Speakers

Rotarians and guests who purchased tickets will attend Scrooge. This event is SOLD OUT. 

All members are invited to dinner at Barrett's Waterfront. Please let Agatha know that you would like to attend. Each individual or group will order what they want from the menu and receive their own check. 

There is no greater responsibility or honor for a law enforcement officer than to investigate homicides. The same is true for a prosecutor. It is like a callup to the big leagues where the lights are brighter, the audience larger and louder and the scrutiny and demand for perfection is at times a bit overwhelming.

What first appeared as a small fire in a condo complex quickly revealed evidence of a violent, bloody struggle and a possible homicide. A persistent and thorough investigation produced a potential suspect, limited physical evidence, but no eyewitnesses, weapon or victim. Undeterred, the investigators and the prosecutor never lost faith they would solve the case and they never let it “go cold” The discovery of human remains in a burial site in another state and an hour away was tied through forensics to the fire scene and the eventual identity of our victim; 14-year-old Kelly Hancock and the arrest of her murderer, Tommy Crouse.

This story moves seamlessly from the investigation through the trial prep and into the courtroom. Beyond a police and courtroom procedural, this story is about the personal struggles in Kelly’s life following the death of her birth mother. As importantly perhaps is the way her father, stepmother, and siblings survived their loss of Kelly and found the strength to pull together and thrive as a family. It is a love story that grew from unspeakable tragedy.   

Bill Powers writes from the heart because he spent twenty years toiling in the arena and living the life of a homicide investigator. He went to literally hundreds of death scenes and, while each made an impact, none had more of a personal effect on him than this case.

Kelly Rebeiro-Oliveira, Executive Director of HEED

Zoë Hansen-DiBello, Senior Liaison to the Basics Learning Network

Wendy is a learning and development professional who transforms organizational woes to whoas. Most of her time is spent in instructional design but she loves finding innovative solutions outside the instruction box. She earned her master's degree in training and development from Roosevelt University. As a lifelong learner, she has earned her Diversity & Inclusion certification from Cornell University and positive psychology certification through Coursera. 

   Eddie Doherty fished the East End of the Cape Cod Canal so often that other fishermen started calling him East End Eddie. Thus, a nickname became a pen name. Doherty is a graduate of Dominican Academy, Attleboro High School and the University of South Florida. He worked for almost 37 years in the Massachusetts Court system where he became the youngest Assistant Clerk-Magistrate in the state at age 25 for the Attleboro District Court before being appointed 18 years later to the lifetime position of Clerk-Magistrate of the Wrentham District Court by His Excellency, A. Paul Cellucci, Governor of the Commonwealth. He was honored to be chosen as the recipient of the Amicus Curiae Award by the Norfolk County Bar Association, founded in 1797. He heard evidence on everything from speeding to murder, but now in retirement is hearing the sound of his grandchildren giggle and of striped bass breaking the surface of the ocean.

   The author has fished the warm currents of the Gulf of Mexico as well as the powerful Atlantic surf pounding the rugged coast of Maine. He has surf cast along the striper coast all the way down to the clear tropical inlets of the Florida Keys. His cousins in Ireland took him from Ballyjamesduff to the River Shannon where he wet a line in the same water that had sustained his ancestors with fish during the potato famine long ago. He has been privileged to have fished Sakonnet with Charley Soares, Chappaquiddick with Janet Messineo and the Cape Cod Canal with State Representative Patrick Kearney.

   Doherty is the author of SEVEN MILES AFTER SUNDOWN Surfcasting for Striped Bass Along the World Famous Cape Cod Canal which was announced as the #1 New Release in Fishing on Amazon and was voted as an Award-Winning Finalist in the Sports Category at the 2019 International Book Awards in Los Angeles. He wrote a weekly column for the Falmouth Enterprise and has been published in Cape Cod Magazine, On The Water, The Fisherman Magazine, Cape Cod Times, The Boston Globe, The Sun Chronicle, Cape Cod Life, Coastal Angler Magazine and the Congressional Record. He is a member of the Canal Sportsman’s Club, fished in the Stan Gibbs Cape Cod Canal Fisherman’s Classic and his striped bass entry won the shore division in his first Buzzards Bay Anglers Club Fall Derby. Doherty does a monthly cable segment on Bourne TV and his written stories combined with his weekly video Canal Report for subscribers of The Fisherman reach over 60,000.

   His second book, LAUGHS, LIES & AMERICAN JUSTICE, which was published in August of 2023 and released on Lulu Press, details stories from his years in the court system, police stations, family, politics and more including a chapter on fishing.

    He lives close to the Cape Cod Canal in Mattapoisett with his wife Joanne who is affectionately known as J. Do. They were lucky to be blessed with the birth of five healthy grandchildren to enjoy in retirement. His colleagues knew that he would be spending time teaching his young grandkids to fish so on his last day on the job they presented him with many generous gifts including a nice shirt that is embroidered with the words RETIREMENT - STRIPERS & DIAPERS!

Thomas M. Quinn III is the District Attorney of Bristol County, Massachusetts. With over 25 years of
prosecutorial experience, including eight years as Bristol County’s First Assistant District Attorney, Tom
was appointed District Attorney by Governor Charlie Baker in January 2015.

As District Attorney, Tom has established himself as a leading advocate against elder abuse, domestic
violence, and in support of youth crime prevention in the Commonwealth. He created a first of its kind
Elder Abuse Unit to prosecute those who financially and physically abuse the elderly in Bristol County,
and he similarly dedicated a Domestic Violence Unit to fight household violence in our neighborhoods.
Tom has increased the use of dangerous hearings to keep violent criminals off our streets, and he is
committed to reducing gun violence, gang activity, and drug trafficking in Bristol County’s 20 towns and
cities. With a strong focus on prevention, Tom has been outspoken in promoting mentoring for at-risk
youths and regularly organizes sports camps and other activities to keep young people active, engaged,
and out of trouble.

District Attorney Quinn continues to be strongly committed to the investigation and prosecution of
crimes against children. His efforts have resulted in the DNA testing of all untested rape kits, many of
which involved children; enforcing the collection of DNA from convicted offenders as required by law;
using the latest forensic technologies to identify all unidentified persons in Bristol County, and
continuing to investigate and prosecute unsolved/cold cases.

Born in New Bedford and raised in Dartmouth, Tom graduated from Dartmouth High School in 1978
before receiving a bachelor’s degree from Holy Cross and a law degree from Suffolk Law. He is a
parishioner at Holy Name Church in Fall River and serves on the Holy Name Parish Finance Council. Tom
is also a former member of the Bishop Connolly High School Board of Trustees and a former youth
mentor at the Nativity Preparatory School in New Bedford.

Tom lives with his wife, Sharon, in Fall River. They have three children, Michael, Brian, and Caroline.