Bay State Banner - March 25 Issue

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Opinion: Not the right time for school disruption pg 5

INSIDE ARTS

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Black businesses in peril pg 8

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Governor issues stay-at-home order Non-essential businesses are to close amid public health emergency

By YAWU MILLER Gov. Charlie Baker issued an executive order Monday morning calling on all non-essential businesses to close their physical workplaces to workers, customers and the public starting Tuesday at noon and running until April 7.

A separate public health advisory Baker issued outlined guidelines for self-isolation and social distancing protocols and strongly urged people over the age of 70 and those with underlying health issues to remain in their homes.

The measures bring Massachusetts in line with other states, including New York, California, Illinois and Vermont, that have issued stay-at-home orders. As the coronavirus pandemic takes hold in countries around the world, one-fifth of the world’s population has been advised or ordered to remain in their homes in an effort to stem the spread of infection.

Baker said that grocery stores will remain open, as will the businesses that support them, including shipping firms and farms. Gas stations, pharmacies, medical facilities, and manufacturers of medicines and medical supplies will also remain open.

Much of Boston seemed already shut down Monday afternoon, with downtown streets largely empty of pedestrians and cars. Baker acknowledged that the closures would have a severe impact on businesses and

workers.

“It’s not lost on me, or anyone else in my administration, that many businesses — locally grown and owned by our neighbors and friends — are the businesses most unlikely to be able to put in place remote or telework policies,” he said. “But I also know that by taking this action now, we can significantly improve our position in the fight to slow the spread of this virus.”

By limiting social contact to slow the spread of the virus, Baker and other political leaders are seeking to prevent a spike in the number of cases that could inundate the state’s hospitals. In countries such as Italy that did not take extreme measures early enough, health care systems have struggled to keep up with rapidly growing caseloads and deaths.

“A concerted effort now will help us get back to work and back to school,” he said.

People can and should get out of their homes and go for walks, Baker said, but should avoid any close contact with others.

“Every step we take to cut down on the chances this thing has to spread is a way to help our communities get through it,” he said.

While the MBTA will remain open, Baker said public transportation should be used only for essential workers.

“Just because the T is open doesn’t mean we think it’s a good

See STAY-AT-HOME, page 6

BANNER PHOTO

Grove Hall restaurants, barber shops, hair and nail salons were still doing business Friday.

Boston neighborhoods respond to coronavirus Local businesses struggle as residents stay indoors

By YAWU MILLER For barber Lanice Mikell, his business outlook is calculated one day at a time.

“We’re open now,” he said as he put the finishing touches on a customer’s close-cropped cut last Friday. “I don’t know how long we’re going to be open. Until they come and say we gotta stop.”

That order to stop came Monday, as Gov. Baker announced

a ban on all non-essential businesses. Supermarkets and drug stores are to remain open. Barbershops will close, along with salons and non-food retail stores.” The order may bring low-income communities more in line with what had already taken hold in Boston’s wealthier neighborhoods.

Last week, downtown neighborhoods such as the Back Bay and the South End were largely bereft of commuter traffic and shoppers.

But most businesses in Grove Hall

were open on Friday, March 20 — nail shops, hair salons, takeout restaurants and liquor stores — and doing what seemed a healthy business volume.

In many middle-class communities, the norms of social distancing were quickly adopted, with children staying in and friends greeting each other from a distance of at least six feet. But outside Blue Hill Barbers, where

See NEIGHBORHOODS, page 6

Roxbury activists provide free meals Service moves from on-street to delivery

By YAWU MILLER

BANNER PHOTO

Monica Cannon Grant takes a break from serving meals in Grove Hall last Friday.

Next to the Grove Hall post office, a queue stretched back 20 yards as families waited in line for bags of takeout food supplied by the nonprofit group Violence in Boston. On the menu last Wednesday: American chop suey lunches and spaghetti dinners.

Violence in Boston Executive Director Monica Cannon-Grant said she was inspired to start the

free meals program when she realized Boston Public Schools were about to shut down. While BPS is providing free grab-and-go breakfasts and lunches at sites across the city, Cannon-Grant wanted to take direct action in her local neighborhood.

“I’m a mother of six kids,” she said. “I know what it’s like when school is closed and you’re struggling.”

Grant teamed up with her friend Donnell Singleton, who

owns the restaurant Food for the Soul at 651 Warren Street. The pair raised money from local elected officials including Julia Mejia, Liz Miranda and Chynah Tyler, as well as organizations including the New England Patriots and No Books, No Ball, and began serving the pre-packaged meals, along with other handouts such as hand sanitizer.

“We get up at 5:30 and go to The Restaurant Depot,” she said. “We get all the food we need and prep and cook at Food for the Soul.”

See GRANT, page 7

2 • Thursday, March 26, 2020 • BAY STATE BANNER

Councilor, lawyers force release of BPD data

By KENNEAL PATTERSON After months of delayed response to requests, which violated the city’s public records laws, the Boston Police Department has finally released some data on 2018 pedestrian stops.

District 4 City Councilor Andrea Campbell, chair of the council’s Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice, said that she had to take the “drastic step” of issuing a 17F — a subpoena demanding that the information be turned over to the council.

“It is extremely important that all leaders in government be transparent,” Campbell told the Banner last week. “So in the spirit of transparency, I think these stop-andfrisk records should be released.”

The data comes from the BPD’s records of field intelligence observations, or FIOs, and documents incidents of people stopped by police. Criminal justice advocates find such data especially important because it can reveal racial disparities. In 2016, black people were involved in 70% of stops.

Between 2011 and 2015, subjects were 58.5% black and 22.8% white.

“When you think about the police department in particular, and the role they are required to play in making sure that we are safe, it is absolutely essential that there be trust between the police department and the community, and especially communities of color,” Campbell told the Banner.

BANNER PHOTO

The Boston Police Department released data of pedestrian stops in 2018.

In 2015, BPD officials agreed to release FIO data annually, but up until recently, they had only released data through 2017. The 17F request, said Campbell, was simply asking the administration to adhere to its own policy and release annual reports.

Lawyers for Civil Rights sues

Sophia Hall, a supervising attorney at Lawyers for Civil Rights, told the Banner that her

organization “engages in a lot of advocacy and litigation geared towards furthering the diversity of departments like BPD.” LCR recently filed a lawsuit against the BPD for its frequent delays in releasing public records. A Suffolk Superior Court judge ruled that the case may proceed.

“We filed a records request Jan. 2 of this year because we wanted to be able to gauge the progress in some of the areas that we’re

advocating in,” Hall said. “When we submitted this request, we were aware, obviously, that the law requires BPD to comply within 10 business days. Instead, despite numerous requests and lots of follow-up phone calls and emails, 116 business days passed, and we still hadn’t gotten these records.”

Hall said this isn’t the only time this has happened. She said that in two cases, BPD ignored records requests over the past few years

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and suddenly complied when a lawsuit was filed.

“Our case is more than being about [this] violation of the public records law,” she said. “It’s really trying to get at the blatant disregard for the public records law, and the pattern in practice that we see across the board, of simply failing to comply in a timely manner.”

Hall said even if public records are eventually released, it’s often too late. She said that there are people that needed that information months ago, people who expected the BPD to release the documents in 10 days.

“We’re not the only ones,” she said. “There are lots of community members, there are journalists, there are concerned citizens, there are other lawyers, there are other people out there who also expect the law to work the way it should, and expect people to be held accountable to it, that BPD would just completely disregard.”

So far, it is not clear that the 2018 data released includes all the details necessary to create a full picture of FIO stops.

“Offering limited data, as they have here, is not real transparency,” Hall said. But her organization will continue to work toward fuller and more timely BPD accountability.

The lawsuit has entered a period of “discovery,” said Hall, where the BPD has 30 days to produce information about its failure to comply.

Hall said that if the lawsuit is successful, the LCR will have gained a valuable tool that will “hold BPD accountable to everybody.”

Thursday, March 26, 2020 • BAY STATE BANNER • 3

City, state agree on improvements for BPS

By YAWU MILLER Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius signed a memorandum of understanding with state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley March 10 agreeing on a course of action to correct inequities in the city’s schools.

The MOU comes after DESE released an audit critical of “major structural problems” within the district’s 125 schools, citing among other things inadequacies in instruction of English language learners and special education students and persistent underperformance in 33 BPS schools that the state ranks among the lowest-performing 10% in the state.

Riley signed the MOU on March 10, outlining what he said is a new approach to a district intervention, setting goals for improvements that span from the hiring of a more diverse teaching staff to improving student outcomes at the 33 district schools that the state will classify as Transformation Schools. The state classification provides schools with access to resources such as coaching for teachers and administrators, but no additional financial resources.

In other state interventions in recent years, DESE has opted for district takeovers, such as the ongoing nine-year receivership of the Lawrence district, or takeovers of individual schools, including the Dever and Holland schools in Boston. Now, Riley appears

committed to exploring other avenues.

“Together, we have laid out an alternative approach that will commit BPS to a focused set of priority initiatives for the district,” Riley wrote in a letter addressed to Cassellius and attached to the audit report.

In the MOU, Cassellius and Riley agree to set benchmarks for improvements in the Transformation Schools, including boosting scores on the MCAS standardized test and the ACCESS test for English language learners.

The agreement comes after Cassellius in January released a fiveyear master plan aimed at addressing many of the same issues Riley identified in his audit. Her report was informed in part by visiting all 125 BPS schools and conducting numerous meetings with teachers, students and parents. “[The MOU] does align well with the strategic plan,” Cassellius told the Banner. “It validated the observations I made and what’s in the strategic plan.”

In Mayor Martin Walsh’s FY2021 BPS budget, released in January, he dedicated $19 million in additional funding to the 33 schools — part of a three-year, $100 million commitment to provide more resources to BPS schools, guided by Cassellius’ master plan.

District officials and DESE also have agreed to metrics that the district must meet on an annual basis, including MCAS scores and English language proficiency for English language learners. The MOU indicates that the timetable and specific

PHOTO: ISABEL LEON, MAYOR’S OFFICE

BPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius and Jeremiah E. Burke Principal Amilcar Silva talk to students on the first day of school, Sept. 2019. metrics are to be worked out within the next 60 days.

The current citywide school closure, slated to last through late April, will make it difficult to measure student progress, Cassellius said, given that the scheduled English portion of the MCAS exam has already been cancelled.

“Already there has been disruption with the students’ learning,” she said. “We have to think about how this affects student credits and graduation.”

Boston Teachers Union President Jessica Tang called it “troubling” that the state released the MOU during the state of emergency around the COVID-19 epidemic and did not involve teachers or families in the agreements made with the district.

“We were not at the table for the creation of this MOU and believe educators and families need to be at

the table moving forward,” she said in a statement released to the news media last Friday.

DESE has pledged to allocate at least $4 million a year for the next three years to help support its initiatives in the BPS schools. That funding amounts to three-tenths of a percentage point in the $1.3 billion BPS budget.

Some DESE officials will work directly with BPS officials on recruiting teachers of color.

In her statement, Tang noted that the state audit confirmed problems with BPS that teachers have complained of for years.

“The report validates well-known concerns that the Boston Teachers Union long ago identified for the state as reasons for urgent and additional state investments — not takeovers — in public education, particularly with regard to the special education and English learner needs of

Boston students,” Tang said.

Tang did not mince words in laying a share of the blame for the conditions of the schools on the state, citing its longtime underfunding of Boston’s schools.

“The state has ignored those needs for decades, and is just now catching up to them, so the state has no grounds to say it should run the Boston schools that it has starved for so long,” she said. “Thirty years of state-level divestment from public education combined with a churn of district leadership has had dire consequences for Boston students.”

In addition to the 33 schools tagged as Transformation Schools, DESE has designated 15 schools in East Boston and Charlestown to be part of a new Kaleidoscope Collective for Learning initiative, a project Riley created to help schools rethink classroom instruction around a concept he calls “deeper learning.”

The initial Kaleidoscope pilot is slated to run through June 2021.

In the MOU, Riley lists expansion of the Kaleidoscope Collective into Roxbury and Dorchester schools among the outstanding issues to be negotiated over the next 60 days.

Tang cautioned against allowing DESE any greater leeway in intervening in Boston’s schools.

“While the memorandum does not constitute a state takeover, it appears to leave the door open in ways that could be dangerous for students and our communities, given the failed track record of topdown district takeovers across the country,” she said.

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4 • Thursday, March 26, 2020 • BAY STATE BANNER

EDITORIAL

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INSIDE: BUSINESS, 8 • ARTS & CULTURE, 9 • CLASSIFIEDS, 12

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Established 1965

Democratic unity will provide quality leadership for the nation There have been 29 candidates competing to become the Democratic nominee for president in 2020. At different points in the electoral process, various candidates decided that there was not a reasonable path to the White House, and they suspended their campaigns.

Now, only Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders remain. The standard criterion for support by the voters is that the Democratic candidate for president must be able to defeat Donald Trump at the voting booth.

The first task is to win the support of fellow Democrats. Joe Biden got off to a slow start with that task. In Iowa and New Hampshire, two small states that lacked the racial diversity that is more common elsewhere, Biden trailed other candidates. But on Feb. 29, he overwhelmed the others in South Carolina, and he repeated that performance on the following Super Tuesday. Biden won in Alabama, Arkansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Then one week later, on March 10, Biden won Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri and Washington. And on March 17, Biden won Florida, Arizona and Illinois.

It became clear that Biden had won 1,186 delegates to only 885 for Bernie Sanders. With the total for victory at 1,991, there was little chance that Sanders could catch up to Biden. Some prominent Democrats suggested that it is time for Sanders to suspend his campaign, as had many others before him, so that Democrats could unify in the campaign to defeat Trump.

With the emergence of the coronavirus, the requirement for leadership has now become the ability to manage a major crisis rather than just the ability to defeat Trump.

While the devastation created by

COVID-19 has distracted many from the demands of the election in November, it is unwise for Democrats to decide that victory is a slam dunk because of Biden’s extraordinary success.

Trump will not be defeated in the election because of the debating prowess of the Democratic opponent. Trump will say or do anything to win. The Washington Post has calculated that Trump has told 16,241 lies or misleading claims in his three years in office. His supporters find such conduct to be acceptable. Many of Trump’s working-class supporters remain loyal even though their loyalty provides very little material benefits. Democrats will have to convince marginal Trump supporters that a different quality of leadership is more beneficial.

The most ill-advised of actions is to have Sanders and Biden sniping at each other while Americans are fully concerned with how to survive COVID-19. Trump has been clearly ineffective as the leader to assuage the public’s fears. The emergence of a sound Democratic Party leader is required.

Failure of the Democrats to fill this void could be politically damaging. Trump’s obsequious administrators will continue to create the false image of Trump’s leadership abilities. The media will step up to enhance the illusion. When benefits are provided to small businesses and those who lost their jobs, without a strong Democratic voice to assert the contrary, they will appear to be Republican boons.

Senator Sanders has assumed leadership of a political revolution that has not yet inspired the voters to rise and join. That is the risk all visionaries take. However, he has planted seeds that will become fruitful as long as their potential benefits are favorably contemplated over time.

“U.S. funds spent to help workers laid off because of Covid-19 must be approved by the U.S. House of Representatives.”

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Thursday, March 26, 2020 • BAY STATE BANNER • 5

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OPINION

For-profit college borrowers eligible for loan forgiveness

By CHARLENE CROWELL While much of the nation grapples with multiple adjustments attributed to the coronavirus pandemic, a rare bipartisan effort in recent days united lawmakers to reject an ill-advised Department of Education push against financial fairness for student borrowers. The lawmakers’ efforts were to allow a 2016 rule to stand unchanged.

Without the March 11 vote, hundreds of thousands of student loan borrowers would lose federal support on July 1 to seek the discharge of federal student loans incurred at fraudulent, mostly for-profit institutions. These students are deeply in debt for educations whose benefits never materialized due to misrepresentations like job placement rates, graduate incomes, and the ability to transfer credits earned.

Passing the upper chamber on a 53-41 roll call vote, 10 Republican members representing nine states joined their Democratic colleagues to preserve the federal student loan rule known as the Borrower Defense to Repayment (BD).

Originally adopted by the Obama Administration, the rule was estimated to help relieve $17 billion in federal loans for defrauded college borrowers. This sector has been characterized by its high tuition costs, as well as its targeting of distinct demographic groups — students of color, low-income students and veterans — that together led to large numbers of vulnerable students incurring unaffordable debt through a combination of private and federal loans to financially support the artificially high cost of their studies.

Many of the colleges that defrauded borrowers closed abruptly under the weight of investigations and sanctions — Corinthian Colleges, ITT Tech and Art Institutes. Other career colleges continue operating, but with scant accountability from the Trump Administration and the Department of Education.

With few students actually graduating from largely for-profit career and technical institutions, debts incurred could not be repaid on the low earnings and lack of marketable skills and knowledge.

According to a report by the nonprofit Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS), 53% of defrauded students’ debt was forgiven under Obama-era rules. That number fell to just 3% in DeVos’ term.

By its own estimates, the Education Department expects that next year — 2021 — approximately 200,000 students will experience similar misconduct.

Even so, the Department of Education’s 2019 BD version anticipates only three cents of every loan dollar could be cancelled for defrauded students, and the institutions would repay a penny for documented misconduct. Additionally, the opportunity for automatic loan discharge for groups of borrowers experiencing widespread mistreatment would end. If allowed to take effect, the DeVos version would require each student to individually apply and prove their claim — despite evidence of systemic or widespread mistreatment.

Other key changes in the 2019 rule, identified jointly by TICAS, the National Consumer Law Center and the Century Foundation, include the following: n The time limit to file a borrower defense claim will be cut in half, from the current six years to three, and only after borrowers leave school n Even if the school concedes it made false or deceptive promises, borrowers filing a BD claim will still be required to show specific types of harms incurred n Neither judgments against the schools nor a breach of contract would be sufficient grounds for borrowers to receive loan discharge.

Two other advocacy groups, the Project on Predatory Student Lending and Public Citizens, jointly filed a related lawsuit in February on behalf of the New York Legal Assistance Group.

With both chambers of Congress having voted to preserve the 2016 BD rule, the next step is presidential action. Should President Trump sign the measure, he would reject his own Secretary of Education’s proposed reform. If he vetoes the resolution, Congress will face a pivotal decision on whether to override that veto.

For Ashley Harrington, federal advocacy director with the Center for Responsible Lending, preserving the BD rule is not Congress’ only obligation to higher education.

“We also encourage Congress to advance a comprehensive reauthorization of the Higher Education Act that holds true to its original values by opening the doors of higher education to low-income students and students of color,” said Harrington. “We need a higher education system that is truly affordable, reducing the need for students to borrow for college, and provides a pathway out of student debt and into economic security.”

Charlene Crowell is a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending.

PHOTO: JOHN WILCOX, MAYOR’S OFFICE

Members of the Boston Teachers Union take Chromebooks to their cars as they help distribute the computers to Boston students in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Not the right time for school disruption

By RUBY REYES As we move into a state of uncertainty amid the coronavirus pandemic, schools are closing through April vacation, the court system has stopped pending evictions and even corporations like Comcast are stepping up to offer low cost internet access to communities as they become home bound.

The response of Governor Baker’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is very different for the Boston Public Schools. State Education Commissioner Jeff Riley responded by pushing forth a vague memorandum of understanding with BPS, with the details to be worked out in the next 60 days. Why the need to sign a vague “agreement” in the midst of a pandemic?

DESE released a report this month that shared many of the disparities and needs that advocates have been saying for years.

What was conveniently ignored was that advocates have also been saying that the state needs to do its part by investing in BPS over the current 4% it provides in resources. With the DESE threatening receivership, BPS and DESE sent out a press release claiming they had come to an agreement where DESE would invest an additional $4 million and pick 15 East Boston and Charlestown schools that would be forced into the state’s Kaleidoscope Collective for Learning cohort. Is this an Empowerment Zone by a different name?

Rather than giving BPS time to figure out what to do to respond to the pandemic crisis, DESE has sunk its teeth in at a time when what is needed is a focus on figuring out how to even get food to

families. This is happening as the much-needed Student Opportunity Act funds to support low-income students have been delayed in Governor Baker’s budget. How are we to believe that the state will suddenly care about our most vulnerable students when it has not pushed forth the funds written into law to provide resources to them?

“

There is no realistic way that BPS can improve outcomes for students when we embark on six weeks of school buildings being closed.”

Neither nonprofit nor foundation, Kaleidoscope Collective for Learning has little to no information available online. Until now, the schools that are a part of the collective have chosen to be a part of it, whereas Charlestown and East Boston school communities are being mandated to join. Of the 15 named schools, only 3 are in the 34 lowest performing schools.

Why the focus on schools that are not being identified as the “lowest performing?” The selection of a mostly low-income Latino community to force into a vague experimental network is another attempt to specifically hurt low-income Latino immigrants who are already being moved out of their homes because of gentrification.

The Commissioner would never have dared to order wealthy suburban schools to take part in this experiment without even asking what they thought about it.

DESE also does not have a glowing record of supporting schools with higher levels of vulnerable students. The Dever school in Dorchester has remained under state receivership since 2014. Prior to the receivership, the Dever was majority Latino students, 37% of the teachers were Latino, and it had one of the few dual language programs in BPS. DESE created rotating leadership changes, which at one point was Jeff Riley, the Commissioner overseeing BPS’ agreement. The Dever now has no dual language program, and the 37% of Latino teachers has turned in 15%. Is this what we want for our Latino families in East Boston?

The Boston Education Justice Alliance (BEJA) calls for a freeze on carrying out the memorandum of understanding until parents, students and communities have a chance to provide input, and at the very least until schools are reopened. That should be a no-brainer if the state and BPS want to cultivate trust and support healthier family engagement.

Because the implications of this memorandum change the control of BPS, the timing of this agreement, when schools are shutting down for a pandemic, is outrageous.

There is no realistic way that BPS can improve outcomes for students when we embark on six weeks of school buildings being closed. The details of the MOU will be worked out over the next 60 days, so why not wait to sign a detailed agreement when we are not in the midst of a pandemic and the agreement has been thoroughly vetted?

Ruby Reyes is executive director of the Boston Education Justice Alliance.

6 • Thursday, March 26, 2020 • BAY STATE BANNER

neighborhoods continued from page 1

Mikell rents a chair, barbers on break congregated in close quarters on the sidewalk outside last Friday.

The message coming from federal, state and local elected officials is clear: social distancing is critical to stopping the spread of what is becoming the deadliest global pandemic in the last 100 years.

“Handshakes and hugs simply can’t be part of our daily routines,” Gov. Charlie Baker said during a daily news briefing Saturday.

But City Council President Kim Janey said that message hasn’t gotten to everyone, despite constant repetition in the news media.

Saturday, Janey joined city officials, city workers and volunteers who dropped information about the coronavirus at every doorstep across the city in English, Spanish, Chinese and other languages.

The flyers included tips on washing hands and maintaining social distancing, web addresses and phone numbers for obtaining information and help, and a list of locations providing free emergency meals.

The common recommendation or order to “work from home” is not an option for everyone – and many workers doing essential jobs in health care and transportation rely on public transit. MBTA officials last week cut service to reflect lower ridership, but two days later restored full-time service to the Blue Line, which takes many low-income Latino workers from their homes in East Boston and Revere to their jobs downtown and at Logan Airport. Trolleys on the Green Line E branch, which serves the Longwood Medical Area, also were restored to regular service to help accommodate hospital workers.

While workers in many middleand high-income professions are able to work from home, low-wage workers are facing unemployment.

Contract workers, who are not employees, are facing weeks or possibly months without income.

Those with essential jobs, including the jobs in the transportation sector, still face daunting choices. For now, wheelchair

attendant Ibtissem Lamli is still working at Logan Airport. But like many who can’t work from home, she’s deeply conflicted. The single mother of a teenage son with an auto-immune disorder, she fears she could pass the corona virus along to him.

“I need my job to support my son,” she said. “We live paycheck to paycheck. This is not a job I can do from home.”

Her son’s doctor told Lamli she shouldn’t work, but that’s not an option.

“I have only this job,” she says. “I have MassHealth. It’s the only way I am able to afford my son’s medical treatment.”

SEIU 32BJ Executive Vice President Roxana Rivera said hundreds of members of the service employees’ union who are airport workers have been laid off. Others are facing the same dilemma Lamli is struggling with. While airlines are seeking a portion of the $8 billion the Trump administration has promised for business bailouts, Rivera says the workers need help, too.

“We’re advocating at the federal level,” she said. “We want to make sure there’s resources coming to alleviate the burden for contracted airport workers.”

While Congress and the Trump administration are negotiating a $2 trillion economic relief package, it’s unclear how much funding will make it to low-wage workers, or when it will arrive.

Janey said many of her constituents in Roxbury are facing tough choices.

“This is a global pandemic,” she said. “Thousands and thousands of people have died all over the world. And many of us are deeply afraid of the economic impact that this is having. In a neighborhood where there’s a high concentration of poverty, many folks, particularly small business owners, feel as if they have to work because April first is just around the corner and rent is due.”

Working at his barber’s chair, rent was foremost on Mikell’s mind last week.

“The bills don’t stop,” he said.

“The rent doesn’t stop. All this stuff has to be paid. We still have to eat.”

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Local clinics like Codman Square Health Center, are anticipating increased COVID-19 screenings.

stay-at-home continued from page 1

idea to take the train downtown to meet up with friends,” he said. “By limiting the use of public transportation to essential services and activities, we can not only slow the spread of the virus, but better protect our health care workers, our grocery store workers and others who are working every day to keep us safe.”

Online commerce will continue to be available, and restaurants will be able to provide take-out meals, Baker noted.

The measures will be enforced primarily at the local level.

As of Monday, there were 777 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and nine deaths in Massachusetts.

The city of Boston has closed playgrounds and tot lots as well as all Boston Centers for Youth and Families pools, gyms and fitness centers. Some BCYF

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What we want to do is stop the spread of the virus. These are difficult decisions to make and they’re being made out of an abundance of caution. If we can get everybody to adhere to them, we’ll be on the other end of this a lot quicker.”

— Mayor Martin Walsh

centers will remain open as part of the city’s free meals for children and youth.

Speaking to reporters Monday afternoon, Mayor Martin Walsh echoed Baker’s call for Boston residents to remain in their homes.

“What we want to do is stop the spread of the virus,” he said.

“These are difficult decisions to make and they’re being made out of an abundance of caution. If we can get everybody to adhere to them, we’ll be on the other end of this a lot quicker.”

Walsh noted the number of confirmed cases in Boston may rise with the increase in testing, but said the measures currently being implemented statewide should slow the continued spread of COVID-19.

“Hopefully, we’ ll make an impact,” he said. “But we won’t know for a week or two.”

Walsh also urged Boston residents experiencing difficulty with mortgage or loan payments to reach out to their banks, noting that many are willing to make adjustments.

Thursday, March 26, 2020 • BAY STATE BANNER • 7

Housing Court postpones evictions due to COVID-19

By BY EILEEN O’GRADY The Massachusetts Housing Court is postponing evictions in the state due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Chief Justice Timothy Sullivan of the Massachusetts Housing Court issued an order on March 13 ordering that, beginning March 18, all non-emergency court events, including small claims matters, civil matters and summary process cases — also known as eviction cases — will be postponed until at least April 21, 2020.

Sullivan wrote that the Housing Court’s reasons for issuing the order are to reduce the number of people in the courthouse on any given day and to promote social distancing to reduce risk of exposure to both litigants and court staff.

“Housing court is not a safe place for people to be right now,” said Helen Matthews, communications manager for the local housing activist group City Life/ Vida Urbana. “People are often forced to sit shoulder-to-shoulder waiting for the judge. It becomes just like petri dishes for the virus.”

City Life/Vida Urbana, a Jamaica Plain-based organization that helps tenants facing displacement, has been advocating for a

Grant

continued from page 1 The pair worked with four to five volunteers to prep and cook the food, then distribute the food to a steady stream of local families.

At the start, the meals were available from 12 to 2 p.m. for lunches and 5 to 8 p.m. for dinners. After serving, Grant helped with the cleanup before heading home, often as late as 11 p.m.

“Then we do it all over again,” she said.

Over the weekend, Violence in Boston and Food for the Soul decided to switch the meal program to delivery only.

“We are working closely with Mayor Walsh, The City of Boston, The Boston Health Commission and Health Officials to ensure

moratorium on evictions during the COVID-19 crisis, and sees the order as a victory.

However, the group believes the order is insufficient because it does not apply to residents who have already been issued an eviction order. They also believe it should postpone for longer than April 21.

“How can we hear, on one hand, we need to stay home and protect ourselves from this virus, while at the same time we are having corporate landlords throwing people out of their homes?” Matthews said.

In the Massachusetts Statehouse, Reps. Mike Connolly (D-Cambridge-Somerville) and Kevin Honan (D-Allston-Brighton) are still pushing to pass Bill HD.4935, comprehensive legislation that would put a full moratorium on evictions and foreclosures while in a state of emergency due to coronavirus. They started working on the legislation on March 10, after Gov. Charlie Baker declared the state of emergency.

“We have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable and mitigate the impact of this pandemic, which is why Rep. Honan and I filed this legislation,” Connolly told the Banner. “A moratorium on evictions and foreclosures will protect public health and safety by keeping vulnerable

“

How can we hear, on one hand, we need to stay home and protect ourselves from this virus, while at the same time we are having corporate landlords throwing people out of their homes?”

— Helen Matthews, Communications Manager, City Life/Vida Urbana PHOTO: JOHN WILCOX, MAYOR’S OFFICE

residents housed, thereby reducing crowding within the courts and in shelters. This will in turn limit further disruptions and additional strain on our already fractured social safety net and health care system.”

Matthews says City Life/Vida Urbana hopes the legislation will

Volunteers including Jessica Rodriguez in Hyde Park, distributed literature regarding the COVID-10 outbreak to homes in Boston on Saturday.

be passed immediately to protect residents from being evicted during the COVID-19 emergency.

“We’re very concerned that it’s a large number of people who could get a knock on their door

at any minute by a constable who says, ‘You have to pack up and leave in 48 hours,’” Matthews said. “No one should be forced out of their homes during a public health emergency.”

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the safety of all Boston Residents,” read a Facebook post announcing the switch. “We will have a limited amount of volunteers for preparation and packaging. Deliveries by authorized individuals.”

As of last week, the meals program cost $3,000 a day. Cannon-Grant said it’s worth it, given the need in the community.

“We’re going to keep doing this until we run out of funding,” Grant said. “A lot of parents were already struggling before the coronavirus. This just made things worse.”

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Black businesses in peril ON THE WEB

By KENNEAL PATTERSON In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, many business owners are fearing for their future. These worries are especially pronounced in the state’s black neighborhoods.

A survey conducted by the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA) found that 90% of respondents are currently experiencing a somewhat to severe negative financial impact due to the crisis.

The survey, published last Thursday, highlighted the often-debilitating effects that the outbreak has had on black-owned businesses.

“Black businesses were already in a precarious position prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the report states. “The current crisis has devastated an already hampered business community.” The report notes that without protection efforts, many businesses will suffer long-term consequences.

“The black business community is in dire straits right now,” BECMA Director Segun Idowu told the Banner.

Idowu added that many black businesses lacked stable investments from the city or state. Now, he said, many businesses won’t last 90 days.

The report surveyed 71 business owners, said Idowu, more than a quarter of BECMA’s membership.

Sixty-eight percent of respondents said that there would be a significant or severe financial impact on their businesses, with a majority saying that their businesses wouldn’t last more than six months and 47.4% predicting that their businesses would not survive longer than three months. Thirteen percent of respondents noted that their

For more information on BECMA, visit:

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Frugal Bookstore co-owners Leonard Egerton and Clarrissa Cooper are moving from retail to online sales during the coronavirus public health emergency. businesses wouldn’t survive at all.

Idowu noted that many businesses have already had to lay off workers. The report notes that 43% of members with full and part-time employees are considering staff reductions to cope with an unprecedented situation.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has committed emergency capital to businesses across the commonwealth through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. These loans can offer up to $2 million in assistance. The Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation is also making $10 million available. Many businesses, however, cannot afford to take out loans.

“I’m happy that these [loans]

exist,” said Idowu. “But they are really only going to help businesses who already have the ability to take on more debt, to take out these loans, who already have the reserves to pay back the interest.”

Even before the outbreak, many businesses could not take out loans, said Idowu.

“Even some of the best businesses in our communities aren’t financially capable of taking on more debt,” he added.

“The vast majority of our businesses need grant-based type of investment,” said Idowu. “They need money now.” Not only are the owners in need of funds, said Idowu, but their many employees are in need as well.

Black-owned businesses are

primarily suffering due to social distancing and “stay-at-home” measures implemented throughout the state, aimed at preventing the spread of infection. Small shops are facing a decrease in foot traffic — many Massachusetts

residents refuse to go outside due to government bans, lack of transportation or fear. Most upcoming events are canceled for the foreseeable future. The report also notes the impact of federal air restrictions, which have disrupted supply chains.

To lessen the burden, Idowu said that he’s calling for a moratorium, or freeze, on commercial rents and oncoming bills. He also noted the needs of independent contractors, like consultants, who often work alone.

“They contribute to the economy as well,” he said. “So we also have to make sure that we’re protecting these business owners.”

At the end of the day, Idowu said, it all boils down to the type of financial investment being made.

“I know everyone’s concerned about everything overall, because there’s chaos happening,” said Idowu. “But if we aren’t intentional about our efforts to protect black and brown businesses in the state, we could see whole economies obliterated by the end of this.”

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‘Diary of a Tap Dancer’ Radcliffe Fellow Ayodele Casel evokes history and magic of tap

By SUSAN SACCOCCIA

Get your art fix— Art institutions virtually take to the internet

By CELINA COLBY The doors to the Museum of Fine Arts may be closed, but the MFA and other cultural institutions are finding new ways to showcase their collections while shuttered because of COVID-19 precautions.

Many museums have launched virtual tours, streamed performances and offered collection databases chock-full of interesting information.

Google Arts & Culture offers virtual tours of the MFA, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and several other Massachusetts institutions, along with 2,500 institutions globally. Through your computer, you can stroll through the Gardner Museum’s famous courtyard (something you can’t even do when the museum is open, as the interior courtyard is roped off) and follow the path of the famous art thieves who stole 13 pieces from the museum’s walls in 1990. The MFA has been heavily showcasing its collection on its own social media as well and is encouraging followers to submit feature requests.

History buffs and homeschooled children alike can take an up-close look at

letters written by John Quincy Adams and Thomas Jefferson via the Massachusetts Historical Society website and stroll the halls of the Massachusetts State House, learning about the artifacts inside and the legislation made there.

The Digital Commonwealth, an online library of historical materials from institutions across the state, also comes in handy for history deep-dives executed from the couch.

The Museum of African American History launched an online exhibit exploring the history of the Abiel Smith School, a school established next to the African American Meeting House for black education in the 19th century.

MAAH’s collections and galleries are also on Google Arts & Culture for a virtual tour. The Museum of the National Center for Afro-American Artists showcases photos and information about their collections and exhibitions on the website.

Performing arts organizations are following suit, finding alternative ways to project their creations. WCRB (99.5 FM) will broadcast recorded Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts every night at 8 p.m. Social distancers also can

watch local indie musicians perform on Club Passim’s YouTube page. Heralded as “Keep Your Distance Fest,” the videos are also aimed at raising money for the Passim Emergency Artist Relief (PEAR) Fund. On social media platforms like Instagram, DJs are hosting “Club Quarantine,” live-streamed performances to get followers dancing together, apart.

Certainly nothing can replace the visual impact of thick paint strokes on a canvas or the sensation of an orchestra at full crescendo, but these virtual tools are keeping culture alive during the coronavirus pandemic. Exploring these collections now will make a future in-person visit that much more gratifying.

Tap dance, like jazz, is conducive to self-expression. The dancer’s body creates visual and aural images that can express an emotion and tell a story. Many leading tap dancers of color are telling stories that draw on a shared heritage of African American history and an art form that began in slavery.

Weaving together her own life story as a tap dancer with the story of earlier female tap dancers of color is Ayodele Casel, an actor, tap dancer and choreographer and currently a Radcliffe Fellow. Hailed by Gregory Hines as “one of the top young tap dancers in the world, male or female,” and cited by The New York Times as a 2019 breakout star, Casel recently performed her new work of dance theater, “Diary of a Tap Dancer,” which she is developing during her yearlong residency at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study in Cambridge.

At the February performance, in a packed hall on the campus, Tomiko Brown-Nagin, the Institute dean, introduced Casel.

Accompanying Casel in segments of her hour-long work were dancers Andre Imanishi and Andrea (Dre) Torres. Following her performance, Casel responded to audience questions and held an on-stage conversation with Jeneé Osterheldt of The Boston Globe.

A jubilant presence on stage whose Yoruba first name means “joy,” Casel describes herself as

See CASEL, page 11

ON THE WEB Take virtual tours through Boston museums — Google Arts & Culture:

https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/boston/ m01cx_?categoryId=place The Digital Commonwealth:

www.digitalcommonwealth.org MAAH’s Abiel Smith School exhibit:

www.maah.org/online_exhibit PHOTO: KEVIN GRADY/RADCLIFFE INSTITUTE

The halls of Boston museums may be quiet, but art lovers can still explore their collections virtually. PHOTOS: CELINA COLBY, ADOBE STOCK

Ayodele Casel presents “Diary of a Tap Dancer,” at the Radcliffe Institute.

10 • Thursday, March 26, 2020 • BAY STATE BANNER

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Hunker down and listen up

“The Black Book” was compiled by Toni Morrison to show an encyclopedic view of the black experience in America.

“The Water Dancer ” by Ta-Nehisi Coates flips the traditional slave story on its head.

PHOTOS: CELINA COLBY

Plenty of jazz to be enjoyed at home

By SCOTT HAAS With the city of Boston and the rest of the country cut off from live performances, jazz on the internet and showcased on cable are great ways to get through the next few weeks (or months) of social distancing. And not just as an endurance measure, but as a time when you can explore the artistic dimensions of jazz in the intimacy of your home.

Locally, thanks to Tessil Collins and Eric Jackson, WGBH offers “Jazz 24/7,” a streaming internet service. This online music service has programming day and night featuring playlists compiled by Jackson, the venerable Boston DJ, while Collins weighs in with “The Jazz Gallery.”

Collins and Jackson, long-familiar to the Boston jazz scene, offer a total of eight programs, beginning at midnight and going …

24/7. Recordings feature music from a catalogue stretching back to the early days of jazz up through the current scene, from Ella to Esperanza.

Jazz can also be heard at “Real Jazz” on Sirius — you don’t need a car, but you do need a subscription. (Prices vary, but you can get a free preview.) The sub-scription includes more than 100 other shows, too.

“Real Jazz” has a few of the most knowledgeable DJs in the business, including Rhonda Hamilton, Mark Ruffin and Eulis Cathey.

Hamilton, a graduate of Boston University’s College of Communication, was for many years a host on legendary WBGO radio, 88.3 FM, that aired out of Newark, New Jersey, and only recently signed on with Sirius.

Hamilton can be heard weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ruffin is on from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Cathey plays music at varying times, typically from 6 p.m. to midnight.

Each DJ has eclectic tastes informed by decades of immersion in music that they love and about which they are deeply informed.

You are as likely to hear Sarah Vaughan as 29-year-old Jazzmeia Horn, and interspersed with the tunes, the mellow voices of the DJs have nearly as calming an effect.

What’s great about “Real Jazz” is the vibe that you are in a musical classroom, in which you feel the art and learn while doing so.

In addition to its daily schedule, “Real Jazz” is home to a couple of unique weekly shows.

“A Night at Dizzy’s Club” is a show that features performances from the club, which is located five stories above Columbus Circle in Manhattan. Live perfor-mances, now archived, feature Wynton Marsalis leading the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. The show airs from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

“The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian McBride” is one of

the best and most fun music programs ever to air on radio. The always-upbeat McBride, one of the jazz world’s best standing bass players, pairs up with musicians to perform songs, and between interviews he and his guests play musical games. You see sides of famous musicians that you may never have known existed. McBride’s humor takes center stage, but his musicianship is the backbeat of the show. You can hear this lively program from noon to 1 p.m. each Saturday.

In addition to “Jazz 24/7” on WGBH and “Real Jazz” on Sirius, stalwarts of the online musical experience, Bandsintown just launched a new Twitch channel on March 20, “Bandsintown Live,” that will air “live stream performances from incred-ible musicians across all genres.” First up is Black Coffee, the great South Afri-can DJ (real name: Nkosinathi Innocent Maphumulo) whose selections defy cat-egorization and call to mind hip-hop as well as jazz. The first show aired at 1 p.m. on March 20 and can be heard in the archives.

Add visuals: Great jazz also streaming on premium cable

“Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool” is a two-hour documentary that first aired on Net-flix in 2019. Intimate footage and exquisite versions of Davis’ body of work make the movie a must-see. Viewers gain deeper understanding of this man’s artistry and struggles and his ultimate place as one of history’s finest musicians. The roots of his influence, both on him and by him, are made evident. Not just a mas-ter of the trumpet, Davis, as a composer, changed the world of music, no matter the genre.

“Chasing Trane” is another gem, also on Netflix. The movie, which first appeared in 2017, features interviews with giants of the jazz world who poignantly describe the loss they continue to feel, having known the man. Coltrane’s amazing talent at playing the saxophone and his work as a composer are the focus. His spiritual-ity emerges as the engine of his extraordinary success in pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

So, don’t assume that life indoors, broken off from routines and live music, is an abandonment. Take the time to absorb the unique ways that jazz, even via the internet and cable, can bring us closer together.

ON THE WEB WGBH ‘Jazz 24/7’:

www.wgbh.org/music/jazz/jazz-24-7 Sirius ‘Real Jazz’:

Books by black authors to savor while social distancing

By CELINA COLBY Reading has long been an escape from the challenges of everyday life. While Bostonians stay at home during the coronavirus pandemic, it’s become more important than ever.

Bookstores and libraries are closed temporarily, but readers are encouraged to order online from local bookshops like Frugal Bookstore in Roxbury and More Than Words in the South End to sustain these community businesses. Print Ain’t Dead, a local pop-up bookstore geared toward people of color is also taking online orders and offering online poetry experiences via its Instagram account, @print.aint.dead.

These books by black authors could provide just the right amount of relief from the stresses of the unknown.

Nonfiction

“The Black Book” assembles poems, essays, advertisements, sheet music, historical documents and many other elements in an exploration of African American life in the United States. Though edited by Roger Furman, Middleton A. Harris, Morris Levitt and Ernest Smith and featuring an introduction

by Bill Cosby, Toni Morrison

Mystery

ON THE WEB ORDER BOOKS ONLINE TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS — Frugal Bookstore:

https://frugalbookstore.net/ More Than Words: https://mtwyouth.org Print Ain’t Dead on Instagram:

www.instagram.com/print.aint.dead was the unsung champion and compiler of the book, published in 1974.

Children’s Literature

In “A Child’s Introduction to African American History: The Experiences, People, and Events That Shaped Our Country” author Jabari Asim fills in the gaping holes of school textbooks with vibrant stories from black history in the United States. Talented African Americans are highlighted in areas from politics to sports to entertainment.

Fiction

Ta-Nehisi Coates’ newest novel, “The Water Dancer,” follows a young enslaved man, Hiram Walker, who escapes bondage in Virginia and flees north. Once there, he becomes involved in the dangerous and fervent underground war against slavery, but he never forgets the family he left behind in Virginia.

“They all Fall Down” by Rachel Howzell Hall pays homage to Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None.”

Miriam Macy sets off for a luxurious private island vacation with six other strangers.

Upon arrival, the group realizes they’ve all been brought there under false – and malicious – pretenses.

Fantasy

In “Children of Blood and Bone” by Tomi Adeyemi, protagonist Zélie Adebola channels the West African Orïsha gods to fight back against a ruthless monarch, with the help of a few other outcasts along the way. As a bonus, the sequel to this novel was just released, making for double the reading.

Science Fiction

Take it back to the classics with Octavia Butler’s best-selling novel, “Kindred.” The book follows a female African American writer who finds herself time-traveling between her Los Angeles home and a plantation in pre-Civil War Maryland, where she meets her ancestors.

Written in 1979, “Kindred” has continued to be a classic in black American literature to this day.

Bookstores and libraries are closed temporarily, but readers are encouraged to order online from local bookshops.

https://player.siriusxm.com/home/foryou Bandsintown:

https://news.bandsintown.com Miles Davis documentary:

www.netflix.com/title/80227122 John Coltrane documentary:

www.netflix.com/title/80147403

PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK

Thursday, March 26, 2020 • BAY STATE BANNER • 11

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“

Casel

continued from page 9 both black and Puerto Rican, and a child of the Bronx.

In “Diary,” Casel orchestrates screen projections, spoken and sung vocals, and tap dance. A radiant and eloquent storyteller with words, Casel also makes her case with tap, its movement and sound a form of evidence, punctuation and declaration that turns her elevating message into an all-out sermon.

“Tap is magic,” says Casel, attired in a black T-shirt that says “Until we all win” and a black jacket and slacks. “It changed my life.” While addressing the audience, her feet stomp and ripple, while behind her, a screen shows a panorama of family pictures from her childhood and beyond as well as images of tap ancestors and mentors.

She describes her mission to “shine a light on women hoofers,” particularly black dancers, and recites a litany of names of such dancers from the 1920s through the ’50s. “I have an intense need, desire and responsibility to speak their names,” Casel says. “They were entrepreneurs, choreographers, and dancers.” But they were forgotten, because they were black women. “My story would be no different if I didn’t share my own story,” Casel says.

I have an intense need, desire and responsibility to speak their names. They were entrepreneurs, choreographers, and dancers. ... Our stories matter. Our time on earth matters. Don’t wait for an invitation to tell your story.”

— Ayodele Casel

“Our stories matter. Our time on earth matters. Don’t wait for an invitation to tell your story.”

Her audience applauds in assent, and Casel proceeds to tell her own.

During elementary school, Casel lived for a few years with her grandmother in Puerto Rico, where most kids didn’t look like her and she prayed every night to have straight hair. She got into fistfights with boys. “My teachers called me Muhammad Ali,” Casel says, noting that her fighting spirit would serve her well when she made her way into the man’s world of tap dance.

Back in the Bronx, she discovered tap during a high school course in movie history. “I fell in love with Cary Grant, Rita Hayworth, Clark Gable, Fred and Ginger,” says Casel, while tapping. “After school, I rented movies and had a daily dose of Hollywood glamour.”

Behind her, a black-and-white

film shows her in a cocktail dress dancing with a male partner to the 1935 Irving Berlin classic, “Cheek to Cheek.” Gliding across the stage, she echoes her onscreen movement.

Recalling her first tap lesson, Casel says that she went to Payless and bought tap shoes “exactly like Ginger’s, with tiny heels and bows. I walked into the first class in style.”

A turning point for Casel was Savion Glover’s mid-90s Broadway hit, “Bring in ’da Noise, Bring in ’da Funk.” She says, “I was completely awed to first see young blacks take their space in a theater with such power and authenticity.” She spent hours observing dancers at Funk University, Glover’s all-male training ground for the show, and became the first woman in his dance company.

Describing how she came to understand tap as “an art form that carries a history of black people,” Casel starts a rhythmic

stomp. Offstage, Imanishi answers with a counterrhythm and the two enter a propulsive, intricate dialogue. Onscreen are photographs of 18th-century legislation forbidding slaves from having drums. Imanishi and Torres join Casel onstage. Rotating in a circle while pounding their feet in unison, the three create a thundering demonstration of power.

Casel then segues into a lighter, syncopated beat, adding vocal scat to her footwork, and begins a poetic tribute to the many black women who made their way into the male-dominated world of tap dance. She recalls hoping to arrange a visit with Hollywood pioneer Jeni LeGon (1916-2012), who danced with Bill “Bojangles” Robinson.

When Casel phoned, LeGon said, “Oh my. I thought they’d forgotten me.” As she softly taps, Casel looks up the list of dancers’ names on the screen and reads excerpts from her research on their accomplishments. “These taps are my words,” concludes Casel. “I will not be written out of history. Everyone who sees me will see them.”

ON THE WEB Learn more about Ayodele Casel:

www.ayodelecasel.com View “Diary of a Tap Dancer”:

www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/video/ayodele-casel-diary-tap-dancer

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Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department

A petition has been presented to said court by Jelix Carrasquillo of Roxbury, MA and Tiffany Foster of Roxbury, MA requesting for leave to adopt said child and that the name of the child be changed to Tiffany Da’nae Foster.

attorney must file a written appearance and objection at this Court before 10:00 a.m. on the return day of 04/08/2020. This is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline by which you must file a written appearance and objection if you object to this proceeding. If you fail to file a timely written appearance and objection followed by an Affidavit of Objections within thirty (30) days of the return day, action may be taken without further notice to you.

SUFFOLK Division

Docket No. SU19P2793EA Estate of: Thomas C. Anderson Date of Death: September 30, 2019

INFORMAL PROBATE PUBLICATION NOTICE To all persons interested in the above captioned estate, by Petition of Petitioner Brenda J. Darakjian of Chester, VA Brenda J. Darakjian of Chester, VA has been informally appointed as the Personal Representative of the estate to serve without surety on the bond.

The estate is being administered under informal procedure by the Personal Representative under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code without supervision by the Court. Inventory and accounts are not required to be filed with the Court, but interested parties are entitled to notice regarding the administration from the Personal Representative and can petition the Court in any matter relating to the estate, including distribution of assets and expenses of administration. Interested parties are entitled to petition the Court to institute formal proceedings and to obtain orders terminating or restricting the powers of Personal Representatives appointed under informal procedure. A copy of the Petition and Will, if any, can be obtained from the Petitioner.

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

Docket No. NO19D1499DR

Divorce Summons by Publication and Mailing Joanna Snelders

vs.

Sean J Snelders

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.

If you object to this adoption you are entitled to the appointment of an attorney if you are an indigent person.

An indigent person is defined by SJC Rule 3:10. The definition includes but is not limited to persons receiving TAFDC, EACDC, poverty related veteran’s benefits, Medicaid, and SSI. The Court will determine if you are indigent.

Contact an Assistant Judicial Case Manager or Adoption Clerk of the Court on or before the date listed below to obtain the necessary forms.

IF YOU DESIRE TO OBJECT THERETO, YOU OR YOUR ATTORNEY MUST FILE A WRITTEN APPEARANCE IN SAID COURT AT BOSTON ON OR BEFORE TEN O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING (10:00 AM) ON 04/16/2020.

WITNESS, Hon. Brian J. Dunn, First Justice of this Court.

Date: February 21, 2020

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department

To all interested persons:

A Petition has been filed by Ronald M. Druker of Boston, MA and Alan W. Rottenberg of Boston, MA requesting allowance of the 28TH-33RD account(s) as Trustee and any other relief as requested in the Petition.

A Petition for Formal Probate of Will and Appointment of Personal Representative has been filed by Debra A. Dicarlo of Carver, MA requesting that the Court enter a formal Decree and Order and for such other relief as requested in the Petition. The Petitioner requests that Debra A. Dicarlo of Carver, MA be appointed as Personal Representative(s) of said estate to serve Without Surety on the bond in an unsupervised administration.

You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at the Court. You have a right to object to this proceeding. To do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance and objection at this Court before 10:00 a.m. on 4/10/2020. This is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline by which you must file a written appearance and objection if you object to this proceeding. If you fail to file a timely written appearance and objection followed by an Affidavit of Objections within thirty (30) days of the return date, action may be taken without further notice to you.

WITNESS, HON. Brian J. Dunn, First Justice of this Court.

Date: March 10, 2020

Felix D. Arroyo Register of Probate

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

Docket No. SU20P0381EA

Citation on Petition for Formal Adjudication Estate of: Karen Ann Simmons Date of Death: 08/30/2013

REAL ESTATE

REAL ESTATE

AFFORDABLE HOUSING LOTTERY

AFFORDABLE HOUSING LOTTERY

450-470 Franklin Street, Framingham MA

20 Cooper Street, Waltham, MA

Studios @ $1,395* • 1BRs @ $1,561* 2BRs @ $1,708* • 3BRs @ 1,853* *Rents subject to change in 2020. Rents do not include utilities.

One parking spot included in the rent.

The Buckley is a 210 unit rental community built by award-winning architects, designers, and developers, which features amazing amenity spaces and stunning apartment interiors, an impeccably designed club house with lounges, game rooms, and a dog spa, a heated resort-style outdoor pool, a large full-service fitness center, terraces and a courtyard with grills and fire pits, a mini indoor theater, multiple lounges with flat screen TVs, a shared entertainment kitchen and dining area with outdoor seating, package rooms, and much more. Units have open-concept kitchens with islands, quartz countertops, and Stainless Steel Energy Star appliances, bathrooms featuring glass and tile showers and tubs, walk-in closets, and in-unit washer and dryer. The Buckley is situated on the banks of Farm Pond, just a commuter rail or car ride away from Boston or Worcester, with all the space, comfort, and tranquility of a pond-site retreat. 21 apartments will be made available through this application process.

MAXIMUM Household Income Limits:

$62,450 (1 person) $71,400 (2 people) $80,300 (3 people) $89,200 (4 people) $96,350 (5 people) $103,500 (6 people)

A Public Info Session will be held on March 23rd, 2020 at 6:00 pm in the Costin Meeting Room in the Framingham Public Library Main Branch (49 Lexington Street).

Completed Applications and Required Income Documentation must be delivered, or postmarked, by 2 pm on April 28th, 2020.

Applications postmarked by the deadline must be received no later than 5 business days from the deadline.

The Lottery for eligible households will be held on May 12th, 2020 at 6pm in the J Program Room in the Framingham Public Library Main Branch (49 Lexington Street).

For Lottery Information and Applications, or for reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities, go to www.s-e-b.com/lottery or call (617) 782-6900x1 and leave a message or postal mail SEB Housing, 257 Hillside Ave, Needham MA 02494. For TTY Services dial 711. Free translation available. Traducción gratuita disponible. Tradução livre disponível.

Applications also available at Framingham Public Library on 49 Lexington Street. (M-Th 9-9, Fri-Sa 9-5, Sun 1-5 (Sept-June))

IMPORTANT NOTICE You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at the Court. You have a right to object to this proceeding. To do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance and objection at this Court before 10:00 a.m. on the return day of 04/08/2020. This is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline by which you must file a written appearance and objection if you object to this proceeding. If you fail to file a timely written appearance and objection followed by an Affidavit of Objections within thirty (30) days of the return day, action may be taken without further notice to you.

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

WITNESS, Hon. Brian J. Dunn, First Justice of this Court.

Date: March 04, 2020

To all interested persons:

IMPORTANT NOTICE You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at the Court. You have a right to object to this proceeding. To do so, you or your

The Buckley

Estate of: John Joseph Doherty Date of Death: 07/05/2019

To all interested persons:

To any unnamed or unknown parent and persons interested in a petition for the adoption of said child and to the Department of Children and Families of said Commonwealth.

CITATION G.L. c. 210, § 6

Docket No. SU20P0127EA

Citation on Petition for Formal Adjudication

Citation on Petition for Allowance of Account

In the matter of Adrianna P McDonald

Docket No. SU19A0198AD

SUFFOLK Division

Docket No. SU515204

A Petition for Late and Limited Formal Intestacy and/or Appointment has been filed by Kim M Moss of Boston, MA requesting that the Court enter a formal Decree and Order and for such other relief as requested in the Petition. The Petitioner requests that Kim M Moss of Boston, MA be appointed as Personal Representative(s) of said estate to serve Without Surety on the bond in an unsupervised administration.

SUFFOLK Division

Felix D. Arroyo Register of Probate

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department

In the matter of: Trust under Art. VD u/w/o Bertram A. Druker

You are hereby summoned and required to serve upon: John F Echo, Esq., 27 Gilmore St, Lowell, MA 01854 your answer, if any, on or before 04/16/2020.

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. Patricia Gorman, First Justice of this Court.

Date: March 5, 2020 Patrick W. McDermott Register of Probate

WITNESS, Hon. Brian J. Dunn, First Justice of this Court.

Date: February 26, 2020

Felix D. Arroyo Register of Probate

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

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

The EDISON Apartments 1BRs @ $1,597* • 2BRs @ $1,764*

*Rents subject to change based on HUD’s publication of 2020 AMI and DHCD Approval. Utilities not included. Tenants will pay own Gas Heat, Gas Hot Water, Gas Cooking, Electricity, Water and Sewer.

The Edison Apartments is a 264 unit rental apartment community at 20 Cooper Street. 26 of these apartments will be made available through this application process and rented to households with incomes at or below 80% of the Area Median Income. One bedroom units receive one free parking space, and Two bedroom units receive two free spaces. Four additional spaces will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

MAXIMUM Household Income Limits: $62,450 (1 person)

$71,400 (2 people)

$80,300 (3 people)

$89,200 (4 people)

A Public Info Session will be held on March 25th, 2020 at 6:00 pm at 119 School Street in the first floor of the Waltham Government Building Auditorium.

Completed Applications and Required Income Documentation must be received, or postmarked, by 2 pm on April 27th, 2020.

Applications postmarked by the deadline must be received by SEB Housing within 5 business days.

The Lottery for eligible households will be held on May 13th, 2020 at 6 pm in the Government Building Auditorium located at 119 School Street.

For Lottery Information and Applications, or for reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities, go to www.s-e-b.com/lottery, or call (617) 782-6900x1 and leave a message, or postal mail SEB Housing, LLC, 257 Hillside Ave, Needham MA 02494.

Applications also available at Waltham Public Library on 735 Main St (M-Th 9-9, Fri-Sat 9-5, Sun 1-5) and Waltham City Hall Clerk’s Office. For details on the development and the units, please see https://www.edisononthecharles.com/#/

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Bay State Banner

Felix D. Arroyo Register of Probate

REAL ESTATE BPDA Income-restricted Rental Opportunity

81 Amory Street, Roxbury, MA 02119 2 INCOME RESTRICTED UNITS # OF UNITS

# OF BEDROOMS

RENT

1 1

1 3

$1,318 $1,672

MAXIMUM INCOME LIMIT (% AMI)

up to 70% up to 70%

MAXIMUM INCOME PER HOUSEHOLD SIZE (2019 limits, provided by BPDA) NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN HOUSEHOLD

70% AMI

1 2 3 4 5 6

$55,550 $63,450 $71,400 $79,300 $85,650 $92,000

INCOME MINIMUMS* # OF BEDROOMS

1 3

70% AMI

$41,000 $50,000

* Income Minimums Apply unless household has housing assistance like a MRVP, Section 8, VASH

Applications are available from March 30th, 2020- April 10th, 2020 After careful consideration and an abundance of caution, the City of Boston has decided to cancel the in-person application distribution period.

To request an application online, please visit: http://bit.ly/81amory If you cannot complete the application online (recommended) , please call us at 617-566-3100 to request that we mail you one and to ask for any guidance you might need to complete the application.

When you call, you will be asked for your full name, complete mailing address, and phone number. This is a City and HUD requirement.

Fully completed applications must be submitted online OR postmarked no later than April 15th 2020 Reasonable Accommodations made.

Mailed to: Longwood Properties, Attn: 81 Amory Lottery, 3 Darling Street, Boston, MA 02120 Selection by lottery. Income, Asset, Use & Occupancy Restrictions apply.

Preference for Boston Residents. Preference for Households with at least one person per bedroom.

For more information, language assistance, or reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities please call or email 81Amory@longwoodboston.com EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

Thursday, March 26, 2020 • BAY STATE BANNER • 13

BANNER CLASSIFIEDS REAL ESTATE

REAL ESTATE

REAL ESTATE AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP

AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

Postmark Square

Esperanza Trust will be accepting applications for its studio, 1 and 2 Bedroom Waitlists

8 Sanborn Street, Reading, MA 01867 NEW CONSTRUCTION 10 Condominiums offered via lottery Three 1 BR units $215,100 Seven 2 BR units $241,900

The following income limits apply:

Follow us on

Household Size

30% AMI

50% AMI

Household Size

30% AMI

50% AMI

@baystatebanner

1 Person

$24,900

$41,500

4 Persons

$35,550

$59,250

3 Persons

$32,000

$53,350

6 Persons

$41,250

$68,750

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2 Persons

$28,450

$47,400

5 Persons

$38,400

Applications accepted through April 30, 2020, 1:00 PM INFORMATION SESSION: March 24, 2020, 7:00 PM Select Boardroom, Town Hall, 16 Lowell Street, Reading, MA LOTTERY: May 18, 2020 at 7:00 PM Select Boardroom, Town Hall, 16 Lowell Street, Reading, MA

$64,000

1- Applications can be picked up on Tuesdays from 9:00 AM – 12:00 noon and Thursdays from 1:00-4:00 PM. Applications can be returned on on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:00AM – 2:00 PM. Location: UHM Properties 530 Warren Street, Dorchester, MA 02121.

APPLICATION AND LOTTERY INFORMATION: housing@sudbury.ma.us https://sudbury.ma.us/housingtrust/ Sudbury Housing Trust, Lottery Agent 278 Old Sudbury Road, Sudbury, MA 01776 978-287-1092 or 978-639-3387

2- You can also apply online at uhmproperties.com

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For additional information or to request an application contact 617-541-5510 ext. 210 Videophone (for the deaf and hard of hearing): 1-866-327-8877 - TDD Relay: 800-833-8134 Reasonable Accommodations are available

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

BPDA Income Restricted Homeownership Opportunity PRINT • ONLINE MOBILE • SOCIAL baystatebanner.com

ADVERTISE IN THE

BANNER IN PRINT AND ONLINE Call 617-261-4600 ext. 7799 or email ads@bannerpub.com for more information

The Echelon

BPDA Income Restricted Rental Opportunity

The Alyx at Echelon Seaport 133-135 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, MA 02210 www.AlyxLottery.com

133-135 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, MA 02210 www.EchelonLottery.com 24 INCOME RESTRICTED RENTAL UNITS # OF UNITS

# OF BEDROOMS

AMI

PRICE

1 Studio 80% $150,700 1 1 Bedroom 80% $186,400 1 1 Bedroom 80%-100%* $248,600 1 2 Bedroom 80%-100%* $288,700 *These units are available to those who earn more than 80% but less 100% of AMI

MAXIMUM INCOME LIMITS HOUSEHOLD SIZE

80% AMI

100% AMI

1 2 3 4 5 6

$63,500 $72,550 $81,600 $90,650 $97,950 $105,200

$79,350 $90,650 $102,000 $113,300 $122,400 $131,450

MAXIMUM ASSET LIMITS 80% AMI

100% AMI

24 INCOME RESTRICTED RENTAL UNITS # OF UNITS

3 5 9 5 2

# OF BEDROOMS

Micro-Studio Studio 1-Bed** 2-Bed 3-Bed

After careful consideration and an abundance of caution, the City of Boston has decided to cancel the in-person application distribution period.

If you cannot complete the application online, please call us at 781-992-5308, to request that we mail you one and to ask us for any guidance you might need to complete the application.

Completed printed, signed, paper applications can also be mailed to Maloney Properties. Postmarked no later than April 18, 2020 Maloney Properties, Inc. Attention: Echelon Lottery 27 Mica Lane, Wellesley MA 02481

•Selection by lottery. Asset, Use & Occupancy Restrictions apply• Preference for Boston Residents. Preference for Households With at least One Person Per Bedroom• Preference for

First-Time Homebuyers For more info or to make a request for reasonable accommodations, please call, Maloney Properties, Inc. at 781-992-5308 | US Relay 711 | Email: Echelon@maloneyproperties.com

70% 70% 70% 70% 70%

RENT

$1,012 $1,125 $1,318 $1,492 $1,672

*Minimum income limits apply **One ADA Unit available for persons with mobility impairments

MAXIMUM INCOME LIMITS BY AMI + MINIMUM INCOME LIMITS BY # OF BEDROOMS # OF PEOPLE IN HOUSEHOLD

70% AMI

# OF BEDROOMS

1 2 3 4 5 6

$55,550 $63,450 $71,400 $79,300 $85,650 $92,000

Micro-studio Studio 1-bedroom 2-bedroom 3-bedroom

MINIMUM YEARLY INCOME***

$30,360 $33,750 $39,540 $44,760 $50,160

*** Minimum incomes are set by the owner and do not apply to households receiving housing assistance such as Section 8, VASH, or MRVP.

$75,000 $100,000 Does not include retirement. Does include Real Estate Households may request an application to be sent by email or mail from: Monday, March 30, 2020 – Monday, April 13, 2020 through the following methods: To request and complete the application online, please visit: www.EchelonLottery.com To have a hard copy of the application sent to your mailing address, please call: 781-992-5308

MAXIMUM INCOME LIMIT (BY AMI)*

MAXIMUM ASSET LIMITS

80% AMI

100% AMI

$75,000 $100,000 Does not include retirement. Does include Real Estate Households may request an application to be sent by email or mail from: Monday, March 30, 2020 – Monday, April 13, 2020 through the following methods: To request + complete the application online, please visit: www.AlyxLottery.com To have a hard copy of the application sent to your mailing address, please call: 781-992-5309 After careful consideration and an abundance of caution, the City of Boston has decided to cancel the in-person application distribution period.

If you cannot complete the application online, please call us at 781-992-5309, to request that we mail you one and to ask us for any guidance you might need to complete the application.

Applications can be completed online by April 18, 2020 Completed printed, signed, paper applications can also be mailed to Maloney Properties Postmarked no later than April 18, 2020 Maloney Properties, Inc. Attention: Alyx Lottery 27 Mica Lane, Wellesley MA 02481

•Selection by lottery. Asset, Use & Occupancy Restrictions apply.•Preference for persons with mobility impairment for the one built-out unit. Preference for Boston Residents.• Preference for

Households with at least one person per bedroom. 2-person minimum requirement for the 3-bedroom For more info or to make a request for reasonable accommodations, please call, Maloney Properties, Inc. at 781-992-5309| US Relay 711 | Email: Alyx@maloneyproperties.com

CHECK OUT OUR ONLINE CLASSIFIEDS!

Post your own real estate properties and job openings.

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14 • Thursday, March 26, 2020 • BAY STATE BANNER

BANNER CLASSIFIEDS REAL ESTATE

do it your self

REAL ESTATE

Affordable Housing Opportunity

Little Pond Place

your classifieds in the banner (617) 261-4600 x 7799 ads@bannerpub.com

PRINT • ONLINE MOBILE • SOCIAL baystatebanner.com facebook.com/ baystatebanner @BayStateBanner

Little Pond Place is a newly constructed 40 unit housing development.

Rental Lottery to be held on July 10, 2020 @ 2pm Falmouth Town Hall-Selectman’s Meeting Room

Public Information Sessions Wednesday, April 22, 2020 @ 7PM & Saturday, May 9, 2020@ 2 PM 704 Main Street, Falmouth, MA Community Room ADA Accessible Rent Includes Utilities

Monthly Rent 30% AMI 60% AMI

2 Bedrooms

Based on Income $1,029

Anticipated Move-in Date: August 15, 2020

Use and Occupancy Restrictions Apply LEP Services available For more information or reasonable accommodations, call Falmouth Housing Corporation 508-540-4009 TTY/TTD 800-439-2370

Allowable Household Income Per Number of Occupants Including Children

Not Included: Cable, Internet and Telephone

1 Bedroom

ADVERTISE

41 Spring Bars Road Falmouth, MA 02540

Funding provided by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, MassHousing Affordable Housing Trust, CEDAC, Barnstable County HOME Program, Town of Falmouth and Falmouth Affordable Housing Fund.

online at baystatebanner.com now you can easily post your own events, jobs, real estate and obits directly to the banner’s new website.

REAL ESTATE

1 Person

3 People

2 People

Min

Max

Min

Max

$0

$19,250

$0

$22,000

$24,696

$38,460

$24,696

$43,920

Min

Max

Min

Max

30% AMI

Based on Income

$0

$22,000

$0

$24,750

$0

$27,450

60% AMI

$1,236

$29,664

$43,920

$29,664

$49,440

$29,664

$54,900

80% AMI

$1,647

$39,528

$58,600

$39,528

$65,900

$39,528

$73,200

3 Bedrooms

5 People

4 People

6 People

Min

Max

Min

Max

30% AMI

Based on Income

$0

$24,750

$0

$24,750

$0

$30,170

$0

$34,590

60% AMI

$1,428

$34,272

$49,440

$34,272

$54,900

$34,272

$59,340

$34,272

$63,720

Applications Available April 1, 2020: Completed Applications must be received at Falmouth Housing Corp., 704 Main Street, Falmouth, MA 02540

by June 8, 2020 In person, faxed to 508-548-6329 or email by 5:00PM or mailed and postmarked by that day.

All Locations are ADA Accessible Falmouth Public Library Falmouth Town Hall Falmouth Housing Corporation 300 Main Street Town Hall Square 704 Main Street Falmouth, MA 02540 Falmouth, MA 02540 Falmouth, MA 02540 Falmouth Housing Authority Woods Hole Library Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe 115 Scranton Avenue 581 Woods Hole Road 483 Great Neck Road Falmouth, MA 02540 Woods Hole, MA 02543 Mashpee, MA 02549 Applications available at www.falmouthhousingcorp.org Or by Calling: 508-540-4009 Or by e-mail: lottery@falmouthhousingcorp.org Falmouth Housing Corporation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, familial status or physical or mental disability in the access or admission to its programs or employment, or in its programs, activities, functions or services. Disabled persons are entitled to request a reasonable accommodation of rules, polices, practices, or services, or to request a reasonable modification of housing, when such accommodations or modifications are necessary to afford the disabled person equal opportunity to use and enjoy said housing.

AS A MOTHER I’M ALWAYS EXPECTING THE UNEXPECTED. BUT I DIDN’T EXPECT HOUSING DISCRIMINATION BECAUSE I HAVE A CHILD. One landlord said I could only live on the first floor, another said that my daughter was not allowed to play outside, and a third told me that my rent would be higher. Then I learned that discrimination based on familial status is illegal, so I filed a complaint with HUD.

Find out more at hud.gov/fairhousing or call 1-800-669-9777

FAIR HOUSING IS YOUR RIGHT. USE IT. A public service message from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in partnership with the National Fair Housing Alliance. The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status or disability. For more information, visit www.hud.gov/fairhousing.

Thursday, March 26, 2020 • BAY STATE BANNER • 15

BANNER CLASSIFIEDS REAL ESTATE

REAL ESTATE

REAL ESTATE

AFFORDABLE HOUSING LOTTERY

THE BRADFORD 505 COMMON ST, BELMONT, MA

https://s-e-b.com/affordable-housing-lotteries/

First Units Ready for Move-in Spring 2020

One Studio @ $1,470 • Five 1BRs @ $1,673 • Six 2BRs @ $1,862 *Rents subject to change in 2020. Tenants will pay own Gas & Electricity (Heat, Hot Water, and Cooking are gas). Property pays Water and Sewer.

The Bradford is a 112-unit rental apartment community located in Belmont.

Twelve (12) of these apartments will be made available through this application process and rented to households with incomes at or below 80% of the Area Median Income. Each apartment home features wood-style flooring throughout, stainless steel appliances, in-unit washer and dryers as well as quartz countertops in the kitchens. The community offers a wide range of amenities including fire pit areas, a resident lounge, and a private sundeck. 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 is available. Applications are also available at Belmont Public Library on 336 Concord Ave (M-Th 9-9, Fri-Sa 9-5, Sun 1-5) or the Belmont Town Clerk’s Office on 455 Concord Ave (M:8-7, Tu-Th: 8-4, Fri: 8-12)

MAXIMUM Household Income Limits: $62,450 (1 person)

$71,400 (2 people)

$80,300 (3 people)

$89,200 (4 people)

A PUBLIC INFO SESSION will be held on March 23rd, 2020 at 6:00 pm in the Assembly Room in the Belmont Public Library (336 Concord Ave, Belmont, MA). Assistance in completing the application is available.

COMPLETED LOTTERY APPLICATIONS must be delivered, or postmarked, by 2 pm on May 4th, 2020. Applications postmarked by the deadline must be received within 5 business days of the deadline.

The Lottery for eligible households will be held at 6:00 pm on May 26th, 2020 in the Assembly Room in the Belmont Public Library (336 Concord Ave).

APPLICATION SCREENING PROCESS BRIEF SUMMARY: Households interested in applying must first complete a Lottery Application and submit it to SEB Housing. If you are eligible for the Affordable Housing Program based on the information you provide in the Lottery Application, you will be entered into the Lottery. The Lottery will establish the Waiting Lists for the Affordable Units. Every household in the lottery will be given a position on the Waiting Lists. The Leasing Office will then use the Waiting Lists to contact the top household on each Waiting List and that household must complete a Lease Application. The Leasing Office staff will work their way down each Waiting List until all 12 units have been reserved. Households with unit reservations will then need to complete an Affordable Housing Certification prior to move-in. The Affordable Housing Certification will require the household with a reservation to provide all income, asset and tax documentation at that time. Please read the Lottery Information Packet provided by SEB or at the Library for more details!

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

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REAL ESTATE, EVENTS, and OBITS; and post your own ads

on The Bay State Banner website.

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Offer ends 5/4/20. Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. New residential customers only. Limited to the Choice Double Play with Performance 100 Mbps Internet service. Equipment, installation, taxes and fees, including Broadcast TV Fee (up to $14.95/mo.), Regional Sports Fee (up to $8.75/mo.), and other applicable charges extra, and subject to change during and after promo. After 12 mos., speed reduced to Performance 100 Mbps unless customer calls to add Performance Pro. After promo, or if any service is canceled or downgraded, regular rates apply to Choice Double Play. Comcast’s service charge for Choice Double Play is $89.99/mo. (subj. to change). Service limited to a single outlet. May not be combined with other offers. TV: Limited Basic service subscription required to receive other levels of service. Internet: Actual speeds vary and are not guaranteed. For factors affecting speed visit www.xfinity.com/networkmanagement. Xfinity xFi is available to Xfinity Internet customers with a compatible Xfinity Gateway. Ability to pause limited to home WiFi network. Does not apply to Xfinity WiFi hotspots. Call for restrictions and complete details. NPA230985-0002 NED AA Q2 BAU V3

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