Bay State Banner 1-19-2017

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Mass. residents cry out against loss of Affordable Care Act pg 6

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‘THURGOOD’ PAINTS STUNNING PORTRAIT OF LEGAL GIANT pg 16

Entrepreneur takes high-fashion clothing line to next level pg 10

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Secret stadium plans rile electeds Local officials say they, abutters left out of Columbia Point talks

By JULE PATTISON-GORDON

BANNER PHOTO

Tito Jackson announces his candidacy for mayor of Boston outside the Haley House Bakery Café in Dudley Square.

Jackson announces bid for mayor’s office Stresses income inequality, educational investment

By JULE PATTISON-GORDON and YAWU MILLER

Pledging to fight against income inequality and to increase support for public education, District 7 City Councilor Tito Jackson launched his mayoral campaign last Thursday from the parking lot of Dudley Square’s Haley House Café.

“Boston is at a crossroads,” he said to the crowd of about 200 people gathered outside Haley

House. “We’re at a fork in the road.

A decision point. The middle class in the beloved community, the neighborhood that I grew up in stands in the balance.”

Citing studies that show Boston ranking number one in income inequality in the U.S., Jackson criticized incumbent Mayor Martin Walsh for prioritizing development of luxury housing and the multi-million dollar deal to secure a new Fort Point Channel

headquarters for General Electric.

Jackson said his campaign would bring attention back to the pressing needs of ordinary Bostonians.

“We have lost our way,” Jackson told supporters. “We are not focusing on the right things in our city. We are not focusing on the right people. I am focused on education for all young people in the city of Boston and funding that

See JACKSON, page 8

Mayor Martin Walsh’s administration and the University of Massachusetts appear to have secretively negotiated with the New England Revolution’s owner, Bob Kraft, to plan a soccer stadium for Columbia Point in Dorchester. The revelation sparked outcry from the elected officials representing the affected communities, who said they and abutters were largely left out of the decisions.

In a fiercely-worded statement, Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry blasted the process as secretive and exclusive, and one that denied local stakeholders a say in what happens in their neighborhood. While she and several local officials were aware the stadium idea was being floated, many only learned through a recent newspaper story how far plans had advanced.

“Acting in secret and without bringing members of the community and their elected representatives to the table, until backroom deals come to light through stories in the media, is wholly unacceptable,” Forry wrote.

City Councilor Annissa Essaibi-George was part of the Columbia Point Task Force, which, years ago, engaged the community in a four-year process of preparing plans for the site. The final vision was for a vibrant community. A stadium matches none of the things people wanted, she said. “[The plans] did not include a soccer stadium. It was housing, mixed-use commercial-residential,

walking ways, bikeways, eyesight lines to the harbor,” Essaibi-George said in a Banner phone interview.

Unlike the vibrant community envisioned, a stadium would only be active intermittently, and when in use, would force high traffic on the area, she said.

“Backroom deals”

New England Revolution owner Kraft seeks to build a soccer stadium on the Dorchester site, which includes the former Bayside Exposition center and a slice of land currently home to the Boston Teachers Union’s headquarters.

BTU has been open to relocating, if given sufficient compensation, including a new headquarters. A Boston Globe article last week stated that the Walsh administration had shown several sites to the BTU, with one meeting approval, and that the BTU currently is negotiating over monetary compensation. Many elected officials from the community were taken by surprise that the plans had progressed this far.

“State agencies acting with impunity, handpicking a singular entity to develop a public site, is wrong,” Forry said.

The former exposition center, which represents the majority of the land Kraft seeks, is state-held: It is owned by University of Massachusetts. UMass is exempt from the state’s open bidding law, local zoning and municipal approvals and tax payments for their land, Forry notes. As such, plans have been allowed to proceed with seemingly only one bidder

See COLUMBIA POINT, page 20

City to file anti-displacement bills Bills aimed at stemming tide of evictions

By YAWU MILLER

Tax credits for landlords who maintain below-market rents, free legal representation for indigent tenants facing eviction and the right of first refusal for tenants living in properties subject to foreclosure or short sale are among the legislative bills Mayor Martin Walsh’s administration is backing to combat

displacement of moderate- and low-income Boston residents.

The five new measures administration officials announced last Friday include the Jim Brooks Community Stabilization Act, which would require owners of large buildings to notify the city of eviction notices and extend the city’s Inclusionary Development Policy to all developments of ten or more units, not just those

requiring a zoning variance.

“This legislation is extremely important to make sure displacement is reduced in Boston,” said Sheila Dillon, the city’s housing chief and director of the Department of Neighborhood Development.

Jim Brooks Act

In addition to requiring landlords to notify the city prior to evictions, the Jim Brooks bill would

See DISPLACEMENT, page 3

BANNER PHOTO

Chief of Policy Joyce Linehan, Assistant Corporation Counsel Sammy Nabulsi and Chief of Housing Sheila Dillon discuss the city’s housing bills.

2 • Thursday, January 19, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER

Court rules against minority firms in land use, profit sharing dispute Columbia Plaza Associates says Northeastern deprives it of millions, Court finds proof lacking that NU violated agreement; CPA appeals

By JULE PATTISON-GORDON

A group of minority businesses and nonprofits received a major setback in its legal battle alleging that Northeastern University wrongfully deprived its members of hundreds of millions of dollars.

The plaintiffs, Columbia Plaza Associates, say the university violated an agreement with them over the development of a valuable Roxbury parcel, and reaped the exclusive profits.

In a ruling issued on Dec. 15, 2016, the Suffolk Superior Court sided with Northeastern. The court said that plaintiffs did not provide sufficient proof that NU achieved its profit and development projects through unfair or deceptive practices, and that CPA had filed its lawsuit too late.

Not backing down, plaintiffs filed an appeal early this month.

The case revolves around construction on Parcel 18, for which CPA owned the development rights and NU owned most of the land. The two entities entered into an agreement in 1999 to develop a 925-car garage on the site. NU since has built a 22story, 1,100-bed dorm on another part of the property and intends to construct a hotel.

The parcel was assembled from

city-, state-and MBTA-owned land and the rights were granted to CPA as part of the 1980s Linkage Program. Officials intended the minority group to use its development rights to guide usage of the Roxbury parcel in ways that would stimulate the local economy and job market. Plaintiffs say NU’s actions soundly defeated that hope.

In their filings, CPA brought two charges: First, that NU did not sufficiently compensate CPA, while reaping large profits for itself; and second, that NU misrepresented that it had CPA buy-in on a development project in order to secure Boston Planning and Redevelopment Agency approval.

The court stated that plaintiffs did not provided sufficient proof that NU had violated the letter of the agreement, and said CPA had failed to bring objections in a sufficiently timely manner for their case to be viable.

Millions due… to no one

The 1999 garage agreement between CPA and NU envisioned the creation of a second joint venture entity, through which significant amounts of CPA’s compensation would be channeled. However, that entity was never formed — an eventuality not provided for in the agreement — and that

threw the status of the compensation into limbo.

Plaintiffs say that the compensation still is due and that NU resisted creating the joint venture to avoid paying. The judge, however, ruled against that claim.

The proposed second joint venture was to be used to develop another parcel subsection, called 18-3A. As part of CPA’s compensation in the garage deal, it was to receive $100,000 from NU, paid not as cash, but rather in the form of CPA’s original capital contribution into this future joint venture.

While the agreement required NU to work in good faith to create the second joint venture, it never explicitly demanded the enterprise be realized. The second joint venture was never created.

As such, CPA did not receive the $100,000 in this or any form.

The 1999 deal also stated that should the 18-3A not be developed for a commercial purpose — such as a hotel — it would be used for NU institutional purposes and the university would pay the fair rental value of the building to the joint venture.

But again, that joint venture did not exist and so the payment was not made. Plaintiff Kevin Cohee, chair and CEO of OneUnited Bank and a member of CPA, previously told the

Banner he estimates CPA would be due at least $100 million from the dorm’s development.

The court ruled that because no joint venture was established, “Northeastern had no contractual obligation to pay CPA anything.”

Only the creation of the entity would have triggered the millions of dollars in compensation to CPA. Cohee alleged that NU had not worked in good faith to pursue creating a joint venture and had avoided CPA requests to meet or provide a draft joint venture agreement. During the final day of court, Vincent Lembo, senior counsel and vice president for Northeastern and secretary to the board of trustees, said that the university had not attempted to form the joint venture during the six-month time frame set forth in the agreement.

Misrepresentation?

Plaintiffs asserted that NU proceeded without CPA approval when it built a dorm on Parcel 18-3A instead of a commercial development, and when it represented to the BPDA that the groups had agreed to develop together a hotel on Parcel 18-1A. In a rebuff to plaintiffs’ claims, the court ruled that NU adequately kept CPA informed about its plans, via regular communication with several CPA members.

While plaintiffs had argued that NU was wrong to presume a few members of the organization could speak for the whole, the court disagreed, noting these individuals had represented CPA on certain legal documents.

The court opinion further stated that CPA representatives had failed to exercise their rights

on Parcel 18-3A by failing to respond to an invitation to work on hotel plans for that subsection, to actively object when plans changed to instead locate a dorm there, or to propose an alternate plan for the property. As such, the court ruled, the plaintiffs essentially gave up their rights.

“CPA claims that it was wrongfully deprived of certain bargained for benefits in connection with Parcel 18-3A …[but] CPA’s complete failure to do anything to exercise those rights or to respond to Northeastern’s invitation to work with it in connection to the construction of a hotel meant that they lost whatever rights they had.”

For years, NU has been pushing to complete the planned hotel on 18-1A. By the time representatives met in court last October, the project hit a snag due to CPA not having granted the university the development rights.

Too late to sue

The court also critiqued CPA for waiting too long before suing.

An unfair business practice lawsuit must be filed within four years of plaintiff realization of being harmed — in this case, the point at which CPA realized NU was developing a dorm without their involvement, the court opined. At the latest, that realization would be in 2009 — the point at which CPA sent an official letter of complaint to NU, according to the court opinion.

Between issuing the demand letter in April 2009 and selecting a lawsuit as their vehicle for redress in July 2013, CPA waited four years plus nearly three months.

On Jan. 3, 2017, CPA plaintiffs filed to appeal the court ruling.

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Thursday, January 19, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 3

‘Memory café’ takes aim at elder isolation, dementia concerns

By SANDRA LARSON

On a drizzly November day, the Boston Center for Youth and Families Grove Hall Senior Center offered a warm and lively gathering place for area seniors.

Seated around long tables or still dishing up plates of salad, chicken, fruit and home-baked blueberry cobbler, about 20 elders — some accompanied by caregivers, some on their own, some chatty, others silent — were greeted cheerily by staff members of the senior center and the city’s Boston Alzheimer’s Initiative.

A program of short video clips began. The seniors chuckled at the predicament of Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon disguised as women chorus members in “Some Like It Hot.” They marveled at footage of Neil Armstrong stepping onto the moon and at the virtuosic tap dancing of the Nicholas Brothers in the 1943 film “Stormy Weather.”

A slide show of Americana accompanied by Paul Robeson’s deep voice singing “The House I Live In” brought wistful nods.

The monthly lunchtime gathering is one of a growing number of “memory cafés” across Massachusetts and the U.S. that aim to provide a safe, respectful, enjoyable and social respite for people experiencing dementia or anyone concerned about potential memory decline.

“I want to keep my mind,” said Four Corners resident Dora Vaughan, a first-time memory cafe guest. “I see other people gone already.”

Carl Baty, 64, is a former air traffic controller from Philadelphia who moved to Dorchester when he met his wife, Arnetta, a few years ago. Besides attending memory cafe events, he volunteers with the city’s Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Friends of the Codman Square Library and other organizations.

“It’s good to stay active,” said Baty, looking sharp in a crisp suit and tie. “It’s good to stay connected.”

Memory cafés are new to Boston, but the model was developed in the 1990s in Holland, and over the past decade has spread across the U.S. The first

displacement continued from page 1

also ban owners of buildings with seven or more units from evicting tenants without cause.

“They could no longer say, ‘Your lease or tenancy is up, I would like you to leave,’” Dillon said.

Dillon said the law is aimed at large property owners because they are most likely to clear buildings via evictions to make room for condo conversions, a move that often leaves long-term tenants in danger of homelessness.

Notification of evictions with cause would give the city the opportunity to help connect tenants to resources — to either contest an eviction or find emergency shelter or another housing opportunity.

The law would not prevent landlords from raising rents as a device to clear tenants from a building.

Legal representation

The Act to Prevent Homelessness would guarantee the right to legal representation in eviction proceedings, thus enabling tenants

PHOTOS: SANDRA LARSON

Left, Federica Solomon of Dorchester attends a memory café event at BCYF Grove Hall Senior Center; Solomon also takes computer classes at the center. Right, Dorchester residents Rachel Tate and Carl Baty greet each other at the Nov. 7 memory café.

ON THE WEB Directory of Massachusetts Memory Cafes: http://bit.ly/1Muyza7 Boston Alzheimer’s Initiative: 617-635-3992 Percolator Memory Cafe Toolkit: http://bit.ly/2iRYTBk I’m Still Here Foundation: www.imstillhere.org AARP Foundation’s Connect 2 Affect: http://connect2affect.org Alzheimer’s Association: http://www.alz.org

Massachusetts café started in 2011 in Marlborough, and now there are “50 and counting” statewide, according to Beth Soltzberg, director of the Alzheimer’s/Related Disorders Family Support Program at Jewish Family & Children’s Service in Waltham. The first Spanish-language café opened recently in Lawrence.

In 2014 Soltzberg formed the “Percolator,” a network offering support and training for Massachusetts memory café organizers, including a toolkit for starting café programs and a statewide café directory.

In some areas they are called “Alzheimer’s cafés,” but memory cafes are not Alzheimer’s education sessions or support groups. A 2005 evaluation of memory cafés in the United Kingdom observed that the café setting provides “a safe space in which to ‘re-story’ the

experience of dementia.” Organizers say café participation can open a path to starting difficult conversations about dementia.

“The point is to diffuse fears and the idea that you’re being judged and evaluated,” said Patricia McCormack, director of the Boston Alzheimer’s Initiative of the city’s Elderly Commission and a major force behind the Grove Hall cafe.

“It’s people from your community, meeting in your community, to be of assistance to each other.”

Typically community-based and reflective of neighborhood culture, memory cafés can play a key role in combatting elder isolation, which the AARP Foundation has termed a health risk as well as a social issue.

“The health risks of prolonged isolation are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day,” warned AARP Foundation President Lisa Marsh

who cannot afford a lawyer to receive free legal counsel, much in the same way public defense lawyers are assigned in criminal cases. The law would apply to the entire state.

“In Massachusetts, the field right now in front of housing courts or district courts, depending on where you’re bringing eviction cases, is very uneven,” said the city’s Assistant Corporation Counsel Sammy Nabulsi. “In Massachusetts, six percent of tenants walk into housing court with an attorney while a great majority of landlords have attorneys in those cases.”

Lydia Edwards, who heads the Mayor’s Office of Housing Stability, said that while the city is not planning to provide pro bono attorneys for low-income or elderly landlords, the city provides mediation and other services to help landlords with difficult tenants.

Nabulsi said the law would save the state funding by reducing the number of people in costly emergency shelters in Massachusetts.

less than the HUD-determined fair market rate a $1,500 credit on their state income tax for up to six units. The HUD fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Boston is $2,027.

“The Good Landlord Tax Credit is really a recognition by our administration that a lot of small landlords are feeling certain pressures with rising taxes, and many of them would like to maintain the tenancies they have, but many of them feel forced to raise rents due to economic pressures,” Edwards said.

Tax credit

The Good Landlord Tax Credit would allow landlords who charge

First refusal

The Act Regarding Right of First Refusal would allow tenants of investor-owned buildings that are heading into foreclosure or short sale the opportunity to purchase the building at the short sale price, or to match the foreclosure amount.

“The best part about this is it brings the tenants to the table so that they’re not finding out about this foreclosure or sale of their building at the time of the auction. This right is also assignable,” Edwards said. “Tenants can

Ryerson, speaking at the Gerontological Society of America’s annual scientific meeting in November. Her organization is studying and tackling isolation through its “Connect2Affect” project. And eradicating social isolation is one of the 12 “Grand Challenges” identified by the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.

“Isolation is one of the things that make the disease [of dementia] grow,” said McCormack. In her work with the Alzheimer’s Initiative, she has observed how hard it can be for older adults or their partners to admit there may be a problem or even to go out in public if memory decline become evident.

Memory cafés provide a place to mix with other people who may be experiencing similar issues and fears in a positive atmosphere, she said, “where the cup is half full and not half empty.”

The November program at Grove Hall was led by Dee Brenner, ARTZ program manager for the I’m Still Here Foundation, a Woburn-based organization that develops and delivers inclusive programming for audiences with cognitive challenges.

Before and after each video assign this right to a local CDC or nonprofit, to a land trust, to a cooperative.

Anti-foreclosure activists in Boston have long sought cooperation from banks and mortgage companies like Fannie Mae to help nonprofits and tenants buy homes in foreclosure as a way to prevent speculators from flipping the properties and inflating prices.

Inclusionary Development Policy extended

Under current city policy, developers are subject to the Inclusionary Development Policy when they build ten or more units and require a zoning variance — for example, if they exceed height restrictions for a particular area. The Act Relative to Zoning would extend the Inclusionary Development Policy to all ten-plus unit buildings, regardless of zoning, which requires that 12 percent of units in new building be affordable.

Dillon said the legislative package is part of the city’s broader efforts to combat displacement.

“It’s a good package,” she said.

“I think this complements all of

clip, Brenner offered a little food for thought about the clip’s theme or performers. Avoiding yes-or-no questions or anything that might feel like a quiz, her method drew out attendees’ recollections and feelings.

“Rarely does a clip not spur some kind of dialogue,” said Brenner. “It’s not just ‘Oh, Casablanca, what a wonderful film.’”

Conversations at this café ranged from recollections of train travel and roller skate keys to the prospect of Mars exploration to frustration at today’s divisive political climate.

As attendees said their goodbyes, Federica Solomon lingered, a crochet project in-progress on her lap. She took up the craft recently through a class at the Grove Hall Senior Center and is working on a hat and scarf. The 81-year-old Dorchester resident takes art and computer classes there as well.

“I try to keep my mind working,” she said. “I don’t want my brain to sleep on me.”

This article was written with the support of a journalism fellowship from New America Media, the Gerontological Society of America and the Silver Century Foundation. our housing efforts. We’re putting more money towards affordable housing. We’re putting out cityowned property — millions of square feet for affordable housing.

But as we build, we’re still getting calls that people are losing their homes. A lot of these ideas came from community activists. We’ve been in negotiations with community activists for the last six months. Now it’s time to file legislation at the State House.”

The Jim Brooks Act was filed with the City Council as a home rule petition. Dillon said she expects the act to pass. The city then will file the ordinance with the state. The bill extending legal services to tenants facing eviction is being sponsored by state Sen. Sal DiDimenico. Rep. Chynah Tyler is sponsoring the Jim Brooks Act. Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry and Rep. Dan Cullinane are sponsoring the Act Regarding Right of First Refusal.

Sen. Joseph Boncore and Rep. Kevin Honan are sponsoring the State Income Tax Credit for Renting Unsubsidized Properties at Below Market Rents.

4 • Thursday, January 19, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER

EDITORIAL

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INSIDE: BUSINESS, 10 • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, 16 • CLASSIFIEDS, 20

Established 1965

Trump defies presidential standards During the recent campaign for president, critics often expressed concern that Donald Trump was not presidential enough. For many people a certain dignity and decorum were required for the job. Nonetheless, Trump understood the necessity of appealing to the “ignored” and “overlooked.” He did not want to be identified as one of the “elite” who looked down upon the working class folks. Unfortunately, many of Trump’s constituents tolerate a laxity in the requirements for president that could damage democracy.

Trump’s strategy worked. There is a strong penchant for people to vote for those who are just like them. Somehow, Trump who arrived in his own 747 and boasted of being a billionaire, was still able to convince the unemployed and others facing personal financial crisis that he was one of them.

That demonstrates the value of advertising and Trump’s skill at self-promotion. Many of those politicians who now support Trump had previously blocked Barack Obama’s proposals for massive infrastructure programs to build bridges, roads and airports. Trump now promises to implement the plan in order to become “the world’s greatest job creator.”

The only problem is that according to reports, while Trump touts himself as a stellar businessman, he has suffered six bankruptcies. One must wonder whether a serial bankrupter will develop financially sound government programs. But even more distressing should be the pathological lies. Trump promised several times to disclose his tax returns, as normally expected, as soon as the IRS examination was completed. He never did so, and he indicated at his press conference that he has no plans to do so.

The most disturbing aspect of Trump’s conduct is that his constituents seem to approve it. They do not seem to understand the customs

that have developed over the years to strengthen the nation’s democracy.

There is no law that requires presidential candidates to disclose their tax returns. Rather, it is a practice that has developed over the years to require candidates for high office to reveal their financial connections.

Last October the New York Times published a Trump tax return that indicated he had suffered a $916 million loss in 1995, which could offset taxable income for many years.

This disclosure not only raised questions about Trump’s business skills, but it also indicated that Trump probably had not paid income taxes for a long time.

It would seem that the available financial information on Trump would induce knowledgeable voters to be concerned about a businessman in the White House. There is a long democratic tradition that the president is to work exclusively on the business of the people and not be involved in personal commerce. To assure that, wealthy presidents have placed their assets in a blind trust.

Trump also has refused to do this.

What Trump indicates is a blind trust falls far short of the requirement.

In an independent blind trust the trustees have the authority to sell the assets and reinvest the proceeds as they see fit, all without any communication with the president or reliance on his opinion. Trump’s conveyance of his assets to his sons to manage hardly meets the independence standard.

The involvement of the chief of state in commercial activities can lead to political problems, as it has recently in Brazil and South Korea.

And it also raises a question as to whether decisions on relations with foreign countries will be made to enrich the president.

Public officials must exert every effort to require Trump to comply with the conventional standards of full disclosure.

“Didn’t Trump always say the election was rigged?”

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OPINION

Thank you, President Obama

By DAVID MUHAMMAD, NEW AMERICA MEDIA The night, eight years ago, that Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States was euphoric. At an election watch party in downtown Washington, DC — when the screens locked into CNN announcing Obama as the projected President-elect – the huge, nearly all-black crowd erupted in jubilant excitement.

Last week that man said goodbye, urging Americans as he brushed away tears to continue to push for the change his presidency had promised.

Eight years earlier tears streamed down my face and the faces of those around me. We had not imagined in our lifetimes that our nation, built on black slave labor, would elect a black man as its president.

Still, even from the beginning I had low expectations that Obama could bring genuine transformation to America’s benighted political system. So as he prepares to leave the Oval Office, it is worth taking this moment to consider just how much he accomplished.

President Obama inherited a crumbling economy on the brink of a depression. The housing and banking crisis had nearly destroyed the country. Obama immediately pushed through an unpopular stimulus package that has now proven to be incredibly successful.

In the month before Obama took office, more than 660,000 jobs were lost. During the Bush presidency, the total number of jobs gained was near an all-time low of 160,000 annually. Comparatively, Obama has added nearly ten times that amount, with more than 1.3 million jobs gained each year. During the height of the Great Recession, the U.S. unemployment rate was at a staggering 10 percent. The unemployment rate is now under 5 percent — with more than 14 million total new jobs added under the Obama Administration.

The day of Obama’s inauguration, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the standard stock index, was just under 7,950. The Dow has nearly tripled in the past eight years, reaching an unprecedented high of 19,000.

Stock prices don’t just help the wealthy; a vast majority of the middle class depends on stocks to support their retirement accounts.

The working class also enjoyed a boon. Although a Republican Congress failed to act on Obama’s proposal to raise the minimum wage nationally and to pass a jobs bill, after a passionate State of the Union Address, cities and states across the country responded. More than 50 states and cities have raised their minimum wages, including three West Coast cities that have voted to raise their minimum wage to $15 per hour.

President Obama’s crowning achievement was a feat that seven other presidents tried and failed to accomplish. The Affordable Care Act has not been without controversy, but as Obama leaves office, more than 20 million Americans now have health care thanks to the ACA. There are other victories that are no less significant. President Obama brought Osama bin Laden to justice. As promised, he did so while also bringing the number of American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq down from 175,000 to 15,000.

With a recalcitrant Congress, President Obama had to resort to the power of his pen to make other common sense reforms. Through executive orders, Obama implemented gun safety regulations after numerous mass shootings rocked the country. He also made progress on immigration, providing protection to dreamers, young children who were brought to America by their parents hoping for a better life.

And for the subject nearest and dearest to my heart, criminal justice reform, the President has been a champion. Obama’s appointment of Eric Holder as attorney general was monumental. Speaking at the American Bar Association, Holder declared, “Too many Americans go to too many prisons for far too long, and for no truly good law enforcement reason.” Holder backed up his words by ordering his federal prosecutors to change their charging practices and no longer seek to send non-violent drug offenders to prison for long sentences.

The president used his authority to take the reforms even further.

The first sitting president to ever visit a federal prison, including meeting with a group of inmates, Obama has already commuted the sentences of nearly 1,200 inmates, more than any other president in history and more than the past 11 presidents combined. Recognizing that solitary confinement of children equates to torture, the President also ended the practice for juveniles in federal facilities.

While I celebrate Obama’s presidency and mourn his departure, I also recognize that there is much more I wished he had accomplished. Closure of Guantanamo, comprehensive immigration reform, and more far reaching criminal justice transformation was possible but didn’t happen.

President Obama has been a measured, thoughtful, exemplar. I will miss him, our graceful First Lady Michele, and their beautiful children. Mr. President, thank you for your leadership. Thank you for what you have done for our country. And thank you for the great image you have given my son.

David Muhammad is the National Director of Justice Programs at the National Council on Crime and Delinquency.

ROVING CAMERA

What do you think about Tito Jackson’s candidacy for mayor?

If Tito Jackson is willing to stand up against police brutality, that would be great. It’s a huge concern in our community.

We need Tito in City Hall. He’s a good man. He’s doing good work.

I love it. I really hope he becomes the first black mayor of Boston.

Tahia Sykes

Carl Booker

Education Dorchester

Florist Dorchester

Media Coordinator Mattapan

I think it’s a good idea. We need a new face. I think he’ll make positive changes.

It could be great. Ever since Marty Walsh got in, nothing has changed. If he can make a difference, why not?

I applaud him for running for mayor. I think he’ll bring to the surface issues that haven’t been talked about under the Walsh administration.

Gerald Grooms

Paris Wilson

Kevin Peterson

Nurse Dorchester

Line Cook Chelsea

Arielle Gray

Executive Director Dorchester

IN THE NEWS

TANIA DEL RIO Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced the appointment of Tania Del Rio as diversity outreach director, a new role created to ensure the city’s strategic plan for diversity is implemented throughout the city of Boston.

Tania joins Chief Diversity Officer Danielson Tavares in advancing the mayor’s goals of increasing diversity across Boston’s workforce and ensuring that city government reflects its people.

“Tania is a skilled professional who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in working with both public and private sector entities to this role, and I am excited to have her on board as the diversity outreach director,” said Walsh. “I’m proud of the steps we’ve taken and the progress we’ve made to make sure the city’s workforce is reflective of the city itself, and I am confident that Tania’s expertise will help bring us one step closer towards achieving our diversity goals.”

As the diversity outreach direc-

tor, Del Rio will be responsible for outreach and recruitment efforts to the community at large to promote diversity in Boston; developing and maintaining relationships with businesses, nonprofits, educational and religious organizations; compiling, tracking and reviewing diversity statistics; and serving as a point of contact for both internal and external audiences.

“I’m tremendously excited to join the City of Boston and the mayor’s effort to make opportunities equally available for people from all demographic groups and to ensure that our workforce can reflect Boston’s richly diverse population,” said Del Rio. “It is a mission that I deeply care about and hope to make much progress towards in this new role.”

Prior to joining the city’s Office of Diversity, Tania Del Rio served as the head of the Protection and Community Affairs Departments at the Consulate of Mexico in Boston.

In that role, she focused on ensuring

the rights of immigrants in New England were protected, and collaborated with community leaders to amplify their advocacy efforts. This work put her in contact with people from a broad range of experiences, including prison populations, children and youth, faith-based and cultural organizations, as well as private sector partners.

6 • Thursday, January 19, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER

Mass. residents cry out against loss of Affordable Care Act

By JULE PATTISON-GORDON

Thousands of Bostonians turned out at Faneuil Hall last Sunday to condemn Republican plans to revoke the Affordable Care Act. Mayor Martin Walsh, U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and U.S. Reps. Katherine Clark and Richard Neal pledged to fight to protect residents, who could lose access to insurance, affordable birth control and many other protections.

“We are making a statement that health care is not a privilege, it’s a right for everybody. It’s a national statement that Massachusetts, Boston and this very special hall has played a very special role in,” Walsh said.

The demonstration was one of 35 held across the nation, and followed upon last Thursday’s State House rally, in which protestors called attention to what they said is the devastating effect Massachusetts residents will suffer if the Republican-controlled Congress goes through with plans to repeal the ACA. Republicans have yet to present clear plans for replacement.

Massachusetts’ history of advancing health care coverage does not shields its residents, as state programs are reliant on federal dollars, advocates say.

“Many people think that whatever happens with the national law, Massachusetts can go back to Romneycare. Not so,” Stephen Rosenfeld, interim executive director of Health Care for All, told attendees at the State House protest.

“The implementation of Chapter

BANNER PHOTO

Boston Medical Center health worker Latia Holmes told attendees at the State House protest that institutions such as BMC that provide care regardless of insurance status will struggle to meet demand if the ACA is repealed.

58 [the Massachusetts plan passed in 2006, also known as “Romneycare”] was substantially funded by the federal government.”

Up to 500,000 state residents could lose coverage, say representatives of Health Care for All, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East and the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization.

Nationally, closer to 18 million people would likely lose their insurance within one year of the ACA repeal and premiums could double over ten years, according to a nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office report released Tuesday.

For Courtney Thomas, a low-income 40-year resident of

Boston, the ACA made surgery possible. He’d broken bones in his wrist and ankle from falling while playing basketball, but could not afford monthly health insurance fees and his wrist caused him constant, severe pain. It was not until the ACA brought insurance coverage within his price range for the first time — at $90 a month — that he could finally get treatment and stop the pain.

“For low-income people like me, the difference between not getting insurance and getting it is cost,” Thomas said. “Health insurance shouldn’t be a privilege.”

Dennis Heaphy, a health care advocate at the Disability Equality

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Consortium, said for people with disabilities, Medicaid can mean the difference between being part of the community or being isolated. A plethora of services, ranging from personal care attendants to meals on wheels to specialists, rely on federal waivers for at least half their funding. If these vanish, many people who have been living more independently will be forced into nursing homes — which, he added, would bring greater cost to the state. Additionally, dwindling care resources may mean parents who are 60 or 70 years old must shoulder the care for their adult children with conditions such as autism, he said.

“People with disabilities are very scared,” Heaphy told the Banner.

While some organizations, such as Boston Medical Center, provide care regardless of insurance status, they likely will become overburdened as people losing their coverage flood in, Latia Holmes, BMC health worker, told the Banner.

Last week, Republicans in the U.S. Senate initiated repeal of the ACA and voted down many amendments, including ones that would have prevented any ACA replacement from reducing coverage to children or people with pre-existing medical conditions.

Last Thursday, Governor Charlie Baker sent a letter to the Senate majority leader, in which he spoke of the importance to the state of widespread health coverage and sought to retain ACA elements such as coverage for those with pre-existing conditions.

Trump’s picks

As Donald Trump’s inauguration looms, questions continue to be raised over his selections for key roles.

HUD secretary nominee Ben Carson would be charged with providing aid to struggling renters and homeowners, yet his questioning of the value and need for federal aid seems at odds with the department’s mission.

Carson famously said during an interview that, “Poverty is really more of a choice than anything else.”

Trump’s labor secretary pick, Andrew Puzder, would be charged with overseeing investigations into violations of laws on minimum wage, overtime and worker safety. Puzder, who is the CEO of CKE Restaurants, the parent company behind fast food franchises Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., opposes an Obama administration proposal that would make parent companies legally liable for labor law violations committed by their franchisees or hired contractors.

Puzder also disagrees with many employee protections put forth by the Obama administration, such as efforts to increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 and the recent federal law expanding overtime pay eligibility. He has said that mandatory paid sick leave laws, the Affordable Care Act and raises to the minimum wage burden restaurants’ bottom lines and force them to rely on automated technology.

Civil rights groups have railed against Jeff Sessions, Trump’s selection for attorney general. The ACLU website lists a plethora of racism allegations against Sessions and notes that his one-time nomination to the Senate Judiciary Committee was rejected following opposition from a civil rights coalition of 160 groups.

Conflicts of interest

Trump’s business holdings pose tremendous potential conflicts of interest. It would be easy for policies proposed by Trump to appear motivated by a desire to protect and advance his businesses, not the public interest. Additionally, concerns have been aired that those seeking to curry favor with the White House may try to do so through deals with Trump’s businesses or by patronizing his hotels.

On Wednesday last week, federal ethics officials criticized Trump’s plans for maintaining a financial stake in his international real estate and branding enterprises.

Walter Shaub, head of the Office of Government Ethics, advised Trump to divest his business interests and place his holdings either into diversified mutual funds and treasury bonds or into a blind trust.

Trump, however, stated that he will place his business assets into a trust managed by his sons Donald and Eric. It will not be blind, but his lawyer Sheri Dillon said Trump promised not to discuss the company with his sons. Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, whose husband will become senior adviser to the new president, also will not participate in the business.

Additionally, the Trump Organization only will pursue new business domestically, Dillon said.

The Trumps will hire an ethics adviser to keep the company on track — although some have said choosing one’s own ethics advisers defeats the purpose.

“The plan the president has announced doesn’t meet the standards that the best of his nominees are meeting and that every president in the past four decades has met,” Shaub said in a news conference, according to USA Today.

Boston Public Health Commission Boston Biosafety Committee members The Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) is seeking new community members for its Boston Biosafety Committee (BBC) from the South End, Fenway, and/or Chinatown neighborhoods. The BBC provides technical assistance and advice on issues related to regulation and permitting of biological research laboratories in the City of Boston. Community members should be able to commit to two years on the committee.

BPHC permits and regulates research laboratories in Boston and the BBC has a role in advising the Executive Director of BPHC. Community members of the BBC have a role in communicating information on biological safety to the public and providing input on community concerns.

The BBC meets when required for review of research projects, laboratory permit applications, or other times requested by the BPHC Executive Director. The time commitment will average five hours a month, with some months having no meetings and some months having meetings with materials to review in advance.

CambridgeCollege.edu 1.800.829.4723

Community members interested in being on the BBC should contact Julien Farland, Boston Public Health Commission Director of Biological Safety, at jfarland@bphc.org or 617-534-2814.

Thursday, January 19, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 7

To all who have a dream, large or small.

Boston Children’s Hospital is proud to honor the mission and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King every day of the year. Learn more at bostonchildrens.org/careers. EOE

8 • Thursday, January 19, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER

“

Jackson

[We need] a mayor who will not only talk about issues on race, but do something to close disparities of unemployment and jobs in all neighborhoods in Boston, who will not only study gender inequality but ensure there is equity in pay in the city departments he has control over.”

continued from page 1 public education.”

“Working families need to be given a chance to thrive,” he said, adding that his message is true for all communities across the city.

Jackson, 41, was elected to represent District 7 in 2011. The Grove Hall resident supported Walsh in the 2013 mayoral race, but has clashed with him over issues including cuts to the city’s education budget and the displacement of middle- and low-income city residents.

Jackson, who chairs the City Council’s Committee on Education, raised his profile in the media during clashes with Walsh over the Boston Public Schools budget. The funding shortfalls and changes to factors considered in the weighted student funding formula produced larger class sizes for autistic students and reduced allotments for students who experienced trauma.

Jackson suggested that Walsh had demonstrated misaligned budget priorities in forcing schools to make budget cuts while also pursuing expensive ventures such as luring GE to the city.

“When the city of Boston had over $150 million in new revenue, the city turned its back on 57,314 students in the Boston Public Schools and 30,000 families when they only gave them $18 million to fill a $40 million hole,” Jackson said.

Under questioning by reporters, Jackson stopped short of saying that he would not renew GE’s deal or that he would have preferred GE not come to Boston.

He said Boston had bid too high.

According to Jackson, the money is there to support his educational vision: wraparound support services, enough early education seats to meet demand, free public transit passes for all students and more computer science.

The councilor, who campaigned heavily against lifting the cap on charter schools, said there must be a move away from divisiveness and toward a focus on students in any type of public school.

“We must begin to budget not for sustenance, but success,” he said.

Jackson said he would budget several years in advance to prevent shortfalls and better utilize revenue.

— Tito Jackson

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City Councilor Tito Jackson strolls through Dudley Square, reporters and supporters in tow, after announcing his candidacy for mayor.

Youth and economic inequality

He also said he would be a mayor who listened to youth, and praised the 3,500 high school students who walked out to protest Walsh’s original budget proposal.

He also blasted Walsh for his treatment of the students, whom the mayor last year said were being manipulated by adults.

“We need a mayor who sees our young people not as an expense, who doesn’t disparage them and knows that youth leadership is what we need in the City of Boston,” he said.

Tackling income inequality requires stimulating job creation in all neighborhoods for all education levels, along with job training and criminal justice reforms so that CORIs are not a barrier to employment, Jackson said. Also needed, he added, are incentives directed at small businesses and greater commitment to ending disparities.

He said Walsh’s pursuit of IndyCar and Boston 2024 posed risks to the city’s financial strength, and that he would take more real action to end the gender wage gap and racial economic disparities. “[We need] a mayor who will not only talk about issues on race, but do something to close

disparities of unemployment and jobs in all neighborhoods in Boston, who will not only study gender inequality but ensure there is equity in pay in the city departments he has control over,” Jackson said.

Running throughout Jackson’s speech was the theme that politics in the city too often have focused on downtown and the wealthy. Jackson said he would be a mayor focused on uplifting all neighborhoods.

Jackson included among his causes increasing access to affordable housing and combatting rent burdens, shielding immigrants and reducing incidents of crime.

Going grassroots

Walsh has a hefty campaign war chest, with $3.6 million to Jackson’s $65,000, but Jackson said he believes he can generate a grassroots campaign with broad appeal.

Those present at Jackson’s announcement included affordable housing activists, public school parents and political activists.

Bridget Colvin, a District 7 resident and parent of two children in Boston public schools, introduced Jackson.

State Rep. Russell Holmes, the only elected official present, said

Jackson’s candidacy would focus attention on the needs of the city’s neighborhood residents.

“Our neighborhoods will get the attention they rightly deserve,” he said, adding that residents of his Mattapan-centered district are concerned about rising rents and displacement.

Holmes, however, told the Banner that he and other black elected officials have not yet decided whether they will back Jackson or Walsh, whom he called a friend.

“We want to hear concrete plans,” he said. “I’m looking forward to hearing the mayor’s State of the City address.”

Holmes said competition in the mayoral race is important, and that he will withhold his decision until he sees the candidates’ stances on critical issues such as wage inequality, education and public safety.

Walsh was due to give his annual address, outlining his plans for the year, on Jan. 17. At last year’s State of the City address, parent activists, students and teachers picketed in front of Symphony Hall, protesting cuts to BPS that set off several months of unrest, including three citywide student walk-outs.

Jackson’s candidac y announcement has energized many people of color, who have been waiting since Mel King’s 1983 run for a candidate who reflects them, Holmes said. When speaking to Jackson six to nine months ago about the potential mayoral run, Holmes said, he advised Jackson to ensure his message resonates in all communities, not solely those of color. After hearing Jackson’s speech, Holmes said he believed the right message was conveyed.

Viewing Jackson’s speech from the Haley House parking lot, Mary Battenfeld, an activist with the parent group Quality Education for Every Student, said Jackson won the support of many with his spirited defense of public education funding and his leadership in opposing ballot Question 2, which would have lifted the cap on charter schools.

“There are a lot of people who worked with him on ‘No on 2’ who saw how he stepped up,” she said.

“The message that he’s supporting schools is a good one.”

Retired teacher Bob Marshall said Jackson’s focus on inequality should resonate with residents of his Roxbury neighborhood, many of whom are being displaced by rapidly rising rents.

“Folks are coming into this city and jacking rents up,” he said.

“Folks are sick and tired. I’m disappointed in Walsh. I like him.

I think he’s a decent guy. But I’m deeply disappointed.”

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Thursday, January 19, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 9

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Building a fashion firm

Entrepreneur takes high-fashion clothing line to next level

By YAWU MILLER

In her early 20s, while Joelle Jean-Fontaine toiled at a telemarketing firm, her heart was in fashion. She spent most weekends in New York City collaborating on fashion shoots with a photographer friend.

“We would come up with different concepts and then shoot the concepts for a photospread,” she said.

Pouring her passion into design, Jean-Fontaine soon found herself out of a job and at a crossroads.

“I got fired,” she recalls. “I was thinking, ‘How do I tell my husband?’”

As she drove home, she heard Jill Scott’s song “Golden” playing on the radio with its catchy refrain, “I’m taking my freedom.”

By the time she was home, she knew what her next move would be. Her photographer friend had parlayed her photoshoots into a gig with the transcultural arts and culture magazine Trace. Jean-Fontaine secured an internship there.

“I wanted to learn everything about the fashion world,” she said.

“I knew I wanted to create.”

Jean-Fontaine continued to design clothing by night, while learning about the business by day. She soon found she preferred to stay on the creative end of the business.

“The fashion world is very cut-throat,” she said. “I’m very down-to-earth.”

While she enjoyed the experience, Jean-Fontaine had a husband and son in Boston and also had to make long weekly commutes to participate in the New York fashion scene. She soon returned to Boston and an office job.

By 2010 her clothing design pursuits led her to launch her clothing line, Kréyol. Over the last six years, Jean-Fontaine has developed products and created collections for boutique stores.

BANNER PHOTO

Joelle Jean-Fontaine is seeking financing to step up production for her Kréyol clothing line with an eye toward getting her goods into more stores.

“

We’ve had boutiques reach out to us. We’d like to be in specialty boutiques where we can control pricing and control our products. … For any season, we’ll be able to produce several hundred items. The goal is to have inventory in multiple boutiques. We want to be in multiple cities.”

— Joelle Jean-Fontaine

Online platform

In h e r s t a r t - u p p h a s e , Jean-Fontaine worked with her mother to produce her designs, then brought the samples to trunk shows — events where purchasers review new designs and place orders. For large orders, she has relied upon Nineteenth Amendment, a fashion platform startup that helps little-known designers turn their brand into a business.

Customers can order clothing directly from a designer’s website.

Designers upload garment patterns and technical specifications, secure production quotes from a group of U.S.-based manufacturers, then, after a designated presale period, oversee the production process. The made-to-order, U.S.-made garments are shipped to consumers within weeks. Profits are split between the designer and Nineteenth Amendment. This business model is a significant

ON THE WEB For more on Kréyol, visit: http://iamKréyol.com Kréyol on Facebook: www.facebook.com/I.AM.KRÉYOL/ Kréyol on Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamkreyol Kréyol on Instagram: www.instagram.com/iamkreyol/ For more on Nineteenth Amendment, visit: https://nineteenthamendment.com/

departure from the traditional one, wherein designers display their work at a runway show, after which buyers place orders with a six-month turnaround.

Growing demand

Last year Jean-Fontaine showed her designs at a trunk show in Macy’s Herald Square location, securing orders from boutiques as well as from the department store.

But Jean-Fontaine says she needs to expand.

“Our business is consistently

growing,” she said. “My mother is sewing full-time. But we’ve never been able to meet the demand.

People come to our website and can’t find garments in their size.”

This year, Jean-Fontaine plans to relaunch Kréyol with in-house production. She left her office job, is living off savings and income from Kréyol and now works with Epicenter Community to develop her new business.

To be successful, she estimates she will need four employees and the industrial sewing machines necessary for garment

production. She is planning a $100,000 Kickstarter campaign in June to acquire the funding to hire the workers and secure equipment and space.

Back to her roots

As for buyers, Jean-Fontaine says the demand is there.

“We’ve had boutiques reach out to us,” she said. “We’d like to be in specialty boutiques where we can control pricing and control our products.”

Boutiques will often purchase individual pieces from designers or entire collections. Either way, Jean-Fontaine plans to be ready for them come fall.

“For any season, we’ll be able to produce several hundred items,” she said. “The goal is to have inventory in multiple boutiques. We want to be in multiple cities.”

Ultimately, Fontaine would like to set up shop in Haiti, where she was born and spent much of her childhood. Before the 2010 earthquake, the island had a thriving garment industry and a strong tradition of needlework. Her grandfather made leather goods and her mother still sews for Kréyol. By moving production to the island, Fontaine says she could help create much-needed jobs there.

“A lot of people are interested in revitalizing the industry there,” she said.

BIZ BITS TIP OF THE WEEK life changes that affect your taxes and how to tackle them

4

Life changes often mean tax changes.

Whether it’s getting married, buying or selling a home, moving abroad or having a baby, misunderstanding the tax and financial implications of these life changes can lead to taxpayers making mistakes or leaving money on the table.

Depending on your situation, there are new tax implications that will impact your benefits, tax bill and how you file. If you experienced a life change in 2016, here is a list of tax implications and how they will affect you. n Marriage: Many couples close the book on their “wedding to-dos” once the last thank you card has been sent, but looking at your new tax situation is an important first step in your married life. There are some instances when getting married can have negative implications for a couple’s tax situation.

Once you’re married you must file either as married filing jointly or married filing separately. In some cases, a couple where one spouse earns most of the household income will benefit because their overall tax bracket may decrease.

However, a couple with two high earners may find they face a higher tax rate than if each paid tax only on their own income and added the taxes paid.

However, there are some ways to protect against potential negative tax implications. After your marriage is official, update your W-4 with your employer to account for your new marital status. If you’re self-employed or a small business owner, make sure to adjust your quarterly estimated tax payments. n Buying a house: Purchasing a home may open the door to more deductions through itemizing if you weren’t already doing so. Once you become a homeowner, you can deduct many of your home-related costs, including your qualified home mortgage interest, points paid on a loan secured by your home, real estate taxes and private mortgage insurance premiums paid on or before Dec. 31, 2016. If you choose not to itemize, you may benefit from other tax advantages such as penalty-free IRA withdrawals if you are a first-time homebuyer under the age of 59 and a half, or residential energy credits for purchases of certain energy efficient property.

New homebuyers should be on the lookout for Form 1098 Mortgage Interest Statement, which is used to report mortgage interest. This form can help you identify these deductions when completing your Form 1040. n Moving abroad: Are you excited to move abroad, but have no idea what will happen to your taxes and how to file? Many Americans living and working overseas will not owe tax to the IRS because of the foreign earned income exclusion and foreign tax credit.

However, even if you qualify for those benefits, you have to file a U.S. tax return each year if you received income over the normal filing threshold.

It is also important to understand your Social Security coverage before moving abroad. Knowing whether your earnings overseas will be subjected to Social Security taxes in the U.S. or the country you are residing in will be an important factor when analyzing the economics of your move. n Having a baby: A new baby See BIZ BITS, page 11

Thursday, January Thursday, January 12, 19, 2017 2017 •• BAY BAY STATE STATE BANNER BANNER •• 17 11

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Biz Bits

Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast

THE LIST

continued from page 10 means you may be able to take advantage of tax breaks, including the Child Tax Credit. The credit is worth up to $1,000 for each qualifying child younger than 17, a portion of which may be refundable as the Additional Child Tax Credit depending on your income. A tax preparer can help you understand the qualifications to determine whether a child is considered qualified for purposes of the CTC. Some of those qualifications include but are not limited to their relationship and residency.

You may also qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit which is a benefit for working people with low to moderate income that reduces the amount of taxes you owe. However, it’s important to note that due to the new “Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes ACT” or PATH Act, this year the IRS is required to hold any refund from those claiming the EITC and ACTC until at least Feb. 15. This delay will be widely felt by tax filers who typically file as soon as the IRS accepts e-filed returns and who normally expect to receive their refund by late January.

— Brandpoint/H&R Block

PHOTO: DON WEST

The conclusion of the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast singing of “We Shall Overcome,” the civil rights anthem, was sung with particular purpose in this time of political uncertainty by keynote speaker Callie Crossley (second from left), co-chair Rev. Jay Williams, master of ceremonies Jose Masso and co-chair Rev. Dr. Monrelle Williams. Speeches were given by Rep. Ed Markey, Attorney General Maura Healey, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and state Sen. Chang-Diaz, among others.

According to 24/7 Wall St.’s annual customer satisfaction survey, these are America’s most hated companies: 1. Comcast 2. Bank of America 3. Mylan 4. McDonald’s 5. Wells Fargo 6. Facebook 7. Spirit Airlines 8. DISH Network 9. Sears 10. Sprint

TECH TALK Instagram will now let around 30 brands launch full-screen ads in its video stories section. This monetizing of the new feature, launched in August to compete with SnapChat, includes unclickable 5-second photo and 15-second skippable video ads that appear between different people’s stories. The photo sharing platform said it will also provide business accounts with analytics for the Stories feature.

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HEALTH NEWS BROUGHT TO YOU BY ROXBURY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

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A COMMUNITY APPROACH TO HEALING: THE CORY JOHNSON CENTER FOR POST-TRAUMATIC HEALING On the morning of April 24, 2009, Shondell Davis watched her 18-yearold son walk out the front door on his way to a friend’s house. Less than 15 minutes later, as she was driving to work, she got a call telling her that her son had been shot. He was the second teen from their street murdered in the space of two weeks.

“When your child is killed in your community, in the place you grew up, you not only lose your child, you lose trust in everything around you, in everything you’ve known,” Davis said in a recent interview. In the immediate aftermath of the murder, many of the places Shondell turned to for help ended up accidentally traumatizing her further. “At the very time you need help the most, it’s the hardest to find anyone you feel can listen to you and not judge you.”

Two years ago that began to change when Shondell went to a Thursday night event at Roxbury Presbyterian Church called “CAN WE TALK? A community conversation on trauma.” “It was a place to let the feelings out — you can truly say whatever is on your heart, and yet there is no pressure.” Each evening starts with dinner and childcare is always provided, which was key to the sense of comfort for Shondell.

“A lot of the time, I listened to other people’s stories — it helps you realize you are not alone and you know you are helping them by being there.”

“CAN WE TALK?” is just one of the programs of The Cory Johnson Center for Post-Traumatic Healing which was started through a partnership between Roxbury Presbyterian Church and Partners Health Care. Soon after, Shondell began attending a weekly support group for mothers that is run by Program Director, Colleen Sharka, LMHC. “This place is amazing; I finally got comfort,” says Davis of her involvement.

“Thank you is not a big enough word to describe how much this program has helped me!”

Trauma support programming is provided every Thursday night’, beginning with dinner at 6 p.m. and programming at 6:45. A men’s support group, “Mind-Body Healing,” with wellness specialist Leslie Salmon Jones, and “Writing Our Stories,” which uses journaling as a way of healing, are among the offerings.

The Cory Johnson Center for Post-Traumatic Healing is supported by a growing body of research which suggests that community members who receive some training are able to provide effective mental health

support to neighbors in need. “The training is what really did it for me,” says Community Companion Hope Whyte. “When we started learning more about trauma and its impacts, I was hooked. I knew we were really on to something amazing — learning how to help ourselves and others at the same time.” Community Companions serve as a leadership group for the center and are able to provide responsive, wide-ranging support to those who need it. Since the program began, more than 1,200 residents have participated.

“The fact that we are doing this program within the community and involving community members in co-creating it, really sets it apart,” says Program Director Colleen Sharka, LMHC. “Providing a safe space, support and relationships that are consistent week to week is essential to the healing process. We also try to respond to specific needs, such as supporting people when they have a court date, or finding a crib for a grandmother who becomes guardian for a baby.” Pastor of Roxbury Presbyterian Church Liz Walker adds, “The most rewarding part of the program for me, is the idea that the community plays such an active role in learning how to heal.”

PHOTOS: MATTHEW MUISE

Above, Wyatt Jackson, Rev. Liz Walker and Program Director Colleen Sharka listen to a testimony at “CAN WE TALK?” Below, a participant shares her story.

IF YOU GO

The next CAN WE TALK? Community conversation on trauma is on Thursday, Jan. 26 at 6 pm. All programming of The Cory Johnson Center for Post-Traumatic Healing takes place on the lower level of Roxbury Presbyterian Church, 328 Warren St., Roxbury. For more information call 617-445-2116 or contact colleensharka@rpcsic.org or visit rpcsic.org.

CAN WE TALK? ARE YOU EXPERIENCING TRAUMA OR LOSS?

Come share your voice, share your story ... Let’s heal together.

Final Thursday of every month

at Roxbury Presbyterian Church Social Impact Center 328 Warren Street, Roxbury

6 PM Dinner 6:45 PM Stories & Sharing Join us for weekly trauma support programming every Thursday 6 PM, childcare provided.

Questions? Contact Colleensharka@rpcsic.org PRESENTED BY THE CORY JOHNSON PROGRAM FOR POST-TRAUMATIC HEALING

AFTERWORK

Thursday, January 19, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 15

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mix IN THE

By Stephanie Millions

The Boston’s Finest Hip Hop Showcase

There is no better way to bring in the new year than to start it off with a bang. On Jan. 5, “The Boston’s Finest Hip Hop Showcase” drew a crowd to the Middle East. The show featured some of Boston’s hidden gems in the hiphop community. It was an opportunity for upcoming rappers to gain some exposure and showcase their talents. Ozzy Abraham, the show’s founder, wanted to bring the city together and help support local talent looking to make a name for themselves. Within the last 10 years, Boston’s hiphop scene has been changing, with acts like Cousin Stizz, Dutch Rebelle and Michael Christmas paving the way.

On the 1 and 2’s was Big City 101.3 FM’s very own DJ Dex. Among the musicians featured were Your Highness, Kiki Banks, Rares No Squares, 40 Monclear, Radar, Lotus Taylor and Red Shaydez. Show highlights were Lotus Taylor with his witty wordplay and Red Shaydez with an emotional rollercoaster of a set.

At the age of 17, Lotus released his first mixtape titled “Respectable,” which caught the eyes of local artists, producers and promoters.

A year later, Lotus released his second mixtape, “Re2pectable,” which featured local hip-hop heavyweights Moe Pope, Tim Nihan and Flash of N.B.S. Now 19 years old, Lotus currently is working on his debut album “Living Off The Underground Sound,” slated to release by Big Bang Records later this year.

Red Shaydez is no beginner when it comes to hip-hop. She has been musically inclined since the age of seven. She began her professional music career, both as an artist and online radio personality, on BlogTalk Radio (“Red Shaydez At The Hour”). There, she also learned about the music industry, even managing to gain the likes of hip-hop legend MC Lyte and spot on her mixtape, as well. In 2016, she released her album “Magnetic Aura,” which has taken underground hip-hop by storm.

For upcoming hip-hop shows in the city of Boston, visit Leedz Edutainment, known for sponsoring some of the best hip-hop shows in Boston.

Meet Stephanie Millions — our In the Mix reporter. Millions is passionate about media and works on many platforms. She anchors a morning motivational talk show called “Elevation with Stephanie Millions” on the Gag Order Network every other Satuday from 10 a.m. to noon, and also hosts “The Secret Spot” every Wednesday night from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. on WERS 88.9 FM. For more information, please visit www.stephaniemillions.com or email stephanie.millions@gmail.com to have her cover your event. Follow Stephanie on Twitter @ StephMillions.

PHOTOS: COURTESY RED SHAYDEZ & LOTUS TAYLOR

From left, Your Highness, Red Shaydez and Lotus Taylor.

#where to be 1.20.17-1.26.17

Each Friday, Epicenter features a special “where to be” post on their blog to make sure every day of the week has some sort of cultural event to check out. We hope that you all can come out into the community, learn, and commemorate some influential people and events around Boston! Have something coming up that you’d like to see here? Tweet us @epicentercom #WhereToBe FRIDAY 1.20.17 The BLACK Cotton Club (Jam Session/ Open Mic) Hosted by: Priscilla Azaglo Black Cotton Club is back at it again with the JAM SESSION. We are opening the year up with dope features captured by Boston’s own photographer Jourdan Christopher. New year, still BLACK edition. The last event was amazing and you definately do not want to miss this event.

Black Cotton Club is starting the year bigger and better and we want to share it with you. Meet us at the Frugal Bookstore Inc. Our very own band “SOUL Tre-LA” will carress your ears.

Trust me, you don’t want to miss them kill it! (Odion Charles Isoza Rich Jed) And you definitely do not want to miss these features, a couple of Boston’s favorites including Oomp Will, Edward D Ruff Bryant, Vladimir Antoine.

When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: Frugal Bookstore, 57 Warren St., Roxbury For more information, visit: www.facebook.com/ events/1125130850941143/ SATURDAY 1.21.17 Us Darkskins Launch Party Hosted by: Us Darkskins Come and enjoy melanin as we officially launch Us Darkskins.

We are an organization focused on showcasing the beauty of dark-skinned Black men, women and children in order to combat colorism, denounce skin bleaching and promote self love. As

we expand our brand from Instagram to Facebook, Twitter, a website and local events, we hope to create exciting, bold content necessary to tell the stories of more than 40,000 supporters. This event is to launch not only our platforms, but the offline aspect of Us Darkskins, to bring the beauty to reality.

DJ, event schedule, press and surprises TBA! No cover fee.

Parking available.

When: 4 p.m.

Where: City Pop Egleston, 3195 Washington St., Boston For more information, visit: www.facebook.com/ events/376409519376789/ SUNDAY 1.22.17 Mind Spray ft. Joe Grizzly, Ambro & Du-Karan Hosted by: Mind Spray, The Brain Trust & Wonderbar Mind Spray is back on Jan. 22 with a great lineup featuring Joe Grizzly, Ambro and last month’s winner, Du-Karan.

Mind Spray is a hip-hop showcase and open mic, hosted by Mr. PSA, which allows aspiring MCs to perform for a chance to win $100 cash prize in addition to two hours of free recording time at The Bridge Sound & Stage and a showcase slot on the next month’s event.

Open mic sign-up starts at 8 p.m. sharp and is first-come, first-served. The list fills up quickly, so make sure to get there early! NO REFUNDS. When: 7 p.m.

Where: Wonder Bar, 186 Harvard Ave., Allston For tickets, visit: http://wonderbarboston.tunestub.com/ event.cfm?cart&id=254945 MONDAY 1.23.17 Meet The Author: Samantha Casseus Hosted by: City Pop Egleston “Intrepid (Fearless)” by Samantha Casseus was published on Oct. 11, 2016. This book of poetry explores the journey of a black woman in love, church, society, family, friendship and in community.

Samantha Casseus has a strong love for community and unifying through the understandings that she has come to terms with. These testimonies ring true in the illustrations that are shared in her chapbook.

Join us on Jan. 23, 2016, for a Q&A and meet-and-greet with the author as she will be distributing books and personally signing the physical copies. This is a free event, open to the public.

Check out more information about the author here: https://medium.com/@ EpiCenterCommunity/wcwsam-casseus-5e143840e70c#. vnn1isgbw When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: City Pop Egleston, 3195 Washington St., Boston For more information, visit: www.eventbrite. com/e/meet-the-author-samantha-casseus-tickets-30989436238 TUESDAY 1.24.17 4th Annual Healthy Visions Hosted by: Sister 2 Sister Sister 2 Sister is a program of ABCD Health Services. Funded by the Boston Public Health Commission, Sister 2 Sister is a HIV/STD risk-reduction intervention for young women (ages 15-25) who are living in the city of Boston. Individual and community vision boards, wellness topics. Set your goals and make your vision boards for 2017!

When: 3:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.

Where: Thelma Burns Building, 575 Warren St., Roxbury To RSVP, visit: www. eventbrite.com/e/healthy-visions-2017-tickets-30910354703 WEDNESDAY 1.25.17 The Pull-Up Hosted by: NEONE See Boston’s best at this lyrical and musical throwdown at the Middle East! Featuring Jefe Replay, Rosewood Bape, Plad Finess, DJ Real P & more!

Come out and support Boston’s thriving hip-hop platform.

When: 8 p.m.

Where: Middle East Downstairs, 472-480 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge Get your tickets now at: https://thepullup.splashthat.com THURSDAY 1.26.17 IamBecuzWeAre: The Co11ective Presents “The Living Room” Hosted by: BlessedYou Clothing All Boston creatives, designers, videographers, and visual artists are all welcome! IAmBecuzWeAre The Co11ective presents “The Living Room.”

Join us for an in-depth, intimate view of some of Boston’s most talented creators. “The Living Room” series allows creatives to come together in solidarity, while highlighting their specific talents and giving them an opportunity to delve deeper into the message behind their creations. This event will capture the voice, the creative eye and the cinematic view of what Boston’s best has to offer.

Sounds by DJ RadicalOne & Set Bros.

When: 10 p.m.

Where: ZuZu, 474 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge For tickets, visit: www. ticketweb.com/t3/sale/ SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=7117665&pl=mideastclub&REFID=elink

16 • Thursday, January 19, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER

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TURNING DANCERS

INTO MUSICIANS

TAP TROUPE DORRANCE DANCE PERFORMS AT EMERSON/CUTLER MAJESTIC THEATRE

A

s a performer, choreographer, teacher and artistic director of her company, Dorrance Dance, Michelle Dorrance brings new dimensions to the art of tap dance.

Based in New York, Dorrance, 37, speaks of tap as the first American art form, created by slaves when their drums were taken away.

Born by an insistent urge for free expression and rooted in the rhythms of dancing feet, the tap dance form is not frozen in time. Generations of artists have been drawn to tap, an art form that turns dancers into musicians, and they give it fresh life.

A tap performer since childhood, Dorrance spent four years with “STOMP,” that cavalcade of drummer-dancers that has stormed world stages since the ’90s. In 2010, Dorrance formed her own company and quickly garnered top dance awards. In 2015, she received a MacArthur Fellowship, also known as a “genius grant.” Her vein of tap celebrates the old

masters of tap, combining their traditions with the imaginative reach of contemporary dance and a searching expressiveness that builds on the music of tapping feet.

All of these qualities were on view last weekend when World Music/CRASHarts presented “Dorrance Dance in Concert” in three shows at the Emerson/Cutler Majestic Theatre in Boston.

Choreographed and directed by Dorrance, with improvised solos by the dancers, the program explored the unique power of tap dance as an art of both sight and sound.

Beginning the show was a half-hour version of “SOUNDspace” (2013), an evening-length work that Dorrance developed at St. Mark’s Church in New York City. Using a variety of footwear, including old-school

Michelle Dorrance (center) and members of her company, Dorrance Dance.

leather shoes with wood taps, the dancers mingled a century of tap dance sounds and styles.

Here, wearing rehearsal-style outfits and an array of shoes, the dancers shifted between improvisational solos and formations of drill-like precision. Lighting by Kathy Kaufmann created an aura around the first dancers, a group of four, highlighting the contours of their bodies as well as their feats of syncopated footwork, which they performed in unison, gliding across the stage as a single unit.

Groups and soloists came in and out of view, repeating, varying and layering rhythmic patterns and weaving a host of styles and sounds into a thrilling, astonishingly complex whole.

Showcase of styles In her solos, Dorrance picked up phrases, downshifted or sped up their tempo and added still more rhythmic threads before sliding out of sight, only to

By SUSAN SACCOCCIA

reappear as part of the ensemble. Attired in a simple country girl dress, her black hair in a topknot as if to not distract from the action of her limbs and feet, Dorrance was a wonder to watch, mingling loose-limbed, fluid grace with staccato footwork.

Slowing things down was an introspective solo

by Warren Craft. Bald and pale, and wearing a black turtleneck and pants, he was a spectral figure moving as if possessed by a foreign force. While making guttural sounds with his vocal chords, he jerked a shoulder or leg like a contortionist who was finding out that each limb had a mind of its own.

In contrast, burly, bearded Nicholas Van Young, a 13-year veteran of “STOMP,” invited the audience into his solo. After accompanying his drumming feet with vocal clicks and rhythmic beats to his thighs and chest, he formed See DANCE, page 18 PHOTO: MATTHEW MURPHY

PHOTO: ANDREW BRILLIANT

Johnny Lee Davenport as Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.

Separate but not equal ‘Thurgood’ paints stunning portrait of legal giant

By CELINA COLBY

Earlier this month, the New Repertory Theatre launched its “Prophetic Portrait” series of historical figures with “Thurgood,” a one-man show by George Stevens Jr. and directed by Benny Sato Ambush. It features Johnny Lee Davenport as the legendary Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Playing through Feb. 5 in the black box space at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown, the show provides an intimate, personal and professional portrait of the legal giant with wit, humor and perseverance.

For audiences with limited knowledge about Thurgood Marshall, the play serves as an engaging two-hour history lesson. On top of the names and dates with which Davenport jogs our memories, he reveals pivotal moments in Marshall’s life that shaped him into the fighter for justice he’s known to be. In an early scene he describes looking out the window of his grammar school in Baltimore in 1916, watching policemen assault black prisoners.

He says, “As a boy I came to learn that two things marked my family. Strange names and stubbornness. To this day I can’t get it out of my mind, the sound of those white policemen beating those negro prisoners.” In the low moments, Davenport says, “Sometimes I get a little weary trying to save the white man’s soul.”

Though Marshall’s life had its share of hardship, including multiple miscarriages, a dearly departed wife and a constant uphill

See ‘THURGOOD,’ page 18

Thursday, January 19, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 17

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT CHECK OUT MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS ONLINE: BAYSTATEBANNER.COM/NEWS/ENTERTAINMENT

Ibsen’s classic ‘A Doll’s House’ on stage through Feb. 5

By SUSAN SACCOCCIA

sentences, and gains power. Laidlow renders both the rage and desperation of Torvald, who is at first a seething menace and then a bereft and bewildered man.

Here, the production coalesces into a gripping encounter between Nora and Torvald. Syglowski embodies Nora as she speaks to Torvald plainly, in short

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H IBS ENRI EN K B LAV RYON ERY Y

Ibsen also builds in scenes of bodily expressiveness, which Syglowski performs to the hilt.

While conversing with her good friend, Dr. Rank (Jeremy Webb), a flirting Nora leans over him, giving him a glimpse of her breasts, before pulling back.

Torvald wants to show off a dancing Nora at their Christmas party. When he insists that they practice the tarantella, a folk dance they learned while in Capri, she breaks into a wild, free-spirited solo. Torvald and Dr. Rank watch in amazement.

In Act III, the dreaded letter arrives and dissolves the charade that is the Helmers’ marriage.

SE

Gripping climax

vocalist/pianist Lovely Hoffman + Open Mic, 7pm Thu Jan 26 - Boston Day & Evening Academy presents Lyricists’ Lounge, 7pm Fri Jan 27 - The House Slam Women of the

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her ailing mother and younger brothers.

A wily dramatist, Ibsen creates in Nils and Christine an alternate coupling based on bruised reality and reconciliation. In contrast to the clueless Helmers, the two find new life together as equals who understand and accept one another.

NO A W T DO HR LL U F ’S EB. HO 5 U

As directed by Bensussen, most of the actors perform at a higher than natural pitch. They speak rapidly, without fully developing the humanity of their characters.

As a result, they remain at a distance from each other and the audience.

On opening night, last Wednesday, interactions among Nora, Torvald and their friends drew laughter at a frequency more typical of a drawing room comedy than a taut drama.

Sekou Laidlow’s Torvald is handsome and athletic-looking and speaks with a slight Southern lilt. As Nora, Andrea Syglowski

expresses her character’s growing desperation by frequently covering her mouth with her hand.

It’s hard to see how these two could stay together for eight years. Torvald showers Nora with diminutives, such as bird names, as she twitters around the room, preparing presents and decorations to surprise their three children. When Nora insists that he not check the mailbox, fearing a letter has arrived from Krogstad, Laidlow’s Torvald says, “The child will have her way,” with a touch of disdain rather than teasing charm.

Marinda Anderson brings warm energy to her role as Nora’s childhood friend, Christine Linde. Now that the man she married for his money has died and left her penniless, Christine arrives seeking a new life. Battle-worn and wise, she reflects on her compromises and tells Nora,“One must live.”

Light lingers on Christine’s face as Nora names her blackmailer.

Krogstad (Nael Nacer) is the man Christine would have married, had she not needed to support

A BU VEN TH U EAT E O RE F THE ART SM

Uneasy marriage

PHOTO: T. CHARLES ERICKSON

Andrea Syglowski (Nora) and Sekou Laidlow (Torvald) in the Huntington Theatre Company production of Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House.”

T. CHARLES ERICKSON

All is not well in the household of Torvald and Nora Helmer on Christmas Eve. Torvald tells his wife of his promotion to bank director. “Our lean years are over,” he exults, and Nora too is thrilled with the news. Yet she cajoles Torvald for cash, and he teases her for her spendthrift ways.

Nora needs the money to hush up Nils Krogstad, who once lent her the funds to pay for a year in Italy that cured Torvald of his tuberculosis. Claiming that the money was a gift from her father, Nora forged his signature to obtain the loan. Now, unless Nora gets Torvald to rehire Krogstad, whom he dismissed for unethical behavior, he will reveal all.

No spoiler alert is necessary for the famous final scene of Henrik Ibsen’s masterpiece, “A Doll’s House,” which concludes with the sound of a shutting door as Nora walks out on her husband, recognizing that their eight years of marriage is based on illusions.

A scathing portrayal of the Helmers and their toxic compromises, the play premiered in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Dec. 21, 1879 and brought Ibsen international fame. Since its debut, the play has been published in 78 languages and remains on stage somewhere almost all the time.

A new Huntington Theatre Company production of “A Doll’s House,” directed by Melia Bensussen with a script adapted

by Bryony Lavery, is on stage through Feb. 5 at the Avenue of the Arts/BU Theatre, on Huntington Avenue.

Although staged by a muchawarded director and performed by an accomplished cast, the production takes a while to mine the full power of Ibsen’s drama.

James Noone’s set, deftly lit by Dan Kotlowitz, is a portrayal of domestic unease. A pared-down silhouette of a house fills the stage, lit by a sky of blue and red streaks that evokes an iconic painting by Ibsen’s occasional set designer, Edvard Munch, “The Scream” (1893-1910). The play opens with brooding music by Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen.

The living room is furnished with period objects, including a gramophone and a turn-of-century couch. Costumes by Michael Krass are upper-middle-class daywear, natty for Torvald and somewhat frumpy for Nora, until Act III, when they don sensuous party attire.

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Sekou Laidlow & Andrea Syglowski

18 • Thursday, January 19, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER

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Language is life: ‘Librería Donceles’ brings Spanish to literary scene

By CELINA COLBY

Through March 31, Jamaica Plain’s Urbano Project is exhibiting “Librería Donceles,” a socially engaged art project by New Yorkbased artist Pablo Helguera. The project features a traveling bookstore of 10,000 used, Spanish volumes that serves as a venue for performances, readings and bilingual salon-style conversations about cultural understanding, tolerance and activism.

The Urbano Project was launched to address the lack of literary outlets serving the ever-growing Hispanic communities in the United States. “‘Librería Donceles’ is a response to two developments on the U.S. urban landscape: the phasing out of the bookstore and the invisibility of the Spanish language,” Helguera said in a press release.

During its residence, the library will be the only Spanish language bookstore in the Greater Boston area, a startling fact, especially in areas like Jamaica Plain and

Chelsea, with their large Hispanic populations.

Exhibit coordinator Maggie Cavallo estimates there are about 600,000 Spanish speakers in Boston who don’t have access to books in their own language.

“We’re seeing a lot of nationalist, anti-immigrant influences right now,” she says. “’Librería Donceles’ demands visibility of Latin American language and culture.”

The exhibit stands out in Boston, a city known for its learning institutions.

Breaking barriers

The library has been touring since 2013 in Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago and Indianapolis. Boston will be its last stop. Books are pay-as-youwish with a limit of one book per customer. Each volume contains the name of the person who donated it. The money goes towards Urbano’s art education and social justice programs. The bookstore will be open 1-6 p.m. on Fridays and 10-2 p.m. on Saturdays, as well as for events.

Urbano Project brings together urban youth and professional artists to develop artistic and critical skill sets. Their installations and programs primarily address the themes of racial, cultural and urban identities and place emphasis on community development.

The project features both prominent lecturers and artistic professionals who come to speak, and local shops and institutions that deserve preservation because of their cultural history. As Inauguration Day and threats of a border wall loom large, “Librería Donceles” strives to break barriers.

“A project like this opens up a conversation about the erasure of languages and identities in a potentially threatening national environment,” says Cavallo. “The visibility of the Spanish language is integral to the piece, and to cultural unity.”

ON THE WEB For more on the Urbano Project, visit:

http://urbanoproject.org

‘Thurgood’ continued from page 16

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struggle against racism, the show accentuates equally his triumphs.

Marshall talks about being sheepishly embarrassed in front of his classmates at school, about his reputation as a ladies’ man juggling multiple girlfriends at once and about celebrating his court victories at his favorite bar. These details humanize the epic figure.

Johnny Lee Davenport is ideal in the part, playing Marshall as at once gracious, hardworking, bigheaded and confident. He also brings out Marshall’s penchant for comedy. This subject matter easily could have gone preachy and somber, but Davenport’s natural physical wit and punch line delivery balances the heavy themes.

Two Supreme Court decisions bookend the play: Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), the case that haunted Marshall throughout his career, and Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the case that redeemed him.

The show culminates in the Brown decision. Having spent an hour and a half becoming invested in Marshall and his career, the audience holds its breath as a recording of the decision plays. We know what’s coming, but seeing Davenport as

dance

continued from page 16

For more information, call 617-261-4600 x7799 or email ads@bannerpub.com

www.baystatebanner.com

big circular arcs with his arms that closed with a loud communal clap.

After an intermission, Act II featured a medley of short works showcasing the styles and personalities of the dancers as they made music with their bodies and voices as well as their feet.

A few shifted between the dance floor and bandstand to join the musicians as they accompanied the dancers with songs by various artists, including Fiona Apple, the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Nat King

PHOTO: ANDREW BRILLIANT

Johnny Lee Davenport as Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.

Marshall react to winning a case he spent years fighting is worth the ticket price in itself.

“Thurgood” is a unique portrait of a complicated, flawed and ultimately great man. The heavy dose of facts is blended seamlessly into a moving narrative that feeds your mind and soul. It also reminds us it’s important to keep working. In Cole and Radiohead. Dorrance sang and played guitar, Claudia Rahardjanoto whistled and drummer/percussionist Van Young sat in with lead vocalist Aaron Marcellus, who had a fine falsetto. Joining in were the choreographer’s brother, Donovan Dorrance, on keyboards and guitar, and bassist Gregory Richardson. The two men, also vocalists, contributed original music to one of the works.

Silent but for footwork was a stirring duet between Dorrance and Craft, whose balletic training was visible in his slow, near-erotic interaction with Dorrance, which included long, exaggerated slides

his final moments, Marshall says, “We all know how far we’ve come.

But we all know how far we still have to go. And I’m gonna stay in this fight.”

ON THE WEB For more on “Thurgood,” visit:

www.newrep.org/productions/thurgood/ and gravity-defying leg extensions that evoked passion and risk.

A zest for showmanship also was on display. Combining choreography, music and costumes, the dancers conjured scenes of a vaudeville review, a ’30s roadhouse rag, a Parisian cabaret and, as a foursome with crisscrossed arms and stamping feet, a folk dance.

Even a thread of rapid-fire flamenco stomping was audible in this tribute to the music of feet.

In the hands of Michelle Dorrance and her company, tap is the dance of democracy, an open and free medium of individual and communal expression with room for all.

Thursday, January 19, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 19

FOOD

www.baystatebanner.com

CHECK OUT NUTRITION AND HEALTH NEWS ONLINE: BAYSTATEBANNER.COM/NEWS/HEALTH FLASH IN THE PAN

Breakfast classic Egg-in-a-nest a meal that never disappoints

BY ARI LEVAUX

MORE CONTENT NOW

E

gg-in-a-nest, a perennial children’s favorite, never seems to get old. To prepare it is to create a tractor beam between a child’s mouth and breakfast. As we grow up, it maintains a residence in many an adult heart. The novelty of using edible materials as a form of cookware with which to encase other edible materials doesn’t easily wear off. And the artistry with which it can be presented, and the flavors that can be created, are limitless.

And to all the evil parents and their diabolical plans to inject fibrous chlorophyll into their children’s food whenever possible, egg-in-a-nest is the ultimate Trojan Horse of breakfast. If prepared properly, pieces of green can be easily concealed. And more importantly, by sandwiching vegetables between grease, protein and carbs, they become more palatable.

How can you enjoy amazing foods while bumping up the health quotient? Here are some strategies for cooking healthier, including ingredient swaps you won’t even detect in the finished dish.

Butter in cooking: Instead of butter, try olive oil. While 1 tablespoon of butter has about 7 grams of saturated fat, olive oil only has 2 grams of saturated fat.

Butter in baking: Oil can cause baked goods to get soggy, so a better butter alternative is applesauce or pumpkin puree for half of the calledfor amount.

Salt: Use less salt and add herbs to recipes to get succulent flavor.

Whether fresh or dried, herbs satisfy the palate and add beauty of any dish.

Sugar: For baked goods, lessen sugar and add vanilla or cinnamon to intensify sweetness. For glazes, try alternatives like maple syrup or fruit purees.

— Brandpoint/Eggland’s Best

EASY RECIPE

The original Traditional style begins with a generous amount of butter in a pan on low/medium heat.

Sometimes I add olive oil as well, to increase the fat and reduce the chance of burning butter. Bacon grease, it should go without saying, also works.

When the fat is hot, place a slice of bread in the pan. While the fat sputters and soaks into the bread slice, turning it gloriously crispy, carve out a nest.

I like to use the side of a large spoon, the shape of which rolls easily in a circular direction.

Press it into the bread slice as it cooks from underneath. Cookie or biscuit cutters can work too, but you don’t want the hole to be larger than the diameter of your yolk.

After the slice has cooked sufficiently on one side, with the removed hole quietly sizzling alongside it, remove it from the pan. Check pan for adequate butter, adjust if necessary, and then crack an egg onto the pan, as if you’re making it sunny side up.

In a moment you will place the fried bread slice atop the egg, so the yolk sticks through the hole. But first, parents, now is your chance to add those unmentionable plant parts.

A sheet of crushed nori seaweed, perhaps, or a little pile of chopped spinach that will quickly wilt. Thin-slice some leftover Brussels sprouts or cauliflower florets. Just don’t let any of these end up on top of the yolk where they could be seen from above.

This is also the opportunity to

TIP OF THE WEEK Smart food swaps and substitutions

ARI LEVAUX PHOTOS

The novelty of using edible materials as a form of cookware with which to encase other edible materials doesn’t easily wear off.

And the artistry with which it can be presented, and the flavors that can be created, are limitless.

add meat, cheese, spicy things or anything else you believe would make the egg taste better.

Perhaps a dab of pressed garlic for the grown-ups.

Place the bread on the egg, crispy side up, so only the yolk is visible in the nest. This allows the soft side of the bread to soak up the white and slowly meld into a hybrid food species all its own. Cook until the yolk looks right to you. When eating, this crispy butter bread can be pulled apart as needed and dipped into the liquid yolk in the middle. You can’t get more egg-in-the-nest than that.

Variations If you construct a nest out of hash browns for your egg, no breakfast connoisseur

could fault you. To do so, bake a potato the night before. In the morning, use the coarse face of your grater to shred it.

Season with salt and pepper, and press it into a generously buttered muffin tin, pushing it around the side and shaping it into a cup. Crack an egg into the center and put it into the oven (preheated to 400 F). Bake until the egg’s top starts to develop a white glaze, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Before attempting to remove a potato nest from the pan, run a thin knife all around the side, between pan and nest. Then it should pop out for you.

You could build a nest out of practically anything edible.

A piece of bacon, on its side,

can be rolled into a circle in a cupcake pan, with another piece for the bottom. Bake until crispy then add the egg.

Bake again.

But what if you don’t have anything at all except your egg?

That’s when you pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, and build a nest of whites.

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Crack an egg and carefully separate the yolk from white. Beat the whites stiff, and use them to build a little nest on a bakeable pan. Bake the nest for 3 minutes. Carefully place the yolk in the nest, and bake for another 3 and serve.

The baked egg white develops a magical texture, springy like sponge cake, but with the flavor and exterior crunch of the bottom of a well-prepared fried egg. A soft, flowing yolk completes the package. Season with salt and pepper.

Ari LeVaux writes Flash in the Pan, a syndicated weekly food column that’s appeared in more than 50 newspapers in 25 states. Ari lives in Montana and New Mexico and can be reached at flash@ flashinthepan.net.

Cinnamon-Sprinkled French Toast n 2 large eggs n 2 tablespoons fat-free milk n ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon n 2 slices whole-wheat bread n 1 teaspoon soft margarine n 4 teaspoons light pancake syrup In flat-bottomed bowl, crack eggs.

Thoroughly whisk in milk and cinnamon. Dip bread slices, one at a time, into egg mixture, wetting both sides.

Re-dip, if necessary, until all egg mixture is absorbed into bread.

Meanwhile, heat large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add margarine. Place dipped bread slices in skillet. Cook 2 1/2-3 minutes per side, or until both sides are golden brown.

Drizzle with syrup. Serve when warm.

— Family Features/USDA

NUMBER TO KNOW

10

pounds: Approximately 10 pounds of milk is required to make one pound of cheese.

THE DISH ON ...

“Pierre Herme: Chocolate”

by Pierre Herme French pastry chef Pierre Herme displays his artistic mastery in this homage to chocolate through recipes that highlight the diversity of the world’s favorite ingredient in all its forms. It includes 35 recipes, from original combinations such as chocolate, banana and ginger cake or chocolate and lemon madeleines.

— Flammarion

20 •• Thursday, Thursday, January January 19, 19, 2017 2016 •• BAY BAY STATE STATE BANNER BANNER 20

BANNERPt. CLASSIFIEDS Columbia Rally against police brutality LEGAL LEGAL

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continued from page 1

— Kraft — considered for the site.

Essaibi- George cautioned against assuming that a soccer stadium is the only viable option for the property simply because it is the only one that has been discussed due to the lack of open bidding process.

“Are we simply responding to the only offer on the table, because that property hasn’t been promoted? There’s no RFP [request for proposals] put out, no dialogue around what others may see for that space,” she said. “Just because Robert Kraft has reached out, that doesn’t mean a soccer stadium is the best use for that space.”

South Boston Rep. Nick Collins issued a statement saying that the choice of development for the property will powerfully impact Dorchester and should be subject to open, transparent conversation.

“A thorough community review involving all stakeholders is necessary to ensure that this valuable public asset is developed responsibly to maximize economic and social benefits,” Collins said. “We have one shot to get this right and we need to have an open, public process that considers what’s best for UMass, the neighbors and area businesses and the city of Boston. I stand with my fellow elected leaders in calling for transparency and thoughtful planning as we consider next steps.”

Despite the outcry from electeds, UMass spokesperson Jeff Cournoyer said in a statement reported by WGBH that the university had made efforts to keep them aware, and that the institution’s plans are not solid enough to show to legislators.

“The University of Massachusetts has been transparent regarding the status of a prospective development of the Bayside parcel,” Cournoyer said, “including in meetings and discussions with elected officials representing the Boston campus and its surrounding neighborhoods both individually and collectively as recently as Tuesday, Jan. 3.”

Following protests from several elected officials, Governor Baker met with Forry, Collins and Dorchester Rep. Dan Hunt for a discussion, during which officials said they reiterated the need for greater community involvement in the Columbia Point development planning.

LEGAL

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BANNER PHOTOS

Demonstrators gathered at the Second Church of Dorchester in Codman Square (below) to rally against police brutality before taking to the streets (above).

BANNER CLASSIFIEDS LEGAL

SUFFOLK Division

LEGAL

LEGAL

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department

object to this proceeding. If you fail to file a timely written appearance and objection followed by an Affidavit of Objections within thirty (30) days of the return day, action may be taken without further notice to you.

Suffolk Probate and Family Court 24 New Chardon Street Boston, MA 02114 (617) 788-8300

UNSUPERVISED ADMINISTRATION UNDER THE MASSACHUSETTS UNIFORM PROBATE CODE (MUPC) A Personal Representative appointed under the MUPC in an unsupervised administration is not required to file an inventory or annual accounts with the Court. Persons interested in the estate are entitled to notice regarding the administration directly from the Personal Representative and may petition the Court in any matter relating to the estate, including distribution of assets and expenses of administration.

Docket No. SU16P2943EA

Citation on Petition for Formal Adjudication Estate of Ernel D. Perry Date of Death: 10/30/2016 To all interested persons: A Petition for Formal Adjudication of Intestacy and Appointment of Personal Representative has been filed by Patrick A. Perry of Richmond, VA requesting that the Court enter a formal Decree and Order and for such other relief as requested in the Petition. The Petitioner requests that Patrick A. Perry of Richmond, VA be appointed as Personal Representative(s) of said estate to serve on the bond in an unsupervised administration.

IMPORTANT NOTICE You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at the Court. You have a right to object to this proceeding. To do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance and objection at this Court before 10:00 a.m. on the return day of 01/26/2017. This is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline by which you must file a written appearance and objection if you

WITNESS, HON. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court.

Date: January 03, 2017 Felix D. Arroyo Register of Probate Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division

Docket No. SU16P2736EA

Citation on Petition for Formal Adjudication Estate of Dorothea M. Walker Date of Death: 07/03/2016 To all interested persons:

A Petition for Formal Probate of Will with Appointment of Personal Representative has been filed by David A. Walker of Atlanta, GA requesting that the Court enter a formal Decree and Order and for such other relief as requested in the Petition. The Petitioner requests that David A. Walker of Atlanta, GA be appointed as Personal Representative(s) of said estate to serve on the bond in an unsupervised administration.

IMPORTANT NOTICE You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at the Court. You have a right to object to this proceeding. To do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance and objection at this Court before 10:00 a.m. on the return day of 02/09/2017. This is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline by which you must file a written appearance and objection if you object to this proceeding. If you fail to file a timely written appearance and objection followed by an Affidavit of Objections within thirty (30) days of the return day, action may be taken without further notice to you.

UNSUPERVISED ADMINISTRATION UNDER THE MASSACHUSETTS UNIFORM PROBATE CODE (MUPC) A Personal Representative appointed under the MUPC in an unsupervised administration is not required to file an inventory or annual accounts with the Court. Persons interested in the estate are entitled to notice regarding the administration directly from the Personal Representative and may petition the Court in any matter relating to the estate, including distribution of assets and expenses of administration.

WITNESS, HON. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court.

Date: January 05, 2017 Felix D. Arroyo Register of Probate

Thursday, January 19, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 21

BANNER CLASSIFIEDS

LEGAL

LEGAL

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division

Docket No. SU16P2408EA

Citation on Petition for Formal Adjudication Estate of Lawrence Leo Townsend Date of Death: 07/16/2012 To all interested persons: A Petition for Late and Limited Formal Testacy and/or Appointment has been filed by Sletter O. Cook of Boston, MA requesting that the Court enter a formal Decree and Order and for such other relief as requested in the Petition.

The Petitioner requests that Sletter O. Cook of Boston, MA be appointed as Personal Representative(s) of said estate to serve on the bond in an unsupervised administration.

IMPORTANT NOTICE You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at the Court. You have a right to object to this proceeding. To do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance and objection at this Court before 10:00 a.m. on the return day of 02/16/2017. This is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline by which you must file a written appearance and objection if you object to this proceeding. If you fail to file a timely written appearance and objection followed by an Affidavit of Objections within thirty (30) days of the return day, action may be taken without further notice to you.

UNSUPERVISED ADMINISTRATION UNDER THE MASSACHUSETTS UNIFORM PROBATE CODE (MUPC) A Personal Representative appointed under the MUPC in an unsupervised administration is not required to file an inventory or annual accounts with the Court. Persons interested in the estate are entitled to notice regarding the administration directly from the Personal Representative and may petition the Court in any matter relating to the estate, including distribution of assets and expenses of administration.

WITNESS, HON. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court.

Date: January 04, 2017 Felix D. Arroyo Register of Probate LEGAL NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROJECT: Town of Dedham Transfer Station and Recycling Center Upgrade LOCATION: 5 Incinerator Road, Dedham, MA PROPONENT: Town of Dedham PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Town of Dedham is proposing to upgrade of the existing municipal solid waste and construction and demolition waste transfer station, located on Incinerator Road in Dedham, MA. The project proposes to increase the waste capacity of the facility from 250 tons per day to an annual average of 500 tons per day. Additionally, the proposed upgrades will enhance residential recycling opportunities and improve the safety and environmental conditions of the existing facility.

The undersigned submitted an Environmental Notification Form (“ENF”) to the Secretary of Energy & Environmental Affairs on January 17, 2017.

This will initiate review of the above project pursuant to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (“MEPA”, M.G.L. c. 30, s.s. 61-62I). The purpose of MEPA is to provide opportunities for public review of the potential environmental impacts of proposed projects.

Copies of the ENF may be obtained from: Woodard & Curran, c/o Alan Benevides, PE, 40 Shattuck Road, Suite 110, Andover, MA 01810, (866) 702-6371. Copies of the ENF are also being sent to the Conservation Commission and Planning Board of Dedham where they may be inspected.

The Secretary of Energy & Environmental Affairs will publish notice of the ENF in the Environmental Monitor, will receive public comments on the project for 20 days, and will then decide, within ten days, if an environmental Impact Report is needed. A site visit and consultation session on the project may also be scheduled. All persons wishing to comment on the project, or to be notified of a site visit or consultation session, should write to the Secretary of Energy & Environmental Affairs, 100 Cambridge St., Suite 900, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, Attention: MEPA Office, referencing the above project

By Alan Benevides on Behalf of the Town of Dedham INVITATION TO BID The Brookline Housing Authority, the Awarding Authority, invites sealed bids from Plumbing Contractors for the Sanitary Sewer Replacement at High Street Development, DHCD #046069 in Brookline, Massachusetts, in accordance with the documents prepared by BSC Group.

The Project consists of: The replacement of basement and on-site sanitary sewer pipe and associated site improvement work at High Street Development for the Brookline Housing Authority.

The estimated construction cost includes all alternates.

The work is estimated to cost $293,000.

Bids are subject to M.G.L. c.149 §44A-J & to minimum wage rates as required by M.G.L. c.l49 §§26 to 27H inclusive.

THIS PROJECT IS BEING ELECTRONICALLY BID AND HARD COPY BIDS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Please review the instructions in the bid documents on how to register as an electronic bidder. The bids are to be prepared and submitted at www.biddocsonline.com. Tutorials and instructions on how to complete the electronic bid documents are available online (click on the “Tutorial” tab at the bottom footer).

General bidders must be certified by the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) in the following category of work, Plumbing, and must submit a current DCAMM Certificate of Eligibility and signed DCAMM Prime/General Contractor Update Statement (Form CQ 3).

General Bids will be received until 2:00 PM on Thursday, 9 February 2017 and publicly opened online, forthwith.

Filed Sub-bids for the trades listed below will be received until on and publicly opened online, forthwith.

SUBTRADES NONE All Bids should be submitted online at www.biddocsonline.com and received no later than the date and time specified above.

General bids and sub-bids shall be accompanied by a bid deposit that is not less than five (5%) of the greatest possible bid amount (considering all alternates), and made payable to the Brookline Housing Authority.

Bid Forms and Contract Documents will be available for pick-up at www.biddocsonline.com (may be viewed electronically and hardcopy requested) or at Nashoba Blue, Inc. at 433 Main Street, Hudson, MA 01749 (978-568-1167).

There is a plan deposit of $50.00 per set (maximum of 2 sets) payable to BidDocs ONLINE Inc. Plan deposits may be electronically paid or by check. This deposit will be refunded for up to two sets for general bidders and for one set for sub-bidders upon return of the sets in good condition within thirty (30) days of receipt of general bids. Otherwise the deposit shall be the property of the Awarding Authority.

Additional sets may be purchased for $50.00 Bidders requesting Contract Documents to be mailed to them shall include a separate check for $ 40.00 per set for UPS Ground (or $65.00 per set for UPS overnight), nonrefundable, payable to the BidDocs ONLINE Inc., to cover mail handling costs.

LEGAL Affirmative Action article of Division I, General Requirements and Covenants, and to the Secretary of Labor’s Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Opportunity and the Standard Federal Equal Opportunity Construction Contract Specifications (Executive Order 11246).

The General Contractor is required to submit a Certification of Non Segregated Facilities prior to award of the Contract, and to notify prospective subcontractors of the requirement for such certification where the subcontract exceeds $10,000.

Complete information and authorization to view the site may be obtained from the Capital Programs Department Office at the Massachusetts Port Authority. The right is reserved to waive any informality in or reject any or all proposals.

MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY THOMAS P. GLYNN CEO & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

General bidders must agree to contract with minority and women business enterprises as certified by the Supplier Diversity Office (SDO), formerly known as SOMWBA. The combined participation goal reserved for such enterprises shall not be less than 10.4% of the final contract price including accepted alternates. See Contract Documents - Article 3 of the Instructions to Bidders.

PRE-BID CONFERENCE / SITE VISIT: Date and Time: Wednesday, 25 January 2017 at 2:00 PM Address: 33 New Terrace Rd, Brookline, MA Instructions: Any questions regarding the Contract Documents should be directed to BSC Group at 617-896-4368 or cthomas@bscgroup.com SITE VISIT BY APPOINTMENT: NONE The Contract Documents may be seen, but not removed at: Nashoba Blue Inc. Brookline Housing Authority 90 Longwood Avenue 433 Main Street Hudson, MA 01749 Brookline, MA 02446 617-277-2022 978-568-1167 MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Sealed General Bids for MPA Contract No. M486-C1 FISH PIER ELEVATOR REHABILITATION, SOUTH BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, will be received by the Massachusetts Port Authority at the Capital Programs Department Office, Suite 209S - Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, East Boston, Massachusetts 02128-2909, until 11:00 A.M. local time on WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2017, immediately after which, in a designated room, the bids will be opened and read publicly.

Sealed filed sub bids for the same contract will be received at the same office until 11:00 A.M. local time on WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017, immediately after which, in a designated room, the filed sub bids will be opened and read publicly.

NOTE: PRE BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD AT THE MASSPORT OFFICES (EAST-2, 3RD FLOOR) AT THE BOSTON FISH PIER, 212 NORTHERN AVENUE, AT 10:00 AM LOCAL TIME ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2017.

The work includes: ELEVATOR REHABILITATION OF 4 PASSENGER ELEVATORS; PISTON REPLACEMENT FOR 1 ELEVATOR; WATERPROOFING OF 4 ELEVATOR PITS; HVAC UPGRADES TO ELEVATOR MACHINE ROOMS AT 4 LOCATIONS; AND ELECTRICAL UPGRADES FOR MECHANICAL AND ELEVATOR EQUIPMENT AT 4 LOCATIONS. Bid documents will be made available beginning THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2017.

Bid Documents in electronic format may be obtained free of charge at the Authority’s Capital Programs Department Office, together with any addenda or amendments, which the Authority may issue and a printed copy of the Proposal form.

In order to be eligible and responsible to bid on this contract General Bidders must submit with their bid a current Certificate of Eligibility issued by the Division of Capital Assessment Management and an Update Statement. The General Bidder must be certified in the category of GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION. The estimated contract cost is FIVE HUNDRED SEVENTYFIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($575,000).

In order to be eligible and responsible to bid on this contract, filed Sub-bidders must submit with their bid a current Sub-bidder Certificate of Eligibility issued by the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance and a Sub-bidder Update Statement. The filed Sub-bidder must be certified in the sub-bid category of work for which the Sub-bidder is submitting a bid proposal.

Bidding procedures and award of the contract and sub contracts shall be in accordance with the provisions of Sections 44A through 44H inclusive, Chapter 149 of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Sealed General Bids for MPA Contract No. AP1717-C1 FY17-18 AVIATION TERM MISCELLANEOUS IRON REPAIRS, BOSTON, BEDFORD AND WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, will be received by the Massachusetts Port Authority at the Capital Programs Department Office, Suite 209S, Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, East Boston, Massachusetts 021282909, until 11:00 A.M. local time on WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017 immediately after which, in a designated room, the bids will be opened and read publicly.

NOTE: PRE BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD AT THE CAPITAL PROGRAMS DEPARTMENT (ABOVE ADDRESS) AT 10:00 A.M. LOCAL TIME ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2017.

The work includes PROVISION OF ALL EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, LABOR AND SUPERVISION NECESSARY TO MAKE STRUCTURAL STEEL AND ARCHITECTURAL IRON REPAIRS; FABRICATION OF MISCELLANEOUS METAL ITEMS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: RAILS, LADDERS, FRAMES AND SUPPORTS AT LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, WORCESTER REGIONAL AIRPORT AND HANSCOM CIVIL AIRFIELD ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS OVER A ONE (1) YEAR PERIOD. Bid documents will be made available beginning THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2017.

Bid Documents in electronic format may be obtained free of charge at the Authority’s Capital Programs Department Office, together with any addenda or amendments, which the Authority may issue and a printed copy of the Proposal form.

The estimated contract cost is ONE HUNDRED FORTY-EIGHT THOUSAND, FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($148,500).

Bidding procedures and award of the contract and sub contracts shall be in accordance with the provisions of Sections 44A through 44J inclusive, Chapter 149 of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

A proposal guaranty shall be submitted with each General Bid consisting of a bid deposit for five (5) percent of the value of the bid; when sub bids are required, each must be accompanied by a deposit equal to five (5) percent of the sub bid amount, in the form of a bid bond, or cash, or a certified check, or a treasurer’s or a cashier’s check issued by a responsible bank or trust company, payable to the Massachusetts Port Authority in the name of which the Contract for the work is to be executed. The bid deposit shall be (a) in a form satisfactory to the Authority, (b) with a surety company qualified to do business in the Commonwealth and satisfactory to the Authority, and (c) conditioned upon the faithful performance by the principal of the agreements contained in the bid.

The successful Bidder will be required to furnish a performance bond and a labor and materials payment bond, each in an amount equal to 100% of the Contract price. The surety shall be a surety company or securities satisfactory to the Authority. Attention is called to the minimum rate of wages to be paid on the work as determined under the provisions of Chapter 149, Massachusetts General Laws, Section 26 to 27G, inclusive, as amended. The Contractor will be required to pay minimum wages in accordance with the schedules listed in Division II, Special Provisions of the Specifications, which wage rates have been predetermined by the U. S. Secretary of Labor and / or the Commissioner of Labor and Industries of Massachusetts, whichever is greater.

The successful Bidder will be required to purchase and maintain Bodily Injury Liability Insurance and Property Damage Liability Insurance for a combined single limit of TEN MILLION DOLLARS ($10,000,000). Said policy shall be on an occurrence basis and the Authority shall be included as an Additional Insured. See the insurance sections of Division I, General Requirements and Division II, Special Provisions for complete details.

No filed sub bids will be required for this contract.

A proposal guaranty shall be submitted with each General Bid consisting of a bid deposit for five (5) percent of the value of the bid; when sub bids are required, each must be accompanied by a deposit equal to five (5) percent of the sub bid amount, in the form of a bid bond, or cash, or a certified check, or a treasurer’s or a cashier’s check issued by a responsible bank or trust company, payable to the Massachusetts Port Authority in the name of which the Contract for the work is to be executed. The bid deposit shall be (a) in a form satisfactory to the Authority, (b) with a surety company qualified to do business in the Commonwealth and satisfactory to the Authority, and (c) conditioned upon the faithful performance by the principal of the agreements contained in the bid.

This Contract is also subject to Affirmative Action requirements of the Massachusetts Port Authority contained in the Non Discrimination and Affirmative Action article of Division I, General Requirements and Covenants, and to the Secretary of Labor’s Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Opportunity and the Standard Federal Equal Opportunity Construction Contract Specifications (Executive Order 11246).

The successful Bidder will be required to furnish a performance bond and a labor and materials payment bond, each in an amount equal to 100% of the Contract price. The surety shall be a surety company or securities satisfactory to the Authority. Attention is called to the minimum rate of wages to be paid on the work as determined under the provisions of Chapter 149, Massachusetts General Laws, Section 26 to 27G, inclusive, as amended. The Contractor will be required to pay minimum wages in accordance with the schedules listed in Division II, Special Provisions of the Specifications, which wage rates have been predetermined by the U. S. Secretary of Labor and / or the Commissioner of Labor and Industries of Massachusetts, whichever is greater.

Complete information and authorization to view the site may be obtained from the Capital Programs Department Office at the Massachusetts Port Authority. The right is reserved to waive any informality in or reject any or all proposals.

The successful Bidder will be required to purchase and maintain Bodily Injury Liability Insurance and Property Damage Liability Insurance for a combined single limit of $1,000,000. Said policy shall be on an occurrence basis and the Authority shall be included as an Additional Insured. See the insurance sections of Division I, General Requirements and Division II, Special Provisions for complete details.

The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority is seeking bids for the following:

Filed sub bids will be required and taken on the following classes of work: WATERPROOFING, DAMP PROOFING, AND CAULKING $44,000.00 HEATING, VENTILATING, AND AIR CONDITIONING $53,000.00 ELECTRICAL $36,000.00 The Authority reserves the right to reject any sub bid of any sub trade where permitted by Section 44E of the above referenced General Laws. The right is also reserved to waive any informality in or to reject any or all proposals and General Bids.

This Contract is also subject to Affirmative Action requirements of the Massachusetts Port Authority contained in the Non Discrimination and

The General Contractor is required to submit a Certification of Non Segregated Facilities prior to award of the Contract, and to notify prospective subcontractors of the requirement for such certification where the subcontract exceeds $10,000.

MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY THOMAS P. GLYNN CEO & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR INVITATION TO BID

BID NO.

DESCRIPTION

DATE

TIME

WRA-4334

Purchase of One (1) 450 HP Motor

02/01/17

2:00 p.m.

WRA-4335

Purchase of One (1) Medium Voltage Circuit Breaker

02/01/17

2:00 p.m.

WRA-2794

Supply and Delivery of Sodium Bisulfite to the Deer Island Treatment Plant

02/02/17

12:00 p.m.

7164

Reading Extension Sewer and Metropolitan Sewer Rehabilitation, Sections 73/74/75/46

02/16/17

2:00 p.m.

To access and bid on Event(s) please go to the MWRA Supplier Portal at www.mwra.com.

22 • Thursday, January 19, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER

BANNER CLASSIFIEDS LEGAL

REAL ESTATE

REAL ESTATE

LEGAL NOTICE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS GENERAL CONTRACTOR GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION The MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY (Massport) is soliciting Statement of Qualifications for MPA PROJECT NO. L1354-C3 CENTRAL HEATING PLANT CHILLERS CH-2 AND CH-3 REPLACEMENT, LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, EAST BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is issued pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 149 § 44D½. Firms interested in providing General Contractor Services for the construction of this project must submit a Statement of Qualifications in response to this RFQ. The Contractor selection for this Project is a two-phase process as set forth in Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 149 § 44D½.

The Project delivery method for construction will be under Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 149. Massport is pre-qualifying firms interested in providing General Contractor service for the Project through this RFQ prequalification process.

The Project includes installation, final payment and warranty service for pre-purchased centrifugal electric and steam turbine water chillers. The Contractor shall provide pads, new access doorway, all required rigging, all piping connections, pumps, piping, and additional equipment as specified.

A Supplemental Information Package which will provide more details on the scope of the Project as well as the selection process and evaluation criteria shall be available on January 18, 2017 on MassPort website, http://www. massport.com/doing-business/_layouts/CapitalPrograms/default.aspx as an attachment to the original Legal Notice, on CommBuys (www.commbuys. com) in the listings for this Project or by contacting Susan Brace by email at sbrace@massport.com.

In addition, a Project Briefing shall be held in the Capital Programs Department, Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, Logan International Airport, East Boston, MA on Tuesday, January 24, 2107 at 11:00 AM. The briefing is not mandatory, however, interested Bidders are encouraged to attend.

Responses shall be addressed to Houssam Sleiman, P.E., CCM, Director of Capital Programs and Environmental Affairs and received in the Capital Programs Department no later than 12:00 Noon on Friday, February 17, 2017 at the Massachusetts Port Authority, Capital Programs Department, Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, Suite 209S, Logan International Airport, East Boston, MA 02128-2909.

All questions relative to your submission shall be directed to CPBidQuestions@ massport.com. In the subject lines of your email, please reference the MPA Project Name and Number. It is strictly prohibited for any proponent to contact anyone else from Massport about this Project from the time of this solicitation until award of the Project to the successful proponent.

MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY Thomas P. Glynn CEO and Executive Director

NEWLY BUILT HOMES IN DORCHESTER! 2 ATTACHED SINGLE FAMILIES! 4 TWO-FAMILY HOMES!

The Neighborhood Home Initiative (NHI) gives first-time homebuyers the chance to participate in a lottery to purchase an affordable single or two-family home in Boston.

With SIX new homes available, and more coming soon, NOW is the time to see if you qualify!

To qualify for inclusion in the lottery, you must: 1. Be a 1st time homebuyer and complete an approved homebuyer education course prior to closing; 2. Have a minimum household size of number of bedrooms, minus one; 3. Meet income and asset requirements.

MAXIMUM HOUSEHOLD INCOME 2 person: $78,500 3 person: $88,300 4 person: $98,100 5 person: $105,950 Mortgage, deed, owner-occupancy, Boston residency, household size preference, and other restrictions apply. Requirements are subject to change.

APPLICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE NOW! www.bostonhomecenter.com 617.635.4663

MARSHFIELD HOUSING OPPORTUNITY PURCHASE PROGRAM ROUND 11-B

SUB-CONTRACTOR HVAC

The Marshfield Housing Partnership is accepting additional applications from qualified applicants for grants to assist them in purchasing an existing market rate home or condominium in Marshfield. A deed restriction will be recorded on each unit purchased with a grant to secure affordability in perpetuity.

MAXIMUM GRANT AMOUNTS 2 Bedroom $100,000

1 Bedroom $80,000

3, 4, and 5 Bedrooms $120,000

MAXIMUM HOUSE/CONDOMINIUM AMOUNTS

The Project includes installation, and warranty service for pre-purchased centrifugal electric and steam turbine water chillers. The Subcontractor shall provide all piping connections. The Subcontractor shall provide pumps, piping, and additional equipment as specified.

A Supplemental Information Package which will provide more details on the scope of the Project as well as the selection process and evaluation criteria shall be available on January 18, 2017 on MassPort website, http://www. massport.com/doing-business/_layouts/CapitalPrograms/default.aspx as an attachment to the original Legal Notice, on CommBuys (www.commbuys. com) in the listings for this Project or by contacting Susan Brace by email at sbrace@massport.com.

In addition, a Project Briefing shall be held in the Capital Programs Department, Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, Logan International Airport, East Boston, MA on Tuesday, January 24, 2107 at 11:00 AM. The briefing is not mandatory, however, interested Bidders are encouraged to attend.

Responses shall be addressed to Houssam Sleiman, P.E., CCM, Director of Capital Programs and Environmental Affairs and received in the Capital Programs Department no later than 12:00 Noon on Friday February 17, 2017 at the Massachusetts Port Authority, Capital Programs Department, Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, Suite 209S, Logan International Airport, East Boston, MA 02128-2909.

Department of Neighborhood Development

City of Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh

LEGAL NOTICE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

The MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY (Massport) is soliciting Statement of Qualifications for MPA PROJECT NO. L1354-C3 CENTRAL HEATING PLANT CHILLERS CH-2 AND CH-3 REPLACEMENT, LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, EAST BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is issued pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 149 § 44D½. Firms interested in providing HVAC Sub-Contractor Services for the construction of this project must submit a Statement of Qualifications in response to this RFQ. The Contractor selection for this Project is a two-phase process as set forth in Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 149 § 44D½.

The Project delivery method for construction will be under Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 149. Massport is pre-qualifying firms interested in providing Sub-Contractor service for the Project through this RFQ prequalification process.

Neighborhood Homes

Bedrooms

Sale Price

Maximum Grant

Affordable Price After Grant

1 BR Condo

$227,030

$80,000

$147,030

1 BR House

$258,700

$80,000

$178,700

2 BR Condo

$268,900

$100,000

$168,900

2 BR House

$302,900

$100,000

$202,900

3 BR Condo

$312,000

$120,000

$192,000

3 BR House

$345,400

$120,000

$225,400

4 BR House

$359,600

$120,000

$239,600

5 BR House

$378,000

$120,000

$258,000

MAXIMUM ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME EFFECTIVE MARCH 29, 2016 1 Person

2 Person

3 Person

4 Person

5 Person

6 Person

7 Person

8 Person

9 or more

$51,150

$58,450

$65,750

$73,050

$78,900

$84,750

$90,600

$96,450

Please call

Subject to periodic change by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

All questions relative to your submission shall be directed to CPBidQuestions@ massport.com. In the subject lines of your email, please reference the MPA Project Name and Number. It is strictly prohibited for any proponent to contact anyone else from Massport about this Project from the time of this solicitation until award of the Project to the successful proponent.

Households interested in applying should attend one of the two informational sessions being provided.

Informational sessions will be held at the following locations:

MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY Thomas P. Glynn CEO and Executive Director

Thursday, February 23, 2017, 7:00 PM: Hearing Room # 2, Marshfield Town Hall, 870 Moraine Street, Marshfield Saturday, February 25, 2017, 10:00 AM: Hearing Room # 2, Marshfield Town Hall, 870 Moraine Street, Marshfield

Net family assets may not exceed $75,000.

A lottery will be held on Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 7:00 PM at the Marshfield Town Hall, Hearing Room # 2, to select grant recipients.

Successful grant recipients are required to have at least one family member attend and complete a Homebuyer Education Workshop.

For additional information or to receive an application please contact either the Marshfield Housing Authority (781-834-4333) or the Marshfield Housing Coordinator: (781-834-1051). Applications are also available outside the Town Clerk’s Office, Marshfield Town Hall.

ADVERTISE

YOUR CLASSIFIEDS WITH THE BAY STATE BANNER (617) 261-4600 x 7799 • ads@bannerpub.com Rate information at www.baystatebanner.com/advertise

All applications must be received and date stamped by the Marshfield Housing Authority no later than 12:00 PM (Noon) on Friday, March 10, 2017.

Marshfield Housing Authority 12 Tea Rock Gardens Marshfield, MA 02050 The Marshfield Housing Partnership has an obligation to provide reasonable accommodations to applicants if they or any family member has a disability. If needed, language assistance is provided at no cost to the applicant.

MHOPP Funding was made possible by the Town’s adoption of the Community Preservation Act

Thursday, January 19, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 23

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Communications Specialist at Lesley University Responsible for developing and posting content to the Lesley.edu website and communicating across interactive platforms.

To view the full job description and apply, visit: https://lesley. interviewexchange.com

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Affordable Homeownership

Parker Hill Apartments

Montage at Danforth Green– Phase 3

Brand New Renovated Apartment Homes

Four 2-Bedroom Units - $183,400 One 3-Bedroom Unit - $203,500

Stainless Steel Appliances New Kitchen Cabinets Hardwood Floors Updated Bathroom Custom Accent Wall Painting Free Parking Free Wi-Fi in lobby Modern Laundry Facilities

Framingham, MA

Information Session: Wed. 2/16/17, 7 pm Blumer Room,Memorial Building, 150 Concord St. Framingham Applications accepted through 3/10/17, 1 pm Lottery: Monday 3/27/17 at 7 pm Application and Lottery Information: Housing@Sudbury.Ma.US 278 Old Sudbury Road, Sudbury, MA 01776, 978-639-3387

Call today to schedule an Information Session: 617-542-1800 Are you interested in a

Healthcare CAREER? Project Hope, in partnership with Partners HealthCare and Boston Medical Center, is currently accepting applications for a FREE entry level healthcare employment training program.

Senior Living At It’s Best

A senior/disabled/ handicapped community 0 BR units = $1,027/mo 1 BR units = $1,101/mo All utilities included.

Call Sandy Miller,

888-842-7945

HELP WANTED

Property Manager

#888-691-4301

Program Restrictions Apply.

HELP WANTED

Program Officer: Communities Description:

The Massachusetts Cultural Council is seeking a Program Officer to provide leadership in the administration of the MCC’s Local Cultural Council (LCC) Program, a program that supports cultural activities in all 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. This is the largest grassroots programs of its kind in the United States. The LCC program distributes $3 million to 329 local cultural councils annually to support programming in the arts, interpretive sciences, and humanities for the purpose of providing cultural access to all segments of the state’s population.

The Program Officer will also play a part in reshaping the way the MCC serves cities and towns through all of its community focused programs including Cultural Districts, Festivals, Adams Arts Program, and others. Primary responsibilities: The Program Officer, who will report to the Program Manager for LCCs and Festivals, will serve as the primary contact for approximately 100 Local Cultural Councils. In working with these councils, the Program Officer must be able to communicate clearly and effectively, successfully build relationships with constituents, offer high levels of customer service, handle sensitive situations diplomatically, and respond to constituent requests while meeting other important deadlines.

The Program Officer will:

n Assist in the development and administration of services and programs for LCC’s. n Respond to inquiries from LCC volunteers, applicants, and municipal officials. n Encourage smooth administration of the LCC Program on the local level.

n Support each LCC in their role as grantmaker. n Support the development of councils from grant makers to civically engaged partners within their communities. n Create new resources for councils to strengthen relationships with municipal officials.

n Collaborate with other Massachusetts Cultural Council programs that support communities, such as Cultural Districts. n Other responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications:

Five or more years relevant work experience required. Occasional nights and weekends required; willingness to travel in state (driver’s license required).

Required Skills:

n Demonstrated success providing customer or constituent support n Strong communication skills - writing, public speaking, interpersonal, diplomacy, and negotiation

n Strong administrative, organizational, and time management skills n Strong work ethic, sense of humor, and team attitude all essential n Strategic thinking and leadership skills

n Ability to manage detail under deadline pressure n Strong financial and budgetary knowledge (municipal or organizational) n Proficiency in Microsoft Word/Excel/Access

Required Experience:

Applicants must have five years of experience in some combination of the following areas: n Experience working with, or within, municipal government. Preferably from, but not limited to, an arts and cultural perspective.

n Main Streets, Cultural District, or Chambers of Commerce work n Urban planning

Applicants who applied to the original posting for two Program Officer positions in the Communities department do not need to reapply.

Your materials are still under consideration.

Applicants should provide: 1. A letter of interest

2. A résumé: Email materials to michael. nagle@art.state.ma.us with the subject line “Communities Program Officer Search”.

Please attach letter of interest and resume as one Word or PDF document. Do not send materials as text within an email. You may

How To Apply:

n Community development n Community organizing n Cultural tourism

address your letter of interest to “Communities Search Committee”.

Apply by: Open until filled. This posting will be removed once applications are no longer being accepted.

Salary

Program eligibility includes: • • • • •

91 Clay Street Quincy, MA 02170

Two Bedrooms Starting at $2200

Income Limit 80% Boston AMI and Asset Limits Use and Resale Restrictions Apply

Train for Administrative, Financial

Work in hospitals, colleges, insurance agencies, banks, businesses, government offices, health insurance call centers, and more!

GET READY FOR A GREAT OFFICE JOB! We will help you apply for free training. Job placement assistance provided.

No prior experience necessary, but must have HS diploma or GED. Free YMCA membership for you and your family while enrolled in YMCA Training, Inc.

Wollaston Manor

Have a high school diploma or equivalent Have a verifiable reference of 1 year from a former employer Pass assessments in reading, language, and computer skills Have CORI clearance Be legally authorized to work in the United States

For more information and to register for the next Open House please visit our website at www.prohope.org/openhouse.htm or call 617-442-1880 ext. 234.

Many people have great jobs.

YOU can get one too!

Career Collaborative is a FREE program that helps you: • Find full-time employment with benefits such as vacation days, paid holidays and tuition reimbursement • Create résumés, references and cover letters • Interview with Boston’s leading employers

You may qualify if you: • Want a full-time job • Are between 25 and 55 • Are legal to work in the U.S.

Information Sessions every Thursday at 1:00 PM. Career Collaborative 77 Summer Street, 11th Floor Downtown Crossing, between Macy’s and South Station (617) 424-6616 www.facebook.com/careercollaborative

Commensurate with experience; excellent benefits package. Union position.

About this Organization: The Massachusetts Cultural Council is a state agency whose mission is to promote excellence, access, education and diversity in the arts, humanities and interpretive sciences in order to improve the quality of life for all Massachusetts residents and to contribute to the economic vitality of our communities. The Massachusetts Cultural Council shares the mis-

sion, values, and vision of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to create a workforce that reflects the diversity of the Commonwealth and one that embraces, values and respects difference. The MCC is dedicated to creating a workplace that welcomes, respects and values people of all races, color, age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religions, creeds, ancestry, national origin,

disability and veteran status. We strive to reflect diversity in all activities, programs and services removing any barriers to accessibility. We further believe that embracing and celebrating our differences enriches the quality of the work experience and enhances our own personal and professional relationships. Members of under-represented groups are encouraged to apply to this position.

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