How Epstein Companion's Arrest Ties To The North Shore: Patch PM

Today is Thursday, July 2.

The arrest of Ghislaine Maxwell in New Hampshire Thursday morning on charges that she helped Jeffrey Epstein recruit, groom and sexually exploit girls as young as 14, comes a day after a luxury yacht was seen in Beverly Harbor. The yacht, which departed Wednesday, is owned by another billionaire linked to a decade-old sex scandal and is fueling speculation that the British socialite's arrest is somehow linked to the stopover in Beverly.

Maxwell, 57, reportedly lived at Tidewood Estate in Manchester-by-the-Sea with Scott Borgerson, chief executive of CargoMetrics Technologies and an ocean conservation activist, between 2016 and 2019 and after some of Epstein's victims accused her of having a role in their abuse.

The yacht that showed up in Beverly this week is owned by Alexander Mashkevitch, a Russian businessman and Jewish philanthropist with close ties to political leaders in Kazakhstan. It's not clear if Mashkevitch was on board the yacht when it anchored in Beverly Harbor, or if there is any connection to Maxwell's arrest.

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Massachusetts is expected to be in phase three for a long time. The new phase begins Monday. A "part two" will follow at an undetermined date.

But Gov. Charlie Baker said Thursday we won't get to phase four until therapeutics or a vaccine are made available.

Bars and nightclubs will remain closed until then.

Among things opening Monday are gyms, but with certain restrictions.

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A Groveland man is facing charges after police said he followed a Black woman because he "didn't feel safe" with her driving in his neighborhood.

The 65-year-old man will be charged with disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace, according to a news release from Groveland police. Police did not name him.

On Monday, Julia Santos, 21, said she saw an offer online about dog food available about a mile from her home and went to pick it up. Santos, who is Black, then drove away, at which point the man, who is white, began following her in his BMW convertible.

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Polyamorous relationships are now recognized by law in Somerville. The city recently passed a domestic partnership ordinance that includes such relationships, which is believed to be the first ordinance of its kind in the country.

Somerville previously did not define domestic partnerships, but many unmarried residents voiced concerns over being able to visit their partners in the hospital during the coronavirus pandemic, Councilor Lance Davis, who introduced the ordinance, told the Boston Globe.

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Encore Boston Harbor will reopen Sunday, July 12 at 9 a.m., pending approval from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, the casino announced Friday. It will open as part of Phase 3 of the state's reopening plan, which begins Monday.

In addition to implementing its own Health and Safety Plan, the casino will abide by directives set forth by the Gaming Commission. Several measures such as social distancing, touchless technologies and cleaning protocols have been implemented across the resort.

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