News

By SCOTT JACKSON

A man from Hull is facing several charges after Quincy police said he rammed a pair of police vehicles and struck two other cars while driving a stolen van.

Steven Ford, age 49, of Hull was due to be arraigned Friday at Quincy District Court on charges of receiving a stolen vehicle subsequent offense, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, failure to stop for a police officer, operating a motor vehicle recklessly, leaving the scene of an accident, and outstanding arrest warrant.

Quincy police said that at approximately 2:48 p.m. on Thursday, an undercover officer queried the registration status of a white Chevrolet work van that was being driven in the vicinity of School and Franklin streets. The query showed the vehicle was reported stolen out of Brockton the previous day.

Officers attempted to stop the Chevrolet, at which point the van rammed into two Quincy police vehicles and a third car in an attempt to flee, police said, and the operator of the Chevrolet drove into the rear of a fourth vehicle while fleeing toward the highway. The van made it onto I-93 southbound, driving in the breakdown lane, and then Route 28 northbound in Milton.

State Troopers found the stolen vehicle crashed at the Blue Hills Ski Resort on Washington Street in Canton. State and Quincy police searched the area and were able to locate the suspect, Ford, hiding inside an office that handles ski rentals for the resort, police said. Ford was taken into custody and taken to Milton Hospital for evaluation.

By SCOTT JACKSON

The holiday season is now upon us, and local charities are looking for your assistance to help out the families and residents they serve.

Quincy’s charities report they are serving more clients this year than they have in years past as the rising costs of housing, utilities, food and other household expenses are impacting many in the community. To help keep pace with the rising demand, those charities need additional assistance from those who can give.

Residents who can help can do so in myriad ways, such as giving food, toys, household supplies, money and gift cards. Charities are also in need of volunteers – not just during the holiday season, but year-round.

Below is a list of some of the local organizations making a difference this year and how the public can land them a hand.

Interfaith Social Services

Interfaith Social Services provided meals to 1,600 households this Thanksgiving and will distribute 4,000 gifts to children this holiday season, according to Executive Director Rick Doane. Inflation, federal benefit cuts and the high cost of housing in our region have brought a record-setting number of new clients to Interfaith in search of assistance.

Interfaith operates one of the largest emergency food programs in Greater Boston. Each year its food pantry distributes more than 90,000 bags of groceries and hygiene supplies to clients in Quincy and across the South Shore. In addition, Interfaith operates a mental health counseling center, homelessness prevention program and the Bureau Drawer Thrift Shop.

The organization’s food pantry serves thousands of local residents each month, said Doane, and Interfaith is always in need of monetary donations to support its emergency food program. Interfaith places a priority on providing clients with healthy, fresh foods and funds are always needed to supplement rescued food and donated nonperishables with fresh produce, meats, eggs and dairy.

Interfaith believes that hygiene is a right and not a luxury. The organization asks that donors collect personal care items, such as shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap and deodorant. Interfaith is also always in need of feminine hygiene products, diapers (especially larger sizes), personal care items and incontinence products. There are no federal assistance programs to cover any of these necessities.

Donations can be dropped off at Interfaith’s building at 105 Adams St. in Quincy Center from 12-3 p.m. Monday through Friday and until 7 p.m. on Tuesdays. Items can also be purchased through Amazon and shipped directly to Interfaith’s offices.

Interfaith relies on volunteers year-round. Doane said the organization is always looking for residents who can make a commitment to volunteer for three hours each week for at least several months.

“Interfaith Social Services was founded in 1947,” said Doane. “For more than 75 years, countless Quincy residents have been served by our programs and it is all possible because of the culture of neighbors helping neighbors that exists in our community. We are incredibly grateful to the city of Quincy and its residents that make our work possible.”

For more information, visit interfaithsocialservices.org or call 617-773-6203.

The Salvation Army

For more than 125 years, The Salvation Army of Quincy has provided Christmas assistance to families, providing them with toys, gifts, clothing, and food, said Capt. Adam Boynton. With more people in need, they are asking for your help.

There are several ways you can make change happen, Boynton said.

The Salvation Army’s biggest fundraiser of the year is the Red Kettle Campaign. Boynton said the goal is to raise $100,000 during the campaign, which runs from Nov. 18 to Dec. 23. Money collected from the Red Kettle Campaign supports The Salvation Army year-round.

“With the economic struggles of this past year, and the looming utility price increases, we’ll need even more funds to help meet the need,” Boynton said.

“Please consider donating as you pass a Red Kettle located a Walmart, Star Market, Shaw’s, Hobby Lobby, South Shore Plaza, and Stop & Shop. Think about it, if even half of the residents of Quincy gave $5, we would exceed our goal!”

The Salvation Army also needs individuals, families, businesses, or service groups who can sponsor children to purchase clothing and toy items for its clients. Children’s names, ages, gender, clothing sizes, and toy wishes are placed on an angel tag, which is given to the sponsor. You would shop for the child and then return the gifts to The Salvation Army, located on Baxter Street.

To sponsor a child and obtain angel tags, you can contact the Salvation Army office at 617-472-2345.

“We are blessed by the generosity of this community,” Boynton said. “We look to you again with anticipation and know that with your help, we can rise to meet the needs of our neighbors.”

Father Bill’s & MainSpring

Residents looking to help out Father Bill’s & MainSpring (FBMS) this year can visit helpfbms.org/holidays to find out the various ways to assist your neighbors who are facing a housing crisis.

FBMS’ top need is monetary donations to help the organization assist the growing number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness in our region. Particularly during the winter, FBMS relies on private monetary donations to increase its shelter capacity to try to ensure that no one has to sleep outside or in their car.

As the kitchen in FBMS’ brand-new Yawkey Housing Resource Center gets up and running, the agency is in need of prepared meals and bagged lunches to help during this transition period. If you can help, please email volunteer@helpfbms.org or call 857-275-7454.

To assist families in need, FBMS is requesting gift cards in lieu of presents. Gift cards provide families with the most flexibility. Gift cards can be provided in any denomination from any large stores, such as CVS, Shaw’s, Stop & Shop, Target and Walmart.

To donate high-need items to FBMS, visit tinyurl.com/amazonfbms for a full list of items and to ship them directly to FBMS. This winter, shelter guests are in need of winter boots, hand and feet warmers, gloves, thermals, hooded sweatshirts and sweatpants (men’s & women’s brands, all sizes), and underwear.

Donations can be dropped off or mailed to: Father Bill’s & MainSpring, 430 Belmont St., Brockton, MA 02301. Donations are processed in Brockton, then distributed to the Yawkey Housing Resource Center (HRC) in Quincy.

Father Bill’s & MainSpring serves more than 5,000 households annually, including more than 900 individuals at its Quincy shelter. The agency also operates more than 700 permanent supportive housing units across Southern Massachusetts, including more than 300 units in the Quincy area alone.

DOVE

The annual holiday assistance program at DOVE (Domestic Violence Ended) is underway. Please join the organization in supporting families impacted by domestic violence and poverty.

To participate, email dove.elfteam@gmail.com.

DOVE will provide a list of options where donors can choose to support a specific family, donate general goods to the shelter or help support its much needed general gift-card drive to support families through the holidays and beyond.

Donors who choose to adopt a specific family will receive their family’s holiday gift card wish list no later than Dec. 1. To ensure that each of DOVE’s more than 150 families receive their gifts before the holidays, donors should schedule a drop off time no later than Dec. 13.

DOVE will provide you with the address of its drop-off location in Quincy.

If you wish to make a financial contribution to support DOVE’s work, or the holiday assistance program, see DOVE’s website, dovema.org, or email Jessica.Cohen@dovema.org.

Quincy Community Action Programs

Local individuals and families are facing some of the most critical financial challenges that Quincy Community Action Programs, Inc. (QCAP) has witnessed since the organization’s founding in 1965.

Local food insecurity remains alarmingly high, and is compounded by the need for housing and heating assistance as rents continue to skyrocket. Many elderly, adults and children are facing the threat of hunger and homelessness, with little relief in sight.

The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Quincy is $2,772 per month, equating to over $33,000 per year. A single parent making minimum wage grosses less than this at $31,200 per year. In order to spend 30 percent of income on housing, the household income would need to be over $99,000 annually. This is simply out of reach for many households.

QCAP is seeing this reflected in those reaching out for help. QCAP’s Housing Program is experiencing a 40 percent increase in clients reaching out for housing search assistance. Last winter, QCAP had a record number of people apply for food and fuel assistance, and the staff expects to see the same this year.  In addition, the income level of those reaching out for help at the food pantry is lower than ever previously seen, indicating the depths of the economic impacts on those in need.

“We are seeing not only people with very low incomes coming in for help, but also those whose income puts them just over the emergency assistance eligibility criteria for housing. For those people there are extremely limited resources,” said CEO Beth Ann Strollo.

In response to the growing need, QCAP opened the expanded South West Community Center (SWCC) in November of 2022. The SWCC is home to a larger food pantry, in addition to other QCAP services such as financial coaching, family engagement activities, and critical housing, energy and child care assistance. To support families during the holiday season, the SWCC distributes holiday gifts and meals in addition to the regular monthly food orders.

QCAP provided over 650 full Thanksgiving dinners this year and expects to distribute an additional 650 holiday food orders, including hams, during December.

Suggested holiday donations include frozen turkeys and other holiday meal essentials, including cranberry jelly, turkey gravy, canned pie ingredients, and cooking oil and spices. Food donations to QCAP’s food center help to fill gaps caused by an increased need over the last 18 months, and they help supply the pantry with items that are more difficult to find.

In addition to holiday meals, QCAP will also be providing gifts to nearly 1,000 children with gifts this holiday season. These children include those enrolled at the South West Community Center’s Food & Nutrition Program and children who attend QCAP’s Head Start early learning center.

The South West Community Center is accepting donations of food as well as gifts for children 12 and under through Dec. 20. More information on the Holiday Food & Gift Drive can be found at qcap.org.

In addition, there is an ongoing need at the Center for donations of non-food items such as cleaning supplies, toilet paper, feminine products, soap, and toothpaste and toothbrushes.

“With the cost of food and housing on the rise, families are faced with difficult decisions about whether to pay their rent, their heating costs, or put food on their tables. A donation to QCAP helps us ensure that households get healthy, nutritious food and other critical wrap-around services,” said COO Kristen Schlapp.

The pantry at the Center is accessible to clients and donors five days a week. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays.  Wednesdays it is open later – from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. – to accommodate working families. For more information on the services the food center provides or donations needed, please call 617-471-0796.

QCAP also provides heating assistance to residents in Quincy, Braintree, Milton, and Weymouth. Heating assistance can help significantly reduce monthly bills, even if heat is included in the rent. For more information on this, please call 617-657-5301 or visit qcap.org.

Rental assistance is also available through QCAP’s housing program. QCAP has helped families avoid eviction through rental assistance funding and advocacy.  For more information on eligibility, please call 617-657-5376 or visit qcap.org.

“We would not be able to do the work we do during these challenging times without the support of a caring community, we are grateful for the ongoing support of our community, volunteers, and donors,” Strollo said.

For more information on how to support the Holiday Food & Gift Drive, please contact QCAP’s Director of Development & Marketing, Anna DeBiasi at adebiasi@qcap.org.

Quincy Animal Shelter

Those looking to help out our four-legged friends can do so this holiday season by supporting the Quincy Animal Shelter.

Sandra Sines, president of the Quincy Animal Shelter’s board of directors, said there are several items the shelter is most in need of this year. They include gift cards to any grocery store or pet store; unscented bleach; Dawn Original Blue dish detergent; Stewart dried liver treats for dogs; and Fancy Feast or Friskies canned food for cats.

For more information, you can visit quincyanimalshelter.org or call 617-376-1349.

Norfolk County Registry of Deeds

The cost of living has become increasingly challenging for many individuals and families across Norfolk County, making it difficult to afford basic necessities such as food, which can be especially difficult during the holiday season when the pressure to provide for loved ones is heightened. Between now and Dec. 14, the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds is hosting a food drive to help out those in need.

“There is no doubt that Norfolk County is a desirable place to live and to work. However, there are people throughout the county who are truly hurting,” said Register of Deeds William P. O’Donnell. “This year, we, as a community, have seen a rising demand for food assistance, and it is crucial that we come together to support those in need. By participating in the annual Registry of Deeds food drive, we can make a significant impact this holiday season.”

According to the latest Project Bread statistics, 18.8 percent of households in Massachusetts are considered food insecure. Furthermore, 21.9 percent of children in the state are also considered food insecure. The increasing cost of housing and food are likely factors that contribute to the rising rates of food insecurity. ​

“As the holidays approach, there is definitely a need for more food assistance. Household expenses are higher due to the cost of home heating fuel, food bills, and increased interest rates. Some Norfolk County families are hit harder by these increased costs and worry about putting food on the table this holiday season. So, let us be mindful during this Thanksgiving season that others may need our help,” O’Donnell said.

Non-perishable food items can be brought directly to the Registry of Deeds, which is located at 649 High St. in Dedham. A donation bin is available in the building’s lobby and food can be dropped off Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Suggested donations include canned goods, breakfast cereals, pasta, sauces, toiletries, and paper products.

If you can’t get to the Registry of Deeds building to drop off food, you can check the Registry website at norfolkdeeds.org for a pantry location in your community.

The Registry of Deeds is also hosting a Toys for Tots drive for the 16th straight year. Donations of new, unwrapped toys for children ages 10 and under can be brought to a donation bin in the Registry’s during business hours between now and 10 a.m. on Dec. 8.

Toys For Tots

The US Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is celebrating its 76th year this holiday season. Marines and volunteers will be collecting donations at locations across the country through Dec. 11.

Donations of new, unwrapped toys can be brought to one of the many participating locations, the complete list of which can be found online at toysfortots.org. Participating locations in Quincy include: Ashlar Park at 100 Whitwell St.; ATCK Fitness at 100 Walter Hannon Pkwy.; Meineke Car Care at 662 Southern Arty.; Northeast Addiction Treatment Center at 36 Miller Stile Rd.; and Quincy Credit Union at 100 Quincy Ave.

While the organization does not publish a list of acceptable toys, realistic-looking weapons and items with food should not be donated and will not be distributed.

By SCOTT JACKSON

The outdoor ice rink in Quincy Center is set to open for the season on Friday, giving members of the public the chance to skate for free.

The ice rink, located on the Parkingway just south of the Generals Bridge, will be open daily from noon to 8 p.m. starting on Friday. It will remain open through February.

There will be no charge for ice time, said Chris Walker, the chief of staff to Mayor Thomas Koch. Skate rentals will also be available at no cost. Skate times will be done in one-hour intervals to allow for cleaning of the rink.

Additional programming – for specific age groups and formal vacation activities – will be added by the city’s recreation department as the season continues, Walker said. The department will also determine whether or not reservations are required based on usage of the rink.

The city hired Ice Rink Events LLC to create the 120-foot by 60-foot, fully refrigerated ice rink, and to run the facility this winter. Ice Rink Events is the same firm that operates the seasonal ice rink at New York City’s Bryant Park.

Because the rink is fully refrigerated, it does not need cold weather to operate. Koch previously said the city had been considering such an amenity for several years and determined one would only be worthwhile if it was not dependent upon the ups and downs of winter temperatures in New England.

“It’s really going to add something special to all of the holiday and winter activities we do for our families every year, and I’m excited that we’re able to pull it together after a lot of thought and planning,” the mayor said.

The cost of the rink and its operations is $200,000. Funding for the rink will come from the city’s district improvement financing program, in which construction and improvements to the downtown are funded by new property taxes generated by the district.

By SCOTT JACKSON

City councillors on Monday approved Mayor Thomas Koch’s request to take by eminent domain the IHOP building in Quincy Center for $9.45 million, setting the stage for future redevelopment of the site that could include a new specialty grocery store, some 300 apartments and a new municipal parking garage with up to 800 spaces.

Councillors approved the request to take the 40,633-square-foot parcel at 119 Parkingway in an 8-0 vote. Councillor Nina Liang was not present at Monday’s meeting.

James Fatseas, the city’s planning director, said the acquisition of the site – which is home to both IHOP and Health Express – would allow the city to move forward with a land disposition agreement for the property. That agreement, which would let the city flip the land to a third-party developer, would need to be approved by the City Council.

“The completion of the acquisition process will allow the city to move forward with the next steps, which include a land disposition agreement and development plan for the above referenced property that will be submitted to this body in the near future,” Fatseas said.

The $9.45 million price tag for the property was based on appraisals of the site conducted on behalf of the city, said City Solicitor James Timmins.

“There was significant appraisal work done. There was an initial appraisal, a review appraisal and then an appraisal done at Attorney Masterman’s request,” said Timmins, referring to James Masterman, an attorney who specializes in eminent domain matters.

“That’s all been reviewed by the project team and the agreed upon amount is $9.45 [million].”

The city will use district improvement financing (DIF) funds to acquire the Parkingway site, Fatseas said following Monday’s meeting; the DIF program allows the city to pay back bonds using new tax revenue created in Quincy Center. Councillors had approved borrowing $53 million through the DIF program in June 2022 – the fourth DIF bond authorized since 2007 – including funds to acquire the Parkingway parcel and three others on Hancock Street among other items.

In October, DJ MacKinnon, the president of Atlantic Development, provided the Planning Board with a preliminary presentation on the plans for the IHOP site. The development would extend across Parkingway to include the city-owned parking lot on the opposite side of the street.

The development would feature 20,000 square feet of retail space on the ground level fronting McConville Way and Hannon Parkway, including a 14,435-square-foot specialty grocery store, a 3,000-square-foot bank and a 2,500-square-foot restaurant. The addition of a grocery store in Quincy Center would be beneficial to residents living in the downtown and the rest of the city, MacKinnon said at that time.

“We think this will be very exciting for the downtown,” he told the Planning Board. “It works great for Quincy residents whether they’re driving by car – it’s a great location and easy to get to, a well-known location – but also at the same time for people who are living in the downtown it’s a very walkable location making it very accessible for people who want to talk to the site.”

The grocery store – referred to in the presentation only as a “specialty grocer” – is rumored to be a Trader Joe’s. MacKinnon told the Planning Board he could not confirm it would be a Trader Joe’s and added that there is no agreement in place for the other retail spaces.

The parking garage, which the city will own, would stand eight stories tall and contain 700 to 800 spaces, MacKinnon said; some of those spaces would be set aside for residents living in the new apartments on site. Another 132 spaces would be located at the ground level and would be for the retailers.

Six floors of residential units, which MacKinnon said are likely to be apartments, would be located above the ground-level retail spaces. The apartments would surround the garage along Hannon Parkway and McConville Way. The residential component also includes about 16,000 square feet of courtyards on the second floor as well as amenity spaces and a roof deck.

The new development in Quincy Center will be similar to The Abby, MacKinnon said, the mixed-use development his company constructed at the North Quincy MBTA station. That development features 610 apartments and a Target and other retail spaces built around a parking garage.

Prior to the eminent domain taking, the site at 119 Parkingway had been owned by a subsidiary of LBC Partners, the same firm who built the Nova Quincy development at 1500 Hancock St.

The City Council would have to approve a land disposition agreement to flip the site at 119 Parkingway and other city land to Atlantic Development. The project itself would be subject to review by the Planning Board.

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.

By SCOTT JACKSON

The individual who made bombs threats against two of Quincy’s schools last week has been identified and will be charged, Supt. Kevin Mulvey said Tuesday.

Mulvey announced the individual would be charged in a letter to the school community.

“As you know, last week on October 25 and 26, 2023, Quincy High School and Point Webster Middle School received bomb threats that were called into the school offices.  These threats were very alarming and disruptive to the entire school community, not only for the two schools involved, but to all of Quincy Public Schools,” Mulvey said.  “The threats caused stress to our staff, administrators, students, and families, interrupted student learning, and diverted important community resources as the Quincy Police and Fire Departments responded to these threats.

“I am writing today to tell you how thankful I am that the investigation by the Quincy Police Department assisted by the City IT Department and their service provider identified the person who made these calls. The individual responsible has been identified and will be charged accordingly.  These are very serious charges and conviction can carry a sentence including the potential for significant criminal penalties, fines, and other restitution requirements.

“Thank you for your patience and cooperation as the investigation unfolded.  I hope that this message will serve as a deterrent for others considering making such threats.”