County Commissioner's Meeting Notes

BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--Plymouth County Administrator Gerald Chipman has announced his resignation from the job, citing health reasons and subsequent absences.
According to an email from Plymouth County Commission Chairman Anthony O'Brien, Chipman stated he had recent health issues resulting in absences that he did not want to impede progress in the Commissioner's office.
Chipman's resignation was announced at the County Commissioner's meeting, Thursday, April 7.
O'Brien said in the email Chipman said he would remain as long as necessary to assist the transition with his eventual successor. O'Brien said the Commissioners discussed reviewing the applications of finalists from last year's search to accelerate filling the position as soon as possible.
Other County Commission Notes From O'Brien's Email:
*FY 2012 budget hearings with county department heads began and will continue for several weeks. FY2012 begins in July.
*Commissioners directed at least 10% cuts for every department to streamline operational efficiencies.
*Commissioners formed a subcommittee to review audits and provide updates on the County Audit program. Subcommittee members include Commissioner John Riordan, Treasurer Thomas O'Brien, and County Adminsitrator Chipman.
*Commissioner Sandra Wright volunteed to chair a subcommittee to increase regionalization of services and resources among towns within the county.

Good Samaritan Earns Outstanding Cancer Care Award

BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--The Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons has granted its Outstanding Achievement Award to Good Samaritan Medical Center for its Comprehensive Cancer Program as a result of surveys performed during 2010, the hospital announced in a prepared statement.
Established in 2004, the Commission on Cancer's Outstanding Achievement Award is designed to recognize cancer programs that strive for excellence in providing quality care to cancer patients.
The award is granted to facilities that demonstrate a Commendation level of compliance with standards that represent six areas of cancer program activity: cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical management, research, community outreach, and quality improvement.
Good Samaritan Medical Center received all eight available commendations.
The Commission on Cancer was established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons. It is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education, and the monitoring of comprehensive quality care.
"Our cancer program is comprehensive,” said Dr. Rohini Sakhuja, chairman of Good Samaritans Cancer Care Committee and director of the Pathology and Medical Lab.
“Patients are discussed with surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists, and pathologists. It’s a team approach to provide the best treatment for our patients,”Sakhuja said.
Good Samaritan is one of three in Massachusetts to achieve this award from the Commission on Cancer. The other two are Lowell General Hospital and Mercy Medical Center in Springfield.
A multi-disciplinary Cancer Care Committee, which is chaired by Dr. Sakhuja, who is also the chairman of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, oversees all activities of the cancer program at Good Samaritan Medical Center.
Eric Wojcik, Director of Oncology, coordinates the various aspects of the Comprehensive Cancer Program at Good Samaritan.
Good Samaritan Medical Center is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer as a Community Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Program.
Cancer program activities include weekly oncology conferences, a cancer registry, a quality management program, and a community outreach program that is actively involved in improving the health of our local community.

Brockton Man Gets 15 Years For Gun Possession

BrocktonPost
BOSTON--A Brockton man will spend up to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to gun possession by a previously convicted felon after police found a .45 caliber Colt in a glove thrown out of the car the man was driving at high speed on Forest Avenue more than 2 years ago.
Cleveland Brandon, 38, of Brockton, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 15 years imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release during a hearing in Boston Monday, April 4, according to a prepared statement from U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz's Office.
At an earlier plea hearing on December 13, 2010, Brandon pleaded guilty to being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
At the plea hearing in December, the prosecutor told the court that had the case proceeded to trial the government’s evidence would have proven that on the evening of October 8, 2009, police encountered Brandon traveling in a motor vehicle at a high rate of speed on Forest Avenue in Brockton.
As the vehicle was pulling over, the officer noted an object had been thrown from the passenger side window.
Once the vehicle was stopped, police found a .45 calliber Colt semi-automatic pistol with five rounds of ammunition in a glove on the sidewalk where the officer identified the spot where the object was thrown.
Brandon, who was alone in the vehicle, was taken into custody and charged.

Stewart Group Releases 4th Report

BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--Councilor-at-large Jass Stewart has released the fourth of five reports about city issues and problems and potential ways to solve them.
Called, "The Working Groups for Building a City of Opportunity and Growth," the latest report is from the Safety Working Group which states the group has focused on identifying strategies to reduce crime among Brockton's repeat youth offenders, recommends building on existing crime-prevention successes through the expanded use of data, political advocacy, and community partnerships.
To view the entire report click here to go to Stewart's homepage...

School Comm To Discuss Background Checks

BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--The Brockton School Committee will meet tonight to discuss how a handful of Stonehill college students working as tutors in a much-needed program in the schools did not have their criminal backgrounds checked as per school policy--including one tutor who has been charged with sexually assaulting a third-grader during classtime at the Angelo Elementary School.
"This is not a regularly scheduled School Committee meeting. It was called as a special meeting by Vice-Chair Tom Minichiello after discussion with myself...specifically to make an inquiry in to the CORI checks of employees, volunteers, tutors, etc.," said School Committee member Bill Carpenter in an email.
"Obviously,this inquiry is in the wake of the Angelo School incident and the changing explanations as to whether this tutor and others working in the schools were properly CORI'd," Carpenter stated.
School committee members have said administrators have said some tutors and others within the schools have been checked through the Criminal Offenders Record Inquiry, or CORI, however others have not, including Kevin Treseler,(pictured above), who was arrested and charged last month with rape and sexual assault charges when an 8-year-old Angelo student told police Treseler allegedly molested her several times during classtime.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m.
The school's Finance Committee will meet prior to the 7 p.m. start.
Carpenter said he expects committee members to go into closed session to discuss the job performance of employees involved with the background checks.
He said Minichiello has requested advice from the school committee's attorney about the possible executive session. Kevin Treseler, faces rape and sexual assault charges after an 8-year-old girl told police Treseler molested her several times while he was a math tutor at the Angelo Elementary School.

Father Of Alleged Brockton Killer Threatens Police

By Lisa E. Crowley
BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--Brockton Police said they hope David Luke, father of alleged murderer Keith Luke gets the help he needs following a more than 2-hour standoff at Luke's apartment Sunday morning.
"He'll be charged but right now the psychiatric evaluation takes priority over the law enforcement end right now," said Capt. Emanuel Gomes.
Gomes said more than a dozen Brockton Police, State Police and other specialized personnel surrounded the area of 569 Crescent St. creating a perimeter after police received a call at about 9 a.m. Sunday, April 3 from Fox 25 News saying David Luke wanted to talk to the media and was threatening to kill police and screaming.
Gomes said Fox 25 contacted Brockton Police following the phone call and police headed to Luke's apartment after the tip.
Gomes said nearly all of the members on the Sunday morning shift, including supervisors responded to the area.
Route 27, also Cresecent Street, was shut down and traffic rerouted.
Luke, the father of Keith Luke who went on a hate-crime rampage in January 2009 that ended in the deaths of two people, barricaded himself in the apartment and while surrounded by dozens of police with guns drawn, was heard screaming "I'm going to shoot you" from a second floor apartment.
Gomes said it is the second time David Luke has caused such an incident. Gomes said in December 2009 he also threatened to harm himself and others.
This latest incident ended at about 11:15-11:30 a.m. when police stormed the apartment.
Gomes said Luke was found nearly unconscious in the apartment after overloading on prescription anti-psychotic medication.
"He just kind of slumped over," Gomes said.
As with the first incident, no guns or weapons were found.
Gomes said Luke, as of Monday afternoon, is still at Brockton Hospital's psychiatric ward.
Gomes said police will seek a summons to charge Luke with threats to commit crimes, disturbing the peace and other charges.
Gomes said Luke is expected to remain in hospital custody and police will work with Brockton Hospital on Luke's possible release or transfer to another facility.
"We hope he gets the help he needs," Gomes said.

Brockton's Youth Meet To Solve City Problems

BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--Hundreds of Brockton's young people gathered at Massasoit Community College for the annual Mayor's Youth Summit to brainstorm ideas about how to solve some of the problems in Brockton--a summit that featured Gov. Deval Patrick.
"I hope you have a very, very, very successful day," Patrick told the nearly 150 students, school and community organizers during an introductory rally that included Patrick, Massasoit President Charles Wall, Mayor Linda Balzotti and performances by ImprovBoston and a play/monologue about the struggles of a 15-year-old girl trying to get out of gang life.
Patrick encouraged the students who ranged in age between 13 and 24 to have a great time during the summit and also urged students to stay involved much in the way students embraced their fellow students several years ago when Boxer Buddies was developed to bring students with disabilities together with students who do not.
"More to the point, I am counting on you to bring your voice and your service not just today, but everyday," Patrick said.
The rally included improvisational skits when students were called from the audience to join ImprovBoston for hilarious stage show that boosted participants spirits for the breakout sessions when students would identify problems in the city and try to come up with solutions for those problems.
One of those students who took part was Vanessa Clerveaux, a junior whose brother Alex is a member of the Mayor's Youth Council--a student group that meets year-round to advise the mayor on youth issues, problems and solutions.
She said the topic of violence in the city was on-the-plate when she was part of the summit four years ago when she was in 7th grade.
"I came to support non-violence," Clerveaux said.
Fellow junior Jeff Gomes said he was interested in learning about what ways the city and police have been dealing with violence because in his opinion and many of the other students, much of the violence in the streets is a result of gangs and drug dealers coming in from out Brockton.
"It's outside figures--outside forces," Gomes said. "They come to Brockton and cause problems," he said.