Court Report: December 10

ARRAIGNMENTS

ALLEN, JAMES M., 43, 66 Hargraves Street, Apartment 1, Fall River; assault and battery. Pretrial hearing Jan. 15.

CHICETTO, BRUCE W., 54, 3 Taffy Lane, West Yarmouth; assault and battery, witness intimidation. Pretrial hearing Jan. 7.

COLLUCCI, ROCCO V., 47, 57 Cleveland Way, West Yarmouth; OUI liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, failure to stop for police, failure to stop or yield, marked lanes violation. Pretrial hearing Jan. 10.

DELIMA, DEUSDETE R., 30, 474 West Main Street, Apartment B, Hyannis; OUI liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Pretrial hearing Dec. 18.

LOSADO, ARIANNA S., 49, 6 Linda Lane, Hyannis; assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, domestic assault and battery. Pretrial hearing Jan. 14.

POWELL, SUSAN A., 42, 47 Warehouse Road, Hyannis; OUI liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of property damage. Pretrial hearing Jan. 10.

DISPOSITIONS

BOLTON, LESLIE, 36, 18 General Patton Drive, Hyannis; shoplifting by concealing merchandise. Dismissed with payment of $100 court costs.

GORMAN, STEPHEN A., 23, 21 Pimlico Pond Road, Forestdale; unarmed burglary, receiving stolen property worth over $250 (five counts), receiving stolen property worth under $250, breaking and entering for a misdemeanor, possession of a class C drug, possession of a class B drug, possession of a class A drug, carrying a dangerous weapon, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, marked lanes violation. Sentenced to 18 months in the house of correction (nine months to serve, 166 days deemed served, balance suspended).

Notable incidents from Saturday December 8, 2012

1:21 a.m.: Social Security Administration, 259 North St, arrested 30-year-old Deusdete R. Delima of Hyannis, OUI-liquor, operating motor vehicle to endanger, operating motor vehicle without a licsense

1:37 p.m.: Cape Cod Academy, 50 Osterville W. Barnstable Rd., larceny, report taken

2:32 p.m.: U.S. Post Office, Barnstable, 3230 Main St., accident, hit and run, serviced

3:19 p.m.: 116 Richardson Rd., warrant, attempt, arrested 24-year-old Garreth D. Roberts of Centerville, warrant default

9:48 p.m.: 48 Lantern Ln., warrant, attempt, arrested 13-year-old juvenile, probation violation

10:13 p.m.: 7-11, Steak House, North St., larceny, report taken

It's rare to go through a checkout line without being asked for a donation. At PetSmart it's for animals; at Wendy's it's for adoption; at the Dollar Tree Store it's toys for military kids. And, let's not forget the jingle of the Salvation Army bell that sends many of us digging into our pockets.

It's true, needs are increasing yearly. One viewpoint is that if you're out shopping anyway, parting with an extra dollar here and there likely has little affect on your wallet—and if others do the same, the sum of all the small donations can make a big difference. 

But how do you decide when your donations are enough? Do you have to give each time to feel like you've helped? How do you walk through the cold past that kettle and the ringer of the bell one Facebook fan of Patch referred to as "the bell of guilt," and not feel like a cheapskate?

Donations can add up and some are tired of it.

Facebook user Adam posted this earlier in the week: "I'll go on record as saying that I hate this. After all, they are the ones making money on the transaction yet I'm the one being asked to donate. The snarky part of me wants to ask them if they'd like to donate the profit they just made from me to the charity in question."

Another Facebook user, Jess, said: "Everywhere I go they ask. It's overwhelming at times."

And it's not just on Facebook that people are complaining or questioning these in-your-face fundraising tactics. Columnist Sean Gonsalves wrote in the Cape Cod Times last week that he is starting to wonder if his "empathy muscle has atrophied."

Gonsalves said he is being bombarded in snail mail, email and most recently at his trip to the drive-thru. He refers to his feeling as "charity fatigue."

What do you think? Are you suffering from "charity fatigue?" Tell us in the comments.

I was talking to a friend earlier today and she was telling me a story that did not paint her in the greatest parental light, but since I have been in her shoes I did not judge; I offered only empathy at her moment of weakness.

She was explaining what happened when she, her dear hubby, and their three lovely children started to decorate their Christmas tree this year. Everything was ready. The tree was in the stand and the lights strung. They were getting ready to put the ornaments on when it started. At first it was small, barely noticeable but it grew. Boy did it ever.

“Stop it.” Said one.

“I’m not doing anything.” Said another.

“DAD!” Said the first.

“Knock it off!” Said Dad.

From there it escalated. Two little kids screaming and fighting with dad trying to keep it from going off the rails and failing. Then from out of nowhere, number three jumps in and starts pouring gas on the fire. Dad is getting irritated and the kids are ramping up the yelling and the general not getting along. The dog starts barking when in walks mom. At that very moment by friend lost it. Truly and totally. She had herself a grand old Christmas melt-down. A very special and spectacular parenting fail.

She wades into the fight on her way across the room to the tree. When she gets to the tree she grabs it out of the stand, marches over to the porch door, opens the door, and throws the tree over the railing where it tumbles, ends over end, and comes to a rest partly blocking the walkway to the house.

She turns to her family and says, “Christmas is cancelled!”

As she was telling me the story her embarrassment was evident at how she had so completely and totally lost her mind. We all have our moments. You know the ones; they’re the ones that make your personal “Parenting Hall of Shame.” The temporary insanity that can over take almost any parent at one time or another.

I have an actual brick and mortar “Hall of Shame” since my parenting fails are legion. From irritation during family card games to total melt-downs because the remote control wasn’t functioning properly. If I had to choose the top moment, it would have to be when Dylan was in fourth grade. He told me he didn’t feel well. We were running late and I yelled at him to get his butt in gear that he was fine and maybe we needed to change his bedtime to an earlier time so he could get more rest. He persisted that he was sick but I brushed him off and herded him out the door.

I dropped him at school at 8:45 am and went to work. Around 10 am he went to the school nurse. She took one look at him and called me immediately.

She said to me “Barbara, Dylan’s in my office and his lips are blue, you need to come get him and take him to the doctor.”

I raced to school, calling my pediatrician on the way. We got to the office in record time. Turns out he had pneumonia and spent 8 days in the hospital. EIGHT DAYS! Yeah, I’m still apologizing for that one five years later!

Parents are people with emotions and failings. My friend apologized to her family and put the tree back where it belongs and they had a magical evening of trimming the tree and laughing and enjoying each other’s company.

Dylan, I’m happy to report, rebounded from his pneumonia none the worse for wear but I still beat myself up about not listening to him. Not only did I not listen to him, I dismissed him.

I guess the best lesson from these moments, at least for me, is that parents should certainly strive for balance and even-handedness when dealing with their children but if you do succumb to a moment of weakness and lose your calm and reasonableness, it’s not the end of the world. Try to turn it into a teachable moment. Show your kids that even if you do lose your cool, you can and should apologize to people and strive to make it right.

What’s your most spectacular parenting fail?

* Disclaimer: The content of the fight has been altered slightly to protect the innocent.

Barbara Mulvey-Welsh is a mother, writer and blogger raising kids and a husband in Plymouth. Check out her blog at "Did I Say That Out Loud?"  Use caution when reading around the family, there is some strong language.

Thanks to low borrowing rates, Massachusetts was able to end the fiscal year with a $116 million surplus, the Patrick Administration announced this week.

The money will be deposited into the Stabilization Fund, also known as the "rainy day" fund. 

"This is the third year in a row that the Rainy Day Fund balance has increased over the prior year’s closing balance as a result of the prudent fiscal policies and strong fiscal management by the Patrick-Murray Administration and the legislature," an administration press release read. 

This deposit brings the "rainy day" fund balance from $1.379 billion at the end of FY11 to $1.652. The only two states with a higher reserve fund balance are Alaska and Texas due to billions of dollars of oil tax revenues those states collect, according to the release. 

Massachusetts, however, is able to generate a surplus by savings from a low borrowing rate due to the state's high credit rating. 

Secretary of Administration and Finance Jay Gonzalez certified earlier this month that projected revenues continue to be sufficient to meet projected expenditures for 2013.

The state on Tuesday ordered a total of $24.8 million in penalties to utility companies for their response to storms in 2011.

Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan joined Department of Public Utilities (DPU) Chairman Ann Berwick and DPU commissioners today to announce the findings of the DPU’s investigation into responses to Tropical Storm Irene and the October 2011 snowstorm.

Provided the penalties hold up, customers should see a reduction in their bill, though it is unclear how much, officials said. 

National Grid faces the steepest penalty, at $18.725 million; NSTAR has been ordered to pay $4.075 million; and Western Massachusetts Electric Company to pay $2 million.

Recognizing that outages are inevitable in storms of this magnitude, the DPU concluded that all of the utilities failed in their public safety obligation to respond to local public safety officials regarding downed wires. 

“As the number of serious weather events has risen dramatically in Massachusetts, it’s crucial for ratepayers to have electric service that is both safe and reliable,” Sullivan said in a press release. “I am grateful to the Department of Public Utilities for its thorough investigation into these storm responses and we are hopeful that its findings, penalties, and directives will ensure improved preparedness and services during weather events in the future.”

With respect to NSTAR, nearly half of whose customers lost power during Tropical Storm Irene, the state found that in many important respects the company performed reasonably under the circumstances, including pre-storm preparations and post-storm damage assessment. However, the DPU decided that in many instances the company took far too long to respond to priority calls from public safety officials regarding downed wires and did a poor job of communicating with customers. 

In the October snowstorm, many customers received phone calls from NSTAR announcing that their power had been restored, when in fact they were still in the dark. The DPU also ordered NSTAR to make certain improvements to its vegetation management program.

NSTAR issued a press release that it already intended to appeal the $4 million fine. The company would need to appeal the fine to the state's Supreme Judicial Court.

The three utilities are required to submit their plans for penalty payment to the state within 30 days.

Notable incidents from Sunday December 9, 2012

1:48 a.m.: Kentucky Fried Chicken, 314 Barnstable Rd., robbery, unarmed, report taken

1:53 a.m.: Cumberland Farms, 375 Barnstable Rd., motor vehicle stop, arrested 47-year-old Rocco V. Collucci of West Yarmouth, failure to stop for a police officer, motor vehicle OUI-liquor, operating motor vehicle to endanger, marked lanes, motor vehicle stop sign, str warrant, assault and battery YPD

2:13 a.m.: 173 Hinckley Rd., assault and battery, advised

3:39 a.m.: 29 Nickerson Rd., warrant, attempt, arrested 22-year-old Brehmer Viera Furtuoso of Cotuit, str warrant, probation violation

8:19 a.m.: 83 Thankful Ln., larceny, motor vehicle, report taken

9:24 a.m.: CVS, 1080 Falmouth Rd., accident, hit and run, advised

11:42 a.m.: Shaws Supermarket, 1070 Iyannough Rd., accident, hit and run, report taken

11:06 p.m.: 220 Pitcher’s Way and 215 West Main St., motor vehicle stop, arrested 26-year-old Luis A. Bentancourt of Hyannis, operating motor vehicle after suspension of license, operating motor vehicle recklessly so as to endanger, speeding, warrant straight, fine $100.00

Court Report: December 11

ARRAIGNMENTS

MURPHY, PATRICK MICHAEL, 47, 30 Arbor Way, Hyannis; OUI liquor (second offense), negligent operation of a motor vehicle, operating a motor vehicle with license suspended, receivi9ng a stolen motor vehicle. Ordered to remain drug and alcohol free and submit to screenings; pretrial hearing Jan. 10.

SULLIVAN, GEORGE L., 21, 63 Boxberry Lane, West Yarmouth; breaking and entering during daytime for a felony, larceny from a building. Pretrial hearing Jan. 7.

STPIERRE, LISA J., 53, 25 Constance Avenue, West Yarmouth; assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, malicious destruction of property worth over $250. Pretrial hearing Jan. 14.

DISPOSITIONS

BRAMHALL, GRACE, 23, 7 Melville Road, South Yarmouth; OUI liquor, leaving the scene of property damage, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Fined $550, 45 day loss of license, continued without finding until Dec. 10, 2013.

HOXIE, STEPHEN E., 48, 124 Stoney Cliff Road, Centerville; OUI liquor (third offense), failure to yield at an intersection. Sentenced to six months in the house of correction (suspended), loss of license, fined $550, placed on probation until Dec. 10, 2014.

OKEEFE, BRETT S., 35, 77 Winter Street, Hyannis; trespassing (two counts), breaking and entering for a misdemeanor, vandalizing property. Sentenced to six months in the house of correction (154 days deemed served).

OLIVO, JAVIER O., 40, 800 Bearse's Way, Apartment 4E, Hyannis; assault with a dangerous weapon. Dismissed due to failure of witness to cooperate.

SOUSA, TYLER R., 48, 10 Vacation Lane, Yarmouth; larceny of a credit card (two counts), improper use of a credit card over $250 (three counts). Ordered to pay $705 restitution, continued without finding until June 10, 2013.

WELLS, JOHN, 43, 170 Winter Street, Apartment 4, Hyannis; breaking and entering during nighttime for a felony, larceny from a building. Sentenced to two years six months in the house of correction (suspended), ordered to pay $275 restitution, placed on probation until Dec. 10, 2014.

Though users of the EZPass service never have to stop for a toll collector on the Mass Pike now, in just over two years, no one will have to. falmouth patch

Gov. Deval Patrick said today that all toll collectors will be phased out by 2015 to make way for a fully automated toll taking system on the Mass Pike, according to Boston.com.

Patrick the state will provide a “dignified and soft landing” for the 410 toll workers who would be laid off, according to the news site.

Do you think the state should move to the new automated system or should Massachusetts stick with the system in place now? Tell us in the comments.

20-year-old Elton Saches of West Yarmouth was arrested early this morning and charged with two counts of armed assault to murder and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, according to the Cape Cod Times.
 
Saches allegedly robbed a male at Craigville Beach at around 10 p.m. Tuesday night.
 
Police also arrested 18-year-old Jailee Washington of Sandwich for being an accessory after the fact and 19-year-old Dakari T. James of Boston on a warrant for a similar crime in Boston.
 
The Cape Cod Times reports police found the three at 80A Winter St after an investigation; all three were arrested without incident.

Some of the biggest names in music take the stage at Madison Square Garden for the live 12-12-12 concert for Sandy relief. While thousands of people fill the arena, billions are watching live on a variety of screens worldwide. 

The concert is streaming live on television networks, movie theater screens and on the Internet, including right here on Patch. The pre-event coverage begins at 4:00 p.m. EST and the concert is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m.

The all-star lineup includes Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, Dave Grohl, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Chris Martin, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Eddie Vedder, Roger Waters, Kanye West, The Who, and Paul McCartney, with other artists to be announced.

Every penny sold from ticket sales will go directly to Sandy victims through the Robin Hood Relief Fund, which provides material, money and aid to local organizations that are serving families and individuals in the regions hardest hit by the storm, including more than 200 Patch towns in New Jersey, Connecticut and Long Island.

If you didn’t score tickets but still want to give to the cause, click here for a variety of ways to donate and become a part of the conversation.

Also, please join Patch's effort to raise awareness and funds for those living in Patch communities affected by Sandy. As part of Patch Rebuilds, our effort to help support devastated communities after the storm, Patch will donate $1 to the AmeriCares Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief Fund for every tweet sent with the hashtag #PatchRebuilds (up to $125,000).

Your contribution will go toward medical and humanitarian aid, grants and programs to help Sandy survivors.

Simply tweet the hashtag #PatchRebuilds, or go to our Patch Rebuilds website, rebuilds.patch.com, and tweet directly from the site.

We’re launching our annual Deck the House Contest to find the most over-the-top holiday decorations in America—the best “decked” house in the country—the one home so spectacularly decorated that everyone in town jokes your holiday decorations could rival Rockefeller Center’s. 

If this sounds like your house, upload a photo or video of your home to our contest page from Nov. 26 to Dec. 16.

Only residents of Patch towns are eligible to enter. We’ll select 24 regional finalists, and from them, pick one grand prize winner. Patch will pay up to $500 of the utility bill for each finalist, while our national winner will have $100,000 donated to his or her local school district.

Our contest is right around the corner, so now’s the time to get your holiday decorations out of the attic and “deck” your house.

After all, ‘tis the season.......

Mildred Chapman Webster, 89, died on December 9, 2012 at the Pavilion in Hyannis after a long illness.

Millie was born in Malden, Massachusetts on February 11, 1923, the daughter of Mary K. Culleton and Vine Stoddard Chapman. Millie graduated from Malden High School in 1941.

During the Second World War she enlisted in the United States Navy and served as a WAVE. In 1945 she married a Marine aviator and her son was born at the Chelsea Navy Hospital.

After the war she attended Fisher Junior College. She was a secretary for many years at the General Electric offices in Boston, to the admissions director of the Mount Hermon School, to the head of the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School in Concord, to the head of the Winsor School in Boston, and at Bolt Beranek and Newman in Cambridge.

Millie moved to Hyannis when she retired and was a volunteer at the Housing Assistance Corporation and at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Osterville, where she was a member.

Millie enjoyed bridge, bowling, golf, and lunch with her many friends. She is often remembered for her sense of humor, her love of sports cars, including at various times her red Porsche and her Mustang, and reading books.

Millie is survived by her son the Rev.Raymond Webster and his wife Eve of Amherst, by two grandchildren, Warren and Adelaide, both of New York City, by her sister Leatrice Breault of Harrisville, RI, and by her niece Lauren Walker of Farmington, CT and nephew Lance Breault of Harrisville, RI. She was pre-deceased by her sister Norma.

Her ashes will be interred in the garden of St. Peter's Church in Osterville. A memorial service is being planned. In lieu of flowers please make donations to St. Peter's Episcopal Church, PO Box 437, Osterville, MA 02655.

Notable incidents from Monday December 10, 2012

10:14 a.m.: Mass Bay Company, 595 Main St., motor vehicle stop, arrested 21-year-old Joseph T. Bearse of South Yarmouth, operating a motor vehicle after suspension of license, red light, failing to slow at an intersection

10:50 a.m.: 44 Mayflower Ln., fraud, forgery, report taken

10:53 a.m.: Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority, 181 Iyannough Rd., larceny, serviced

4:02 p.m.: 81 Ridgewood Ave., breaking and entering, residence, report taken

4:45 p.m.: 79 Pine Grove Ave., larceny, motor vehicle, report taken, arrested 47-year-old Patrick Michael Murphy of Hyannis, OUI-liquor, 2^{n d} offense, stolen, buying receiving, operating recklessly so as to endanger, operating after a revocation

4:51 p.m.: Cape Cod Church of Christ, 493 Race Ln., larceny, advised

7:23 p.m.: Macy’s Men’s and Home, 793 Iyannough Rd., larceny, shoplifting, arrested 26-year-old Kaitlynn T. O’Donnell of Dennis, larceny of property over $250

7:39 p.m.: 31 Paine St., missing person, report taken

7:50 p.m.: Star Market, West Main St., larceny, receiving stolen property, report taken

8:56 p.m.: 357 Main St., fraud, forgery, advised

10:48 p.m.: 331 Buckskin Path, disturbance, party, advised

11:04 p.m.: 351 Gleneagle Dr., accident, hit and run, report taken

11:48 p.m.: 42 Fresh Holes Rd., disturbance, disorderly person, arrested 44-year-old Michael A. Randall of Hyannis, disorderly person, domestic verbal agreement

Court Report: December 12

ARRAIGNMENTS

WASHINGTON, JAILEE, 18, 30 Freedom Road, Sandwich; accessory after the fact to armed robbery and assault. Ordered to stay away from victim, pretrial hearing Jan. 17.

DISPOSITIONS

BEARSE, DENISE R., 47, 70 Kerry Drive, Marstons Mills; domestic assault and battery, assault with a dangerous weapon (two counts). Dismissed due to failure of witness to cooperate.

EDWARDS, MARLENE A., 57, 44 Fresh Holes Road, Hyannis; assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Dismissed due to failure of witness to cooperate.

GUAY, ANDREW DOUGLAS, 18, 5 Autumn Drive, Yarmouth; breaking and entering during nighttime for a felony (two counts), malicious damage to a motor vehicle, larceny over $250. Ordered to complete 40 hours of community service.

MALONEY, SEAN, 27, 11 Campion Road, Yarmouthport; leaving the scene of property damage. Dismissed due to failure of witness to appear.

Sure, Halloween offers a limitless variety of costume ideas for your dog, cat or teacup pig, yet nothing that offers the cuteness of a Christmas tree, a Santa hat and a string of multi-colored lights.

Did you make your pet sit, uncomfortable and annoyed for a few minutes while you took photos for a greeting card or just for fun? Share your photos with Patch and comment below on your favorites.

They sent him their wish lists, sat on his lap, and left cookies and milk for his arrival. Now the only thing left for children to do is track Santa's progress as he delivers gifts around the world on Christmas Eve.

Thanks to the folks behind the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) website, families worldwide can now follow Santa's Christmas journey in real time.

The tradition started in 1955 after an advertisement for Sears Roebuck & Co. misprinted a telephone number for a special "Santa hotline." Instead of reaching Kris Kringle, the number put kids through to the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Commander-in-Chief’s operations, according to a description on the NORAD Tracks Santa Facebook page, which has more than one million "likes."

In addition to keeping tabs on Santa's whereabouts, there is plenty to do on NORAD's Santa-tracking site. Check out Kids' Countdown Village, which has more than two dozen games for children to play.

Not near a computer today? NORAD's Santa Tracker is mobile, too. Download the Android or iPhone app and let your kids track Santa from your phone.

Looking for additional ways to track Santa? Follow NORAD on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

Merry Christmas and have fun!

Jane Lubchenco resigned yesterday as the administrator of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a position she has held since 2009, and will be returning to academic life and to the West Coast, according to Science Insider.

In a Dec. 12, 2012 letter to her colleagues, Lubchenco lists "Ending over-fishing, rebuilding depleted stocks, and returning fishing to profitability ... "  among the accomplshments for NOAA during her tenure.

Notable incidents from Tuesday December 11, 2012

1:04 a.m.: Barnstable Police Department, 1200 Phinneys Ln., domestic restraining order attempt, served in hand

1:59 a.m.: 21 Spring St., domestic harassment, serviced

8:00 a.m.: 29 Nickerson Rd., warrant attempt, serviced

8:25 a.m.: 20 Sunset Ter., domestic, verbal argument, advised

10:46 a.m.: Centerville Convenience, 619 Main St. Apt. #2, accident, hit and run, advised

1:11 p.m.: Barnstable High School, 744 West Main St., breaking and entering, commercial, report taken

4:11 p.m.: 2604 Main St. Rt. 6 A, breaking and entering, report taken

6:12 p.m.: Midway Garage Fuel, 981 Main St., breaking and entering, residence, serviced

7:24 p.m.: Cromwell Courts, 168 Barnstable Rd. Apt. #4M, missing person, report taken

10:08 p.m.: 838 Craigville Beach Rd., robbery, armed, arrested 19-year-old Dakari T. James of Boston, straight warrant, armed robbery and weapons possession, also arrested 20-year-old Elton G. Sanches of West Yarmouth, robbery, armed, 2 counts armed assault with intent to murder, illegal possession of firearm, ammunition, also arrested 18-year-old Jailee Washington of Sandwich, accessory after the fact

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice has withdrawn from consideration to be the next Secretary of State, saying conservative opposition would make her candidacy too "disruptive." 

With Rice out of the picture, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry is seen by many to be the frontrunner to replace current top diplomat Hillary Clinton.

On Huffington Post and elsewhere, there has been speculation that the reason for such fierce opposition to Rice was to get Kerry into the Obama Administration and get back the U.S. Senate seat recently lost by Republican Sen. Scott Brown to his successful Democratic rival, Elizabeth Warren.

Last month we asked: Who you think should run for the Senate seat, if, in fact, Kerry is offered the Secretary of State position and takes it?

What do you think now?