemicals which have been proven to cause cancer. The union says they have found a manufacturer in South Carolina that makes chemical free firefighter gear. The city is seeking reimbursement for the current gear that was advertised as being chemical free, but the mayor says he wants to purchase the safe gear as soon as possible. The appropriation will purchase two sets of turnout gear for each of the 218 firefighters in Quincy. The Finance Committee will meet at 7pm Monday night at City Hall.
[00:02:30] Well, the steel frame of the new Squantum Elementary School in Quincy is going up in the latest construction update. The developer says a crane is now on site and is putting up the steel needed for the new building. The steel construction will continue through mid May, requiring steel deliveries a few days each week through the end of April. The crane is located on what will be the future courtyard classroom of the new school. Crews are also forming the foundations and walls for the first level of the new building. The new school is going up right next to the original 1919 portion of the school, which is being spared. New additions were demolished to make way for the new school. Students right now are taking classes in modular classrooms at the construction site and the new school is expected to be completed in the fall of next year Norfolk County Register of Deeds Bill o' Donnell reporting that real estate activity in Norfolk county presented a mixed picture in February, with several key indicators rising year over year, while others showed declines compared to both last year and last month. The deeds recorded 7,083 documents in February. That was a 3% increase from February of 2025, however a 10% decrease from this January.
[00:03:59] A total of 952 deeds were recorded in February, an 8% decrease from February of last year and a 15% decrease from January of this year.
[00:04:12] Deeds recorded with consideration totaled 379. That's an 11% decline year over year and a 20% decline month over month. O' Donnell says the decrease in deeds compared to last year reflects the ongoing shortage of available properties coming out of the market.
[00:04:32] The average sale price for all commercial and residential properties this February was $1.1 million, a 4% increase over February of 2025, but a 26% decrease from this January.
[00:04:48] Total commercial and residential real estate sales volume reached $418 million, a 7% decrease from last February and a 41% drop from January.
[00:05:03] Rent control in Massachusetts could lead to big losses in city and town budgets, according to a new study released yesterday. The Greater Boston Real Estate Board and the center for State Policy Analysis at Tufts University looked at the potential impact of the proposed 2026 ballot question. They found it would cost Massachusetts billions of dollars in lost property taxes.
[00:05:29] The proposed ballot question would cap annual rent increases at 5% per year across Massachusetts. Owner occupied buildings with four or fewer units would be exempt, as would newly constructed buildings for the first 10 years. Governor Healy is opposed to rent control. Supporters need to collect enough signatures by the deadline in July to officially get the rent control question on the November ballots.
[00:05:59] The city of Boston preparing for one of its largest annual celebrations as officials expect upwards of a million people to attend the St. Patrick's Day parade in South Boston on Sunday. Along Broadway, signs of the holiday and Irish tradition are already appearing as the neighborhood gears up for the celebration. The parade will begin Sunday at 11:30 and follow a reverse route this year, beginning at Andrew Square and ending at a street after West Broadway. Bars and restaurants along the route have been preparing for weeks for the surge of customers while also adjusting to the city's requirement that establishments close earlier, not let anyone in after 6:30pm and close by 7:30pm on Sunday. Boston police say they will deploy more officers than ever, both in uniform and playing clothes along the parade route. Boston fire officials will also send up drones to monitor rooftops and shut down any unsafe parties. Local FBI officials say there is no specific or credible threat to the region, but federal agents remain on alert. Police say the public also plays a key role in keeping the event safe, urging paradegoers to report anything suspicious and and reminding attendees there will be zero tolerance for drinking in public during the event. They're also asking attendees to forego bringing backpacks or large bags to the event and to walk, bike or take public transportation to the area.
[00:07:34] The New England Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital at the Quincy Shipyard has treated a total of 473 turtles that washed onto Cape Cod beaches from early November to late December. The turtles become stranded as the ocean water cools. Volunteers collect the turtles and bring them to the Quincy facility, where they're treated by staff and volunteers for pneumonia, hypothermia, malnutrition and other related conditions.
[00:08:03] 58 turtles are still receiving care. The others have been transported to warmer southern waters after completing their recovery. The remaining turtles will be released off Cape Cod once the water warms up this summer. Turtles are mostly green loggerhead and the critically endangered Kemp's Ridley turtles.
[00:08:24] The Friends of Wollaston beach raised almost $5,500 during Save the Harbor Save the Bay's annual Shamrock Splash, held last Sunday at Constitution beach in East Boston. Over 200 people braved the chilly waters of Boston harbor to raise funds for free programs on state run beaches from Nahant to Nantasket. The Friends of Wallacedon beach and Quincy raised a total of $5457. The friends are planning events that include their annual Kids Fest, Storytime on the beach, live entertainment and more. Save the Harbor's Better Beaches program funds free events in an effort to attract all members of the community to the beaches. Nearly 200 events were held last year. This year's 16th annual Splash met its $50,000 goal. Save the Harbor Save the Bay is marking its 40th anniversary this year.
[00:09:22] Some young Quincy musicians recently earned top honors at a statewide competition. The Quincy North Quincy Jazz Ensemble took home gold and silver medals at the Massachusetts association for Jazz Education competition. The varsity ensemble won a gold medal in Division 1, the JV ensemble took home the High Point silver medal in Division 2. And freshman trombonist at North Quincy High School, Andrew Guimares, earned the overall Division 2 MVP award for the first time in the program's history.
[00:09:59] It's now on to the state finals tomorrow in Norwood.
[00:10:03] Gold medal winners tomorrow will be invited to perform at the Hat Shell in Boston on May 3rd for the gold Medal Showcase. The ensemble won that honor for the first time in 2024.
[00:10:16] The Quincy Band and Color Guard Boosters will hold its second annual mattress fundraiser Saturday from 10am to 4pm in the gym at Quincy High School.
[00:10:28] All sizes and varieties of new mattresses will be available with full factory warranties and up to 50% discounts off retail prices. Financing will be available and all forms of payment are accepted. The proceeds will benefit the Boosters, which provide music scholarships to support Quincy Public Schools music programs.
[00:10:50] The Quincy Animal Shelter on Quarry street will hold a St. Patrick's Day event Saturday from 11am to 4pm Raffles, refreshments and merchandise will all be for sale to benefit the shelter.
[00:11:04] The Monad Theatre Troupe will present the Flowers that Bloom in Spring, a vernal concert Saturday at 2pm in the Richardson Building of the Thomas Crane Library in Quincy Center. The free concert will feature a diverse program of music spanning centuries. Light refreshments will be provided.
[00:11:26] City of Quincy Cemetery Board of Managers is requesting that all Christmas decorations, wreaths and other items be removed from all lots and cities cemeteries on or before this Sunday to allow for maintenance operations.
[00:11:42] MBTA Redline riders should expect longer travel times on the Ashmont Branch and after 8pm this weekend due to signal improvement work at JFK UMass on traffic note, the Four River Bridge is scheduled to open 9 o' clock this morning.
[00:12:01] Check of business news Stocks plummeted yesterday. The Dow sank 739 points, the Nasdaq lost 404. The S&P dropped 103.
[00:12:12] Asian shares also retreated while oil prices again popped above $100 a barrel as anxiety remained over the Iran war and its impact on supplies of crude oil and gas.
[00:12:26] The dollar rose, the euro was down. Oil now at $102 a barrel.
[00:12:32] Sports the Celtics lose to the Thunder in Oklahoma City 104 to 102. They will host the Wizards at the Garden tomorrow night.
[00:12:44] The Bruins lost to San Jose 4 to 2.
[00:12:48] They are at Washington to play the Capitals tomorrow afternoon at 3.
[00:12:53] Forecast from a National weather service today partly cloudy and chilly with a high 43 degrees for tonight Cloudy and a low of 27 tomorrow. Sun and clouds windy high tomorrow 47. Sunday Cloudy, chilly a high of 44. Looks like wind swept rain on Monday but it will be mild with the high Monday 61.
[00:13:17] The marine forecast calling for 2 foot waves. The winds west 10 to 15, gusting to 20 knots then becoming southwest later today. High tide 8:18pm Sunrise 6:59, sets at 6:48.
[00:13:34] I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quincy news update for Friday, March 13th.
