Episode Transcript
[00:00:17] I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quincy news update for Friday, October 3rd. Quincy Citizens for Fair Raises is trying to raise $20,000 to challenge the city clerk's ruling that they failed to collect enough signature to force a question on the November 4th ballot dealing with the mayor's salary. The group says they need the funds to hire an attorney to review the case and possibly take the issue to court. The group questions the city's method of counting the signatures, saying they should have included printed signatures. Election officials rejected 1851 names that were printed, calling them illegible. The city says they use the same method of verifying the signatures that has been used for many years and that was approved by the state. The ballot question would ask voters to roll back the annual mayoral salary that's set to take effect in 2028 from 285 to $183,000. It would also set 2% annual pay raises for all elected officials and require any change be approved by voters.
[00:01:29] Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch is scheduled to meet with members of the Quincy LGBTQ Commission today over recent comments he made about the church sex abuse scandal. LGBTQ Commission Chairman Jim Patoza says Koch has agreed to meet and discuss the issue after Koch told a radio program that the scandal was mostly a homosexual issue. Koch said cases of pedophilia were higher among teachers and coaches than priests. Koch later apologized for his comments and said he never meant to insult or harm anyone. Pitosa says he is hoping for a positive outcome from today's meeting.
[00:02:12] New traffic lights along C Street in Quincy are being activated today. The city says the new signals at C Street and Murphy Memorial Drive, which is at the entrance to the Quincy Youth Hockey arena, will be activated today. The signals are similar to the traffic signals on Hancock street in Quincy. Center police will be on scene to assist pedestrians. The new signals were set to be activated next week, but due to critical damage to the signals at Ginger Betty's, they're being turned on early. The signals are part of the state's C Street reconstruction project.
[00:02:51] The owner of a now defunct real estate company based in Massachusetts has been indicted on embezzlement charges. A Plymouth county grand jury returned a four count indictment charging Stephen Webster, the longtime broker and principal of the Marshfield based Success real estate, with one count of fiduciary, embezzlement, larceny, over $1,200 by a single scheme, witness intimidation and publishing a false financial statement in court paperwork. Prosecutors allege that Webster diverted over $11.6 million in client escrow funds into business and personal accounts, violating Massachusetts escrow laws. Webster is accused of using those funds to pay high interest loans, gambling withdrawals, personal debt and luxury expenses, including BMW and Tesla vehicles, as well as rentals in Florida. Additionally, prosecutors say Webster submitted a falsified bank letter to state regulators during a 2023 audit claiming escrow accounts held a million dollars when they held only $7,321.51. The same falsified letter cited as evidence of misrepresenting the financial health of Success Real estate buyers and sellers lost hundreds of thousands of dollars at closings, and real estate agents were left with over $500,000 in unpaid commissions. Webster has previously admitted in court the allegations against him were basically accurate. His licenses have since been revoked. He also faces multiple lawsuits filed on behalf of more than a dozen Realtors. Success Real estate closed on December 14, 2024. Webster was recently arrested in Florida. He's currently awaiting an extradition hearing to be brought back to the South Shore.
[00:04:57] Lawyers for Brian Walsh, the Cohasset man accused of murdering and dismembering his wife Anna, January of 2023, have asked a judge to change the venue for his fast approaching murder trial due to concerns over finding a fair and impartial jury. In a recent motion filed in Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Walsh's attorneys, Larry Tipton and Kelly Porges, asked the judge, Diane Fourneer, to either change the venue for the high profile trial or select jurors from outside the area.
[00:05:32] Tipton and Porges argue that the extensive media coverage of their client, the shocking allegations against him and Walsh's recent involvement in a jailhouse attack have tainted the local jury pool, making it impossible for him to receive a fair and impartial trial in the county where the alleged murder occurred. Earlier this month, prosecutors in the case asked for a buffer zone in case demonstrators show up at the courthouse during Walsh's trial. Prosecutors have reportedly cited concerns that some high profile witnesses, particularly law enforcement officials who testified in Karen Reed's trial and retrial, could draw public attention and crowds. Walsh is accused of killing and dismembering Anna Walsh with a hacksaw and disposing of her remains after using his son's iPad to Google best ways to get rid of a body.
[00:06:25] Walsh has been held without bail since his arrest. He's currently serving a three year prison sentence for selling fake Andy Warhol paintings. Walsh is slated to go on trial for murder on October 20th. Anna's body has never been found.
[00:06:41] Massachusetts residents were outraged last year as utility companies charged hundreds of dollars in delivery fees, but now some residents are working on a grassroots campaign to do something about it. South Boston resident Helen Skalski said she's preparing to collect signatures needed to get three ballot initiatives on the November 2026 ballot that she hopes will give ratepayers some relief. It would eliminate revenue decoupling, essentially guaranteed revenue for the utilities. When usage goes down due to warm weather or conservation, they still get paid. Next, it would allow customers to opt out of smart metering without a penalty. Smart meters allow utilities to remotely track usage. And lastly, companies would be required to give customers a choice if they want to contribute to programs like Mass Save, which provides money for homeowners to make energy efficiency upgrades like insulation or heat pumps. Eversource said it's planning to redesign a bill in November based on Department of Public Utilities customer and community feedback. They said it will include a line item for energy efficiency. Larry Krishen of Quincy from the Green Energy Consumers alliance believes programs like Mass Save are critical for the environment and that the goal should be to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. But the people collecting the signature say they can't afford to foot the bill for the programs. They need to get upwards of 74,000 signatures by December 3rd to make it onto the ballot.
[00:08:21] Massachusetts is among the states affected by the Trump administration's decision to cancel financial support for hundreds of energy projects, according to Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vogt. He said that affected projects were located in Massachusetts, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. Vote did not specify which projects were involved in the cuts. Yesterday, the U.S. department of Energy announced that the termination of 321 financial awards supporting 223 projects, resulting in a savings of about seven and a half billion dollars. The department said 3.1 billion of the canceled fund funding awards were issued in the final months of the previous administration. The department said it made the cuts after evaluating the awards and finding they did not meet the economic, national security or energy security standards necessary to justify continued investment.
[00:09:32] The annual Quincy Food Truck and Music Festival will be held Saturday from noon to 6pm along Coddington street in Quincy Center. The event includes free live music, children's activities and over 20 food trucks. Games will also take place on the lawn of the Thomas Crane Library and three time Major League Rugby champions the New England Free Jacks will be leading activities and offering autographs.
[00:10:00] The Bureau Drawer Thrift Shop at Interfaith Social Services on Adam street in Quincy center will hold a tent for sale Saturday from 10am to 1pm with all items $2 or less. Clothing, books, housewares and more will be available.
[00:10:18] The Ward 2 Civic association and Ward 2 Councilor Richard Ashe will present Ward 2 Fall Sundays this coming Sunday, October 5th at 4 River Field and on October 12th at Faxon Park. The free events will be held from noon to 4pm and include food, music, face painting, touch a truck and a blow up slide.
[00:10:40] The Quincy Animal Shelter will provide a free microchip event for pets at Quirk Subaru on Quincy Avenue in Braintree. Sunday from 10am to 2pm A current rabies certificate on paper or in a photo is required.
[00:10:59] The Thomas Crane Public Library is conducting a winter clothing drive through the end of January.
[00:11:05] Donations of clean, good condition winter coats, hats, gloves, scarves, blankets and other cold weather gear are being accepted. Donations will be available to the public and any remaining donations will be donated to local organizations.
[00:11:22] Quincy Farmers Market is held on Sundays from 12:30 to 4 at St. Chrysostom's Church on Hancock street in Wollaston through October 26th.
[00:11:33] A student art exhibit is on display at the Quincy Art Association's Kew Arts Gallery in Quincy center weekends through Oct. 12. The exhibit features artwork from students and teachers from 22 Quincy schools as part of the Quincy 400 celebration.
[00:11:51] Jack of Business News this morning, stocks were higher, The Dow rose 78, the Nasdaq's up 88 and the S&P added 4.
[00:11:59] Asian stocks were mixed, the dollar climbed, the euro was higher and oil at $60 a barrel.
[00:12:08] Sports Red Sox season comes to an end with the 4 nothing loss to the Yankees in New York last night in the wild card race. The Patriots will be at Buffalo take on the Bills Sunday night at 8:20.
[00:12:25] Today's forecast from the National Weather Service Sunny and a high of 73 for tonight, clear low 50. Tomorrow mostly sunny high of 81. On Sunday, sunshine a high of 83.
[00:12:38] Monday sunny at a high of 84.
[00:12:42] The marine forecast calls for 1 foot waves. Southwest winds at 10 knots. High tide 8:50am and 9:03pm Sunrise 6:43 sets at 6:21.
[00:12:54] I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quincy news update for Friday, October 3rd.
