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Three Finalists Chosen In Quincy Superintendent Search

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By SCOTT JACKSON

The three finalists to become the next superintendent of the Quincy Public Schools have been identified and will interview with the School Committee over the next two weeks.

The three finalists are Omar Easy, the executive assistant principal for business engagement and innovation at Everett High School; Jahmal Mosley, superintendent of the Nashua, N.H., school system; and Kevin Mulvey, the interim superintendent in Quincy.

The School Committee will interview Easy on Tuesday, Aug. 4; Mulvey on Tuesday, Aug. 11; and Mosley on Thursday, Aug. 13. Each of those interviews will begin at 6 p.m. and will be open to the public.

The committee will then convene on Friday, Aug. 14, to select the new superintendent.

The school system is looking for a new superintendent for the first time in two decades. Richard DeCristofaro, the superintendent since 2001, left that position in June to become the president of Quincy College.

Twenty candidates applied for the open position. A 13-person search committee narrowed the field of applicants down to eight semifinalists who the search committee interviewed behind closed doors. The search committee had been tasked with picking three to six external candidates as finalists; internal applicants automatically qualified as finalists.

School board member Frank Santoro, who led the search committee, said there had been a fourth finalist chosen but that person withdrew their name from consideration.

To establish the selection criteria for the new superintendent, the School Committee partnered with the Massachusetts Association of School Committees to develop a leadership profile. Nearly 1,000 residents and other stakeholders responded to an online survey as part of that process, and 120 people participated in focus groups.

Baker: Out-Of-State Travelers Must Quarantine For 14 Days Or Face $500 Per Day Fine

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On Friday (July 24th) Governor Charlie Baker announced that effective Aug. 1st,  all travelers entering the Commonwealth, including both out of state residents and Massachusetts residents returning home, will be required to comply with a new travel order. The travel order and other information is available at www.mass.gov/MAtraveler.

Travel Order: Starting Aug. 1, all visitors and Massachusetts residents returning home, including students returning to campuses for the fall semester, must fill out a “Massachusetts Travel Form” and quarantine for 14 days unless they are coming from a COVID-19 lower risk state or they can produce a negative COVID-19 test result administered no more than 72 hours prior to arriving in Massachusetts, or they are included in one of the other, limited exemptions.

Individuals who get a test must remain in quarantine until they receive their negative test results. Failure to comply may result in a $500 fine per day.

Travelers are exempt from this requirement if they are coming from a state that has been designated by the Department of Public Health as a lower risk COVID-19 state or fall into another narrow exemption category.

Based on current public health data, those lower risk states will include: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Hawaii.

Traveler exemptions include people passing through the state, people commuting across state lines for work, people traveling to Massachusetts for medical treatment, people complying with military orders, or people traveling to work in federally designated critical infrastructure sectors (essential services).

Prior to travel, people should visit www.mass.gov/MAtraveler to fill out the “Massachusetts Travel Form” or text “MATraveler” to 888-777.

The list of lower risk states is subject to change based on public health data, and states may be added or taken off the list at any time.

Read the Order here.

The Administration also announced updates to the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 Mandatory Safety Standards for Workplaces to incorporate the requirements of the travel order. This included sector-specific updates for lodging, higher education, office spaces and other industry sectors.

Updated guidance: The Administration today updated guidance for lodging, offices, manufacturing, construction, labs, performance venues and indoor and outdoor events relative to the travel order. In addition, lodging operators are required to notify guests about this new travel order.

Employers are strongly discouraged from allowing business-related travel to destinations other than those appearing on the list of COVID-19 lower risk states. Employers that permit employer-paid or -reimbursed travel to those states should take measures to ensure employees comply with this order. Employers are also urged to strongly discourage their employees from taking leisure travel to destinations not included on the list of COVID-19 lower-risk states.

To read the updated guidance, click here.

All travelers and residents are required to continue to follow the Administration’s order that requires face coverings, and practice good hygiene, social distancing and regular hand washing. People should not travel to Massachusetts if they have symptoms of COVID-19. Travelers will be informed of this order and new travel guidance by airlines, passenger rail corporations, bus companies and some major travel agents when booking trips and before arrival in Massachusetts.

For more information, please visit mass.gov/MATraveler or text “MATraveler” to 888-777.

Quincy Dog Park On Quarry Street Opens

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Mayor Thomas Koch welcomes pet owners and their dogs Tuesday at the new Quincy Dog Park on Quarry Street. Here Katie Livingstone and her pup, Luna, share a moment with the mayor. Photo courtesy Lisa Aimola, Mayor’s Office.

Mayor Thomas P. Koch announces the official opening of Quincy’s first City dog park. The park is centrally located on Quarry Street and includes three separate areas for active dogs of all sizes, small dogs and senior dogs.  It is equipped with shelter pavilions, benches and watering stations.

The Stanton Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting the welfare of dogs and strengthening the human/dog bond, granted the City of Quincy $247,500 towards the park’s design and construction costs.

“The new dog park offers our community a dedicated and safe environment for dogs to exercise and for people to socialize with other pet owners and enjoy time outdoors,” Koch said. “The park is situated at the top of the hill so the area has a beautiful view and peaceful feel.”

As a reminder to the community, in accordance with Governor Charlie Baker’s guidelines for the state of Massachusetts, the City of Quincy requires face masks and the practice of proper social distancing while enjoying this new space with their pets. The use of a mask does not replace important social distancing measures. Individuals must continue to maintain more than six feet of distance from other people, wash hands regularly with soap and water and stay home when sick.

The 20-acre parcel will also be home to the future Quincy Animal Shelter/Quincy Police Canine Unit and Animal Control.

TRYSTAN CHAN of North Quincy and his dog, Luna, play at this Quincy Dog Park Tuesday morning. Photo courtesy Lisa Aimola, Mayor’s Office.