Monday Meeting Final Countdown To Feb. 1 Water Dispute Deadline

By Lisa E. Crowley
BrocktonPost
BROCKTON—Residents embroiled in a dispute with the City of Brockton over their water bills will host an informational meeting Monday night, a day before Feb. 1—the deadline for residents to dispute their unpaid water bills and retain their right of appeal at the state Appellate Tax Board.
“It’s really an informational meeting, not an action meeting,” said Marianne Silvia, one of the meetings organizers and a member of Brockton United Voices, a grass-roots group that has organized to protect and inform residents of their rights over what some consider are outrageously high water bills.
Silvia said organizers will have copies of dispute resolution forms and official state forms that need to be filed before Feb. 1 for residents to assure future appeal rights.
“We will answer any questions residents have. We will help them fill out the proper forms, and even deliver them to the DPW and have them time-stamped,” Silvia said.
The meeting Monday, Jan. 31 officially begins at 7 p.m. However, organizers urge residents with problem bills to arrive at 6:30 so they can be helped with the forms necessary to dispute their water bills.
Silvia urged residents to bring a copy of their disputed bills because all of the information necessary to fill out the required forms is on the bill.
"Bring your bills," Silvia said.
The disputed bills issue began in the summer and has expanded to include numerous aspects of the city’s water billing metering systems, billing practices, management, and dispute resolution process, abatements and payment plans.
The city has hired an independent auditing firm to review water and sewer department practices and procedures, but recommendations are not expected until April.
In the meantime residents who want to fight water bills they believe are unusually too high and refuse to pay the disputed bill, must have an abatement hearing with the DPW by Tuesday, Feb. 1 to retain their right to an appeal with the state Appellate Tax Board.
Residents who have paid their water bills and still want to dispute their bill can contest the amount in small claims, district or superior court.
Many residents who refuse to pay their overdue water balances have said they won’t pay it because because they believe they are wrong. Highly publicized bills range from $4,500 to $12,000 to $17,000—the $17,000 bill was originally $100,000 until it was reduced by the DPW.
Monday night’s meeting is expected to include numerous speakers: some who will tell their personal stories, and others who will provide information about the process.
Mayor Linda Balzotti, who has been invited to the meeting, said during a telephone interview late last week that she was not sure her schedule would allow her to attend the meeting. Balzotti said the city’s Chief Financial Officer John Condon will attend and a staff member from the city’s legal office will attend.
DPW Director Michael Thoreson and Water Systems Manager Brian Creedon have been invited to the meeting, but Balzotti said she does not expect either to attend.
In a related matter, city CFO John Condon said each of the seven city councilors and Councilor-at-large Thomas Brophy will each pick one resident to meet with representatives of The Abrahams Group--the company hired to conduct the water and sewer department audit.
Two weeks ago Condon—who is on a committee overseeing the water and sewer audit—said officials were working with Abrahams Group to allow the 8 resident interviews and time for city councilors to also meet with auditors.
“We haven’t finalized the contractual language, but it looks like we can make it work,” Condon said.
He said each city councilor and Brophy will be allowed to pick one resident to meet with auditors.
Condon said a lottery wasn’t used because some city councilors have not received complaints over the water bill issue and the most extreme cases are the ones likely to be reviewed.
“My guess is they will be the ones who have been most vocal and public,” Condon said.
He couldn’t be sure, Condon said, but guessed if city councilors do not have a resident’s name to put forward they will seek Ward 6 Councilor Michelle DuBois—whose ward has the most problems and who has supported residents in their efforts, including organizing Monday’s meeting with residents and Councilor-at-large Jass Stewart.
Condon said city councilors will meet with auditors separately five times, beginning Tuesday, Feb. 8.
He said four teams of two city councilors will meet with auditors followed by one team of three.
Condon said meetings with city councilors were separated to make sure quorum rules were not violated and to limit the number of hours the auditing firm would have to charge for the interviews.

Training, Conduct Stressed At Firefighter's Grad

Story and photos by Lisa E. Crowley
BrocktonPost
BROCKTON—Ten firefighters, eight from Brockton and two from Bridgewater, earned their pins and became full-fledged members of their department during a graduation ceremony Friday at the Shaw’s Center.
During the ceremony Brockton Fire Chief Richard Francis recalled his 32 years on the Brockton Fire Department, noting many things have changed since he joined the force including the 12-week training the graduates endured at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, better equipment for safety and protection and aid with the pain and suffering that comes from the loss of victims and fellow firefighters when a blaze becomes a tragedy.
“Today, you have stress counselors. Back then we had pizza and beer,” Francis said, getting a laugh from the estimated 175 graduates, family, and friends who attended the ceremony held at the Shaw’s Center, Friday, Jan. 28.
Many of the new graduates received their pins from their mothers, fathers--several who are also fighters—wives and children. The graduates who will work in Brockton are: William Curtin, Christopher Matchem, Brandon Hill, Andrew Wisocky, Charles Hayward, Sean McSheffrey, David Owen and Alexandre Souto. Bridgewater members: Christopher Hamilton and Casey Florence.
Attending the graduation was state Fire Marshal Stephen Coan, joked that former Brockton Fire Chief Kenneth Galligan—who retired last year and whose name Coan pretended he could not remember--in sometimes held graduation in one of Brockton’s fire stations where truck fumes and ringing bells often disrupted the proceedings.
“You’ve brought it up a notch,” Coan said to new Chief Francis.
On a serious side, Coan said modern technology and equipment has reduced fatalities and injuries, but since January the state has already had seven people die in blazes and encouraged members to continue Brockton’s tradition of exceptional training programs for its members and outreach safety presentations in the schools and community.
“Not many departments have shown the commitment to training than Brockton has,” Coan said. “You are one of the very, very, best,” he said.
Before ending the program with a 5-minute video created by Brockton Capt. Kevin Galligan and the Fireman’s Prayer, Francis warned the new members that being a firefighter is an excellent career where members are respected in the community, but also can be “ego-enhancing” and because members are civil servants everything they do is seen and watched.
“You are under a magnifying glass 24-7,” Francis said.
Click here to read BrocktonPost's article about the new hires in Brockton...
Click here for BrocktonPost's article about grant money to buy Brockton's new and veteran firefighters new turnout gear...

Rally Inspires, Honors Mentoring Programs

By Lisa E. Crowley
BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--When it comes to the life of a troubled kid, sometimes it only takes a few minutes to change that life, said Ron Burton Jr., the son of former New England Patriot Ron Burton Sr. who considered himself a loser until a football scout gave him a tiny piece of encouragement.
"Mayor (Linda) Balzotti said earlier that one hour of your time can change a life--sometimes it only takes a few minutes," Burton said during Brockton Promise's third annual Mentor Recruitment Rally and ceremony to honor the youth alliance's mentor of the year held Thursday night Jan. 27 at the Shaw's Center.
More than 300 people involved in the city's numerous youth organizations gathered to hear keynote speaker Burton and to celebrate the hard work of hundreds of mentors throughout the city and region.
Along with Burton, speakers included Balzotti, Police Chief William Conlon, School Superintendent Matthew Malone, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz, and humorous Master of Ceremonies Dennis Carman, head of United Way of Plymouth County.
The rally also named BrocktonPromise’s Mentor of the Year, Mike Williams, who has been a football coach with Brockton’s midget football league since 1992. He was one of seven nominees for this year’s Exceptional Mentoring Awards.
The other nominees were Patricia Godio, Sharon Conant, Sarah Stewart, Alisha Tagger, Mario Lamarre and Jennifer White.
Jay Miller, deputy assistant director of the Boys and Girls Club of Brockton, said this year’s nominees were solely chosen by the teenagers and youngsters they have mentored. He said it is the third year of the award and the two years prior mentorees and adults in various programs had nominated individuals for the honor. Mentor of the year winner Williams was nominated by Louis Jacoubs and Derek Williams who wrote, “The lessons he teaches are something hundreds of us will keep long after we leave the field."
Williams, 40, a Brockton native and lifelong football player and coach, said he was overwhelmed with the award and wouldn’t trade-in for anything working with young players on the field, in the gym and as a friend with life experience.
“They keep me going. They keep me young. They keep me moving. I’ve been blessed,” Williams said.
Williams was presented a plaque and a medal by Bridgewater State University President Dana Mohler-Faria. (Williams is pictured at left in top photo with Mohler-Faria)
Coach Mike is just one of hundreds who are a part of Brockton's Promise,which was initiated in 2003 and is modeled after the national America's Promise--a partnership of hundreds of social services, civic groups, hospitals, businesses, police, district attorneys, churches and schools working to promise young people certain things. Brockton's alliance developed five promises to area youth: safe places to live and play, caring adult mentors, access to resources for healthy lives, educational opportunities and ways to give back.
The highlight of many highlights during the evening was Burton’s presentation of how his father Ron Burton Sr. rose from poverty, social cruelty and an admitted lack of athletic ability and size to success in the NFL and in life with the Ron Burton Training Village for inner-city boys.
“He was poor, puny, slow and weak,” Burton said. “When there was a pickup game—he wasn’t the last one picked—he wasn’t picked,” he said.
Burton—whose brother is Steve Burton on WBZ News—said his father’s turnaround came in 8th grade when after riding the bench for two years without a moment of playing time was put in during the last game of the year in the final minutes when all of the other players ahead of him had suffered injuries serious enough that the coach had no choice but to put Burton in.
Burton had to run for 2 yards to ice the game. He ran for 10 and was surprised after the game when a college scout watching other marquee players told young Burton that he wasn’t fast, wasn’t especially athletically gifted, and small, but the scout said he had not seen such determination in a player in many, many years.
Burton said the scout advised his father to do two things: don’t ever take the summer off from conditioning and be conditioned to the point where a 7-mile run is easy.
The rest is history. Burton Sr.—who never drank or smoked or did drugs-- went on to be a high school All-American, broke numerous rushing records at Northwestern University and was the NFL’s overall number one draft pick and was picked number one overall by then Boston Patriots where he played from 1961 to 1965.
Mike Turner, a 17-year-old Brockton High School senior, is one of 133 inner-city boys who attend the Ron Burton Training Village in Hubbardston during the summer where physical challenges—such Ron Sr.’s life-changing 7-mile run—are coupled with Bible studies and SAT courses.
“It’s one of the best programs I can imagine,” Turner said.

Brockton Symphony Highlights Youth In Upcoming Concert

BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--Organizers of Brockton Symphony Orchestra's Family Concert at West Middle School Saturday afternoon will be one of the best times for youngsters to gain an appreciation of classical music. "Kids always say 'I don't like classical music, I don't like classical music, but they do like and are familiar with it from cartoons," said Denzil Paul, a member of the orchestra's board.
Paul chuckles that when youngsters realize the music behind some of their favorite characters like Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd--who most famously played hunter and hunted to a modified "Kill the Wabbit" version of Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries--are actually famous classical pieces.
"They might like it--they just don't know it yet," he said. "If at the end of the concert they say, 'not bad,' then we've done our job," Paul said.
The concert takes place Saturday at 3 p.m. at West Middle School. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted toward scholarships for Brockton students to take music lessons.
One of the highlights of the 60-minute concert is the amazing work of Anna Larsen, (pictured above) an 11-year-old piano prodigy from Newton who has played at Carnegie Hall, on the Oprah Winfrey show and studies at the New England Conservatory of Music.
Larsen was also an honorable mention in the Brockton Orchestra's 2009 Feinberg Youth Competition.
"Everyone who has heard her says she's incredible," Paul said, looking forward to his first time hearing the 11-year-old phenom play.
Paul said the musical selections are geared toward a youthful audience.
"It's stuff you'll know," Paul said.
There will be powerful and upbeat Mozart, Sousa marches, and Rossini's finale of the William Tell Overture--made popular by the 1950's TV show, "The Lone Ranger" and the Mary E. Baker Elementary School Chorus and the Canton's Galvin Middle School Strings are expected to fill the hall with well-known, toe-tapping selections.
"We really want to keep their attention," Paul said.
Students will also be brought up on stage to help conduct the Brockton Symphony Orchestra and after the show there will be face painting and an instrument petting zoo.
"We want youngsters to get as much time with music and instruments as we can," Paul said.
Paul invited all residents to come see the orchestra and its special guests and get a taste of the high-caliber classical music the symphony brings to Brockton.
"A lot of people are not aware of how good we are," Paul said.

Storm Adds Another Foot To Snow Totals

BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--Bob's Big Breakfast on E. Ashland Street Thursday morning was a popular place for utility crews to grab an egg sandwich, coffee or quick meal after another winter storm covered the region with sleet and snow.
For the fourth time this month, the region shoveled and plowed out more than a foot of snow in most areas, a pattern of winter weather that forecasters have said put this winter in the top 10 of snowfall for most areas. The last storm, Friday, Jan. 22dropped 6 inches or more around the region.
During this latest storm, snow began to fall early afternoon Jan. 26, but in the early morning Thursday, Jan. 27 snowfall was up to one-to two-inches per hour with gusty wind of 10 to 15 mph.
At 9:30 a.m. Thursday morning, Brockton had at least 12 inches of snow as the sun broke through the clouds.
The National Weather Service reports Brockton with 13 inches, Bridgewater with 6, Rockland with 10, North Attleboro with 15 and Milford with 16.4.
Area schools, including Brockton were closed today, along with public libraries.
A section of Montello, Lawrence, Grove and Arch streets were closed as public works crews repaired a water main break.
At 10 a.m. this morning city officials opened a warming shelter at the Council on Aging, 10 Father Kenney Way, for any residents who might need the service. The center will be open until 4 p.m.
National Grid has reported only 178 power outages throughout Massachusetts. At noon today, Brockton had no customers without electricity.
A handful of residents in Abington, Halifax, Norwell and Scituate are without power and a statement on National Grid's website states crews are working to restore power as soon as possible. In National Grid's service area customers Everett has the most without electricity with 97, followed by Nantucket with 70.

Snow, Sleet On The Way

BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--According to the National Weather Service Brockton and much of Southern New England snow and sleet are expected mostly overnight and into Thursday afternoon and could bring between 6 to 10 inches of snow cover.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning and is forecasting precipitation to begin around 8 p.m. tonight Jan. 26 and last until the morning or afternoon Thursday.
Conditions are expected to be difficult and snow will likely be mixed with sleet.
Winds are expected to blow between 10 and 15 mph with gusts up to 45 mph.
The City of Brockton has issued a snow state of emergency beginning today at 4 p.m.
The emergency requires all vehicles be removed from the street or risk being towed.
The John J. Adams parking garage will be free after 4 p.m. for residents who do not have a place to park their vehicles.
Vehicles must be removed from the garage by 9 a.m. Friday.
Trash service has been canceled for Thursday and will resume Friday for those who should have had their rubbish picked up on Thursday and Saturday for resident's whose usual pickup day is Friday.
(Images courtesy of National Weather Service. Click each to enlarge)

Bomb-Sniffing Dogs Search Brockton Court House

BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--Brockton District Court has been evacuated and operations canceled after a bomb threat was received at about 2:50 p.m. this afternoon.
Deputy Fire Chief George Phillips said authorities received a call from inside the court house on Main Street that there was some kind of a bomb threat.
Phillips said he was unsure how the threat was phrased, but it indicated there might be some type of bomb in the building.
He said as of about 5 p.m. the building has been searched and the State Police are continuing to comb the building with a bomb-sniffing dog to make sure no device is in the court house or the area.
"We don't have any indication there is a device. No device was seen, but considering the location we have to take the matter serious," Phillips said.
Phillips said Brockton Police have cordoned off the court house and have closed portions of Main and Pleasant streets and Belmont and Crescent streets.
"Traffic is snarled," Phillips said.