ALCOHOL ON PATIO PERMITTED THIRD Edition

• Published in: The Boston globe
• Main Author: Robert Carroll, Robert Knox, Johanna Seltz, Emily Sweeney, Robert Carroll, Carolyn Y. Johnson, Sandy Coleman, Matt Carroll, John Laidler, Peter Schworm, David Connolly
• Format: Newspaper Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston, Mass Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC 09.04.2006
• ISSN: 0743-1791

MEDICAL EQUIPMENT FIRM FINED Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly recently announced that a Pembroke durable medical equipment firm has paid $75,000 to the Massachusetts Medicaid (MassHealth) program to settle allegations that it was overpaid as a result of erroneous billing and documentation. According to his office, Reilly's investigation alleged that the firm, Charm Medical Supply Inc., made unjustified billings to MassHealth for medical equipment. The investigation looked into the extent to which Charm Medical Supply Inc. billed and maintained the appropriate documentation for supplies it delivered from October 1999 through August 2003. In addition to paying the $75,000, the company has agreed to institute a comprehensive compliance and training program, according to the Reilly's office. Peter Tallas, president and owner of Tmed Holdings Inc., said that his company this past February acquired certain assets, including the name of Charm Medical Supply, from Charm Medical Supply Inc. He said the allegations pertain to billing that occurred well before that acquisition and, "to the best of our knowledge, any problems within the operation have been corrected." - [John Laidler] CHARTER COMMISSION CANDIDATES Twenty-three names will appear on the ballot for charter commissioner at the May 13 annual town election. Voters will be asked to vote yes or no on creating a charter commission to review the town's current governing charter and propose changes and also to choose nine charter commissioners even if they oppose creating the commission. Listed alphabetically, the charter commission candidates are Robert Bielen, Michael Brophy, David Buckman, Karen Buechs, Margie Burgess, Charles Checkley, Sean Dodgson, Nicholas Filla, Richard Gibbons Jr., Charles Good, Michael Hogan, Michael Jones, Jean Loewenberg, Barry Meltzer, Frank Paoluccio, Robert Risner, Charles Ryberg, Anthony Schena, Richard Serkey, Richard Silva, Loring Tripp, Mark Withington, and Janet Young. Seven candidates Bielen, Brophy, Buechs, Gibbons, Good, Jones, and Risner are running as a slate of candidates committed to creating a mayor-city council charter. Nine candidates Buckman, Burgess, Filla, Loewenberg, Schena, Serkey, Silva, Withington, and Young are running as part of an "open" slate of candidates who say they want to examine the charter before committing to changes. The other candidates are not allied with either slate. - [Robert Knox] A DONATION INSTEAD OF A TROPHY The members of a Scituate Little League baseball team recently came up with a community-spirited way to make use of $200 in trophy money they earned last summer. The 13 players agreed to donate the money to the fund that has been set up for a new senior center. The team, coached by Jerry Stephens, Mac McGinley, and Ron Lowrance, earned the trophy as a result of being the runner-up for the championship in their All-Star league last August. But they never got around to spending it. About a month ago, Stephens suggested that instead of using it for a party or an outing the typical way trophy money is spent that the boys donate it to a town cause. He said they readily agreed. The team members settled on the senior center fund for their donation in part because all of the boys have a senior who plays an important role in their lives, according to Stephens. At its March 21 meeting, the Board of Selectmen presented the team members and coaches with letters of commendation for the donation. "It meant a lot to them," Stephens said of the boys, who he thinks have been inspired by the whole episode. "I think it's going to spur a lifetime of giving and community service with those kids. They're going to think back, `This is a great thing to do.' " The players are Cory Walls, Kurt Stephens, Andy McCourt, Greg Lowrance, Corey Ellis, Matt Lyons, Jimmy English, Matt McGinley, Stephen Corsaro, Stephen Ferriter, Matt Sheehan, Jamie Pratt, and Cory Green. - John Laidler