Robert Bosworth

Healey-Driscoll Administration Unveils Historic Legislative Package for Veterans in Massachusetts

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Governor Maura T. Healey today (Nov. 9th) filed legislation to increase benefits, modernize services and promote inclusivity for Massachusetts veterans. An Act Honoring, Empowering and Recognizing Our Servicemembers and Veterans (HERO Act) will have positive impacts for hundreds of thousands of veterans living in Massachusetts, including nearly 30,000 women veterans and thousands of LGBTQ+ veterans. This historic legislation marks the first time in 20 years that a Massachusetts Governor has specifically introduced a comprehensive and expansive legislative package dedicated to the welfare of veterans.  

Some key provisions of the legislation include expanding access to behavioral health treatment, increasing benefits for disabled veterans, bolstering support for businesses that hire veterans, updating the definition of a veteran, expanding the scope of the Veterans Equality Review Board, initiating a pilot program for LGBTQ+ couples denied IVF reimbursement by the Veterans Health Administration, and codifying medical and dental benefits. 

“Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our country, and this transformative legislation marks an important step toward ensuring that Massachusetts supports them in return,” said Governor Healey. “From day one, our administration has been committed to revitalizing veterans’ services in Massachusetts and ensuring that every one of these heroes receives the benefits, resources and support that they deserve. I’m grateful to Secretary Santiago for his leadership of our state’s first veterans’ secretariat and look forward to collaboration with our legislative partners on this historic bill.” 

 “By promoting inclusivity and expanding benefits, we’re not only showing our gratitude to veterans but also addressing their evolving needs,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “This legislative package represents a significant step forward in the care and support we provide to our veterans, particularly for women and LGBTQ+ veterans.” 

“Modernizing veterans’ services is essential in ensuring our veterans receive the support they deserve,” said Secretary Jon Santiago. “We’ve identified areas where we can make meaningful changes, from enhancing benefits to providing much-needed behavioral health care.” 

The HERO Act encompasses 17 spending, policy initiatives, tax credits, and statute changes organized into three categories: 

Benefit Expansion 

  • Expands access to Behavioral Health Treatment: Allows veterans to be reimbursed for visits to outpatient behavioral health providers. 

  • Increases the Disabled Veteran Annuity: Increases the annual annuity for veterans with a 100% service-connected disability, surviving spouses, or Gold Star Parents from $2,000 to $2,500. 

  • Increases the Vet-Hire Tax Credit: Increases to $2,500 a tax credit for small businesses hiring chronically unemployed or low-income veterans. Eligible veterans include those receiving SNAP benefits, chronically unemployed veterans, and unemployed service-connected disabled veterans. 

  • Increases access to the Active-Duty Buyback program: Lengthens the timeframe for veterans in public service to participate in the Active-Duty Service Buyback program and allows retroactive participation for veterans who missed the buyback opportunity. This program will enable veterans to purchase up to four years of active-duty service time toward their state retirement.  

  • Prevents the “COLA Cliff”: Ensuring that a cost-of-living adjustment in Social Security benefits will not affect veterans’ eligibility for Chapter 115 benefits in the middle of the state fiscal year.   

  • Increases Local Flexibility for Veterans Property Tax Exemptions: Creates two separate local options. The first allows municipalities to double the veteran property tax exemption without doubling all other exemption clauses. The second ties the annual property tax abatement amount to inflation, allowing exempted property tax amounts to increase with inflation. 

  • Eliminates the Fee for Specialty License Plates for Veterans: Waives specialty license plate fees on specialty veteran license plates and creates a new woman veteran license plate decal.  

Commitment to Inclusivity and Greater Representation 

  • Broadens the Chapter 115 Definition of Veteran: Aligns the state Chapter 115 program definition of a veteran with the United States Department of Veteran Affairs definition. This change allows more veterans to be eligible for annuity, Chapter 115 benefits, access to the Massachusetts Veterans Homes, and other state-provided benefits. This only applies to EOVS programs and does not affect any other agency or entity.   

  • Expands the Scope of the Veterans Equality Review Board (VERB): Expands the scope of the Board beyond ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ discharges to include discharges related to Military Sexual Trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, mental health conditions, or HIV discharges.  

  • Expands the definition of a veteran dependent: Expanding the Chapter 115 definition of “dependent” to support more dependents based on the Family Court definition. 

  • Updates Dependent Residency Requirements to Align with Current Practices: Updating dependent residency requirements to align with current practices. 

  • Implements IVF Reimbursement for Same-Sex Couples Denied Reimbursement by VA: Launching a pilot program to provide IVF reimbursement to affected veterans while establishing a working group to explore long-term solutions in response to the federal policy excluding same-sex couples. 

Modernization of Veterans Services 

  • Codifies Dental Assistance Benefits: Ensuring veterans receive essential dental care by codifying dental benefits for Chapter 115 recipients. 

  • Codifies Medical Assistance Benefits: Providing consistent care to veterans by codifying medical assistance benefits. 

  • Codifies Authority for Veterans Cemeteries: Ensuring proper management and care of veterans cemeteries by codifying the authority for EOVS to continue administering and maintaining the state’s two Memorial Veterans Cemeteries. 

  • Modernizes statute language for inclusivity and standardization: Revise Chapters 115 and 115A to ensure gender-neutral and inclusive language while removing antiquated references.   

  • Initiates a Study on the Use of Alternative Therapies for Veteran Mental Health Disorders: Establishing a working group to study the potential benefits of alternative therapies, such as psilocybin, in treating veterans suffering from mental health disorders. 

A full breakdown of the legislation provisions can be found here.  

Statements of Support: 

Patrick George, President, Massachusetts Veteran Service Officers: 

“We would like to thank the Administration for providing a seat at the table when drafting The HERO Act. This legislation provides sensible yet substantive policy changes that aim to improve the lives of all veterans and their families in the Commonwealth.” 

 Bill LeBeau, Adjutant, Massachusetts Veterans of Foreign Wars: 

“We’re grateful to Governor Healey and her team for recognizing the need for giving back to the heroes who have served our country, both at home and overseas. With this bill, the Healey-Driscoll Administration demonstrates a real commitment to accomplishing outcomes for our Veterans that will be meaningful and impactful in so many ways; it also sends a signal that more needs to be done to support them.” 

 Sarah Sweeney, Executive Director, Military Friends Foundation 

“For over 2 decades, Military Friends Foundation has provided support to our military and their families across the Commonwealth. The HERO Act is a tangible recognition of those who have served and their families and is a tremendous example of how Massachusetts continues to keep faith with those who have worn the uniform and their families. The HERO Act will empower veterans to further seek mental health assistance when they need it, create a broader definition for their dependents, aid them in finding improved employment opportunities, and even enhance retirement benefits for veterans. Thank you to those involved in spearheading these critical initiatives to serve Massachusetts Veterans and Gold Star Families.” 

 Gumercindo Gomez, Executive Director, Bilingual Veterans Outreach Center 

“The Bilingual Veterans Outreach Centers of Mass Inc. Congratulates and thanks the Healey-Driscoll Administration for putting our veterans first! I sincerely appreciate the bill’s commitment to representing and serving all veteran populations, especially to help them navigate the benefits system and mental-health resources.”  

 Jeff Chin, Blue Star Families, New England Chapter: 

“As a proud veteran and member of the newly formed Governor’s Advisory Council on Veterans Services, I know how important it is for our communities to support our service members, veterans, and military families. We wholeheartedly throw our support behind this effort because it improves the quality of life for our service members, past and present. The HERO Act goes a long way in helping veterans of all backgrounds, including reimbursing outpatient mental-health visits and giving veterans up to 10 years to buy back their active-duty service. As an Executive Director for an organization that serves military families of all backgrounds, and as a clinical social worker, I see firsthand how the resources enabled by the HERO act provide the crucial support our veterans and their families need to thrive.” 

 John Paradis, Veterans Advocacy Coalition: 

“This is an exciting day. I’m heartened to see that, through our grassroots advocacy, the voices of veterans and their families have been heard. I’d like to thank Governor Healey and Secretary Santiago for their tenacious support and for their outreach to the veteran community. Because of their unwavering support, our Commonwealth is making a big step forward in helping Massachusetts veterans achieve the full range of benefits and services they have earned through their service to our nation.” 

Tony Agnitti, Co-Founder, Agnitti Insurance Agency: 

“As a family-owned business, we consider it an honor to hire veterans. Their sense of selflessness and giving towards their country carries over to our business. We are incredibly supportive of the incentives that Governor Healey’s bill provides for small businesses to hire veterans, it’s a no-brainer.”  

 Jenny D’Olympia, PsyD, Director, Military Veteran Psychology and Train Vets to Treat Vets Program and Angela Taveira-Dick, PhD, Associate Director, Train Vets to Treat Vets Program at William James College: 

“We commend Governor Healey and her administration for passing the HERO Act. This unprecedented piece of legislation not only serves to increase annuity payments, provide tax credits for hiring veterans, and safeguards veterans’ benefits but also demonstrates an unwavering commitment to implementing solutions that will immediately impact veterans’ social determinants of health. These actions and others like it, will no doubt serve to strengthen and protect the mental health and wellbeing of veterans in the Commonwealth. We feel fortunate to be in a state that is leading the nation in supporting the needs of our national heroes and their families.”   

 John Parsons, Executive Director, Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission: 

“Providing veterans working for state and local government additional time to purchase their military service is the right thing to do and it’s a win-win all around. It’s the right thing because veterans are entitled to this benefit for the sacrifices they made and they need the extra time to transition to civilian life and build a solid financial footing. It’s a win-win because we are recognizing veterans for what they gave, there is no cost to active-duty buyback provision and it provides an incentive to keep talented, dedicated individuals in the public workforce. Additionally, veterans who missed their initial opportunity at this benefit are given a grace period to now do so. This will all help veterans get what they are due.”

 C. Andrew McCawley, President and CEO, New England Center and Home for Veterans: 

“The staff at the New England Center and Home for Veterans is acutely aware of the challenges that our most vulnerable Veterans can face in their lives after military service. Veterans who may struggle with physical disabilities, behavioral health and disenfranchisement are especially at-risk. The Healey Administration’s HERO Act, once again, demonstrates that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts leads this nation in supporting those who have served.” 

Richard D. Siciliano, 78

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Richard D. Siciliano, age 78, of Norwell, died peacefully, Friday, November 3, 2023 at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, after a long illness, in the presence of his loving wife.

Richard D. Siciliano

Richard was born in Boston, to the late Joseph and Mary (Marciante) Siciliano. Raised and educated in the West End and Dorchester, he was a graduate of the former Boston Trade High School, Class of 1963.

He lived in Norwell for fifty years, previously in Quincy.

Richard was a master electrician for most of his life. Later in his career, he also worked in property management.

He enjoyed spending time in Mexico, going on cruises, and vacationing. Richard had a passion for gardening and flowers, and listening to music of all genres. He was active in antiquing, and had a knack for restoring old pieces. He was also an avid reader.

Beloved husband for fifty-five years of Rita F. (Keaney) Siciliano.

Devoted father of the late Richard D. Siciliano, Jr.

Loving brother of Joanne Emma of North Reading and her late husband Charles, Maureen Siciliano of Quincy, Joseph Siciliano and his wife Cheryl of Whitman, and the late Anthony S. Siciliano.

Dear brother-in-law of the late Patrick M. Keaney and Robert J. Keaney, and son-in-law of the late Rita L. (O’Brien) and John J. Keaney, Jr.

Richard is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Memorial Visitation will be held at the Sweeney Brothers Home for Funerals, 1 Independence Avenue, Quincy, on Saturday, November 18, from 8:45 – 10:15 a.m. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Immediately following the visitation, a Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Saint John the Baptist Church, 44 School Street, Quincy, at 11 o’clock.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Richard’s memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or to the charity of your choice.

You are invited to visit www.thesweeneybrothers.com or call 617-472-6344.

Joseph P. Lordan, Jr., 88

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Joseph P. Lordan, Jr., 88, of East Falmouth passed away on Sunday, October 29, 2023.  Born in Boston son of the late Madelene M. (Menz) and Joseph P. Lordan, Sr.

He was a Boston firefighter for 33 years. He was stationed at Ladder 23 Firehouse in Grove Hall area for many years.  Joe loved his job and all his Firefighter Brothers.

Dear brother of Marlene Burke and her husband Paul and the late Betty O’Sullivan.  Loving uncle of Martin O’Sullivan, Marlene and her husband Joe Gorforth, Margaret O’Sullivan, Maureen Gilman and her husband Kam, Jennifer Gregory and her husband Adecanel, Daniele Burke, Tyler Desmond and the late Michele Burke, Paul J. Burke and Marie Desmond and her surviving husband Henry.  We miss and love you “Uncle JoJo”.

Memorial Service will be held at Christ Church Episcopal, 12 Quincy Ave., Quincy on Sunday, November 26 at 11:30AM.

Robert L. McLaughlin, 86

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Robert L. “Bob” McLaughlin, a longtime resident of Quincy, passed away on Tuesday, October 17, 2023. He was 86.

Robert L. McLaughlin

He was born in Quebec City, Canada, to Beryl (Houston) and Leo McLaughlin and raised in Quebec.  When he was 17, he moved to the US, and enlisted into the Navy shortly after his arrival.  After serving, Bob met Maureen Guillotte who soon became his wife.  They started their lives in Brookline but soon purchased a home in Quincy where they would spend the remainder of their time together.  Bob worked for the Boston Gas Company as a collection specialist for many years, while also working a multitude of side jobs before retiring.

In his spare time, enjoyed traveling and had a home in Fort Lauderdale, FL he frequented with friends.  He was not a planner and couldn’t be pinned down because he knew that life potentially had one to offer him.  He marched to the beat of his own drum and could be considered unpredictable in the best possible way.  When he was home, he was a man of simple pleasures.  He enjoyed spending time with his friends and his beloved cats.  He loved to eat out and frequented restaurants, bakeries and fairs like the Big E and the Topsfield Fair.

Bob was a character and had a great sense of humor.  He always had a joke up his sleeve but was as honest as they come.  He truly wore his heart on his sleeve and told it like it was.  He will be missed by all who knew him.

Beloved husband of the late Maureen McLaughlin.  Dear friend to Maureen Brady of Bridgewater, Tom Casey and his wife Janet of Dorchester and Janet Whelton of Dedham.

Friends are welcome to celebrate Bob at a funeral service held at Keohane Funeral Home, 785 Hancock Street, Quincy, on Saturday, November 18th at 11 AM.

Patricia A. Kasparian, 81

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Patricia A. “Pat” (Cyr) Kasparian, 81, of Quincy died peacefully on Saturday, November 4, 2023 in her home surrounded by and holding the hand of her loving daughter, Pamela and son in law David A. Smith Sr.  She passed peacefully after having the opportunity to say goodbye to her children, grandchildren, friends, and family.

Patricia A. Kasparian

Born in Boston on July 10, 1942, she was raised in Somerville.

Pat was a loving and dedicated mother and nana. She cherished caring for her family. Her happiest moments were holding her grandchildren and watching them grow.

Pat had a strong work ethic. She worked for an alarm company as a dispatcher. She retired at 72.

Pat had a zest for life and enjoyed traveling with her lifelong friends, “the Risquettes”.  Two of her favorite places were Foxwoods and Las Vegas where she saw her favorite shows, Cher and Celine Dion. She was also a fervent Bingo player!

Despite a stroke at 72, she defied the odds, fought back, and pressed on, living her life to the fullest. One of her most proud and memorable experiences was taking her entire family on a cruise to Alaska.

Pat was the devoted wife of the late Joseph Kasparian Jr., who died in 2016.  She was a loving mother and friend to her daughters Pamela Ann Smith of Quincy and Lisa Ann Lamb of Norwell.  Pat was kind and supportive of her two caring and compassionate sons in law, David Anthony Smith Sr. and Robert Lamb of Norwell. Pat was an adoring Nana to: Joseph Kasparian Smith of Brighton, David A. Kasparian Smith Jr. of Quincy, Drew Kasparian Smith of Weymouth, Zachary Austin Lamb, Allison Lucy Lamb and Travis Robert Lamb of Norwell.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to greet the family during the visiting hours on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, 4-7 PM in the Keohane Funeral Home, 785 Hancock St., QUINCY.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held in the funeral home at 10 AM on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, prior to the Graveside Service at 11 AM in Pine Hill Cemetery, Quincy.

All are lovingly welcome to join and celebrate Pat Kasparian’s life.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Pat’s memory may be sent to the Alzheimer’s Clinical and Translational Research Unit (ACTRU) and mailed to Massachusetts General  Hospital Developmental Office, 125 Nashua Street, Suite 540, Boston, MA 02114 or made online at https://giving.massgeneral.org/donate; please be sure to indicate that the gift is a tribute gift in memory Patricia A. “Pat” Kasparian.

See www.Keohane.com for directions and online condolences.

MA Public Health Officials Urge Residents to Get Vaccinated Ahead of the Holiday Season

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As the weather gets colder and with holiday gatherings just around the corner, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) urges residents to get vaccinated.

“With Thanksgiving just two weeks away, now is a great time for those preparing to celebrate with friends and loved ones to get vaccinated for flu, COVID-19, and RSV, if eligible. Getting vaccinated now will maximize protection against these respiratory viruses,” said Public Health Commissioner Robert Goldstein, MD, PhD. “We want Massachusetts residents to have a safe, healthy, and fun holiday season and part of that is getting vaccinated to protect yourself and those around you.”

Everyone 6 months and older should get a seasonal flu vaccine and an updated COVID-19 vaccine, both of which can take up to two weeks to take full effect to protect against infection, serious illness and hospitalization, and reduce the chances of suffering the effects of Long COVID. The updated COVID-19 vaccine is effective against current variants and widely available for little or no cost to Massachusetts residents. Vaccine location information is available at mass.gov/CovidVaccine. Residents who cannot get to a vaccination location can schedule an appointment for in-home COVID and flu vaccination by going to mass.gov/VaccinesAtHome or calling 833-983-0485.

DPH is working with hospitals and providers to encourage vaccination of staff and patients. Through its Vaccine Equity Initiative, DPH is working closely with communities of color and other populations and communities hardest-hit by COVID-19 to improve access to vaccination. Through partnerships with community organizations, DPH will hold COVID-19 and flu clinics in many community locations and at upcoming cultural events. A listing of these community clinics that are accepting appointments and, in some locations, walk-ins, is updated weekly and can be found at mass.gov/MobileVax.

In addition to flu and COVID-19 vaccination, many people are eligible for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination this year, including pregnant people, newborns, and many people 60 and older. COVID-19, flu, and RSV are the three viruses that are most likely to cause severe disease resulting in hospitalization and sometimes death.

While the holidays are a time for gathering, public health officials advise that if you are feeling unwell, you should stay home, get tested, and, if you test positive for flu or COVID-19, get treatment to prevent the spread of illness.

“Adding vaccinations to your holiday season to-do list is one of the best gifts you can give yourself and people you’ll gather with, especially older adults, people who are immunocompromised, and pregnant people, who are at higher risk for severe complications,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Catherine Brown. “While it’s never too late to get your COVID or flu shots, getting vaccinated sooner rather than later will provide increased protection ahead of holiday celebrations, the start of winter, and peak respiratory disease season.”

Massachusetts State Treasurer Warns Citizens of Fraudulent Phone Calls

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Illegitimate calls are being made claiming to be from the Massachusetts Office of the State Treasurer. The calls state, “you owe money to the Treasury to avoid an arrest for drug possession.”

According to Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, these calls are a scam and have not been made by Treasury.

The Treasurer and her office want to ensure that no citizen is taken advantage of as part of this scam. The Treasurer’s office does not call people to collect money. If you receive a call like this, please contact the Treasurer’s office immediately at 617-367-6900 to confirm legitimacy.

Quincy Voters Decide 5 Contested Races Tuesday; Polls Open 7 A.M. To 8 P.M.

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By SCOTT JACKSON

Thirty-five percent of Quincy’s 63,700 registered voters are expected to cast ballots in Tuesday’s municipal election, which features contested races for mayor, City Council and School Committee.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday.

Topping the ballot in this year’s election is the contest for mayor between the incumbent, Mayor Thomas Koch, a Newbury Avenue resident, and Councillor at-large Anne Mahoney, a Ferriter Street resident. Koch has served as mayor since 2008 having been elected in the prior year’s municipal election. Mahoney has served as councillor at-large for six years after serving a dozen years on the School Committee.

This is the third time Koch and Mahoney have run against each other for mayor. Koch bested her in the final election in 2011. In the 2015 preliminary election, Mahoney finished fourth in a four-person field, behind Koch, former Mayor William Phelan, and then Councillor Douglas Gutro. Koch would defeat Phelan in the final election that year.

The winner of this year’s mayoral contest will be elected to a four-year term that runs through the end of 2027.

The ballot also includes contested City Council races in Wards 2, 4 and 6.

The Ward 2 race sees incumbent Anthony Andronico of Nicholl Street facing a challenge from Richard Ash of Mound Street. Andronico has served on the council since January 2021, when he was appointed to the seat following the resignation of long-time Ward 2 Councillor Brad Croall; Andronico had been serving on the School Committee at the time. This is Ash’s first time on the ballot though he put himself forward as a candidate for the vacant seat in 2021.

In Ward 4, incumbent James Devine of Cross Street is facing a challenge from Matthew Lyons of Centre Street. Devine was sworn-in in February after winning a special election that month to serve out the remainder of long-time Ward 4 Councillor Brian Palmucci’s term. Lyons had run in that special election as well, finishing third in a four-person preliminary.

In Ward 6, incumbent William Harris of Ashworth Road is facing a challenge from Deborah Riley of Landgrane Street. Harris was appointed to the seat in April 2016 following the death of long-time Ward 6 Councillor Brian McNamee. This is Riley’s first run for office.

Ward 1 Councillor David McCarthy of Whitney Road and Ward 3 Councillor Ian Cain of Forbes Hill Road are both unopposed this year. McCarthy was first elected to the council in 2017 and Cain was first elected in 2015.

In Ward 5, incumbent Charles Phelan Jr. opted not to seek reelection. Daniel Minton, a retired Quincy police lieutenant and a resident of Sims Road, is running unopposed for that seat.

In the councillor at-large race, three candidates are running unopposed for three seats. The field includes incumbents Noel DiBona of Chickatabot Road and Nina Liang of Grandview Avenue, both of whom were first elected to the council in 2015, as well as first-time candidate Scott Campbell of Rockland Street.

All city councillors are elected to two-year terms.

Six candidates are running for three seats on the School Committee this year.

All three school board members whose terms expire at the end of the year – Paul Bregoli of Willow Avenue, Kathryn Hubley of Marion Street and Frank Santoro of Lois Terrace – are running for reelection. Bregoli and Hubley were first elected to their seats in 2011. Santoro was elected to his seat in 2019; he had previously served two terms on the committee.

The school board race includes three challengers as well – Courtney Perdios of Ruggles Street, Liberty Schaaf of Howe Street and Vincent Tran of East Elm Avenue. Perdios previously served on the committee in 2021 after she was appointed to the seat vacated by Andronico; she finished fourth in that fall’s election. Schaaf also ran in 2021, finishing in fifth place. Tran is making his first run for office.

School Committee members serve staggered four-year terms, meaning three candidates are on the ballot every two years. The remaining three incumbents – Tina Cahill, Douglas Gutro and Emily Lebo – were elected to their terms in 2021 and those seats will next be on the ballot in 2025. The mayor is the seventh member of the committee and serves as its chairperson.

While Tuesday is Election Day, more than 3,330 Quincy residents have already cast ballots, taking advantage of the option to vote early or by mail. As of Monday afternoon, City Clerk Nicole Crispo said 3,153 early and mail-in ballots had been returned, along with 239 absentee ballots.

All ballots must be received at City Hall by 8 p.m. on Tuesday; ballots received after the deadline will not be counted regardless of when they are postmarked.

Residents who have not yet returned their ballots are advised to bring them to City Hall at 1305 Hancock St., where they can be placed in a drop-box outside the main entrance or brought to the Elections Department on the second floor of the glass annex building. Ballots cannot be returned to a polling place on Tuesday; voters who do so will be given the chance of casting a new ballot and having the first one marked as spoiled.

The secretary of state’s website has a tool for voters to track the status of their ballot.

All ballots received prior to Tuesday will be centrally tabulated at City Hall on Election Day, Crispo. Ballots that are received Tuesday will be counted at the polling places.

For residents who do plan to vote in-person on Tuesday, ten of the city’s polling places have changed since last year. The updated list of polling places can be found at the end of this story and on the Election Department’s webpage. You can also visit the secretary of state’s website to find your polling place.

Crispo expects 35 percent of the city’s registered voters will cast ballots by the time polls close on Tuesday, based on turnout in previous mayoral elections. The turnout in the 2019 mayoral election was 24.57 percent and in 2015 it was 41 percent.

Sabrina Tarulli, 54

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Sabrina Tarulli, age 54, of Quincy, died peacefully, Tuesday, October 31, 2023 at Boston Medical Center, surrounded by her loving family.

Sabrina Tarulli

Sabrina was born in Rome, Italy. She immigrated to the United States with her family in 1971 at the age of two and was raised and educated in Quincy. Sabrina was a graduate of Quincy High School, Class of 1986, and earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Throughout her life, Sabrina had a passion for fitness, healthcare, and nutrition. She integrated these interests with her professional endeavors.

Sabrina began her career working in healthcare. Following her graduation from college, she worked in human services. She went on to become a traditional belly dancer and was well known throughout New England for both teaching and dancing. She most recently worked as a surgical technician at Boston Medical Center.

She was a member of the Life Community Church in Quincy.

Sabrina was an altruistic person who enjoyed people and animals.

Beloved daughter of Rosolino and Maria Elisa (Pace) Tarulli of Quincy.

Devoted sister of Maria Tarulli-Sala and her husband Claudio of Quincy, and Lisa Tarulli Breeden of Weymouth.

Loving aunt of Victoria, Olivia, and Joseph.

A celebration of Sabrina’s life will be held in the Life Community Church Quincy, 158 Washington Street, Quincy, on Saturday, December 2, from 2 – 4 p.m. Relatives and friends are invited to attend.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Sabrina’s memory may be made to the Quincy Animal Shelter, P.O. Box 690088, Quincy, MA 02269 or the Life Community Church Quincy, 158 Washington Street, Quincy, MA 02169.

You are invited to visit www.thesweeneybrothers.com or call 617-472-6344.