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Boston Globe
10 hours ago
- General
- Boston Globe
Family, friends remember Gabriel House fire victims as strong elders with a knack for storytelling
Eleanor Willett and her great-great grandson, Jamison, hug at Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility, just hours before a deadly fire struck the facility on Sunday, July 13. Holly Mallowes Eleanor Willett At 86, the oldest victim was known by her doctors as an anomaly — seemingly becoming healthier with age and retaining a sharp memory, Willett's granddaughter told the Globe on Tuesday. 'She was a fighter, her long term memory was on point,' Holly Mallowes of Dartmouth said. Advertisement Willett raised five children, two of whom had already passed away, according to Mallowes. The former longtime Wareham resident also survived two husbands, her granddaughter said. 'Anything she went through, any tragedy, she came back even stronger,' Mallowes, 45, said. In her late 40s, Willett earned a college degree to advance her career at the local health department, Mallowes said. 'She had been too busy raising the kids when she was younger, and she went back to college just for herself,' she said. Just hours before the fire on Sunday, Willett had enjoyed a visit from her 5-year-old great-great grandson, Jamison. 'She had lived such a long time in life, she had a lot of experience,' Mallowes said. Eleanor Willett (far right) stands at a family member's home. Holly Mallowes Willett came from a large, loving family, according to her daughter-in-law, Deborah Dixon. Advertisement 'She was a lovely lady, and that's all. She loved everybody, she was easy going. She'd do anything for anybody,' Dixon said in a brief phone interview. Willett had lived with Dixon and her husband — Willett's son — for about 20 years before moving to Gabriel House a little over a year ago. 'She made friends, and she enjoyed it,' Dixon said, referring to Gabriel House. 'They were good to her.' Richard Rochon 'He was a tough cookie,' Stephanie Johnson said of her uncle, 78, who was a veteran of the Vietnam War. " but he always made you laugh and smile, Her mother, Judy, was Rochon's sister, Johnson said. 'I know my mom is taking it pretty hard,' Johnson said. She and her family appreciated the work of first responders. 'I want to thank all of the firefighters and the ambulances and everybody who did show up to help,' Johnson said. 'It is unfortunate that it happened the way it happened.' Rui Albernaz, 64, one of the victims of the Fall River fire. Alda Albernaz Robert King and Kim Mackin Fall River resident Russell Silvia said he loved chatting with King and Mackin beneath a canopy that was often set up on the Gabriel House property. Silvia, 42, who works at the A&M Driving School, said residents considered him a connection to the outside world, like a 'little light that came by and said hello.' King, a Vietnam War veteran, shared stories of the conflict with an intrigued Silvia. He would would often complain about Advertisement He also said the 78-year-old was good at reading people's emotions and had a knack for using conversation to brighten their moods. 'If you weren't in the right mood, you could have a conversation with the man and get in the right mood,' Silvia said. Mackin, much more quiet, would greet Silvia by saying, 'I was just thinking about you.' The 71-year-old liked to give him gifts, including sweaters and recently, a brand new Boston Bruins cap with a Superman patch she'd attached. 'She was a good-hearted woman, she'd just come and sit and listen to my stories,' Silvia said. Besides King, a few other Gabriel House residents were Vietnam War veterans, Silvia sai. Silvia said King always wanted to raise awareness about the 'If it took nine people for the rest of those people to get saved, God works in mysterious ways,' Silvia said. Rui Albernaz , He was 64, one of five brothers. Their only sister, Alda Albernaz, and brother Robert looked up at the third floor of Gabriel House around 3 p.m. on Tuesday at the corner room where Rui lived for three years. 'It's just depressing looking at his room.' Robert said as he shook his head at the third floor walk up. 'Everybody still can't process all this. It's a lot to take in.' Rui loved to travel, dance, and never missed the chance to get his scratch tickets, the two said. Alda described him as a happy person who loved music. She said he was 'very good with numbers' like Raymond Babbitt in the movie 'Rain Man.' Advertisement 'He loved being around people,' Alda said. 'He was a good person, a very very outgoing person.' Alda worked at the facility about five years ago and said she had 'no complaints.' 'It was just a shock,' she said of hearing about Rui's death. 'I feel like I'm in a nightmare. I feel like it's a nightmare that I haven't woken up from yet.' Claire Thornton can be reached at
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
Watch live: Nuestro Massachusetts, a conversation on how Latinos are revitalizing the state
Join the Globe for a conversation on the impact Latinos are having in Massachusetts and the challenges they face as longtime residents and recent arrivals in charting a new path for Massachusetts. The panel and Q&A session begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Roughly eight in ten new Massachusetts residents between 2014 and 2023 were Latino, a mix of immigrants, people from other states, and births that increased the state's Latino population by 25 percent. As the Latino population grows, the state is seeing more small businesses open their doors, exciting culinary trends, fresh contributions to the music scene and a tsunami of consumers and workers who want to help make Massachusetts better. Watch the event live.
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
Senator Markey criticizes Trump's Small Business Administration for curtailing immigrant access to business loans
The SBA took this move in response to an executive order from President Trump to stop providing public benefits to illegal immigrants, though the two Democrats write that the SBA decision harms many small businesses owned or operated by legal immigrants. Advertisement Markey said it's important for the SBA to explain why it's making these changes. Advertisement 'There is no evidence that this is a program that's been abused at all,' Markey said in an interview. 'This is a system that has worked well for generations. As part of Trump's casting a shadow over immigration, they're really going to cause serious harm to immigrant entrepreneurship in our country.' The two Democrats also asked the SBA to outline the impacts from the decisions to relocate regional offices in seven cities, including Boston, because the administration deemed them to be so-called 'sanctuary cities.' Among other things, they want to know what kind of impact these office relocations have on SBA services for immigrant entrepreneurs. Representatives for the SBA did not provide a response to the letter when asked by the Globe on Tuesday. Markey has asked that the SBA respond to the questions in his letter by July 29. 'We have not been presented with any evidence that would justify such a fundamental change in policy,' Markey said. 'To the extent to which the Trump administration is playing political games with people's livelihoods rather than sustaining their livelihoods, we want to give them an opportunity to explain what their rationale is.' Jon Chesto can be reached at
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Lesson learned: Globe readers want to know when a show is based on something else
I decided the sheer volume of emails merited a public response: I would watch 'Astrid,' and provide the comparison readers clearly thought was lacking in my 'Patience' review. I searched for the show on my Roku, found a streaming service that had it, and began watching. The episode opened with a jewel heist. 'How glamorous and French!' I thought. 'So different from the grim and violent murder in a parking garage that opens 'Patience.'' Then the episode cut to the two main characters. 'Ah ha,' I thought. 'Let's see how they compare to the British version.' Advertisement About 45 seconds later, I realized the two characters were already friends, and I was watching the fourth season premiere of the French version. The streaming service I'd found did not have Season 1. I decided to try PBS, which seemed to have it on their Passport app. Several failed attempts to activate a PBS account later, I gave up and watched an episode of ' Advertisement What have we learned here? One: always reference the source material; readers clearly want to know. And two: sometimes even a person who writes TV criticism for a living can't get their streaming apps to work for them. I promise, someday I'll watch 'Astrid' from the beginning. I hear it's pretty good. Lisa Weidenfeld is an arts editor for the Globe. Lisa Weidenfeld can be reached at
Boston Globe
a day ago
- General
- Boston Globe
After the Gabriel House fire, here's how to help keep your loved ones in assisted living safe
Write to us at . To subscribe, . TODAY'S STARTING POINT Nearly 36 hours after a five-alarm fire ripped through Gabriel House, an assisted living facility in Fall River, there's a lot we still don't know. It's unclear how the blaze, which killed nine residents and injured about 30 more, began. Governor Maura Healey says the state is investigating, and you'll find the Globe's latest coverage below. In the meantime, you may be wondering what you can do to protect loved ones who live in similar facilities or soon will. 'This tragedy is a reminder of the need to keep older adults safe, supported, and treated with dignity,' Jen Benson, the director of AARP Massachusetts, said in a statement. While a lot depends on your loved one's specific circumstances, here are some guidelines. Find the right place Advertisement Nearly a quarter of Massachusetts residents Advertisement If your loved one is a good fit for assisted living, start talking to them about what they'd like in a facility before they need one. Factors to consider include a facility's location and environment, cost, amenities, and whether it has different levels of medical care depending on a resident's needs. Some older people may shy away from the conversation, so the website AgingCare suggests having it Ask questions Once you've identified a few places that seem promising, tour them in person and ask questions of management and staff. Safety-related questions include whether hallways are well lit and the ratio of staff to residents during off-hours. The state Office of Aging and Independence, which oversees assisted living facilities, Sometimes due diligence means imagining the worst. Ask when the last fire inspection happened and whether there's a comprehensive plan for facility-wide evacuations, particularly for residents with limited mobility (like many at Gabriel House). Don't forget to ask how the staff handles other kinds of emergencies. For example, are doors alarmed in the case of a resident wandering off? It's also worth exploring what existing residents, their families, and staff have to say about the facility online and in person, because truth and advertising can differ. Yesterday, a certified nursing assistant at Gabriel House told the Globe that there were Advertisement Stay informed Once your loved one moves in, stay on top of what's happening there. Talk to them often in person and on the phone about their care and experience. Visit the facility regularly and get to know the staff, who may get comfortable sharing information with you if there's a problem. Trust, but verify. And if you suspect your loved one isn't receiving the care they should, there are That said, there's only so much you can control. The state office that oversees assisted-living facilities has limited authority, 'Any emergency situation could be amplified by the availability of staff, time of day, or other conditions,' Michelle Putnam, the head of UMass Boston's Gerontology Institute, said. But that doesn't mean you're powerless. As one Gabriel House survivor Advertisement The latest news: The authorities will keep investigating today but said the fire's origins Investigators named seven of the deceased, who ranged in age from 61 to 86, including a Vietnam veteran Dennis Etzkorn, Gabriel House's longtime owner, The fire was 🧩 5 Across: 88° POINTS OF INTEREST A developer is proposing to transform a vacant office park on Route 9 in Brookline. Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff Housing: Right now it's a mostly vacant office park in Brookline. It could soon become a 600-unit complex, among Earmarks: Citing fiscal uncertainty, top Massachusetts Democrats trimmed programs that help the state's poorest. But they mostly kept the funding Haverhill death: 7 police officers Lessons learned: A former New Hampshire Supreme Court justice's son, struggling with mental health, attacked him. Decades later, he tells the story Free falling: Lukas Lamb-Wotton, 31, fell off Mount Washington while free climbing earlier this month. As he recovers from his injuries, our reporter Building up: Boston Legacy FC, the city's professional women's soccer club, is planning a $27 million Rules of the road: Starting next year, New Hampshire residents won't have to get their cars inspected annually. Republican proponents say the inspections are unnecessary. Opponents, including the state police, Caitlin Clark: She and the Indiana Fever will play the Connecticut Sun tonight at TD Garden, where Advertisement 'In it to win it': Andrew Cuomo, the former New York governor who lost the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor to Zohran Mamdani, will run as an independent in November. ( 2028: Amy Klobuchar, Gavin Newsom, and other Democrats are acting like the BESIDE THE POINT By Teresa Hanafin 🥬 A CSA model? It delivers produce and other food ✏️ Fewer fidgets: Parents are trimming the back-to-school spending a bit this year, ditching brand names and shopping July sales. One item they'll splurge on? The first-day outfit. ( 🤬 Miss Conduct Classic: A co-worker revealed private things about a colleague's family to people in their office. 💪 Sitting a lot? Loosen up your joints and improve your mobility by lying on the floor. All of the exercise comes from you struggling to get back up. ( 💦 Drying up: For years, Great Salt Lake has been shrinking due to water overuse and rising temperatures. That will have serious impacts 🫥 Hey, Zoomer: Millennials are getting exasperated with the Gen Z 'stare' — that blank look you may get when you ask a young person a question. Either the kid doesn't have social skills or they think you're a total moron. ( 💍 The Big Day: They each planned to propose on the same day. But Advertisement Thanks for reading Starting Point. This newsletter was edited by ❓ Have a question for the team? Email us at ✍🏼 If someone sent you this newsletter, you can 📬 Delivered Monday through Friday. Ian Prasad Philbrick can be reached at
