STATE OFFERS TAX AMNESTY

/

The Massachusetts Department of Revenue's tax amnesty program is underway and will last until May 31. The opportunity to catch up on back taxes and save on penalties is available to both individuals and businesses. The goal of the tax amnesty program is to bring those taxpayers who have failed to file returns or have underreported their taxes into compliance.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
• File delinquent returns or amend prior tax filings all online at mass.gov/TaxAmnesty. 
• Pay only the tax and interest owed. Tax penalties and any interest due on those penalties will be waived.
• Non-filers may benefit from a three-year limited look-back period.

"The 2016 Tax Amnesty Program is a win-win for the Commonwealth and taxpayers,” said Kristen Lepore, secretary of the Executive Office for Administration and Finance. "This is an opportunity to bring tax filers onto the books while allowing individuals and businesses to become compliant without any penalty."
A simple online amnesty return is available at mass.gov/TaxAmnesty. 
DOR will calculate the interest for each tax period and provide the total amnesty balance due. Filers will submit an electronic payment for the balance due with the amnesty return.
"I urge both individuals and businesses to step up and do the right thing and pay their back taxes with our easy-to-use online amnesty application," said Mark Nunnelly, commissioner of revenue. “After tax amnesty ends, penalties and our full enforcement measures will be back in place.”
ELIGIBILITY
Amnesty is available to any individual or business who has not currently registered with the Department of Revenue, or who has not filed a tax return that was due on or before December 31, 2015, or who has failed to report the proper tax due on a previously filed return for any tax return due on or before December 31, 2015.

COAST GUARD RESCUES TWO FISHING VESSELS IN SEPARATE INCIDENTS BOSTON

/

 Coast Guard Station Chatham and Coast Guard Station Gloucester responded to two separate reports of 65-foot fishing vessels taking on water Wednesday, one sinking southeast of Monomoy Island, the other near Gloucester.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England’s command center were notified at about 4:30 a.m. that the vessel Silver Fox was taking on water through the boat’s shaft seal about seven miles southeast of Monomoy Island. 
A 42-foot rescue boat crew from Station Chatham launched, arrived on scene with Silver Fox, and transferred a Coast Guard crewmember with two P-6 dewatering pumps.
With the pumps controlling the flooding, the Coast Guard escorted Silver Fox to Hyannis Harbor, where they moored safely at about 9 a.m. 
Meanwhile, another fishing crew aboard the 65-foot Christina Lane contacted Coast Guard Station Gloucester at about 6:45 a.m. reporting the boat was taking on water near Gloucester Harbor. 
The station launched a 47-foot motor lifeboat crew who arrived on scene, passed two P-6 dewatering pumps to the Christina Lane crew, and took the vessel in tow.
The MLB crew brought Christina Lane to the Gloucester state fish pier safely, but the high rate of flooding required dockside use of the pumps to keep the boat afloat. The owner is expected to make plans to hoist the boat from the water and affect repairs. 
“The two emergencies were similar and both had equally positive outcomes,” said Lt. Samantha Leon, command duty officer at the First District Command Center. “The boat crews got on scene early, passed working pumps quickly, and monitored closely to ensure each fishing boat got back to port safely.”

"Messages from Heaven" with spirit medium Sandy Alemian

/

We published this story about Spirit medium Sandy Alemian after her first visit to Hull, in November 2007. She's been here several times since and will return for a Boosters' fundraiser Friday night. Ticket info is in the accompanying poster.

Audience was 'in the Spirit' for area medium
By Susan Ovans

Sandy Alemian wasn’t prepared for the enthusiastic welcome the spirit of the late Michael Russo received at Hull High School Friday night.
Alemian, a “spirit medium,” was describing the personality she was channeling to Michelle Kundzicz, Russo’s sister, who was intentionally sitting alone, near the back of the Doniger Auditorium. Seated nearby, members of many long-established Hull families were nodding their heads and affirming, “Yep, that’s Michael.”
“Do you guys all know each other?” Alemian asked incredulously. “’Cause he says he feels like this is his party.”
“This is Hull,” came the laughing reply from several sources. “Everybody knows everybody.”
Russo died unexpectedly on Dec. 26 last year, suffering a heart attack while working in Florida. Kundzicz said this week that she was particularly glad to have received a message from her brother via Alemian because she had not been able to speak directly to him on Christmas Day.
“One of my greatest gifts was that Michael did talk to my son, Steven, who was stationed in Idaho with the military,” Kundzicz told the Times. “But for the first time in many years, I hadn’t been able to speak to him [Michael] on Christmas.”
And not only did Michael Russo’s spirit come through to tell his only sister that he was fine, her mother came along, too, to impart her own message of love.
Alemian explained to the nearly 150 people attending the Hull Boosters Club fundraiser that, unlike other spirit channelers, she doesn’t see dead people, but she does hear them. 
“If I saw them, I’d probably be scared to death,” she said with a laugh.
The petite woman, who conducts workshops on topics like “Healing and Changing Your Life – From the Inside Out” and communicating with people who are “in Spirit,” as Alemian terms the dead, uses hypnosis to help clients tune into their own clairvoyant gifts. Alemian asserted Friday that all people can receive messages from deceased loved ones, angels, and/or spirit guides, if they are open to them.
“Each and every one of you can connect to spirit in your own way,” she said.
The first segment of what would turn into a 3-1/2 hour forum consisted of a discussion of Alemian’s own journey into the metaphysical world, which began in 1994, when a daughter, Thalia, died at the age of 31 days. 
In her book, “Congratulations… It’s an Angel,” Alemian describes how she began to “hear angelic whispers” and learned to tune into messages that she says provided comfort and healing, as well as a new line of work for the motivational speaker. A “certified bereavement counselor” who works out of East Bridgewater, Alemian’s private practice not only deals with the spirit world but also counsels people who are experiencing challenges like the loss of a job or divorce. 
Clearly, however, most of those in attendance Friday night were hoping to reconnect with their dearly departed, and it seems that many did receive a message that resonated with truth.
One woman was asked why a spirit kept invoking an unusual lullaby. She said that her mother, now deceased, had not only sung it to her while she was small, but had typed up the lyrics and hung them in her grandchildren’s nurseries.
A large contingent seemingly was moved to tears by messages from a young male relative who had committed suicide – “died by his hand” is the way Alemian put it – then laughed as he spoke about a game “Pig Will – or something like that” that he had played with some family members, one of whom tried to explain to Alemian what he was talking about. 
Mostly, the messages were meant to be loving and comforting, to reassure the living that the dead are safe and content –
“In 10 years of doing this work, I don’t know that I’ve ever encountered anyone who’s not okay,” she said – and that spirits remain with their loved ones to help out, if one knows how to interpret the lesson. 
Alemian clearly worked hard to translate messages accurately – “Make sense?” she asked again and again – sometimes diffusing tension with a small joke or encasing a message recipient in a warm hug. 
Having talked and worked the auditorium for more than three hours, she was still revved up when the clock struck 11 and Boosters reps reminded attendees that they had to vacate the auditorium. 
Alemian apologized to those who hadn’t received the message they’d been hoping for, although as Kundzicz observed privately, it wasn’t for lack of effort. The medium had been tag-teamed by competing spirits trying to make their way through a seeming throng inside Alemian’s head. 
“It’s like she was going up the escalator while everyone else was moving down, while holiday shopping,” Kundzicz said.
For more information about the spirit medium, visit www.sandyalemian.com.

(Statehouse) POLS TRADE SWIPES, SING SONGS AT ST. PATRICK'S DAY "LOVE-IN" BRUNCH

/

POLS TRADE SWIPES, SING SONGS AT ST. PATRICK'S DAY "LOVE-IN" BRUNCH
By Michael P. Norton
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

MARCH 20, 2016.....Irish Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys won applause at Sunday morning's St. Patrick's Day breakfast when she said the Irish in Massachusetts have thrived in politics, business and culture, and called Boston "the Irish capital of America."
Noting she'd been told to expect a lot of ribbing, Humphreys picked up instead on the mostly friendly, bipartisan vibe in the South Boston breakfast hall - once a crucible where no politician left unscathed - calling the occasion a "love-in."
"I'm going to have to bring back some of this love to Ireland to help us form a new government," Humphreys said.
Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry of Dorchester hosted the event, a traditional annual gathering of top state and city elected officials who take turns trying to be funny, with hits and misses along the way.
"Céad míle fáilte. That's the native Irish expression of ten thousand welcomes," Forry said in her opening remarks. "But here in South Boston it just means get your car out of my spot."
While it's not the school of hard knocks it used to be, the breakfast at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center was hardly free of the ribbing that Humphreys anticipated and others look forward to.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren opened with a series of quick jabs.
"It seems that there are more people here this morning than all the people who voted for Jeb Bush," she said.
"You have as many college students as at a Clinton rally, the diversity of a Sanders rally, and the combined blood-alcohol of a Trump rally," she continued. "People here have been drinking since the crack of dawn and yet you're still more coherent than Donald Trump."
Warren also suggested a link between Gov. Charlie Baker's recent Utah ski trip and his party affiliation. "Must remind him of his beloved Republican Party - downhill fast."
In one line, Forry swiped at both Warren and a South Boston congressman who lives near the hall.
"Fun fact. This is real," said Forry. "Senator Warren was a Republican before she was a Democrat – kind of like Stevie Lynch, but in reverse."

Focusing on Baker, South Boston Rep. Nick Collins joined Forry, and Reps. Dan Cullinane and Dan Hunt of Dorchester for their own clapping-assisted version of "Charlie (Baker) on the MTA."
"Could he every fix it? Oh he hoped to fix it. Politics 101 is in play," they sang. "Just blame the Democrats and blame the unions. He's not owning the MBTA."
Forry teased Boston Mayor Martin Walsh about his relationship with Baker - "your BFF no doubt" - and surfaced Baker's recent secret trip to an island conference. Baker should take his high approval ratings on the road to Utah, hang out with Mitt Romney, and, Forry suggested, he "may want to check on his buddy Chris Christie."
Baker endorsed Christie just before the New Jersey governor dropped out of this year's race for president. Christie then announced he's backing frontrunner Donald Trump, whom Baker says he won't vote for.
Warren has made her former foe, Republican Scott Brown, a perennial laugh line in her stand-up, and kept it up on Sunday.
"Donald Trump is floating Scott Brown as a possible running mate. I want you to think about that. It would be the perfect reality show matchup - 'Celebrity Apprentice' meets 'The Biggest Loser,'" Warren said.
Warren and Baker both made light of Sen. Brian Joyce's problems, including reports that he's inappropriately received free dry cleaning for years. Trotted to the podium with a basket of laundry, Baker declared: "I'm sorry I'm late. I've been waiting for Senator Joyce. I had some laundry I needed done. And boy, I hear he gets a really good deal."
Baker said that since Joyce is not running to keep his seat, "we have the perfect solution for him - we think he should be the first curator of Snake Island right out there in the Quabbin Reservoir."
The governor noted his high approval ratings had not translated into success for his endorsed candidates, including Christie, and Scott Brown and Richard Tisei in 2012 and 2014.
"So I'm here today to take a moment to publicly endorse Elizabeth Warren, Marty Walsh and Maura Healey for governor in 2018," Baker said.
Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito picked up on Baker's out-of-state travels, joking that while Baker was away she had received a call from an "international figure" wondering how to achieve Baker-like approval ratings.
"So I said, 'Holy Father, the first thing you need to do is lose the hat. It's a little pretentious,'" Polito said.
Polito brought up Forry's trip to Colorado recently with other senators to learn about legalization of marijuana there.
"She really got into this experience," said Polito, suggesting the senator had included 3,241 bags of Doritos on her expense sheet.
Said Warren, "If you thought this event was wild before, wait until next year when Stan Rosenberg and Bob DeLeo share a bong. Try to get that one out of your head."

"COMING HOME" A Short Film by Sandofilms

/

Gov. Charlie Baker is set to sign a bill into law this morning that begins to deal with the Bay State's opiate addiction crisis. Many Hull residents have longstanding addiction issues. Many others died before they found the help they needed. Hull native Scott Sandonato interviewed a childhood friend who plumbed the depths of sickness and despair due to drugs and somehow lived to tell his tale. Watch Sandonato's film here: 

Glastonbury Abbey’s “Listening to Other Voices” Interfaith Lecture Series presents “Love: The Gift of the Elk”

/

Glastonbury Abbey’s “Listening to Other Voices” Interfaith Lecture Series presents “Love: The Gift of the Elk”
with Joseph FireCrow, Cheyenne Flutist and Songwriter
Thursday, March 17 at 7:15 p.m.

Glastonbury Abbey’s Listening to Other Voices series continues its lectures on Mysticism. On March 17, Cheyenne flutist Joseph FireCrow will discuss encountering the divine from a Native American perspective. 
Do you have the courage to reach out and touch your true feelings? Joseph FireCrow invites us to walk in beauty with him and experience with him the gift the Creator ("Maheo") has sent to us. He will use music to help us appreciate the mystical call in all of us. 
Joseph FireCrow is considered one of the top Native American flute players in the world and has been called “a national treasure.” He has been releasing albums since 1992 and has earned many accolades and awards, including a Grammy. 
For over 60 years, the Benedictine Monks of Glastonbury Abbey have been providing peace, prayer, and spiritual education to people of all faiths. In doing so, the monks continue to live the 1500 year tradition of St. Benedict by sharing their spiritual search for God with friends and visitors. The monks offer education and a peaceful place for people yearning for God, for meaning, for community. The Listening to Other Voices Lecture Series, now in its 18th year, is part of their ongoing commitment to interfaith dialogue. 
The presentation is free and open to the public. Donations are gratefully accepted. Seating is limited and on a first-come, first-seated basis. The lecture will be held in the Glastonbury Abbey Conference Center, 20 Hull Street, Hingham, MA, on Thursday, March 17, at 7:15 p.m

CPA Forum Tonight

/

CPA FORUM TONIGHT
Join the Hull Planning Board and the South Shore Coalition for an interactive forum on the Massachusetts Community Preservation Act from 7-9 p.m. tonight at the Nantasket Ballroom in the Nantasket Beach Resort, 45 Hull Shore Drive. 
Learn how communities are using revenues derived from the CPA tax surcharge to preserve open space and historic sites, create affordable housing, and develop outdoor recreational facilities. 
Hull voters will be asked to approve the funding mechanism at the annual town meeting in May, so this free forum is a great opportunity to learn more about the CPA.
 

Nomination papers available for town election

/

If you see people standing outside Riddle’s or at the post office with clipboard in hand and they’re trying to chat you up, chances are they’re running for election.

Nomination papers, the first step in the town election process, are available at the town clerk’s office on the first floor of Hull Town Hall, 253 Atlantic Ave.

Potential candidates must take out nomination papers for a specific position and return them to the town clerk’s office with the signatures of at least 43 registered voters by 5 p.m. March 28.

According to Assistant Town Clerk Lori West, the following seats are up for grabs this year:

• Board of assessors: One three-year term, currently held by Richard Morris;

• Board of selectmen: Two three-year terms, currently held by John Brannan and John Reilly;

• Hull Housing Authority: One five-year term, currently held by Anne Margaret Gould MacEachern;

• Town moderator: One three-year term, currently held by Michael Nuesse;

• Hull Municipal Light Board: Two three-year terms, currently held by Daniel Ciccariello and David Irwin;

• Hull Planning Board: One five-year seat, currently held by Jeanne Paquin;

• Hull Redevelopment Authority: One five-year term, currently held by Spencer O’Loughlin;

• Hull School Committee: Two three-year terms, currently held by David Twombly and Marianne Harte;

• Board of library trustees: Two three-year terms, currently held by Loretta [Lori] West and Kevin Loechner;

• Town clerk: One three-year term. Vacant due to Janet Bennett’s death earlier this month.

Most board positions are unpaid. Assessors, selectmen, light board, moderator, housing authority, and town clerk are paid.

The last day to take out nomination papers is 5 p.m., March 24.

There is one caveat for this year’s election. The town may apply for special legislation to allow the state Senate election that’s currently scheduled for May 10, and Hull’s election, May 16, on the same day. If the two are combined, the election will be held May 10. West said she will notify the public as soon as possible if that comes to pass.

For more information about the town election, contact West at 781 925-2262, ext. 3, or email Lwest@town.hull.ma.us.