WILMINGTON - Kimo and his K-9 unit partner Eric Palmer have had a busy year since a Crier reporter first interviewed Palmer after last year’s competition/certification event.
This year the pair won 1st overall in the Open Class in the United States Police Canine Association’s Region 9 Competition/Certification event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The open class, which is for any dog/handler combination that have more than one year of experience competing together, had about 20 dogs competing in it this year.
Many of the other dogs and handlers that Kimo and Palmer competed against are the same K-9 units that they train with. Palmer said it was great competition and that everyone he trains with did very well in the competition. He modestly said that they are all about the same level and “it can all come down to who’s having a good day.”
Clearly they were having a good day. Kimo did extremely well, winning the first place trophies for agility and obedience and also the trophy for 1st place overall. In these competitions the dogs and the handlers are scored as a team.
Palmer and Kimo scored high enough in the competition to exceed the high standard that qualifies for Nationals which will take place in Florida in October 2007. If the department decides to send them, Kimo will be one of a couple of hundred dogs competing against much larger police departments from across the country.
Palmer credits Kimo with losing very few points for their team. Dog points can be taken for things like not sitting straight or having their nails scratch an obstacle they are going over. Sometimes handlers lose even more points, for things like touching a collar during competition. The handlers have a running joke that “on one end of a leash is a dumb animal and on the other end, a trained police dog,” said Palmer laughing.
It hasn’t been all fun and games for Kimo and Palmer. They are on call 24/7 and in the last few months Kimo has done some great work. On Salem Street, where there are some new units, someone breaking and entering tripped an alarm. The response team found a glass break, knew it was a real alarm and called Palmer. Kimo tracked the suspect through woods, around a neighborhood and deep into the woods where he eventually found him.
On another case, Kimo was called in because there was a case involving youth breaking into a number of cars. A woman heard a break in and in her car she followed the suspect who was on foot. The response team blocked the area with cars and called in Kimo. Everyone was surprised when Kimo took off in the opposite direction than the one indicated by witnesses. He found a second suspect hiding. Then he went the other direction and found the first suspect that witnesses had noticed. Palmer then set Kimo free and he found more of the stuff that the suspects had taken. He found a backpack with cell phones, wallets and other property taken from cars. The next day when people called to report break-ins and missing items they were pleased to hear that Kimo had recovered many of their belongings.
For now Palmer and Kimo remain busy on the job while they wait to see if the Department decides to send them to the National competition in October.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Local Heroes
Local Heroes, a non-profit organization made up of volunteers who support our troops currently deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan by shipping “care packages”, were recently honored with the presence of two returning local heroes at their regularly scheduled Wednesday evening meeting at the Knights of Columbus in Wilmington. LCPL Doug Hutchison and PFC Daniel J. Bowse stopped by to thank everyone for their work
LCPL Doug Hutchison, of Wilmington, arrived home several weeks ago from his deployment in the Al Anbar province of Iraq where he patrolled the Al Qa’im, on the Syrian border.
After spending much needed time with family and friends, Hutchison returned this week to 29 Palms in California where he will continue training for his second deployment in January of 2008.
Hutchison, who received two purple hearts during his eight months in Iraq, (but in modesty would not talk about them) said, “being back in the states where I’ve lived and where my family lives is outstanding! I definitely have a greater appreciation for everything and everybody, especially all of those people at Local Heroes who are working at sending packages over there.”
Hutchison speaks highly of the Local Heroes Program, “It is a fantastic project and we all appreciate it so much and there are people who don’t receive many packages and we passed their names on and the Local Heroes sent them packages.”
One of the most unique things Hutchison received in a package was also one of the most fun; it was Nerf guns. “We spent the whole day shooting each other with Nerf guns. It was a great workout and a lot of fun.” It was a great stress relief and brought many laughs to the group.
Hutchison wants everyone to know that “sometimes we don’t always get the call and we might be too tired to make the call, but family is always in our hearts and minds.”
PFC Daniel J. Bowse of Tewksbury, age 19, has served 4 months in Afghanistan and is now home with family and friends before returning for the remaining 12 months of his deployment. After serving in Afghanistan and returning to Tewksbury Bowse said, “It definitely makes you appreciate everything a lot more when you are back here.”
Bowse is a Combat Engineer with IED Roadside. The IED (Improvised Explosive Devises) Roadside unit searches for and destroys roadside bombs. There are 28 people in Bowse’s platoon. They are appreciative of the work the group Local Heroes does in shipping care packages. “It boosts morale to know people are thinking about you back home,” said Bowse.
Bowse has received soaps, socks, candies, letters, t-shirts and more, but by far the most meaningful and unique thing Bowse has received inside of a care package was a whiffle ball sent by his 12 year old younger brother with a note that read “keep practicing” so they could play again when he returns home.
If Bowse could tell people anything it would be to “Get to Local Heroes and send more packages.” The packages make a huge difference in troops lives and in their morale.
According to their website, Local Heroes has mailed 3,887 packages as of June 16, 2007.
Many of Local Heroes volunteers are family members of the troops and they use the weekly meetings as a support group. The group meets every Wednesday evening at the Knight of Columbus in Wilmington. If you would like to learn more about this organization please check out the website at www.mass-localheroes.org.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD All Rights Reserved
LCPL Doug Hutchison, of Wilmington, arrived home several weeks ago from his deployment in the Al Anbar province of Iraq where he patrolled the Al Qa’im, on the Syrian border.
After spending much needed time with family and friends, Hutchison returned this week to 29 Palms in California where he will continue training for his second deployment in January of 2008.
Hutchison, who received two purple hearts during his eight months in Iraq, (but in modesty would not talk about them) said, “being back in the states where I’ve lived and where my family lives is outstanding! I definitely have a greater appreciation for everything and everybody, especially all of those people at Local Heroes who are working at sending packages over there.”
Hutchison speaks highly of the Local Heroes Program, “It is a fantastic project and we all appreciate it so much and there are people who don’t receive many packages and we passed their names on and the Local Heroes sent them packages.”
One of the most unique things Hutchison received in a package was also one of the most fun; it was Nerf guns. “We spent the whole day shooting each other with Nerf guns. It was a great workout and a lot of fun.” It was a great stress relief and brought many laughs to the group.
Hutchison wants everyone to know that “sometimes we don’t always get the call and we might be too tired to make the call, but family is always in our hearts and minds.”
PFC Daniel J. Bowse of Tewksbury, age 19, has served 4 months in Afghanistan and is now home with family and friends before returning for the remaining 12 months of his deployment. After serving in Afghanistan and returning to Tewksbury Bowse said, “It definitely makes you appreciate everything a lot more when you are back here.”
Bowse is a Combat Engineer with IED Roadside. The IED (Improvised Explosive Devises) Roadside unit searches for and destroys roadside bombs. There are 28 people in Bowse’s platoon. They are appreciative of the work the group Local Heroes does in shipping care packages. “It boosts morale to know people are thinking about you back home,” said Bowse.
Bowse has received soaps, socks, candies, letters, t-shirts and more, but by far the most meaningful and unique thing Bowse has received inside of a care package was a whiffle ball sent by his 12 year old younger brother with a note that read “keep practicing” so they could play again when he returns home.
If Bowse could tell people anything it would be to “Get to Local Heroes and send more packages.” The packages make a huge difference in troops lives and in their morale.
According to their website, Local Heroes has mailed 3,887 packages as of June 16, 2007.
Many of Local Heroes volunteers are family members of the troops and they use the weekly meetings as a support group. The group meets every Wednesday evening at the Knight of Columbus in Wilmington. If you would like to learn more about this organization please check out the website at www.mass-localheroes.org.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD All Rights Reserved
Monday, June 18, 2007
Room For Improvement, part two
Kristen Finn did her homework. When she applied for a “Room For Improvement” makeover last fall, she knew that as of that time there had only been one other front porch done and no makeovers had been done in Wilmington. On Wednesday, June 13th that homework paid off when a Channel 7 news team, spent several hours filming what will be a two-minute television makeover of her front porch at her Wilmington home.
Finn’s husband, Jay, credits her with going with the idea and making it happen. “It’s Kristen’s project. I really look forward to it,” he said.
Channel 7 Producer Jennifer Savio chose the front porch from a pool of applications received at the station. According to Savio, the goal of the segment is to “showcase different rooms, families and designers; to give viewers different ideas, a variety of things they might try at home, so that it benefits viewers as well as homeowners.”
Savio brought her team of Cameraman Kurt Hartwell and Production Intern Kim Beson to the Finn family home at 70 Glen Road to film the most recent segment of “Room For Improvement.”
The transformation of the Finn family’s dilapidated front porch, by designer Melanie Murphy of Redecorating By Melanie (www.redesignyourhome.com), was captured using a series of camera shots taken throughout the day.
Newspaper and a sheet were placed over dining room windows while the design team, aided by the donated services of D&D Electric, transformed the room. Finn and her children Patrick (10) and Ashlyn(6) remained in the back of the house. “It’s not Extreme Makeover, it is just a mini makeover, so I went to Dunkin Donuts” said homeowner Kristen Finn, laughing. Finn’s husband, Jay, returned home from work and slipped in through the back door just in time for the family interviews to begin.
Afternoon shots included an interview with the family before the reveal, one with the designer talking about what she had done, a shot of the family welcoming the designer into their home and of course the reveal and reaction interviews.
“It’s been a good experience for us” said Finn who indicated that everyone who worked with designer Murphy had been so nice.
Producer Savio said that in two hours they had taken about 30 minutes of interview tape that would be edited down into approximately a two-minute segment. Savio watches the tape and her intern, Beson, will transcribe it. After the segment airs, it is archived on the Channel 7 website along with a transcription of the story and a list of everything used in transforming the room.
The Wilmington Room for Improvement segment will air three times next week. On Thursday, June 28th it will be on the The New CW 10:00pm news. On Friday, June 29th it will air during Today New England, which airs from 5:00 to 7:00am (usually near the end of the 5:00 hour). It will also run in the Channel 7 afternoon block between 4:00 and 6:00pm (usually near the end of either the 4:30 or 5:30 show).
Watch for a follow-up story with photos and an inside look at the final reveal and the family’s reaction after the show airs late next week.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD All Rights Reserved
Finn’s husband, Jay, credits her with going with the idea and making it happen. “It’s Kristen’s project. I really look forward to it,” he said.
Channel 7 Producer Jennifer Savio chose the front porch from a pool of applications received at the station. According to Savio, the goal of the segment is to “showcase different rooms, families and designers; to give viewers different ideas, a variety of things they might try at home, so that it benefits viewers as well as homeowners.”
Savio brought her team of Cameraman Kurt Hartwell and Production Intern Kim Beson to the Finn family home at 70 Glen Road to film the most recent segment of “Room For Improvement.”
The transformation of the Finn family’s dilapidated front porch, by designer Melanie Murphy of Redecorating By Melanie (www.redesignyourhome.com), was captured using a series of camera shots taken throughout the day.
Newspaper and a sheet were placed over dining room windows while the design team, aided by the donated services of D&D Electric, transformed the room. Finn and her children Patrick (10) and Ashlyn(6) remained in the back of the house. “It’s not Extreme Makeover, it is just a mini makeover, so I went to Dunkin Donuts” said homeowner Kristen Finn, laughing. Finn’s husband, Jay, returned home from work and slipped in through the back door just in time for the family interviews to begin.
Afternoon shots included an interview with the family before the reveal, one with the designer talking about what she had done, a shot of the family welcoming the designer into their home and of course the reveal and reaction interviews.
“It’s been a good experience for us” said Finn who indicated that everyone who worked with designer Murphy had been so nice.
Producer Savio said that in two hours they had taken about 30 minutes of interview tape that would be edited down into approximately a two-minute segment. Savio watches the tape and her intern, Beson, will transcribe it. After the segment airs, it is archived on the Channel 7 website along with a transcription of the story and a list of everything used in transforming the room.
The Wilmington Room for Improvement segment will air three times next week. On Thursday, June 28th it will be on the The New CW 10:00pm news. On Friday, June 29th it will air during Today New England, which airs from 5:00 to 7:00am (usually near the end of the 5:00 hour). It will also run in the Channel 7 afternoon block between 4:00 and 6:00pm (usually near the end of either the 4:30 or 5:30 show).
Watch for a follow-up story with photos and an inside look at the final reveal and the family’s reaction after the show airs late next week.
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD All Rights Reserved
Friday, June 1, 2007
Yentile Place, part one
To Build or Not to Build
Where is the retirement community? On Cross Street (between routes 129 and 38) at the former Yentile Farm site, realtors are still selling town homes and garden style units, but Wilmington Town officials are now questioning a lack of progress on the Yentile Estates project by builder Franchi Equipment Company, Inc. Currently, all that the potential homeowners have to show for their investment is a building lot that remains empty and barricaded by large rocks and old utility poles and phone calls that go unanswered.
Yentile Place - an active adult community, according to its advertising- was originally scheduled to have some living units completed back in December of 2006. That was pushed out to April, (or “late Spring 2007 as stated on the website), but ground has yet to be broken as of mid-June.
Realtors at RE/Max First Choice of Marlborough are still eager to sell the units. One realtor said that the construction delay was because they were “held up with permit problems” with the Town of Wilmington and that there would be groundbreaking in a couple of weeks. Another, Don Donaldson, hesitated slightly saying “Groundbreaking would be coming up shortly. I would not go so far as to say it will happen in a couple of weeks.” They would comment on nothing further and calls to the head of their office, Sue MacDonald, went unanswered and messages unreturned.
Carole Hamilton, Director of Planning and Conservation for Wilmington, made it absolutely clear that the delays are not related to permits and that the Town is waiting to hear the construction schedule from the builder. Hamilton was told at one point that the builders were putting together a new financing package for Yentile Place, but as of mid-June has heard nothing further about the status of the project.
On Monday, June 11, 2007, Hamilton sent a letter to the builder, David Franchi of Franchi Equipment Company Inc. informing him that the Planning Board requests his presence at their July 17 meeting at 8:45pm. The Board has requested information regarding a financing source, a construction schedule and a time frame for the affordable unit lottery, all be presented at the mid-July meeting.
Environmental concerns were also cited in the letter sent to Franchi because replication planting has not been done, and requests from the Conservation Agent to stabilize exposed soil have been ignored.
The Planning Board is disappointed in the lack of progress on the project and is also receiving complaints from individuals who have made deposits on units that have not been delivered on time.
In a separate matter related to this project, at least one potential buyer has been unable to get their very sizeable deposit back, despite following the cancellation guidelines written in their purchase and sale agreement.
.
“They just won’t reply to anybody. They tell me to deal with my attorney, but they won’t even talk with him,” said the buyer who wishes to remain anonymous. Despite dozens of attempts to reach them, the contractor and his attorney are not responding to the buyer by letter, phone, or e-mail.
The realtor, RE/Max First Choice, of Marlborough, has also been unsuccessful in helping to rectify this situation for the buyer. “They say that they will speak to the builder, David Franchi, and get back to you with information,” said a relative of the anonymous potential buyer, “but then they don’t call back with any information.”
According to an unrelated realtor, on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) the unit in question still shows as being sold. The potential buyer’s realtor told them that they leave units marked as “sold” on the internet to get new financing for the project and to make the project more attractive for potential buyers. The realtor also told them that the new financing company would pass papers on May 1st.
Phone calls to builder, Dave Franchi, of Franchi Equipment Company, and Project Manager Brian Card, of FCM Builders Inc., seeking comment have gone unreturned. Both companies share one Marlborough address and phone number.
According to the Better Business Bureau of Massachusetts website, there have been two complaints filed against FCM Builders Inc. in the last 36 months. The more recent one was “1 regarding failure to honor a contract or agreement”, and the BBB file was closed because they received no response from FCM. The prior complaint was “1 regarding improper or inferior repair” and this was “administratively closed”.
The disappointed potential buyer is very frustrated with the process and said: “The way they are doing business is very unfair to people who have put their trust in them and they won’t do what they promised – or give the money back!”
To see part two of this story go to: http://ontherisewriting.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
Where is the retirement community? On Cross Street (between routes 129 and 38) at the former Yentile Farm site, realtors are still selling town homes and garden style units, but Wilmington Town officials are now questioning a lack of progress on the Yentile Estates project by builder Franchi Equipment Company, Inc. Currently, all that the potential homeowners have to show for their investment is a building lot that remains empty and barricaded by large rocks and old utility poles and phone calls that go unanswered.
Yentile Place - an active adult community, according to its advertising- was originally scheduled to have some living units completed back in December of 2006. That was pushed out to April, (or “late Spring 2007 as stated on the website), but ground has yet to be broken as of mid-June.
Realtors at RE/Max First Choice of Marlborough are still eager to sell the units. One realtor said that the construction delay was because they were “held up with permit problems” with the Town of Wilmington and that there would be groundbreaking in a couple of weeks. Another, Don Donaldson, hesitated slightly saying “Groundbreaking would be coming up shortly. I would not go so far as to say it will happen in a couple of weeks.” They would comment on nothing further and calls to the head of their office, Sue MacDonald, went unanswered and messages unreturned.
Carole Hamilton, Director of Planning and Conservation for Wilmington, made it absolutely clear that the delays are not related to permits and that the Town is waiting to hear the construction schedule from the builder. Hamilton was told at one point that the builders were putting together a new financing package for Yentile Place, but as of mid-June has heard nothing further about the status of the project.
On Monday, June 11, 2007, Hamilton sent a letter to the builder, David Franchi of Franchi Equipment Company Inc. informing him that the Planning Board requests his presence at their July 17 meeting at 8:45pm. The Board has requested information regarding a financing source, a construction schedule and a time frame for the affordable unit lottery, all be presented at the mid-July meeting.
Environmental concerns were also cited in the letter sent to Franchi because replication planting has not been done, and requests from the Conservation Agent to stabilize exposed soil have been ignored.
The Planning Board is disappointed in the lack of progress on the project and is also receiving complaints from individuals who have made deposits on units that have not been delivered on time.
In a separate matter related to this project, at least one potential buyer has been unable to get their very sizeable deposit back, despite following the cancellation guidelines written in their purchase and sale agreement.
.
“They just won’t reply to anybody. They tell me to deal with my attorney, but they won’t even talk with him,” said the buyer who wishes to remain anonymous. Despite dozens of attempts to reach them, the contractor and his attorney are not responding to the buyer by letter, phone, or e-mail.
The realtor, RE/Max First Choice, of Marlborough, has also been unsuccessful in helping to rectify this situation for the buyer. “They say that they will speak to the builder, David Franchi, and get back to you with information,” said a relative of the anonymous potential buyer, “but then they don’t call back with any information.”
According to an unrelated realtor, on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) the unit in question still shows as being sold. The potential buyer’s realtor told them that they leave units marked as “sold” on the internet to get new financing for the project and to make the project more attractive for potential buyers. The realtor also told them that the new financing company would pass papers on May 1st.
Phone calls to builder, Dave Franchi, of Franchi Equipment Company, and Project Manager Brian Card, of FCM Builders Inc., seeking comment have gone unreturned. Both companies share one Marlborough address and phone number.
According to the Better Business Bureau of Massachusetts website, there have been two complaints filed against FCM Builders Inc. in the last 36 months. The more recent one was “1 regarding failure to honor a contract or agreement”, and the BBB file was closed because they received no response from FCM. The prior complaint was “1 regarding improper or inferior repair” and this was “administratively closed”.
The disappointed potential buyer is very frustrated with the process and said: “The way they are doing business is very unfair to people who have put their trust in them and they won’t do what they promised – or give the money back!”
To see part two of this story go to: http://ontherisewriting.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html
Copyright 2007 CBLEGVOLD. All Rights Reserved.
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