Brookline’s Jesse Mermell To Represent Warren Campaign: Caucus

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February 2, 2018

Former Selectwoman and Town Meeting Member Jesse Mermell was chosen to represent the Elizabeth Warren Campaign at the Brookline Caucus this weekend.

Mermell was asked by the Campaign to speak for about a minute about the senator’s record at the Caucus. Most campaigns (for any office) will have local people there representing the candidate if that person can’t be there themselves. This isn’t the first time Mermell has done work for Warren.

“In 2012 I did a fair amount of surrogating for her,” Mermell told the media.

Democrats will convene at Brookline High School in the cafeteria at 2 p.m. to elect delegates and alternates to the 2018 MA Democratic State Convention, which will be held at the DCU Center in Worcester on June 1 and 2. Delegates at the 2018 MA Democratic State Convention will determine which statewide candidates will be on the Democratic ticket in the 2018 Primary Election in September and amend the Party Charter.

Brookline will be electing 42 delegates and seven alternates. Registered and pre-registered Democrats in Brookline will be eligible to vote at the caucus. Those not elected as delegates or alternates who meet the qualifications may apply to be add-on delegates in the following categories: Youth, Minority, Disabled or LGBT.

WHEN: Saturday, February 3, 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: Brookline High School, cafeteria,115 Greenough Street, Brookline, MA

For information: Brookline Democratic Town Committee Chair, Cindy Rowe, 617-277-6282.

Bess’s Cafe On Brookline’s Cypress Street

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Brookline.com

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February 2, 2018

Skinny jeans are still in style but only if they are high waisted, says former Newbury Street personal shopper now the owner of Bess’s Cafe in Brookline. She still knows what’s up in the fashion world, but she also is in the process of mastering a thing or two about comfort food in Brookline.

Some might say she has mastered it this year. The Globe just named her cafe among the most promising 46 new restaurants in the greater Boston area.

Tucked into the strip of businesses on Cypress Street next to the Pizzeria across from Kurkman’s Market is Bess’s Cafe. Sometimes, like one recent chilly Friday, the heat goes off unexpectedly and the owner is racing to fix it. But this is something the customers do not seem to notice between the warmth of the comfort food in front of them and that of the owner Bess Lee.

In March 2017 Bess’s Cafe moved into the corner spot that was the Brick Wall Kitchen for about two years and before that Rita’s Café.

Before opening up shop in Brookline, the Braintree resident actually has had very little experience in the kitchen for the past three decades.

“I love to eat out,” she told Patch.

But, now, the past two years have made up for that.

But she was ready to make a change after 27 years working as a personal shopper for upscale stores and fancy ladies. She did not know exactly what that would look like. But she knew she wanted to own her own business. She had an agent on a search looking for small spots. And then she was having food with some friends, she remarked that they were always making food that was restaurant ready and delicious. You should start a restaurant she told them. They brushed that thought aside, but then she thought, “why don’t I start a restaurant?” That stuck. She convinced her friends to teach her how to make fresh Jiang Nan style noodles and small bites – comfort foods from her childhood. And then she convinced them to help cook at the restaurant. It was a 180 from the retail work she’d done on Newbury Street. And she loved it and had a knack for it. What do the two have in common? She has learned to be flexible. About three months in after people kept coming in asking for vegetarian options she sat down and worked out vegetarian options.

There is now vegetable dumplings with a delightful mix of firm tofu bits, mustard greens, vermicelli, chives, seaweed and a few other spices in there lightly crisped to give it texture ($8) that comes with an in house mixed ginger, soy sauce. Then she added a Cream Custard Bun ($4) with the perfect texture, though like most of her dishes, light. Even the crispy scallion pancake ($4) is light. It is crispy and flaky version with scallion tucked beneath the layers and nothing else. These won’t sit at the bottom of your stomach. You can get them as a meat wrap with either beef or crispy chicken for ($8). And then there is the Dan Dan noodle dish: During a meal with many delights, this was the real winner with sesame paste-enriched firm tofu, preserved vegetables, and matchsticks of marinated cucumber.

“I wanted to create a simple space with a simple menu to create simple, fresh healthy food,” said Lee.

How’s it going one year in? “So far so good,” she says with a shrug and a smile from ear to ear behind trendy glasses. “I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned a ton. And there have been lots of ups and downs,” she said.

But she is glad she is on this journey. Her family has been supportive, her daughter helped design the menu and sign, her mother is the artist behind the scrolls on the exposed brick wall and her husband has been her business partner. And many of her former clients and friends from her previous life as a personal shopper at those high end stores have helped get the word out about her space.

“I’m lucky, I really am,” she said. And busy. She only takes one day off a week and that day she spends resupplying.

On a Friday at 1:15 p.m. this reporter walked in and only one of six tables was free. She heard conversations in different languages and one woman saying to another young woman “Which would make sense because they came over here to colonize.” The space filled with younger looking people, some eating together in groups and some sitting alone looking at their phones. One man said he came often and his go-to was the Pork Belly Noodle Soup ($12). By 2:30 p.m. the lunch crowd had mostly cleared. And a couple young men ordered lots of pork items to go.

“It’s a neighborhood restaurant,” said Lee in describing the types of people who come by. “It’s both young and old.”

Lee said her goal is to offer new seasonal items as the seasons change. Right now she’s open for lunch and dinner and closes around 7:30 p.m. But she is toying with the idea of opening for breakfast – maybe offering an egg wrap or a savory to-go cup. But she says she will always keep it fresh and simple. “I personally don’t like going to restaurants where the menus are so thick,” she said.

Boston Older Lesbians Health Chat

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Brookline.com

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February 1, 2018

Boston OLOC (Old Lesbians Organizing For Change) presents “Older Bodies Older Brains: Brains, Bones & the Challenge of Aging” with physicians Elizabeth Kass & Jamie Redgrave on Sunday February 4th from 02:00 p.m. to 04:00 p.m. at the Brookline Senior Center at 93 Winchester Street in Brookline, MA.

Dr. Elizabeth Kass & Dr. Jamie Redgrave will discuss cognitive changes, osteoporosis prevention, arthritis & other medical issues connected to aging Sarah Pearlman Founding Member of OLOC-Boston stated, “Boston OLOC is proud to host our 5th program on age & medical issues with physicians, Elizabeth Kass of Fenway Health & Jamie Redgrave of Harvard University Health Services. Liz will be addressing both normal & abnormal cognitive changes & Jamie will talk about osteoporosis & osteoarthritis, conditions that are common among older women.”

Alice Fisher, Founding Member of OLOC-Boston concluded, “No question, aging is accompanied by health issues. One key to good health is prevention & the other noticing signs that can alert you to problems. Bring your questions on February 4th & join Liz Kass MD of Fenway Health & Jamie Redgrave of Harvard University for another Boston OLOC Sunday afternoon.” OLOC Boston programs & events are open to lesbians of all ages, including transgender lesbians. OLOC’s mission includes their commitment to creating communities of older lesbians & solidarity with allies for racial, economic & social justice. Following the event there will be an early dinner at Lemon Grass at 239 Harvard Street in Brookline, MA.

For more information, please visit here.

Crews Battle Large Blaze At Brookline Townhouse

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Brookline.com

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February 1, 2018

Crews spent the overnight hours working to extinguish a fire that broke out at a Brookline townhouse.

Officials said the three-alarm fire broke out at 5 Carlton Street early Thursday morning.

Heavy smoke and flames were seen coming from the building when crews arrived at the scene, and luckily everyone inside was able to escape.

Paul Stadfeld was awake reading Patriots news when neighbors came to his door.

“I walked outside and there was a ton of smoke billowing out the front door. Thick, black smoke. Someone said, ‘Hey, Paul. Your house is on fire.’ So I walked down the street and saw a lot of flames.”

Fire crews from Cambridge were also sent to the scene to provide mutual aid.

“We believe the fire originated in the basement, possibly from a heating unit that extended up a wall between the two townhomes,” Brookline Deputy Chief Colin O’Connell said.

Officials estimate there to be about $900,000 worth of damage.

Brookline Retirement Board Reports

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January 31, 2018

These documents relate to the fiscal condition of the retirement board and could be viewed online here.

Attempted Break-In Suspect Arrested After Foot Chase In Brookline

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Brookline.com

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January 31, 2018

Police in Brookline arrested a man they say tried to break into a home near Longwood Medical Center while the resident was getting ready to walk her dog.

It happened around 05:30 a.m., and police told the media the homeowner’s quick thinking helped them catch the suspect.

“She watched an individual in a black hoodie, face covered, walk behind her home and then the back stairs of her home, towards her basement door,” Deputy Police Superintendent Michael Gropman said.

The woman smashed the glass on her own door, spooking the suspect away then called police who were able to track the suspect’s footprints in the snow.

“[The officers] chased him all the way across the field, over another fence, and he ended up on the MBTA tracks,” Gropman said.

The suspect has been identified as 29-year-old Tristen Phillips. Police said he had severe cuts to his stomach, likely caused by spikes on top of the fences he jumped.

Phillips is charged with attempted breaking and entering. He remains in the hospital where he is recovering, and will soon be arraigned.

An Enviable Transfer Of Ownership At Brookline’s Clear Flour Bread

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Brookline.com

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January 29, 2018

When they started the tiny Clear Flour Bread in a residential neighborhood near Coolidge Corner in 1982, Christy Timon and Abe Faber had a philosophy about running a business that at the time set them apart from pretty much everyone else baking. The two would make baguettes the way they were made in France, they would not buy mixes or anything else partially prepared, and they would use the best ingredients they could find, whatever the cost. No one used the word “artisan.”

They were willing to work like dogs, even if it meant delivering bread at dawn by themselves and years without a vacation, which it did. Now, 35 years later, after refusing offers to franchise, blessing former employees who opened their own bakeries, and not selling to a larger enterprise because, as Faber says, “we have friends who watched their life’s work go down the tubes,” the couple is now Clear Flour’s former owners. They sold to a couple about half their age.

New owners Nicole Walsh, 29, and Jon Goodman, 33, newlyweds, took over from Timon, 65, and Faber, 56, in November; the founders will stay on to mentor for a year. They had to learn many things the hard way, they say, all while raising twin daughters, Coco and Tracey, now 23, who both make pastries at the bakery.

If it all looks like an incredible tidy and enviable transfer of ownership, it is. And it all happened by accident. Goodman’s parents, Pam and Alan Goodman, live in Brookline and are devoted customers. Jon remembers being wheeled in a stroller to the bakery and seeing the Clear Flour neon sign in the window. His brother worked there one summer. When he told his parents that he and Walsh wanted to open a bakery in San Francisco, where they lived, his mother asked Timon and Faber if they would talk to the young couple.

“It was the last thing I wanted to do on a Saturday,” says Faber, who had advised dozens of would-be owners, most of whom did not know enough.

His bakery has such a small retail space that customers are typically lined up outside, no matter what the weather. “I live close by,” says Tatte Bakery and Cafe owner Tzurit Or. “They have phenomenal bread.” Regulars queue up for crusty, pointy baguettes that crackle when you break off a piece, dense whole-grain loaves, golden challah, rich brioche, croissants, morning buns (like sticky buns), fruit tarts, scones, giant cookies, and little French confections like miniature canelés, small eggy cylinders famous in Bordeaux. About 30 employees work there day and night, and no job is in jeopardy.

On that Saturday, something about Walsh and Goodman struck Faber. “They’re interested and nice and they get it,” he remembers thinking. (Faber thinks most bakers are nice, and he is suspicious when they are not.) And, he says, “They share our values.” But Faber and Timon were not interested in selling, though they had talked about it every time their lease came up for renewal. And their lease was coming up for renewal, so the discussion started again.

“We kept the conversation open,” says Timon. She is the baking half of their duo; Faber does the business end. They saw a mirror image in Walsh as baker and Goodman as business manager. At one point, Faber asked them, “Are you really thinking it might be either coast?” A change of hands like this, he thought, “felt organic.”

They made an offer. When Walsh saw the e-mail, “My heart stopped for a moment. Jon always wanted a bakery like Clear Flour.” Rentals in San Francisco, the two discovered, were way over their budget. She says this opportunity was “an incredible miracle.”

A smooth transition is what every buyer, seller, and customer is looking for. Tatte owner Or sold 50 percent of her bakery to Panera Bread Co. in 2016 because she wanted to work with then-CEO Ron Shaich. Now Shaich bought all of Panera’s shares in Tatte, says Or, and she was delighted with the new partnership and independence. They just opened their eighth Tatte in Back Bay.

“I was looking closely at Clear Flour,” says Or. “It seems like the [new owners] share the same passion and love for bread. I’m pretty confident they made the correct decision.”

Christy Timon never really decided to go into the breadmaking business. It sort of decided itself. She rented the space as Cafe Small Caterers, baking bread to go with her menus. Word spread about her traditional European-style baguettes and loaves and she had so many orders that she quit catering; wholesale became most of the business with a little retail in the front. Now wholesale is 20 percent with the rest retail, a slow inversion of numbers that took over a decade.

Walsh began baking seriously when she was a teen in Eagle, Idaho (population 23,000). She had worked at Lilly Janes Cupcakes, which made everything from scratch; she bought Lilly Janes when she was 18 with money from her father’s fiancee. “I was hanging out with friends at night, going to work at 2 a.m. to 6 p.m. It was a crazy way to get into the business.” She was also taking Excel classes, she says. “I had no idea what I was doing.”

She sold the bakery and went to the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, in St. Helena, CA. Jobs that followed including a stint at Mission Pie in San Francisco. She met Goodman when he was at La Boulange, working in management, opening locations.

“They’re interested and nice and they get it.”

One day Goodman told Walsh that they could open something together. “I can manage and you can bake. This could work,” he said.

Financial backing is coming from Goodman’s father, his uncle, and two brothers, Adam and Peter. “This is a dream come true for my dad.”

When the younger couple joined the bakery late last year, Walsh was at the counter when a customer came in. “I’ve been here since the first day,” he told her, “and I’m rooting for you guys.” That is the message they have gotten ever since.

Says Faber: “Running a bakery is about getting a call at 3:00 a.m. that something’s not working, or at 6:00 a.m. that they can’t get the van started, or an employee sprained an ankle.”

The new owners look at him as he says this and do not seem fazed.

Clear Flour Bread is located at 178 Thorndike Street, Brookline, MA 02446 and online here.

Brookline Business Loses $1K In Eversource Scam

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January 29, 2018

On Saturday a Brookline business owner got a phone call from someone claiming to be a representative from Eversource. The woman told the business owner his bill was overdue and if he wanted to keep the shop’s electricity on, he would have to pay immediately. The thing was: the person on the other end of the phone said the company did not accept credit card payments over the phone.

But they would take pre-paid money cards worth almost $1,000. Brookline Police and the Brookline Chamber of Commerce are warning residents about this type of scam that more than one person in Brookline has recently fallen for.

In this case, similar to other cases, the Brookline business owner was so concerned about losing electricity that he ran out and got several “Green Dot Money Pak” cards and arranged payment that way.

It was only after the woman on the other end of the phone told him he still owed money did he realize he might be getting scammed. The Brookline man called his landlord, who told him the electricity bill was actually included in the lease.

Police say utility scams (similar to the grandparent scams) are common, and there are tell tell signs as to the scam, one of the big ones? Police, Courts, Utility companies will never ask for an immediate wire transfer or pre-paid card as payment.

State officials have been aware of similar scams for some time and recommend looking for these tell-tale signs that give away scammers:

The callers cannot provide simple information about your account, such as the name on the account, the address of the account, or even your account number.
The callers demand payment using a reloadable debit card or other non-traceable form of payment. If the caller is demanding payment in that form, hang up.
The caller is angry or threatening.
It is the first time you are hearing about a payment being due. There are strict regulations governing the cut-off utilities and the legal process includes several notices being sent to the customer first. If you are hearing for the first time about a payment being due that day from you to the energy provider, it is likely a scam.

Watch out for these recent phone numbers coming across your caller ID: 1-800-592-2000 and 844-372-8508. According to the Chamber of Commerce these are the numbers that called the local business owner claiming to be from Eversource.

Here is the alert the police sent out on the scam:

“Brookline Residents,

Utility scams are common ways that even the most vigilant people can fall victim to. They often pretend to be a representative of your provider, sometimes claiming that they will turn off your electricity or even threatening jail time as a means of receiving immediate payment. It is important to recognize the common signs of utility scams and the facts regarding your utility provider.”

The facts:

Both Eversource and National Grid will…

never ask customers to make direct payments over the phone;
never demand immediate transfer – via wire or pre-paid cards;
both Eversource and National Grid Representatives and affiliated
contractors will…;
always carry a company-issued photo ID and provide it when asked by the customer.

If you believe you have been scammed or contacted by a utility scam artist, please report it to the Brookline Police Department. In addition, contact your utility provider.

Resources:

A. J. Edelman Goes For Gold

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Brookline.com

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January 29, 2018

The sport of skeleton is not for the faint of heart. Starting from a crouch, riders take a running start while grasping a small sled, which they ride down an ice track at speeds of up to 80 m.p.h. At the Pyoengchang Olympics this winter, riders will be staring down a 1,372 meter track, with an 116 meter vertical drop throughout. Adam “A. J.” Edelman, Israel’s first ever competitor in skeleton, is not too concerned.

The Brookline native made aliyah in 2016, but his time on the ice goes back his time in hockey pads at the age of three for the Brookline Warriors. He continued playing the sport through his time at the modern Orthodox Maimonides School and at MIT, where he was “believed to be the first shomer-shabbat player in the history of the program,” according to his Team Israel bio (Edelman had also spent a year at a yeshiva before going to school). He graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering in 2014, and was hired to work as a product manager for Oracle. In that career path so well-traveled, he also spent a brief period between his time senior year at M.I.T. and Oracle exploring options in drug-free bodybuilding, speedskating, and luge.

But he soon grew restless. The truth was, back in 2006, he had been in Israel during the war with Lebanon, and it had cemented something for him. “That summer changed my life. I turned everything around in my life from that point on. I knew Israel was the place I wanted to call home when I grew up,” he told the media.

Edelman had discovered that Israel had a skeleton team in the fall of 2013, but knew little about the sport at the time. This was, apparently, little more than an inconvenience. At first, his goal was to qualify for the 2022 Games.

“When I started the journey I wrote on a piece of paper that I had 2,884 days to reach my goal. But the more people said it would be impossible to do it in four years the more I wanted to accomplish it,” he said.

“I have a lot of chutzpah. If somebody tells me that something can’t be done it is the most motivating thing for me to try and make sure that it will be done. So I took the paper and crossed out 2,884 and wrote 1,442 and made it my goal to do it in four years.”

So he quit his job at Oracle and moved to Calgary, sanscoaching, funding, or any formal training, to begin gearing up for the 2018 Olympics.

His mother was not pleased. “She flipped out,” he said. “She lost it, she was really upset. Her first response was: ‘Who is going to date you?’ She’s a Jewish mother.”

But Edelman’s done nothing but impress since he arrived four years ago. Competing for Israel with an image of Samson on his helmet, he has represented Israel at two World Championships and is, as of now, ranked no. 61 in the world. He’s set Israeli track records everywhere he has gone.

“I just go from track to track training like a nutjob,” Edelman says. “It became an obsession for me to do everything that I could to make sure Israel qualified for the 2018 Olympics…My coach was the pain. There is a lot of pain involved in hitting a wall. But the more I did it, the more experience I got and the more I was able to coach myself.”

Now, in two weeks time, he’ll be among the largest Israeli delegation to the Winter Olympics—ten athletes!—that’s ever qualified for the Games.

“There is a pride as a Jew and as an Israeli in representing Israel that I don’t think can be felt by any athlete of any other nationality,” he said. “People a lot of time ask about my placement or my goal at the Olympics and if I want to win a medal. The dream of every athlete is to win a medal for their country.”

Norwegian Cruise Line Changes Course, Offers Brookline Couple Apology, Refund, And “Dream” Trip

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January 28, 2018

Norwegian Cruise Line on Sunday afternoon offered an elderly Brookline couple an apology, a full refund, and a complimentary “dream” trip to a destination of the couple’s choice as a “makeup,” hours after a column detailed how the couple had been marooned last month by the cruise line in Los Angeles.

The offer came as hundreds of readers posted stinging criticism of the cruise line in comments on the online version of the column, with some vowing never to patronize the company. Many characterized the well-established cruise line as lacking compassion and common sense.

“It is clear that in the case” of the Brookline couple “we did not deliver as we should have, and their needs were not handled appropriately,” the company said in an e-mail.

“We will be providing” the couple “with a full refund for their cruise,” Norwegian continued. “In addition, as a gesture of our sincerest apologies, we would like to invite them to experience their dream vacation with a complimentary cruise” on the sailing of their choice.

Bernie Wax, 87, and his wife, Dolly, 85, traveled to LA last month for a seven-day cruise down the Mexican coastline. It was a long-planned trip they hugely looked forward to as one last great adventure, a way to celebrate, in style, their 64 years together in the face of mounting health issues.

But when they arrived at the terminal, their luggage was quickly taken from them for transport onto the ship, while they went off to join the crowd waiting in a line to register. The trouble was that Bernie momentarily forgot their passports were in their luggage.

When they reached the desk, a cruise line representative told the Waxes to wait while someone searched for their luggage, but the ship left without the couple three hours later, apparently because the luggage — containing the passports — could not be found. At that point, a cruise line representative wordlessly handed Bernie a tersely written form letter saying they should call an 800 number with any concerns or questions, and disappeared.

“We felt abandoned,” Wax said. “Norwegian was totally without sympathy. Here we were, an elderly couple, 3,000 miles away from home, no clothing, no medicines, no nothing. And they just walked away without a word.”

Bernie Wax said he blamed himself for a silly lapse, noting that Norwegian had explicitly told travelers to bring their passports. But he became increasingly angry when he tried calling for help, only to learn the customer service office would be closed for the next three days because of the Christmas holiday. The couple wound up bunking in with a granddaughter who lives in LA for a week, waiting for the return of their luggage.

And after Norwegian for weeks refused to even acknowledge his firm but polite demand for a refund of the $2,300 spent for the cruise, Wax contacted the media for help.

Norwegian declined to respond to the media, but finally responded to Wax last week by refusing a refund, citing a clause in its terms and conditions that says guests are not entitled to a refund or credit when they are denied boarding for lack of proper documentation.

But by Sunday afternoon, the Miami-based company had relented.

Bernie Wax said he had not heard directly from Norwegian by late Sunday afternoon, but that he was pleased with the turn of events, noting that he had received “lovely e-mails from supporters from all over.”

Wax said he now plans to book a cruise that leaves from Boston.

“We’re really looking forward to it,” he said.

Brookline Resident Tommy Vitolo Kicks Off State Rep Campaign

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January 28, 2018

Tommy Vitolo’s campaign to run for state representative kicked off Sunday, January 28 in Coolidge Corner with a packed party at Hops N Scotch, the campaign reported Sunday night.

Vitolo is running to represent the 15th Norfolk District, the seat which is to be vacated by longtime State Representative Frank Smizik who announced last month that he will not to run for reelection. So far the only other Brookline resident who has announced a run for his seat is Town Meeting Member (and former Brookline School Committee member) Rebecca Stone.

Vitolo told those present that once on Beacon Hill he would advocate for Brookline and for social and economic justice, for education, for the environment but he would focus first on equity.

“Opportunity for everyone ensures better outcomes for all of us,” he told those present, according to a press release.

A number of Brookline’s who is who were present, according to several reports on Twitter, including Smizik, who Vitolo had worked for as campaign treasurer.

“Tommy Vitolo is the candidate who can carry on my legacy championing civil rights and criminal justice reform, supporting our public schools, and maintaining and expanding Massachusetts’ leadership in tackling climate change. It is for these reasons and more that I am endorsing his candidacy,” he said, according to the press release.

Local business owner and philanthropist Chobee Hoy also expressed her confidence in Vitolo.

“I see Tommy all over Brookline, attentively listening and then building consensus on solutions that will move our town forward. He’ll be an excellent state representative,” she said according to the campaign.

The campaign also said it had gathered endorsements by former Representative Ronny Sydney, Select Board Members Ben Franco and Heather Hamilton, former Select Board Members Bobby Allen, Ken Goldstein, and Don Weitzman, former School Committee Member Joyce Jozwicki, and most of Brookline’s Library Trustees, Constables, and Town Meeting Members, as well as former public school principals Carol Schraft and John Dempsey.

Vitolo lives near Washington Street with his wife Jennifer and their two children. He has served as a Town Meeting Member since 2007 and Town Constable since 2010. He is currently a Senior Associate at Synapse Energy Economics, a research and consulting firm specializing in energy, economic, and environmental topics for public interest and governmental clients. Vitolo is a PAX board member, a member of Town Meeting’s Green Caucus and Recorded Vote Coalition, an elected Democratic Town Committee member, and active in the Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts’ Brookline chapter.

A Brookline Couple Left At The Dock And Looking For A Refund From A Cruise Line

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Brookline.com

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January 28, 2018

Filled with sweet anticipation, Bernie and Dolly Wax joined a sea of excited folks edging through a cavernous maritime terminal in Los Angeles toward the gangplank of the majestic Norwegian Star cruise ship.

When they finally reached the registration desk, a Norwegian Cruise Line representative asked to see their passports. They’re in our luggage, Bernie Wax explained, which had been taken from them and piled on a cart headed for the ship the moment they arrived at the terminal 45 minutes earlier.

“They said, ‘No problem. We’ll send someone to get your luggage,’ ” recalled Wax, an 87-year-old retired historian from Brookline. “They said, ‘Go sit down and wait. The ship doesn’t sail for three hours. It shouldn’t be a problem.’ ”

After the terminal had emptied and the ship was loaded with almost 2,500 passengers, Bernie and Dolly Wax, 85, remained behind, crestfallen and confused. Norwegian had three hours to find their luggage but could not.

A Norwegian representative appeared, handed Bernie Wax a “Dear Valued Guest” form letter, and disappeared.

“Unfortunately, we are unable to allow you to board the vessel” without documentation, it began. Call the cruise line’s customers relations department if you have “any questions or concerns,” it said.

“We appreciate your understanding in this,” the letter concluded.

What understanding? Wax had no understanding. He had only anger and concern for himself and his wife, who both have major health issues and had hugely looked forward to the cruise as one last great adventure, a way to celebrate, in style, their 64 years together.

The form letter contained nothing about a refund of the $2,300 they had paid for the cruise they were now not taking. It said nothing about how to get their luggage back. Nothing about what they should do or where they should go except an 800-number. The Waxes looked around the pier and almost everyone was gone.

They had missed the boat.

“We felt abandoned,” Wax said. “Norwegian was totally without sympathy. Here we were, an elderly couple, 3,000 miles away from home, no clothing, no medicines, no nothing. And they just walked away without a word.”

The Waxes had planned and saved for more than a year to fly to LA and take a seven-day cruise down the Mexican coast. They had counted down the days to Dec. 22, when they would board a gleaming white vessel run by a reputable cruise line they had previously taken on enjoyable cruises out of Boston and New York.

They had greatly looked forward to time spent sunning themselves on the promenade gazing out to sea and to fine dining and music and meeting other guests. They had planned to go ashore for shopping in the Mexican ports of call.

“This was to be our last trip together,” Wax would later write to Norwegian asking for a refund and citing the serious health considerations of a couple, both pushing 90, with four children, 10 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.

“We were incredibly distressed when we were not allowed to board the ship because our passports were not available,” he wrote in the letter.

Part of the sting Wax felt came from realizing he should have known better. Norwegian had made it clear passports were needed to board. The Waxes had stayed with a granddaughter who lives in LA the night before their planned voyage. She had helped them carefully secure their passports in an outside pocket of one of their three suitcases.

But when they arrived at the terminal, the Waxes faced a somewhat chaotic scene as Norwegian luggage handlers swept through the crowd. A small fleet of carts piled high with luggage sped away to the ship, where suitcases would be sorted and delivered to each passenger’s cabin.

It all happened in a flash. “He grabbed our bags, tagged them, and he was gone,” said Wax. “I didn’t have a moment to think about it.”

Looking back, Wax asked, “How could I have been so stupid?”

As he waited in line, Wax realized the problem. But he figured the couple would be able to board because they did have their passports, which would be inside one of the suitcases delivered to their cabin.

The representative never asked for a driver’s license instead — which the cruise line’s own policy says can be an acceptable substitute for a passport. Cruise ship passengers are not required to have a passport to leave an American port if the destination is Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, or Bermuda, even if they go ashore on a day trip.

After watching the ship leave port, Wax dialed the number for Norwegian customer service, as the form letter advised. He got a recording. The office had closed for the day and would not reopen until the day after Christmas.

Kathleen Grasso works for the operator of the Los Angeles maritime terminal used by Norwegian and other cruise lines. Her job is lend a hand to anyone who needs it. When she came across the Waxes, “it broke my heart,” she said.

“Here was this lovely, older couple, and they were just devastated,” she said. “They had come all the way from the east coast, and now they were stuck.”

Grasso said it is rare for guests to be left behind because luggage could not be found in time to retrieve passports.

“I found that unusual and very sad,” said Grasso, who helped calm the Waxes and gave them her telephone number.

The couple bunked in with their granddaughter and her husband for a week (and had a great time sightseeing with them). They bought the clothing, medications, and toiletries they needed. When the customer service department reopened on Dec. 26, Wax called. The luggage would be delivered to their granddaughter’s house on Dec. 30, the day after the Norwegian Star returned, he was told.

But nothing arrived and Wax called again. The Norwegian representative realized while on the phone with Wax that she had forgotten there was no shipping service that day because it was a Saturday.

“Oh, great, that does us a lot of good,” Wax said sarcastically.

The representative responded with an angry tirade.

“She just flew off the handle, berating me for not realizing how hard she was working,” Wax recalled.

The luggage finally arrived — on Jan. 2.

Weeks passed without Norwegian responding to Wax’s firm but polite request for a refund. Last week, I called and e-mailed Norwegian (which isn’t Norwegian at all; it is a publicly-traded company, incorporated in Bermuda, and headquartered in Miami). I attached copies of the form letter handed to Wax and Wax’s letter to Norwegian, and asked to discuss the matter.

Norwegian did not respond, but within a couple hours of my inquiry, Wax received a letter from Norwegian, his first communication from the company in more than a month. There would be no refund, the company said, citing a clause in its terms and conditions that says guests are not entitled to a refund or credit when they are denied boarding for lack of proper documentation.

“It would be inconsistent for us to make exceptions to our cancelation policies for some guests, when many others in similar situations have accepted these terms,” the letter said.

Wax responded in a letter to Norwegian: “The manner in which we were treated and abandoned in the terminal in LA was truly despicable and disheartening. And frankly not wise from a business standpoint.”

All companies have a culture. Apparently, Norwegian’s is stingy, unfeeling, and inflexible. Is this the kind of company you want to book a vacation with?

Just asking.

Brookline Democrats To Caucus

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Brookline.com

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January 26, 2018

Brookline Democrats will be holding a caucus at 2:00 p.m. Feb. 3 to elect delegates to the 2018 Massachusetts Democratic Convention, which will be held on June 1 and 2 in Worcester to endorse statewide candidates and amend the Party Charter.

Brookline will be electing 42 delegates and seven alternates. The caucus will be held at the Brookline High School Cafeteria, 115 Greenough Street. The site is accessible to people with disabilities. Registered and pre-registered Democrats in Brookline will be eligible to vote at the caucus. Those not elected as delegates or alternates who meet the qualifications may apply to be add-on delegates in the following categories: Youth, Minority, Disabled or LGBT.

For information: Brookline Democratic Town Committee Chair, Cindy Rowe, 617-277-6282.

Author Nikki Giovanni At Brookline Booksmith

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Brookline.com

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January 26, 2018

Nikki Giovanni is the award-winning poet of numerous books including Bicycles, Chasing Utopia, and Love Poems. Her next book, A GOOD CRY, was published last Fall. Giovanni is touring the country to promote her new book and will spend an evening at Brookline Booksmith (279 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA 02446) on Friday, February 2nd. The free event begins at 7:00 p.m.

Read an excerpt of her piece “The Musem (At Last)” preserved in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

For more information on the event, please click here.

Clark Art Institute Names New Chief Advancement Officer

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Brookline.com

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January 26, 2018

The Clark Art Institute has named Thomas H. Woodward to serve as chief advancement officer, leading the Clark’s philanthropy and membership programs.

Woodward comes to the Clark from the Harvard Art Museums, where he currently serves as director of institutional advancement. He assumes his new role on March 1.

“We are so pleased to have Tom join our staff in a key leadership position at this exciting moment in the Clark’s life,” said Olivier Meslay, the Felda and Dena Hardymon director of the Clark. “He brings tremendous energy and experience to the work, but more importantly, he shares our passion for the vital role the arts can play in educating, enlightening, and enriching the lives of individuals and the life of its communities. We look forward to imagining the next chapter of the Clark’s future with him as we work to further the Institute’s mission regionally, nationally, and internationally.”

Woodward is a seasoned fundraising professional, bringing more than 20 years of experience in strategic planning and advancement for museums, higher education and the federal government to his new role at the Clark.

“I am thrilled and honored at the prospect of joining the Clark Art Institute at this moment,” Woodward said. “The Clark has been brilliantly reconceived to better serve visitors, scholars and students alike. I look forward to working with the trustees, the institute’s leadership and talented staff, and its many partners in the arts community to help sustain this dynamic institution and its exciting exhibition, education, and research programs.”

Woodward joined the Harvard Art Museums in August 2011, serving as the director of institutional support for three years before assuming his current position in 2014. In leading institutional advancement activities, Woodward played a central role in strategic planning and leadership toward a comprehensive fundraising program for the museum. Prior to joining the Harvard Art Museums, Woodward was the director of development for the Harvard Divinity School, where he worked closely with senior administrators and faculty to plan and execute all development operations and shape its external relations programs.

Early in his career, Woodward joined the National Park Service, where he gained experience in cultural and natural resource management for historic sites and parks that included the Olmsted, Longfellow and Kennedy National Historic Sites in Boston, the Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation in Brookline, Mass., and the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park in Woodstock, VT.

Woodward’s affinity for the landscape and garden history community and the National Park Service is central to his personal interests, most notably through his involvement with the Friends of Fairsted, a group that advances the mission of the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site in Brookline. He currently serves as the president of the board for the Friends and provides leadership for their various educational and outreach programs.

Brookline Considering License Cap, Buffer Zone Among Recreational Marijuana Regulations

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January 26, 2018

In line with new state laws for recreational marijuana, Brookline is working toward a list of local regulations, to be addressed as warrant measures during Town Meeting this May.

Included in those measures is language that could alter the cap for available licenses. The Brookline Planning Board and the Licensing Review Committee held a public hearing to discuss the proposed local regulations January 24.

Brookline is considering a number of warrant measures, most related to the cap. The warrant measures are a preliminary step and are still going through public forums, surveys and research before being finalized to decide what needs to be brought to Town Meeting.

The state Cannabis Control Commission (CNB), responsible for state regulations, issuing licenses and providing oversight for marijuana establishments, is set to file finalized regulations by March 15. It will begin accepting applications by April 1 and begin issuing licenses as early as June 1.

Brookline is aiming to have these proposed regulations in place by June.

Considering a cap on special permits

Included in Brookline’s proposed regulations is a cap on the number of special permits, at the state minimum of 20 percent of the number of outstanding package store licenses – about four to five licenses. The proposal does allow for a change to the cap during Town Meeting in May, but if the town wishes to go below the minimum state requirement, there must be a town-wide vote.

According to the proposed draft of the warrant articles, state law requires at least one license available for existing medical marijuana facilities. Precinct 16 Town Meeting member Regina Frawley argued in favor of a cap of zero, which Assistant Town Counsel Patricia Correa confirmed as a possibility.

“The cap is something that might change at Town Meeting. Town Meeting could easily propose a cap of zero, they could also propose a cap of 50 licenses, so these layers that regulate density and size might be overly burdensome,” said Francisco Torres, the town’s economic development and long-term planner.

According to Correa, the town’s understanding – after town counsel’s meeting with the Massachusetts Municipal Association and a private attorney – is that the cap be set at zero with a town-wide vote, regardless of any medical marijuana dispensary already operating in town.

If Town Meeting does not vote to set the cap to zero, once CNB issues licenses, existing medical marijuana establishments, in this case, New England Treatment Access (NETA), will receive priority.

During the hearing, some, such as Precinct 2 Town Meeting member Linda Olson Pehlke expressed concern about the cap being reduced below the minimum requirement.

“If you recall, we voted on this in November 2016; that was the presidential election and we were all pretty heavily motivated to vote, so the results of that election, in my opinion, are a fairly good read of what this town wants,” said Olson Pehlke. “I think there’s the problem of a small minority, a vocal minority, a motivated minority could potentially thwart the will of the voters of this town through that process.”

Other regulations being considered

The other regulations include the adoption of a local option sales tax for recreational marijuana. According to Torres, the Planning Board and Licensing Review Committee have been following the processes of places such as Denver, Colorado, and have seen that the influx of marijuana locations created a revenue that could be used for developing town infrastructure like building new schools.

Brookline’s proposal for recreational marijuana mimics that of their medical marijuana proposal, but is not finalized and will be open to public comment before going before Town Meeting.

The current state buffer zone requires that marijuana establishments be at least 500 feet away from K-12 public and private schools, daycare centers and other places where children congregate.

The Brookline proposal would create a buffer zone only surrounding K-12 schools and refraining establishments from being directly in the same building as daycare centers, but would not require the 500- foot distance from daycare centers and other places where children congregate, according to Correa.

The proposal would also suggest limiting the size of the establishments to 4,000 square feet in order to address concerns, such as traffic increase in the areas.

Health concerns

Although 60 percent of Brookline voters were in favor of recreational marijuana, there were some concerns expressed during the hearing regarding health impacts, mostly for those underage. The law holds the same 21 age-requirement as liquor laws.

Precinct 8 Town Meeting member Barbara Scotto raised concerns about accessibility for college-age kids based on Brookline’s proposed map, which identified space across from Boston University on Commonwealth Avenue as a potential building space.

“It worries me because the case is out on the effect of marijuana on still-developing brains and it’s fairly easily accessible to kids that are 17, 18, 19, 20,” Scotto said. “It is not a population that I think we should be encouraging to be using marijuana. I think when you put dispensaries in that area, that’s what we are doing.”

The boundaries depicted in the map show space for potential recreational businesses in commercial areas such as Chestnut Hill alongside Boylston, along Harvard Street in Brookline Village, Coolidge Corner area, along Cypress Street, Putterham Circle and Cleveland Circle. These spaces identified on the maps show locations outside the buffer zones, not necessarily ideal locations. Areas such as Washington Square are extremely limited due to the density of school properties.

Outside of health concerns, the town discussed the dangers of there being no true technology to support testing someone driving while under the influence of marijuana.

“We had some concerns of people smoking marijuana and then driving their car, operating under the influence, and how there’s no testing for that, but that really isn’t the case,” Torres said. “With any new industry, new technology shortly follows and I’ve done some research and seen that there’s new technology coming out of California that is going to help [law] enforcement figure out very similar to driving under the influence of alcohol.”

Review of the proposed regulations is still underway. The Licensing Review Committee will hold two more meetings on February 8 and March 1, both at 08:30 a.m.

Brookline Searches For New Police Chief

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Brookline.com

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January 25, 2018

Do you have what it takes to be the chief of police for the town of Brookline? The town is actively searching for a new police chief. The search comes after Chief Daniel O’Leary retired last week, following 23 years as chief and more than 40 years of service in the department.

In a memo to the Select Board, Town Administrator Mel Kleckner said he plans to consider candidates both inside and outside of the department.

To help with the search, Kleckner told the select board he was in the process of finding a consultant familiar with “the challenges of a modern police department operating in a progressive and active community and who is familiar with the current issues and trends in policing.”

The process is expected to take up to six months, he said in the memo.

Neil Wishinsky, head of the Select Board said the town would put together a search committee and then the engage a search firm to help in a nationwide search for a new Police Chief.

“Which is similar to what we did 23 years ago. In the end last time we chose an internal candidate even after doing an external search. That could happen again. But I think we need to cast the net wide and try to come up with as diverse a pool of candidates as possible and select the best person for the job,” he told Patch in a phone interview.

First up, refining a job advertisement. As such, nothing has been posted to the town website about the vacancy, even though the chief announced his retirement in December.

O’Leary’s retirement party earlier this month was well attended, according to those who went.

“It was a really touching event. Boy his successor is going to have really big shoes to fill. Chief O’Leary has really left the deptartment in good shape. That makes it easier to find somebody hopefully and then the new person will have a good foundation. It’s a really strong department,” said Wishinksy.

In the meantime, Kleckner recommended (and the Select Board approved) that second in command at the police station, Superintendent Mark Morgan, will now be Acting Chief of Police for Brookline. Morgan has both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in criminal justice and is an FBI National Academy graduate.

According to PoliceOne.com, an online resource magazine for law enforcement officers, municipalities look for police chiefs to have a high level of education, and experience.

Most successful candidates are higher ranked. “It’s rare that a candidate for a Chief’s position is selected that doesn’t have a Masters Degree. It would be preferable if your Masters was in Public Administration or a related field, but the threshold is that you have a degree higher than a Bachelor of Science or Arts. Your resume should demonstrate a wide range of progressive police experience with emphasis on command level assignments (division commander, etc) along with increasingly high level work experience in the planning, budgeting, community oriented policing, and staffing areas. Top candidates will have attended the F.B.I. Leadership Academy and remained active in that organization,” according to PoliceOne.org.

It is normal, according to PoliceOne for top applicants to have assessments that might include hashing through scenarios verbally, including how they work with media, employee conflict, and how they might communicate to their teams, via an oral board with panel members consisting of nearby Chiefs of Police.

It’s not clear what Brookline’s requirements will be.

“Superintendent Morgan is the second in command in the department and has been intimately involved in all aspects of its management and operations,” Kleckner said in the memo, noting that the department already has a number of good candidates who have expressed interest in the position.

On Jan. 16 the Select Board appointed Morgan to the interim position.

Morgan has been working for the department for 35 years. Though he has been a superintendent for the past 8.5 years, Morgan spent much of his time working for the department as a detective.

The new police department head will inherit a police department much like departments across the country that has been working to transition from authoritarian military style policing to more community based (“Warrior-style policing to Guardian-style Policing”), and one that has promised to make more of an effort to be inclusive and phase out an old-boy network mentality.

Currently on the town website there are no jobs listed to apply, although the fire department has indicated it was looking for 10 new firefighters and the police department also is hiring.

Please see the job description below:

Brookline Firefighters Rescue Woman Trapped In Car After Crash On Black Ice

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January 24, 2018

Brookline firefighters rescued a woman who became trapped in her car after sliding on black ice and crashing into a large boulder Wednesday morning, officials said.

The car rolled over onto the driver’s side on Woodland Road, pinning the woman’s legs under the dashboard for about 20 minutes, said Brookline Deputy Fire Chief Kyle McEachern. Firefighters and police arrived at 7:15 a.m. and removed the roof of the vehicle to free the woman, who is in her 40s.

She was conscious and alert throughout the process, McEachern said, but suffered a broken arm and leg injuries.

The woman was transported to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for injuries that were not life-threatening.

“Just this time of year take a little extra time and caution while traveling,” McEachern said.

Gun Goes Off In Brookline, Bullet Into Home

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Brookline.com

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January 24, 2018

Someone accidentally shot a gun in Brookline and the bullet went into someone’s home, according to police. No one was reportedly injured.

At 4:03 p.m. Tuesday, police responded to a report of a gun shot on Naples Road. Someone got out of their car, adjusted the revolver that he was carrying and it went off accidentally, according to police.

Police said the bullet went off into a home, and the gun’s owner then alerted the people who were home at the time the gun went off. Then someone called the police, who said the owner of the firearm was cooperative and is properly licensed.

The firearm owner surrendered his firearm license and the revolver he had discharged. Detectives are following up with the licensing authority on the issue.

Cambridge, Brookline Priciest Places In Boston Area To Rent As 2018 Starts

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Brookline.com

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January 24, 2018

Cambridge and Brookline were the most expensive municipalities in the Boston area to rent either a one-bedroom or a two-bedroom apartment as the calendar flipped from 2017 to 2018.

Zumper’s report analyzed vacant and available apartments in 16 municipalities in December, so the report is a pretty solid snapshot of where the regional rental market stood as 2018 started.

How expensive are Cambridge and Brookline compared with other cities/towns in the region? Cambridge’s one-bedroom median of $2,400 a month in December was nearly $500 higher than neighboring Somerville’s and $130 more than in Boston proper.

And Brookline’s two-bedroom median of $2,820 a month was well more than $500 above neighboring Newton’s and $700-plus ahead of the median two-bedroom in nearby Medford.

See the chart below for a comprehensive breakdown, including month-over-month changes (that is November to December) and year-over-year ones, too.

Babcock Street Project: Here’s How The Transportation Board Voted

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Brookline.com

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January 23, 2018

The Transportation Board had a packed room Monday night as they decided on which of the routes to take with the future of Babcock Street. The Transportation Board voted 4-2 in favor of Option 5.

For more than a year, the Transportation Board has been working on making the street, which stretches from Harvard Street to Commonwealth Avenue, safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. Most people in the neighborhood have agreed that something should be done to the corridor, but not everyone agrees on just what that should look like.

Transportation Administrator Todd Kirrane gave a presentation outlining all the steps and work and public meetings on the plans, including meetings with the fire department officials and the Select Board.

“We’re really left trying to make a complete street from this narrow [street],” said Kirrane, “realizing we’re not going to satisfy everyone.”

He explained to those in the room what the Babcock Street options now looked like, including their pros and cons. Following the presentation several members of the public shared concerns and then it happened: the Transportation Board voted 4-2 in favor of Option 5.

The Transportation board got a letter from the Chamber of Commerce to include as much parking as possible to keep the business district vital, he said.

Johnson & Johnson Talc Trial To Begin In New Brunswick

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Brookline.com

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January 22, 2018

Nearly a year and a half ago, Stephen Lanzo III, 46, of Verona, was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a deadly cancer of the lung linings, according to court papers.

Now, he and his wife Kendra are plaintiffs in the first asbestos-related talcum powder trial to be heard before Judge Ana Viscomi in Middlesex County Superior Court. Opening statements in Stephen Lanzo III and Kendra Lanzo v. Cyprus Amax Minerals Co., et al., are scheduled for Monday, Jan. 22.

As part of a multicounty litigation process similar to multidistrict litigation, the trial represents the first in the state involving Johnson & Johnson’s talc products, and the second talc/mesothelioma trial in which the New Brunswick-based company and its talc suppliers are named as defendants.

Since his birth, Lanzo was “frequently exposed to asbestos-containing talc powder products,” marketed and sold by J&J, according to a civil action complaint.

J&J’s products “generated dust and exposed him to respirable asbestos fibers,” read the complaint, noting that the products, which are made, “sold and supplied by the defendants and their predecessors in interest, proximately caused (Lanzo’s) mesothelioma.”

Moreover, Lanzo “continues to suffer from other various injuries and attendant complications,” continued the complaint, while imminent “exposures” to the company’s products were also blamed.

Lanzo, who “last claimed asbestos exposure” around 2003, has a history of “occasionally” smoking cigars “up to approximately 2002,” according to court papers. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in July 2016.

Though Kendra Lanzo does not have cancer, as “the wife of (the) Plaintiff,” she “was wrongfully deprived of her husband’s society, services and consortium,” reads the complaint’s sixth count, citing “actions of the defendants” as cause.

The plaintiffs “wantonly and intentionally conspired, and acted in concert, to withhold information from Stephen Lanzo, and the general public concerning the known hazards associated with the use of and exposure to talc, including asbestos-containing talc,” continued the complaint.

The defendants also failed to provide information “relating to the fact that asbestos fiber inhalation could be fatal,” according to the complaint. And, ”conspired … to disseminate false product safety information,” and info on the “hazards and dangers.”

The company prevailed in the “first mesothelioma trial, when a Los Angeles Superior Court jury in November found that J&J and co-defendant Imerys Talc America were not responsible for the mesothelioma of Tina Herford, 61,” who used J&J’s talc products for three and a half decades, writes Myron Levin, in a FairWarning report. (The nonprofit news organization reviewed thousands of pages of documents.)

J&J “settled a second case and faces at least several dozen more lawsuits,” continues the report, adding that, “similar lawsuits are targeting other companies, including Colgate-Palmolive,” which made Cashmere Bouquet powder.

“They knew it had asbestos in it. … They were reckless with peoples’ lives,” Herford’s lawyer, Chris Panatier, reportedly told the jury.

J&J’s lawyers and witnesses argued against all findings of asbestos contamination, according to the report, which cited “lab contamination and misclassification of asbestos fibers” presented by J&J’s attorneys, as blemishing the positive test results.

The report added: “Defense lawyers made a plausible case for a different cause of Herford’s mesothelioma: the aggressive radiation treatments she received for breast cancer in 1998.”

Following its win in the Herford case, the company said Johnson’s Baby Powder has been around since 1894 and does not contain asbestos or cause mesothelioma or ovarian cancer, according to a statement.

“Since the 1970s, talc used in consumer products has been required to be asbestos-free, so JOHNSON’S talc products do not contain asbestos, a substance classified as cancer-causing,” J&J said in a statement underscoring “the safety profile of cosmetic talc.”

“JOHNSON’S Baby Powder products contain only U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) grade talc,” noted the company, citing rigorous “compliance standards.”

“The company’s sources for talc are routinely evaluated using a sophisticated battery of tests … to ensure compliance,” added J&J.

Overall, J&J has stated several facts, for instance it said: “The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which identifies potential risk factors for many diseases, has not identified talc as a risk factor for ovarian cancer.”

Courtroom View Network (CVN) will webcast the entire trial. The trial is expected to run through the end of February.

“(CVN) has webcast and archived almost every state court trial involving J&J’s talc products since the first trial in St. Louis, Missouri in 2016,” said David Siegel, a CVN editor.

“Many attorneys and other members of the public who couldn’t otherwise watch a lengthy trial like this in person will have the option of keeping up remotely via CVN,” added Siegel.

Layoffs At Fallon Ambulance Should Not Impact Brookline

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January 22, 2018

The recent layoffs and contract losses at Fallon Ambulance Service should not affect Brookline, according to Town Administrator Mel Kleckner.

Earlier this month the company laid off 23 staff members – the company said were all administrative — after the company lost a contract with Weymouth. The company is also in talks with Transformative Healthcare.

“Fallon reached out the Fire Department after the layoffs this week were reported,” said Kleckner. And Kleckner then reached out to Fallon’s Vice President Peter Racicot after an inquiry. “Peter has assured me that the layoffs do not impact their direct operations to Brookline and they are confident that there will be no change in level of service.”

Kleckner said Fallon also shared with him a statement that the company made about potential business partnerships or changes.

“Fallon Ambulance Service has been in talks for several months with Transformative Healthcare about Transformative investing in Fallon, but we have no transaction to announce. Transformative is regularly speaking with ambulance service providers throughout our region. We will let you know if and when we have anything to announce,” Racicot said to in an e-mailed statement.

“From where I sit, the Town has a contract with Fallon with clear terms and performance standards. We have had a great relationship and service with Fallon in the past and I expect it will continue. If and when any ownership changes emerge, we will evaluate them and what possible impact it may have on Brookline,” said Kleckner in an e-mail.

Fallon Ambulance has been the ambulance service the town has contracted to work with first responders since at least 2014. The current contract is up in 2019.

Problems at Fallon?

A Washington Post reporter wrote about an instance where one man who was was charged more than $2,000, about double what he would have been charged had his insurance company been within the Fallon’s coverage, when he needed a ride to the emergency room from Chestnut Hill. The article highlighted what appeared to be a regular practice to make money.

The Wellesley-Based Transformative Health Care, which owns Stewart and Lifeline Ambulance services, has expressed interest in collaborating with the company. Transformative did not return requests for comment.

Fallon Ambulance Service’s market has been squeezed out in recent years by competing Cataldo Ambulance service and others in the area. Still, Brookline, Dedham and Milton still have contracts.

Owner Timothy Fallon owes more than $561,784 in unpaid taxes from payroll tax and now has liens against his home in Milton and against his home in Rockport, according to obtained documents. Some people took that as a sign of deeper financial troubles at the company.

But Fallon representatives say that is not related to the company or the work it does.

“Fallon Services Inc. receives Federal Medicare funds as payment for services rendered. As a recipient of Medicare payments, the company must routinely receive re-validation by the Federal Government’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) every five years. Fallon Services underwent this regular review in November of 2017 and is in good standing. While the owner has a personal financial issue that he is dealing with, and which will soon be resolved, that personal issue has no effect on or connection with the company,” Racicot said in an e-mailed statement.

In early 2017 Fallon was cited by the state for ambulances that did not have the proper reflective tape on them, which has been required by the state for the past decade, obtained documents show. They were also sited for having holes in the floorboard and equipment issues.

Other notations in state review showed, expired needles, a tear in the beach seat, a missing window, and a stethoscope in a 911 ambulance taped together with tape.

But those who work at Fallon and those who work with Fallon in Brookline say they have only had a good experience there.

“That stuff happens to a lot of services. Whether it’s third service, private or fire based. Expired syringes is on the crews to check equipment. Sometimes it’s just an oversight that happens. When things in the past have been brought to their attention they make the changes needed. I’ve worked in plenty of other places and it’s happened in all of them,” said one person who has worked at Fallon for nearly a decade, but preferred not to be named because he was not authorized to speak on the matter.

Mass Department of Public Heath, Office of Emergency Services oversees the inspections and licensing of ambulance agencies.

“The Department of Public Health conducts inspections to monitor each ambulance service’s compliance with state regulations as part of the licensure process. If a service is found to be non-compliant, DPH works to see that the company corrects the identified deficiencies to ensure the safe care and transport of patients,” a Department of Health Spokesperson said in an e-mailed statement.

There are different degrees of inspection the Department of Public Health conducts: Ambulance services licensed at the Advanced Life Support, or Paramedic, level are inspected annually by the Office of Emergency Medical Services as part of the licensure renewal process. Ambulance services licensed at the Basic Life Support level are inspected every two years as part of the licensure renewal process.

During the inspection of an ambulance service, an inspector may find areas where the service is not in compliance with DPH regulations. These deficiencies range in severity, and some may be corrected onsite during the inspection. If an inspector finds a deficiency or deficiencies that are more serious in nature and pose a threat to the health and safety of patients, Department of Health will issue a Notice of Serious Deficiency to the ambulance service that details these findings. Within 10 days of receiving the notice, the ambulance service must submit a Plan of Correction to the Department of Health to address how it will correct the failed marks, there’s another review and, depending on whether the issues are addressed, the department can then issue approval to the ambulance service and continue the licensure renewal process or give them another 10 days to address the issues.

Following its review last year Fallon responded to and addressed what it needed to to get renewed.

The Мaking Оf “Soul Witness,” The Brookline Holocaust Witness Project.

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Brookline.com

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January 22, 2018

Sitting in a cabinet in a Brookline office, untouched for 20 years, was a stack of over 100 tapes containing 90 hours of testimonies from over 30 Holocaust survivors.

The only person who has watched them all is producer Harvey Bravman.

In 2014, Chief Diversity Officer Lloyd Gellineau asked Bravman if he would help create a Brookline movie using old tapes belonging to the Town. At first, Bravman thought the movie would be about Brookline, but when Gellineau showed him the tapes Bravman realized the project would be much different.

“I was afraid to do it,” said Bravman. “Everyone is afraid to listen to something that doesn’t sound like it would be easy to listen to.”

The tapes, which Gellineau discovered while cleaning his office, came from a project led by Brookliners Leon Saperstein and Regina Barshak who gathered the testimonies of Holocaust survivors living in Brookline.

A U.S. Army Intelligence Officer during World War II, Satenstein returned to the United States dedicated to helping survivors.

“When he saw the liberation of Dachau [concentration camp], it changed his whole life,” said Bravman.

In the ’80s Satenstein teamed up with Barshak, a Holocaust survivor from France, to gather the testimonies and create a living memorial. According to Bravman, both Satenstein and Barshak recognized the great need not just to document the Holocaust but to address an even greater need: to listen to the survivors and really hear what they had to say.

“No one wanted to hear the details of what happened even if the person who experienced it had to say it,” said Bravman of the years after World War II.

The pair oversaw the project, which collected testimonies between 1990 and 1996 and involved several people including Holocaust expert Lawrence Langer, who helped conduct the testimony interviews, and Stephen Bressler who was the Brookline human relations director at the time. The project later stalled due to a lack of money and resources, leading to the tapes being stored for years until Gellineau discovered them.

The task set before Bravman in 2014 was daunting.

“It took me a week before I could watch the first one,” said Bravman. “I kept sitting down and couldn’t do it.”

Eventually, Bravman sat down and watched the first one, and the next one, and then the next, until he had seen all 90 hours. Then he had to log them and decide what to use and how to bring Satenstein and Barshak’s vision to life. The result is a 63-minute work-in-progress documentary, “Soul Witness,” The Brookline Holocaust Witness Project.

It is a film free of politics, Bravman said, that contains just enough context to help the audience, but the rest is left to the survivors and their testimonies.

“These testimonies, they’re committed to memory the first time you see them,” Bravman said.

Contained in those tapes, Bravman said, were some of the most “noble and epic thoughts” he had heard in his life.

One survivor – who owned a Brookline bakery – testified for seven hours; another talked about how she dug a hole in a forest and hid there for 18 months with her child, two other mothers and their two children. The stories, haunting and deeply personal and human, carried a common thread.

There is a reason why most people agree to be interviewed, Bravman said, and it is because they have something they would like to say. For many of the survivors who testified, the thing they had come to share was their love for their family members – many of whom, if not all, the speakers had lost.

“They’re living their lives for all the people they lost,” Bravman said. “The Holocaust doesn’t become about survival. It becomes about loss.”

Though he has been through the testimonies countless times, the testimonies still have a powerful effect on Bravman. Choking up, he recalled one testimony where the speaker, when asked how he survived the concentration camp, said he wanted to live because he did not want to cause his mother pain by dying.

For Gellineau, it is another testimony that stands out – from a man who though full of anger and wanting revenge, chose not to take it when he had the opportunity.

“That hit home for me,” said Gellinneau. “You can have all this anger, righteous anger, and you can have the capacity not necessarily to forgive but to move on from it.”

The survivors are heroes to Bravman, not because they survived the Holocaust, but because they shared their stories.

“There was something very heroic about giving the testimony,” said Bravman. “It’s like they had something they knew needed to be shared.”

Recognizing that, Bravman was protective of the speakers and particular in what he chose. He established two criteria in selecting videos for the movie, which were that the selected clip had to contain what the speaker had come to the interview to say, and that they had to be describing something they witnessed first-hand.

“I didn’t want anyone ever to question them,” said Bravman.

For those behind the film, like Bravman and Gellineau, the making of “Soul Witness” was essential not only for historical purposes but to help illustrate that crises of genocide, discrimination and displacement still happen around the world today.

“The purpose of the videos was to capture historically the stories of these individuals,” Gellineau said. “The second goal was things like this happen in our world and we need to be reminded of that.”

“Soul Witness” will screen at the Coolidge Corner Theatre on Jan. 25 for the third time since its creation. Though the 63-minute film is unchanged, there will be an additional seven-minute film included in the screening that previews other ongoing “Soul Witness” projects.

In addition to completing “Soul Witness,” Bravman hopes to create a documentary about the making of it and update the “Soul Witness” website here with videos and interviews with those involved in conducting the initial interviews in the ’90s.

It is clear the testimonies have changed Bravman’s life.

“I think it is really important that we put ourselves in other people’s shoes, even if that person has lived an experience we don’t want to hear,” said Bravman. “I think it’s healing to do it. This is going to be my whole life now.”

The film will screen at the Coolidge Corner Theatre on Jan. 25 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased through the theatre’s website here.

Green Line “Power Issues” Prompt Delays – Again

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Brookline.com

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January 22, 2018

The MBTA said a power problem was to blame for causing delays on the Green Line’s C and D lines on Monday afternoon. Sound familiar? That’s because late last week the MBTA said the same thing about delays on the D and C lines. But just why this is happening appears to be anyone’s guess:

“MBTA power crews are actively diagnosing and working to resolve the cause of the issue on the Green Line C and D branches. Service updates will continue to be posted on the MBTA website and @MBTA on Twitter,” wrote Deputy Press Secretary at MassDOT/MBTA Lisa Battiston in an e-mail.

A rare sight in Brookline: Shuttle buses were brought in for much of Friday, running back and forth along Beacon Street.

Lindsay Lohan’s Cousin, A BC Hockey Player, Assaulted In Boston

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Brookline.com

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January 22, 2018

A Boston College hockey player is “out indefinitely” after being assaulted in Boston on Jan. 19. Kevin Lohan, a graduate student and defenseman on the men’s hockey team, was “victimized by an unprovoked assault,” according to a statement from the athletics department.

The incident happened at a restaurant on Boylston Street and is being investigated by the Boston Police Department, the statement said.

The Cold Spring Harbor, NY native has played 14 games for the Eagles this season. He transferred to Boston College after four years at the University of Michigan, where he was an assistant captain as a senior.

Lohan had one year of eligibility remaining after redshirting his junior year.

Lohan is Lindsay Lohan’s cousin.

Brookline Police Investigate Fight That Left One Hospitalized

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Brookline.com

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January 21, 2018

A fight between two brothers during a social event at a local veterans’ post Saturday night left one person hospitalized Sunday morning with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Brookline officers responded at 9:36 p.m. Saturday to a report of a disturbance at 386 Washington Street, according to a police statement.

The location is home to both American Legion Brookline Post 11 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Stephen F. Rutledge Post 864, and is only a few doors away from Brookline police headquarters and Brookline District Court.

“A fight occurred between two brothers attending a social function. Investigation revealed two subjects were assaulted by means of cutting instruments and sustained non-life threatening injuries,” Brookline police said in the statement.

The investigation is ongoing, the statement said.

In a separate Twitter post Sunday morning, police said two people face charges after the fight between family members.

The department declined to release further details on the arrests or the investigation Sunday, said Brookline police Sergeant Russell O’Neill.

From the sidewalk, surveillance cameras are visible above the post’s door, and another was pointed down an alleyway next to the building.

A public calendar on Post 11’s website showed an event was scheduled from 6 to 11 Saturday night.

Brookline Select Board Appoints Superintendent Mark Morgan As Acting Chief Of Police

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Brookline.com

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January 20, 2018

For the first time in 23 years Brookline will soon have a new police chief. On Jan. 20 Superintendent Mark Morgan stepped into a new role as Acting Chief of Police for Brookline, replacing Daniel O’Leary, who recently retired after more than 40 years of service – with 23 of those years spent as chief.

On Jan. 16 the Select Board appointed Morgan to the position. The appointment did not take effect until Jan. 20.

O’Leary’s decision to retire came thoughtfully, but the timing was right, O’Leary said. He felt the department was in a good position and it was time for him and his wife to try something new.

“The main part about it was I’m not getting any younger,” he told the media in December.

Morgan has been working for the department for 35 years. Though he has been a superintendent for the past 8.5 years, Morgan spent much of his time working for the department as a detective.

“I was basically in investigations,” said Morgan. “That was something I really enjoyed doing.”

According to a memo from Town Administrator Melvin Kleckner to the Select Board, Morgan has both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in criminal justice and is an FBI National Academy graduate.

“Superintendent Morgan is the second in command in the department and has been intimately involved in all aspects of its management and operations,” Kleckner said in the memo noting that the department has a number of good candidates.

“I know in-house that we have the talent to do the job,” said Morgan.

For Morgan, the qualities that make a good chief, Morgan said, are “extreme patience and extreme empathy”.

In the memo, Kleckner said he plans to consider candidates both inside and outside of the department. To help with the search, Kleckner plans to bring in a consultant who is familiar with “the challenges of a modern police department operating in a progressive and active community and who is familiar with the current issues and trends in policing.” The consultant has not yet been selected.

The process is expected to take up to six month, according to the memo.

In the meantime Morgan said he plans to work on completing ongoing projects like technology upgrades and a review of the civilian complaint policy – all projects which started under O’Leary.

“I think the chief has left us in a good position,” said Morgan.

Inna Muravnik Students Piano Recital

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Brookline.com

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January 20, 2018

Semiannual students piano recital of piano class of Inna Muravnik will take place on

January 21, 2018 from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Location:

Coolidge Corner – Meeting Room
31 Pleasant Street
Brookline, MA 02446

Event link could be found here.

Green Line Shuttles Replace D-Branch: MBTA

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Brookline.com

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January 20, 2018

All day Saturday, Jan. 20 and Sunday, Jan. 21 expect bus shuttles replace Green Line D trains between Newton Highlands and Brookline Hills.

To be exact from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. crews will be out in the chilly, windy weather working on the track and cutting down branches over the track.

Also there will be NO shuttle bus service to Beaconsfield. The MBTA is asking folks to use Reservoir or Dean Road on the C Branch.

Check out what the MBTA says:

Due to necessary track work and tree removal, buses will replace Green Line D branch service in both directions between Newton Highlands and Brookline Hills from start of service to approximately 7:00 pm on Saturday, January 20, and Sunday, January 21, 2018.

Regularly scheduled service will resume at the start of service the following Monday.All shuttle bus stops are accessible for persons with disabilities.

Shuttling the following stops:

Brookline Hills (inbound – Tappan St @ Cypress St / outbound – Boylston St @ Cypress St)
Reservoir (busway)
Chestnut Hill (Boylston St @ Hammond St)
Newton Centre (Langley Rd @ Union St)
Newton Highlands (Walnut St @ Lincoln St)

Please note, there will be NO shuttle bus service to Beaconsfield Station.

Please use Reservoir (9 min walk) or Dean Rd. on the C branch (2 min walk).

Recreational Marijuana-Related Public Hearing

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Brookline.com

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January 19, 2018

The Town of Brookline’s Licensing Review Committee and Planning Board will hold a joint Public Hearing on Wednesday, January 24, 2018, at 7:00 p.m. in the Select Board’s Hearing Room, Sixth Floor, Town Hall, 333 Washington Street, to take public comment on draft marijuana-related General and Zoning By-Law measures for consideration by the May 2018 Annual Town Meeting. Members of the public are encouraged to attend.

Copies of the draft By-laws have been posted and made available on the Town Website here.

Date: Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Select Board’s Hearing Room, 6th Floor, Brookline Town Hall, 333 Washington Street, Brookline, MA 02445.

Grassona’s Italian Kitchen Is Open

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Brookline.com

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January 19, 2018

Fairsted Kitchen? What Fairsted Kitchen? Grassona’s the family friendly Italian Kitchen is now open in Washington Square. Here is a sneak peek.

The owner Steve (who grew up in Brookline and graduated from BHS) says the cozy Italian joint is an evolution for him.

“Fairsted was a restaurant about Brookline drawing on Brookline roots and history and themes, Grassona’s is a restaurant for Brookline,” he said.

The Italian restaurant will be open Tuesday through Saturday 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. for dinner and til midnight for drinks. Sundays you can expect a brunch option.

Not only does the menu have hearty Italian classics with a twist like the meatballs (Phil’s Slow Braised Meatballs with pickled mustard seed germolata for $12) but there are some carefully thought out options for vegetarians and fish eaters.

The grand opening is not until next week, he says, but on their first official night open Thursday he has served and seen a number of familiar faces from the old Fairsted days.

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Brookline Police Investigate Fight That Left One Hospitalized

Brookline Select Board Appoints Superintendent Mark Morgan As Acting Chief Of Police

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