Latest news with #JohnScott
Boston Globe
6 days ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
Unmarked graves, silenced voices: Commission report demands Mass. preserve memories of those who suffered at its troubled institutions
'My parents never had a proper service for him,' Scott said. Advertisement The MetFern Cemetery served the Metropolitan State Hospital and the Walter E. Fernald Developmental Center, with 310 burials from 1947 to 1979. Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff John Scott was one of thousands of people institutionalized in state-run facilities whose stories are in danger of being obscured because Massachusetts has failed to properly preserve their records, according to a Roughly 10,000 former institution residents are interred in nameless graves in poorly maintained burial grounds; most graves at the time were marked with a number, and sometimes the letters C or P, for Catholic or Protestant. At the Fernald cemetery, John Scott is among 298 people in unnamed graves, his brother said. Advertisement The state once operated two dozen schools, hospitals, and other residential facilities for people who were considered intellectually or mentally disabled according to 19th- and 20th-century medical standards. Many were notorious for squalid conditions; residents subjected to mistreatment, malnourishment, and abuse. Today, only about a half-dozen state-run facilities remain, most closed between the 1990s and 2010s following the disclosure of those horrific conditions amid a philosophical shift to treating people with disabilities in their community. Related : The report urged Massachusetts to better care for and preserve the neglected institutional burial grounds and provide proper identification for the people interred there. The state has records that link names to the numbers on grave markers. But that information isn't public, and a thicket of bureaucratic and legal obstacles often prevent family members from getting information about their relatives' grave: they must prove they are the deceased's legally designated next of kin, said Alex Green, vice chair of the commission that authored the report and a lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School on disability rights. Related : The commission also focused on abysmal record-keeping that makes it difficult for relatives and even former residents to obtain documents on the lives, treatment — and mistreatment — of state institution residents. Millions of pages are kept by the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Developmental Services, and the state archives. 'They may not be aware of everything that they have and how to get a hold of it,' Green said. 'It's just scattered everywhere.' Assorted patient and employee records were left in Waverly Hall, in the Fernald's original administration building. Bryan Parcival A member of the archives staff helped write the report, and William F. Galvin, who oversees the archives as Massachusetts' Secretary of the Commonwealth, said he supports making records easier to access while still respecting privacy concerns. Advertisement Other records have been found in decaying condition in abandoned state buildings; some of those were pilfered by trespassers, with a few even ending up for sale online. Today, most of the former institutions are either unused, decrepit, or simply gone. The Globe reported last year on Aerial image of the Fernald School property in Waltham. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff For its part, the commission recommended a museum, memorials, and education to preserve the experiences of institutions' residents. There are 27 burial grounds associated with the state institutions, but only a third of them are restored and maintained. Contributing to their decline, the commission found, was a lack of leadership and dedicated funding. The commission called for a perpetual care fund to support upkeep. The report was compiled over two years by a panel of 17 members, many of whom have some form of disability. Some, like Reggie Clark, 71, lived in state institutions. He is hopeful the report can spur action to make records easier to obtain. 'I think if you were me, you'd want to know why things happened,' said Clark, who lived at Fernald from early childhood to 1969. Reggie Clark was a patient at the Fernald School in the 60's. Lane Turner The Massachusetts institutions became notorious dumping grounds, not just for people with disabilities, but for some who were poor or abandoned. Abuse and neglect were commonplace. Clark recalled being put in a solitary room if he didn't make the beds of 24 patients every day. Advertisement Pat Vitkus's husband, Donald, was a resident of the Belchertown State School from the age of 6 to 18 after being left there by a foster family. When he died in 2018, at 75, his family honored his request to be interred alongside his 'brothers and sisters' at the school's cemetery. When he lived there, a low IQ score got him labeled a 'moron,' once a 'He fought his whole life to prove he was not a moron, which he never was,' his wife said. In the 1940s and 1950s, children at Fernald were subjected to an unethical Massachusetts Institute of Technology Quarters at the Fernald School in 1962, showing the narrow spaces between beds. Bob Dean/Globe Staff/File 1962 The children involved received a $1.85 million settlement from MIT and Quaker Oats. Fernald closed in 2014. Though President Bill Clinton experiments, Massachusetts' government has never formally apologized for conditions at the state institutions. The commission wants Governor Maura Healey to issue one. It also urged the state to take steps to recover records that should be archived but are not in its custody. Related : A spokesperson for the administration did not answer whether the governor would issue that apology, though issued a statement that acknowledged Massachusetts' legacy of institutionalization as 'tragic and deeply disturbing.' 'Over the past few years, we've redoubled our efforts to work with families, advocates, and others to improve access to records and honor the memories of those who resided at state institutions,' spokesperson Caroline Whitehouse said. Advertisement Two state agencies have worked to make an inventory of all records in their possession, Whitehouse added, including those in now vacant former institutions, and are working with families to make it easier to access records. Under consideration in the Legislature now is 'If we lose sight of these stories people are going to grope their way toward reinstitutionalization,' said state Senator Mike Barrett, a Lexington Democrat and sponsor of the legislation. Children at the Fernald School in 1964. Joseph Runci/Globe Staff Through records he's obtained so far, Scott discovered his brother, John, had a sense of humor and flirted with girls. Among the most shocking documents: a teacher's report that said John, then a teenager, had the capacity to hold down a job. She urged Fernald to discharge John, or 'he will lose his talents forever.' Father to a son with cerebral palsy, David Scott wants all the records detailing the lives of his brother and others at the state institutions made available, both to reveal who they were and to ensure people are never similarly warehoused again. 'I don't want to see history repeat itself,' Scott said. 'I want to see these children and adults with disabilities who can't care for themselves be treated better.' Jason Laughlin can be reached at
Scottish Sun
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Scottish Government splurges over £215m on 20,000 days of Public Inquiries
There have been 20,375 days and counting SPIRALLING COSTS Scottish Government splurges over £215m on 20,000 days of Public Inquiries Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TAXPAYERS have forked out more than £215million on a dozen public inquiries since devolution, The Scottish Sun On Sunday can reveal today. The massive sum has been spent on high-profile probes, which so far have taken up 20,375 days amid fears some 'resolve little' — or are used by ministers to shelve awkward issues. Sign up for the Politics newsletter Sign up 3 There has been lengthy and costly hearings into disasters such as the Stockline Explosion Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 3 The public inquiry into the factory blast, which killed nine people, took 237 days to complete Credit: Handout 3 The Edinburgh tram inquiry cost nearly £13.7mil and took nearly a decade to conclude Credit: PA:Press Association And the bill is set to soar even further, with the green light given for two more lengthy hearings to begin. The bungled police investigation into the murder of Glasgow sex worker Emma Caldwell 20 years ago is to be examined by ex-top human rights lawyer Lord John Scott. And hospital operations involving at least 200 patients by 'butcher' brain surgeon Sam Eljamel in Dundee will also be the subject of a lengthy investigation. Analysis of Holyrood figures shows nearly £100million has been spent on the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry alone, which has been running for more than a decade. Scottish Parliament CONSTRUCTION of the Holyrood building was a farce which plagued the first few years of the devolved government. Costs eventually topped £400million — ten times the original £40million estimate — and it was completed years late. Lord Fraser refused to blame a single 'villain of the piece'. But he identified Sir Muir Russell, the former head of the Scottish Civil Service, as the man with responsibility for project failures. He ruled former First Minister Donald Dewar, who died in 2000, had not misled MSPs over costs. ANNOUNCED: APRIL 20, 2003 REPORTED: SEPTEMBER 15, 2004 DAYS TO COMPLETE: 514 CHAIR: LORD FRASER COST: £717,426 Last night opposition politicians claimed the inquiries were needed due to blunders by public bodies and a lack of transparency from the Scottish Government. Scots Tory finance spokesman Craig Hoy agreed they could play an 'essential' role in bringing victims justice. Stockline Explosion THE plastics factory blast was Scotland's worst industrial accident for a decade, killing nine people and injuring 33. And the probe went on to rule the 2004 explosion was an 'avoidable disaster'. Lord Gill found a piece of damaged pipe carrying liquid petroleum gas into the Glasgow factory was 'out of sight and out of mind'. It would have cost just £400 to fix, the inquiry heard. Families accused ICL Plastics of 'flaunting' health and safety. The firm was fined £400,000 prior to the probe getting under way. ANNOUNCED: NOVEMBER 21, 2008 REPORTED: JULY 16, 2009 DAYS TO COMPLETE: 237 CHAIR: LORD GILL COST: £1.9M But he added: 'The SNP Government also has a duty to taxpayers to keep costs as low as possible and to prevent inquiries dragging on for years on end. "Ministers also need to explain why so many serious mistakes are being made by government departments and public bodies that require inquiries to be set up in the first place.' OUTBREAK THIS inquiry focused on the high number of patients hit by a devastating bacterial infection outbreak at Vale of Leven Hospital. Of 143 patients who contracted clostridium difficile ( 34 died. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde was slammed by the judge in his final report which found 'serious personal and systemic failures' and concluded patients were 'badly let down'. But questions were raised about the effectiveness of the inquiry, given that by the time of the report many of the central issues had been fixed. ANNOUNCED: APRIL 22, 2009 REPORTED: NOVEMBER 21, 2014 DAYS TO COMPLETE: 2,039 CHAIR: LORD MACLEAN COST: £10.7M Contaminated Blood ANNOUNCED by then health secretary Nicola Sturgeon in 2008, this probe examined Hepatitis C and HIV infections from contaminated blood transfusions. Around 3,000 Scots patients were impacted by the scandal. Lasting nearly seven years, the inquiry was blasted as a 'whitewash' by critics as no individual was blamed. A UK-wide probe found authorities covered up the scale of the problem, which caused 2,900 deaths. Now £11.8billion has been set aside to compensate victims via Westminster. ANNOUNCED: APRIL 23, 2008 REPORTED: MARCH 26, 2015 DAYS TO COMPLETE: 2,528 CHAIR: LORD PENROSE COST: £12.1M Scottish Labour's Jackie Baillie accused the Nats of embedding a 'rotten culture of secrecy and cover-up' in the public sector. She added: 'Too often those desperately seeking answers in the wake of a scandal face an uphill battle. "And expensive public inquiries have become one of the only ways to get to the truth. Tram Fiasco THE Edinburgh tram project was more than £400million over budget, ran five years late and only delivered half the planned route. Lord Hardie eventually blamed the city council and its arm's-length companies for a 'litany of failures'. But the inquiry came under sustained criticism from politicians as it dragged on for almost a decade after Alex Salmond promised a 'swift and thorough' investigation of the project. The inquiry cost more than the Chilcot probe into the 2003 invasion of Iraq. But its figures have since been dwarfed by other public inquiries. ANNOUNCED: JUNE 5, 2014 REPORTED: SEPTEMBER 19, 2023 DAYS TO COMPLETE: 3,363 CHAIR: LORD HARDIE COST: £13.7M "While they have a crucial role to play, we need to embed transparency throughout public services and government so that fewer are needed.' The £215million bill will have been spent paying for senior judges, their full-time staff, legal fees for leading lawyers, and for accommodation, offices and witness costs. Child Abuse THE most controversial, expensive and longest-running public inquiry in Scots history is investigating abuse of kids in care. Chair Lady Smith faced calls to resign or be replaced last November over alleged 'thinly veiled favouritism' of independent schools. The probe has looked at where abuse happened and if public sector and other bodies failed to protect children. It has examined churches and schools and will probe hospitals and prisons. It was meant to report back in four years but remains ongoing seven years after an extension was granted. ANNOUNCED: DECEMBER 17, 2014 REPORTED: ONGOING DAYS TO COMPLETE: 3,806 TO DATE CHAIR: LADY SMITH COST: £91.9M James Mitchell, professor of public policy at Edinburgh University warned governments could use the probes to 'buy time', likely meaning they'd be 'a waste of time and money — and often resolved little'. He said: 'There's a tendency for demands for a public inquiry following many policy failures or disasters. "But the crucial test is what is concluded and whether lessons are learned and acted upon. Hospital Scandals THE Queen Elizabeth University Hospital is being probed over infections linked to water and ventilation systems. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde also faces a corporate homicide probe into four deaths, including cancer patient Milly Main, ten. Construction of the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh is also part of the inquiry being chaired by Lord Brodie. It has heard that there was a lack of clear requirements for ventilation in the building, leading to delays. The inquiry continues. 'It may be, of course, that a formal inquiry is unnecessary or a less lengthy and less costly one is needed. 'There are complex and difficult issues that require careful study. EMMA CALDWELL NATS chiefs last year bowed to pressure to order an inquiry into the botched police investigation into Emma Caldwell's murder. Monster Iain Packer, 52, was interviewed a month after sex worker Emma, 27, below, was found dead in woods in Lanarkshire but he evaded justice for 19 years. He went on to attack more women and was finally caged for at least 36 years last year for offences against 22 victims. Detectives alleged senior cops told them not to focus on Packer and instead build a case against four Turkish men. ANNOUNCED: MARCH 7, 2024 REPORTED: ONGOING DAYS TO COMPLETE: 438 TO DATE CHAIR: LORD SCOTT COST: £TBC "And it doesn't necessarily follow that governments should accept all recommendations. But cynical use of public inquiries only encourages distrust.' Holyrood's finance committee is currently looking into the issue. BUTCHER DOC AFTER years of campaigning by patients of 'butcher' brain surgeon Sam Eljamel, victims got their wish for a public inquiry last year. The medic left many patients injured and disfigured following operations between 1995 and 2013 at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee. The inquiry will examine unanswered questions about the scale of the harm inflicted on innocent victims by Eljamel. It will look at whether investigations into his ops went far enough — and whether others could have stopped the damage and prevented him from hurting scores of patients. ANNOUNCED: SEPTEMBER 7, 2023 REPORTED: ONGOING DAYS TO COMPLETE: 620 TO DATE CHAIR: LORD WEIR COST: £TBC Police Fingerprints DETECTIVE Shirley McKie was wrongly accused of leaving a fingerprint at a murder scene, sparking a perjury trial and her sacking. But after suing the government over accusations the Scottish Criminal Record Office had acted dishonestly, the former police officer received £750,000. The scandal sparked a probe which exonerated Ms McKie. But it found there was 'nothing malicious' about her identification through the fingerprint. It also exposed key weaknesses in how fingerprint evidence was being treated and made 86 recommendations. ANNOUNCED: MARCH 14, 2008 REPORTED: DECEMBER 14, 2011 DAYS TO COMPLETE: 1,370 CHAIR: SIR ANTHONY CAMPBELL COST: £3.4M Its convener, SNP MSP Kenny Gibson, said: 'Our short, focused investigation will examine whether public inquiries represent value for money, and whether spending controls work. 'It's important we get answers to these questions given the huge sums involved.' PANDEMIC FALLOUT NICOLA Sturgeon announced Scotland's own Covid-19 inquiry in 2021 — months after then Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out plans for a UK-wide probe. The then Nats chief insisted an probe into the handling of the pandemic north of the border was necessary, despite the UK inquiry also looking at how devolved governments coped during the crisis. But the Scots investigation is to tackle decisions taken at Holyrood including the mass discharge of untested patients into care homes. It covers the period from January 2020 to December 2022. ANNOUNCED: AUGUST 24, 2021 REPORTED: ONGOING DAYS TO COMPLETE: 1,364 TO DATE CHAIR: LORD BRAILSFORD COST: £34M A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Public inquiries provide important opportunities to establish facts and to learn lessons for the future in the most transparent means possible. "They operate independently of government and it's for the chair, who has an ongoing duty to avoid unnecessary costs, to direct how he or she carries out its functions.'
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Businesses doing what they can as effects from tariffs expected to hit soon
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Tariffs with China are on temporary hold, but that doesn't mean we won't feel its effects. From groceries to restaurants, many businesses say costs of goods are already skyrocketing and they're doing what they can to stay afloat. John Scott of John's World Famous Hawaii Hot Dogs has been in business for a while, but is not immune from negative economic impacts. Going digital: New digital tourism survey to launch in June 'We're known for the best hot dogs in Hawaii,' Scott said. 'Been doing this for nearly 20 years. Served every country around the world. Over and over we get repeat customers.' But business has been getting tougher. Scott says his food costs have tripled over the past few years. And that's not taking into account tariffs, which he says should hit his business soon. 'So it's kinda hard to keep it low as prices go up, so we may have to do an incremental increase, but I try my best to keep prices as low as I can,' Scott Walmart, the world's largest retailer, says it's set to raise prices this summer because of tariffs. 'You know, it's not a surprise,' said Tina Yamaki of Retail Merchants of Hawaii. 'Anytime you touch retail, there's only so much that the business can absorb. And a lot of times it's passed on to the consumer, whether it's tariffs or government mandates or shipping costs or just rising prices. It's a tough business to be in right now.' Experts say tariffs affect all businesses at all price points from budget to extravagant. At Empire Steakhouse, owner Jack Sinanaj refuses to pass his rising costs on to his customers. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news 'Actually what we do, we take ourselves losses, you know, it's slice thin like a razor to make money,' Sinanaj said. 'It's very tough. But how long we can continue like this.' Empire features an extensive wine and scotch bar, burgers and Japanese wagyu which is subject to a 24 percent tariff. Sinanaj says now is not the time for that, because no matter if you're set up in the parking lot or in the penthouse, all businesses are just trying to survive. 'It's a wait and see,' Yamaki said. 'And I wish I had a crystal ball to tell you it's going to be over next week, but I can't.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Pensioner couple tens of thousands out of pocket after losing years-long fight to ban public from narrow path through garden of Norfolk village home
A retired couple's expensive 12-year legal battle to stop ramblers and dog walkers roaming through their garden on a disputed public footpath has failed after they lost a second Planning Inspectorate hearing. Ann and John Scott moved into their home on a half-acre plot in the picturesque Norfolk village of Thompson 25 years ago. But in 2013 an elderly local claimed there was a historical right of access across the site, plunging them into the legal nightmare that had consumed their time ever since. The matter eventually went to a Planning Inquiry in 2022, where Norfolk County Council dropped a claim that vehicles could also drive along the route. But the inspector still ruled a 'public right of way on foot' had been established before the Scotts arrived. Mrs Scott, 77, and her husband, 79, used a second hearing in front of a different planning inspector to challenge the ruling but have now been told 'nothing has been provided to cast doubt' on the previous decision. They could still take their case to the High Court but their legal bill – which is already around £40,000 – would soar even higher, with no guarantee of success. Mrs Scott said: 'I'm a retired teacher and grandmother having to fight against the county council and dozens of villagers. It is a complete inequality of arms.' The former teachers spent 50 years in different properties in the tiny 150-dwelling village - which was mentioned in the Domesday Book and has a 14th century church - before moving to their current site in 1998. They were aware that the previous owner of the 300-year-old cottage had turned a blind eye to ramblers and others occasionally crossing the land. But they were reassured by a solicitor that it was not designated as a footpath on Norfolk's definitive map. The Scotts – who rented out the cottage after moving into a new build property on the land in 2021 which they built themselves - believe the council was relying on documents dating back to 1929, which described a 'soft road' across their land. This possibly dates to the 19th century when villagers used to trudge across the area on their way to a brickworks, which closed in 1911. 'There was a road marked on the definitive draft map drawn up in the 1950s but it was not there when it was finalised in 1961,' Mrs Scott said previously. 'Some people think we are depriving them of their rights but they don't understand the situation.' The first Planning Inquiry was delayed by the pandemic but finally began in February 2022, before being adjourned until November. At the hearing, church organist Mrs Scott and her husband argued the council's case was 'flawed, void and must be rejected'. Also objecting was a nearby landowner, Leoware Ltd, which also sits on the disputed track. The council dropped its claim to a 'byway open to all traffic' but insisted the footpath was a long-term feature. Inspector Sue Arnott agreed with the council, despite accepting the path was not shown on all of its documents which created a 'muddle' that 'does not inspire confidence in NCC's past administration'. She said: 'My conclusion, both from the historical evidence I have examined and from the accounts of people who have known and used the path over many years, is that the order route had been established as a right of way on foot long before 1998. 'Given the absence of challenge to users of the way until the end of that century, I am satisfied that dedication as a public path can be presumed such as to warrant addition to the definitive record.' The second public inquiry, held earlier this year, heard from several villagers who spoke of their memories using the route. Norfolk Ramblers also demanded public access should be maintained. Peter Rudling, who grew up in the area, said: 'I think the footpath should be there for future generations.' The Scotts continued to argue that the designation as a footpath had been removed from official records long ago but planning inspector Mark Yates ruled against them. The couple had also filed a claim for nearly £40,000 in compensation from Norfolk County Council, arguing its conduct had been unreasonable and forced them to commission expensive lawyers and research work. But the council has rejected the claim, saying it had acted appropriately throughout and the second inquiry took place at the Scotts' insistence and amounted to an 'abuse of process'. Mr Scott said in a previous submission: 'We've fought every step of the way because we believe this is wrong. 'This is our home. People wouldn't tolerate this in a city. Why should we in the countryside?' The route goes through nearby undeveloped fields and links with Peddars Way, a 46-mile footpath through Norfolk and Suffolk. Mrs Scott has devoted hundreds of hours digging out documents about the case – and unearthed other examples to illustrate the 'absurdity' of the rules. She made headlines in 2020 with claims there was a footpath across land owned by then Prime Minister Boris Johnson's father Stanley in Exmoor, Somerset. Norfolk County Council was contacted for a comment.
BBC News
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Dunchurch statue gets WW2 makeover for VE Day
A village statue that has been secretly dressed up to mark special occasions since at least the 1970s has been transformed into a World War Two soldier to mark Victory in Europe statue of Lord John Scott, in Dunchurch, Warwickshire, has been dressed with military gear including an old British tin helmet with a gun, flask, belt and rucksack.A beacon will be lit in the village on Thursday and a party will be held on Saturday in The Square with entertainment, historical displays, vintage vehicles and food Day was when the European part of World War Two ended, with the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allies on 8 May 1945. Amber Cummins, from Dunchurch Festival Group, said: "Dunchurch is ready for action.""No-one knows who decorates the statue but is is widely spread about Dunchurch that it is the Dunchurch elves."Whatever happens, the Lord Scott statue will be ready to do his bit."According to the Friends of Dunchurch Society, the first time the statue was dressed up, in the 1970s, it was as a soldier with a gas mask and it has since gone on to take many other characters have ranged from Homer Simpson to Pinocchio. Over the decades, Lord John has also been made up as an angel, Harry Potter, Darth Maul from Star Wars, Peppa Pig, Spiderman, Mr Blobby and the real Lord John Douglas-Montagu-Scott was a 19th Century landlord and a Scottish inherited his estate in Warwickshire and his statue was erected by his tenants "in affectionate remembrance", the local history group died in 1860 and the Grade II-listed limestone statue was unveiled in 1867. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
