Figures

$8.5 Million

Amount of settlement reached with five insurers for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, Mass. to pay claims filed by people who were sexually abused by priests. About $3.5 million will be used to pay back the diocese for a portion of the $7.7 million it paid in 2004 to settle sexual abuse claims filed by 47 people. The remaining $5 million will be used to establish a settlement fund for 61 other victims. In 2005, the diocese sued the five insurance carriers, which argued they had no obligation to cover so-called “negligent supervision” claims if diocesan officials were aware of sexual abuse by its priests. The diocese denied supervisors knew about the abuse.

$72,000

Restitution amount to be paid by a Connecticut man convicted of stealing office furniture from The Hartford. Terrance Healy, 63, was sentenced to four years of probation and 300 hours of community service in addition to the restitution. Healy owned an interior design and furniture installation company.

500

Number of inquiries into two fatal crane accidents on Manhattan’s Upper East Side that appeared on a database of constituent concerns created by the New York City Council. The database is meant to track concerns of constituents in a detailed manner. About 24,000 inquiries have been reported since November.

12

Number of traffic fatalities in Vermont last month, a significant increase from the two previous months that has state officials puzzled. Through the first six months of 2008 there have been 45 fatalities on Vermont highways; last year there were a total of 66, the lowest figure since 1954. Officials say the trend this year is in keeping with previous years: In 2006 there were 87 fatalities and in 2005, 73.

$5 Million

The amount of the grant received by Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Mass. from the Starr Foundation. The contribution will help defray the costs of regular visual arts conferences that draw participants from around the world. It will also help with the cost of the Clark’s art library, one of the few art research libraries open to the public. The Starr Foundation, founded in 1955 by Cornelius Vander Starr, who founded the world’s largest insurer – American International Group – makes grants in education, health care, public policy, culture and the environment.

1

Total length, in pages, of five years of safety inspection reports for Boston’s iconic Fenway Park, according to The Boston Globe. Boxes on the report indicate compliance with 10 different standards, including accessibility of fire exits, presence of emergency lighting and working sprinkler systems. In 2002, 2003, and 2004, not a single box was checked for Fenway. Red Sox officials say city inspections are comprehensive and that 96-year old Fenway is monitored by engineers hired by the team.