Boy Lucky In Fall From Hotel Window

By Lisa E. Crowley
BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--A one-year-old boy who suffered a fall from a two-story Brockton hotel is in miraculously good condition after he landed on the pavement below, said Deputy Fire Chief George Phillips.
"It appears he survived this one OK," Phillips said.
The boy has been transported by ambulance to Children's Hospital in Boston where he is in stable condition.
Phillips said when fire personnel arrived at Quality Inn on Belmont Street in Brockton at about 9 a.m. they learned the boy had fallen from the window and may have landed on his head on the pavement below.
Phillips said the boy was alert--a good sign.
"He was crying and wigglingly around as we tried to immobilize him," Phillips said, noting restricting movement is standard procedure for possible head, neck, spine and spinal cord injuries.
"He seemed to be OK on initial examination," Phillips said. "Sometimes there are things that show up when they start doing more thorough examinations, but it looks like he was lucky," he said.
Police are still investigating the matter, Phillips said.
A spokesman for Brockton Police or State Police could not immediately be reached for comment.

Hotel Window Fall Investigation Underway

By Lisa E. Crowley
BrocktonPost
BROCKTON- A one-year-old child has been taken to the Good Samaritian Medical Center after suffering head trauma from an alleged fall from a second-story hotel room at the Quality Inn in Brockton.
Police officials responded to a call from the hotel at about 8:45 a.m. this morning. According to sources in the police department the one-year-old child was taken to Good Samaritan emergency room for trauma to the head. The Plymouth County Sherriff's Department and Brockton police are investigating the matter.
Police responded to a breaking and entering in progress call for a different room on the same floor at the hotel at about 10:45 a.m. It is unclear if the two matters are related.
There is no further information at this time. We will update information as we receive it.

Brockton Dems At Odds Over Republican Support

By Lisa E. Crowley
BrocktonPost
BROCKTON—Three members of the Brockton Democratic City Committee—including City Councilor Jass Stewart and School Committee member Timothy Sullivan—are expected to fight a demand they resign or face removal from the local committee after being charged with actively and publicly supporting Republican candidates in the November election.
“I’m going to fight it. I will not resign, ” Councilor-at-large Stewart said. “I’m comfortable with what I’m doing. I think it’s unfortunate with all of the things going on in the city they concentrate on this issue,” he said.
Stewart, School Committee member Timothy Sullivan—both who represent Ward 7--and Sullivan’s girlfriend Debbie Dineen have not resigned from their elected positions on the Brockton Democratic City Committee, an arm of the Democratic Party that reaches into nearly every city and town in the state.
Stewart said until November when he took heat for posting his picks for the election on his website, he didn’t know there was a rule against supporting Republican candidates.
“If I knew about it I might have done things differently and if I broke the rules, I apologize, but I don’t think I did anything anyone else isn't doing,” Stewart said.
Steve Foote, chairman of the Brockton Democratic City Committee, said because none of the three have resigned the next step is to plead their case before the City Committee membership at the next meeting—expected by the end of March.
Foote said all the members of the committee were warned via letter in October that Democratic State Committee officials would be cracking down on Democrats who openly and actively support Republicans in the November election—an advisory political observers believe stemmed from Scott Brown’s unexpected victory over Democrat Martha Coakley in the race to fill Ted Kennedy’s vacant U.S. Senate seat.
Open and public support usually extends to all statewide races and exempts races for city and town boards such as city council, conservation commission and selectmen because candidates for those elections are not direct nominees of the Democratic Party.
Foote said it is generally OK for Democrats at, say a non-campaign party or at lunch with friends, on the golf course or in the barroom to support a non-Democrat candidate, but it is a different thing to voice it on a website or in the press.
If removed, Stewart, Sullivan and Dineen would still be members of the Democratic Party, but would not reap the benefits of being members of the City Committee, including money for mailings and other campaign materials and exclusion from being a delegate during the party’s state convention when delegates vote for state-wide candidates such as governor.
Sullivan said he was surprised by the undated letter demanding his resignation or face removal—which he received about 3 weeks to a month ago--because he wasn’t sure what he did. He said Dineen’s letter was identical to his except her name was on the top instead of his.
Sullivan said he does not believe Dineen—a sometimes Independent and sometimes unenrolled voter who ran for the City Committee seat at Sullivan’s behest-- should be part of the situation because he is the one who brought her into the Democratic Party and the current situation.
He said she did not do anything wrong and is upset by the whole matter.
Sullivan said he now second-guesses if bringing her into the party was a wise move—despite the party’s assertion it wants new people.
“I’ve been on the committee for more than 10 years. I’ve been a ward vice-chairman. I’ve never given money to any candidate other than a Democrat and now they do this? Doesn’t seem like a Democratic process does it,” Sullivan said. “I’m hurt by this letter,” he said and is unsure if he will defend himself at the meeting.
Sullivan said until this reporter contacted him about the upcoming removal meeting and 2/3 vote, he thought he had already been expelled from the City Committee.
“They took us all off the website,” Sullivan said. “I was there, Jass was there and Debbie was there---funny how we’re all in Ward 7--and now we’re gone,” he said.
With the first week of March nearly over, Sullivan wondered when he would be contacted about the meeting.
“I hope they weren’t going to wait until a day before the meeting to let me know there was a hearing,” Sullivan said.
He said the letter said nothing about a removal meeting or vote or any appeal process to the State Committee.
Foote said the bylaws clearly state what the process is and if Sullivan wanted to know the process he could have looked up the bylaws which are on the Brockton and State committee’s websites.
Until the hearing and if there is a 2/3 vote, the trio are still members of the committee, Foote said.
Foote said each will be notified by regular mail about the as-yet scheduled meeting when they will have their chance to appeal to the entire City Committee.
Foote said he plans to have the meeting in March and each will receive a letter about the meeting and a separate one noting the meeting will also include a hearing and vote on their removal.
Bylaws require at least five days written notice before a regular meeting and for a special meeting. Foote said technically the removal vote would be part of the agenda of a regular meeting.
Foote said there has to be a 2/3 majority vote in order for the three to be removed. He said the bylaws require a quorum of 25 for the meeting to be held.
Foote said about 50 members usually attend the regular meetings, but more might show for the removal vote.
If the vote is against the three, there is an appeal within 30 days to the Democratic State Committee’s Judicial Council.
“No one has been removed yet,” Foote said, but added he believes the evidence against the three that they actively and publicly supported Republicans in the election—in his opinion-- is pretty cut and dry.
“It was on Jass’ website and in the media,” Foote said. “He wants to be a maverick. He says so on his website,” Foote said, referring to Stewart.
“If he wants to be a maverick, let him, but he can’t have it both ways. He wants the benefits of being a Democrat, but he wants to support who he wants. Let him quit and become and independent...He’s a carpetbagger from Dallas, or wherever he’s from, who fancies himself as the next Obama or Deval Patrick,” Foote said.
Foote said “everyone knows” and the “scuttlebutt” is Stewart is eyeing a run for State Rep. Geraldine Creedon’s seat which includes parts of Brockton and Easton because she may not run for reelection.
“That’s why he went on the Danroy 'DJ' Henry thing,” Foote said. “He wants the Easton votes,” he said.
Foote said an 8-0 vote of the City Committee’s nine-member Executive Committee in January—one member was absent--led to the resignation letters and that the whole matter was initiated following complaints about Stewart, Sullivan and Dineen supporting Cruz and McDonald over Democrats.
He said he suggested a suspension of a couple of months, but Executive Committee members noted the bylaws do not allow for a suspension.
Foote said the unanimous vote shows he is not the only one annoyed by Stewart and Sullivan’s actions.
The City Committee’s website does not outline a members’ removal, however, the State Committee bylaws list three reasons to be removed from membership, including, “public support for, or financial contribution to an opponent of a nominee of the Democratic party.”
Stewart and Sullivan said they supported Republicans Plymouth County Sheriff Joe McDonald and Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz for reelection to their seats.
However, Stewart and Sullivan said there are valid reasons for that support, including the sudden departure of Democratic candidate for Sheriff Rick Pond after receiving the party’s nomination.
Sullivan said he held a coffee hour for the two Republican candidates at his house because Cruz is his brother-in-law from a prior marriage.
Chairman Foote said it was not the coffee hour that has Sullivan in trouble, it was his comments in The Enterprise in October that quoted Sullivan supporting Charlie Baker over Deval Patrick in a rally at Brockton City Hall before the November election for governor.
Sullivan said he recalls telling the reporter he attended the rally and he and Dineen only said they were there to listen. Sullivan said he did not read The Enterprise story, and still hasn’t.
Subsequently, he said he did not call or ask for a retraction or correction. He said he now believes it’s too late.
He said he learned of the quotes from the letter sent by the City Committee asking for his resignation.
“They said I was quoted saying that, but no one asked me if I actually said it,” Sullivan said.
In November, on his website and in media interviews, including BrocktonPost.com, Councilor-at-large Stewart said he supported Republican candidate for Sheriff Joseph McDonald and District Attorney Timothy Cruz to be reelected to his seat.
Stewart said he did support the two candidates.
McDonald in part because Pond resigned under a cloud and because he believed Tim Cruz as DA had done a good job and saw no reason to support Democrat John Shea to fill the seat. Cruz won by more than 35,000 votes.
“It’s irresponsible to pretend our Sheriff and DA haven’t done a good job,” Stewart said.
Stewart said he did not receive the resignation letter and was taken aback when he arrived at the City Committee’s caucus in February and was barred from entering because he had been censured.
“I didn’t receive that letter,” Stewart said. “They barred me from entering and I was the only one from Ward 7 willing and able to attend,” he said.
Stewart said he had not heard Foote called him a carpetbagger from Dallas and inferred Stewart was setting himself up for a run for Creedon’s seat and it was the reason why Stewart has supported the Henry family in its battle for an independent investigation into Easton resident and Pace University student Danroy “DJ” Henry’s shooting death by a police officer in Mount Auburn, N.Y.
“Ever since I met him he has had something against me,” Stewart said of Foote.
Stewart said he did not think it was a race or gay thing—Stewart is the city’s first black and openly gay city councilor. He couldn’t say what it is.
“They’re all playing political games,” Stewart said.
Stewart said he is a personal friend of DJ Henry’s grandmother who lives in Brockton and “an injustice anywhere is an injustice” and because of redistricting Creedon’s seat might not include Easton.
Besides, Stewart said, if he wants to run for Creedon’s seat he will—whether the old boy network likes it or not.
“They can call it ambition, or whatever they want,” Stewart said, “why is it wrong to improve your career or strive to improve your career. Why is that a bad thing. I want to elect candidates who do things. Maybe we need to do things differently because the old ways aren’t working,” he said.
Foote said he disbelieves Stewart’s assertion he did not receive the resignation letter. “It’s like the dog eating his homework,” Foote said.
Stewart said he thought Foote was being hypocritical because in 2005, after losing a primary for a seat as councilor in Ward 6 against Michelle DuBois, Foote supported her Republican opponent in the general election.
State Committee bylaws do not include local elections because candidates do not necessarily represent the party.
“It’s a whole different thing,” Foote said.
Stewart said another reason he thinks the whole thing is odd is because State Committee members such as Chairman John Walsh have said they disagree with the removal rule for non-Democratic candidate support.
However, Foote said while Walsh has said he doesn’t agree with the rule, city and town committee chairmen were told at a meeting they still must enforce the rule.
Walsh could not be reached for comment.
Foote said he doesn’t have a problem with Stewart, except what he perceives as Stewart’s drive toward higher office without having had been through the political slog on his way up.
“He has a job—city councilor. Why can’t he do the job he’s got,” Foote said. “If he wants to be in the Democratic Party he and everyone else has to play by the rules,” he said.

U.S. Officials Move To Bring Suspected Murderer Back To Brockton

BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz today announced
arrest warrants have been issued charging a fugitive in Ecuador with the murders of a mother and son found dead in a Brockton dumpster last month.
U.S. officials are seeking Luis Agustin Guaman, 40, through international diplomats and law enforcement agencies to try and bring Guaman back to the U.S. for the murders of Maria Avelina Palaguachi-Cela and her 2-year-old son Brian.
During a press conference earlier today, Cruz said a copy of the arrest warrant was hand delivered to Ecuadorian embassy officials in Boston at about 10:30 p.m. on Friday, February 18
Investigators immediately provided a copy of the warrant to the FBI in order to obtain an Interpol warrant for Guaman.
"Over the last ten days, investigators have worked closely on this issue with the FBI," Cruz said in the statement.
Late Tuesday afternoon investigators were notified an Interpol warrant for Guaman had been issued, he said.
Bridget Norton-Middleton, spokeswoman for Cruz's office, said evidence against Guaman allegedly includes a blood-stained sledgehammer, Guaman's fingerprints on the bags in which the bodies were found inside the dumpster, blood-covered clothing officials said belong to Guaman, rings believed to be Guaman's, and a pair of sneakers Guaman was seen to have been wearing days before the killings.
A copy of Cruz's local and federal warrants have been forwarded to the Interpol office in Ecuador.
In addition to pursing Guaman’s return with Ecuadorian embassy officials, Cruz said a formal request to the Department of Justice has been made that the agency seek Guaman’s return to the U.S to stand trial for the murders.
On Sunday, February 13, the bodies of 25-year-old Palaguachi-Cela and her son, Brian
were found in a dumpster near their apartment at 427 Warren Ave.
An autopsy determined both mother and child died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head and brain.
On Monday, February 14 at approximately 12:01 a.m., Guaman--who authorities say was illegally in the U.S. and used at least two different aliases--left John F. Kennedy airport in New York City on a flight to Ecuador.
The flight was just 2 1/2 hours after an anonymous tip led Brockton Police to the dumpster.
Guaman is reportedly being held by law enforcement officials in Ecuador after relatives of Palaguachi-Cela helped capture Guaman about a week after he arrived in his homeland.
Until today's press conference, Cruz had said Guaman was wanted for questioning.

Brockton Councilor's Report Focuses On Education

BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--Brockton Councilor-at-Large Jass Stewart has released the third of five reports centering around city issues including accountability, jobs, and education.
The latest release is focused on education. Neighborhoods and innovations are the two remaining studies not yet completed.
"Cities and towns that 'out-teach us today will out-compete us' tomorrow," the report begins.
"This is true for our K-12 system, as well as for our workforce. This is why I support advanced training programs for workers who wish to improve their skills while meeting the needs of local industries," the introduction states.
Click here to read the entire report on Stewart's website...

City Redesigns Website

BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--From the Mayor's Office:
If you have been on the City of Brockton's website lately, you'll see that it has been redesigned--a move that sprung from complaints by residents and a task force Mayor Linda Balzotti formed shortly after taking office.
“The redesign of the municipal web site will be an asset not only to residents of Brockton, but also those looking to learn about the community,” Balzotti said in a prepared statement.
Revamping the city’s web presence stemmed directly from a commitment made by Balzotti during the 2009 mayoral campaign, and recommendations made by the Economic Growth and Development Task Force Balzotti formed last winter.
The task force cited design standards, cumbersome navigation, and infrequent updating of content as key obstacles regarding the site.
Working from those comments, staff from the city’s Information Technology Department and mayor’s office worked to create a new design template, and organize and update information listed on the site.
“This was a collaborative process that has made the city’s web presence more effective,” said William Santos, director of information technology.
During the five-month development stage, input for what should be included on the site was sought from every city department.
Text was updated to reflect the current services provided by city departments and agencies and new content was added.
“Our goal was to redesign the site so that it was not only pleasant to look at, but easy to use and contained useful information,”Balzotti said.
The new site will also have an e-mail newsletter sign-up function that will allow the city to inform subscribers of important information regarding events or provide notifications in case of emergencies.

Mayor Announces Planning, Redevelopment Hires

BrocktonPost
BROCKTON--From the Mayor's Office:
Mayor Linda M. Balzotti recently has announced Foxboro's long-time town planner will lead the reinstated Brockton Redevelopment Authority and a consultant has been hired to aid Brockton 21st Century Corp. focus on redevelopment of the downtown.
Balzotti said in a prepared statement the moves are expected to herald a new era of revitalization in Brockton--efforts that are led by qualified experts with backgrounds in the fields of economic development and planning.
“Having personnel in these vital positions gives Brockton the ability to plan not just for today, but for the future in a thoughtful and efficient way,” Balzotti said in the statement.
Marc Resnick has been named executive director of the Brockton Redevelopment Authority and is expected to start work Monday, March 7.
Resnick has over two decades of planning experience, and has most recently been the Foxborough Town Planner since 2001.
While in Foxboro, he managed the municipal review of plans and site construction for Patriot Place at Gilette Stadium and coordinated the planning, rezoning, and permitting for the redevelopment of the 150-acre Foxborough State Hospital site. Resnick replaces interim Executive Director Anne Marie Belrose, who will stay on as the BRA’s Director of Finance and Compliance.
“We believe we have found someone with excellent planning credentials who will get us moving in the downtown and in the city in general, toward revitalization,” said Gerry Smith, Chairman of the Brockton Redevelopment Authority, in a prepared statemet.
In July 2010, Balzotti re-established the Brockton Redevelopment Authority. The mission of the BRA is to distribute federal Community Development Block Grants, for the benefit of all Brockton residents.
The BRA has taken over equitably distributing the block grants from the now defunct Building a Better Brockton--an agency that was eliminated after it was shown the board had numerous conflict of interests surrounding how the money was paid out.
In addition to full-time staff members, the BRA also has a new board of directors.
Also, McCabe Enterprises has begun work as the development planning consultant to the Brockton 21st Century Corporation.
The Massachusetts Department of Community Housing and Development awarded the Brockton 21st Century Corporation $90,000 in October 2010 to fund the hiring of a consultant to focus on downtown redevelopment including moving projects forward and developing a pipeline of potential development, community stabilization opportunities and neighborhood revitalization efforts in the Campello neighborhood. The grant award expires in September of 2011.
Kathleen McCabe, principal of Boston-based McCabe Enterprises, has a strong background in planning and economic development.
The McCabe team working with B21 will include Urban Planner Jen Mecca, lawyers Betsy Lane and Jeanne McKnight of Kopleman and Page, and Peter Bradley of Project Management.
Also, Rian Amiton has been hired as the city’s new junior planner.
As junior planner, Amiton will focus on site plan and development impact review, demographic analysis; conducting planning studies relative to land use, open space, housing, economic development and transportation.
Most recently Amiton has been an associate planner at Larry Koff and Associates in Brookline.
Amiton holds a master's degree in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University. He holds a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Oregon, Eugene.
For more information about the Brockton Redevelopment Authority, please call 508- 586-3887. For more information about the Brockton 21st Century Corporation, please contact Mary Waldron at 508-586-0021. For any other questions, please call the mayor’s office at 508-580-7123.