Food wasted at Dunning elementary school

 I volunteered to monitor the food kids throw in the Black Forest compost bin for a pilot program. I was there for all the different grade lunches for 2 months or so.  The experience was enlightening and somewhat painful at the same time. My job was to make sure the unwanted food that the kids dumped in the cart was free from food stickers, plastics of any kind, spoons, forks and wrappers. The administration, teachers, teachers aids and the janitorial staff have it down to a science. The kids all get along and have respect for each other and the school personal it appears to me.

But the shear amount of food thrown away every day there and most likely every elementary school is just beyond belief.  While there are so many groups in Town trying to feed the food challenged, immigrants staying in hotels and many children who's only meal of the day is breakfast and lunch at school, we seem to except the amount of perfectly nutritious foods like, green beans, broccoli, milk, cereals, carrots, apples and oranges going to waste. I wonder if parents realize their kids are not eating and wonder how many parents would eat the same food their kids get.

I estimate that around 100 lbs of food went into the compost cart each week. Black earth picked up the cart twice a week with about 50 lbs twice a week. 

I was shocked to see outdated food, milk, juice and veggies. But happy to see the little kids point out the expiration dates on the milks, juice and carrots. 

I witnessed kids having two lunches, one from home and one at the school just toss the entire plate of food in the compost bin. Talk about wasteful. The problem may be the free lunch and breakfast everyone gets. Not only is it served on a piece of non recyclable undercoated cardboard but the food is cold by the time the kids sit down to eat. I was very surprised to see most of the kids didn't touch the mac and cheese. What kids don't like it? My kids and grand kids eat it and so do we, but this mac and cheese stuck to the cardboard plate, solidified into a hard pile of cheese that had to be scrapped out of the plate. I wouldn't eat it at all. When I asked a few kids why they didn't like mac and cheese a few said they do like it but not the way the school makes it. One youngster said he liked Kraft mac and cheese at home.

I supported the idea of free lunch for everyone and still do. If your poor you shouldn't have to eat a different lunch than those who can pay. But there needs to be some rational discussion with food service, parents and school officials regarding the quality and delivery of the school meals.

The latest P.O.S.T (Peace Officer Standards and Training) Commission report

The updated P.O.S.T Commission (Peace Officer Standards and Training) report for the period ending January 31, 2023 was made public this week. The report details sustained allegations and disciplinary actions taken by the commission. Unfortunately, FPD has 30 officers on the list. All but one are certified. Which is more than the 24 officers who appeared on the last commission report of late last year. Last year according to the report, one officer who was decertified for the three sustained complaints and was suspended for 30 days or more 5 times from 2005 to 2009. All the violations are for conduct unbecoming, policy violation and rule violation.

In the current POST Commission report that same officer is now Not Certified and on leave. I wonder why that officer with so many sustained complaints were still on the force back in 2009 or even 2024.

A total of 11 officers had suspensions for conduct unbecoming and 24 had received written warnings.

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/officer-disciplinary-records-database

Go to Disciplinary records by law enforcement agency. Pages 229 - 236

 

The RMV is now implicated in the state trooper commercial license scam

 Seen in the Globe today, retired ex-trooper Calvin Butner was indicted on falsifying records for commercial drivers licenses. A former RMV employee Cornelius Rivers who was friends with Ruben Laroche who was applying for a CDL license was worried that the state trooper giving the road test would not treat Laroche fairly because Laroche was black. 

Laroche is suing the Brockton RMV to allow him to take the road test. As of now, the RMV has refused to schedule the exam. 

Two years ago, 2100 non commercial drivers had their licenses revoked because they never took the road test. The Feds charged one RMV manager and three other non RMV workers. Three of them pleaded guilty and received prison sentences.

I wonder if this is the end of the story. Will the feds announce more indictments of State troopers willing to sell their pensions for a few bottles of water and candy or a snow blower in exchange for falsifying records.

Water biling errors may have cost Framingham millions

 

In the NWDN today, an article written by Jesse Collings regarding our past CFO's comments about the water billing errors. In her transition memo, Miller stated that part of the reason the discrepancy was difficult to identify is that water bills have been manually manipulated by somebody with access to city billing accounts.

 "This means that, in the past, someone physically set the bills to bill incorrectly,” she said.

The adjustment would have to be made for each individual unit in the city, meaning the manual adjustment would have been made approximately 1,500 times to cover every unit that has been part of a multi-unit property that has been paying a reduced rate. There is a paywall but worth the price to be informed.

https://www.metrowestdailynews.com/story/news/local/2024/01/31/water-billing-discrepancy-apartments-may-cost-framingham-ma-millions/72088050007/

Another group of crooked State cops

 I hope you've read or heard about these state cops who issued CDL licensees. They are accused of taking  bribes from applicants. Twenty six applicants have had their licensees taken back and can take the tests later. But these cops who were bought of by things like a snow blower, free driveway and landscaping, a plunge pool and bottled water, candy and coffee. The leader has been dishonorably discharged and his potential retirement benefits is up to the state retirement board.

The leader of the pack retires after court and is then discharged. Two of the co-conspirators are retired state cops earning 84K and 71K yearly in retirement benefits. One of the charged is suspended without pay. He made 176K last year. 

I'm so sick of reading about highly paid law enforcement employees taking advantage of the tax payers. 

 https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/state-police-sergeant-issued-a-dishonorable-discharge-amid-bribery-scheme-allegations/3265968/