Bay State Banner 10-13-2016

Page 1

inside this week

BPS envisions future of education, school facilities pg 3

A&E

business news

SASHA LANE WOWS IN FILM ‘AMERICAN HONEY’ pg 27

LaborX startup helps firms recruit often-overlooked talent pg 12

plus On exhibit: Photos by Carrie Mae Weems pg 25 BAMS Fest pg 25 Postmodern Jukebox at the Wang Theatre pg 26 Thursday, October 13, 2016 • FREE • GREATER BOSTON’S URBAN NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1965 • CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

www.baystatebanner.com

Appeals court backs cops in hair test case Court finds hair tests discriminate against blacks with false positives By BANNER STAFF

A group of black Boston cops fired for drug use after what they said was a flawed hair test won an important legal victory last Friday when the Massachusetts Appeals Court upheld an earlier ruling reinstating them with back pay and benefits. The ruling is the latest chapter in a decade-long legal battle that pitted the six black officers against the police department and its use of the controversial test. After an exhaustive inquiry on the scientific reliability of the “hair test,” the court found that a positive result was not conclusive indication of voluntary drug ingestion and may actually be due to contamination through environmental exposure. The court found that the risk of a false positive test was great enough to require additional evidence before terminating an officer. With respect to the six reinstated officers, the Appeals Court agreed that additional evidence clearly outweighed the flawed hair test result.

Discrimination complaint

Five reinstated officers — Ronnie Jones, Richard Beckers, Walter Washington, George Downing and Shawn Harris — are African-Americans who are also challenging the hair test on racial discrimination grounds in a separate federal lawsuit filed by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic

Justice on behalf of the individual officers and the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers (MAMLEO). “The City of Boston has been fighting for years to defend a scientifically unreliable and discriminatory drug-screening vehicle that resulted in the wrongful termination of a disproportionate number of African-American police officers,” said Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, the executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice in a press statement. A Boston Police Department spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on this story.

Disparate impact

In the discrimination case, a federal court found that the hair test has a statistically disparate racial impact. In 2006, for example, 71 percent of positive results were generated by tests of African American officers. The discrimination case remains pending in the Federal Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. “Diversity in police ranks is a key component of community representation and accountability,” said Espinoza-Madrigal. “Our communities are safer and stronger when minority officers have an equal opportunity to serve and when police departments reflect the neighborhoods they serve. Nevertheless, the City of Boston continues to defend its

See HAIR TEST, page 8

BANNER PHOTO

A BCLA parent was among many to speak during public testimony. She said she is not against charter schools but against the financial impact charter expansion would have on district schools.

School Committee acts against charter cap lift More charters harm city budget, committee says By JULE PATTISON-GORDON

The Boston School Committee voted unanimously last week to pass a resolution against the ballot question to expand charter schools in Massachusetts. Supporters of lifting the cap gathered before the meeting in the Bolling Building. At the base of the grand staircase, they distributed blue “Great Schools Massachusetts”

T-shirts; upstairs, those against lifting the cap cracked open boxes of yellow “No on 2” T-shirts. During testimony, many parents lamented the division the ballot question had created between them, acknowledging everyone’s desire to do best by their children and saying the dispute had diverted valuable time and energy from discussing important school matters. Supporters on both sides advocated for the quality of their

schools and presented opposing views of the impact of charter expansion on the Boston Public Schools budget. Voting for the resolution, School Committee members declared charter expansion a threat not only to BPS finances, but to the entire municipal budget. “Uncapped charter growth is bad for finances,” said School

See CHARTERS, page 32

Tiny homes coming to Roxbury? City seeking affordable options By YAWU MILLER

BANNER PHOTO

The city’s Urban Housing Unit was stationed at a vacant lot on Blue Hill Avenue

The Urban Housing Unit landed in Roxbury last week, occupying a vacant lot on the corner of Blue Hill Avenue and Gaston Street, with the rectangular white unit’s front door facing the street. Visitors could proceed through the glass entryway into the bedroom of the 380-square-foot dwelling, past a small bathroom and into the kitchen/dining/living room area — and be done with the tour

in mere seconds. While the tour is as short as the unit is small, the experiment, developed by the Mayor’s Housing Innovation Lab, raises big questions about housing policy and the kinds of renters and buyers for whom city officials are planning. Chief among them: Are neighborhood residents ready for the micro-unit approach to housing that has spurred the construction of compact units in Boston’s super-heated Waterfront market? City planners say the

ON THE WEB Urban Housing Unit: www.liveuhu.com/

why#why-should-communities-support-moreuhus-in-new-projects See also Tom Acitelli, “Boston micro-apartments: a brief history of the trend,” Boston. curbed.com, Sept. 19, 2016 at http://boston. curbed.com/2016/9/19/12970722/boston-tiny-apartments-history micro-unit, which they currently are displaying in different locations around the city, could help solve the pressing need for low-cost housing in the city. The

See URBAN HOUSING, page 14


2 • Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER

we care about

here. www.bmchp.org Bringing health insurance to Massachusetts communities for the past 20 years.

1326 16-BMC-1725_FY16_BMCHP_Boston_Print_WE_CARE_RED_sz2_MECH.indd 1

10/6/16 10:48 AM


Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER • 3

BPS envisions future of education and school facilities Calls for bldg. repairs, flexible-use space, cross-topic experiential learning, group work By JULE PATTISON-GORDON

School Committee officials have put the spotlight on current and future conditions of Boston Public Schools facilities. At last week’s meeting, BPS officials presented survey findings in which many respondents reported a desire for renovations, more spaces for special education students’ needs and bathroom improvements. Casting an eye to the future, Superintendent Tommy Chang presented a vision of a fluid educational system in which learning is less tied to specific classrooms and buildings and features designs that engender team collaboration. The presentations also provided an unintentional spotcheck on BPS’s abilities to reach and involve stakeholders; many School Committee members critiqued BPS’ Community Engagement survey on current facilities because it brought in a small number of responses compared to the wider school population and because respondents were disproportionately English-speaking white parents.

Educational vision

Superintendent Chang and other BPS representatives outlined a reimagining of the future of education. While realizing the vision may be a long time off, officials said the new model affects how space would be used in schools, thus impacting BPS’ facilities master plan. Chang said in the future, education will move away from the traditional model of teaching in subject-restricted classrooms. “We can’t have students go from a math class to a science class, then music class,” Chang said. “All that can be interfused together. It’s a bold vision — a blue-sky work — but sets a vision for how we need to start thinking about facilities in BPS.” He and Makeeba McCreary, BPS chief of staff, called for providing flexible school spaces that promote collaboration across subject disciplines, encourage both small- and large-group work and allow for project- and performance-based learning. That approach also presumes a learning model that facilitates partnerships between different schools and actors throughout the city. “The entire city needs to be a place of learning. Learning occurs everywhere, not just at school,” Chang said. There is potential for some schools to specialize and for children to move between them to access what programs and resources they need in each one, Chang said, although he did not address what implications this would have for transportation.

ON THE WEB Educational vision draft report: http://bit.ly/2dIBOTY Community engagement draft report: http://bit.ly/2dSosAb Executive summary: http://bit.ly/2e2RLnv Officials said they want to ensure children graduate career-ready, while acknowledging that students may find themselves working in very different jobs than exist today. As such, the plan report calls for making spaces flexible and able to serve multiple purposes. McCreary said that many students may enter the growing service industry or be self-employed, working gigs rather than engaging in traditional formal employment at an institution. Social skills and business understanding will be important for such work. While some School Committee members praised the vision, including the focus on life skills, several called for it to include more student preparation to become part of a global community. This can mean emphasizing cultural proficiency and competency, said Alexandra Oliver-Davila, and requiring students learn a second language, suggested Miren Uriarte. “The way we think about jobs now is that there’re jobs in Boston,” Uriarte said. “No — kids are going to be moving around the world in 30 years,” School Committee Vice-chair Hardin Coleman said that achieving some of the education model’s goals does not require innovation as much as reviving past initiatives. For instance, he said that BPS has demonstrated strong learning through play in pre-K and project-based learning, but that some of those practices fall to the side to make time for test preparation. “We do learning through play in pre-K really well,” Coleman said. “We just don’t allow them to do it anymore because we make them prepare for the MCAS.”

School facilities

Drawing from survey results, BPS’s community engagement team reported that while many respondents felt positively about academic and non-academic programs at schools, they reported need for renovations and repairs, desire for more modern security features and instructional technology, insufficient quiet spaces for students with disabilities and the fact that some buildings lack resources such as libraries, gyms, science labs, art rooms, computer labs, music rooms, outdoor classrooms and auditoriums. Sixty percent of respondents rated the overall conditions of their schools as “fair” or “poor,” with 74 percent equally critical

BANNER PHOTO

BPS Chief of Staff Makeeba McCreary presented the School Committee with the school department’s educational vision draft report. of the bathrooms. Several School Committee members noted that unclean and undersupplied bathrooms are a well-known complaint and expressed frustration that the problem persists. But changes are, at last, coming, officials said. Traditionally, custodians wait until the end of school to clean — which can mean dirt and smells build up during the morning and afternoon through use by hundreds of students. New plans call for bathrooms to be shut down during a half-hour period each day to allow midday cleaning.

Limited outreach

School Committee members were emphatic in highlighting what they consider a weakness of the community engagement survey: It failed to engage enough of the community. Officials sought community feedback on the BuildBPS plan in order to provide participants a sense of personal stake in the efforts and to check that the plan acknowledges priorities and concerns, the Community Engagement report stated.

However, despite outreach efforts — which included engaging parent organizations to help spread the word and online and in-person survey distribution— only 952 parents, staff, students and teachers responded, in a district that served more than 56,000 students this past school year. “We can’t possibly make a decision when have only 952 respondents,” Oliver-Davila said. “It is not statistically significant.” Many responders to the 21-question survey were primarily parents — 45 percent — and white — also 45 percent. Seventy-seven percent of respondents were parents of students in general education (as opposed to English language learners or special education) or the students themselves. Although the survey was available in nine languages, 90 percent of surveys were answered in English, compared to a population in which only 55 percent list English as a first language, according to the report. Members of 119 out of 126 schools answered the survey. Hardin Coleman also said a

UP NEXT WHAT: BuildBPS Open House WHERE: Bolling Building, 2300 Washington

St, Roxbury WHEN: Saturday Oct. 29 and Sunday Oct. 30, 9a.m. to 5p.m. RSVP: http://bit.ly/2dhMcPj

Location: Outdoors at the Haley House Bakery Café 12 Dade Street Admission: Children under 12 and Trustees Members FREE; Nonmember Adults $2 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16 • 10AM–4PM

DEVELOPMENT · INVESTMENTS · HOSPITALITY

we buy properties · quick closings

call (617) 512-9275

broad survey is unlikely to get reflective results and advised selecting random samples from each demographic group in order to improve this. Chairman Michael O’Neill said that while 2,500 to 3,000 respondents is a more viable amount, the information collected thus far may serve to be directionally indicative. O’Neill requested the online survey be reopened and Oliver-Davila advised outreach efforts that include sending surveys home with students. Other engagement efforts had included pop-up “Kitchen Table” talks in community areas, e-newsletters, provision of digital and social media engagement tools and one forum that drew about 100 participants.

thetrustees.org

Event Partners

Held Rain or shine


4 • Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER

EDITORIAL

SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

By fax: 617-261-2346 From web site: www.baystatebanner.com click “contact us,” then click “letters” By mail: The Boston Banner, 1100 Washington St., Dorchester, MA 02124 Letters must be signed. Names may be withheld upon request.

www.baystatebanner.com

INSIDE: BUSINESS, 12 • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, 25 • COMMUNITY CALENDAR, 30 • CLASSIFIEDS, 32

Established 1965

The real problem at BLS: too few black applicants Boston Latin School, the nation’s oldest public school, was established in 1635. Latin’s alumni were involved in the founding of America. Some of their names are recorded on the upper frieze of the Latin School auditorium: Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Ralph Waldo Emerson. The names of other prominent alumni are inscribed in those hallowed spaces including one African American, Wade McCree, class of 1937. McCree was the first black judge appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, and he later became U.S. Solicitor General. His name was added to the frieze to acknowledge the achievements of Latin School’s black students. The first black alumnus was Parker Bailey, class of 1877. Professor Adelaide M. Cromwell, former director of the Afro-American Studies program at Boston University, has done the seminal work on blacks at Boston Latin School with her publication of the booklet, “Developing a Black Meritocracy: A History of Black Graduates of the Boston Latin School.” There has never been a great number of black students at Boston Latin School, but as recently as 1940, the black population of Boston was only 3 percent of the total.

Like the rest of America there will undoubtedly always be some bigotry at Boston Latin School. However, past incidents of racial discrimination were usually handled privately. Racial discrimination in public education has been declared to be unlawful in Boston since 1855. The case of discrimination that was recently settled pursuant to an investigation by the U.S. Attorney simply removed to an institutional setting what probably should have been a private matter. However, the proposed resolution does little to resolve the main problem: The underrepresentation of blacks in the Latin School student body. While 41.5 percent of Boston’s school-age population is black, only 9 percent of Boston Latin School students are black. By comparison, only 8.7 percent of Boston’s school-age population is Asian, but 30 percent of Latin’s students are Asian. Only 14.2 percent of the city’s schoolage population is white, but almost half (47 percent) of the Latin School student body is white. Black leaders ought to focus on the more serious problem at Latin School — the lack of preparation to enable blacks to pass the test to be admitted.

Trump proposes plunder Many Americans seem to have such a low opinion of politicians that they find Trump’s boorish behavior acceptable. They perceive his insults of opponents, disrespect for women and bigoted attitude toward Mexicans, Muslims and blacks to be refreshingly candid. Trump’s basic bloc of support has been steady despite his pattern of lies and his refusal to disclose his tax returns, a traditional act of transparency by candidates for the nation’s presidency to reveal business practices. Evidence is beginning to mount that Trump does not have the high business ethics that many Americans would like to see in their president. In the first debate with Hillary Clinton, Trump inadvertently revealed a willingness to violate international law for economic gain. Trump vehemently asserted that he opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning. If so, he must believe there was no transgression by Saddam Hussein

to justify American invasion. Apparently Trump was not deceived by the myth of weapons of mass destruction. After Hussein’s demise, the U.S. and allies established a Coalition Provisional Authority to form the Republic of Iraq in 2004. There have been three presidents of Iraq since then. U.S. troops were finally withdrawn in December 2011. Trump stated in the debate and he has asserted on earlier occasions that the U.S. should have kept the oil. Trump’s position is that we should never have invaded Iraq, but having done so, we should nevertheless have seized their oil fields. It appears that Trump has little moral repugnance regarding larceny. Under Trump, America would become a rogue nation that plunders the natural resources of weaker countries. Trump supports theft on a grand scale. Is that how Trump plans to “Make America Great Again”?

“Back in the day at Latin School a little schoolyard diplomacy used to resolve racial conflict.” USPS 045-780 Melvin B. Miller Sandra L. Casagrand John E. Miller Yawu Miller

Publisher/Editor Co-publisher Assoc. Publisher/Treasurer Senior Editor ADVERTISING

Rachel Reardon

Advertising Manager NEWS REPORTING

Karen Miller Martin Desmarais Jule Pattison-Gordon Sandra Larson Kenneth J. Cooper Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil Anthony W. Neal Brian Wright O’Connor Marcy Murninghan

Health Editor Staff Writers

Contributing Writers

Ernesto Arroyo Don West

Staff Photographers

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Contributing Writers Colette Greenstein Susan Saccoccia Lloyd Kam Williams PRODUCTION Daniel Goodwin Caleb Olson

Art Director Graphic Designer ADMINISTRATION

Karen Miller

Business Manager

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR JPNC response to Plan JP/Rox I am writing in response to your recent article “Activists, BPDA at odds over vision for Boston”. In the article, you mentioned a letter from the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council to Mayor Walsh “expressing dissatisfaction with the plan.” In fact, the letter from the Coun-

cil is more nuanced than that. The Plan answers a long-standing request from the neighborhoods for a plan for growth, and the current draft does much to outline community goals and to lay the groundwork for new zoning and neighborhood improvements. However, certain essential elements are missing that will make the Plan complete, including increased stan-

INDEX BUSINESS NEWS ………………………………...................... 12 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT …………………...................... 25 COMMUNITY CALENDAR …………………........................ 30 FOOD ..................…………………..................................... 31 CLASSIFIEDS ……………………………………....................... 32

dards for affordable housing, clearer design guidelines that help mitigate height and size when bigger, taller buildings are next to 2- and 3- story neighborhoods, scheduled and budgeted transportation improvements to handle the increased population, and steps to include good jobs standards in new construction. — Carolyn Royce Jamaica Plain

baystatebanner.com

The Boston Banner is published every Thursday. Offices are located at 1100 Washington St., Dorchester, MA 02124. Telephone: 617-261-4600, Fax 617-261-2346 Subscriptions: $48 for one year ($55 out-of-state) Web site: www.baystatebanner.com Periodicals postage paid at Boston, MA. All rights reserved. Copyright 2016. The Banner is certified by the NMSDC, 2016. Circulation of The Bay State and Boston Banner 27,400. Audited by CAC, June 2015. The Banner is printed by: TC Transcontinental Printing 10807, Mirabeau, Anjou (Québec) H1J 1T7 Printed in Canada

facebook.com/baystatebanner

twitter.com/baystatebanner

ONLINE STATS

»M OST VIEWED ONLINE

Affordable housing activists, re-branded BRA at odds

» MOST TWEETED

Soledad O’Brien on CityLine

» MOST COMMENTED ON FACEBOOK

Proposed ordinance combats widespread burden of credit check

» MOST SHARED ON FACEBOOK

Proposed ordinance combats widespread burden of credit check


Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER • 5

OPINION THE BANNER WELCOMES YOUR OPINION: EMAIL OP-ED SUBMISSIONS TO YAWU@BANNERPUB.COM • Letters must be signed. Names may be withheld upon request.

OPINION

ROVING CAMERA

‘Ban the box’ helps ex-offenders succeed

What did you think of the presidential debate?

By MIKE BRADY More than 700,000 Americans are released from prison each year. We expect them to re-enter society and be law-abiding, but we make it extremely difficult for anyone who has served time to ever become gainfully employed, even though they have paid their debt to society. A barrier that needs to be removed is that box on standard job applications that asks, “Have you ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor?” If you check “yes,” you will likely never hear from the potential employer again. It won’t matter how qualified or motivated you are. And with extremely limited legitimate earning options, the formerly incarcerated often re-offend and are re-incarcerated within a few years. This destructive cycle not only devastates individuals, families and communities, it’s a recurring, ever-growing expense for taxpayers. The cost of keeping and guarding inmates now averages $31,286 per inmate per year. Each inmate represents tax money that could otherwise be spent on programs to grow the economy, and each inmate is one less employee whose consumer spending would spur growth for all kinds of companies. The U.S. incarcerates more individuals than any other nation, and 70 million Americans have some sort of criminal record — almost one in three Americans of working age. This revolving door system is unsustainable. One simple step can be a solution. More than 100 cities, 20 states and the federal government have passed laws that “ban the box.” “Ban the Box” simply defers the question about a candidate’s criminal history until such time that a conditional job offer is made. And for certain jobs, such as those working with children, employers may still ask about relevant criminal history. “Ban the Box” ensures that potential hires are evaluated based on experience, skills and future potential, not past mistakes for which they’ve already paid and that don’t relate to their current efforts to make a fresh start. This change is small but the potential value is enormous, especially to candidates in chronically disadvantaged communities. To break the cycle of poverty caused by lack of job opportunities, individuals need and deserve a chance to start fresh. And we need farsighted companies to implement inclusive hiring models. I recently joined 18 other business leaders at the White House to launch the Fair Chance Business Pledge. This pledge calls on all businesses to improve our communities by creating a path to a second chance for people with a criminal record. Companies signing the pledge included big names like American Airlines, Coca-Cola, Facebook, Georgia Pacific, Google, Koch Industries, and Xerox. So this isn’t something the business community is that scared of. For more than 30 years, Greyston Bakery has been giving anyone willing to work hard a chance at employment. Our open hiring model focuses on a job candidate’s potential by providing employment opportunities, regardless of background or work history, while facilitating services and support to help employees succeed in the workplace and thrive in the community. Some of our productive and dedicated team members who were formerly incarcerated spent months or years searching for legitimate work, and were rejected by almost all other companies. We’ve been practicing open hiring since 1982 because it works. Our employees are successful, hardworking and loyal, and we make high quality brownies for discerning customers like Ben & Jerry’s and Whole Foods Market. It’s safe to say it hasn’t hurt us. Our society needs more companies to adopt more inclusive hiring policies. We all want to hire the best person for each job, and Ban the Box will ensure that potential hires are evaluated on skills, experience and potential rather than a mistake for which they have already paid. A job is obviously essential for supporting oneself and one’s family, but it also provides confidence, dignity and self-worth, which has an encouraging ripple effect throughout any community. Let’s ban the box nationwide so qualified individuals, ready to work, have a real chance to be a contributing member of society. Editor’s note: State law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts does not bar companies from checking job applicants’ CORIs. The City of Boston’s Criminal Offender Record Information Ordinance, enacted in 2005, provides that persons and businesses supplying goods or services to the City of Boston deploy fair policies throughout the hiring process related to the screening and identification of persons with criminal backgrounds through the CORI system. The city does business only with vendors that have adopted and employ CORI-related policies, practices, and standards that are consistent with city standards.

Mike Brady is president of Greyston Bakery in Yonkers, NY.

It’s kind of a circus. It’s making a mockery of politics. If Trump gets in it would be hell.

I think Trump isn’t fit to be president. Hillary handled herself well after all the attacks. She didn’t blow up.

Maceo Thomas Hill

Kirby Lynch

Dock Service Worker Roxbury

I don’t think the candidates are talking about the issues. If Donald Trump wins, America will lose.

Patrick Shea Mailroom Clerk Medford

Unemployed South End

It reflects where we are as a country. The idea of the redneck being the ultimate racist is dead. We’re seeing six-figure, suit-wearing hatred.

Sharif Abdal-Khallaq

It would be a sad day in America if Trump got elected. Democracy in America would be done. People should pay close attention.

Allen Lee

Executive Board Member South End

I think Trump is out. The way he’s presenting himself — he can’t win like that.

Cedric Daniels

Business Owner Roxbury

Street Worker Roxbury

The Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services encourages, facilitates and maximizes citizen input and participation through service requests, neighborhood meetings, mailings and emergency responses. To report non-emergency issues to the City, residents are encouraged to connect with BOS:311 by dialing 3-1-1 (previously the Mayor’s 24-hour hotline 617-635-4500) or by downloading the free BOS:311 app on iOS or Android (previously known as Citizens Connect). “This is a fantastic opportunity, and I’m grateful to Mayor Walsh for bringing me onto the team,” said McFadden. “I’m excited to begin at City Hall and ready to work for the people of Roxbury.” McFadden received his bachelor of science degree from Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina in 2011, and received his master of arts in higher education administration from Seattle University in 2013. He relocated to Boston to become a corps member

with City Year Boston, an AmeriCorps program. McFadden left his work with City Year to begin work as a transitional employment specialist with Youth Options Unlimited Boston located in Dudley Square. His love for communities and their residents continued through a position as a community organizer with the Union of Minority Neighborhoods.

IN THE NEWS

JOSHUA MCFADDEN Joshua McFadden has been appointed the Roxbury Neighborhood Services Liaison within the Mayor’s Civic Engagement Cabinet. In this role, McFadden will work as an advocate to the Roxbury community. “Joshua is a driven and passionate changemaker, and I’m excited that he will be serving as the new neighborhood liaison to Roxbury,” said Mayor Martin Walsh. “He is a remarkable leader, and I am confident that his skills in connecting with people will allow him to best represent the Roxbury community and will allow him to excel in this role.” As the Roxbury liaison, McFadden will serve as the primary contact for constituents looking to connect with the Mayor’s Office, and will facilitate the delivery of services in collaboration with city departments. He will replace the former liaison, Kaira Fox who transitioned to a new role within the Civic Engagement Cabinet.


6 • Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER

City plans to be more age-friendly Seniors review report, outline top priorities By JULE PATTISON-GORDON

Older residents gathered last week to discuss what Boston can do to help them stay and live comfortably in the city. The event — held at Action for Boston Community Development’s Thelma Burns Building in Roxbury — came after months of information gathering conducted last fall and winter by members of the AgeFriendly Boston Initiative. Organizers presented key concerns and wants identified from listening sessions and surveys, and they asked residents to confirm the concerns, submit others they felt were missing and mark which issues to prioritize. Last week’s meeting focused on four key topics — housing, transportation, outdoor spaces and buildings, and community services — with a further four to be discussed at a November session. Many attendees expressed desires for greater sidewalk safety, help with snow clearing and more affordable housing options and services. Andrea Burns, director of AgeFriendly Boston, told the Banner that residents often report feeling invisible to elected officials when they get older. She emphasized the importance of engaging seniors in developing the city’s age-friendly action plan in order to secure their buy-in, build trust and demonstrate that their voices matter. The Age-Friendly Boston Initiative is a project of the city’s

Commission on Affairs of the Elderly. The commission conducted its 2016 information gathering efforts in partnership with AARP Massachusetts and the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and with grant support from the Tufts Health Plan Foundation. The listening sessions reached approximately 825 people through 25 gatherings and the surveys — offered in paper and online formats — garnered 3,629 responses.

Housing and services

Jan Mutchler, of UMass’s Department of Gerontology, told attendees that only 16 percent of survey responders said there were enough affordable housing opportunities available in their neighborhoods. Boston’s housing plan will not provide enough units to meet need, Burns stated. In Chinatown, the waiting list for subsidized housing is about ten years, she said. In addition to seeking more affordable housing stock, many respondents requested improved provision and access to resources that would help them stay in their current homes. This includes assistance finding trustworthy, inexpensive home maintenance services and increasing parking availability to allow care professionals as well as family and friends to visit more easily. The resources-based approach to addressing housing needs may be particularly effective, Mutchler said, noting it is easier and more economical to increase service

offerings and awareness than to construct new units. One goal of the initiative is to allow residents the option to remain in their homes as they age — what the vast majority of survey responders said they wanted to do. Speaking in breakout groups, residents highlighted the need for increasing awareness of existing resources, especially to homeowners who may be more isolated than tenants living in larger buildings. Among the ideas: utilizing public service announcements and emails, spreading the word through local media such as the Bay State Banner or Haitian radio, as well as designating people as a points of contact for residents in their areas. Several residents also said that the income cutoff for subsidized services and supports should be increased to match rising costs of living and should be standardized across programs to make it easier to navigate. One senior said that while she would like to sell her house and move into affordable housing, the money she makes off the sale will put her above the affordability income limit.

Transportation

Lack of economical and convenient public transportation also isolates seniors. Attendee Joyce Durst said that if The Ride and senior shuttle improved service, needs would be met, without other options required. Many agreed. The city-operated senior shuttle provides door-to-door pick up and transit for Bostonians age 60 and up for medical appointments, food shopping and social/

BANNER PHOTO

Resident Joyce Durst (left) guides a group discussion on issue priorities. Andrea Burns, director of Age-Friendly Boston, looks on. recreation activities within the city between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. While the shuttle is free, it requires scheduling far in advance residents say. While Burns said the shuttle ought to only require 48hour advanced notice for medical situations, resident Albertha Herbert said it turns out to be closer to two weeks. According to the city of Boston, social/recreational service requires booking a month in advance. “[Shuttle] service is lousy. … You don’t know when you’re going to get sick,” Herbert said. As for The Ride, she added, “The Ride is a pain in the neck, but you know you get there.” The Ride is the MBTA’s doorto-door transit for people with disabilities, which runs every day from 5 a. m. to 1 a.m. in most cities and towns, according to the MBTA. Trips can be booked one to seven days ahead. But, many said, The Ride does not arrive at precise times and using it entails long waits for pick-up. Some said if they decide to take the Ride, they resign themselves to potentially using up their entire day. In addition, service is not free. Burns said she that the Elderly

Commission can improve the senior shuttle, which it runs, but will have to work with the state to make changes to The Ride.

Outdoor spaces

Attendees put a high priority on improved sidewalk conditions, longer walk light timing at some crossings and assistance with snow clearing, which can be a difficult task. Creative solutions could help address multiple problems at once, Burns told the Banner: For instance, a senior homeowner could rent a room to a student, accepting student’s shoveling as part of the rent and using the rest to assist with life expenses — so long as measures can be taken to ensure safety for senior landlords. Residents also expressed interest in better lighting of walkways and public areas and increased availability of public restrooms.

Next steps

An action planning committee will meet to discuss priorities highlighted as this meeting and one scheduled for November. A draft action plan will be submitted to the mayor in December, with a final version of the plan due in January.

October Storm Window Sale

we also install!

Yo u r W i n d ow o f O p p o r t u n i t y 508 Geneva Avenue Dorchester, MA 02122 617-282-2896

588 Columbia Road Dorchester, MA 02125 617-265-0945

610 Blue Hill Avenue Dorchester, MA 02121 617-522-9266

1284 Mass Avenue Dorchester, MA 02125 617-282-2872

1170 Blue Hill Avenue Dorchester, MA 02126 617-825-7874

781 Tremont Street Boston, MA 02118 617-536-3254

1 Park Street Chelsea, MA 02150 617-889-0676

522 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 617-497-4218

19 Maverick Square East Boston, MA 02128 617-561-0222

1589 Blue Hill Avenue Mattapan, MA 02126 617-296-6405

112 Medford Street Medford, MA 02155 781-393-4455

430 Beach Street Revere, MA 02151 781-284-0370

666 American Legion Hwy. Roslindale, MA 02131 617-524-4601

55 Warren Street Roxbury, MA 02119 617-445-2818

366 Warren Street Roxbury, MA 02119 617-427-0042

1965 Columbus Avenue Roxbury, MA 02119 617-983-3747

Keep your original windows and improve energy efficiency with one of the best storm windows out there—available directly to homeowners. The Harvey Tru-Channel storm window is a favorite of contractors and architects because of its quality of construction and low air infiltration rate. Harvey storm doors are also on sale. Call or visit to learn more.

100 Terrace Street, Boston (near Roxbury Community College)

Weekdays 8–4:30 n Saturday 9–3

617-442-2262 bostonbuildingresources.com

PLS140_16 5-933x7-792_BayStateBanner_CheckCash.indd 1

8/17/16 11:45 AM


Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER • 7

Disparities in parents’ wealth a key driver of racial wealth gap help from parents simply because parents have fewer resources,” said Yunju Nam, researcher from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Nam said that the national data found 33 percent of whites received parental assistance in funding their education, compared to 14 percent of blacks, and 13 percent of whites received parental help buying a home, versus 2 percent of blacks.

By JULE PATTISON-GORDON

Researchers at a poverty conference last week sought to dispel the narrative that hard work, careful economic decisions and formal higher educational attainment are enough to close the wealth gap between blacks and whites. Far more significant in determining children’s future wealth is their parents’ ability to give them financial assistance, speakers said, adding that continued emphasis on pulling oneself up by one’s bootstraps gets in the way of creating a more accurate picture of the situation and actions needed. “One of our deepest held American narratives is that success comes from grit and gumption and working hard,” said Anne Price, president of the Insight Center for Community Economic Development, during a panel on closing racial wealth gaps. “[But] for black families, studying and working hard doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll amass the same amount of wealth as white families. Family resources really matter in the ability to actually accumulate wealth — what families are able to pass down from generation to generation plays a big role in where you end up.” The panel came as part of a twoday Disrupting the Poverty Cycle conference, hosted at UMass-Boston. The event was organized by Economic Mobility Pathways, a Massachusetts-based group that seeks to bring economic advancement to low-income individuals through programs, research and advocacy.

The data

Panelists focused their attention on wealth, defined as the value of what someone owns — such as a house, business, car and retirement savings — minus what the person owes. The researchers analyzed data from a University of Michigan study that has followed a set of U.S. households from 1968 on, with the latest available data reflecting 2013,

Next steps

BANNER PHOTO

Anne Price, president of the Insight Center for Community and Economic Development (left), moderated a panel on racial wealth gaps. Presenting were researchers Khaing Zaw of Duke University, Yunju Nam of SUNY-Buffalo and strategic advisor Jhumpa Bhattacharya of the Insight Center for Economic Development as well as data from another study that asked the same question but focused in more detail on select cities, including Boston. Individuals were asked to self-identify their “main” race. In cases where the person was black-white biracial, they were identified as black. According to Khaing Zaw, statistical research associate at Duke University, the wealth of such biracial individuals more closely matched that of blacks than whites.

Narratives and parental aid

A 2014 Pew Research survey found that nearly 60 percent of Americans believed life success is determined by factors within individuals’ control. Often, the prevalent narrative is that people need to simply work hard and plan strategically, such as by deciding to save for college, researchers said. But data contradicts this thinking. Attaining bachelor’s degrees does not close the gap between blacks and whites: Researchers in the national UMichigan study

Public Meeting

771 HARRISON AVE THE COSMOPOLITAN WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26

found that black couples with bachelor’s degrees had a net worth of $38,000 compared to white couples with $329,000. One reason, researchers said, that pursuit of higher education may force those with much less wealth available for tuition to acquire significant student debt. The grit-and-formal-education narrative inhibits a more accurate view of drivers of wealth disparities — such as less inherited wealth that can be put toward college — and prevents public policy from targeting the true causes, researchers said. Due to longstanding racial inequities, white families tend to have

more wealth accrued than black families, and so have greater financial resources they can leverage to assist their children in making downpayments on houses, attending college with minimal or no loans and making other investments that in turn, help them accrue more wealth, presenters said. In many cases, it takes money to make money: Liquid assets are needed to start a business and acquire a house. Adding to the advantage: those who have more wealth also may have social connections and familiarity navigating financial systems that further help their children. “Blacks kids are receiving less

MEET THE NEW CARNEY . CHILE AHAGHOTU, MD, MBA, MHL, FACS

CARNEY HOSPITAL’S NEW CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER.

650 HARRISON AVE

6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Boston Police DepartmentDistrict 4 Community Room South End, 02118

PROJECT PROPONENT: 761 Harrison Church LLC PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Proposal to convert the existing Immaculate Conception Church, the attached ‘Link Building’ and an internal courtyard, into residences. The project will consist of the creation of 63 new residential units with an on-site affordable housing commitment in accordance with PDA No. 59, approved by the BRA Board in 2003. The proponent is now considering changes to the proposal based on the discovery of the structural conditions of the former Church; included in those changes are a reduction of parking spaces and conversion from condominiums to rental units. This purpose of this meeting is to present the changes and solicit community feedback.

“CARNEY HOSPITAL HAS EVOLVED TO MEET THE GROWING AND DIVERSE HEALTH CARE NEEDS OF THOSE IN DORCHESTER AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. OUR COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING HIGH-QUALITY HEALTH CARE THAT IS CULTURALLY SENSITIVE TO ALL IS UNWAVERING. WE’RE REDEFINING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A TRUE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARTNER.” — CHILE AHAGHOTU, MD, MBA, MHL, FACS

mail to:

phone : email :

CHRISTOPHER TRACY

Boston Planning & Development Agency One City Hall Square, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02201 617.918.4259 Christopher.Tracy@boston.gov

CLOSE OF COMMENT PERIOD: 11/9/2016

BostonPlans.org

@BostonPlans

Teresa Polhemus, Executive Director/Secretary

The research underscores the need for policy reform to improve funding of public schools and provide cheaper, if not free, access to college, Nam said. Among the ways to do this: tuition aid based on need, not merit; government-provided matching college savings accounts for children;and reform of student loans, she said. “It was better in the past to borrow some money and go to college,” Nam said. “But now? Savings interest is less than 1 percent, but students pay sometimes 8 percent on loans. So how much money your father or mother has has a big impact on your education.” Government also can focus on assisting minority groups in acquiring homes and enforcing more strongly anti-discrimination policies in housing and mortgage markets, she said. Community organizations could assist as well by helping students who are low-income and of color navigate scholarship applications, Nam suggested. She added that if need-based financial aid can be secured, in some cases elite colleges may be the more affordable options.

YOUR COMMUNITY. YOUR CARNEY. SEE FOR YOURSELF AT CARNEYHOSPITAL.ORG/CHANGE


8 • Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER

hair test

continued from page 1 scientifically unreliable and discriminatory drug test.” The city has spent more than $352,000 to defend the flawed hair test, according to the Lawyers’ Committee. In the meantime, 75 percent of new police hires have been white, and Boston’s increasingly diverse populations remain significantly underrepresented in the police force. The BPPA’s victory in the Appeals Court could go a long way in helping to diversify the force. MAMLEO President Larry Ellison questioned why the city is continuing to administer the hair test and defend it in court despite the fact that it has lost appeals. “I asked the mayor, the commissioner and [Superintendent William] Gross to settle this,” Ellison said. “I said, ‘these are issues that started under the previous administration. If you continued to fight this, they’re yours.’” The Boston Police Department may appeal the case to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Espinoza-Madrigal said it’s unlikely the SJC would hear the case.

7th Annual Mayo Bowl for Boston Medical Center

Partners H

APPRO

PHOTO: ATLANTIC PHOTO

(l-r) Jerod Mayo, former New England Patriots linebacker; Kate Walsh, CEO of Boston Medical Center; and Jerry Sargent, President of Citizens Bank, at the 7th annual Mayo Bowl at King’s Bowl in Dedham. The charity event benefits Boston Medical Center. Numerous current and former New England Patriots players attended, including Tedy Bruschi, Troy Brown, Joe Andruzzi, Rob Ninkovich, Dont’a Hightower and Marcus Cannon. The event raised $485,000.

Help Us Learn More About Sleep!

For the first time ever, registered Boston voters can vote at any early voting location from Monday, October 24 – Friday, November 4 in the City, including City Hall. Pick a time and place that is best for you. Voter registration deadline is October 19. MON. OCT. 24, 2 p.m. – 8 p.m.

SAT. OCT. 29, 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

East Boston, Orient Heights Yacht Club Chinatown, Metropolitan Condominiums South End, Harriet Tubman House Boston City Hall (9 a.m. – 8 p.m.)

East Boston, Heritage Apartments

TUES. OCT. 25, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

South Boston, Condon School

WED. OCT. 26, 2 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Dorchester, Lower Mills Library

Boston City Hall

Dorchester, Dorchester House Dorchester, Codman Square Library Hyde Park, Municipal Building Boston City Hall (9 a.m. – 8 p.m.)

Roxbury, Bruce Bolling Municipal Building

Jamaica Plain, Curtis Hall Kenmore/Fenway, Boston Arts Academy Allston/Brighton, Honan Library Boston City Hall (9 a.m. – 8 p.m.)

Back Bay, Copley Square Library Allston/Brighton, Jackson Mann School

MON. OCT. 31, 2 p.m. – 8 p.m.

WED. NOV. 2, 2 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Dorchester, Strand Theatre Mattapan, Morning Star Church Roslindale, Roslindale Community Center Boston City Hall (9 a.m. – 8 p.m.)

Call 617-525-8719 or email sleepstudy@partners.org

Public Meeting

West Roxbury, West Roxbury Library

FRI. OCT. 28, 2 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Boston City Hall

Receive up to $10,125

Mattapan, Mildred Ave Community Center

Boston City Hall

TUES. NOV. 1, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

You may be eligible for a 37-day sleep research study at Brigham & Women’s Hospital. There will be a 4-6 week screening period. Must be willing to spend 37 consecutive days and nights in our facility.

Dorchester, Grove Hall Community Center

THUR. OCT. 27, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Charlestown, Harvard/Kent School Bay Village, Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology Roxbury, MLK Tower Boston City Hall (9 a.m. – 8 p.m.)

If you are: 55-70 years old Non smoker Healthy and taking no medication

202 SOUTHAMPTON STREET TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18 6:30 AM - 8:00 PM

Voters may also apply for an early voting ballot by mail; the deadline for applications is 12:00 p.m. on November 4. If early voting ballots are not returned during the early voting period, they must be returned to City Hall, Room 241, by 8 p.m. on November 8.

PROJECT PROPONENT: Parss Enterprise, Inc.

1240 MASSACHUSETTS AVE Plumbers & Gasfitters Local 12 Union Hall Dorchester, MA 02125

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Project consists of the remodeling of the existing structure and its conversion to a car dealership and service facility. The remodeled building will be single-story and will include showroom, customer support areas, business areas, and a full service garage with approximately 21 service bays. The remodeled building area will be reduced to approximately 22,400 gsf. Additional 44 parking spaces will be provided for all.

If you miss the early voting period, you can still vote on Tuesday, November 8 at your assigned voting location.

THUR. NOV. 3, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Boston City Hall

FRI. NOV. 4, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Jamaica Plain, Back of the Hill Apartments Mission Hill, Tobin Municipal Building Allston/Brighton, Veronica B. Smith Senior Center Boston City Hall (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.)

Learn more at boston.gov/early-voting • #VoteEarlyBoston Call 311 • election@boston.gov

mail to:

phone : email :

EDWARD M MCGUIRE III

Boston Planning & Development Agency One City Hall Square, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02201 617.918.4251 Edward.McGuire@boston.gov

CLOSE OF COMMENT PERIOD: 10/31/2016

BostonPlans.org

@BostonPlans

Teresa Polhemus, Executive Director/Secretary


Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER • 9

Office of the State Treasurer and Receiver General Unclaimed Property Division

She’s a finder and a keeper. Are you?

The State Treasurer’s Office oversees over $2 billion in unclaimed money. Some of it may be yours. my name on the list was a “ Seeing huge surprise. It was so exciting to find out that I had money waiting for me from a bill I’d overpaid eight years ago! I called the office, and the staff helped me file a claim in under ten minutes. Now, I’m reunited with my cash and plan to treat my husband to a fun night out!

— Dana N, Brookline Actual Recipient


10 • Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER

MONEY TALK

FINANCIAL LITERACY CONFERENCE

OCT. 15, 2016 SPONSORED BY:

OUR EVENT PARTNERS: ROXBURY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, REGGIE LEWIS TRACK AND ATHLETIC CENTER, EPICENTER COMMUNITY INC. AND THE NAACP OF BOSTON.

THE BAY STATE BANNER ALONG WITH OUR EVENT PARTNERS are hosting an all-day financial literacy conference to engage with our community about building wealth. Sign up for one or several workshops that will be taking place throughout the day at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center and at Roxbury Community College. THIS EVENT IS FREE BUT PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED — To register, visit https://bannermoneytalk.wordpress.com Saturday, October 15th 8:30 a.m. – Registration begins at Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center. Morning coffee and muffins/fruit/ scones available.

9:00 a.m. – Opening Panel Discussion 10:00 a.m. – Workshops begin Lunch – Lunch options include food trucks that will be

parked on the RCC campus, Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center concession stand, or pre-order your lunch from Haley House when registering for the event online. Lunch is not free and cost is based on which option you choose.

PANELISTS John Barros, Dir. Economic Development for City of Boston Melvin B. Miller, Publisher Bay State Banner Glynn Lloyd, Dir. MBE Initiative, Eastern Bank Marjorie Kelly, VP, Democracy Collaborative Moderated by Teri Williams, President of OneUnited Bank

Here are some of the key questions that will be discussed: u What is community wealth? What is the wealth gap? u What role do you believe the government has played or can play in addressing community wealth?

u With the vast income inequality we are experiencing in America, what strategies would you recommend for closing the wealth gap?

WORKSHOPS

Opening Keynote - Entrepreneurship 10:00am-10:30am The Entrepreneurship Track will open with a keynote from a successful entrepeneur of color from Boston. The speaker will pass on their experience and 3 lessons they wish they had before they got started. Entrepreneurship Track How can your tax dollars help your business? 11:30am – 12:30pm Both the state and the city uses our tax dollars to provide small businesses and startups with technical assistance. This session will include representatives from the state and the city outlining their resources and how to access them. The SBA Lending Specialist will explain the SBA loan process and loan programs. Learn the benefits to small businesses of an SBA-guaranteed loan, eligibility requirements for SBA loan programs, what SBA loan proceeds can be used for, and basic information about many of the different SBA loan programs. Panelists: Hodari Cali: Community Affairs Director; State of MA Raising Capital: investors, angels and loans 1:00pm-2:00pm This session will demystify capital and deconstruct the unhelpful myths to raising money. Hear from investors, angels and SBA staff member on breaking down what they look for and what you need to have prepared before you

go after capital. This session will also address the scarcity mentality that paralyzes us at times. Eastern Bank Workshop on SBA Lending Eastern Bank understands how vital small businesses are to helping local economies grow and flourish. They understand that securing capital is one of the biggest challenges for early-stage businesses. They will host a workshop on what is required to secure a bank loan for your business. – Facilitator: Charles Smith, Senior Vice President-SBA Specialist Legal Advice for Startups 11:00am-12:00am Daily General Counsel Co-Founders Jan Glassman and Joel Sowalsky will run a workshop on “The Top Ten Legal Mistakes Made By Entrepreneurs.” You will learn about the common mistakes that many early stage startups make and the best practices to follow that will help you avoid these traps. Topics include: “Starting a Business Without A Legal Entity (or the Wrong Entity)”; “Granting Stock to All Co-Founders On Day One”; “Using Business Contracts That

Are Harmful to Your Business”; “Ignoring Intellectual Property Issues”; “Hiring Independent Contractors and Unpaid Interns”; “Failing to Use Restrictive Covenants”; and more. Don’t be “The Ostrich Entrepreneur!” What you don’t know can and will hurt your business and may create personal liability. Face the music. Be smart and learn how to deal with the realities of launching and running a startup. Closing Event for Showcase of Startups 3:00pm-4:00pm “Your Purpose is the Solution” BREAD creates spaces of like-minded purpose focused individuals who believe in the philosophical concept of meliorism, which is the belief that the world can be made better by human effort. Building on the science of positive psychology, BREAD will close out the day with a fishbowl conversation talking about how entrepreneurs can identify and communicate their purpose through investigation and awareness of their strengths passions, and values. Participants will leave the conference feeling energized and mobilized to continue meaningfully contributing to the community through their entrepreneurial endeavours.

Contact Sandra Casagrand at Sandra@bannerpub.com or 617-936-7797 with any questions

Register for the event at https://bannermoneytalk.wordpress.com


Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER • 11

Personal Finance Workshops

Sound financial management for you and your family is essential for building wealth and a financially secure future. Over time, how you budget, save and spend your money will lead either to financial ruin or financial security. These workshops are geared toward helping you understand the wide range of financial products and services available that can help you build personal and community wealth.

Building wealth using Roth IRA and Mutual Fund Investments 10:10am – 11:10am Lurie Davis, CEO and President of Lurie Davis Wealth Management, will show you how to utilize the Roth IRA and Mutual Fund Investments to create wealth in the 21st Century. Lurie has 29 years of experience in wealth management. College Financing Workshop 10:15am-11:15am Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority will host a workshop on saving for, applying to and paying for college. College education is a path forward to a secure future, but it requires careful planning to avoid burdensome debt. Johnath Hughes, MEFA’s manager of college planning and education, help workshop participants what’s involved. For more information on MEFA, visit its website at www.mefa.org. Home Ownership Workshop – MassHousing 10:15am – 11:15am MassHousing’s gives prospective first-time homebuyers the opportunity to learn about the array of MassHousing’s affordable home loans, offered through programs designed for single-family and two to four-family homes as well as condos. MassHousing also will describe its home improvement, septic repair and lead paint abatement loans offered throughout the state. No matter where you are in the home buying process, find out about the features and advantages that make MassHousing loans safe and affordable. Let MassHousing provide you with the knowledge you need to ensure successful home ownership. Home Repairs to keep the value of your home! 10:15am-11:15am Boston Home Center has a home repair program that offers free workshops on 3D Triple Decker program, Senior Home Repair, and Lead Safe Boston that help home owners keep or increase the value of their homes. Find out more about these programs at this workshop hosted by BHC Deputy Director Rob Consalvo. The Ten Best Financial Tips You’ll Ever Receive! OneUnited Bank 11:15am-12:15pm There are many “experts” who offer get-rich-quick schemes, and many marketing campaigns that tempt us to play the lottery. The reality is that wealth-building calls for a basic understanding of how, over time, money can work for you. This workshop will provide the 10 best financial tips you will ever receive. You will never forget these lessons. First Time Home Buyer Workshop – Eastern Bank 11:30am-12:30pm Buying a new home for the first time is an expensive and daunting endeavor. Eastern Bank has taken many customers down this path for years and will host a seminar on what you need to know as you consider buying for the first time.

Strategies for building a strong personal financial foundation 11:45am-12:45pm Creating wealth begins with building a strong financial foundation. This workshop focuses on positive cash flow, net worth, savings and investment strategies. Also discussed will be tax savings associated with employer and employee savings plans. Darryl Ruffen, CFP®, MBA, is a registered representative of Ameriprise Financial. He is a certified financial planner with 15 years of financial planning experience. Surviving Debt 10:30am-11:45am The Consumer Right Unit of Greater Boston Legal Services is hosting a workshop on: u A brief overview of credit reporting u How to dispute an error on your credit report u What to do if a debt collector sues you in small claims court Consumer Debt Workshop 1:00pm-2:00pm The Volunteers Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association is hosting a workshop on: u Student loans and income-based repayment plans u Obtaining, reading and understanding credit reports u Bankruptcy: Legal debt relief and how to make a Fresh Start To Your Credit – Hosted by OneUnited Bank 2:00pm-3:00pm Many of us live with poor credit scores, and there are many scams out there promising to improve the situation with a “magic wand”— but for a large fee. Don’t fall for it. Instead, attend this workshop and learn everything you need to know about credit and how you can take action and improve your credit score by following some simple steps. Community Finance and Investment Workshop 2:00pm-3:00pm Hosted by Boston Ujima Project and Boston NAACP, this workshop will address the question of how investment can create local community wealth. How does one become an investor? Workshop presenters will walk you through the process of business creation and support from an investor’s perspective. They will review basic financial and investment terms, and provide an overview of conventional and nonconventional approaches to investment. How to have a safe, great first-time homebuyer experience 1:00pm-2:00pm CFS Realty & Management will help you: u Determine how much house you need or can afford u Identify and select your team for your home purchase u Select the best loan rates and terms available to you u Identify your overall loan cost and select the best program u Transition from old home to new home

*Schedule is subject to change. Please visit our website for updates:

https://moneytalkfinancialliteracyc2016.sched.org/ Check it out on your mobile phone:

http://moneytalkfinancialliteracyc2016.sched.org/mobile


12 • Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER

BUSINESSNEWS CHECK OUT MORE BUSINESS NEWS ONLINE: BAYSTATEBANNER.COM/NEWS/NEWS/BUSINESS

BIZ BITS TIP OF THE WEEK

3

financial priorities for millennials that shouldn’t wait

Millennials are frequently criticized for needing instant gratification, but recent reports point out that they actually have more patience than previous generations. Both the U.S. Census Bureau and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say millennials are delaying getting married and starting a family by almost a decade. And it’s not just life decisions millennials are postponing; this behavior is also prevalent in their financial decisions. According to a recent survey from Bankrate.com, millennials are putting off important financial moves due to high levels of student debt. “Knocking out debt should be a priority when you are young, but it’s also important to balance that with other key financial priorities,” says J.J. Montanaro, a financial planner with USAA. “Time is your number one ally when planning for the future and delaying now may cost you more in the long run.” Montanaro highlights the three main financial priorities millennials shouldn’t hit the pause button on: Life insurance: A recent Life Insurance Marketing and Research Association survey found that one in three millennials acknowledge they need additional life insurance coverage. However, most aren’t purchasing it because they think it’s too expensive or because they have other financial priorities. While millennials may not immediately reap the benefits of life insurance coverage, locking in the cost of life insurance premiums at a young age can pay off in the future. Montanaro explains that life insurance premiums will only increase with age and additional health complications. With many life changes likely on the horizon, millennials should find a plan that offers term life event options that allow them to easily increase coverage following significant events such as getting married, having a child or buying a home. Montanaro also points out that life insurance may not cost as much as buyers anticipate. According to LIMRA, more than eight in 10 people overestimate the cost of a policy. He says a life insurance calculator is a great place to start to understand coverage needs and estimate costs. Health insurance: Regardless of overall health or age, it’s important to have health insurance and understand what it covers to avoid additional penalties and plan for the unexpected. Under the Affordable Care Act, not having a qualified health insurance plan can result in a penalty at tax time. Montanaro points out that this penalty has risen to 2.5 percent of household adjusted gross income in 2016, or a flat rate which is expected to rise in the coming years. For millennials who may not currently have large medical bills or health issues, Montanaro recommends they look at a high-deductible plan with a health savings account. An HSA allows account holders to set aside pre-tax money for health expenses and freeup some emergency cash when they do eventually need it. Retirement investing: Only one-third of individuals aged 18 to 35 say they invest in the market, according to a recent Bankrate.com survey. Montanaro says sitting on the sidelines with retirement savings may result in millennials missing out on the power of compounding returns and may even

1

2

3

See BIZ BITS, page 13

www.baystatebanner.com

Providing a pathway

LaborX startup helps firms recruit often-overlooked talent By KAREN MORALES

Hiring managers typically spend approximately eight seconds looking at a resume before deciding on whether to move on to the next one. They spend even less time if a candidate does not have a college degree, said Yscaira Jimenez, who has worked closely with job seekers and employers for four years. She created the platform LaborX to connect previously dismissed talent with employers in the technology industry. “They have the skills but not the network to get the job,” Jimenez said, referring to the candidates who have been pre-screened and aggregated on LaborX, but may not know “the right people” to get their foot in the door. As for the proliferation of workforce programs and companies in major cities across the country, “They’re trying to tackle the top students in the top 10 schools,” Jimenez said. Most candidates using the LaborX platform do not have college degrees but are skilled in IT, cybersecurity, code, mobile and web development and data analysis. LaborX fights against the stigma that people without degrees are not smart or hardworking enough, and throws the spotlight on prospective employees who have sought out alternative education amidst sky-high tuition costs. “I think education is changing very rapidly,” Jimenez said. “People can get skilled in short amounts of time. You can learn code in three months.”

PHOTO: COURTESY LABORX

Above, the majority of applicants on LaborX do not have college degrees, but are skilled in IT. Below, LaborX founder Yscaira Jimenez.

It’s important for us to let employers know that people are coming from trusted programs and the program can vouch for the training the person had. ... I’m excited about putting candidates in front of companies — and getting them hired.” — Yscaira Jimenez

ON THE WEB For more information on LaborX, visit:

www.laborx.co Twitter: @laborxco Facebook: www.facebook.com/laborxco For more information on Echoing Green, visit: www.echoinggreen.org

Birth of a company

The 36-year-old CEO began working on LaborX as a graduate student at MIT. At first, it was a job training platform with training videos that helped candidates prepare for and obtain jobs. But through user feedback and some fine-tuning it developed into a job recruitment tool. After graduating in 2014, Jimenez was awarded an Echoing Green fellowship by Echoing Green, a nonprofit founded in 1987 that provideds seed funding, leadership development and capacity-building support for social entrepreneurs. With $70,000 in seed funding, Jimenez was able to fund the company for the first 18 months, which enabled her to build a prototype of the platform. She officially launched LaborX in August 2015 and has the Boston Impact Initiative as a lead investor. She employs four contractors and a volunteer, all of whom provide expertise in areas such as coding and digital design. LaborX has partnered with job training programs including Year Up, Stride Center, Oakland Private Industry Council and Per

PHOTO: COURTESY OF YSCAIRA JIMINEZ

Scholas, as well as companies that work one-on-one with job seekers through coaching, training, and internship placement.

Video resumes

Eighty candidates from these programs were selected to be a part of LaborX’s talent pool and Jimenez plans to double that number in the next month. There currently are 300 users on the website, but only the designated 80 have active profiles. “It’s important for us to let employers know that people are coming from trusted programs, and that the program can vouch for the training the person had,” Jimenez said. One strategy that Jimenez uses to attract top employers to job seekers on LaborX involves the use of video resumes. Citing the eight-second time span that employers usually spend looking at a regular resume, Jimenez said that employers engage longer — up to three minutes — when candidates

have both a portfolio of work and a video resume. LaborX works with candidates to help them polish their presentation via professional headshots, along with developing video resumes through shooting, editing and scripting. “All the companies love video resumes. They said that’s the reason why they placed that person, because it jumped out at them and helped them learn more,” Jimenez said. “We spent the first year building relationships with training programs and building the supply side of our market place,” she recalled. Now, the startup is focusing on getting employers onboard the platform by launching beta pilots with companies such as Lyft and Microsoft.

Nationwide partners

LaborX’s current job training partners are in the San Francisco Bay Area and Jimenez regularly travels from her home in Boston to San Francisco. She also

is working on setting up partnerships and beta pilots with companies in Boston and New York, a process that has taken longer on the East Coast. “Google was the first company to test this and Google is the biggest tech company in the world right now, but they didn’t care that they were the first and that it was an early platform with bugs,” Jimenez said. She added that being in the Bay Area’s nexus of technology, a company like Google was willing to take a risk on something new, whereas on the East Coast, companies tend to approach with caution. “People wanted to know who else is doing it, they didn’t want to be the first,” she said. Nevertheless, Jimenez remains confident in the market’s need for bridging gaps in the workforce and in LaborX’s ability to get it done. “I’m excited about putting candidates in front of companies,” she said, “and getting them hired.”


Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER • 13

BUSINESSNEWS CHECK OUT MORE BUSINESS NEWS ONLINE: BAYSTATEBANNER.COM/NEWS/NEWS/BUSINESS

Biz Bits

Workforce Skills Capital Grant program

continued from page 12 extend their retirement timeline. But retirement investing doesn’t have to be intimidating. Montanaro recommends starting small with a low-cost mutual fund, such as a target date fund, that allows a low entry point, requires little maintenance and invests in a portfolio that adjusts automatically as retirement gets closer. The most important step is to get a foot in the door. While USAA recommends investing 10 percent of your income toward retirement, even earmarking 1 percent for the future provides a foundation upon which to build. — Brandpoint/USAA

NUMBER TO KNOW

$8.4

billion: Halloween is one of America’s favorite holidays and 2016 spending is projected to hit an all-time high of $8.4 billion, according to the National Retail Federation.

TECH TALK

PHOTO: COURTESY THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE

Massachusetts Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Ronald Walker, Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Jay Ash, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito and Secretary of Education Jim Peyser gathered to highlight the Workforce Skills Capital Grant program at Haverhill High School. Earlier this year, the Baker-Polito Administration awarded $9.3 million to 35 high schools, community colleges and vocational technical schools across the Commonwealth to purchase new equipment including 3-D printers, robotics kits and medical training equipment.

Strategic Networking Workshop

I R A T P

S

I

N

I N

O

presented by

Juliette Mayers

award winning author and networking expert

C

Z

O

On Oct. 2, Amazon updated its community guidelines to ban what it calls “incentivized reviews.” These are reviews in which a customer received the product for free or at a discount in exchange for a review. However, the company said booksellers could still provide advance review copies of books and it will not be removing old incentivized reviews. — More Content Now

N E

L L

An interactive workshop designed for motivated professionals and business owners who want to: Create a strategic networking plan • Build, expand and activate their network • Cultivate critical relationships necessary to advance their career and business • Engage constructively with other talented participants •

BANNER BIZ MAGAZINE Stay up to date on the latest urban business news with Banner Biz. Look for your free copy in locations throughout Greater Boston.

Contact Sandra Casagrand at Sandra@bannerpub.com for advertising opportunities baystatebanner.com — click Banner Biz facebook.com/ baystatebanner @BayStateBanner

MONEY TALK

A BUSIN ESS MAGA ZINE FOR URBAN COM MUNI TIES OF NEW ENGL AND

BUILDING BLACK WEALTH:

» SEPTEMBER 2016

BAYSTATEBANNER.COM/B

ANNERBIZ

FINANCIAL LITERACY CONFERENCE OCT. 15

GOVERNMENT AND NOT-FORPROFITS CAN’T TAKE ON THE WEALTH GAP ALONE — IF YOU ASK DEVAL

P54

EPICENTER

ACCELERATING CHANGE

PATRICK,

‘IT’S TIME FOR

P32

Date: Friday, October 21st, 2016 Time: 7:30am – Noon Location: Two Heritage Drive Quincy MA in the Conference Center Special introductory rate: $250 per person (includes continental breakfast, workshop materials, and The Guide to Strategic Networking by Juliette Mayers). Special group rates.

BUSINESS TO STEP U ’ P

To register, visit: www.juliettemayers.com/workshops

P26

BannerBiz_September

2016.indd 1

8/25/16 9:05 AM


Thursday, September 29, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER • 21

14 • Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER

urban housing

Workshop

continued from page 1

PLAN: DUDLEY SQUARE MONDAY, OCTOBER 24 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM

2300 WASHINGTON ST

Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building 2nd Floor School Committee Room Roxbury, MA 02119

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This workshop will be a follow-up to the discussion that took place on September 19th. Stakeholders will have an opportunity to discuss elements that may inform the creation of Requests for Proposals (“RFP’s”) for the development of parcels within the PLAN: Dudley area with the City/BPDA Team. This meeting will be geared toward interaction to: • Review development building blocks and scenarios • Initiate discussion of design principles that relate to the physical aspects of development • Engage in exercises and discussion on program components (e.g. housing, commercial/office, cultural, etc.)

PLAN: Dudley Square is an initiative to think strategically about the types of uses and the scale of development best suited for the future of Dudley Square and Roxbury. The goals of this study are to provide an inclusive community engagement process, create an updated vision with the community, and establish an implementation plan that will lead to the issuance of RFPs for publicly-owned and vacant privately-owned parcels in Dudley Square.

mail to:

phone : email :

LILLIAN MENSAH

Boston Planning & Development Agency One City Hall Square, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02201 617.918.4338 lillian.mensah@boston.gov

For more information please visit bit.ly/PlanDudley

BostonPlans.org

@BostonPlans

Teresa Polhemus, Executive Director/Secretary

ADVERTISE IN THE BANNER CALL 617-261-4600 x7799

demonstration unit, at 33’x13’, cost just $75,000 to build and could be constructed for even less if built in large quantities. But neighborhood residents expressed skepticism about the need for the type of housing the unit represents. “Families make up the majority of people in our neighborhood,” said Garrison Trotter Neighborhood Association President Louis Elisa. “We don’t want the housing they’re putting in the Seaport District. That’s not the kind of community we want to have.” Elisa’s neighborhood group, which is active in the same area of Grove Hall where the Urban Housing Unit was installed, has advocated for the construction of large single- and multi-family units on vacant parcels in the area. But Max Stearns, a project manager with the Mayor’s Housing Innovation Lab, says that the city has a shortage of one-bedroom and studio units. “Part of what we’re looking at is what doesn’t exist in the current housing market, what’s not available,” he said. According to statistics compiled by the Housing Innovation Lab, 37 percent of Boston residents are single adults, but just 16 percent of the housing units are one-bedrooms or studios. Stearns said he did not know whether that percentage includes students living in dormitories. While neighborhood activists in Boston and other cities typically are resistant to the spread

We don’t want the housing they’re putting in the Seaport District. That’s not the kind of community we want to have.” — Louis Elisa

of student housing, Stearns said the Urban Housing Unit concept could serve other populations in the city’s neighborhoods, including the elderly, recent high school or college graduates and formerly homeless people. While the units are substantially smaller than the 450 square foot limit allowed by city zoning, Stearns said the city could modify its zoning laws to allow for the units, as was done for micro-units built in the Seaport District.

Advantage of affordability

A key advantage is the low cost of construction. In a city where the average cost per unit of new housing construction — including land — is $400,000, the less-than-$75,000 construction cost could be a game changer, Stearns said. “Affordability is tremendously important in every neighborhood,” he said. The housing unit was constructed at the modular homebuilder Mod-Tech Homes’ Marshfield factory. It sits on a trailer so it can be towed to different sites where neighborhood residents can

view it. In addition to its one-bedroom configuration, the housing modules could be combined to construct two- or three-bedroom units and stacked to form multiunit housing. Nuestra Comunidad Community Development Corporation Executive Director David Price said the low cost of the modular units could be helpful in meeting a growing need for affordable housing in Boston, but said the small size of the demonstration unit could be limiting. “In the affordable housing world, it’s weighted toward families,” he said. Still, Price said, he wouldn’t write off the micro-unit idea. “You could build a lot more housing and the rents could be more affordable,” he said. “A lot of young people have jobs and can’t afford rents in the micro-units in the Seaport District. It’s a real opportunity.” But Price said the city should first determine whether there’s really a demand for micro-units outside of the congested, high-rent downtown areas. “We should have better data to see what the real need is,” he said. As part of the roadshow, the UHU has travelled from City Hall Plaza to Roslindale, Mattapan, Dorchester and Roxbury. The unit will also be installed in East Boston, and Allston. The UHU has stayed in each neighborhood for roughly two weeks and all residents are encouraged to visit it to explore, comment, and ask questions. The full tour will run through October and specific details can be found at liveuhu.com.

BANNER BUSINESS DIRECTORY GET YOUR BUSINESS IN OUR LISTINGS: EMAIL ADS@BANNERPUB.COM • $250 FOR A 30-WORD LISTING IN PRINT FOR SIX MONTHS

ACCOUNTANT

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

ACCOUNTING SERVICES

FIRECODE DESIGN LLC.

Focusing on small businesses. I can assist you with the following services: Daily, weekly, or monthly bookkeeping. Accounts receivable and accounts payable, financial statements. Call Irving Randolph (978) 454-4397

195 Dudley Street Roxbury, MA 02119 617-442-CODE(2633) Roxbury’s #1 Fire Extinguisher & Fire Sprinkler Company Inspections, Maintenance, Sales, Installation FREE Workplace Fire Extinguisher Training (some restrictions apply)

AUTOMOTIVE HICKS AUTO BODY, INC 10 Talbot Ave, Dorchester, MA 02124 Repair, refinish damaged vehicles. Complete interior and exterior recondition/detail. 24 Hour Towing. (617) 825-1545; fax (617) 825-8495; www.hicksautobodyinc.com

CATERING DARRYL’S CORNER BAR & KITCHEN Let us “Serve You Right” for your next celebration or event! We offer pick-up & drop off, or full service catering with great Southern and American cuisines that will satisfy all your guests. To discuss and place your catering order call (617) 536-1100. www.darrylscornerbarboston.com

HALEY HOUSE BAKERY CAFÉ Breakfast Specials, Signature Muffins and Scones, À la Carte Breakfast, Lunch Package Deals, Wrap and Sandwich Platters, Steamin’ Hot Entrees, Soup and Salads, Pizza, Side Dishes, Appetizers, Desserts, Beverages and more. To place an order call catering line Monday through Friday 8 am–4 pm at (617) 939-6837

CONSTRUCTION KERRY CONSTRUCTION, INC 22 Sylvester Rd, Dorchester. Interior & Exterior Painting; Replacement Windows & Doors; Carpentry; Roofing; Gutters; Masonry; Kitchens; Bathrooms; Vinyl Siding. Free Estimates. Licensed & Insured. Call James O’Sullivan (617) 825-0592

HYPNOSIS

MUTARE HYPNOSIS LLC Live a Fuller Life Professional Hypnotists for weight loss, tobacco, stress, fears, chronic pain and illness, dental concerns, self-esteem, salesmanship, sports, leadership, test jitters. Downtown Boston or by Skype. (617) 266-3057; www.MutareHypnosis.com.

INTERNET SERVICE MASSACHUSETTS LOCAL TELEPHONE COMPANY

n High-Speed Internet Service n Business Telephone Service n Home Telephone Service No credit review, No annual contract, Services are guaranteed IBEW and CWA Certified Technicians Sign up online or by phone www.masslocaltelephone.com 1-888-248-6582 Massachusetts Local Telephone Company Licensed Telecommunications Carrier since 1997

LAWYERS LAW OFFICE OF VESPER GIBBS BARNES & ASSOCIATES 10 Malcolm X Blvd, Boston, MA 02119; (617) 989-8800; Fax: (617) 989-8846. Attorneys Vesper Gibbs Barnes and Felicia E. Higginbottom, practicing in the areas of Real Estate (Buyer/Seller), Landlord/Tenant, Probate, Family Law (Divorce/Child Custody and Support), and Personal Injury. Open M-F, 9 am-5 pm.

DAILY GENERAL COUNSEL, PLLC Finally, small businesses can get help from a smart and experienced business lawyer at an affordable price, on a One Day and Done™ basis. n Business Formations n Contracts n Customer/Vendor Disputes n Employee Issues n Employment Manuals www.DailyGeneralCounsel.com; Email: info@dailygc.com; Phone & Fax (800) 296-7681

LAW OFFICE JAY U. ODUNUKWE & ASSOCIATES 170 Milk Street, 4th floor Downtown - Boston, MA 02109 Phone: (617) 367-4500; Fax: (617) 275-8000 Email: Harvcom@prodigy.net Creative Solutions Always Delivers The Best!!! Criminal: Drug Offenses, Drunk Driving/OUI, Assault/Probation Surrenders, Sealing Records/ Domestic Violence Civil: Personal Injury/Automobile Accidents, Landlord/Tenant Immigration: Deportation/Removal Proceedings, Green Card/Citizenship Sports/Entertainment: Soccer/FIFA Player Agent

OPHTHALMOLOGISTS URBAN EYE MD ASSOCIATES. P.C.

183 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, MA 02115 720 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02118 (617) 262-6300; (617) 638-8119; www.urbaneyemd.com. Benjamin Andrè Quamina, M.D.; Lawrence I. Rand, M.D.; Clifford Michaelson, M.D.; Chukwuemeka Nwanze, M.D.; Purvi Patel, O.D. Treating: Glaucoma, Cataracts, Diabetes, Ocular Plastic/Cosmetic Surgery and other vision threatening conditions and diseases. Offering: Routine Eye and Contact Lens Exams

Want your ad included? EMAIL ADS@BANNERPUB.COM

REALTOR BERNICE OSBORNE, SRES, REALTOR PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE SERVICES Residential, Commercial, Land, Estate sales and short sales, 14+ years of experience. Serving Greater Boston and surrounding areas. SRES® Seniors Real Estate Specialist specializes in working with seniors (persons 50+) and their caregivers. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Direct: (617) 804-5789 Office: (617) 696-4430 Email: Bernice.Osborne@nemoves.com, Web: www.nemoves.com/Bernice.Osborne

REMOVAL SERVICES FREE TREE WOOD REMOVAL Good hardwood only. Call Akee Roofing (781) 483-8291

ROOFING AKEE ROOF REPAIRS Roof Leaks repaired, Gutters repaired, cleaned, and replaced, Flatroofs replaced. Free estimates. Call (781) 483-8291

SKILLED NURSING FACILITY SKILLED NURSING & REHAB CENTER Proudly serving the Community since 1927

BENJAMIN HEALTHCARE CENTER 120 Fisher Ave, Boston, MA 02120. www.benjaminhealthcare.com; Tel: (617) 738-1500; Fax: (617) 738-6560. Short-term, Long-term, Respite, Hospice & Rehabilitation. Tony Francis, President & CEO, Notary Public

SNOW REMOVAL KERRY CONSTRUCTION INC Snowplowing / sanding / salting driveway’s and parking lots bobcat and loader services roof shoveling, fully insured (617) 825-0592


Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER • 15

MBTA to begin construction on Mattapan station in spring exploratory holes in the rock ledge along the train tracks. Those concerns and others, including potential traffic and parking problems, derailed the construction of the station, which the MBTA has been planning since 2009. MBTA officials have settled on a plan to construct the passenger platform between the inbound and outbound tracks, with access from the bridges over the right of way on Cummings Highway and Blue Hill Avenue.

By YAWU MILLER

The MBTA will begin construction on the Mattapan station of the Fairmount Line in early spring of next year, working weekends and evenings to avoid disruptions in service on the commuter rail line, which runs through Hyde Park, Mattapan, Dorchester and Roxbury. At the end of the two-year construction project, riders from Mattapan Square will be able cut their travel time to downtown Boston in half, according to Desiree Patrice, a project manager with the MBTA. “When you get on at Blue Hill Ave., your travel time will be 20 minutes to South Station,” she told the gathering of about 50 people at the Mattapan branch of the Boston Public Library last week. “This will open up a lot more access to the jobs we need.”

A faster commute?

A long time coming

For decades, the Fairmount Line ran through Dorchester and Mattapan with stops only at Morton Street and Dudley Street. The new stations along the route, including those at Geneva Avenue and the South Bay Mall, were built as the result of a 2003 Conservation Law Foundation lawsuit targeting the MBTA for its failure to fund transit projects in Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan as part of its Big Dig mitigation — projects undertaken to lessen the environmental impact of the increased traffic brought about by the $24 billion road project. The MBTA agreed to convert

BANNER PHOTO

MBTA Project Manager Desiree Patrice outlines the agency’s plans for the construction of a new Mattapan commuter rail station during a meeting at the Mattapan branch of the Boston Public Library. the Fairmount commuter rail line into a rapid transit line, with free transfers to the Red Line at South Station and service that closely matches the six-minute intervals subway trains maintain. While former Gov. Deval Patrick ordered the MBTA to purchase smaller, self-powered diesel train cars that could run faster than the five-car trains currently running on the route — a move

that would allow greater frequency on the line — the Baker administration has pulled away from that commitment, citing a $200 million cost to purchase the cars. Currently, the line runs trains every 45 minutes during morning and afternoon commute times and at one-hour intervals at other times. Weekend service was added in 2014. Riders cannot pay with Charlie Cards and, therefore, are

not given free transfers to the Red Line or buses at South Station, but riders with weekly or monthly passes can use them on the line. The Mattapan station, which will run more than a quarter mile between Blue Hill Avenue and Cummings Highway, encountered stiff resistance from abutters, some of whom complained that the foundations of their homes were damaged when the MBTA drilled

Dorchester activist Mela Miles said that even without special self-powered diesel trains the MBTA could run shorter trains on the tracks, dropping the length from five cars to two. The reduced weight would allow the trains to accelerate and brake more quickly, shortening the times between stations. While ridership is often low on the line, the need for reliable, affordable transit is acute in the neighborhoods the rail line bisects. “This goes through communities of color with the least cars per-capita anywhere in the city,” she said. “People here are more transit dependent.” Patrice, who uses the Fairmount Line to get to South Station on weekdays, said the agency is seeing some growth in ridership. “Hopefully, with the improvement in ridership, frequency of service will increase too,” she said. Miles said the MBTA hasn’t done enough work to market the line. “The way to get ridership up is to have a plan to market it to the entire community,” she said.

Whittier Street Health Center 1290 Tremont Street, Roxbury, MA 02120 n (617) 427-1000 n www.wshc.org

Week 1

Hispanic Heritage Celebration October 13th, Noon to 2pm Food will be served Speakers: Alberto Vassallo, President & CEO, El Mundo Newspapers and Dr. Sherar Andalcio, Physician, Family Medicine, Green Team 2nd Floor

A��� F��� Y��� w/L����� S����� J���� Wednesdays: Oct 19 • Nov 16 • Dec 14 12:30pm-1:30pm RSVP REQUIRED

1290 Tremont Street, Roxbury, MA 02120 (617) 427-1000 n www.wshc.org

1175 Tremont Street, Roxbury northeastern.edu/crossing MBTA: Ruggles Station


16 • Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER

OPINION THE BANNER WELCOMES YOUR OPINION: EMAIL OP-ED SUBMISSIONS TO YAWU@BANNERPUB.COM • Letters must be signed. Names may be withheld upon request.

Early voting is coming to Boston By MAYOR MARTIN J. WALSH

Voting in Boston is about to become more convenient. For the first time, registered voters who reside in the City of Boston will be able to take part in early voting, ahead of the November 8 presidential election. This exciting new initiative, made possible by the 2014 Elections Reforms Law, will give Boston voters more options in choosing when and where to vote. For two weeks, between Oct. 24 and Nov. 4, early voting polling locations will be open across the city, creating more opportunities for voters to let their voices be heard. We’ve selected polling locations based on community feedback and smart planning. Voters will also be able to request early voting ballots by mail, which they can return by mail or in person to City Hall. One of the reasons this initiative is innovative is that voters participating during the early voting period will be able to cast their ballot at any polling location in the City — regardless of what neighborhood they live in. We hope that this additional flexibility will allow more people to take part in the most critical part of our democracy. Our lives are busier and more complicated than they used to

be, so it takes work to ensure that voting is accessible to everyone. That’s why we made early voting possible with this year’s city budget: we allocated $670,000 to implement early voting, which includes resources for a citywide marketing campaign and long-term investments such as electronic poll books, used to process voters at the polling locations, that will be useful in future elections. Bostonians’ lives will continue at their busy pace, and our investment in early voting means everyone will be able to participate in the civic process. After this year’s election, Elections Department Commissioner Dion Irish and his team will evaluate what worked and what could be improved upon for future elections. Our goal is for the city of Boston to serve as an example for communities across the Commonwealth and beyond — and if you’re a Boston voter, I hope you will take part. For first time-voters, busy moms and dads, young professionals, persons with disabilities and our seniors, this initiative will allow you to make a plan to vote that works around your schedule, not the other way around. Making a plan to vote is important. As we near this early voting period, I encourage all

voters to find a location that works for them. There are important decisions to be made in the voting booth and it requires full participation from every voter. I’m proud that Boston has

taken a thoughtful approach to early voting. As citizens of a country founded on the idea that the government is formed by the people, we are afforded the opportunity to choose who represents us — a right we cannot take for granted. Creating the conditions that allow more people to participate in the

process will make for a stronger city, state and nation. Whether you plan to vote during the early voting period or on Election Day, Nov. 8, let your voice be heard. Every vote counts. A full early voting schedule can be found at www.boston. gov/early-voting.

Walsh visits Dorchester’s Mather School

PHOTO: MAYOR’S OFFICE PHOTO BY JEREMIAH ROBINSON

Mayor Martin Walsh received a gift from 4th grade student Tommie Anderson while visiting the Mather School in Dorchester.

and

Our sole mission is to get job seekers 45+ back to work. "I would recommend ABLE 100%." Gary LaBossiere A.B.L.E. Graduate Masco Services, Inc. Boston


Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER • 17

W hy A n I n d e p e n d e nt S c h o o l ? Small Classes • Commitment to Diversity • Performing Arts Programs • Sense of Community Afternoon Programs • Athletics • Dedicated Teachers • Individual Attention • Travel Programs High Academic Standards • Visual Arts Programs • Experiential Learning

A group of Greater Boston independent schools invites you to attend Open House Programs SCHOOL NAME •The Rivers School •The Sage School •Boston University Academy •Delphi Academy •The Learning Project •Fay School •Dana Hall School •Park Street School •Derby Academy •Boston Trinity Academy •The Roxbury Latin School •Noble and Greenough School •The Riverbend School •The Newman School •The Rashi School •St. Sebastian’s School •German International School •Thayer Academy •Fayerweather Street School •Meadowbrook School •Waldorf High School of Mass Bay •The Advent School •Brimmer and May School •The Waldorf School of Lexington •Tenacre Country Day School •Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School •The Cambridge School of Weston •Jackson Walnut Park Schools •Dedham Country Day School •Newton Montessori School •Kingsley Montessori School •Meridian Academy •Concord Academy •Dexter Southfield School •Lexington Montessori School •BB&N Lower School •BB&N Middle and Upper School •Charles River School •Atrium School •Cambridge Montessori School •Shady Hill School-Lower School •Belmont Day School •Adams Montessori School •Cambridge Friends School •Milton Academy K-8 Division •The Fessenden School •The Chestnut Hill School •Lesley Ellis School •Newton Country Day School •The Park School •Beaver Country Day School •The Winsor School •The Fenn School •Shady Hill School-Middle School •Thacher Montessori School

CITY/TOWN Weston Foxboro Boston Milton Boston Southborough Wellesley Boston Hingham Boston West Roxbury Dedham S. Natick Boston Dedham Needham Boston Braintree Cambridge Weston Belmont Boston Chestnut Hill Lexington Wellesley Waltham Weston Newton Dedham Newton Boston Boston Concord Brookline Lexington Cambridge Cambridge Dover Watertown Cambridge Cambridge Belmont Quincy Cambridge Milton West Newton Chestnut Hill Arlington Newton Brookline Chestnut Hill Boston Concord Cambridge Milton

AGES AND GRADES 11-18 years (6-12) 3.9-14 years (PK-8) 13-18 years (9-12) 2.9-13 years (PK-8) 5-12 years (K-6) 4-15 years (PK-9) 10-18 years (girls 5-12) 2-12 (Toddler-6) 4-15 years (PK-8) 11-18 years (6-12) 12-18 years (boys 7-12) 11-18 years (7-12) 15 mo-14 years (T-8) 13-19 years (9-12) 5-14 years (K-8) 12-18 years (boys 7-12) 3-18 (PS-12) 11-18 years (6-12) 3-14 years (PK-8) 4-14 years (Jr.K-8) 14-18 years (9-12) 4-12 years (PK-6) 4-18 years (PK-12) 6wks-14 years (PK-8) 4-12 years (PK-6) 14-18 years (9-PG) 14-18 years (9-12) 18 mo -12 years (T-6) 4-14 years (PK-8) 15mo-12 years (T-6) 2-12 years (T-6) 11-18 years (6-12) 14-18 years (9-12) 4-18 years (PK-12) 21 mos-14 years (T-8) 4-12 years (PK-6) 12-18 years (7-12) 4-14 years (PK-8) 4-14 years (PK-8) 21 mos. to 14 years (T-8) 4-10 years (PK-4) 4-14 years (PK-8) 15 mo -12 yrs (T-6) 4-14 years (PK-8) 5 -14 years (K-8) 4-15 years (boys PK-9) 3-12 years (Beginners-6) 2.9-14 years (PS-8) 10-18 years (girls 5-12) 4-15 years (PK-9) 11-18 years (6-12) 10-18 years (girls 5-12) 9-15 years (boys 4-9) 11-14 years (5-8) 14 mos. to 14 years (T-8)

OPEN HOUSE DATE(S) : TIME(S) Sun., September 18: 1-3:30 pm v Sat., Oct. 29: 9-12 pm Sat., October 1: 9-11 am & Wed., Nov. 9: 8:30-10:30 am Sun., October 2 & Sun., November 6: 1-3 pm Sun., October 2 and Sun.,December 4: 12-2 pm Tue., October 4: 4-6 pm v Sat., October 22: 11-2 pm Wed., October 5: 10-12 pm v Sun., Nov. 13: 1-3:30 pm Thurs. Oct. 6: 5-7 pm (MS) v Sun., Oct. 16 (MS/US): 1-3 pm Thurs., October 6: 9-11 am v Mon., Oct. 17: 6-7:30 pm Thurs., October 13 and Wed., November 9: 9-11am Sat., October 15: 12-2 pm v Tues. Nov.,15: 6:30-8:30 pm Sat., October 15: 10-1:30 pm v Sun., Nov. 6: 12:30-4 pm Sat., October 15: 9-12 pm v Tue., Dec. 6 : 6:30-9 pm Sat., October 15: 10:30-12 pm v Sun., Nov. 20: 2-3:30 pm Sun., October 16: 11-1 pm Thurs., October 20: 10 am v Sun., Nov., 20: 10:30 am Thurs., Oct. 20: 5:30-8:30 pm v Thurs., Dec. 1: 7-8:30 pm Sat., October 22: 10-12 pm v Thurs., Nov. 17: 9-11 am Sat., October 22 (US) & Sat., Oct. 29 (MS): 9:30-12 pm Sat., October 22: 1-4 pm v Sat., Jan. 7 10-12 pm Sat., October 22: 1-3 pm v Tue., Dec. 6: 9-10:30 am Sat., October 22: 1-2:30 pm Sun., October 23: 1-3 pm v Wed., Dec. 7: 9-11 am Sun., October 23 (Lower School) 1-3 pm, (MS/US) 2-4 pm Sun., October 23: 1-3 pm v Sat., January 14: 10-12pm Sun., Oct., 23: 1-3 pm v Tues., Nov. 15: 8:15-10:15 am Sun., October 23 & Sun., November 6: 12:30-3 pm Sun., October 23: 1-4 pm Sun., October 23: 12-2 pm v Wed., Nov. 9: 5:30-7:30 pm Sun., October 23: 1-3 pm v Thurs., Nov. 10: 8:30-10:30 am Sun., October 23: 1 pm Tue., October 25 and Thurs., Dec. 1: 8:45 -10:15 am Wed., October 26 & Mon., December 19: 7-8:30 pm Sat., October 29: 9 am-1 pm Sat., Oc. 29 (Gr. 6-12): 9-12 pm v Sat., Nov. 5 (PK-5): 10 -12 pm Sat., October 29: 10-12 pm v Tues., Jan. 10: 9:30-11 am Sat., October 29: 12-2:30 pm Sat., October 29: 9-12 pm Sat., October 29: 12-2 pm v Sun., November 6: 2-4 pm Sun., Oct. 30: 2-4 pm (PK-8)v Wed., Nov. 2: 6:30-8 pm (MS) Sun., October 30: 1-3 pm Sun., October 30: 2-4 pm Sat., Nov. 5: 9:30-12 pm Sat., November 5 & Sat., January 7: 10-12 pm Sat., November 5: 1:30-4 pm Sat., November 5: 1:30-3:30 pm Sun., November 6 : 1-3 pm v Thurs, Nov. 17: 6:30-8 (P&K) Sun., November 6: 1-3 pm Sun., November 6: 1-3 pm (PS-8) v Wed., Nov. 16: 7 pm (MS) Sun., November 6: 1-3 pm Sun., November 6: 12-3 pm Fri., November 11: 8:15-11:30 am v Tue., Dec. 6: 7-8:30 pm Fri., November 11: 8:30-10:30 am Sun., November 13: 2-4 pm Thurs., November 17: 7 pm Sat., Nov. 19: 10:30-12 pm v Thurs., Dec. 1: 9:30-11 am

PHONE 781-235-9300 508-543-9619 617-353-9000 617-333-9610 617-266-8427 508-490-8201 781-235-3010 617-523-7577 781-749-0746 617-364-3700 617-477-6317 781-320-7100 508-655-7333 617-267-4530 781-355-7318 781-449-5200 617-783-2600 781-664-2221 617-876-4746 781-894-1193 617-489-6600 617-742-0520 617-738-8695 781-863-1062 781-235-2282 781-314-0800 781-642-8650 617-202-9772 781-329-0850 617-969-4488 617-226-4927 617-277-1118 978-402-2250 617-454-2721 781-862-8571 617-800-2471 617-800-2136 508-785-8213 617-923-4156 617-492-3410 617-520-5200 617-484-3078 617-773-8200 617-354-3880 617-898-2509 617-630-2300 617-566-4394 781-641-1346 617-244-4246 617-277-2456 617-738-2725 617-735-9503 978-369-5800 617-520-5200 617-361-2522

WEB ADDRESS rivers.org sageschool.org buacademy.org delphiboston.org learningproject.org fayschool.org danahall.org parkstreetschool.org derbyacademy.org bostontrinity.org roxburylatin.org nobles.edu theriverbendschool.org newmanboston.org rashi.org stsebs.org gisbos.org thayer.org fayerweather.org meadowbrook-ma.org waldorfhighschool.org adventschool.org brimmer.org thewaldorfschool.org tenacrecds.org chch.org csw.org jwpschools.org dedhamcountryday.org newtonmontessori.org kingsley.org meridianacademy.org concordacademy.org dextersouthfield.org lexmontessori.org bbns.org bbns.org charlesriverschool .org atrium.org cambridgemontessori.org shs.org belmontday.org adamsmontessori.org cfsmass.org milton.edu fessenden.org tchs.org lesleyellis.org newtoncountryday.org parkschool.org bcdschool.org winsor.edu fenn.org shs.org thacherschool.org

(MS= Middle School US= Upper School PK=PreKindergarten T= Toddler) CALL LISTED NUMBERS OR VISIT WEB SITES FOR MORE INFORMATION AND DIRECTIONS. The schools listed above do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, disabilities, sexual orientation or family composition in their admissions, financial aid, or in the administration of their educational policies.


18 • Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER

ADVERTORIALCONTENT SPONSORED BY: BENJAMIN FRANKLIN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Why automotive techs are in such high demand By all accounts, job openings in the automotive industry are plentiful. The only problem? Finding enough good people to fill them, according to David Protano, chair, Automotive Technology and instructor at Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology. “It’s not just technicians who are needed,” Protano says. “It’s automotive salespeople, parts specialists, service managers—all areas are in need of new hires.” Dozens of employers across the automotive industry call Protano regularly, looking to hire automotive technicians from BFIT. “I get calls virtually every day from employers looking to hire good automotive technicians,” he says. Why? It’s a matter of supply and demand. Many automotive workers are retiring, and not enough young people are entering this field to replenish the workforce. Others are leaving the field, partly because innovations in technology are driving major industry shifts. “To be successful as a technician or in sales, you have to be familiar with the new technical dynamics in play,” he says. For example, since new devices are smarter, more efficient and more varied, they’re also more complex. Technicians need to use scanning devices to diagnose and repair a vehicle, and know how to read its data. Even a simple skill, like synching an iPhone to a car, is in demand. And

BFIT students are prepared to hit their first job running, having trained on all makes and models in a live garage. BY THE NUMBERS

100,000

Automotive jobs in Massachusetts

2,366 8,400 $43,000

Car dealerships in Massachusetts

After-market repair facilities in Massachusetts

The average auto technician’s salary in Massachusetts

PHOTO: COURTESY BENJAMIN FRANKLIN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

it’s a must for salespeople to be Internet-savvy to drive sales. To keep up with industry trends, such as innovations in fuel alternatives, BFIT has expanded its course offerings to focus more on hybrid and electric cars. There’s also more focus on diesel technology, since more manufacturers are using it in passenger cars. BFIT students are prepared to

hit their first job running, having trained on all makes and models in a live garage. The shop is not a simulation; it’s run like any other full-service garage and is open to any and all customers—the only one like it in Massachusetts. “You read what do step by step, but when you do it hands-on, you understand how things work, how things fit together,” says graduate

Juan Franco. The garage not only provides an invaluable real-world automotive repair environment, it also gives students a chance to practice their communication and customer service skills. Because of the industry’s expansion, Protano feels that the broad BFIT curriculum gives students a

See BFIT, page 19

Lower Tuition. Highest Earnings. College that works. ENROLL TODAY! bfit.edu/value for more info

#1

For 2nd year in a row, BFIT students earn the highest salaries after attending compared to ALL 2 year colleges in MA. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education’s College Scorecard. Excludes nursing.

2 20 30

Years to earn your Associate Degree percent of BFIT students plan to open their own businesses

percent growth expected for automotive repair and maintenance industry by 2020

Sources: The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers; The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence


Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER • 19

ADVERTORIALCONTENT SPONSORED BY: PARTNERS HEALTHCARE

Generation Next Academy Teen Center at DotHouse Health: A resource for teens in the heart of Dorchester Since 2005, the Generation Next Academy Teen Center, (GNA) at DotHouse Health has been an area of security in the Fields Corner neighborhood that provides teens access to after-school activities at no cost. GNA is proud of its commitment to maintaining a “Bully Free Zone” for neighborhood teens ages 12–19 years old. GNA’s focus is on building the whole teen through a variety of venues. GNA helps to build academic strengths through media, group activities and mentoring. By encouraging self-expression through writing, art and the on-site Media Studio, GNA strives to help teens build self-esteem, work on projects to reduce teen violence and improve communication skills. Many of the GNA graduating teens have gone on to college with numerous academic and athletic scholarships. Understanding that the socioeconomic status of a community can be a barrier to success for youth, GNA hopes to be an essential resource in the community. In addition to supplying healthy snacks each day, GNA also conducts many annual events such as the start of school 1st Impression Day — an opportunity for

youth to receive school supplies and a boost of confidence to prepare them for their first day back to school. GNA holds the Safe Love Dance, an event that helps promote and focus on building healthy relationships and also hosts college fairs, Thanksgiving dinner and other seasonal activities to promote positive factors. Located inside DotHouse Health Center, GNA provides a safe haven for teens to come and unwind and get help on their homework. The gym focuses on physical education around strength and endurance building, team spirit, peer leadership, cognitive skills, and of course, sports, with the understanding that exercise is not only good for the body, but also stimulates the mind and reduces stress. Homework assistance is provided at the start of each day. Students who do not have homework are asked to read one of the books in the GNA library for 20 minutes. Games focused on building math and writing skills are used as a tool to engage students in improving those areas. In addition, the Job Readiness program includes resume building, mock interviews and job search techniques. GNA also provides

internships for senior students from area schools to build on their work experience and provide a deeper understanding of the responsibilities that the work environment entails. The GNA Youth Council empowers teens by providing structure, encouraging input and empowering members to make decisions on present and future GNA activities. Becoming a GNA Council member allows teens to understand and articulate the needs and concerns of teens that may not otherwise be vocalized or heard. In addition to the afterschool program, GNA hosts a Summer Learning Program in collaboration with Boston After School & Beyond and Boston Public Schools. This program allows 6th and 7th grade students the opportunity to attend a summer program for 5 weeks. It builds on improving math, ELA and life skills through structured academic and enrichment activities at no cost. It is the mission of Generation Next Academy to be an essential resource for the community in the efforts to achieve the highest levels of health, well-being and quality of life for the youth it serves.

PHOTO: COURTESY BENJAMIN FRANKLIN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

BFIT

continued from page 18 leg up by teaching them knowledge and skills they can leverage in any position. And unlike other programs, BFIT isn’t manufacturer-specific. “Our students get a well-rounded foundation and experience on all makes, models and manufacturers,” Protano says. “It’s important because when they leave, they aren’t limited to one manufacturer.” Big-picture thinking also applies to the program’s overall goals. “We want our students to graduate and be able to go right into an independent shop or dealership, move up the ranks and become a manager,” says Protano. “The bachelor’s degree takes students a step further and gives them management training so they can eventually open their own shop. The sky’s the limit if they work hard and like to take on new challenges.” It’s an attitude that Protano

We want our students to graduate and be able to go right into an independent shop or dealership, move up the ranks, and become a manager.” — David Protano, Chair, Automotive Technolog

learned in the industry from a young age: He was pumping gas at his family’s business at age 12. He still relishes the challenge each day—and each vehicle—presents. “Nothing feels better than having a car come in that doesn’t run and, after spending time puzzling out the problem, you’re able to get the car running,” he says.


20 • Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER

ADVERTORIALCONTENT SPONSORED BY: ROXBURY LATIN SCHOOL

Roxbury Latin dedicated to preparing boys for lives of purpose Student profile: Senior Hamilton Coiscou “Looking back, I see how fortunate I have been. I realize that not everyone gets to experience all that I have.” Hamilton Coiscou, a senior at The Roxbury Latin School in West Roxbury had this to say as he reflected on a recent service project in the city. As a pallbearer at the burial of a deceased homeless man in Boston, Hamilton was struck with newfound appreciation for his supportive community of friends and family. “Just to think how I might have lived that life and had no one to claim me, no one to be at my funeral—it forces me to step back and cherish what I have.” Roxbury Latin seniors have joined in this service initiative at the school for the past five years. The service project is named Ave Atque Vale, meaning “Hail and Farewell,” an allusion to the poet Catullus’ elegiac tribute to his dead brother. For Hamilton and for his 53 senior classmates, the experience serves as a reminder of our humbling dependence on one another. Such is the sensitivity and awareness that Roxbury Latin hopes its students will gain during their years in the school. A small school of 300 boys (an easy, 10-minute commute from Forest Hills), Roxbury Latin is dedicated to preparing boys for lives of purpose. Through rigorous academic training and a consistent focus on ethical formation, the

PHOTO: MIKE POJMAN

Hamilton Coiscou school endeavors to instill in boys toughness and tenderness, as well as a driving impulse to lead and serve in their communities. Roxbury Latin has a robust program in which academic curricula challenge boys to think deeply and consider the impact they wish to make in this world. Beyond the classroom, boys get involved in a number of extracurricular activities, including sports, music, drama, community service, public speaking, debate, Model United Nations and student publications. Students strive for excellence in all that they do, and they do a lot. This intimate community relies on broad participation in order to maintain its healthy programs, and boys are

encouraged to take risks by involving themselves in new activities. Exposure to these many programmatic offerings serves to challenge what is comfortable and familiar for boys and to encourage their growth through new experience. Through his own active involvement in school life, Hamilton has ventured forth from his Dorchester home and traveled the world. School-sponsored trips to Canada, Italy, France and Greece have enhanced his knowledge of the cultures and languages he has studied in French and Latin and History classes. Such travels have also invited Hamilton to consider the world through a wider lens. He is now more aware of the contexts in which he lives, and he operates more independently. “I was so much more dependent on others before [my trip to] France. My parents would wake me up each morning and drive me everywhere. Living with a host family and being on my own [for that month-long immersion experience] definitely helped me to mature.” Roxbury Latin’s athletic program has provided Hamilton opportunities to learn new sports and to flourish in those he has chosen to pursue. There is a strong emphasis on participation and competitive, fair play within the school community, and Hamilton provides a wonderful example to younger boys of how hard work and consistent effort can yield impressive results. He recalls the

experience of breaking the school record in the 100-meter distance during a track meet last spring: “I remember coming off the blocks. I was with this kid who had won the 100-meter last year, but there was a gap and I was behind. Anyone who knows track knows a gap is a hard thing to make up in that short distance. I remember crossing the finish line and yelling out because I had put all of my energy into it. I had no idea I had even won the race.” Hamilton is captaining the Varsity football team this fall, and he will captain the track and field team as they endeavor to reclaim the league title this spring. Roxbury Latin’s small size naturally fosters lasting relationships. The school professes to know and love each boy, and the careful work of advisors allows the school to fulfill this fundamental promise. Each boy has an adult in the community with whom he meets weekly. The work of supporting a student does not stop there. Learning specialists, direct contact with teachers for extra help sessions, and ever-vigilant classmasters ensure that boys are cared for and supported throughout their time in the school. As a senior in his sixth and final year at Roxbury Latin, Hamilton feels a responsibility to help younger students adjust to the rhythms and expectations of the school. He is working all year alongside a seventh-grade boy in his first year at Roxbury Latin.

Hamilton plays the role of big brother in this relationship, helping to anticipate moments of the year and shepherd his younger partner through the experience. Hamilton is also a senior leader in the Sixie Seminar, a program that invites younger boys to discuss questions of character and integrity and social pressures. Hamilton will be crucial in guiding boys through those formative conversations. He recently returned from a camping trip in New Hampshire, where he helped organize and lead seventh-graders through an orientation experience. “Good leaders set good examples,” Hamilton reflects. “People are always taking note of your actions, so you have to be accountable at all times.” Hamilton understands that he has benefited from his opportunities at Roxbury Latin. He is a scholar-athlete, a world-traveler, and a natural leader. He understands that he must now help others as they embark on their journey through the school. He is one of 300 motivated and capable boys who attend Roxbury Latin and ensure that it remains a vibrant school of learning and growing. Roxbury Latin is a distinctive community comprised of boys from various backgrounds who offer various talents. If you would like to learn more about Roxbury Latin, please visit the school website (www.roxburylatin.org), email the admission office at admission@roxburylatin. org, or call the office at 617.477.6317.

The Roxbury Latin School An independent day school for boys in grades 7-12

A boys’ school by conviction, Roxbury Latin is committed to the ethical formation and rigorous academic training of each boy entrusted to us. We are looking for the boy who wants to do something great with his life.

Open House

Learn about academics, athletics, and extracurricular activities from the Headmaster, faculty, students, and current parents. Also, learn about financial aid and our need-blind admission policy. No application fee.

Saturday, October 15 10 am-1:30 pm Sunday, November 6 12:30-4 pm

Visit www.roxburylatin.org or call 617.325.4920 for a detailed schedule. No reservation necessary. 101 St. Theresa Avenue, West Roxbury, MA 02132 |

RLS_Banner_half pg_2016-24.indd 1

www.roxburylatin.org 7/27/16 10:10 AM


Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER • 21

ADVERTORIALCONTENT SPONSORED BY: THE PARK SCHOOL

The power of human connection By CYNTHIA A. HARMON, HEAD OF SCHOOL AT THE PARK SCHOOL, BROOKLINE

As this new school year got underway, I asked myself questions that went something like: How do we welcome in the new school year and begin the cycle of teaching, learning, and leading? What is the essential ingredient that makes it all possible? What is our collective call to action as we journey throughout the school year together? As I reflected on these questions, I kept returning to the old adage, “knowledge is power.” While I believe that we, indeed, derive a lot from knowing something, I am more strongly inspired by the belief that we are bolstered by the power of knowing someone. Think about something important that you have learned and now know. From whom did you learn it? When you have had your greatest successes or your greatest failures, it is likely that the person or people who knew you best were the first ones to congratulate you or reassure you. In either case, being known by that support system made the accomplishments even sweeter and the failures more manageable. In learning, the comfort of being known

as an individual allows us to take risks, to be curious, to make mistakes, and to have a growth mindset. It all starts with making one connection at a time. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word “connection” is a noun, meaning a “relationship in which a person, thing, or idea is linked or associated with something else.” The cornerstone of what makes a meaningful, relevant 21st-century education possible is making connections. And it all begins with the human connection. The Park School’s faculty and students invest in nurturing those human connections each and every day. Within every classroom at Park, teachers and students connect with one another, allowing trust to grow, which in turn fosters teaching and learning. In the excitement and bustle of beginning a new school year, we adults take time to greet each other, and we work mightily to reestablish or to establish new connections with each other. “How are you?” are three simple words that roll off the tongue. Most of us routinely ask this question, but do we pause long enough for the answer? And when we answer, do we believe in the power and importance of our response? In a relatively large learning community

PHOTO: TOM KATES

Cynthia A. Harmon (center) is The Park School’s 13th head of school. (with 555 students, more than 750 parents, and 160 faculty and staff ) that strives to be equitable and inclusive, we must work together to create opportunities to get to know one another, respectfully sharing differing perspectives and reinvesting in those moments throughout the school year. It is work, and it is not easy. However, as the hectic pace of the school year ebbs and flows, know that our children are watching how we take time for them and for each other. At Park, we frequently turn to and rely on the power of individual

and collective relationships to shape our classrooms, our faculty and staff, and our parent communities. At this time in our country, where civility almost seems exceptional and conflict seems commonplace, we have a moral responsibility to reassure our children that kindness, respect, and human decency are core values and guiding principles for healthy interpersonal relationships. Nurturing these values requires intentionality, constant care, and vigilance from all members of our community. On any given day, striving to

be responsive to the gravitational pull of the myriad tasks that fill my to-do lists is one goal. Yet, when questions are unrelenting and answers are elusive, I rely on knowing that I am leading a community that shares a common purpose: to do what we believe is best for children to thrive, learn and grow. Keeping the children at the center of who we are and what we do is paramount. Fortified by that common purpose, perhaps our most important charge this year is to reach out and to connect with each other.

The Park School exceptional independent education The Park School provides an exceptional education for boys and girls ages 4-14. At Park, students develop a passion for learning in a diverse environment that is both nurturing and challenging. Our outstanding teachers get to know each child through small classes and an active partnership with parents. Central to our mission is an appreciation of similarities and differences of perspective and the interdependence of all people. We offer after-school programs, generous financial aid, and free shuttles from nearby MBTA stations.

Explore the school, meet teachers, students and parents, and learn about Park’s curriculum and community.

The Park School 171 Goddard Avenue Brookline, MA 02445 617.277.2456 • www.parkschool.org

Open House Sunday, November 6 12–3 p.m. SPEC IA L PR ESEN TATION S Pre-K – Grade 2 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. Grades 3 – 5 1:30 p.m. Grades 6 – 8 2 p.m.


22 • Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER

ADVERTORIALCONTENT SPONSORED BY: THE WINSOR SCHOOL

Winsor girls see a world of possibilities “Winsor girls have a passion to create change in the world, and that’s something that the world definitely needs,” reflects Unique, a junior at the Winsor School in Boston, a leading independent school for academically promising girls in grades 5-12. In its mission of preparing girls to contribute to the world, Winsor opens girls’ eyes to their own extraordinary potential in countless ways, from cutting-edge Global Studies to hands-on STEM courses to extensive arts and athletics. Looking ahead, Unique sees “so many different possibilities.” Thanks to Winsor, “I’m prepared to be anything that I want to be.” “When I think about Winsor girls, I think bold,” adds Anshi, now a Harvard sophomore. “Every Winsor girl that I know just pushes the boundaries. Winsor is a place that prepares strong women, in every sense of the word, to take ownership of making the world a better place, to think bigger, to think broadly, and to be able to listen to others.” Winsor alumnae have been “pushing boundaries” for more than a century. Today, Winsor continues to build on a tradition of forward thinking with a vision of providing girls with an education second to none. In spring 2015, Winsor’s new centers for the performing arts and for athletics and

We try to teach girls the importance of actively and positively defining yourself.” — Julian Braxton, director of community and multicultural affairs

Cape Verdean, and Latina descent; SOMOS, an affinity group for Latina Heritage and Hispanic Heritage students, and AsIAm, for students of Asian descent including the Indian subcontinent. “The best part,” explains one Winsor student, “is knowing that everyone comes into our group with an open attitude. We bond with one another and share parts of ourselves and honestly become each other’s sisters.” From the start, “we try to teach girls the importance of actively and positively defining yourself,” adds Mr. Braxton. Each fall, the school’s Parent Network for Diversity also sponsors a welcome event, helping girls and families feel at home at Winsor. At Winsor, “we want every girl who comes through the door to feel like this is her place,” explains Sarah Pelmas, Winsor’s head of school. As she tells the girls, “You

PHOTO: COURTESY THE WINSOR SCHOOL

A 6th grade robotics class in an innovation lab at The Winsor School. wellness opened. The transformative building project has doubled the school’s educational space, and also includes an Innovation Lab and state-of-the-art new classrooms. Every space focuses on skills that promising girls will need to thrive in the future.

Located in Boston’s dynamic Longwood Medical Area, Winsor draws its 458 students from across the city and more than 50 surrounding communities. The school strives to be “a place where everyone feels welcome,” reflects Julian Braxton, director of community and multicultural

affairs. Affinity groups are a powerful way in which the school lives out its ideals of welcome and support. Groups include SISTERS, short for Sharing Individual Stories Through Everyone’s RootS, a support system for girls of African-American, Afro-Caribbean,

See WINSOR, page 23

We’ll see you in class. Join us and explore all that Winsor means to academically promising girls in grades 5-12.

Admission Open House The Winsor School Friday, Nov. 11, 2016 8:30-10:30 a.m.

The Winsor School

Boston

www.winsor.edu/admission

617 735-9503


Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER • 23

you know... know... ADVERTORIALCONTENT Did Did you SPONSORED BY: THE WINSOR SCHOOL

PHOTO: COURTESY THE WINSOR SCHOOL

Winsor Crew practices for Head of the Charles.

Winsor

continued from page 22 need to be your authentic selves, and be open to everyone else being their authentic selves.” Winsor’s lessons—and friendships—stay with girls for their lifetimes. The college choices of Winsor graduates reflect the strength of both the school and its students. In the last four years, the colleges attracting the largest number of Winsor alumnae were Amherst, Barnard, BC, Bowdoin, Brown, Columbia, Georgetown, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Michigan, NYU, Stanford, Tufts, University of Chicago, UPenn, Washington University in St. Louis, Wellesley, Wesleyan, Williams and Yale. While college is in girls’ immediate futures, Winsor truly prepares them for life.

“We’re excited to share why Winsor is such a special place,” says Pamela Parks McLaurin, director of admission and financial aid and a Winsor graduate herself. When she talks to girls, she weaves a simple invitation into her conversations: “Challenge yourself. Enjoy yourself. Be yourself.” The admission team looks carefully at every girl who applies, and seeks girls who will thrive here. Intellectual curiosity, academic ability, motivation, a generous spirit and a respect for difference are all part of what Winsor seeks. On Nov. 11, 2016, the school’s annual Admission Open House will offer interested families a firsthand glimpse of Winsor girls and teachers in action on a typical day. To learn more, please call the Admission Office at 617-735-9503 or visit www.winsor.edu.

“Someone who heals.”

...there’s a school in the Back Bay where analyzing a geometry proof, the rise and fall of a society, or a line of poetry can fuel an entire class?

Commonwealth School An independent, co-ed high school where small classes, gifted faculty, a strong community, and high academic standards inspire students to do their best work.

Open Houses:

Sunday, October 23, 2:30–5 p.m. Tuesday, December 6, 6–8:30 p.m.

151 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston MA 02116 • commschool.org

What do you see?

Rosalie Allain-Morris, Master’s Candidate School of Psychology and Counseling

Rosalie knows who she wants to be. Do you? With a great faculty, flexible programs, affordable tuition, and campuses across the state, Cambridge College is the right place to become who you truly are. CambridgeCollege.edu 1.800.829.4723

More than schoolwork

see why early explorers took to the seas how global ecologies influence people’s lives how new technology opens new worlds

the beginning of lifework.maybe there are oceans Where you come to be. Non-profit college since 1971

From Auto Repairs to Restaurant options we’ve got you covered. Check out the

Marketplace on baystatebanner.com for local listings

Lower School Open House: October 30 Middle School Open House: November 17 shs.org / ADMISSION

on other planets!

Shady Hill School Cambridge, Mass.

We offer a rigorous, dynamic curriculum of integrated, in-depth study; experiential, project-based, collaborative learning; and an inclusive community that values multiple perspectives. Financial aid, transportation, and afterschool programs are available.

A FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT APPROACH TO LEARNING

PRE-K TO GRADE 8


24 • Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER

LEARN TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Noble and Greenough School offers an exceptional academic, athletic and creative experience with an emphasis on service-learning and community. The school supports intellectual, social and personal growth to encourage a lifetime mission of leadership for the public good. Join us for our open house:

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15 – 9:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. visit: www.admission.nobles .edu for more details

Nobles is a coed day and five-day boarding school for students in grades 7-12. 10 Campus Drive, Dedham MA 02026 • 781 320 7100

Come to an information session Monday, October 17, 2016, 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Grove Hall Branch - Boston Public Library 41 Geneva Ave., Dorchester, MA 02121 Please call (617) 423-6633 or email volunteerinfo@generationsinc.org to RSVP.

an incomparable educational experience PRE-K – GRADE 9

Sunday, Nov. 6

2016 FESSENDEN OPEN HOUSES

1:00 – 3:00 PM PRE-K & KINDERGARTEN

Thursday, Nov. 17 6:30 – 8:00 PM

Thursday, Dec. 1 9:00 – 11:00 AM 250 WALTHAM STREET, WEST NEWTON, MA 02465

|

FESSENDEN.ORG

|

617-630-2300

Stay connected to the Banner PRINT • ONLINE MOBILE • SOCIAL baystatebanner.com facebook.com/baystatebanner @BayStateBanner To subscribe, call 617-261-4600 To advertise, call 617-261-4600 Ext. 7799 or email ads@bannerpub.com


Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER • 25

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

www.baystatebanner.com

Bringing black back BAMS Fest carves out cultural spot for community By CELINA COLBY

“The Considered, See Bergman” by Carrie Mae Weems (2012). PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND JACK SHAINMAN GALLERY, NEW YORK

Recasting

the familiar THE PHOTOS OF CARRIE MAE WEEMS ARE ON DISPLAY AT THE ETHELBERT COOPER GALLERY THROUGH JAN. 7 By SUSAN SACCOCCIA

A good story can recast the familiar and reveal something new. Artist Carrie Mae Weems tells a good story. With text, photographs and videos, she recasts the familiar into new stories in which people excluded from power claim their ground. Often with humor, and almost always with beauty and style, Weems investigates and asserts power on the home front, in the art world, and in society at large. Some works are as joyful and empowering as folk tales. Others are scathing correctives. Coursing through all is a palpable sense of self-respect. Also telling a good story is the exhibition of 52 works by Weems on view

through Jan. 7 at Harvard’s Ethelbert Cooper Gallery of African and African American Art in Harvard Square. Entitled “Carrie Mae Weems: I once knew a girl,” the show presents works by Weems from the past two decades of her career. Curated by gallery director Vera Ingrid Grant in collaboration with Weems, the exhibition follows Weems as she asserts power through art. As a photographer, Weems works mainly in black and white and frequently includes overlays of text in her prints. The show begins with six images from her 1997 series, “Not Manet’s Type,” including one that is a sort of manifesto. While posing as a nude, she declares herself unsuited to this traditional female role in western art and states, “I knew, not from

memory, but from hope, that there were other models by which to live.” As if in response, prints on the opposite wall, from her series “Slow Fade to Black” (2009-11), show blurred figures of performing artists Josephine Baker, Lena Horne and Katherine Dunham. With its black and white palette, her handsome imitation of a Jackson Pollock drip painting, “Splattered 1” (2016) is a sly insertion of race into the white male dominion of mid-century modernism. Nearby her silkscreen print, “Splattered 2” (2016), overlays a vintage photo of plantation-era black field workers with Pollock-style droplets of paint, mingling African American and art history.

See WEEMS, page 29

Along with other components of Boston’s socio-political landscape, the Boston art and music scene has a reputation for being whitewashed. Curator, creator and educator Catherine Morris says, “Boston has a bad rep as one of the more segregated cities in America. People of color are an underserved community in the city.” Morris is making moves to change that in a big way, with the debut of the Boston Art & Music Soul Festival (BAMS Fest) scheduled for June 2018. The festival will be a twoday, multi-stage event focusing on local artists of color. Before then, BAMS Fest is hosting a series of events this year and next called “The Prelude,” which are meant to foster dialogue and interest about the arts in Boston and the upcoming festival. The latest in this series is “Souls of Women,” a panel of influential women in art, music and social change to be held on Oct. 20 at the Multicultural Arts Center in East Cambridge. Morris says, “The panel is trying to ensure that the audience has a deeper understanding of what it means to be a woman of color and a creative person.” The panel will highlight seven female professionals, including Grammy-nominated singer Carolyn Malachi and Boston poet laureate Danielle Legros Georges. Panel member Alyssa Jones, program director for performing arts for Boston Public Schools, has seen firsthand how the arts can change lives. “There are so many ways that we humans make sense of the world, and the arts is one of them,” Jones says. Jones feels that what sets BAMS Fest apart is that it is made of, by and for the African American community. She notes similar events that are put on by and feature white performers. “This festival is rooted in authenticity and primary source,” she says. “We will feature folks who live right around the corner from the audience we’re trying to reach.” Morris says the most important thing community members can do to support the cause is to attend “The Prelude” events. “It’s important for the artists to

See BAMS FEST, page 29

ON THE WEB For more information, visit

www.bamsfest.org.


26 • Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER

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

‘We’re Gonna Die’ Facing mortality on A.R.T.’s Oberon stage By CELINA COLBY

Last week, Obehi Janice was the first actress, outside of the writer herself, to perform Young Jean Lee’s one-woman show “We’re Gonna Die.” On the American Repertory Theater’s Oberon stage, she wove song, spoken word and comedy together to discuss the trials of life, and mortality. Janice’s unnamed character says early on in the show, “That’s what I’d like to share with you tonight. Just some ordinary moments that help get through that lonely, painful feeling.” She goes on to tell stories about growing up, experiencing heartbreak and losing her father to cancer. Each story hits on a different type of aging and reconciling with the passage of time, and, eventually, death. The dark subject matter is lightened with comedic storytelling and tongue-and-cheek songs. Janice does an impeccable job making the content palatable and humorous, while remaining heartfelt and authentic. This show is not for beginners to the mortality game. It attracts an eclectic crowd, but on

People have told me they receive comfort and healing from the show. We’re giving the audience the opportunity to breathe.” — Obehi Janice

Tuesday Oct. 4, the youth-oriented Oberon was filled almost exclusively with a middle-aged and older audience. It’s not a performance for people who have never thought about death. In fact, the tone of “We’re Gonna Die” feels a bit like an inside joke among those self-aware enough to recognize their impermanence. Janice cheekily tells stories about moments when her character experienced death and aging. It’s a wink, wink to people who have also found grey hairs and woken with back pain. This effect is largely in part to Janice’s interpretation of the material. The actress wanted to

avoid making the play snarky and hipster, a path the material could easily have taken. “Hipster culture is associated with whiteness,” she says. “I’m hyperaware of being a black woman performing this show. I found a way of making it more authentic to my story.” In doing this, Janice’s character comes off as wise, and eager to bring peace to the audience and to herself. It’s funny without being satirical, which would have significantly devalued the message. Janice describes the show as an experiment. She imagines that Lee wrote the show as a way to ruminate on life and death, and that the audience is exploring the subject in tandem. This feeling of being in it together culminates in the final act, when the audience participates in a rousing chorus of “We are going to die,” while clapping their hands in time to the music. The ability to balance humor and solemnity about death comes from a place of self-awareness and acceptance. Janice says, “People have told me they receive comfort and healing from the show. We’re giving the audience the opportunity to breathe.”

11 NOMIN TO AT NY ED F THE TRUE STORY AW OR AR THAT CHANGED HISTORY. D

S

TICKETS FROM JUST

$25

music & lyrics by

JOHN KANDER & FRED EBB

book by

DAVID THOMPSON

original direction & choreography by

SUSAN STROMAN

STARTS OCT 21

BE A PART OF 617.933.8600 · SPEAKEASYSTAGE.COM

PHOTO: COURTESY POSTMODERN JUKEBOX

The Postmodern Jukebox group combines strong vocals with a melange of musical genres.

Time-traveling tunes Postmodern Jukebox remakes music history By CELINA COLBY

On Thursday, Oct. 6, the Wang Theatre went back in time. Hundreds of music lovers in crinolines, bowties and fascinators came out to hear the retro sounds of Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox. The group aims to bring quality and talent back to the music industry by adapting popular songs in old-fashioned, vocal-heavy styles. Postmodern Jukebox is known for their retro beats, but on their current world tour, the group is celebrating soul, hip-hop and jazz in a whole new way. Powerhouse singer and emcee Mykal Kilgore brought the audience to its feet with his rendition of “My Heart Will Go On,” re-imagined as a ‘50s style Jackie Wilson tribute. One of the featured singers of the evening was Maiya Sykes, a songwriter, actress and vocalist who previously has toured with Macy Gray and competed on “The Voice.” In addition to her musical talents, Sykes was accepted to Yale, Princeton and Harvard, and attended Yale with a triple major in political science, African American studies and musical composition. Sykes told the audience that when she joined the group, Bradlee approached her about bringing hiphop to its repertoire. At the Thursday evening show, she performed a jazz rendition of B.I.G.’s “Juicy” that had the notorious rapper

clapping from beyond the grave. Sykes seamlessly mixed tight rap lines with flowing scales and punchy scatting. Previously, the group was focused primarily on pop songs, which, though more easily translatable to different musical eras, often favored white artists. Sykes’s ode to Biggie heralds openness to genres championed by the black community. Postmodern Jukebox’s performance showcased a full band, burlesque stylings from Ariana Savalas, an inspired tap show from Sarah Reich and the comedic romping and showmanship of the Ziegfeld Follies. What makes the show so successful is the whimsy and entertainment of a variety show without the cheapness. Postmodern Jukebox emphasizes vocal talent in a world where synthesizing and auto-tune dominate many tracks. Bradlee himself underscored the talent base of the group when he performed an impromptu piano mash-up of Lady Gaga, George Gershwin, Bon Jovi and Rick Astley at the audience’s request. Each piece is tailored to a different era, ranging from the 1920s to the 1980s. The time period is embodied not only in the music’s composition but in costume and dance, so that all combine to convey the decade. Postmodern Jukebox represents not only a return to the glory days of vocal prestige, but a rewriting of a musical history in which black performers often were shafted in favor of their white counterparts. With heavyweights like Sykes and Kilgore bringing soul, funk and rap to the scene, it’s clear that Postmodern Jukebox seeks to represent talent of all backgrounds.

Stay connected! Check out our website and mobile site

www.baystatebanner.com


Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER • 27

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

Newcomer Sasha Lane captivates in coming-of-age film ‘American Honey’ By COLETTE GREENSTEIN

Sasha Lane hadn’t planned on becoming an actress. A student at the University of Texas, Lane was celebrating spring break with friends on Panama City Beach in Florida when she was spotted by Academy Award-winning British writer and director Andrea Arnold (“Transparent”) and two other women who were looking to re-cast the lead role for Arnold’s upcoming project, “American Honey.” The role of Star had previously been cast with another teen from West Virginia in 2015, but at the last moment, she dropped out. On being offered the lead in the film, “I thought it was a scam, like porn or something, but my friends were all looking it up,” said Lane, who was in Boston recently on a promotional tour for the film. “I was just kind of like, ‘whatever.’ When I told [Arnold] she could come back to my hotel room that night, I didn’t actually think she would.” But there was something about the women and their energy that made Lane trust them. Plus, the timing was right. “I was at a point in life where I didn’t have anything to lose. I was in that mode of ‘whatever happens’ and also I had a feeling that something was missing. I also had a feeling that something amazing that had to do with fulfilling my purpose was going to happen,” said the firsttime actress. Although Lane is only 21, she seems more like an old soul, quite comfortable in her certainty of who she is. “I’m always telling people I feel like an old tree” she remarked. “I feel I have lived so many lives.” Lane relishes letting life take its course and being free to think and feel. She says she is grateful for the opportunity to channel that into her character, Star, who is on her own path to figuring out her life and who she is. Star is doing this while on the road traveling through the Midwest with a “mag crew,” a group of workers around her own age, selling magazine subscriptions door-to-door during the day and partying hard at night. Led by the tough, money-driven Krystal (Riley Keough), and the charismatic Jake (Shia LaBeouf ), the crew lives life day-to-day, never knowing where they may end up or what may come next. That uncertainty of not knowing what would happen next was very much a part of Lane’s experience during the shoot. Arnold, who was rewriting the script and giving her notes on a daily basis, kept Lane in the moment as they were filming. “It was mirroring life,” recalls Lane. “I love that. I love being free.” Although at times it was scary and frustrating, she learned to go with the flow and appreciate the moment, she said. Now that she’s completed her first film, Lane is certain that acting is part of her journey in life. “I feel like the reason I’m here

and the reason I’m in it is, one, a personal thing. I get to embrace everything that’s in my mind and how I am,” said Lane. She’s looking forward to being able to create art and to connect with people, and as someone who is conscience of staying present and in the moment, the one thing that Lane knows for sure is that she wants to bring “something new, something fresh, something real and something genuine” to the world. “American Honey” is now in theaters nationwide.

PHOTO COURTESY A24

Sasha Lane (left) and Shia LaBeouf star in “American Honey.”

Celebrating 50 years of food with purpose and the power of community

HALEY

HOUSE SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016 Honoring Kathe McKenna, co-founder of Haley House

An Evening of Food & Fun

featuring The Fulani Haynes Jazz Collaborative

6:30 pm, Boston College High School 150 Morrissey Blvd, Dorchester, MA Tickets: www.haleyhouse50.bpt.me (suggested price of $65, sliding scale available)

More information at haleyhouse.org/50years Questions? 617-236-8132, info@haleyhouse.org


28 • Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER

AN EVENING OF

Gratitude and Celebration PRESENTS

Nov. 5, 2016 Sheraton Boston Hotel

Headline Performance by The Men of Soul!

Peabo Bryson

Freddie Jackson

Jeffrey Osborne

After Party with DJ Doug E. Fresh

Tickets on sale now (limited available) at steppinoutfordimock.org SO Banner Ad 10x15.75 lo02.indd 1

10/7/16 4:44 PM


Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER • 29

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

Weems

continued from page 25 A former dancer, Weems often performs in her photographs and videos, in which the figure of a woman is not an object of male interest but a subject taking charge of her own experience. In this, Weems is kin to Lorraine O’Grady, 82, who in images of wit and flair cast herself as a stylish party crasher challenging boundaries of gender, class and race. Another major artist exploring this terrain is Lorna Simpson, who uses models rather than inserting herself into the scene.

Identity and power

In the ’80s, while teaching at Hampshire College in Northampton, Weems developed her much admired “Kitchen Table Series” (1990), which has just been published in book form. Weems cast herself as the protagonist in this fictional narrative, which in photographs and text explores a woman’s relationships with her lover, friends and children as they mingle around the kitchen table. Weems’ photograph, “The Considered, See Bergman” (2012), evokes the artist’s abiding interest in personal identity. While alluding to the 1966 movie “Persona,” Ingmar Bergman’s study of the female psyche through an anguished encounter between two women, this image shows a radiant woman (Weems) smiling into a mirror held by an admiring girl. An artist whose works frequently bridge divides, Weems is captivated by primitive communication devices. On view here are her photographs of tin cans and a megaphone, which render their angles and curves in compositions of modernist simplicity. In a novel tribute to civil rights activist and scholar W.E.B. Du Bois, Weems worked with botanists to name a peony in his honor. Her voluptuous portraits of the flower, one of few works on paper in color in the show, appear alongside photographs of a garden she envisions for Du Bois. In contrast to these pastoral scenes is a searing trio of videos by Weems on view in the gallery’s media room. “History Repeating” (2016) alternates between a video of a breast-beating black congregation and news clips of recent police shootings. In “Comedy Updated” (2016), silhouetted figures of two plantation-era ladies that

BAMS Fest continued from page 25

see that the community supports them,” she says. Opportunities also are available to volunteer with the organization or join the festival as a vendor or performer. Morris recounts how she’s seen many artists and African American families leave the area due to lack of representation. She hopes that bringing together the community for this festival will combat this off-putting sense of isolation. Panelist, actress and comedian Obehi Janice agrees that this celebration of culture is long overdue in Boston. She says, “It’s so necessary to celebrate blackness in this city. And BAMS Fest is how we can do that.”

evoke Kara Walker’s stencils of clichéd characters of the Old South are seated for a genteel tea. While Weems, in voiceover, tells debasing racial jokes, her cartoon figures repeatedly double over in laughter. Most chilling of all is “The Obama Project” (2016), which distorts the president’s face to resemble all the villains and fools to which his enemies have compared him during his years in office. On view in another gallery is the video “Afro Chic” (2009-10), in which Weems conjures an empowering, joyful fashion show. Sporting giant Afro wigs in a rainbow of sherbet colors, huge earrings, glossy painted lips and ‘60s disco garb brimming with brocade, glitter, fur and leather, an array of self-assured women strut down the runway with the sole purpose of pleasing themselves. Celebrity guests, present in the form of photographs, are Angela Davis and Huey Newton, stylish leaders of the Black Panther Party. In wall-sized photos, Weems extends her investigations of power throughout the world. Her “Roaming” series shows her standing before imposing edifices in European capitals with her back to the camera. She wears a black dress that contrasts her womanly curves with the sharp geometric forms of the buildings, designed by male architects. In a video, the camera follows her black-garbed figure as she explores the gardens and towns of Italy, walking in a slow, elegant

pace as if in a dream. The exhibition’s earliest work, “The Shape of Things” (1993), is a photograph of a traditional stucco structure in Africa. In her close-up of the rounded orifices that are its windows and doors, the building resembles a woman’s abdomen. Sharing the artist’s interest in power is the designer of the Cooper Gallery, David Adjaye, the Ghanaian-British lead architect of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. The new museum’s shimmering bronze façade evokes both the shape of an African crown and the metal of slave shackles. Weems has received many awards, including a MacArthur “Genius” grant. Her works are collected by major museums throughout the world. In 2014, the Guggenheim Museum was the fifth and final venue for a 30year retrospective of Weems that toured nationwide over two years.

spent three years studying folklore at UC Berkeley. An artist whose practice extends beyond the studio, Weems lives with her husband Jeff Hoone in Syracuse, New York, where she has conducted youth art projects and a public art campaign against gun violence. Weems includes in this show a

selection of children’s art from a recent community project she led to celebrate the Obama family. The high-spirited display serves as an antidote to “The Obama Project,” which plays in the same room. Here and throughout this exhibition, Weems is both an observer of her world and an agent of change.

Artistic spirit

Born in Portland, Oregon, Weems took up photography in her 20s while raising her young daughter and working as a community organizer. An early project, “Family Pictures and Stories” (1978), combined photos and recorded oral histories of her family, descendants of Southern sharecroppers. In 1981, she graduated from the California Institute of the Arts and in 1984 earned an MFA from the University of California at San Diego. She then

PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND JACK SHAINMAN GALLERY, NEW YORK

“The Louvre – Paris” by Carrie Mae Weems (2006)

COMING TO HALEY HOUSE BAKERY CAFÉ: THU 10/13 - Outside the Box Productions presents #LIFTED, featuring Jennie.O, 7PM FRI 10/14 - The House Slam, featuring Erich Haygun, 6:30PM SUN 10/16 - Trustees of Reservations presents Boston Agricultural Exposition at HHBC Parking Lot, 10AM-4PM TUE 10/18 - Thornton Farm presents Tasting Table Tuesdays featuring GARLIC, 5-7PM THU 10/20 - Art is Life itself! Dinquinesh & the Music present “Sound Therapy” + Roxbury Resonance + Open Mic, 7PM

Come By The Bolling Building to check out our new enterprise, Dudley Dough Haley House Bakery Cafe - 12 Dade Street - Roxbury 617 445 0900 - www.haleyhouse.org/bakery-cafe

Advertise in

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


30 • Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER

COMMUNITY CALENDAR CHECK OUT MORE EVENTS AND SUBMIT TO OUR ONLINE CALENDAR: BAYSTATEBANNER.COM/EVENTS

THURSDAY MINDFULNESS MEDITATION INTRODUCTION AND MBSR COURSE ORIENTATION Thursday, October 13, 4:30-7:30pm at the Dudley Branch of the Boston Public Library, Literacy Center 65 Warren St. Experience guided mindful meditation and more at Mindfulness Meditation Introduction and MBSR Course Orientation. Mindfulness is being aware in the present moment, without judgment. Learning and practicing mindfulness based stress reduction, or MBSR, can improve health, reduce stress, increase resiliency and improve the ability to cope with anxiety, depression and pain. Led by Bonita Jones, MBSR and Mindfulness Instructor trained at the Center for Mindfulness, Shrewsbury, MA, Meditator since 1975, and Certified Massage Therapist since 1981. SAVE THE DATE — October 29-December 17, Saturdays, 11:30am-3pm — Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Course- MBSR at the Dudley Branch of the Boston Public Library, Literacy Center 65 Warren St. Taught by Bonita Jones. Sign up for this FREE 8-week MBSR Course! Each week learn Mindfulness Meditations including Sitting Meditation, Body Scan and Walking Meditation, Mindful Movement (Yoga), Informational Talks, Group Discussions. After attending the Mindfulness Meditation Introduction and MBSR Orientation participants can apply for the MBSR course. We will have a wait list for over-enrollments. Call Bonita Jones at 617-445-8946 or email bbjbosma@ aol.com to register for Mindfulness Meditation Introduction and MBSR Orientation and to apply for the MBSR Course. Funded by The Fellows Athenaeum Trust Fund of the Boston Public Library.

SATURDAY BLOODSKINLAND PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS AFRO-CINEMA An afternoon of important films (documentary or motion picture) being shown, followed by a discussion about the film. Saturday, October 15, Dudley Branch Library, 65 Warren St., Roxbury, 12:30-4pm (doors open at noon). Free and open to the public. Light refreshments available. Featured film: “Black Panthers - Vanguard of a Revolution” (celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Black Panther Party on this date — 10/15/1966). More than 40 years after the Black Panther Party was founded, the group and its leadership remain powerful and enduring images in our popular imagination. This will weave together the voices of those who lived this story — police informants, journalists, white supporters and detractors, those who remained loyal to the party and those who left it. For more info contact VCR at 617-480-7663 or bloodskinland@yahoo.com.

BLUE HILLS RESERVATION Moderate walk, some hills, 4 miles. Old Rte. 128 to Beech Hollow and Doe Hollow. Return via the green dot trail. Saturday, October 15, 1pm, meet at the Houghton’s Pond main parking lot

at 840 Hillside St. in Milton. The Southeastern Massachusetts Adult Walking Club meets each weekend on either a Saturday or Sunday at 10:00am* or 1:00 pm for recreational walks. This club is open to people of 16 years of age and older, and there is no fee to join. Walks average 2 to 5 miles. New walkers are encouraged to participate. The terrain can vary: EASY (mostly level terrain), MODERATE (hilly terrain), DIFFICULT (strenuous & steep). Walks will be led by a park ranger or a Walking Club volunteer leader. The DCR Southeast Mass. Walking Club meets at a variety of state parks. Note some DCR sites charge a parking fee. The rangers recommend wearing hiking boots and bringing drinking water on all hikes.

SUNDAY PICS IN THE PARKS Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Boston Parks and Recreation Department invite Boston residents to participate in the free Pics in the Parks fall photography workshops taking place on three Sundays in October from 1-2pm. Individuals of all ages and skill levels are welcome to bring their cameras and participate in these informal sessions led by a photography instructor. Participants will learn techniques for taking impressive photographs of Boston’s scenic parks in autumn as well as be given a theme to focus on each Sunday. Select photos may be chosen for an exhibit at Boston City Hall. Dates and meeting locations are as follows: October 16 — Clemente Field House, Back Bay Fens, 100 Park Dr., Boston; October 23 — Schoolmaster Hill, Franklin Park, Dorchester (meet at Pierpont Road and Circuit Drive); and October 30 — Commonwealth Avenue Mall, Back Bay (Commonwealth Avenue between Arlington and Berkeley Streets). For more information please visit the Boston Parks and Recreation Department at www.facebook.com/bostonparks department or www.cityofboston.gov/ parks. Participants must bring their own equipment and can register via email by contacting mavrick.alfonso@boston.gov.

WEDNESDAY OPENING PATHWAYS The Doran Gallery at Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) is pleased to present Opening Pathways, featuring artwork by internationally recognized Cuban artist Eduardo “Choco” Roca Salazar, on view through October 22. A reception with the artist will be held on October 19. Considered one of Cuba’s most renowned printmakers, Choco has achieved international recognition as a master of collagraph, a printmaking technique in which image is composed from a variety of textured materials placed on a plate, then inked and pressed. He designs complex textures that bring forth chiaroscuros and a sensuous depth that tempts viewers to touch. Although Choco’s works are figurative, they share an intimate abstractionist foundation, and the sharp contrast

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13

OPENING RECEPTION EDGAR ARCENEAUX Join us for the opening of Written in Smoke and Fire an exciting new exhibtition featuring the work of Edgar Arceneaux. Edgar Arceneaux’s work in installation, sculpture, drawing, photography, and video, draws inspiration from a wide-ranging set of sources: American history, astronomy, science-fiction, architecture, music, and movies. His solo exhibition at the List Center presents three major, interlocking projects that reflect on history and remembrance, and consider how specific national, cultural narratives change over time. The artist will be at the opening and refreshments will be provided. Come help us welcome and celebrate this new exhibition in Cambridge. October 13, 6pm, MIT List Visual Arts Center, 20 Ames St., E15-109, Cambridge. The reception is free and open to the public although registration is required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/opening-reception-for-edgar-arcene aux-tickets-25996556400.

of color responds to his particular symbolism and a very personal lyricism that establishes a quick emotional connection with the viewer. Doran Gallery, MassArt Design and Media Center, First Floor, 621 Huntington Ave. (Avenue of the Arts), Boston. The event is free and open to the public. For more information and to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ opening-pathways-a-reception-honor ing-eduardo-roca-salazar-choco-tickets -27775439086.

UPCOMING FALL PUMPKIN FLOAT Mayor Martin J. Walsh has announced that the annual Fall Pumpkin Float returns to the Boston Common Frog Pond on Sunday, October 23, from 4:30-6:30pm. Hundreds of illuminated jack-o’-lanterns will be floated on the water accompanied by spooky family activities. Attendees are asked to bring 8-inch or smaller carved pumpkins that will be lit and then floated on the Frog Pond for a dramatic early evening display. In addition, attendees are invited to view creatively carved and decorated jack-o’-lanterns from various local sports teams and organizations. Adults and children are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes and participate in a wide range of fun activities. Children are invited to decorate luminary bags which will be displayed and illuminated along the edge of the Frog Pond. Test your courage and problem-solving skills in our haunted zombie maze. The Fall Pumpkin Float is presented by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department in partnership with the Skating Club of Boston. Lead sponsors are IKEA and Capital One Café. Media sponsors are the Boston Herald and Magic 106.7. Additional support is provided by HP Hood LLC, the Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center, the EZ Pass Van, DAVIDsTEA, Boston Cares, and Mass Farmers Markets. A monster mash of science activities presented by the Parks Department’s ParkSCIENCE program will include Science on the Street, the Massachusetts Horticulture Society and giant bubbles with the “Bubble Guy” Jim Dichter. All pumpkins will be donated to The Trustees of Reservations after the event for composting. For more information, please call the Boston Parks and Recreation Department at

617-635-4505 or visit www.facebook. com/bostonparksdepartment or www. boston.gov/parks.

THE YEAR WE THOUGHT ABOUT LOVE Free screening of “The Year We Thought About Love,” Thursday, October 27, 5:30-7:30pm at Mattapan Public Library, 1350 Blue Hill Ave., Mattapan. Going behind the scenes of Boston’s True Colors:OUT Youth Theater, the film illuminates the life struggles of LGBTQ young people. What happens when a diverse group of LGBTQ youth dares to be “out” on stage to reveal their lives and their loves? Talkback after the screening with members of the cast. With Haitian Creole subtitles.

ONGOING 800 MILLION HEARTBEATS Simmons College presents 800 Million Heartbeats, a solo exhibition by figurative painter Colleen Kiely, through November 9 at the Trustman Art Gallery located on the fourth floor, Main College Building, 300 The Fenway in Boston. The title of the exhibition references the concept that all mammals have a total of 800 million heartbeats in their lifetime, sharing the same approximate mortality. A reception for the artist will be held on Thursday, October 20 from 5-7pm. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public. Kiely earned her M.F.A. from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and B.F.A. from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her numerous awards include a Massachusetts Cultural Council grant, and fellowships from the MacDowell Colony and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She is the recipient of the President’s Fund for Faculty Excellence award from Simmons College, where she is an Associate Professor in the Department of Art and Music. We continue our Lunchtime Lecture Series on Wednesday, October 26, from noon-1pm, when Kiely will present a gallery talk. Trustman Gallery hours are 10am - 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. The gallery is free, open to the public and wheelchair accessible. For more information, contact Marcia Lomedico at 617-521-2268, or visit the Trustman Art Gallery website at www.simmons.edu/ trustman and visit us on Facebook.

TAI CHI: MOVING FOR BETTER BALANCE This FREE evidence-based workshop focuses on preventing falls and improving balance through the regular practice of Tai Chi. Participants will learn 8 single forms, derived from the traditional, well known, 24-form Yang Style Tai Chi. The forms are tailored to older adults who wish to improve balance and mobility, and consequently, reduce the risk of falling. Classes meet twice a week for 12 weeks and is designed for beginners. Location: Curtis Hall Community Center, 20 South St. in Jamaica Plain. Day and Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-2pm. Through December 1. For more information or to register for this workshop contact Ann Glora at 617477-6616 or aglora@ethocare.org.

MORE THAN MY RELIGION The power of art transcends the boundaries of language, culture, nationality and faith. “More Than My Religion” is an art exhibition of diverse subject matter and a community outreach effort. Named and local Muslim artists from the Boston and Providence areas are contributing their work to illustrate their values using art as a medium. It is meant to separate the media image of Muslims being defined by acts of violence around the world from the reality of Muslims as peace-loving and forward-looking citizens and contributing members of society, in most cases no different from people of other faiths. Although media-portrayed stereotypes are quickly formed in the mind, the creative energy of visual art can help us unlearn those stereotypes and present a properly painted reality. More Than My Religion presents an enlightening perspective on shared values for community, life and coexistence across people of different backgrounds. Participating Artists: Noureen Sultana, Farah Hussain, Mehrjabeen Iftihkar, Poonam Javaid, Haroon Khimani, Sehr Jalal, Sana N. Mirza, Irum Haque, Muti Siddiqui, Niha Ahmed, Zainab-Ale-Rasool, Uzma Wahid, Sana Qureshi, Rozina Siddiqui, Rohma Shirwani, Malika MacDonald, Elena Fakhr, Ahmed Alkhateeb, Ehsun Mirza, Zahra Bhaiwala. Through December 2 at the Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge. Gallery website: www.multiculturalartscenter.org/galleries/. Galleries are FREE and open to the public. Regular Gallery hours: Monday-Friday, 10:30am - 6pm.

The Community Calendar has been established to list community events at no cost. The admission cost of events must not exceed $10. Church services and recruitment requests will not be published. THERE IS NO GUARANTEE OF PUBLICATION. To guarantee publication with a paid advertisement please call advertising at (617) 261-4600 ext. 7799 or email ads@bannerpub.com. NO LISTINGS ARE ACCEPTED BY TELEPHONE, FAX OR MAIL. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. Deadline for all listings is Friday at noon for publication the following week. E-MAIL your information to: calendar@bannerpub.com. To list your event online please go to www.baystatebanner.com/ events and list your event directly. Events listed in print are not added to the online events page by Banner staff members. There are no ticket cost restrictions for the online postings.


Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER • 31

FOOD Filled with love www.baystatebanner.com

CHECK OUT NUTRITION AND HEALTH NEWS ONLINE: BAYSTATEBANNER.COM/NEWS/HEALTH

TIP OF THE WEEK

Decoding produce food jargon These days, when it comes to produce, the catch words are “local” and “seasonal,” which can mean a lot of different things, according to Jim Gallivan, department chair of culinary arts at the International Culinary School at he Art Institute of Atlanta. Gallivan offers definitions for the terms: Local can be defined as having been grown less than a day’s drive from where it’s purchased. In general, local is preferable, Gallivan says. It lasts longer because it hasn’t spent days traveling across the country or the world to get to your kitchen.Seasonal. Today, you can get almost any kind of produce at just about any time of the year. But if it’s not in season, it’s not local, and that means it won’t have the great flavor you find in local fresh-picked produce. Organic. By definition, organic produce has been raised without chemical fertilizers and pesticides, using sustainable agricultural practices. — Brandpoint

NUMBER TO KNOW

2,058

pounds: A California farmer made history when he submitted a 2,058-pound pumpkin at the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin WeighOff on Oct. 13.

WORD TO THE WISE Chiffonade: The French term means “made of rags.” In cooking, chiffonade is a technique for slicing herbs and leafy vegetables into long, thin strips. — Cookthink

EASY RECIPE

Cream of Spinach Soup Yield: 16 servings n 2 ounces butter, unsalted n 2 ounces olive oil n 1 leek, cleaned, trimmed, thinly sliced n 2 cups fresh spinach packed, or one 10-ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained n 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock n 3 medium potatoes, peeled, quartered n 2 cups half and half n 1 teaspoon sour cream per serving n Salt, ground white pepper to taste n Freshly grated nutmeg Heat the butter and oil together; Add leek and saute until soft; Add spinach and stir; Add potatoes and stock, bringing to a boil; When potatoes are soft, puree all and return to simmer; Add half and half and stir; Season to taste with salt and pepper, garnish with sour cream and freshly grated nutmeg. — Brandpoint

Artichoke Cheese Stuffed Shells combine best of potluck, supper

THERESA BLACKBURN/RELISH

BY THE EDITORS OF RELISH MAGAZINE

W

e love creamy, cheesy artichoke dip, so we’ve devised a version of it and stuffed it into tender pasta shells. Covered with our favorite jarred marinara (Mario Batali’s), it’s then baked for a satisfying dinner. Stuffed shells are ideal for family suppers and potluck meals. In the oven, the cheese melts and turns golden brown. If you have a nice 3-quart ceramic casserole or baking dish, use it instead of the baking pan. A large kitchen spoon is perfect for serving. To complete the menu, add a leafy salad and a loaf of Italian bread. One tip will set you on the right track: Don’t overcook the pasta shells. When boiling the pasta, follow the package directions for cooking time. We boiled the shells exactly nine minutes, and they were firm enough to hold their shape when filled. If overcooked, the shells will be too floppy to handle. We love the creamy richness and texture of whole-milk ricotta cheese, but you can use part-skim, too. For potluck meals, bake the shells according to the recipe and reheat them when you get to your destination.

Artichoke Cheese Stuffed Shells Serves 6 n Nonstick cooking spray n 1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta cheese n 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained n ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg n 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese n 1 (6-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained n 18 jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained according to package directions n 2 cups jarred marinara sauce n 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine ricotta cheese, spinach, nutmeg,

Look online for

NUTRITION & HEALTH NEWS at www.baystatebanner.com/news/health — and look in the pages of the Bay State Banner for Be Healthy, our quarterly health magazine. Be Healthy offers easy-to-understand analysis of common health issues as well as first-hand patient stories, exercise tips, nutrition news and healthy recipes. A publication of The Bay State Banner

Gruyere and artichoke hearts in a large bowl. Mix well. Fill pasta shells with mixture. Place in baking dish. Spoon marinara sauce over top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is golden brown.


32 •• Thursday, Thursday, October October 13, 13, 2016 2016 ••BAY BAYSTATE STATEBANNER BANNER 32

BANNER CLASSIFIEDS charters LEGAL

LEGAL

continued from page 1

LEGAL Either I’ll pay for them to go to private school or we’ll move back to Wisconsin, if they don’t test into one of the exam schools. Under no circumstances are they going to a BPS high school.”

Committee member Michael Loconto. “[Expansion] doesn’t just affect schools —it means dirtier parks, streets that don’t get plowed as quickly in winter time. It means that police and fire calls maybe take a little longer getting answered.” Several members emphasized that their vote was not a critique of overall charter school quality, with some saying that part of the dialogue has become misleading in how it frames the ballot question. “You’d think by the rhetoric that the question before us was whether or not to abolish charters or abolish district schools,” Loconto said.

— Dapne Lawson

The budget dispute

The financial implications of charter expansion were highly contested, with BPS parents, students and alumni arguing that it would deplete district school resources and threaten the viability of BPS to serve its children. Given that BPS enrolls the majority of children, the impact would be hard felt by many, they said. Several school committee members said they were influenced by the presentation given last meeting by Katie Hammer, city budget director, and Eleanor Laurans, BPS executive director of school finance, in which the budget officials said that under existing state laws, charter schools already create a financial burden for BPS and expansion would only exacerbate this. In part this effect is because when the city contributes extra per-pupil spending to address BPS’ significant population of high needs students, state law requires the city also to provide the same additional funding to charter students, who tend to have less costly needs, they said. Orchard Gardens nurse Sue Burchill said already her budget is strained to an unsupportable level: she is given 33 cents per child, making basic supplies out of reach. (Her budget is equivalent to approximately 3.5 Halls cough drops

BANNER PHOTO

BPS high school students turned out in support of keeping the cap on charter schools. Erik Lazo (left), a student at Snowden International, said during public testimony that his and other district schools already are underfunded. per student — based on Walgreens price listing of 9 cents per drop.) “I use popsicles for ice [packs],” she told the Banner. Antonetta Brown, a pre-K teacher at the Curley said she has to pursue grants and ask parents for funding for supplies and field trips, as well as apply for grants for her son’s school, the Curtis Guild. The constant hunt for funds is draining, she said. “As a teacher, I’ve seen how cuts affected my students. I always have to be in search for grants to improve some of the opportunities my kids have,” Brown said. “If this goes through, I’ll have to be doing that so much more.” However, some in favor of charter expansion said BPS has enough money but simply needs to reconsider how it uses it. KIPP parent Lawson pointed to it to a recent report from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation that argues that district school finances currently are not harmed by charter schools. MTF authors say that charter schools get only their fair share,

with the percent of students attending charters in 2016 matching the percent of public school funding directed to charter schools. According to Laurans and Hammer, BPS picks up some extra expenses such as transportation for charter students. The MTF report says as well that, as the state is obligated to provide temporary transitional reimbursements to district schools, when children switch to charters this is a better financial situation for the district schools than if the student leaves for a different district school. Reimbursements are meant to help district schools adjust when they retain the same numbers of teachers and building costs but lose per-pupil funding for a handful of students. In recent years, the state has not fully funded reimbursements. Loconto and School Committee Chair Michael O’Neill raised concern that the city has had to step in to supply charter reimbursements, meaning that, if charters expand, this expense will increase, drawing funding from

As a teacher, I’ve seen how cuts affected my students. I always have to be in search for grants to improve some of the opportunities my kids have. If this goes through, I’ll have to be doing that so much more.” — Antonetta Brown

the pool that supplies all municipal departments.

The opportunity question

Although School Committee members said their votes revolved around the question of finance, public testimony also focused on dispute over school quality and whether expansion of charter schools or more careful stewardship of BPS finances would provide more students with more opportunities. Some charter parents said those schools served their children in ways district schools failed to, and that lifting the cap could bring new charter high schools, allowing children to continue in environments that were successful for them. “This [resolution] wants to put something down that is working. … Do not knock this opportunity down,” said one parent, who said she has a child doing well in a charter elementary school and another whom she feels is trapped in a level 3 district school. KIPP Academy charter parent Daphne Lawson told the Banner

prior to the meeting that she would rather move to another state than send her children to BPS. “Either I’ll pay for them to go to private school or we’ll move back to Wisconsin, if they don’t test into one of the exam schools. Under no circumstances are they going to a BPS high school,” she told the Banner. She said her daughter, who has a learning disability, leapt ahead in reading and math during her first five months at KIPP. Meanwhile, opponents of charter expansion countered that charter schools do not always provide well for those with special needs and said charter schools already could serve more students under the cap if they filled vacant seats mid-year, as BPS does. “I wouldn’t have graduated if it weren’t for the program I was in — PATH — for emotionally fragile students,” said Tabitha Kast-McBride, a BPS graduate with social anxiety and depression, who credited her graduation and life to the emotional support program she received. “I haven’t heard of a charter school for students like me.”

BANNER CLASSIFIEDS LEGAL MASSACHUSETTS BAY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY 100 SUMMER ST., SUITE 1200 BOSTON, MA 02110 NOTICE TO BIDDERS Electronic proposals for the following project will be received through the internet using Bid Express until the date and time stated below, and will be posted on www.bidx.com forthwith after the bid submission deadline. No paper copies of bids will be accepted. Bidders must have a valid digital ID issued by the Authority in order to bid on projects. Bidders need to apply for a digital ID with Bid Express at least 14 days prior to a scheduled bid opening date. Electronic bids for MBTA Contract No. S19CN03- ON-CALL CONSTRUCTION SERVICES – TRACK / ROW, VARIOUS LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT MASSACHUSETTS (CLASS 1 – GENERAL TRANSIT CONSTRCTION and CLASS 3 – TRACK WORK, PROJECT VALUE - $14,000,000.00), can be submitted at www.bidx.com until two o’clock (2:00 p.m.) on November 3, 2016. Immediately thereafter, in a designated room, the Bids will be opened and read publicly. Work consists of providing construction-related services on an on-call basis to support urgent repair/reconstruction needs of the Authority. Work is anticipated to be performed throughout the MBTA service area in Massachusetts and will primarily consist of track and right of way repair work. Bidders’ attention is directed to Appendix 1, Notice of Requirement for Affirmative Action to Insure Equal Employment Opportunity; and to Appendix 2, Supplemental Equal Employment Opportunity, Anti-Discrimination, and Affirmative Action Program in the specifications. In addition, pursuant to the requirements of Appendix 3, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Participation Provision, Bidders must submit an assurance with their Bids that they will make sufficient and reasonable efforts to meet the stated DBE goal of two percent (2%). Additional information and instructions on how to submit a bid are available at http://www.mbta.com/business_center/bidding_solicitations/cur rent_solicitations/ On behalf of the MBTA, thank you for your time and interest in responding to this Notice to Bidders Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Brian Shortsleeve Chief Administrator and Acting

LEGAL

LEGAL

General Manager of the MBTA October 7, 2016 NOTICE TO TRADE CONTRACTORS REQUEST FOR TRADE CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS The MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY is soliciting Statements of Qualifications from TRADE CONTRACTORS interested in performing work for MPA CONTRACT NO. L1430-C2, POST SECURITY CONCOURSE FROM GATES 37/38 TO THE FOOD COURT, LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, EAST BOSTON, MA. The Authority is seeking Qualification Statements from Trade Contractors who have a demonstrated experience in the construction and implementation of similar work in terms of scale and complexity as required for the Terminal B, Pier A, Gates 37-38 Connector at Logan International Airport. In accordance with Massachusetts construction manager at-risk requirements, MGL Chapter 149A Section 8, Qualification Statements are being requested from trade contractors capable of performing the following classes of work: Miscellaneous and Ornamental Metals; Terrazzo; Resilient Floors; and Elevators (Escalators). The contract includes the following scope of work at Terminal B: 1) Provide a secure side connector, an egress stair upgrade, and a new bathroom at Connector Gates 37 and 38; and 2) Public concourse ceiling and MEP replacement, and install two escalators. The estimated cost of the trade contractors’ portion of this phase of the Project is approximately $1,441,000 and the construction duration for this phase is approximately 16 months. The estimated value of work to be performed by trade contractors is as follows: Miscellaneous and Ornamental Metals Terrazzo Resilient Floors Elevators (Escalators)

$124,000 $487,000 $30,000 $800,000

The Authority is implementing this project in accordance with MGL Chapter 149A, Sections 1 thru 13. This selection of trade contractors conforms to MGL Chapter 149A, Section 8, subsections (b) to (k) inclusive. This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) will be utilized to prequalify trade contractors capable and experienced in the renovation and upgrading of terminal interior space of airports. The Authority shall utilize a two-step process including the prequalification of trade contractors based on an evaluation of the Statement of Qualifications received in response to this solicitation, followed by an

Invitation to Bidders that will only be issued to the prequalified trade contractors. A Prequalification Committee consisting of four representatives, one each from the Designer and the CM at Risk and two Massport staff. This Prequalification Committee will be conducting a qualifications-based evaluation of submittals received from interested trade contractors in order to identify prequalified trade contractors who will be invited to respond to a written Invitation to Bidders. Please note that the Authority is not utilizing this process to prequalify subcontractors who are not trade contractors which shall be done separately in accordance with MGL C149A, Section 8, subsection (j). Qualification Statements shall be evaluated in accordance with the following criteria; (1) Management Experience; (2) Project References including a Public Project Record and (3) Capacity to Complete including a demonstration that the contractor has the financial stability and long-term viability to successfully implement the Project. A Supplemental Information Package that discusses these Evaluation Criteria and the Prequalification Process in more detail as well as any other requirements for the Qualification Statements will be available to interested parties beginning October 12, 2016, by contacting Susan Brace at 617-568-5961 or via email at sbrace@ massport.com A Project Briefing will be held on Tuesday, October 18, 2016 at 1:00 P.M. in the Capital Programs Department, Logan Office Center, 2nd floor, 1 Harborside Drive, East Boston, MA. Attendance at the briefing is not mandatory, however, it is strongly encouraged in order to best familiarize your firm with the project details and the prequalification process. Six (6) copies of a bound document each limited to 20 sheets (40 pages), exclusive of covers and dividers and resumes which shall be limited to one page, shall be printed on both sides of the sheet (8 ½” x 11”) and shall be addressed to Mr. Houssam H. Sleiman, P.E., CCM, Director of Capital Programs and Environmental Affairs, and received no later than 12:00 Noon on Thursday, November 3, 2016, at the Massachusetts Port Authority, Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, Suite 209S, Logan International Airport, East Boston, MA 02128-2909. Any submittal that exceeds the page limit set here or that is not received in the Capital Programs Department by the above deadline shall be rejected as non-responsive. Questions regarding this RFQ shall be submitted in writing and directed to cpbidquestions@massport.com with the Project name and number included in the subject line of the email. MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY THOMAS P. GLYNN CEO & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR


Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER • 33

BANNER CLASSIFIEDS

LEGAL LEGAL NOTICE MASSACHUSETTS BAY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY 10 PARK PLAZA BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02116

LEGAL Authority. The right is reserved to waive any informality in or reject any or all proposals.

3.

Counsel for the Minor: The minor (or an adult on behalf of the minor) has the right to request that counsel be appointed for the minor.

MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY THOMAS P. GLYNN CEO & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

4.

Presence of the Minor at Hearing: A minor over age 14 has the right to be present at any hearing, unless the Court finds that it is not in the minor’s best interests.

Public Announcement of Request for Letters of Interest for Design Build Services for the Green Line Extension Project The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (the “MBTA”) hereby solicits Letters of Interest (LOI) from firms or teams (the “Design Build Entities”) interested in providing Design Build (DB) services for the Green Line Extension Project (the “Project”) in Somerville, Cambridge, and Medford, Massachusetts under MBTA Contract No. E22CN07. The MBTA is using the DB contract delivery method for the Project, seeking innovative solutions for the constructability complexities and limitations of working in an active rail right-of-way environment. The Project is being procured using a two-phase best-value DB procurement process pursuant to M.G.L. c. 149A, s. 14, et seq. and consistent with the MBTA’s Design Build Procurement Procedures. As provided for in the procedures, the MBTA expects that the procurement will involve the use of national best procurement practices, including a Base Technical Concept definition intended to foster DB creativity, the use of a robust alternative technical concept process, one-on-one meetings with Design Build Entities or firms capable of leading a Design Build Entity, an affordability limit, and the payment of a commercially competitive stipend (payment for work product). The MBTA intends to enter into a DB contract with the best-value Design Build Entity identified through a two-phase selection process including a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) with a subsequent Request for Proposals (RFP). The RFQ will be utilized to identify qualified Design Build Entities to submit a proposal pursuant to Section 19 of M.G.L. c. 149A. The best-value selection criteria detail will be provided in the RFP, with consideration for ranking Design Build Entities based on the Design Build Entity’s Price Proposal along with its Technical Score. Respondents to this request for LOI will receive future notifications of the RFQ’s availability and its amendments. Project documentation and instructions for submitting a Letter of Interest are available on the MBTA website. In order to receive the most up-to-date information relating to the Green Line Extension Design Build procurement, the MBTA encourages interested firms to periodically visit the MBTA website: http://www.mbta.com/business_center/bidding_solicitations/current_solicitations/ Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Stephanie Pollack MassDOT Secretary and Chief Executive Officer

Brian A. Shortsleeve Acting MBTA General Manager

MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY

NOTE: PRE BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD AT THE CAPITAL PROGRAMS DEPARTMENT (ABOVE ADDRESS) AT 10:00 AM LOCAL TIME ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016. The work includes THE REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT OF THE EXISTING TERRAZZO FLOORING AND INSTALLATION OF NEW TERRAZZO FLOORING AS DIRECTED. THE DURATION OF THIS CONTRACT SHALL BE ONE YEAR FROM THE DATE OF THE NOTICE TO PROCEED

The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority is seeking bids for the following: BID NO.

DESCRIPTION

DATE

TIME

WRA-4278

Installation of Submersible Mixing System Turkey Hill Tank

11/09/16

4:00 p.m.

WRA4294

Installation of Spray Applied Fire Resistant Material Nut Island Headworks

11/09/16

4:00 p.m.

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.

Docket No. SU16P2151GD In the interests of Saiyannie Johnson of Boston, MA Minor

1.

NOTICE TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES Hearing Date/Time: A hearing on a Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor filed on 09/28/2016 by Christine D. Leeper of Dorchester, MA will be held 10/26/2016 09:00 AM Motion Located at 24 New Chardon Street, 3rd floor, Boston, MA 02114.

2.

Response to Petition: You may respond by filing a written response to the Petition or by appearing in person at the hearing. If you choose to file a written response, you need to:

File the original with the Court; and Mail a copy to all interested parties at least five (5) business days before the hearing.

3.

Counsel for the Minor: The minor (or an adult on behalf of the minor) has the right to request that counsel be appointed for the minor.

4.

Presence of the Minor at Hearing: A minor over age 14 has the right to be present at any hearing, unless the Court finds that it is not in the minor’s best interests.

THIS IS A LEGAL NOTICE: An important court proceeding that may affect your rights has been scheduled. If you do not understand this notice or other court papers, please contact an attorney for legal advice. Date: October 4, 2016

Felix D. Arroyo Register of Probate

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department Docket No. SU16P1840GD

SUFFOLK Division

NOTICE AND ORDER: Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor 1.

2.

NOTICE TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES Hearing Date/Time: A hearing on a Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor filed on 08/17/2016 by Grace M. ToledoKerr of Boston, MA and Kerwin A. Kerr of Boston, MA will be held 10/31/2016 08:30 AM Guardianship of Minor Hearing Located at Suffolk Probate & Family Court, 24 New Chardon, Boston, MA 02114. Response to Petition: You may respond by filing a written response to the Petition or by appearing in person at the hearing. If you choose to file a written response, you need to:

File the original with the Court; and Mail a copy to all interested parties at least five (5) business days before the hearing.

3.

Counsel for the Minor: The minor (or an adult on behalf of the minor) has the right to request that counsel be appointed for the minor.

4.

Presence of the Minor at Hearing: A minor over age 14 has the right to be present at any hearing, unless the Court finds that it is not in the minor’s best interests.

THIS IS A LEGAL NOTICE: An important court proceeding that may affect your rights has been scheduled. If you do not understand this notice or other court papers, please contact an attorney for legal advice.

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 ONE MILLION DOLLARS ($1,000,000.00). 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.

SUFFOLK Division

Date: September 20, 2016

Complete information and authorization to view the site may be obtained from the Capital Programs Department Office at the Massachusetts Port

Felix D. Arroyo Register of Probate

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department Docket No. SU16P1802GD

In the interests of Korle Jabaz Kerr-Witten of Boston, MA Minor NOTICE AND ORDER: Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor

No filed sub bids will be required for this contract.

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.

In the matter of Sameera Melissa Zephyrin of Mattapan NOTICE OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME To all persons interested in a petition described: A petition has been presented by Sameera M. Zephyrin requesting that Sameera Melissa Zephyrin be allowed to change her name as follows:

IF YOU DESIRE TO OBJECT THERETO, YOU OR YOUR ATTORNEY MUST FILE A WRITTEN APPEARANCE IN SAID COURT AT BOSTON ON OR BEFORE TEN O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING (10:00 AM) ON 10/27/2016. WITNESS, HON. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court. Date: September 27, 2016 Felix D. Arroyo Register of Probate Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department Docket No. SU16D1870DR

SUFFOLK Division

Divorce Summons by Publication and Mailing Carmen Elkashilan

vs.

Mamdouh Elkashilan

To the Defendant: The Plaintiff has filed a Complaint for Divorce requesting that the Court grant a divorce for IRRETRIEVABLE BREAKDOWN OF THE MARRIAGE. The Complaint is on file at the Court. An Automatic Restraining Order has been entered in this matter preventing you from taking any action which would negatively impact the current financial status of either party. SEE Supplemental Probate Court Rule 411. You are hereby summoned and required to serve upon: Carmen Elkashilan, 9 Don Street, Boston, MA 02124 your answer, if any, on or before 12/08/2016. If you fail to do so, the court will proceed to the hearing and adjudication of this action. You are also required to file a copy of your answer, if any, in the office of the Register of this Court. Witness, Hon. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court. Date: September 21, 2016

Felix D. Arroyo Register of Probate

In the interests of Trinidad Kerr-Witten of , Minor

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.

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).

Docket No. SU16C0147CA

Melissa Huberlina Bosquez-Zeferin

NOTICE AND ORDER: Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor

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.

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.

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

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

Felix D. Arroyo Register of Probate

Date: September 20, 2016

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

Bid documents will be made available beginning WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2016.

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 Asset Management and Maintenance and an Update Statement. The estimated contract cost is NINETY-EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS ($98,000.00)

THIS IS A LEGAL NOTICE: An important court proceeding that may affect your rights has been scheduled. If you do not understand this notice or other court papers, please contact an attorney for legal advice.

INVITATION TO BID

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Sealed General Bids for MPA Contract No. AP1705-C1, FY17-18 TERRAZZO REPAIRS TERM CONTRACT, 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 02128-2909, until 11:00 A.M. local time on WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016, immediately after which, in a designated room, the bids will be opened and read publicly.

LEGAL

1.

NOTICE TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES Hearing Date/Time: A hearing on a Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor filed on 08/12/2016 by Grace M. ToledoKerr of Boston, MA and Kerwin A. Kerr of Boston, MA will be held 10/31/2016 08:30 AM Guardianship of Minor Hearing Located at Suffolk Probate & Family Court, 24 New Chardon, Boston, MA 02114.

2.

Response to Petition: You may respond by filing a written response to the Petition or by appearing in person at the hearing. If you choose to file a written response, you need to:

File the original with the Court; and Mail a copy to all interested parties at least five (5) business days before the hearing.

REAL ESTATE

Parker Hill Apartments Brand New Renovated Apartment Homes Stainless Steel Appliances New Kitchen Cabinets Hardwood Floors Updated Bathroom Custom Accent Wall Painting Free Parking Free Wi-Fi in lobby Modern Laundry Facilities

Two Bedrooms Starting at $2200 888-842-7945

Wollaston Manor 91 Clay Street Quincy, MA 02170

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, Property Manager

#888-691-4301

Program Restrictions Apply.

Hingham & Norwell Affordable Housing Eight 2 Bedroom Townhomes Price: $195,600

Damon Farm

Washington St./Norwell—1220-1222 Main St./Hingham Public Information Meeting 6:30pm, Wednesday, Nov 9, 2016 Hingham Town Hall Application Deadline December 3, 2016 For Info and Application: Pick Up: Hingham & Norwell Town Hall, Town Clerks Office or Public Lib. Phone: (978) 456-8388 Email: maureen@mcohousingservices.com

MAX INCOME 1—$51,150 3—$65,750 2—$58,450 4—$73,050 Assets to $75,000 1st Time Homebuyers

Application available online at: www.mcohousingservices.com


34 • Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER

BANNER CLASSIFIEDS

REAL ESTATE

REAL ESTATE

REAL ESTATE

30 Dalton 30 Dalton, Boston MA BRA Income Restricted Housing Lottery

4 Leighton Street Fitchburg, MA 01420

First units ready in March/April 2017!

Available December 2016

36 New BRA Income Restricted Apartments For Rent # of Units

Type

Rent*

Income Limit

Total Number of Units

10**

1BR

$1,242*

Up to 70%

4

4**

2BR

$1,419*

Up to 70%

*Rent does NOT include utilities. Tenant will be responsible for paying heating, hot water, electricity, cable, telephone and water and sewer. Rent is subject to change when the BRA publishes the annual rents. **3 of the 1BR units and 1 of the 2BR units are built out for persons with mobility impairments. The Maximum Income Limits for Households for the Moderate Income Units (70% AMI) is as follows: 1 Person-$48,100*; 2 Person-$54,950*; 3 Person-$61,850*; 4 Person-$68,700*; *Income Limits subject to change when the BRA publishes the annual Income Limits From Oct 25th to Nov 3rd applications can be requested by phone (617.782.6900) or email (seb.housing@gmail.com). Applications may also be picked up at the Main Branch of the Boston Public Library (700 Boylston Street, use the Boylston entrance) Tuesday Oct 25th (1 pm to 5 pm), Wednesday Oct 26th (1 pm to 5 pm), Thursday Oct 27th (4 pm to 8 pm), Friday Oct 28th (1 pm to 5 pm) and Saturday Oct 29th (10 AM to 2 PM) Completed Applications can be dropped off to the SEB Office between 10 AM and 4 PM on Nov 8th and Nov 9th. The deadline for application drop off at the SEB Office is 4 pm on Nov 9th, 2016. Completed applications can also be mailed to the SEB Office but must be postmarked by Nov 9th, 2016. The SEB Office is on 165 Chestnut Hill Ave #2, Brighton, MA 02135. Selection by lottery. Asset, Use & Occupancy Restrictions apply. Minimum income limits apply. Disabled households have preference for 6 accessible units. Preference for Boston Residents. Preference for Households with at least one person per bedroom. 30 Dalton is a smoke free community For more information or reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities, call 617.782.6900

Bedroom Type

Rent

1 Bedroom

30% ofHousehold Income

Maximum Income per Household Size (HUD FY 2015 Income Limits) Household Size*

Maximum Income (30% AMI)

1

$18,400

2

$21,000

*The habitable and bedroom square footages of the units will limit occupancy to one and two person households. Applications may be requested from the site office, an accessible location, beginning October 1, 2016 Completed applications must be returned to 4 Leighton Street, Fitchburg, MA 01420, (978) 400-5403 by 5 pm on November 30, 2016. Applications accepted in person or by mail. Mailed applications must be postmarked by 5 pm on November 30,2016 Site Office Open 9 am - 4 pm, Mondays through Fridays 9 am -7 pm on Wednesday, November 9, 2016 9 am- 4 pm, Saturday, November 19,2016 Information session: Wednesday, November 9, 2016 at 6 pm at 4 Leighton Street, Fitchburg, MA 01420 Selection by lottery at 4 Leighton Street, Fitchburg, MA 01420 Residents must be homeless and disabled Preference for disabled households requiring an accessible or sensory unit Preference for households in need of substance abuse treatment. For more info or reasonable accommodation, contact South Middlesex Opportunity Council, Inc. (SMOC) at (978) 400-5403 TTY/TID use Mass Relay (844) 807-7989

ADVERTISE YOUR CLASSIFIEDS (617) 261-4600 x 7799 • ads@bannerpub.com Find rate information at www.baystatebanner.com/advertise

Neighborhood Homes

TWO-FAMILY HOME: $425,000

Applications accepted 10/3/16 through 12/5/16, 1 p.m. Information Session: October 24, 2016, 7:30pm 33 Andrews Pkwy, Devens, MA 01434 Application and Lottery Information: Housing@Sudbury.Ma.US Sudbury Housing Trust, Lottery Agent 278 Old Sudbury Road, Sudbury, MA 01776, 978-639-3387 Income Limit 100% Boston AMI and Asset Limits Use and Resale Restrictions Apply

Bellingham Affordable Housing Two 2 Bedroom Single Family Homes Price: $201,900

7 Fleetwood Road and 2 Indian Run Road Public Information Meeting 6:00 p.m., Tuesday, Nov, 1, 2016 Municipal Center—10 Mechanic St. Application Deadline December 6, 2016

MAX ALLOWABLE INCOME 1 person: 2 person: 3 person: 4 person:

For Info and Application: Pick Up: Bellingham Town Hall, Town Clerks Office and Public Library Phone: (978) 456-8388 Email: lotteryinfo@mcohousingservices.com

$51,150 $58,450 $65,750 $73,050 Assets to $75,000 1st Time Homebuyers

Units by Lottery

Banner Connect with the

Follow us on

twitter

Like us on facebook

BAY STATE BANNER

Affordable Housing Lottery

10 Ware St, 1st Floor Unit 2 Bed, 1 Bath

Domain Foxborough Fisher and South High Street, Foxborough, MA boston.gov/dnd for more details

Interested? To qualify for inclusion in the lottery, you must: 1. Be a 1st time homebuyer & complete approved homebuyer ed course; 2. Have a minimum household size of number of bedrooms, minus one; 3. Meet income and asset requirements. Deed-restricted, owner-occupancy, Boston residency, & household size preferences. Other restrictions apply. Requirements subject to change.

MAXIMUM HOUSEHOLD INCOME 10 WARE STREET 1 person: $68,650 2 persons: $78,500 3 persons: $88,300 4 persons: $98,100

APPLICATIONS DUE NOVEMBER 4TH BY 5:00 PM www.bostonhomecenter.com 617.635.4663 City of Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh

Moderate Income Unit, offered via lottery One 2BR 100% AMI Unit: $250,500

www.baystatebanner.com

17 Trull St, ~1,775 sq ft 2 Bed, 1.5 Baths

10 GLEN ST. & 17 TRULL ST. 1 person: $54,950 2 persons: $62,800 3 persons: $70,650 4 persons: $78,500

24A Chance Street, Devens MA 01434

@baystatebanner

ATTACHED SINGLE FAMILY HOMES: $294,000

10 Ware St, Upper Unit 2 Bed, 1 Bath

Emerson Green

Application available online at: www.mcohousingservices.com

NEW HOMES IN DORCHESTER! LOTTERY DEADLINE IS NOVEMBER 4TH AT 5:00 PM

10 Glen St, ~1,700 sq ft: 3 Bed, 1.5 Baths

Moderate Income Homeownership

Department of Neighborhood Development

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

1BRs @ $1,250*, 2BRs @ $1,458*, 3BRs @ $1,651 *Utilities not included. Tenants will pay own Gas Heat, Gas Hot Water Electric Cooking, Electricity and Water and Sewer First units will be ready in winter/spring of 2017. Domain Foxborough is a 248 unit rental apartment community located in Foxborough on the corner of Fisher Street and South High Street. 62 of these apartments will be made available through this application process. The project includes residential amenities such as a resort-style pool, firepit area and BBQs for outdoor grilling. Units will have modern kitchens with granite countertops, frameless cabinets, porcelain tile flooring, and stainless steel appliances. The living areas incorporate carpeted flooring and expansive windows, while the bedrooms have ceiling fans, large walk-in closets, and carpeted flooring. The finish packages have 9’ ceilings and accent color walls. MAXIMUM Household Income Limits: $51,150 (1 person), $58,450 (2 people), $65,750 (3 people), $73,050 (4 people), $78,900 (5 people) and $84,750 (6 people) Completed Applications and Required Income Documentation must be received, not postmarked, by 2 pm on Dec 5th, 2016, 2016. A Public Info Session will be held on Oct 26th, 2016 2016 at 6:00 pm in Boyden Library (Foxborough Public Library) on 10 Bird St. The Lottery will be held in the same location on Dec 22nd, 2016 at 5 pm. For Lottery Information and Applications, or for reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities, go to www.s-e-b.com/lottery or call (617) 782-6900 (x1) and leave a message. For TTY Services dial 711. Free translation available. Applications and Information also available at the Boyden Library (Foxborough Public Library) on 10 Bird Street. Library Hours (M-Thurs 10-8, Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5, Su 1-5)


Thursday, October 13, 2016 • BAY STATE BANNER • 35

BANNER CLASSIFIEDS

REAL ESTATE

HELP WANTED

Equal Housing Opportunity

HELP WANTED

Are you interested in a

Facilities Specialist/Carpenter

Healthcare CAREER?

Income Restricted Homeownership Opportunity

Project Hope, in partnership with Partners HealthCare is currently accepting applications for a FREE entry level healthcare employment training program.

488 Dorchester Ave Lottery 488 Dorchester Ave, South Boston, MA 02127 www.488DorchesterLottery.com

Program eligibility includes:

4 Income Restricted Units # Bedrooms

Square Feet Range

Percent of Median Income

List Price

2

1,010-1,060

80%

$206,100

2

1,116-,1131

100%*

$265,800

*Minimum income floors Maximum Income Limit Household size

80% AMI

100% AMI

1

$54,950

$68,700

2

$62,800

$78,500

3

$70,650

$88,300

4

$78,500

$98,100

5

$84,800

$105,950

6

$91,050

$113,800

• • • • •

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. 218.

New Jobs In Fast-Growing

HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATION FIELD! Companies Now Hiring

Rapid career growth potential

Are you a “people person?” Do you like to help others?

Monday, October 17, 2016 – Wednesday, October 26, 2016 through the following methods: Visit: www.488DorchesterLottery.com Call: 617-209-5226 Email: 488Dorchester@maloneyproperties.com Applications will also be available in person on the following dates and times:

Full-time, 12-week training plus internship. Job placement assistance provided.

Time

Monday, October 17, 2016

10:00AM - 2:00PM

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

10:00AM – 2:00PM

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

10:00AM – 2:00PM

Thursday, October 20, 2016

3:00PM - 7:00PM

Saturday, October 22, 2016

10:00AM - 2:00PM

Location: Lobby - 488 Dorchester Avenue, South Boston, MA 02127 Completed applications must be returned by the deadline– remit by mail only: Postmarked no later than November 2, 2016 Maloney Properties, Inc. Attention: 488 Dorchester Ave Lottery 27 Mica Lane, Wellesley MA 02481 Selection by lottery. Asset, Use & Resale Restrictions apply. Preference for Boston Residents. Preference for Households With at Least One Person Per Bedroom. Preference for First-Time Homebuyers. For more info or reasonable accommodations, Call Maloney Properties, Inc. at 617-209-5226 | MA Relay 711 | Email: 488Dorchester@maloneyproperties.com Equal Housing Opportunity

This is a full-time position with rotating on-call responsibilities, an excellent salary with good benefits and paid Personal Time Off (PTO). All candidates must have a willingness to be certified and trained in industry standard disciplines after the first ninety (90) days. Send email to sjc@trinitymanagementcompany.com or fax resumes to 617.541.0057. No phone calls accepted.

MEMBER SERVICE CALL CENTER REPS MEDICAL OFFICE SUPPORT SPECIALISTS

Households may request an application to be sent by email or mail from:

Date

St Joseph’s Community, Inc., a member-owned housing cooperative in Boston is seeking a reliable, conscientious and experienced Maintenance Technician primarily skilled in carpentry repairs. Candidate will install, maintain and repair routine residential items such as: wooden door frames, door thresholds, door/locks, wooden stair components, entry doors, cabinets and vanities, walls, windows, wooden floors, etc. Successful candidates must be computer literate and be proficient in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook. Must be bi-lingual in English & Spanish, have prior work experience in multi-dwelling residential environments and have one or more industry certifications: 10 hours OSHA training, lead renovation, asbestos abatement, mold remediation.

FREE TRAINING FOR THOSE WHO QUALIFY!

ESPEOPLE

HS diploma or GED required. Free YMCA membership for you and your family while enrolled in YMCA Training, Inc.

AD ATTENTION TR

Call 617-542-1800 and refer to Health Insurance Training when you call

Construction at:

PARCEL 25 Mission Hill, MA

GET READY FOR

A Great Office Job! Train for Administrative, Financial Services, & Healthcare Administrative Support jobs.

NEI General Contracting, Inc. and our subcontractors are seeking local tradespeople for the above project. We encourage females and local Boston residents to apply!

Work in hospitals, colleges, insurance agencies, banks, businesses, government offices, health insurance call centers, and more! FREE TRAINING FOR THOSE THAT QUALIFY! 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.

Please submit your resume and cover letter to: resume@neigc.com (Label subject of email “Parcel 25 Employment”) OR Visit our on-site application station located on: Tremont St & Gurney St Mission Hill MA

Call today to schedule an Information Session: 617-542-1800

HELP WANTED

Reward

Exciting carEEr OppOrtunitiEs!

Please contact Kassandra Emsley at 781-885-3799 with any questions.

YOURSELF WITH A PAID CAREER AS AN ADMINISRATIVE PROFESSIONAL

The Administrative Professional Program is a, hands-on, professional skills training program for adults, like you, seeking to take advantage of administrative employment opportunities in today’s professional office environment.

Full time, per visit, and weekends available in the greater Boston areas.

Resource Registered Nurse (Float):

Support clinical team in meeting day to day patient care needs. May include admission, visits, and case management.

Community Health Nurses (Home Care RNs):

Responsible for coordinating and providing high quality multidisciplinary home healthcare services for patients. Qualifications: Licensed to practice in MA; Minimum 1 year in acute care setting or comparable work experience; home care experience preferred. To learn more about VNA Care Network contact Jennifer_MacFaden@vnacare.org call 781-247-0460.

You will learn and be prepared to showcase your professional skills and take advantage of many employment opportunities available in: n Hospitals n Banking

n Medical/healthcare facilities n Large and small businesses

n Education n Community agencies

The Administrative Professional Program will provide you with knowledge and in demand computer skills employers are seeking and paying for now! You will develop new skills and self- confidence for personal success because: n Classes are small, friendly and personal (10-15 students). n Located in the South End of Boston and on MBTA bus/subway lines. n Hands-on, step-by-step, classroom and at-home activities. n 24/7 internet access to lessons, tutorials and study guides. n “Learn by doing” individual and group activities. n Certificate of Achievement and job placement assistance.

Class schedule: Monday-Friday 9:30 A.M-2:00 P.M. Training Grants available to qualifying applicants. FOR MORE INFORMATION… Contact: Computer Learning Resources, 464 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116 Phone: 857-266-3407

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

@baystatebanner

Email: clr2paths@gmail.com


America’s Got Talent available on XFINITY TV app.

Your all-access pass. With XFINITY X1, enjoy the latest episodes of the top 100 shows instantly, personalized recommendations, smart search and more. You can also explore the Black Film & TV collection on XFINITY On Demand to quickly find the movies, TV shows and music you love. Plus, XFINITY Internet delivers the fastest Internet in America according to Speedtest.net and gives you access to millions of hotspots nationwide. X1 will change the way you experience TV.

89

XFINITY X1 Triple Play

$

99

a month for 12 months with a 2-year agreement

Ask how to get a $200 Visa® Prepaid Card when you step up to an HD Complete Triple Play

Call 1-866-348-6455 or visit xfinity.com today.

Offer ends 10/30/16, and is limited to new residential customers. Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. Requires subscription to Starter XF Triple Play with Digital Starter TV, Performance Pro Internet and XFINITY Voice Unlimited services. Early termination fee applies if all XFINITY services are cancelled during the agreement term. Equipment, installation, taxes and fees, including regulatory recovery fees, Broadcast TV Fee (up to $5.00/mo.), Regional Sports Network Fee (up to $3.00/mo.) and other applicable charges extra and subject to change during and after the promo. After promo, or if any service is cancelled or downgraded, regular charges apply (pricing subject to change). Service limited to a single outlet. May not be combined with other offers. TV: Limited Basic service subscription required to receive other levels of service. XFINITY On Demand selections subject to charge indicated at time of purchase. Internet: Based on 2015 Speedtest.net testing. Speedtest.net/awards/us. Actual speeds vary and are not guaranteed. Speedtest is a trademark of Ookla, LLC. Used under license. XFINITY WiFi hotspots included with Performance Internet or above only. Available in select areas. Requires WiFi-enabled device. Money-back guarantee applies to one month’s recurring service charge and standard installation charges up to $500. Voice: $29.95 activation fee applies. Service (including 911/ emergency services) may not function after an extended power outage. Two-year term agreement required with prepaid card offers. Visa® prepaid card offer requires minimum term agreement. Cards issued by Citibank, N.A. pursuant to a license from Visa® U.S.A. Inc. and managed by Citi Prepaid Services. Cards will not have cash access and can be used everywhere Visa® debit cards are accepted. © 2016 Comcast. All rights reserved. NBCU celebrity endorsement not implied. All networks are divisions of NBCUniversal. © NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All rights reserved. NPA190664-0001 DIV16-4-203-AA-$89bau-A1

115513_NPA190664-0001 Simplify ad_A1_10x15.75.indd 1

9/19/16 5:15 PM


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.