A lineman at the Peabody Municipal Light Plant has pocketed about $40,000 in salary since being arrested in August on suspicion of trafficking cocaine.
Ronald D'Andrea, 50, who has worked at the light plant since 2003, has also collected health, life and retirement benefits since he was arrested and placed on paid leave months ago, according to city records.
On Aug. 23, Revere police narcotics detectives caught D'Andrea with a half-kilogram of cocaine stuffed into a Target shopping bag, according to a police report filed with Chelsea District Court. Local and state drug units had been monitoring D'Andrea and eavesdropping on his conversations while investigating "the narcotics distribution enterprise" he is alleged to have operated, the police report said.
Two days before his arrest, D'Andrea paid $20,000 for the cocaine and agreed to pick up the drugs the following Tuesday at a Ninety Nine Restaurant in Revere, according to police.
About 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 23, D'Andrea drove into the restaurant's back parking lot and got into the passenger seat of gray sedan, police said. A short time later, D'Andrea got out of the car carrying a white shopping bag, then placed the bag in the trunk of his car as police approached. When police confiscated the bag, it contained "a block of white rock/powder ... in excess of 500 grams of the Class B controlled substance, cocaine," according to the police report.
After obtaining a warrant to search D'Andrea's Saugus house, police found more than $1,500 cash, a digital scale and a handheld grinder, the police report said.
D'Andrea pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Chelsea District Court and was released on $5,000 bail. His attorney, Robert Sheketoff, declined to comment on the case specifically. He said that drug cases typically take more than a year to settle. The next scheduled court date is a probable-cause hearing slated for April 30 in Chelsea.
Shortly after D'Andrea's arrest, the Peabody Municipal Light Plant suspended the lineman without pay but then placed him on paid administrative leave in October.
When asked why D'Andrea was placed on paid leave instead of unpaid leave, Glenn Trueira, the manager of the plant, said there is no "specific policy about this," so the determination was made based on the circumstances and after consultation with the plant's attorney, Phillip Durkin. Trueira was assistant manager of the plant at the time of D'Andrea's arrest.
"What we do is look at each case separately on its own merits, what's involved and what the given details are in each case," Trueira said in an interview. "When this situation arose, I consulted with our attorney, and he looked into it."
The Municipal Light Commission was told of the D'Andrea situation but did not weigh in, said Robert Wheatley, the commission chairman.
2012年4月12日星期四
2012年3月27日星期二
How to keep household papers in check
Guests are coming! No time to think. Just sweep all that kitchen counter papers into a shopping bag, and stuff it under the couch. Much better. The counter looks all nice and clear now. You can just set up the drinks and ice bucket, and voila!
You know what happens after the party, right? The paper stays under the couch. Or tucked in the guest bedroom. Out of sight, out of mind. It all seemed pretty easy. Maybe too easy.
You have a nagging feeling: Maybe that's where the insurance policy ended up. Dad's lottery tickets. Uncle Louie's Florida address. Vacation photos. Loan documents. Gift cards. Investment papers. Tax receipts. Grandma's last letter to you. Weeks and months pass by, and pretty soon, you need a backhoe to excavate The Great Kitchen Paper Dump. You can't let it go. But you can't face it either. It's all one big mess.
Household paper presents unique challenges to all of us. It demands attention, careful thought and decisions. This is difficult to achieve when everyday activities distract us with endlessly pressing demands.
According to Barbara Hemphill, author of "Taming the Paper Tiger," "Filing something is never easier than it is today, and with every day you wait, it only becomes more and more difficult."
Paper piles start with postponed decisions. Repeat the process daily, and the clutter cycle takes root. Just like weeds in the garden, it becomes more painful and time consuming to eradicate the longer you ignore it.
Why is it so hard to make these decisions? One big reason: We don't have a system for processing incoming paper. Organizing expert Kathy Waddill says that organizing needs to be "simple, flexible and tailored to your life in the present moment."
How many of us have such a system set up for household paper? Think about it: How many steps does it take to place documents in the file cabinet? Do you have a file cabinet? Are tools and containers conveniently located where you work? Where are the recycle bin and shredder located? We all have recipes for making dinner. What is the recipe for handling paper?
Here is an organizing recipe for your kitchen paper. With five minutes every day, your in-box will be empty and your paper will be organized for action.
You know what happens after the party, right? The paper stays under the couch. Or tucked in the guest bedroom. Out of sight, out of mind. It all seemed pretty easy. Maybe too easy.
You have a nagging feeling: Maybe that's where the insurance policy ended up. Dad's lottery tickets. Uncle Louie's Florida address. Vacation photos. Loan documents. Gift cards. Investment papers. Tax receipts. Grandma's last letter to you. Weeks and months pass by, and pretty soon, you need a backhoe to excavate The Great Kitchen Paper Dump. You can't let it go. But you can't face it either. It's all one big mess.
Household paper presents unique challenges to all of us. It demands attention, careful thought and decisions. This is difficult to achieve when everyday activities distract us with endlessly pressing demands.
According to Barbara Hemphill, author of "Taming the Paper Tiger," "Filing something is never easier than it is today, and with every day you wait, it only becomes more and more difficult."
Paper piles start with postponed decisions. Repeat the process daily, and the clutter cycle takes root. Just like weeds in the garden, it becomes more painful and time consuming to eradicate the longer you ignore it.
Why is it so hard to make these decisions? One big reason: We don't have a system for processing incoming paper. Organizing expert Kathy Waddill says that organizing needs to be "simple, flexible and tailored to your life in the present moment."
How many of us have such a system set up for household paper? Think about it: How many steps does it take to place documents in the file cabinet? Do you have a file cabinet? Are tools and containers conveniently located where you work? Where are the recycle bin and shredder located? We all have recipes for making dinner. What is the recipe for handling paper?
Here is an organizing recipe for your kitchen paper. With five minutes every day, your in-box will be empty and your paper will be organized for action.
2012年2月15日星期三
Grassroots effort supports small local businesses
Three Tehachapi businesses are receiving extra attention this month due to a new grassroorts effort called "Patronize a Local Shop" or PALS of Tehachapi.
The movement is the brain-child of three Tehachapi women -- Marilyn Beardslee, Susie Atherton, and Katherine DeLap. The three have donated their time and energy to get the movement off the ground including establishing a Facebook page.
The effort is "totally grass-roots and [we're] hoping that all our friends and neighbors will join in to help keep our local businesses viable and here," DeLap said. "We ask for nothing from the businesses who are featured, and therefore we are extremely grateful that we've had some sponsors step up in the short amount of time we've been pushing this movement and will be just as appreciative of any further sponsorships going forward."
Each month three small businesses, one each in Downtown, West Tehachapi (called "Tucker Town" by some) and Old Town, will be highlighted and Tehachapi residents are encouraged to include these businesses in their shopping outings during that month and beyond.
The group is using Facebook as a communication platform and through that effort acquired a "shopping bag" logo developed by Donna Fischman of Slick Fish Marketing Company. Soon the orange bag logo was added to banners located at the three small businesses featured during February.
Atherton noted that the businesses featured in February have already noticed a positive impact on their business. Beardslee, who recently retired and no longer commutes to a job in Bakersfield, said she has been reaching out and discovering even more Tehachapi businesses and helping promote them through PALS.
The movement is the brain-child of three Tehachapi women -- Marilyn Beardslee, Susie Atherton, and Katherine DeLap. The three have donated their time and energy to get the movement off the ground including establishing a Facebook page.
The effort is "totally grass-roots and [we're] hoping that all our friends and neighbors will join in to help keep our local businesses viable and here," DeLap said. "We ask for nothing from the businesses who are featured, and therefore we are extremely grateful that we've had some sponsors step up in the short amount of time we've been pushing this movement and will be just as appreciative of any further sponsorships going forward."
Each month three small businesses, one each in Downtown, West Tehachapi (called "Tucker Town" by some) and Old Town, will be highlighted and Tehachapi residents are encouraged to include these businesses in their shopping outings during that month and beyond.
The group is using Facebook as a communication platform and through that effort acquired a "shopping bag" logo developed by Donna Fischman of Slick Fish Marketing Company. Soon the orange bag logo was added to banners located at the three small businesses featured during February.
Atherton noted that the businesses featured in February have already noticed a positive impact on their business. Beardslee, who recently retired and no longer commutes to a job in Bakersfield, said she has been reaching out and discovering even more Tehachapi businesses and helping promote them through PALS.
2012年2月14日星期二
Three Peterborough teenagers praised after finding lost cash
THREE honourable teenagers from Peterborough have been praised for helping to reunite an elderly woman with a shopping bag containing hundreds of pounds in cash.
The trio of 13-year-olds from Dogsthorpe found the bag near Cheetans Mini Market, in Chestnut Avenue, on their way home from the Thomas Deacon Academy, in Queen's Gardens, on Thursday afternoon.
Beneath a layer of doggy treats, the group – Connor Burdock, Darryl Edwards and Jake Harding – found a Blackberry mobile phone and a purse containing a wad of cash, as well as bank cards and train tickets.
Darryl, of Poplar Avenue, said his first thought was for the owner of the bag.
He said: "I felt sorry for the person who lost it."
The resourceful boys then searched on the phone for contact details in the hope of tracing the owner, but the only number listed was a taxi firm.
They called the number, and the person who answered said they would come to collect the bag in five minutes in return for a reward.
The boys then called the police to report the discovery of the lost items.
However, before officers had the chance to arrive the owner of the shopping bag, an elderly woman in a mobility scooter, appeared from around the corner to re-discover her belongings.
Darryl said: "It was nearly at the end of the police conversation.
"She came round the corner and said 'that's my bag' and said 'thank you'."
The boys at first declined a reward, but the woman, who was due to head to London the following day, insisted and gave them 3 each.
This was spent, perhaps unsurprisingly, on sweets.
The youngsters have been richly praised for their actions.
A spokeswoman for Cambridgeshire police said: "The boys showed great initiative and thanks to their investigations were able to reunite the lady with her bag."
The Mayor of Peterborough Cllr Paula Thacker, meanwhile, said she was so impressed by the boys's sense of civic duty she said she would like to hear from them to arrange a meeting at the Mayor's Parlour in Town Hall, in Bridge Street.
She said: "If they want to get in touch with me and see me in the parlour they are very welcome to."
She added: "They are showing how the citizens in Peterborough should act when they come across anything.
"I think it's wonderful."
Darryl's proud mum Caroline Greenwood (32), of Poplar Avenue, said: "I was really, really proud. I was proud my son could do something like that."
She added: "I know there have been a lot of problems down Central Avenue with teenagers with anti-social behaviour. It just shows they are not all the same.
"I don't believe in labelling people, it just proves they are not all the same.
"No matter what people think there are good kids out there."
The trio of 13-year-olds from Dogsthorpe found the bag near Cheetans Mini Market, in Chestnut Avenue, on their way home from the Thomas Deacon Academy, in Queen's Gardens, on Thursday afternoon.
Beneath a layer of doggy treats, the group – Connor Burdock, Darryl Edwards and Jake Harding – found a Blackberry mobile phone and a purse containing a wad of cash, as well as bank cards and train tickets.
Darryl, of Poplar Avenue, said his first thought was for the owner of the bag.
He said: "I felt sorry for the person who lost it."
The resourceful boys then searched on the phone for contact details in the hope of tracing the owner, but the only number listed was a taxi firm.
They called the number, and the person who answered said they would come to collect the bag in five minutes in return for a reward.
The boys then called the police to report the discovery of the lost items.
However, before officers had the chance to arrive the owner of the shopping bag, an elderly woman in a mobility scooter, appeared from around the corner to re-discover her belongings.
Darryl said: "It was nearly at the end of the police conversation.
"She came round the corner and said 'that's my bag' and said 'thank you'."
The boys at first declined a reward, but the woman, who was due to head to London the following day, insisted and gave them 3 each.
This was spent, perhaps unsurprisingly, on sweets.
The youngsters have been richly praised for their actions.
A spokeswoman for Cambridgeshire police said: "The boys showed great initiative and thanks to their investigations were able to reunite the lady with her bag."
The Mayor of Peterborough Cllr Paula Thacker, meanwhile, said she was so impressed by the boys's sense of civic duty she said she would like to hear from them to arrange a meeting at the Mayor's Parlour in Town Hall, in Bridge Street.
She said: "If they want to get in touch with me and see me in the parlour they are very welcome to."
She added: "They are showing how the citizens in Peterborough should act when they come across anything.
"I think it's wonderful."
Darryl's proud mum Caroline Greenwood (32), of Poplar Avenue, said: "I was really, really proud. I was proud my son could do something like that."
She added: "I know there have been a lot of problems down Central Avenue with teenagers with anti-social behaviour. It just shows they are not all the same.
"I don't believe in labelling people, it just proves they are not all the same.
"No matter what people think there are good kids out there."
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