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Pike tenants allege developer’s sale price is ‘robbery’ pg 2
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EXHIBIT OF PAINTED SUITCASES REFLECTS THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE pg 12
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plus Bomba traditions return to Festival Betances pg 13 Montreal International Jazz Festival pg 14 Thursday, July 20, 2017 • FREE • GREATER BOSTON’S URBAN NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1965 • CELEBRATING 50 YEARS
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IN MEMORIAM
S. Allen Counter 1944-2017 By M.B. MILLER
The world has lost one of its greatest humanists, but the recent death of Dr. S. Allen Counter will most adversely affect African Americans. There is no one else to explore the globe so bravely, in search of the history of the African people. As founder and director since 1981 of the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations, Counter created an institution at Harvard University that obviated impending student ethnic balkanization in favor of respectful appreciation for ethnic and racial diversity. Fully aware that outstanding celebrities in music, theater, diplomacy and art had already breached racial divides, Counter astutely created opportunities for students to enjoy programs with prominent celebrities from multiple backgrounds. Counter’s academic achievements enabled him to become a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School as well as an adjunct professor in neuroscience at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Counter was a well-published neurologist, but at the heart of his intellectual life was an insatiable curiosity about the origins of black Africans. Fortunately, Counter also had the soul of an explorer — otherwise some of the major
achievements of his life would never have been realized. With the instinct of an ethnographer and anthropologist, Counter and his close friend David Evans, an electrical engineer and admissions officer at Harvard, set out to find villages in the Suriname rainforest of the descendants of African slaves who had escaped from captivity. In the preface to their book on the expedition, “I Sought My Brother,” published in 1981, Counter states, “It is the personal story of a 350-year reunion between two Afro-Americans from the United States and the people who represent the connecting link between U.S. blacks and Africans.” Years later, Counter turned his attention to another part of the globe, the North Pole. He had always admired Matthew Henson, the black assistant to Admiral Robert Peary in the expedition to the North Pole. When he learned that Henson might have an Eskimo son living in Greenland, this information launched another expedition, to find Henson’s progeny. Counter found Henson’s son Anaukaq as well as Kali Peary, the son of Admiral Peary. Not only did Counter find them, he brought them to Cambridge to meet their American families. In 1991, Counter published a book of the adventure, “North
See COUNTER, page 6
BANNER PHOTO
Atyia Martin, Boston’s first chief resilience officer, spoke during the unveiling of Resilient Boston, the city’s plan to close systemic equity gaps and prepare neighborhoods to cope with crises.
New city plan aims to fix racial inequities Zeroes in on housing, education, jobs, transit By JULE PATTISON-GORDON
Boston seeks to confront its past with an ambitious new plan that casts light on persistent and systemic racial inequities. Mayor Martin Walsh’s administration released its “Resilient Boston” plan in Grove Hall last Thursday, the fruit of a nearly two-year information gathering and thinking process. The document explores how
decades of policies have created racial gaps in wealth and health, with a particular focus on gaps in access to housing, education, jobs, transit and other stability factors. The thrust of the report is that the city promises to roll out policies and planning with a conscious eye toward not just avoiding the expansion of such gaps, but actively closing them. “It is not by accident” that inequities cut along racial lines, said
ON THE WEB Boston department of Resilience and Racial Equity: www.Boston.gov/Resilience
Atyia Martin, the city’s chief resilience officer. The report notes a history of racially disparate policies and practices nationally and locally. “Racism is something that was created and is something that can be
See RESILIENCE, page 7
ACLU puts focus on district attorneys Set to launch voter education campaign By YAWU MILLER
BANNER FILE PHOTO
S. Allen Counter (in canoe in foreground) on a trip through the Suriname rainforest with the descendants of escaped African slaves.
Should the state abolish mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders? Should the state attorney general appoint a special investigator to examine police-involved shootings? Should recreational marijuana be legalized? If you live in a legislative district represented by a legislator of color, your representative or senator
likely supports criminal justice reforms aimed at reining in police abuse and emphasizing rehabilitation over incarceration. But not your district attorney. Like their counterparts in counties across the U.S., district attorneys in Massachusetts consistently stand in opposition to criminal justice reforms. Yet when they face re-election every five years, their positions on criminal justice issues rarely come to light.
ON THE WEB For more on the Massachusetts ACLU poll and “What a Difference a DA Makes” initiative, visit: https://aclum.org/uncategorized/
poll-mass-voters-think-criminal-justice-systemis-biased/ For more on the national ACLU Campaign for Smart Justice, visit: https://www.aclu.
org/feature/campaign-smart-justice “Massachusetts voters don’t yet know the extent to which district attorneys play a role in their lives,”
See ACLU, page 8
2 • Thursday, July 20, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER
Pike tenants allege developer’s sale price is ‘robbery’ city-appointed appraiser pegged the fair market value at $61 million, a number Trinity stands by. Oranczak said the additional $20 million is outside of tenant association and POAH means.
By JULE PATTISON-GORDON
Tenants of a Chinatown affordable housing complex say the property’s current owner agreed to sell the building to them, but that the steep sticker price demanded is unconscionable. In protest, Mass Pike Tower tenants marched outside the developer’s downtown Boston offices last Friday, chanting “No to highway robbery,” and wearing bandanas Wild-West style over their face to underscore their message. Trinity Financial, a for-profit firm with a long history of affordable development, purchased the 200-unit Mass Pike Towers in 2000 as part of a bid to maintain the housing complex’s affordable status. To make the buy, Trinity used public funding and agreed to let tenants and city government have a chance to purchase the property 15 years later. When that time came around, the developers and tenants clashed over definitions of a fair price — a disagreement of $20 million. Tenants protesting last Friday said that regardless of which price is approved, Trinity will reap a sizeable profit. Indeed, the dispute is over whether Trinity will receive seven times the original $6.1 million purchase price, or can keep the property unless paid ten times the purchase price. Bill Oranczak, president of the Mass Pike Towers Association, said that while tenants are not at nearterm risk of removal, transferring the site to community control would ensure that as development pressures continue to rise, a piece of the neighborhood remains with
Public funds
BANNER PHOTO
Lydia Lowe (second from right), director of the Chinatown Community Land Trust, and others protested Trinity Financial’s high asking sales price on an affordable housing complex. Should tenants be able to acquire the property, they intend to put it into the land trust. current residents. For Trinity to press the issue is unethical, he said. “Affordable housing is not a cash windfall,” Oranczak told the Banner at the protest. “Affordable housing is about helping people. … There is a sense of urgency because of the massive development going on in the area, development that is squeezing land and affordable housing.” Trinity Financial did not return requests for comment by Banner press time.
A rescue … then a fight
In 2000, the low-income rental subsidies on Mass Pike Tower’s units were due to expire. To save the units from the risk of being converted to market rate, a deal was arranged under which Trinity would buy the property, fix up the
aging units and ensure they stayed affordable until 2070. Another part of the deal allowed tenants a six-month window 15 years later in which they could purchase the site, followed by a six-month window in which the city could do the same. Tenants missed their time slot and urged the city to buy the property and ultimately transfer it to the Chinatown Community Land Trust. While the city was willing to do so, negotiations snagged over terms of purchase. A third party representing the Mass Pike Towers tenant association assessed the complex to be worth $42 million, and with Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) funding, tenants have raised this amount. But a
At face value, the fight is over differing assessment methods, but running beneath it is an undercurrent of debate over proper use of public funds, and what can be demanded from a developer. Lydia Lowe, director of the land trust that seeks to acquire the property, is quick to note that Trinity did not put any of its own money into the project. “They never put a penny into this land. It’s all tax dollars,” Lowe said. In 2000, Trinity received about $16 million between state, local and federal funds, tax credits and loans for purchasing and renovating the building. Tenants say Trinity was able to get such a deal because of the compelling agreement it made with tenants — including the purchase option. Protestors said their faith in Trinity was shaken also in 2004 when the developer proposed building a market-rate apartment tower on the parking lot. Tenants objected that it would block their light, remove needed parking space and drive up rents in an area saturated with luxury units. In the face of such opposition, Trinity abandoned the plan. Lowe acknowledged that Trinity has a generally good track record, but said the Pike Towers dispute has made her doubtful of the firm’s intentions.
Differing value assessments
Where do the different property value assessments come from? Trinity officials maintained in a statement to The Boston Globe that the firm only is asking its due by insisting on receiving $61 million. Lowe, however, says the higher number is erroneously inflated. According to her, the city appraiser’s number calculates property value on the assumption that one would be reaping market-rate rent on the units— not keeping them affordable. Tenants also say the city assessment improperly took into account features such as more recent subsidies, which raised the value of the property but had not existed at the time of signing the agreement in 2000. According to Lowe, tenants and developers agreed that the offer price on the property would be based on its market value, while also taking into account the affordability restrictions that were present at the time of signing. In 2016, tenants and POAH turned to court action, represented by attorneys from Greater Boston Legal Services. (The city is not involved in the case). The tenants filed a suit in the Suffolk Superior Court that seeks to compel Trinity to accept the $42 million offer. Since then, Trinity has made several bids to get the case dismissed, Oranczak said. Should they lose the case, tenants have decades of breathing room before Trinity’s affordability designations expire. Yet Lowe said given the high price being asked now, there’s no guarantee it will not rise even higher should Trinity sell in the future.
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Thursday, July 20, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 3
City unveils its final Imagine Boston plan To prevent displacement, city eyes tenant legal aid and developer, landlord incentives By JULE PATTISON-GORDON
After two years of informationgathering and drafting, Mayor Martin Walsh’s administration unveiled the final version of its comprehensive plan to guide citywide development — the first such plan in 50 years. Officials and attendees greeted the report’s release last Tuesday with a celebration in Dorchester’s Uphams Corner. The launch site is slated to become a future library branch, under the Imagine Boston 2030 plan. The report spotlights a host of thorny and pressing issues — among them Boston’s steep housing prices and displacement pressures.
Framing the problem
Report authors acknowledge that gaining and holding on to housing is an urgent issue. Boston’s median household incomes mirror the national median, but when it comes to housing prices, Boston is two-and-ahalf times more expensive, according to Imagine Boston 2030. Overall, 21 percent of the city’s renters spend more than half their income on housing, and at any given time 40,000 residents sit on waitlists for Section 8 public housing. As development booms, housing prices in some neighborhoods are rising faster than others. Between 2010 and 2015, median housing costs rose 36 percent citywide, according to the report. But Dorchester, Chinatown and Mattapan saw costs increasing by 38 percent, 43 percent and 50 percent. Roxbury topped the list with a whopping 70 percent price increase. The report acknowledges that housing access and homeownership gaps fall along racial lines, and that residents engaged in the survey process called for more senior housing, mixed-income housing and deed-restricted affordable housing.
Building a way out
The Walsh administration says it remains committed to a strategy of building its way out of the housing crisis, working toward its goal to add 53,000 new units between 2014 and 2030, with housing available for a range of incomes. By January 2017, more than 12,000 of the intended 53,000 planned units had been created, with another 7,000 or so in construction. The city expects that greater supply will slacken demand and prices eventually will drop. Report authors point to reasons for hope: In at least one neighborhood, the Fenway, a 6 percent growth in housing stock between 2011 and 2016 produced a 0.4 percent decline in rents on older units. In the South End, rents on old units climbed only slightly — 0.3 percent — after housing stock grew almost 10 percent. While rents have continued to rise in other neighborhoods, some city officials believe they could later experience similar reprieve.
Seeking affordability from developers
The Imagine Boston report highlights efforts to engage developers in creating more affordable housing or furnishing funding to support it.
ON THE WEB Read the Imagine Boston 2030 plan:
https://imagine.boston.gov/imagine-boston-plan/ Methods include the Inclusionary Development Policy — which was established in 2000 and has been updated over the years — along with density bonuses and linkage fees. Another strategy is to reduce developers’ costs, with the expectation that the savings will then be passed on to consumers. Such cost-saving tactics include streamlining permitting processes and identifying housing designs that entail lower construction expenses. Karen Chen, executive director of the Chinese Progressive Association, told the Banner that she recommends the city strictly enforce zoning laws, only offering zoning waivers in rare instances when residents ask for them. All too often, she said, zoning exemption and community benefit decisions are made with developers before community review processes are underway, thus reducing residents’ bargaining power and voice. “If the city really enforced the current zoning [provisions], that would help slow down some of the luxury developments. What we’re seeing is that in lot of the different neighborhoods, they’re giving out variances left and right,” Chen said. “Each neighborhood is slightly different, and the compromises that they’re willing to make might be different.” Chen also recommends strengthening policies on creating affordable units to match the income level of current neighborhood residents, as well as fostering more community ownership opportunities for land and housing, which she said could help regulate rent. Other strategies outlined in the Imagine Boston plan include support for an anti-displacement policy package designed to improve tenant opportunities in cases of foreclosure or attempted eviction. Its provisions include a measure that would make legal representation in housing court a right for tenants facing eviction, not just an option. Generally speaking, landlords involved in Boston Housing Court cases have legal representation, but as of January 2017, only about 7 percent of tenants in such cases received any form of legal assistance, according to the city. Another proposed bill would give tenants and nonprofits the first chance to pay fair market price to purchase a property subject to foreclosure or short sale. The Jim Brooks Community Stabilization Act would place more restrictions on eligible causes for eviction or foreclosure and would require landlords to notify the city of instances where eviction process has been initiated. The report also highlights initiatives supporting landlords with affordable units. Expansion plans are proposed for a program that provides loans for investor-owners to acquire occupied multi-family rental properties. Such owners commit to maintaining a minimum of 40 percent of units at low- and
PHOTOS COURTEY CITY OF BOSTON
(above) Mayor Martin Walsh unveiled the final Imagine Boston 2030 plan during a celebration in Dorchester’s Uphams Corner last week. (below) Between 2010 and 2015, median housing costs rose 36 percent by citywide average, while in Roxbury they rose by 70 percent, according to the Imagine Boston report. moderate-income affordable rent levels for at least 50 years. Similarly, one piece of the anti-displacement package would provide state income tax credits to landlords of non-subsidized units who nonetheless offer below-market rents.
Holistic view
Taking a holistic approach enabled by such a broad plan, the Imagine Boston 2030 report also states that one way of reducing the burden of rising rents is to help incomes rise to meet it. Other areas of the report propose ideas for improving residents’ access to better-paying jobs via strategies to bolster educational access and outcomes and economic mobility.
4 • Thursday, July 20, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER
EDITORIAL
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Established 1965
An unholy alliance Many of those old enough to remember the Cold War are shocked by Donald Trump’s embrace of the Russians and Vladimir Putin. Once World War II was over, Russia under Joseph Stalin continued to retain control of Europe from East Germany onward. The goal was to establish the USSR as an alternative to the capitalistic democracies to the West. In Stalin’s Union of Soviet Socialist Republics religion was oppressed in favor of the primacy of the state, which was run by a despotic premier. The tenets of the Bible were replaced by the works of Marx and Lenin. The private right to own property was displaced by the communist doctrine that all means of production belonged to the state. Smaller countries of Eastern Europe lacked the military capacity to resist annexation into the USSR, but the U.S. maintained its authority over West Germany after World War II. The Russians built a wall between West and East Germany to prevent western ideas from crossing the dividing line and corrupting the indoctrination of communism. The Russians established an effective secret service, the KGB, to spy on citizens thought to be enemies of the state, as well as foreign countries. The KGB was known to have little reluctance to execute enemies of the state in sophisticated ways that would not reveal the identity of the assassin. In the early days of the conflict between communism and western capitalism and democracy, the U.S. behaved as though it was at war with the USSR, even though there was no direct battle line and no shots were fired. Some analysts have asserted that
the Korean War and the Vietnam War were fought to restrain the spread of communism in Asia. The House Un-American Activities Committee was established primarily to protect the U.S. against internal terrorism, but it went much farther than that. HUAC was behind Red Scare campaigns that branded journalists, scholars and filmmakers as treasonous, thus ruining their professional reputations. Even though HUAC was abolished in 1975, profound opposition to Russian communism persisted, especially among conservatives. On March 8, 1983, President Reagan gave a memorable speech in which he branded Russia “an evil empire.” He cautioned the western world not to turn away “… from the struggle between right and wrong and good and evil.” Then in 1987, Reagan visited Berlin and famously said “Mr. Gorbachev — tear down this wall.” Two years later Germans began dismantling the wall. And in 1990, Poland broke from Russian domination. Other countries in the USSR then began to break away. While the Cold War theoretically ended in 1990, the philosophical conflict between the Russian brand of communism and western capitalism still persists. Clearly, Trump’s connection is not philosophical. He has already demonstrated a willingness to desecrate a major economic principle of the presidency, that the office will operate for the benefit of the republic and not to increase the president’s wealth. But given Reagan’s legacy, why have conservatives also abandoned that principle? One wonders what else is for sale?
“Trump doesn’t seem to know that America won the Cold War!”
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Thursday, July 20, 2017 • 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
School vouchers still don’t work, despite what Trump and DeVos think
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Do you think Boston will ever overcome its legacy of racial inequality?
By EARL OFARI HUTCHINSON Ask yourself this. What would you tell a used car salesman who tried to get you to pay top dollar for a clunker that didn’t run? In this case, the used car salesmen are Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, and the clunker is school vouchers. The cost of the clunker of a program that they’re going to do everything they can to sell Congress and taxpayers on is not a few thousand dollars, but billions. That’s billions of dollars that must come from somewhere, and that somewhere is public schools. DeVos and other school voucher cheerleaders have screamed long and loud that vouchers are the panacea for grossly underserved, failing public schools — and that their mostly poor black and Hispanic students would soar to the academic skies if they could just get into a pricey, preppy, private school somewhere. Except for a brief, half-hearted attempt by the Obama administration to allocate more federal dollars for voucher programs, their voucher education pipe dream has been confined to schools in D.C. and a handful of states. That may change. Trump proposes plopping a couple billion more federal dollars into voucher programs in 2018. That isn’t the worst of it. He and DeVos openly call for something that has never happened in the history of federal funding of public schools in the country: a federal tax credit program resembling what exists in Florida and some other states. This would put taxpayers on the hook for bankrolling private schools, with vouchers as the ticket to entry. This is the ultimate example of proclaiming that education is for sale — with the seller being the White House. Both Trump’s and DeVos’ disdain for public education is well-known. DeVos, through her nonprofit organization, American Federation for Children, has turned charters into a cash cow by promoting them to millionaire investors and entrepreneurs. In the process, public schools have been shuttered along the way. But neither Trump nor DeVos would ever dare to be such fanatic boosters of school vouchers if two things hadn’t emboldened them. One is the handful of studies that purport to show that vouchers in some very carefully proscribed cases do marginally boost test scores for some black students in very select voucher programs. However, several recent studies counter those findings. In one released in 2015, researchers looked at Indiana’s school voucher program, which had thousands of students. It was pushed to the ceiling by then Governor Mike Pence. They found that voucher students attending private schools not only did not improve achievement in math and reading, but experienced “significant losses.” The study was no fluke. Months later, a similar study of Louisiana — which, like Indiana, has a big, and expansive voucher program — found the same. There was no improvement in math and reading scores among the mostly black and poor students in the state program. Then there is a study of Ohio’s voucher program, conducted by a conservative think tank. It has no liberal, anti-voucher ax to grind and has long been a champion of school vouchers. Yet the Ohio study had the same result as the studies of Indiana and Louisiana schools. There was no improvement in math and reading for these students. In fact, there was big slippage in their achievement, compared to students in the private schools in which they were enrolled. Trump and DeVos could care less about studies like these. Their voucher agenda is driven by a fanatical disdain for public schools, and the prospect of raking in tons of money from propagating private education, vouchers and charters. But they also are emboldened by something else: black parents. Many regard vouchers as their children’s ticket out of miserably failing public schools. In years past, surveys found that most black parents wanted vouchers. They are the ones who are the most likely to have children attending public schools. In 1990, when the mostly black and failing Milwaukee public schools authorized vouchers for private schools, the stampede by black parents to grab the money and enroll their children into private or parochial schools was so great, school officials had to have a lottery to decide who received a voucher. To the shock of black leaders, many black activists, instead of denouncing vouchers as a right-wing threat to public schools, denounced black leaders for opposing them. The activists saw vouchers as a weapon against an insensitive, stagnant and often racist educational bureaucracy that systematically victimizes black children. To them, they are a steppingstone toward educational empowerment. Many black parents didn’t scream for vouchers to rebel against civil rights leaders because they were sudden converts to conservative politics or because they want to wreck public education. They were simply fed up with the decaying, crime-ridden schools, terrible teachers and indifferent administrators that their students are dumped into. The longing and sentiment for quality education is understandable. But there’s just too much history that shows that vouchers aren’t the answer no matter what Trump and DeVos think.
Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst.
Yes. It would take the mutual cooperation of every inhabitant.
No. It’s embedded in this city. People here were raised with hatred for blacks.
Veronica Nchuamu
Joe Temas
Vania Chavis
No, because people around here are just mean. They don’t have respect for anybody.
I think it’s possible, but I don’t think it’ll happen anytime soon. People in Boston aren’t very upfront with their racism. They’re like the devil you don’t know. They rob you of opportunity.
No. I was born in the 1960s. I went through busing. I don’t think much has changed.
Maxine
Tina Evans
Student South End
Retired Roxbury
Shawn Gamble Retired Teacher Roxbury
Temp Worker Dorchester
Yes. It’s possible.
Homemaker Boston
Student Dorchester
IN THE NEWS
JEFFREY SÁNCHEZ Jamaica Plain state Rep. Jeffrey Sánchez has been tapped to replace Rep. Brian Dempsey as chairman of the Legislature’s Ways and Means Committee. Sánchez will be the first person of color to hold the key post in the history of the commonwealth. “I am proud to nominate Chairman Sánchez as Chair of House Ways and Means,” House Speaker Robert DeLeo said in a statement. “His intellect, experience and leadership skills make him an ideal fit for the role. Jeff is someone who is able to understand the finer points of policy and translate them into workable solutions.” “I’m incredibly humbled to be nominated for this position by the Speaker,” Sanchez said. “Having chaired the Committees on Public Health and Health Care Financing, I hope to use this post to protect those in most need of it — like many of my constituents — while protecting our state
finances and the Massachusetts economy.” Sánchez, who grew up in Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood, was first elected to serve in the 15th Suffolk/Norfolk District in the 2002 election. His district
includes parts of Jamaica Plain, Mission Hill, Roslindale and Brookline. He earned a BA from UMass Boston and an MBA from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
6 • Thursday, July 20, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER
Counter
continued from page 1 Pole Legacy: Black, White, and Eskimo.” As a result of Counter’s efforts, Matthew Henson was removed from a common grave in Queens, New York and reinterred in 1988 in the Arlington National Cemetery, the same place where Peary was buried as a hero. Counter’s many achievements have been recognized. In 2012, Counter was knighted by Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, as Knight of the Order of the Polar
Star First Class, an order of chivalry established in 1748. Counter was recognized for two decades of collaboration with Stockholm’s Karolinska Nobel Institute and in honor of his work as the Swedish Consul General for Northern New England. Counter also received the prestigious 2013 Lowell Thomas Award from the Explorers Club of New York for the Suriname and Greenland expeditions as well as his more recent work on lead and mercury poisoning of Indians and Afro-Ecuadorians in the gold mining areas of the
Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC)
Andes Mountains. There were still important projects that interested Counter that he could not complete. One was the so-called Ishango Bone of Uganda that he believed may have been used as a computational instrument in ancient Africa. According to carbon-14 dating tests, it was estimated to be 20,000 years old. According to Counter in an early Banner story, “That is substantially earlier than the time that the Greeks supposedly developed the foundation of modern mathematics.” Counter was interested enough
in the bone to travel to the Belgian Institute for Natural History in Brussels to view the artifact. According to the Banner, he said, “I felt at once a sense of awe and reverence holding this sacred link with the past.” Counter has established for this generation that there is much in the past history of Africa, beyond present memory, that is worthy of serious attention. That awareness is a significant element of Counter’s legacy for African Americans as well as for all those who are part of the world’s intellectual community.
S. Allen Counter
Michael L. Bivins Basketball Court groundbreaking
980 Harrison Avenue Boston, MA 02119
WATER MAIN FLUSHING NOTICE Boston Water and Sewer Commission will begin Water Main Flushing in the Roxbury and the South End areas starting:
PHOTO: MAYOR’S OFFICE PHOTO BY DON HARNEY
Mayor Martin Walsh (right) joins Roxbury native and New Edition member Michael Bivins (left) for the groundbreaking of the Michael L. Bivins Basketball Court at Ramsay Park on Washington Street in Lower Roxbury.
July 23, 2017 through September 5, 2017 The boundaries for the areas being flushed are: Kneeland Street at Harvard Street to the north, Dudley Street at Shawmut Avenue to the south, Kneeland Street at Hudson Street to the east and St. Alphonsus Street at Smith Street to the west. The purpose of the Water Main Flushing Program is to improve drinking water quality for residents and businesses.
Water Main flushing will take place between the hours of 10:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M. The flushing process may cause discolored water and a reduction in pressure. The discoloration of the water will be temporary and is not harmful. If the condition persists, please contact BWSC’s 24 Hour Service at (617) 989-7000. BWSC appreciates your patience as we work to improve the quality of drinking water we will provide to the residents and businesses of Boston. If you have any questions, contact BWSC’s Night Operations Manager at (617) 989-7000 or visit our website @ www.bwsc.org.
Carney Hospital Blood Drive Tuesday, July 25, 2017 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Cushing Auditorium 2100 Dorchester Ave, Dorchester To schedule an appointment please call 1-800- RED CROSS or visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code CARNEY
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Thursday, July 20, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 7
resilience continued from page 1
eradicated by us,” Martin said. Rahsaan Hall, director of the Racial Justice Program of the ACLU of Massachusetts, told the Banner in a phone interview that the report’s strengths include intentionally applying a racial equity lens throughout every planning piece and acknowledging the city’s troubled racial history as well as how today’s structural inequities derive from that past. However, Hall added, some current issues are missing — such as the underrepresentation of children of color in Boston’s exam schools, which has been a topic of interest for the ACLU-MA and other local civil rights groups. He also noted that with most Resilient Boston initiatives still in planning or development stages, it leaves questions on how final implementation will be ensured. Affordable housing is a pressing need right now, and steps that are still in progress may not be sufficiently timely, he said. “This is a very aspirational document,” Hall said. “There was a lack of clarity on how this document becomes institutionalized and executed at every level of city government and how this is leveraged within the private sector.” Walsh’s strongest mayoral challenger, City Councilor Tito Jackson, jumped on the report, noting its timeliness in an election year and charging that prior Walsh administration actions belie the professed commitment to equity. Jackson cited the persistent white domination of police and fire ranks, as well as the passage of this year’s school budget over objections by the school committee’s Opportunity and Achievement Gap Task Force. “For the past three and a half years, Mayor Walsh has shown us he is simply not serious about dealing with issues of racial equity in Boston,” Jackson said in a statement. The Resilient Boston plan is part of the city’s participation in
“
It is not by accident [that inequities cut along racial lines]. Racism is something that was created and is something that can be eradicated by us.” — Atyia Martin, Boston’s chief resilience officer
the worldwide 100 Resilient Cities initiative. It lays out visions, goals and actions to build resilience in Boston by ensuring the most vulnerable residents are better able to cope with climate change and other threats to the wellbeing of the city. Proposals aim to break down social silos across race in Boston and prompt companies and residents to examine their own practices in order to have a cohesive and equitable city. Other focus areas include engaging residents better in local government and improving diversity in city hiring and promotion; increasing access to economic opportunity; and preparing neighborhoods against crises such as climate change and instances of violence. Included in the resiliency plan are some concrete ready-to-go initiatives, along many areas where actions remain in the early stage of solution generation.
Economics
Initiatives to bolster economic outcomes of vulnerable populations include improving job access and capabilities of small businesses. Between 2000 and 2014, incomes in Roxbury dropped by nearly 30 percent, compared to a citywide average drop of about 8 percent, according to the report. An Economic Mobility Lab would be created to analyze programs and policies and pilot targeted interventions, especially for niche populations such as incarcerated individuals, low-income youth and single mothers. A Business Capital and Finance Unit launched in March 2017 distributes microloans and flexible gap financing to immigrant-, womenand minority-owned businesses, as well as industrial small businesses and restaurants, and the Office of Financial Empowerment,
formalized in 2014, assists small businesses. One proposal would alter zoning so that predominately minority communities have fewer of the zoning rules that make it hard to have certain types of small businesses. A partnership with the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce is intended to help provide private firms with guidance on examining their own practices, advancing equity in the city and holding intracompany conversations on such topics. Actions outlined in the report for increasing the number and salaries of city workers of color include developing a targeted outreach strategy aimed at securing more job applicants of color and re-establishing the mayor’s Diversity Taskforce. The report claims that 44 percent of new hires since Walsh took office have been people of color, and states that black, Latino and Asian city employees are underrepresented among city employees earning more than $60,000 a year. While the report says that in 2015, the Boston Police Department’s share of black and Latino recruits reflected citywide populations, the city could not provide the Banner with information on how many of these recruits actually went on to serve on the police force. Speaking to the Banner at the
report unveiling, Martin said that given the challenge the state civil service policy presents to hiring non-white candidates, the city must identify plans to diversity police and fire within those constraints — such as institution of a fire cadet program — while also lobbying to the state for changes.
Education and digital
According to the report, “many studies show that a Bostonian’s race dictates his or her access to quality affordable housing, digital technology, and educational opportunities, all of which are foundational building blocks for intergenerational wealth building.” Some efforts to address this aim to expand public Wi-Fi access and improve educational outcomes. Proposals include institution of restorative justice practices in schools to help combat racially disparate discipline rates and promotion of universal access to high-quality pre-kindergarten.
Housing and transit
Initiatives to improve housing access and retention include continuing efforts to build more housing units and expand supports to those facing eviction. Measures include promotion of the Jim Brooks Community Stabilization Act and state income tax credits for landlords who offer non-subsidized units for below-market rent.
Otis Rolley, 100 Resilient Cities regional director for North America, reflected at the report unveiling that crises such as the MBTA snow shutdown have a disparately negative impact on some communities. Efforts to improve transit equity include the Fairmount/ Indigo line extension targeted for 2021, and upgrades to the line to bring faster transit. The extension’s completion is expected to bring a public transit option within walking distance to about 12,000 additional people in communities especially reliant on public transit and with low access to job centers. Smaller level fixes include switching to regular sidewalk inspection, instead of relying on residents calling in to report issues as the cue to make repairs.
Climate and trauma
Preparation for climate change and extreme weather includes setting up alternative energy generation sources in case the main energy grid gets knocked out. A microgrid pilot project is planned for Lower Roxbury. To better respond to violent incidents and other stressors, the report calls for more Boston Public Health Center neighborhood trauma teams and training of local community partners to provide mental health services. The report’s scope is sweeping, and Martin told the Banner that had there been more time, she would have liked to dig deeper into addressing mental health needs. This would include addressing a tendency of responses to focus on treating an individual patient’s mental health symptoms, rather than also looking for and tackling the societal-based root causes.
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FREE Summer Fun & Sun Safety
Awareness Day On Saturday, July 22, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Featuring:
At 25 Ambrose St., Roxbury, MA
• Dana-Farber’s Sun Safety Van • Hands-on activities for children • Community yard sale • Food • Music
(in the parking lot next to Saida’s Community Garden)
For more information: 617-582-9381 Sponsored by Madison Park Development Corporation & Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
8 • Thursday, July 20, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER
ACLU
continued from page 1 said Carol Rose, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts. “People don’t realize that the only checks and balances on district attorneys are at the voting booth.” Rose and others at the ACLU are looking to change limited voter awareness about district attorneys with a voter education project called “What a Difference a DA Makes.” According to an ACLU poll, 84 percent of Massachusetts voters think the state should “work to change the criminal justice system so that people are not treated differently based on race.” Just 48 percent of respondents to the poll of 618 Massachusetts registered voters, conducted by a professional polling firm, said they thought the state’s criminal justice system is working. “This poll shows clearly that Massachusetts voters feel the criminal justice system is biased and ripe for reform,” Rose said. “For far too long, the system has given preference to the connected and the wealthy, and Massachusetts voters say it’s time for change. At the ACLU of Massachusetts, we remain committed to fighting for racial justice, ending over-incarceration and ensuring a fair justice system for everyone.” The Massachusetts ACLU campaign is part of the national organization’s Campaign for Smart Justice, aimed at effecting criminal justice reform at the local level. Outside of Massachusetts, activist state and district attorneys like Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby and Orlando’s Aramis Ayala have taken on police abuse cases.
“There’s a growing interest in reform candidates in district attorney races that is coinciding with our public education work,” said Rahsaan Hall, director of the Racial Justice Program at the ACLU of Massachusetts. In the commonwealth, no reform candidate has yet emerged. Of the 14 district attorneys in the state, all are white and just one is a woman. But state legislators have for several years been pushing for reforms that would diminish the power of district attorneys to impose harsh sentences on nonviolent offenders. The Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus and the Progressive Caucus have sponsored various criminal justice reforms, including bills that would end mandatory minimums, raise the property value required for felony theft and guarantee the right to counsel for anyone facing incarceration, including those facing jail for failure to pay court-imposed fees and fines. District attorneys, including Suffolk County’s Dan Conley, have spoken out against the elimination of mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug crimes. Prosecutors have long favored the sentencing guidelines as a tool to pressure criminal defendants to plead guilty to lesser charges. Blacks and Latinos represent 20 percent of the state’s population, but 40 percent of those incarcerated on drug offenses and 75 percent of those serving mandatory minimum sentences. Conley was appointed Suffolk County District Attorney in 2002 to replace Ralph Martin, who left office for the private sector. Conley then was elected to the post in 2004, beating challengers Eddie
Boston Medical Center rooftop farm
PHOTO: COURTESY BMC
The roof of Boston Medical Center’s power plant has been transformed into the largest rooftop farm in the city. The 7,000 square feet of growing space, already flourishing with fresh produce, including arugula, bok choy, radishes, Swiss chard and kale, is expected to produce approximately 15,000 pounds of food this growing season, most of which is going directly to BMC patients. Here, children of patients and employees help with the harvest.
Jenkins and Brian Honan, but has not faced a significant electoral challenge since then. The ACLU poll found that Massachusetts voters currently have limited knowledge of the power and budgets of district attorneys, and few realize that DAs are accountable only to voters, with little in the way of checks and balances in between elections. Half
of the registered voters polled said they believe individual district attorneys have only a minor or insignificant impact on the functioning of the criminal justice system. Almost four in ten did not know that district attorneys are elected and accountable only to voters. After hearing facts about the impact that district attorneys can have on individual lives and
communities, 81 percent of voters say they are more likely to pay attention to their local district attorney race in 2018. Rose said the ACLU campaign could spark renewed interest in the office. “Maybe it could prompt someone who is sitting on the sidelines,” she said. “They may throw their hat in the ring.”
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2017 Men’s Health Summit
“Healthier Men: Stronger Families and Stronger Communities.”
Saturday, June 24, 2017 Whittier Street Health Center Whittier Street Health Center’s
annual Men’s Health Summit was a great success, as keynote speaker Paul Burton, reporter and associate pastor, addressed the crowd about how his upbringing with a strong father figure and strong religious connection made him the man he is today. Extending an invitation to men and their families throughout the surrounding community, the 2017 Men's Health Summit saw many individuals participate. This year's Men’s Health Summit provided health education, free health screenings and the start of many worthwhile discussions on men's health..
Clockwise from the top: Hector Piña, Owner of Merengue, Vejigantes, Doña Habana and La Fabrica Central Restaurants, his daughter, Sophia, and Whittier Street Health Center President & CEO Frederica M. Williams; Dr. Gene Lindsey, Dr. Mothusi Chilume, Marc Spooner, Colette Phillips, Courtney Mark Grey, and Richard Derosa; Geoffrey Janey leading a workout session to wrap up the summit; CeltiCare Health team sponsors.
Top row (left to right): Richard Derosa, Director, Father Friendly; Dr. Gene Lindsey, President and CEO Emeritus, Atrius Health and Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates; Marc Spooner, President, Commercial Products, Tufts Health Plan; Frederica Williams, President and CEO of Whittier Street Health Center; Courtnery Mark Grey, Director, Disaster Behavioral Health, Office of Public Health Preparedness, Boston Public Health Commission; Keynote Speaker Paul Burton, General Assignment Reporter, WBZ-TV News. Bottom row (left to right): John O'Neil, Nurturing Fathers' Program Director, Family Nurturing Center; Dr. Mothusi Chilume, Director of Adult Medicine and Urgent Care at Whittier Street Health Center; Hector Piña, Owner of Merengue, Vejigantes, Doña Habana and La Fabrica Central Restaurants; Chi Onyebuchi from Biogen Idec, accepting an award on behalf of Javier Barrientos, Senior Director of Global Diversity & Inclusion at Biogen Idec.
Leading a healthy life in a major city can be difficult. An individual is responsible for his own behavior, but that does not mean that certain populations aren't unfairly limited by the mere fact of location. Many urban youth and families have limited access to fresh food or reasonably safe places to exercise. These circumstances often make it very difficult for individuals to choose the healthy option, especially if a healthy option does not exist. This is what drives Whittier to provide comprehensive and affordable health care, including programs that deal with nutrition and fitness. The Men’s Health Program at Whittier Street Health Center is specifically designed to educate, screen and refer men, so they might get the proper treatment they need and deserve.
A special thank you to all of our sponsors, volunteers and staff for a wonderful event. Thank you for all of your support! Lead Sponsor: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Benefactor Sponsor: Eastern Bank Charitable Fund Patrons: CeltiCare Health Additional Sponsors: Tufts Health Plan, BMC HealthNet Plan, Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, Bay State Physical Therapy, Marc Spooner, Richard Chiarella, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, and Craig E. Estes.
1290 Tremont Street Roxbury, MA 02120
617-427-1000 www.wshc.org
10 • Thursday, July 20, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER
BUSINESSNEWS
www.baystatebanner.com
CHECK OUT MORE BUSINESS NEWS ONLINE: BAYSTATEBANNER.COM/NEWS/NEWS/BUSINESS
BIZ BITS TIP OF THE WEEK A smarter way to buy a home
BANNER PHOTO
McCoy Fence Co. founder Ralph McCoy with daughters Donyetta McCoy and Yolanda Anderson.
Good fences, good business
Dorchester company finds success with commercial clients By YAWU MILLER
In 1971, Ralph McCoy moved to Boston from North Carolina and went to work for Cyclone Fence, a company that installed chainlink fencing. In 1988, after 17 years on the job, McCoy became a competitor. “I was doing this work for somebody else,” he said. “I said, ‘I can do a better job myself.’” Using his own savings, McCoy leased a workshop and yard in Hyde Park and, working out of a basement office in his Mattapan triple-decker, hung out his shingle to begin serving commercial and residential clients. Now, 29 years later, McCoy’s business has become a mainstay of the local construction industry with seven employees, including his two daughters, and as much as $1 million in business annually. The firm has five trucks, a forklift, a Bobcat, an air compressor, jackhammers and other equipment, as well as the Hyde Park workshop where steel and wrought-iron fencing can be welded and painted. A job site at the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard is a showcase for McCoy Fence Company’s varied capabilities. The job began with a request from the Wing Fook Funeral Home to erect ornamental steel fencing to separate its parking lot from the homeless
“
When you’re a minority, you have to fight to get a foot in the door. When you look at a job site in Dorchester or Mattapan, there should be as many people of color as there are whites. But there are a lot of job sites where you only see two or three black people.” — Yolanda Anderson
encampment on Melnea Cass Boulevard. Aesthetically pleasing protection from the discarded needles, human waste and the occasional trespasser nodding off in the garden would require at eightfoot-tall fence with a so-called “candy cane” top that curves to a 90-degree angle. After that installation, the owners of the nearby Best Western Roundhouse Suites hotel sought fencing for their parking lot. At the same time, city officials approached McCoy for a fence to protect the greenery on the
See MCCOY FENCE, page 11
Are you considering buying a home? With mortgage rates on the slow and steady incline, there may be no better time for a home purchase than now. Mortgage interest rates will likely continue to go up for the foreseeable future, according to recent data from the housing finance company Freddie Mac. Many housing experts and industry observers agree. What does this mean? If you are thinking about buying a home, it means don’t wait any longer. The overall cost of buying a home in the future will only increase compared to buying a home of the same value today. Furthermore, rising interest rates impact housing inventory, as sellers might not be as interested in moving if it means paying a higher rate on a new mortgage. As a result, the dream home you see today might not be available next year. The 20 percent down myth. If you’ve put off buying your next home to save for the full 20 percent there is good news: You don’t need it. If you were unaware of this, you’re not alone. A recent survey found that among first-time homebuyers who obtained a mortgage, 80 percent made a down payment of less than 20 percent. While there are several low down payment mortgage options available, only one has a 60-year history of being a steadfast, smart way to get into a home: A conventional loan with private mortgage insurance (MI). What is a conventional loan with MI? A conventional loan is a mortgage from a lender that is not completely backed by the federal government. For qualified borrowers with a low down payment, private MI is required and typically paid monthly along with the mortgage payment. You can obtain this type of loan with as little as 3 percent down, though buying with a 5 percent down payment will result in a lower monthly payment. — Brandpoint
THE LIST
BANNER PHOTOS
Working on a city job, McCoy Fence Co. workers drill post holes for a wrought iron fence along Melnea Cass Boulevard.
According to TheBestColleges.org, the top 10 biggest public university bargains for 2017 are: 1. South Texas College (McAllen, Texas) 2. California State University (Los Angeles) 3. Elizabeth City State University (Elizabeth City, North Carolina) 4. Palm Beach State College (Lake Worth, Florida) 5. CUNY Lehman College (Bronx, New York) 6. Louisiana State University (Shreveport, Louisiana) 7. Chipola College (Marianna, Florida) 8. Texas A&M International University (Laredo, Texas) 9. Middle Georgia College (Cochran, Georgia) 10. University of Hawaii-West Oahu (Pearl City, Hawaii)
NUMBER TO KNOW
2.25
million: According to the PIRA Energy Group, it is estimated that American crude oil exports will grow to 2.25 million barrels per day by 2020. See BIZ BITS, page 11
Thursday, July 20, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 11
BUSINESSNEWS CHECK OUT MORE BUSINESS NEWS ONLINE: BAYSTATEBANNER.COM/NEWS/NEWS/BUSINESS
McCoy Fence continued from page 10
side of the boulevard. Last week, McCoy, his daughters Donyetta McCoy and Yolanda Anderson, and four other staff were excavating post holes and installing a wrought-iron fence that they rewelded and repainted in their Hyde Park yard. Commercial and government contracts make up 90 percent of the firm’s work, according to Anderson, who serves as vice president. But residential jobs are still an important part of their work, she adds. “My father never wanted us to be too big to do small jobs,” she says.
MBE certification
The largest job the firm currently is handling is the installation of 4,000 linear feet of fencing around the MBTA’s Fitchburg commuter rail station. Anderson had the fencing shipped directly to that job site, she says. But because the area around the train tracks is tight, McCoy’s workers must dig the post holes by hand. The work at times is grueling, but state contracts like the three-year, $2 million job on the Fitchburg line are the breadand-butter for many contractors like McCoy, who obtained state certification as a minority business enterprise when he incorporated in 1988. “It’s been very helpful,” Anderson says of the MBE certification. Last week, McCoy Fencing alternated between work for the city of Boston, the MBTA’s Fitchburg station, the Roundhouse Hotel and a job for Norfolk Hardware in Dorchester. Juggling multiple jobs is typical for McCoy, and a necessary condition to keep the firm’s seven employees busy.
Anderson said. “They talk about how we can get a piece of the action.” Often, minority firms will band together to bid on a job to ensure that subcontractors get in on the work, Anderson said. That spirit of mutual help can be crucial in Boston, where black and Latino contractors and workers have long been excluded from the building trades. “When you’re a minority, you have to fight to get a foot in the door,” Anderson said. “When you look at a job site in Dorchester or Mattapan, there should be as many people of color as there are whites. But there are a lot of job sites where you only see two or three black people.” Anderson began working for the firm after graduating high school in 1997. She learned how to do payroll at her father’s firm though courses at Roxbury Community College. At RCC, she also learned how to read blueprints, a skill she uses now to bid on jobs. “I do all the estimating,” she said. “I lay the job out for the guys.” Anderson also received help automating the firm’s bookkeeping, billing and payroll from MassAlliance, a nonprofit providing small business assistance that was run by the late Bruce Bolling.
A family affair
Daily Table
PHOTO: MAYOR’S OFFICE PHOTO BY JEREMIAH ROBINSON
Mayor Marty Walsh and state Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry speak with Executive Chef Ismail Samad (left) while visiting The Daily Table, a nonprofit community grocery store in Dorchester. Daily Table founder Doug Rauch (right) looks on.
While minority certification has given the firm a foot in the door with government contracts, much of the work has come through other minority contractors who meet as part of the Massachusetts Minority Contractors Association. “They share information about major construction projects,”
While Anderson spends much of her time running the company’s affairs from her Mattapan office, she and her sister also do their share of digging post holes and installing the fencing, which is labor-intensive. Each section of wrought-iron fencing at the Roundhouse site required three people to lift and put it in place. Sitting in the cockpit of the firm’s Bobcat, which has been fitted with an auger to excavate fence post holes, McCoy seems younger than his 67 years as he takes a break while rush hour traffic piles up along Melnea Cass Boulevard. Yolanda and Donyetta scoop loose earth from a freshly dug post hole while another worker mixes the concrete that will secure the next fence post. Taking it all in, McCoy has the satisfied air of a man who has built a successful business. “This has worked well for us,” he says.
Biz Bits
LOCAL BUSINESS & ONLINE DIRECTORY
Mutual help
continued from page 10
TECH TALK End of the Windows phone is near Microsoft officially ended support of its Windows Phone 8.1 on July 11, which ends the company’s venture into the cell phone market. Microsoft first introduced the update more than 3 years ago. It is estimated that nearly 80 percent of all Windows-powered phones are still running Windows Phone 7, Windows Phone 8 or Windows Phone 8.1. All Windows phones are now unsupported, and only 20 percent were running the latest Windows 10 Mobil OS. — More Content Now
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12 • Thursday, July 20, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER
ARTS& ENTERTAINMENT CHECK OUT MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS ONLINE: BAYSTATEBANNER.COM/NEWS/ENTERTAINMENT
Immigration Nation
Painted suitcases reflect immigrant experience
By CELINA COLBY
S
tudents, artists and community members created over 400 hand-painted suitcases for Nora Valdez’s “Immigration Nation” exhibit at Urbano Project, on display through July 29. The tactile sculptural installation confronts the struggle of immigrants to find identity and acceptance in the United States. Eucaris Jimenez, a 20-year-old student at UMass Boston, painted her suitcase with a wide, open sky and a calm sea below. The sun shines brightly and a boat bobs peacefully in the restful waters. “The message behind the suitcase is that someone doesn’t have to be an immigrant or undocumented to get on a boat and look around,” says the artist. Jimenez’s favorite suitcase is by a Korean artist and features colorful pop culture allusions. From the Dominican Republic herself, Jimenez is a self-proclaimed Koreaphile. A culturally inclusive attitude is showcased on one end of the gallery with a wall of black-and-white portraits of the artists. Not all the makers are represented but those pictured display a diverse spectrum of age, gender and race. Perpendicular to the portraits hang three white suitcases with black silhouettes painted into them. One case has a man in the trappings of Hasidic Judaism, one has
See VALDEZ, page 13
ON THE WEB To learn more about artist Nora Valdez, visit: urbanoproject.org
PHOTO: CELINA COLBY
Nora Valdez’s “Immigration Nation” is showing at the Urbano Project at 23 Germania Street in Jamaica Plain.
www.baystatebanner.com
Melissa Etheridge, Joss Stone electrify audience at jazz festival By COLETTE GREENSTEIN
“If you want love in the world, be that love,” said Melissa Etheridge during her nearly two-hour performance at this year’s Montreal International Jazz Festival. Etheridge who hadn’t performed at the music festival in 28 years, more than made up for the time lost since her last performance in 1989. Delivering songs primarily from her 2016 “Memphis Rock And Soul” album, Etheridge was absolutely incredible as she commanded the stage. The veteran musician was heartfelt and gracious about returning to the Montreal venue. She thanked the sold out audience at the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier Place des Arts for welcoming her back, and for welcoming her originally in 1988 with the release of her debut album, “Melissa Etheridge.” Of “Memphis Rock And Soul” (a tribute to the legendary musicians and songwriters from Stax Records’ heyday), the singer/ songwriter said she picked the songs because she “could relate to the soul of them.” And there was plenty of soul and blues, as well as R&B and reggae, on this particular festival night. British singer Joss Stone opened the show as part of a double bill with Etheridge. Stone, whose booming vocals filled the concert venue, gave a powerful performance singing several of her own songs, including “Victim of a Foolish Heart” and “Put Your Hands On Me.” She gave a rousing finale with her soulful version of Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man.” The concert hall was filled to the rafters with excitement, energy and music. Seguing from her album “Memphis Rock And Soul” with “Come To My Window” and “I’m The Only One” off of her 1993 Grammy Award-winning album “Yes I Am,” Etheridge demonstrated her love, passion and respect for the music and the audience. Toward the closing of her show, Etheridge brought Stone back out on stage to join in singing the Janis Joplin classic “Piece of My Heart,” which the two singer/songwriters hadn’t performed together since their 2005
See JAZZ FESTIVAL, page 14
Thursday, July 20, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 13
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Keeping it old school
BOSTONSCENES
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#EnvyMV Day Party Sunday, July 2, 2017, The Loft, Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard
Jorge Arce brings back Bomba traditions at Festival Betances By CELINA COLBY
Sunday afternoon, July 16, Jorge Arce took the stage at the 44th annual Festival Betances in the Villa Victoria neighborhood of Boston’s South End. Born in Puerto Rico, Arce is known for championing the Afro-Caribbean beats of Bomba and Plena music. While many of the festival’s performances featured contemporary music styles, Arce got the crowd’s hips shaking with traditional tunes. In addition to his musical talents, Arce is a cultural historian and researcher. It was his studies of the cultural traditions of the barrio he grew up in that inspired him to spread the knowledge. Arce established the Humano Multicultural Project to provide exploration into Puerto Rican and Afro-Caribbean culture. His workshops include art and artifacts, history, dance and music. “We respect and learn from the diversity, but also we enjoy the connection that we find within it,” says Arce in a promotional video. His aim is as much to bring people together under the Bomba notes as it is to educate on their origins. Arce appears with his group Raiz de Plena in a bombastic, carnival-style performance. Their traditional Plena music includes percussion, trumpets, trombones and audience participation in the form of call-and-response chants. In 2014, Arce held a twomonth Plena workshop at the Villa Victoria Center for the Arts, which culminated in the community participants performing with him at the 2014 Festival Betances. Nothing says Puerto Rico like a neighborhood coming together for a parade. “No one thought I would be able to get that number of people to participate, that many people up and dancing and enjoying themselves” says Arce. “I will always remember that as being very special.”
PHOTO: CELINA COLBY
Puerto Rican music forms including salsa, bomba and reggaeton are a mainstay of Festival Betances.
ON THE WEB To see Jorge Arce’s workshops schedule visit: www.jorgearce.org.
Festival Betances is Boston’s longest-running Latino festival, wherein people of all Latin nationalities come together to celebrate Puerto Rican activist Ramón Emeterio Betances. The two-day festival, put on by the nonprofit Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA), features performances, live music, contests and enough empanadas to feed
a small army. The festival has become increasingly important to the area as the South End neighborhood around it gentrifies. IBA specifically addresses the displacement of low-income families due to urban development, supporting them through arts, life skills and health programming. Whether it’s Arce’s natural charisma, the collective, celebratory nature of Puerto Rican music or the championing of diversity, Arce and Raiz de Plena have a special way of bringing people together.
Valdez
continued from page 12 a woman in a hijab and the third has a man in a sombrero and poncho. On each of the silhouettes is a bright red target. At the center of each target is the American flag. The images sharply critique the United States for turning people away on the basis of thin cultural stereotypes and prejudices. Above the three white suitcases hangs a circle painted with Aztec symbols and lined by the names Hernan Cortes, Christopher Columbus and Pizarro. The three famous Spanish conquistadors snatched the Americas from their indigenous inhabitants and claimed the land for themselves. Columbus’ famous 1492 journey was more than 500 years ago, yet the sentiment “This is ours, not yours” lives on. Some suitcases tell personal stories about coming to the United States; others focus on
PHOTO: CELINA COLBY
Cultural critique figures prominently in Nora Valdez’s “Immigration Nation.” the fight to stay here. The 400 suitcases of “Immigration Nation” represent the coming together of people from dozens of cultural backgrounds, united in the face of oppression. Jimenez says, “Right now
immigrants are in a difficult situation. This is a piece of strength for our community.” Their bags may be packed, with powerful sentiment and artistic courage anyway, but these immigrants aren’t going anywhere.
PHOTOS: JONTAI MCCLAIN
14 • Thursday, July 20, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
COMING TO
CHECK OUT MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS ONLINE: BAYSTATEBANNER.COM/NEWS/ENTERTAINMENT
HALEY HOUSE BAKERY CAFÉ: Fri July 21- Afrobeats Dance Boston, 6pm Thu July 27 - Rap Slam, 6pm Fri July 28 - House Slam vs. Union Square vs. Cantab vs. Bowery, 6pm Thu August 3 - Fulani Haynes’ Jazz Collaborative presents Jazz By Any Means Necessary, 7pm Fri August 4 - Langston Hughes Night, 6:30pm Haley House Bakery Cafe - 12 Dade Street - Roxbury 617-445-0900 - www.haleyhouse.org/bakery-cafe
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arts & entertainment news that you care about baystatebanner.com/ news/entertainment facebook.com/ baystatebanner @BayStateBanner
Submit local arts & entertainment news to yawu@bannerpub.com
PHOTO: VICTOR DIAZ LAMICH
The Four Tops performed their classic hits at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier Place des Arts on July 6 as part of the 38th Annual Montreal International Jazz Festival. The Four Tops and The O’Jays performed an “old school” double bill before a sold-out audience.
jazz festival continued from page 12
Grammy Award tribute to Joplin. And that’s what the Montreal International Jazz Festival is all about. It’s about bringing people together through music, finding a common ground to celebrate and simply making people feel good. This was evident throughout the festival. During The Four Tops performance on July 6 (also at the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier Place des Arts), the near-capacity crowd
was up on its feet, singing and clapping as the legendary group sang several of its classic songs from “Baby I Need Your Loving” and “When She Was My Girl” to “(Reach Out) I’ll Be There” and “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch).”
Good vibes
On July 7, the audience at the Gesù welcomed Cuban Latin jazz pianist and composer Harold López-Nussa. The Havana-based musician and his trio (which includes his brother and drummer Adrián Ruy López-Nussa) moved
between classical and jazz and Cuban rhythms and sounds. The music was exciting, lighthearted and fun. Simply put, it made you feel good, and that’s the beauty of the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Set in the heart of downtown Montreal — against a backdrop of history, food, culture, music and art — the festival featured more than 500 concerts, 10 concert venues, nine outdoor stages, and more than two million attendees. Over eleven days, the city is filled with music from noon to midnight. The festival never ceases to amaze.
LEAD SPONSORS
Martha’s Vineyard Summer Reception
UNCF Vineyard Friend ADVOCATE SPONSORS
Margo and Philip Evans
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
Reception and Program, 4 – 7 p.m. SCHOLAR SPONSORS
Private Home, Vineyard Haven, MA (Under the Tent) The Home of Margo and Philip Evans West Insurance Agency
John Jenkins
SPECIAL GUESTS Ronald and Charlayne Hunter-Gault Passages, Wines of South Africa ENTERTAINMENT Live Jazz by Frank and Cleopatra Wilkins SILENT AUCTION
For more information and ticket purchases, go to UNCF.org/AMIBoston Sponsorship opportunities available. E-mail AMIBOSMV@UNCF.org for more information.
Flash and Bennie Wiley MEDIA SPONSORS
Thursday, July 20, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 15
FOOD
www.baystatebanner.com
CHECK OUT NUTRITION AND HEALTH NEWS ONLINE: BAYSTATEBANNER.COM/NEWS/HEALTH
TIP OF THE WEEK Frozen snacks with a healthy twist Before you reach for that ice cream, consider some healthier frozen alternatives. The experts at the Food Network have some unique ideas to try. n Avocado slices: Freeze up to 4 hours; sprinkle with chili powder and salt. n Orange or grapefruit wedges: Freeze up to 4 hours. n Iceberg lettuce wedges: Freeze up to 4 hours; dip in blue cheese or ranch dressing. n Yogurt: Freeze in pop molds. n Applesauce: Freeze in ice cube trays.
RECIPE HELP Test one of these proven food substitutions
PICKLING PRIMER Take a deeper dive into preserving ripe produce By ARI LEVAUX, MORE CONTENT NOW
Pickling can happen any time there are ripe veggies for the picking. Today we sit squarely in the cucumber times, which last all summer long. Beans are upon us, too. Soon it will be time for pickling small batches of garlic for use in Thai cooking. And then will come the pickled peppers, large batches in large jars, sometimes with carrots. Generally speaking there are two kinds of pickle: the fermented kind, aka sour pickle, and the pickled-in-vinegar kind, which is more common and goes by many names. Although I love to eat the fermented veggies of others, I’m currently a straight vinegar-pickler at home. It’s a versatile way to go that can accommodate anything you could want to eat pickled, from cauliflower to beans to peppers and carrots, and even the asparagus that’s already come and gone. In addition to the vinegar that makes up about half the brine, this style of pickle generally uses sugar and salt as well, all of which help curb bacterial growth. For reasons of space, food safety and liability, this is not the place to give a complete set of instructions on how to pickle. My recipe assumes a basic knowledge of canning technique and certain pieces of equipment. For
Cliff Notes versions of the canning process, consult the box of lids and rings that come with canning jars. And for specific recipes that have been tested for safety by scientists that work for the company that makes basically all the canning jars used in the U.S., consult www.freshpreserving.com. Here is an all-purpose recipe that I use as a default.
Ari-Style Pickles Use Kirby-style, aka pickling, cucumbers, the kind that have little spikes on them. They can withstand higher temperatures without getting soggy. They should be small — no more than five inches long and an inch or so wide — and fresh. I like to hit the farmers market early in the day and load up. Pack the washed cucumbers into clean, sterile quart jars, leaving an inch of head space at the top. The quantity of brine you need will depend on what you packed the jars with, and how tightly. To get a sense of the quantity you need, fill one packed jar with water, then measure that amount of water. Multiply that amount by the number of packed jars. The brine is half water and half vinegar, with the vinegar part being half cider vinegar and half white wine vinegar. Heat to boiling, adding sugar a little at a time until it doesn’t quite taste sweet but takes the edge off the
vinegar, about a tablespoon per quart. While the brine heats, add a tablespoon of mustard seeds to each jar, and a tablespoon of salt. Since mustard seeds come in both yellow and brown colors, I mix them first before doling them out. When the brine comes to a boil, pour it into the jars so it covers the veggies and still leaves a half-inch of head space. Process in a water bath for the appropriate time based on the vegetable being pickled; with cucumbers that would be 20 minutes.
Wise to the words n Boiling-water canner or water bath canner: A big aluminum or steel pot with a rack inside to hold canning jars. Many have a somewhat curved bottom, making them ideal for use on gas stoves but trickier on flat-topped ones. n Water bath: The method of boiling jarred vegetables, vinegars or fruits to kill bacteria and help preserve them in air-tight containers without refrigeration. In a water bath, jars are covered by 1 to 2 inches of boiling water in a canner or big pot. n Sterilized jars: Empty jars that have been heated in a boiling-water canner prior to being filled with food and capped. Keeping jars hot prevents them from breaking when hot food is added.
Try one of these handy ingredient swaps from the Colorado State University Extension Office: n 1 teaspoon baking powder = ¼ teaspoon baking soda plus 5⁄8 teaspoon cream of tartar; OR ¼ teaspoon baking soda plus ½ cup buttermilk, kefir or yogurt (decrease liquid in recipe by ½ cup) n 1 cup corn syrup = 1 cup granulated sugar plus ¼ cup water n 1 cup sour cream = 1 cup yogurt; OR (in baking) 7⁄8 cup milk, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 2 tablespoons butter or margarine n 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate = 3 tablespoons cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon butter, melted n 1 egg (in baking) = ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1 tablespoon liquid
FOOD TECH Smart wine dispenser coming soon Wine enthusiasts looking for the perfect pour and a “smart” way to preserve an opened bottle will soon have the ability with the introduction of Kuvee’s “smart wine dispenser.” The bottle looks and feels like a traditional wine bottle, but will have a touch screen and be able to connect to Wi-Fi. When a Kuvee bottle is inserted into the dispenser, users can then use the screen to find out what they are drinking, the wine history, how much is left, food pairings and tips. Currently the smart bottle is available for pre-order.
FOOD MYTHS Will eating ‘fat free’ help you lose weight? Although foods labeled as “fat free” will help you consume less fat in your diet, fat-free foods can do the opposite. Such foods often contain extra sugar to offset the lack of fat, and the extra sugar can mean extra calories. Weight gain from eating fat-free foods can also occur because people believe the misconception that the food they are eating is healthier, which can lead to more calories. — More Content Now
16 • Thursday, July 20, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER 16 • Thursday, July 20, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER
Advocates fight to save Melnea Cass Blvd trees IF YOU GO
By SANDRA LARSON
The group Friends of Melnea Cass Boulevard is urging city and state transportation officials and Mayor Marty Walsh to delay a street redesign plan in order to address community priorities regarding tree preservation and safety and ensure adequate community oversight of the project. The Melnea Cass Boulevard “Complete Streets” redesign project, headed by the Boston Transportation Department, is intended to calm traffic and create a more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly street as well as improve the area’s stormwater drainage. First introduced in 2011, the plans have gone through numerous iterations. The current one adds separated bike lanes on each side of the street, new landscaped center medians and traffic-calming elements such as raised intersections and crosswalks. The project reached a key 25 percent design milestone recently and must be advertised for construction by fall 2018 in order to retain funding, city officials say. With that deadline in mind, construction is expected to start in 2019 — and neighborhood advocates are stressing the urgency of getting the plan right before it’s too late. A robust community response already has pushed significant alterations to the project — most notably the scrapping of initial plans to widen the street and add dedicated Bus Rapid Transit lanes in the center. While celebrating this victory and showing appreciation for some of the plan’s elements, such as the addition of a bike lane on the Roxbury side of the street, neighbors and advocates want to see several issues addressed before the design is presented for approval. The hearing on the 25 percent design is expected to occur in October. At a community information meeting last month hosted by the Friends group, speakers decried the anticipated removal of some 60 mature trees, especially in light of Boston’s climate-ready planning report released in December. That report describes the “urban heat island” effect and calls for retaining and increasing Boston’s tree canopy in order to reduce heat-related health impacts and costs that could be felt more acutely in a
Friends of Melnea Cass Boulevard meets every Wednesday from 4–5:30 p.m. at 184 Dudley Street (Hibernian Hall) in Roxbury. For more information, contact Alison Pultinas at dpultinasboston@aol.com or Kay Mathew at kmathew@madison-park.org or call 617-849-6335.
GET IN TOUCH For more information about the Melnea Cass Boulevard project, contact BTD Senior Transportation Planner Patrick Hoey at Patrick. Hoey@cityofboston.gov.
ON THE WEB Friends of Melnea Cass Boulevard:
www.facebook.com/FriendsofMCB/ Project website: www.boston.gov/ departments/transportation/melnea-cassboulevard-design-project Interactive project map: http://wikimapping. com/wikimap/melneacass1.html Climate Ready Boston report: www.boston. gov/climate-ready PHOTO: SANDRA LARSON
State Rep. Byron Rushing speaks to attendees after a community meeting hosted by Friends of Melnea Cass Boulevard.
Classifieds 4 pages
warming climate. “The climate change report is one of the reasons we’re working so hard to try to save the trees along the boulevard,” said Marah Holland, health equity and wellness coordinator for the nearby Madison Park Development Corporation. The climate report shows that Melnea Cass Boulevard lies in one of the city’s extreme heat zones and that Lower Roxbury shows high flood potential, which Holland said mature trees can help mitigate. “Keep in mind that a 40-year-old tree has a much bigger effect than a young tree. A mature tree can take in about 40 pounds of carbon dioxide per year, along with contaminants from the street,” she said. Community opposition at public meetings and the Friends’ negotiations with the BTD have succeeded in bringing down the number of trees that will be lost. An unpopular early plan that included widening the street to accommodate center-median Bus Rapid Transit lanes would have removed 259 trees. As of last November, 159 trees were slated to go. The current revision calls for removing about 60 trees, mostly in the two blocks between Shawmut and Harrison Avenues. Though the meeting at the Bruce C. Bolling Building was a neighborhood review organized
by the Friends group, some city representatives attended. When another attendee asked why trees had to be removed, BTD Deputy Commissioner James Gillooly offered an answer from his seat in the audience. Gillooly listed several reasons trees would be removed: to make sufficient space for “protected intersections” meeting modern safety standards; to make room for the new bike lanes; and as a side effect of drainage system reconstruction work that may damage roots. “We are trying to make this street as safe as possible. We’re trying to put in bicycle facilities on both sides, an objective I think everyone shares. And we’re trying to do a commendable job in terms of controlling the flooding that takes place,” he added. “We’re trying to wiggle bike lanes around tree roots. We’re trying to balance a tremendous number of objectives on this project. ... [T]here are multiple facets to everything in a roadway design, and everything competes with each other.” He noted that the project would lead to a net increase in the tree count, as 265 new trees are to be planted. “Admittedly, those are not going to be mature trees. They’ll grow over the years,” he said. “But the majority of trees are being
11.125” jump
preserved.” Kay Mathew, a co-founder of Friends of Melnea Cass Boulevard, told the Banner that the group is zeroing in on these 60 trees because they are the most mature and beautiful ones along the street. “It just doesn’t make sense,” she said of the city’s insistence that the trees have to go. “Our position is ‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way.’ It’s not impossible to save those trees if they were to think more creatively.” One of the alternative ideas her group is suggesting is for the city to secure some additional land from the boulevard’s vacant land parcels before they are developed, in order to route bike paths without sacrificing trees. The BTD engaged the Friends group for a time, Mathew said, with several meetings held last fall and in early spring, but communication has lapsed. “The 25 percent design submission took us by surprise. We didn’t realize they had gotten that far,” she said. “We have been achieving a certain amount of success — but we’re no longer invited.” Other issues include concern over inconveniently-located crosswalks and a desire for the bike paths to be two-way on both sides of the street instead of the currently planned one-way paths not
likely to be practical for bicyclists making their way to and from Tropical Foods or Orchard Gardens K-8 School. “We are asking for continued work on the design itself,” Mathew said. Next steps include intensifying efforts to get the mayor’s attention, she said. The group has not heard back yet after sending a letter to Walsh in May asking to meet with him and outlining dissatisfaction with the design and with the “increasingly limited” inclusion of the Friends group in the process. Other local elected officials have been supportive of community efforts along the way, Mathew said, including State Rep. Byron Rushing, former Rep. Gloria Fox, State Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, City Councilor Tito Jackson and the office of U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano. Chang-Diaz and Rushing attended the recent meeting, with Rushing introducing and concluding the program. Rushing urged attendees to send postcards to the mayor, voice their thoughts and ideas to the Friends group and attend the design hearing in October. “We shouldn’t forget the victories,” he reminded them. “Several years ago the priority issue was the widening of the boulevard. And we won that one. But the only way that decision got made is, we kept insisting. That’s where we are now. We don’t think this is finished yet.”
BANNER CLASSIFIEDS LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT TO BID The Brookline Housing Authority, the Awarding Authority, invites sealed bids from General Contractors for the Partial Roof Replacement, DHCD #046073 in Brookline, Massachusetts, in accordance with the documents prepared by The Galante Architecture Studio, Inc. The Project consists of: Partial roof replacement and insulation upgrade of the Trustman Apartments, including (2) stair enclosures, and an Add Alternate for a third stair enclosure. General Bidders must be certified by the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) in the following category of work - Roofing and must submit a current DCAMM Certificate of Eligibility and signed DCAMM Prime Update Statement (Form CQ3). This project is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) HOME Investment Partnerships program provided to the Town of Brookline through the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, and is subject to all provisions and regulations issued pursuant to this Act. Bids are subject to M.G.L. c.149 §44A-J & to minimum wage rates as required by M.G.L. c.149 §§26 to 27H inclusive and Federal Davis Bacon wage rates and the higher of the two rates shall be paid. This project is subject to the regulations of the Supplier Diversity Office (SDO): the MBE contracting goal is 12%, and the WBE contracting goal is 5%. Refer to the Appendices for Sections 00 73 39 through 0073 39 03. This project is subject to the requirements of Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 (section 3). Refer to the Appendices for Section 3 requirements and forms. Refer to the Appendices for additional HUD Federal forms.
LEGAL The work is estimated to cost $93,000. Bids are subject to M.G.L. c.149 §44A-J & to minimum wage rates as required by M.G.L. c.l49 §§26 to 27H inclusive. THIS PROJECT IS BEING ELECTRONICALLY BID AND HARD COPY BIDS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Please review the instructions in the bid documents on how to register as an electronic bidder. The bids are to be prepared and submitted at www.biddocsonline.com. Tutorials and instructions on how to complete the electronic bid documents are available online (click on the “Tutorial” tab at the bottom footer). General Bids will be received until 2:00 PM on Wednesday, 2 August 2017 and publicly opened online, forthwith. All Bids should be submitted online at www.biddocsonline.com and received no later than the date and time specified above. General bids and sub-bids shall be accompanied by a bid deposit that is not less than five (5%) of the greatest possible bid amount (considering all alternates), and made payable to the Brookline Housing Authority. Bid Forms and Contract Documents will be available for pick-up at www.biddocsonline.com (may be viewed electronically and hardcopy requested) or at Nashoba Blue, Inc. at 433 Main Street, Hudson, MA 01749 (978-568-1167). There is a plan deposit of $50.00 per set (maximum of 2 sets) payable to BidDocs ONLINE Inc. Plan deposits may be electronically paid or by check. This deposit will be refunded for up to two sets for general bidders and for one set for sub-bidders upon return of the sets in good condition within thirty (30) days of
LEGAL receipt of general bids. Otherwise the deposit shall be the property of the Awarding Authority. Additional sets may be purchased for $25.00 Bidders requesting Contract Documents to be mailed to them shall include a separate check for $ 40.00 per set for UPS Ground (or $65.00 per set for UPS overnight), nonrefundable, payable to the BidDocs ONLINE Inc., to cover mail handling costs. PRE-BID CONFERENCE / SITE VISIT: Date and Time: Wednesday, 26 July 2017 at 10:30 AM Address: 144-156 Amory Street, Brookline, MA 02446. Meet in parking lot behind the building. Instructions: SITE VISIT BY APPOINTMENT: NONE The Contract Documents may be seen, but not removed at: Brookline Housing Authority 90 Longwood Avenue Brookline, MA 02446 617-277-2022 Nashoba Blue Inc. 433 Main Street Hudson, MA 01749 978-568-1167
Thursday, July 20, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 17
BANNER CLASSIFIEDS
LEGAL MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS
Sealed General Bids for MPA Contract No. M524-C2, BERTH 11 & 14 REHABILITATION – CONLEY TERMINAL, SOUTH BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, will be received by the Massachusetts Port Authority at the Capital Programs Department Office, Suite 209S, Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, East Boston, Massachusetts 02128-2909, until 11:00 A.M. local time on WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017, immediately after which, in a designated room, the proposal will be opened and read publicly. NOTE: PRE BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD AT THE LARGE ADMIN CONFERENCE ROOM OF CONLEY CONTAINER TERMINAL, 940 E. 1ST ST., BOSTON, MA 02127, ON THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2017, AT 10:30 AM LOCAL TIME. ALL ATTENDEES MUST BRING A VALID DRIVER’S LICENSE, US PASSPORT, OR TWIC TO OBTAIN ENTRY TO CONLEY TERMINAL. PLEASE ARRIVE AT LEAST 1/2 HOUR EARLY TO OBTAIN SECURITY CLEARANCE PRIOR TO ENTRY.
BASE BID:
1. DEMOLITION OF THE BERTH 11 FASCIA BEAM AND ALL PIER EDGE MOUNTED FIXTURES INCLUDING MARINE FENDERS, MOUNTING BRACKETS, FENDER CHAINS, ANCHOR PLATES, AND MOORING BOLLARDS; AND INSTALLATION OF NEW MARINE FENDERS, MOORING BOLLARDS, PIER FASCIA BEAM, AND CRANE RAIL STABILIZATION WALL. 2. DEMOLITION OF THE PIER DECK AS REQUIRED TO PERFORM TIMBER PILE REPLACEMENT; AND INSTALLATION OF TIMBER PILE REPLACEMENTS, TIMBER REPLACEMENT CONCRETE PILE CAP, AND PATCHING OF THE PIER DECK AS REQUIRED. 3. DEMOLITION AND EXCAVATION OF THE EXISTING INSHORE BULKHEAD PILE CAP AS REQUIRED AND INSTALL THE STEEL SHEET PILE BULKHEAD, BATTER PILES, AND PILE CAP. 4. UTILITY MODIFICATIONS AND REPAIRS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ABOVE REPAIRS
ADD ALTERNATIVE 1:
1. DEMOLITION AND DISPOSAL OF BERTH 14 EXISTING PIER DECK, PILE CAPS, AND JERSEY BARRIERS; AND INSTALLATION OF NEW CONCRETE PILE CAPS, DECK, APPROACH SLAB, EXPANSION JOINTS, JERSEY BARRIERS, AND STEEL PILE SUPPORTED MOORING BOLLARD WITH CONCRETE CAP.
ADD ALTERNATIVE 2:
1. REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF EXISTING BERTH 11 SHIP TO SHORE CRANE RAILS AND ACCESSORIES.
ADD ALTERNATIVE 3:
1. DEMOLITION OF EXISTING LADDER AND CAGE ON CRANES 5 AND 6 AND INSTALLATION OF STEEL STAIRS CRANES 5 AND 6. ADD ALTERNATIVE 4: 1. INSTALLATION OF BACK FLOW PREVENTER ON BERTH 12.
ADD ALTERNATIVE 5:
1. PAINTING AND STRIPING OF BERTH 11 AND STATIONING OF BERTH 11 & 12.
Provisions for complete details. This contract is subject to a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise participation provision requiring that not less than ONE AND ONE TENTHS PERCENT (1.1%) of the Contract be performed by disadvantaged business enterprise contractors. With respect to this provision, bidders are urged to familiarize themselves thoroughly with the Bidding Documents. Strict compliance with the pertinent procedures will be required for a bidder to be deemed responsive and eligible. The Recipient, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that for any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award. This Contract is also subject to Affirmative Action requirements of the Massachusetts Port Authority contained in Article 84 of the General Requirements and Covenants, and to the Secretary of Labor’s Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Opportunity and the Standard Federal Equal Opportunity Construction Contract Specifications (Executive Order 11246). The General Contractor is required to submit a Certification of Non Segregated Facilities prior to award of the Contract, and to notify prospective subcontractors of the requirement for such certification where the subcontract exceeds $10,000. A Contractor having fifty (50) or more employees and his subcontractors having fifty (50) or more employees who may be awarded a subcontract of $50,000 or more will, within one hundred twenty (120) days from the contract commencement, be required to develop a written affirmative action compliance program for each of its establishments. Compliance Reports - Within thirty (30) days of the award of this Contract the Contractor shall file a compliance report (Standard Form [SF 100]) if:
(a) The Contractor has not submitted a complete compliance report within twelve (12) months preceding the date of award, and
(b) The Contractor is within the definition of “employer” in Paragraph 2c (3) of the instructions included in SF100.
The contractor shall require the subcontractor on any first-tier subcontracts, irrespective of the dollar amount, to file SF 100 within thirty (30) days after the award of the subcontracts, if the above two conditions apply. SF 100 will be furnished upon request. SF 100 is normally furnished Contractors annually, based on a mailing list currently maintained by the Joint Reporting Committee. In the event a contractor has not received the form; he may obtain it by writing to the following address:
Joint Reporting Committee 1800 G Street Washington, DC 20506
Complete information and authorization to view the site may be obtained from the Capital Programs Department Office at the Massachusetts Port Authority. The right is reserved to waive any informality in or reject any or all proposals. MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY THOMAS P. GLYNN CEO & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ADD ALTERNATIVE 7:
The estimated Base Bid cost is $24,500,000.
NOTE: PRE BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD AT THE CAPITAL PROGRAMS DEPARTMENT (ABOVE ADDRESS) AT 11:00 AM LOCAL TIME ON TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017.
The estimated Add-Alternate 5 cost is $92,000. The estimated Add-Alternate 6 cost is $500,000. The estimated Add-Alternate 7 cost is $332,000. 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. Bidders must submit a Buy American Certificate with all bids. Bids that are not accompanied by a completed Buy American Certificate must be rejected as nonresponsive. The successful Bidder will be required to furnish a performance bond and a labor and materials payment bond, each in an amount equal to 100% of the Contract price. The surety shall be a surety company or securities satisfactory to the Authority. Attention is called to the minimum rate of wages to be paid on the work as determined under the provisions of Chapter 149, Massachusetts General Laws, Section 26 to 27G, inclusive, as amended. The Contractor will be required to pay minimum wages in accordance with the schedules listed in Division II, Special Provisions of the Specifications, which wage rates have been predetermined by the U. S. Secretary of Labor and /or the Commissioner of Labor and Industries of Massachusetts, whichever is greater. The successful Bidder will be required to purchase and maintain Bodily Injury Liability Insurance and Property Damage Liability Insurance for a combined single limit of $1,000,000. Said policy shall be on an occurrence basis and the Authority shall be included as an Additional Insured. See the insurance sections of Division I, General Requirements and Division II, Special
Filed sub bids will be required and taken on the following classes of work: MISCELLANEOUS AND ORNAMENTAL IRON $31,000 ROOFING AND FLASHING $41,000 HEATING, VENTILATING, AND AIR CONDITIONING $1,912,000 ELECTRICAL $224,000 The Authority reserves the right to reject any sub bid of any sub trade where permitted by Section 44E of the above referenced General Laws. The right is also reserved to waive any informality in or to reject any or all proposals and General Bids. This contract is subject to a Minority/Women Owned Business Enterprise participation provision requiring that not less than TWO AND THREE TENTHS PERCENT (2.3%) of the Contract be performed by minority and women owned business enterprise contractors. With respect to this provision, bidders are urged to familiarize themselves thoroughly with the Bidding Documents. Strict compliance with the pertinent procedures will be required for a bidder to be deemed responsive and eligible. This Contract is also subject to Affirmative Action requirements of the Massachusetts Port Authority contained in the Non Discrimination and Affirmative Action article of Division I, General Requirements and Covenants, and to the Secretary of Labor’s Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Opportunity and the Standard Federal Equal Opportunity Construction Contract Specifications (Executive Order 11246). The General Contractor is required to submit a Certification of Non Segregated Facilities prior to award of the Contract, and to notify prospective subcontractors of the requirement for such certification where the subcontract exceeds $10,000. Complete information and authorization to view the site may be obtained from the Capital Programs Department Office at the Massachusetts Port Authority. The right is reserved to waive any informality in or reject any or all proposals. MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY THOMAS P. GLYNN CEO & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY (Authority) is soliciting consulting services for MPA CONTRACT NO. L1549 5,000 PARKING SPACES AT LOGAN AIRPORT. The Authority is seeking a qualified multidiscipline consulting firm or team, with proven experience to provide professional services including planning, design, and construction related services, including resident inspection relative to the design of 5,000 Parking Spaces at Logan Airport. The Consultant must be able to work closely with the Authority and other interested parties in order to provide such services in a timely and effective manner.
Sealed filed sub bids for the same contract will be received at the same office until 11:00 A.M. local time on WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2017, immediately after which, in a designated room, the filed sub bids will be opened and read publicly.
The estimated Add-Alternate 4 cost is $530,000.
The successful Bidder will be required to purchase and maintain Bodily Injury Liability Insurance and Property Damage Liability Insurance for a combined single limit of TEN MILLION DOLLARS ($10,000,000). Said policy shall be on an occurrence basis and the Authority shall be included as an Additional Insured. See the insurance sections of Division I, General Requirements and Division II, Special Provisions for complete details.
NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS
Bid Documents in electronic format may be obtained free of charge at the Authority’s Capital Programs Department Office, together with any addenda or amendments, which the Authority may issue and a printed copy of the Proposal form.
The estimated Add-Alternate 3 cost is $90,000.
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.
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
Sealed General Bids for MPA Contract No. L1018-C3, HVAC EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT, TERMINAL B FAN ROOMS 1 & 2, LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, EAST BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, will be received by the Massachusetts Port Authority at the Capital Programs Department Office, Suite 209S - Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, East Boston, Massachusetts 02128-2909, until 11:00 A.M. local time on WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2017, immediately after which, in a designated room, the bids will be opened and read publicly.
The estimated Add-Alternate 2 cost is $1,360,000.
(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.
MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY
1. PARTIAL REMOVAL OF EXISTING UNDERDECK TIMBER FIREWALL AND RECONSTRUCTION IN KIND, CONNECTION REPLACEMENT, REPAIRS TO EXISTING FIRE WALLS, AND FULL REPLACEMENT OF FIRE WALLS. Bid documents will be made available beginning WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2017.
The estimated Add-Alternate 1 cost is $1,040,000.
LEGAL
LEGAL NOTICE
ADD ALTERNATIVE 6:
1. REMOVE AND REPLACE UNDER DECK DRY FIRE PIPING WITH STAINLESS STEEL PIPES AND NOZZLES.
LEGAL
The work includes INSTALLATION OF NEW AIR HANDLING MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT IN TERMINAL B FAN ROOM 1 AND FAN ROOM 2. WORK INCLUDES REMOVAL OF EXISTING MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT, DUCTWORK AND PIPING, AND INSTALLATION OF NEW MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT, DUCTWORK AND PIPING; PARTIAL REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION OF NEW ELECTRICAL AND FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS; INTERIOR BUILDING DEMOLITION; ASBESTOS ABATEMENT; ROOFING MODIFICATIONS; AND NEW STEEL FRAMING AND CONCRETE TO SUPPORT THE NEW EQUIPMENT. Bid documents will be made available beginning WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2017. Bid Documents in electronic format may be obtained free of charge at the Authority’s Capital Programs Department Office, together with any addenda or amendments, which the Authority may issue and a printed copy of the Proposal form. In order to be eligible and responsible to bid on this contract General Bidders must submit with their bid a current Certificate of Eligibility issued by the Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance and an Update Statement. The General Bidder must be certified in the category of GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION The estimated contract cost is FOUR MILLION, FOUR HUNDRED NINETY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($4,495,000). In order to be eligible and responsible to bid on this contract, filed Subbidders must submit with their bid a current Sub-bidder Certificate of Eligibility issued by the Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance and a Sub-bidder Update Statement. The filed Sub-bidder must be certified in the sub-bid category of work for which the Sub-bidder is submitting a bid proposal. Bidding procedures and award of the contract and sub contracts shall be in accordance with the provisions of Sections 44A through 44H inclusive, Chapter 149 of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 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
The consultant shall demonstrate experience in several disciplines including but not limited to Environmental Permitting, Architectural, Civil, Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Fire Protection, Geotechnical, Vertical Transportation, Landscape Architecture, Code Compliance, Cost Estimating, Construction Phasing, and Parking systems and Operations and Sustainable Design. The contract will be work order based, and Consultant’s fee for each work order shall be negotiated. The project budget is anticipated to be $250,000,000 for two garages. A Supplemental Information Package will be available, on 7/19/17 on the Capital Bid Opportunities webpage of Massport http://www.massport.com/ doing-business/_layouts/CapitalPrograms/default.aspx as an attachment to the original Legal Notice, and on COMMBUYS (www.commbuys.com) in the listings for this project. If you have problems finding it, please contact Susan Brace at Capital Programs SBrace@massport.com The Supplemental Information Package will provide detailed information about Scope Of Work, Selection Criteria and Submission Requirements. In recognition of the unique nature of the project and the services required to support it, the Authority has scheduled a Consultant Briefing to be held at 2:00pm on August 1, 2017 at the Capital Programs Department, Suite 209S, Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, East Boston, Massachusetts 02128. At this session, an overview of the project will be provided, the services requested by the Authority will be described, and questions will be answered. By responding to this solicitation, consultants agree to accept the terms and conditions of Massport’s standard work order agreement, a copy of the Authority’s standard agreement can be found on the Authority’s web page at www.massport.com. The Consultant shall specify in its cover letter that it has the ability to obtain requisite insurance coverage. This submission, including the litigation and legal proceedings history in a separate sealed envelope as required shall be addressed to Houssam H. Sleiman, PE, CCM, Director of Capital Programs and Environmental Affairs and received no later than 12:00 Noon on September 14, 2017 at the Massachusetts Port Authority, Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, Suite 209S, Logan International Airport, East Boston, MA 02128-2909. Any submission which is not received in a timely manner shall be rejected by the Authority as non-responsive. Any information provided to the Authority in any Proposal or other written or oral communication between the Proposer and the Authority will not be, or deemed to have been, proprietary or confidential, although the Authority will use reasonable efforts not to disclose such information to persons who are not employees or consultants retained by the Authority except as may be required by M.G.L. c.66. MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY THOMAS P. GLYNN CEO AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
18 • Thursday, July 20, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER
BANNER CLASSIFIEDS
LEGAL
LEGAL
Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division
Docket No. SU17P1066GD
Witness, Hon. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court. Date: June 8, 2017 Terri Klug Cafazzo Register of Probate Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department
Citation Giving Notice of Petition for Appointment of Guardian for Incapacitated Person Pursuant to G.L. c. 190B, §5-304 In the matter of Novelette C Escoffery Of Roxbury, MA RESPONDENT Alleged Incapacitated Person To the named Respondent and all other interested persons, a petition has been filed by Dwayne L Escoffery of Miami, FL in the above captioned matter alleging that Novelette C Escoffery is in need of a Guardian and requesting that Dwayne L Escoffery of Miami, FL (or some other suitable person) be appointed as Guardian to serve on the bond. The petition asks the court to determine that the Respondent is incapacitated, that the appointment of a Guardian is necessary, that the proposed Guardian is appropriate. The petition is on file with this court and may contain a request for certain specific authority. You have the right to object to this proceeding. If you wish to do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance at this court on or before 10:00 A.M. on the return date of 08/17/2017. This day is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline date by which you have to file the written appearance if you object to the petition. If you fail to file the written appearance by the return date, action may be taken in this matter without further notice to you. In addition to filing the written appearance, you or your attorney must file a written affidavit stating the specific facts and grounds of your objection within 30 days after the return date. IMPORTANT NOTICE The outcome of this proceeding may limit or completely take away the above-named person’s right to make decisions about personal affairs or financial affairs or both. The above-named person has the right to ask for a lawyer. Anyone may make this request on behalf of the above-named person. If the above-named person cannot afford a lawyer, one may be appointed at State expense. WITNESS, Hon. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court. Date: July 13, 2017 Terri Klug Cafazzo Register of Probate Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division
Docket No. SU17D1253DR
Divorce Summons by Publication and Mailing Georgina Sanchez Guerrero
vs.
Guillermo Guerrero
To the Defendant: The Plaintiff has filed a Complaint for Divorce requesting that the Court grant a divorce for irretrievable breakdown. 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: Georgina Sanchez Guerrero, 26 Lattimore Ct, #290, Boston, MA 02118 your answer, if any, on or before 08/10/2017. 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.
REAL ESTATE
Affordable Housing Lottery Taj Estates Phase 1 1779 Central St, Stoughton, MA 1BRs @ $1,329*, 2BRs @ $1,560* *Rents subject to change in 2018. Utilities not included. Tenants will pay own Gas Heat, Gas Hot Water Electric Cooking, Electricity and Water and Sewer Taj Estates is a 179 unit rental apartment community located in Stoughton. 17 of the 67 apartments being built in the first phase are affordable apartments that will be made available through this application process. The community features an expansive 4,500 square foot clubhouse and leasing center with kitchenette, lounge, fitness center, and conference room. Outdoor amenities include landscaped courtyard with an outdoor swimming pool, barbeque area, basketball court and grass lawn. All units have contemporary kitchens with modern cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops and tile flooring. The living areas will feature 9 foot ceilings along with tile flooring that resembles hardwood throughout. All units contain full size washer and dryers. MAXIMUM Household Income Limits: $54,750 (1 person), $62,550 (2 people), $70,350 (3 people), $78,150 (4 people) Completed Applications and Required Income Documentation must be received, not postmarked, by 2 pm on September 7th, 2017. A Public Info Session will be held on July 31st, 2017 at 6:00 pm in the Stoughton Senior Center, 110 Rockland Street. The Lottery will be held in the same location on September 25th at 6 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 Stoughton Public Library on 529 Washington Street. Library Hours (M-Thurs 9-9, Fri 9-5, closed Sa & Su)
LEGAL
SUFFOLK Division
Docket No. SU17D0771DR
Divorce Summons by Publication and Mailing Dilcia Graciani
vs.
Alejandro Graciani
To the Defendant: The Plaintiff has filed a Complaint for Divorce requesting that the Court grant a divorce for irretrievable breakdown. 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: Dilcia Graciani, 25 Whittier St, #28, Boston, MA 02120 your answer, if any, on or before 08/17/2017. 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: June 19, 2017 Terri Klug Cafazzo Register of Probate Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division
Docket No. SU17P0566GD
Citation Giving Notice of Petition for Appointment of Guardian for Incapacitated Person Pursuant to G.L. c. 190B, §5-304
Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division
Citation Giving Notice of Petition for Appointment of Guardian for Incapacitated Person Pursuant to G.L. c. 190B, §5-304 In the matter of Mildred Holmes Of Boston, MA RESPONDENT Alleged Incapacitated Person To the named Respondent and all other interested persons, a petition has been filed by Benjamin Healthcare Center of Boston, MA in the above captioned matter alleging that Mildred Holmes is in need of a Guardian and requesting that Benjamin Healthcare Center of Boston, MA (or some other suitable person) be appointed as Guardian to serve on the bond. The petition asks the court to determine that the Respondent is incapacitated, that the appointment of a Guardian is necessary, that the proposed Guardian is appropriate. The petition is on file with this court and may contain a request for certain specific authority. You have the right to object to this proceeding. If you wish to do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance at this court on or before 10:00 A.M. on the return date of 08/03/2017. This day is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline date by which you have to file the written appearance if you object to the petition. If you fail to file the written appearance by the return date, action may be taken in this matter without further notice to you. In addition to filing the written appearance, you or your attorney must file a written affidavit stating the specific facts and grounds of your objection within 30 days after the return date. IMPORTANT NOTICE The outcome of this proceeding may limit or completely take away the above-named person’s right to make decisions about personal affairs or financial affairs or both. The above-named person has the right to ask for a lawyer. Anyone may make this request on behalf of the above-named person. If the above-named person cannot afford a lawyer, one may be appointed at State expense. WITNESS, Hon. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court. Date: June 27, 2017 Terri Klug Cafazzo Register of Probate
In the matter of Maria Saint Ledger Of Mattapan, MA RESPONDENT Alleged Incapacitated Person To the named Respondent and all other interested persons, a petition has been filed by Vero Health and Rehabilitation Center of Mattapan, MA in the above captioned matter alleging that Maria Saint Ledger is in need of a Guardian and requesting that Velma J Brinson of Mattapan, MA (or some other suitable person) be appointed as Guardian to serve without surety on the bond. The petition asks the court to determine that the Respondent is incapacitated, that the appointment of a Guardian is necessary, that the proposed Guardian is appropriate. The petition is on file with this court and may contain a request for certain specific authority. You have the right to object to this proceeding. If you wish to do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance at this court on or before 10:00 A.M. on the return date of 07/27/2017. This day is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline date by which you have to file the written appearance if you object to the petition. If you fail to file the written appearance by the return date, action may be taken in this matter without further notice to you. In addition to filing the written appearance, you or your attorney must file a written affidavit stating the specific facts and grounds of your objection within 30 days after the return date. IMPORTANT NOTICE The outcome of this proceeding may limit or completely take away the above-named person’s right to make decisions about personal affairs or financial affairs or both. The above-named person has the right to ask for a lawyer. Anyone may make this request on behalf of the above-named person. If the above-named person cannot afford a lawyer, one may be appointed at State expense. WITNESS, Hon. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court. Date: June 27, 2017 Terri Klug Cafazzo Register of Probate
Docket No. SU17P1184GD
Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division
Docket No. SU17D0709DR
Divorce Summons by Publication and Mailing Esau Oriental
vs.
Mirana Rene
To the Defendant: The Plaintiff has filed a Complaint for Divorce requesting that the Court grant a divorce for irretrievable breakdown of the marriage pursuant to G.L. c. 208, Section 1 B. 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: Esau Oriental, 678 Georgetown Drive, Hyde Park, MA 02136 your answer, if any, on or before 09/07/2017. 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: July 6, 2017 Terri Klug Cafazzo Register of Probate
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REAL ESTATE
ANNA BISSONNETTE HOUSE 1640 WASHINGTON ST., BOSTON, MA
REAL ESTATE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
REOPENING WAIT LIST
Anna Bissonnette House will be accepting applications for studio & 1 bedroom housing units under the Section 8 Program. Applicants must be seniors 62+ as well as persons with disabilities who are under age 62. Eligible applicants will be placed on an existing waiting list by random order via a lottery, not by the order in which the completed application is received. Applications will be accepted from Thursday, July 20, 2017 and ending on Saturday, August 19, 2017 either in person or via the mail. They must be received or postmarked with a date of July 20th through August 19th. Applications received after this date will not be accepted for the lottery. Please note office hours for Anna Bissonnette House: Monday thru Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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The lottery selection will be held on Wednesday, August 30th at 10:00 a.m. at Anna Bissonnette House, 1640 Washington St., Boston, MA; you do not need to be in attendance for the selection process since you will be notified of your position on the waiting list. Interested applicants may apply in person at the site located at Anna Bissonnette House, 1640 Washington St., Boston, or retrieve an application from Ruggles Assisted Living, 25 Ruggles Street, Roxbury, MA (Mon-Fri 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.) or by downloading the application at www.PeabodyProperties.com. Completed application should be submitted to: Anna Bissonnette House, 1640 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02118 in person or by mail by Saturday, August 19, 2017. NOTE: Applications will not be sent or received by fax or e-mail. Please call in advance at (617) 369-1568 or MA TTY: Dial 711 or 1.800.439.2370 if a reasonable accommodation request or assistance with limited English proficiency is needed. All applicants must be determined eligible in accordance with the Department of HUD Income Limits (as of 4/14/17)*: regulations and must meet the family size requirements for a designated bedroom size as well as maximum income of all family members. The waiting list will remain open after Maximum Income HH# 50% AMI the lottery period and applications will be processed in order of receipt from that point forward. $36,200 1 $41,400 2 *Median income levels, rents & utility allowances are subject to change based on $46,550 3 HUD guidelines (HUD.gov). Please inquire in advance for reasonable accommodation. $51,700 4 Information contained herein subject to change without notice.
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Thursday, July 20, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 19
BANNER CLASSIFIEDS REAL ESTATE AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP
Maynard Road Homes
278 Maynard Road, Sudbury, MA 01776 Units offered via lottery Two 2BR Units: $178,700 Applications accepted through 8/14/17, 1 p.m. Lottery: Thursday, August 31, 2017 At 7:00 pm, Sudbury Town Hall Application and Lottery Information: Housing@Sudbury.Ma.US Sudbury Housing Trust, Lottery Agent 278 Old Sudbury Rd., Sudbury, MA 01776, 978-639-3387 Income Limit 80% Boston AMI and Asset Limits Use and Resale Restrictions Apply
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REAL ESTATE Affordable Homeownership Opportunity Oxbow Meadows 511 Trout Brook Road Wayland, MA $280,860 511 Trout Brook Road is the resale of an affordable housing unit constructed in 2009. This is a 3-bedroom townhouse condominium unit consisting of 1,302 square feet with 1.5 bathrooms. Amenities include granite counter tops, hardwood floors, solar panels and energy saving construction, ceramic tile floors, and storage. Deed restrictions apply to ensure affordability. To be included in the lottery, deadline for receipt of completed applications is 4:00 PM on August 1, 2017. Maximum Annual Income: 1 Person $72,400; 2 Persons $82,750; 3 Persons $93,100; 4 Persons $103,400; 5 Persons $111,700; 6 Persons $119,950. Other Restrictions Apply. Applications are available at the Wayland Housing Authority Office, 106 Main Street, Wayland, MA and on the web at www.wayland.ma.us. For more information or reasonable accommodation, contact Katherine Provost at Wayland Housing Authority, Phone: 508-655-6310, ext. 14 or kprovost@waylandhousing.com
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Full time Executive Director Belmont Housing Authority, Belmont, MA
Wanted
Qualified housing professionals are invited to apply for the position of Executive Director of this mid-sized housing authority consisting of 3 sites in Belmont, MA and a small HCV program managed by an outside contractor. The Executive Director is responsible for management of all operations associated with the housing stock, supervision of administrative and maintenance staff and reporting to the Board of Directors. Minimum requirements include 4 years public housing experience or comparable experience in the private sector, ability to receive the designation of PHM within 1 year of employment, excellent understanding of the needs of low income households and ability to work with Town officials and local businesses. Also required is excellent experience and knowledge with regulations and directives of DHCD. This is a full time position with some night meetings. Salary commensurate with DHCD guidelines and individual’s experience. To receive a detailed job description, please contact 617 484-2160. Please submit a cover letter, salary requirements and a resume to: Belmont Housing Authority, 59 Pearson Road, Belmont, MA 02478. All applications must be received or postmarked no later than July 24, 2017. Belmont Housing Authority is an Equal Opportunity Employer
United Housing Management is currently seeking the professionals below. Please forward resumes to the HR Dpt. no later than July 28, 2017 to 530 Warren Street, Dorchester, MA 02121 or fax to 617-442-7231
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Property Manager: The successful candidate will be a motivated team leader with 3-5 years of experience in managing at least 150 units with Project Based Section 8 and Low Income Housing Tax Credit; must have the ability to interpret and analyze financial reports; strong organizational and written communication skills are a must. Proficiency in Spanish is a plus. Certification as a Property Manager and Tax Credit Certification C3P are required. Transportation is a must. Assistant Property Manager: The full time position is responsible for providing fundamental support to the Property Manager in the Management of a Project Based Section 8 Development. Candidate must be highly motivated and well versed in the low income tax credits, federal, state and local housing laws; experienced in a full range of property management functions, including recertification. This professional should have excellent customer service and organizational skills and works well as part of a team – COS Certification and Tax Credit experience are required; bilingual English/Spanish is a plus. Transportation is a must. Human Resources Generalist: The candidate will assist the Director of Human Resources with various HR initiatives and special projects. This role will implement, coordinate, maintain organizational programs, policies, and process the full range of HR Generalist activities with a focus on recruitment, staffing, employee relations, compensation, benefits, training and development. Requirements: BA/BS degree in HR or related field with a minimum of 3-5 years of progressively responsible experience in HR – PHR or SPHR certification preferred. United Housing Management LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Many people have great jobs. YOU can get one too! Career Collaborative is a FREE program that helps you:
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• Find full-time employment with benefits such as vacation days, paid holidays and tuition reimbursement • Create résumés, references and cover letters • Interview with Boston’s leading employers
You may qualify if you: • Want a full-time job • Are between 25 and 55 • Are legal to work in the U.S.
Information Sessions every Thursday at 1:00 PM. Career Collaborative 77 Summer Street, 11th Floor Downtown Crossing, between Macy’s and South Station (617) 424-6616 www.facebook.com/careercollaborative