inside this week
Contenders for District 7’s council seat outline stances pg 6
A&E
business news
SPEAKEASY STAGE REWRITES HISTORY WITH GENDERBENDING SHOW pg 20
1st Armor security firm emphasizes local hiring, community relations pg 16
plus Haitian artist discusses her work pg 21 Kalimah Muhammad’s sculptures follow the path of self-discovery pg 22 Thursday, September 21, 2017 • FREE • GREATER BOSTON’S URBAN NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1965 • CELEBRATING 50 YEARS
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Bill aims for equity in access to solar Financial incentives for solar energy less available to low-income residents By JULE PATTISON-GORDON
BANNER PHOTO
District 7 City Councilor Tito Jackson and Mayor Martin Walsh prepare to cut the ribbon on the newly-renovated Freedom House building in Grove Hall. Behind are state Rep. Chynah Tyler, at-large Councilor Anissa Essaibi George and state Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz.
Walsh, Jackson focus on mobilizing supporters Issues take a back seat to campaigns’ ground game By YAWU MILLER
At 11 a.m. last Saturday, Mayor Martin Walsh and District 7 City Councilor Tito Jackson crossed paths at the ribbon-cutting for the newly renovated Freedom House. Walsh thanked Jackson for his advocacy on behalf of the reconstruction of the Grove Hall youth services agency. The two danced
along with a New Orleans-style second line band to the front of the building, where the mayor performed the ceremonial cut of the ribbon. The cordial atmosphere at the event belied the fierce election campaigns Jackson and Walsh are both waging. A Walsh campaign full-court press in the heart of Jackson’s city council district underscores what many see as the
mayor’s push to beat Jackson on his home turf. An hour earlier, near the corner of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Warren Street, several dozen volunteers with the Walsh campaign gathered to pick up clipboards. Donning red T-shirts that read “Labor for Marty Walsh,” groups of volunteers fanned out
See MAYORAL RACE, page 10
Black and Latino lawmakers have teamed up with environmental advocates to tackle a piece of 2016 legislation that they say created a barrier for on low-income renters who seek cheaper, cleaner energy. To fix this, the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus and the Green Justice Coalition are pushing for solar equity bills. The senate version of the bill is sponsored by Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, the house version by Rep. Russell Holmes and Rep. Michelle DuBois.
Solar incentives
In 2016, the state Legislature passed a compromise law, attempting to balance the needs of utility companies with the needs of solar advocates. Many solar projects rely on incentives to offset start-up costs or make the switch to solar appealing. One piece of this is a policy known as “Solar Renewable Energy Credits” or “SREC,” under which those who produce their own renewable energy can receive payment from the utility company in exchange for the company counting the green energy the consumers produced as their own. Under “net metering,” customers who produce renewable energy get a credit off their energy bill if they produce more than they use. But there is a cap on how many large-scale projects utility companies will reimburse — and that cap was reached in 2015. As such, many groups were due to lose a major financial incentive
for installing solar panels, which sent legislators back to the drawing board. The new April 2016 law raised the cap, but at the same time reduced the reimbursement rate for many projects by 40 percent. Exemptions were granted, letting government-owned projects and small residential projects keep the original reimbursement rate. But those who saw their compensation drop include community projects and renters who aimed to buy into a system and receive renewable energy they did not personally produce.
Unintended damages
That legislative policy change nearly killed an attempt by three churches in Dorchester, the South End and Jamaica Plain to team up and generate solar energy for local residents. Five years ago, leaders of churches that are near high-poverty level census tracts came together and created a plan to make use of their large roofs to generate renewable energy, and then provide the surplus to the community for a low price. “We have the space that some do not,” said Pastor Victor Price of Second Church in Dorchester. “Such a large roof that can produce so much, yet so many in our community are unable to meet their monthly payments for electricity.” But by the time the church leaders were at the point of installing solar panels, policy around it changed, threatening
See SOLAR, page 14
Students unenrolled from Egleston No explanation as enrollment drops by 104 By YAWU MILLER
When Andrew Martinez arrived at Greater Egleston High School Monday, he wasn’t prepared for the news he received . “You’re not enrolled here,” an administrator reportedly told him. Although Martinez was planning to finish high school there this year, the 19-year-old is one of 104 students who were un-enrolled from the alternative high
school this fall apparently without notification or explanation. “I’ve been here three years already,” he said, standing in front of the School Street entrance to the building. “How can I be dropped?” Nearby, also contemplating her educational future was Yokasta Baez, a 21-year-old Roxbury resident. “I got a letter informing me I was enrolled,” she said. “I didn’t find out until the first day of school when I went to get my bus pass
that I wasn’t in the system.” Martinez, Baez and other students interviewed by the Banner said Greater Egleston staff members were equally in the dark about the sudden drop in enrollment at the school, which specializes in helping students who have fallen behind. “They’re very supportive,” Martinez said of the staff. “They help you a lot,” Baez added. “If you don’t come to school, they call you. They want to see you graduate.”
BANNER PHOTO
See EGLESTON, page 18
Yocasta Baez and Andrew Martinez say they discovered they were no longer enrolled at Greater Egleston High School after showing up for classes there.
2 • Thursday, September 21, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER
Renovations completed on Freedom House Electeds, neighbors turn out to celebrate venerable agency’s new digs By YAWU MILLER
In 2013, the building occupied by the Grove Hall social service agency Freedom House was fast becoming uninhabitable. Energy costs were skyhigh, there was water damage, costly repairs were needed and the layout of what served as a yeshiva in the mid-20th century was not conducive to the needs of a contemporary youth-oriented organization. That’s why Freedom House moved across the street into the former Grove Hall Library building, an 8,000-square-foot concrete and glass building with an open floor plan. But that building, too, needed work to transform it into a facility that meets agency needs, serving 2,000 students on-site and in local schools. Renovations began in 2015. Two years and $2.5 million later, the new Freedom House recently held its formal ribbon-cutting ceremony, with elected officials, community members and the students and staff who are in Freedom House on a daily basis. Mayor Martin Walsh said the new building will help ensure that Freedom House will continue to serve its mission. “Freedom House is an invaluable resource for students and families in this neighborhood,” Walsh said. “The transformation of this city-owned property into a dynamic, state-of-the-art space for youth is cause for great celebration.”
Modern space
Freedom House Executive Director Katrina Shaw, who has overseen the organization through the redevelopment process, said the new design allows the agency more flexibility in how it uses its space. “We always want this space to be open to the community,” she said. “We can close one side for offices and open up the other side for meetings.” The evolving mission of Freedom House guided the transformation of its physical setting. Architect Troy Depeiza, co-founder
of DREAM Collaborative, said the renovations were designed to maintain the light and openness of the building’s original open configuration, while creating partitions that enable multiple activities. “It still has a sense of openness so the occupants can still see light coming in,” he said. The most noticeable building change is a floor-to-ceiling glass wall facing Warren Street. “The whole idea is to open up that view, not just from the inside, but from the outside, so that folks coming by can see that this is a hub of activity in the community,” Depeiza said. The window fronts one of three classrooms on the Warren Street side of the building that can be adjusted in size by two removable walls. The space also can serve as a large community meeting room. New to the building is a kitchen, open offices for employees and walled-off offices for senior staff. The building’s white and silver palate, defined by the cement, steel and glass used extensively throughout the interior, is warmed by lighting and 9 feet tall wooden doors. “We tried to maintain the original feeling of the place,” Depeiza said. Shaw said the students who have been attending after-school programming since May have responded favorably to the new build-out. “They love it,” she commented. “They like the openness, the fact that you can see around the building, the transparency.” While Freedom House began in 1949 as an all-purpose social service agency working on civil rights issues and neighborhood improvement, it has in recent decades focused more narrowly on youth development, with tutoring and college preparatory programming. It administers college preparatory programs at the Jeremiah Burke and Snowden International high schools, Bunker Hill Community College, UMass Boston, Roxbury Community College and the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology.
MAYOR’S OFFICE PHOTOS BY DON HARNEY
Above:Freedom House Executive Director Katrina Shaw cuts the ceremonial ribbon on the newly-renovated Freedom House. Below: Mayor Martin Walsh and Freedom House Executive Director Katrina Shaw chat during the festivities.
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MARTY HAS SPENT HIS CAREER SUPPORTING ALL OF BOSTON’S COMMUNITIES. Affordable housing and jobs are up, and violent crime is down. He’s fighting for all of us. More Boston students are graduating from public high schools than ever before -- now, with free access to community college. Mayor Walsh is working hard to make sure all families and children are included in Boston’s success.
Support Mayor Marty Walsh for re-election on Tuesday, September 26.
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4 • Thursday, September 21, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER
EDITORIAL
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INSIDE: BUSINESS, 16 • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, 20 • CLASSIFIEDS, 26
Established 1965
An efficient government is essential Former President Ronald Reagan endeared himself to conservatives with his belittling assessment of the role of government. He once stated, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’” After hurricanes Harvey and Irma, residents of Houston and Florida do not likely support that point of view. Very often the government is the only reliable refuge when natural or personal crises afflict U.S. citizens. Everyone understands that the government has a role in assisting American victims in hurricanes. That task is at least to remove debris, drain flood waters and restore utilities. But federal support cannot be taken for granted. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, conservative Republican senators from Texas, voted to restrict such assistance following Hurricane Sandy that hit New Jersey in 2012. Both senators have now changed their tune since Harvey hit Texas, but their prior opposition raises a serious question about the extent of assistance by the government, financial and otherwise, when citizens are afflicted by financially devastating emergencies. Losses to many residents of Houston and Florida from Harvey and Irma will undoubtedly be beyond their financial capacity. When considering that question, it is also timely to note that other sudden disasters can strike. A serious illness can also undermine the financial stability of a family. Studies indicate that the inability to pay medical bills causes more personal bankruptcies than credit card debt or home mortgage defaults. Yet America still has not resolved the issue of what level of medical care should be provided by the government. With digital photos of the
hurricanes so readily available, citizens would be horrified if people were not being rescued from the destruction in the Houston area and Florida. Yet many Americans, especially those in urban areas, are insensitive to the medical crises regularly occurring, especially in rural areas. An important element of the Affordable Care Act is to provide states with the opportunity to expand health care coverage to low-income families. The government will pay 90 percent of the cost from 2020 and beyond. Yet 19 states have still refused to take advantage of the expanded Medicaid program. Out of sight for most people, rural hospitals are closing. In his weekly newsletter, Hank Sanders, a black Harvard Law School graduate and long-term state senator in Alabama, provides an account of losing hospitals in Perry, Wilcox and Green Counties. When they close, health care in those counties will be gone. Hurricanes and health care induce Americans to give greater thought to what the role of the federal government should be in modern times. Industrialization and urbanization have coalesced to antiquate the concept of rugged individualism. The present system of health care relying heavily on the private enterprise model is too expensive and too inefficient. Perhaps changes proposed by the Democrats to extend Medicare to younger citizens hold some promise. Citizens still have the authority to control the government, and there are numerous efficiencies from working together that could not happen with rank individualism. People working together helped to minimize the impact of the hurricanes. It might also work for health care. But the people cannot succeed without government assistance.
“No challenge is too great when we work together.”
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Thursday, September 21, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 5
OPINION THE BANNER WELCOMES YOUR OPINION: EMAIL OP-ED SUBMISSIONS TO YAWU@BANNERPUB.COM • Letters must be signed. Names may be withheld upon request.
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Killer cop trials are America’s big charades
Are you planning on voting in the September 26 preliminary?
By EARL OFARI HUTCHINSON Former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley is the latest in the never-ending revolving door of cops charged with murder, manslaughter, reckless endangerment or any other of the array of charges brought against cops who wantonly kill and walk free. The victims in a disproportionate number of cases are mostly young unarmed African American or Hispanic males. The names of the most recent victims are familiar: Samuel DuBose, Sylville Smith, Philando Castile and Terence Crutcher. Four black men slain by police in three cities at four different times. Now with Stockley’s acquittal by a judge we can add the name of Anthony Lamar Smith to the grim list. The circumstances in the five cases have much in common. The killings came after stops by the officers. The men apparently posed no physical threat to the officers. Two were shot while running away. Three were shot in their cars. Smith was one of them. The other thing they have in common, and the reason why the state even goes through the motions of filing charges, is that the killings are caught on video. There was one slight departure from the script in the Smith killing. Stockley was acquitted by a judge, not a jury. The judge who acquitted Stockley gave a revealing glimpse into the Mt. Everest-high bar in trying to get a cop conviction in deadly force cases. He noted that Smith was a drug dealer, and that a bag of heroin was found in his car. He then leaped from that to make the startling claim that it’s not entirely unlikely that a drug dealer would be armed. From that startling claim the implication hung heavily that if he had a gun he was likely to use it. Therefore, this supposedly supported Stockley’s claim that he feared for his life and shot in self-defense. It made no difference that there was not a trace of Smith’s DNA on the gun he was alleged to have. The judge quickly waved away the charge that Stockley planted a gun and the videotape that showed suspicious behavior by Stockley as “inconclusive.” The major elements that set the near impossible high bar for cop convictions were on glaring display in the Stockley trial — a poor black male, a criminal history, a video that can be skewed any number of ways and a gun. That’s just the starting point. Anthony Lamar Smith was killed in 2011. That’s a six-year lag. During that period memories fade, public outrage and protests are long over, and the accused officers have sufficient time to tailor and perfect their versions of why they resorted to deadly force. They also are represented by attorneys courtesy of, and paid for by, police unions who are among the best in the defense trial business with lots of experience defending police officers accused of misconduct. The officers are immediately bailed out and they will serve no actual pretrial jail time. They make motions for a change of venue or ask for a bench trial. The legal ploy worked with Stockley. He got a judge and an acquittal. The presumption is that a judge is much more likely to believe the testimony of police and police defense witnesses than black witnesses, defendants or even the victims. The ultimate ace card for police officers that use dubious deadly force is the 1985 Supreme Court decision that police departments can make their own rules about when a suspect poses a threat to an officer. It comes down to a judgment call by the officer. The timetested standard that is virtually encoded in law is that “I feared for my life.” This will be stated massaged, and repeated in every conceivable way by defense attorneys during their presentation. They’ll bolster that by painting a vivid and fearful picture of the defendant as violent and aggressive. The message is that the use of deadly force was both necessary and justified. There’s another major impediment to getting convictions. That’s the prosecutors themselves. The rare times they prosecute officers in deadly force cases, they often overcharge, present far less than a vigorous prosecution, and allow the time clock to run off when officers are brought to trial. This all works to the officer’s advantage. The judge rejected the murder charge and sloughed off the prosecution’s plea for at least a conviction on lesser charges. The daunting barriers that prosecutors face in trying to convict cops who kill will remain rigidly in place. This assures that America’s cop trials will continue to be America’s big charades.
“
The major elements that set the near impossible high bar for cop convictions were on glaring display in the Stockley trial …”
Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. He is an associate editor of New America Media.
I actually have to. I’m a warden. It’s important that we all exercise our civil freedoms.
Karen Powell-Vinson Head Account Clerk Roxbury
Yes. At this day and time, it’s very important.
Tony
Carpenter Dorchester
I am. We have to determine who we have in office. We have to get the right people in, if there is such a thing.
Lester Fleming
Kristeen Petit-Frere
Yes, I am. It’s important because it’s the best way for us to make a difference in our community.
Yes. Not only is it my right, but if I don’t vote it’s a waste of my rights.
Retired Chef Dorchester
Lisa Hurston Disabled Mattapan
IN THE NEWS
STAN MCLAREN Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center has selected Stan McLaren as their next Chief Executive Officer. HSNHC is a Federally Qualified Health Center that provides quality, comprehensive patient-centered medical care and has been serving the community for 48 years. The health center is currently exploring a plan to buy city-owned property near its current location on Blue Hill Avenue to construct a new state-ofthe-art facility. The health center provides entry-level jobs that have career ladders. A new building would ensure continued growth for the Health Center and provide a much-needed economic boost to the surrounding community. McLaren and his family have lived in Dorchester for over 30 years, and as a result, he has developed a knowledge and passion for the community. He has a strong background in nonprofits and has worked in Public Health for over 15 years. He founded a fatherhood
I’m working in the polls. I have to vote. It’s important because our voices have to be heard in order for us to have the representation we want.
program that continues to serve low to no income men using a comprehensive case management approach to connect this underserved population to muchneeded health and social services. For the past eleven years, McLaren was the director of finance and operations for an independent tuition-free school in Grove Hall, which serves low-income girls and their families. He also worked with a variety of Boston nonprofits as an accounting consultant. As a previous HSNHC board member, he served first as treasurer and then chairman. During his tenure on the HSNHC board, he spearheaded the economic turnaround of the health center during tough financial times. McLaren holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Massachusetts Boston and is currently completing his master’s in business administration from Southern New Hampshire University.
Administrative Assistant Mattapan
Shakera
Senior Library Assistant Hyde Park
6 • Thursday, September 21, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER
Contenders for District 7’s council seat outline stances By JULE PATTISON-GORDON
Candidates vying to be the next City Councilor for District 7 filled and nearly overflowed the stage at Hibernian Hall last week. Eleven of 13 candidates turned out for the debate forum on Wednesday Sept. 13 where due to the size of the field, candidates’ answers were restricted to one minute each. City councilors are not party affiliated and the Sept. 26 primary will whittle the field down to two candidates. The Bay State Banner’s senior editor, Yawu Miller, and The Boston Globe’s longtime reporter, Meghan Irons, moderated the discussion and questioned candidates on topics such as priorities for the Boston Public Schools, methods for improving access to better jobs and homeownership, plans to reduce violence and their ability to work with the mayor and other city councilors. Many candidates said they were running to ensure the district gets a share of the economic boom and that preventing gentrification is a top concern. The candidates described below are listed alphabetically. Not all candidates responded by Banner deadlines with information on what endorsements their campaigns had received. Angelina Camacho, program manager at Action for Boston Community Development
(ABCD) and former co-chair of the Citywide Parents Council, raised about $3,410 during 2017 as of the Aug. 31 filing deadlines. Of this, she personally contributed about $668, and nearly $1,330 remains in her campaign account. Camacho’s top concerns regarding BPS include tackling food and housing insecurity among students. In regards to residents’ housing and economic situations, Camacho said increasing housing stock will help stabilize rents. She also spoke to the importance of financial literacy education, adding that she is involved with providing such workshops at ABCD, and she voiced support for vocational training. As for violence, Camacho said lack of opportunity and equity and the resultant lack of hope are primary drivers. Camacho has been endorsed by the Carpenters’ Union. Charles Clemons Muhammad, who runs a low-power radio station, raised about $1,100 according to his Aug. 31 filing, of which he donated about $300, with $40 now remaining. Muhammad promotes installing religion in public schools and joined others in calling for more BPS funding. He also said tackling violence and increasing support for homeless children would improve education outcomes. His housing proposals centered on boosting rent-to-own opportunities. He also said more living wage jobs are needed. If elected,
he promised a District 7 office that would be open seven days a week. João DePina, owner of At Your Time of Needs Floral Design, and Ward 12 Democratic Committee treasurer, raised $17,080, of which he contributed $250, and has $8,950 remaining. DePina said BPS should offer financial literacy and home economics and also called for more school funding. He believes there has been too much focus on creating rental units, especially market rate ones, and said developers should not have the option to fulfill their affordable unit construction requirements off-site. Resolving violence, he said, means getting youth engaged in it it off the street and meeting their mental health needs. He said he would use strategies such as knocking on doors to connect with residents, including in non-election years. Rufus Faulk, director of the Gang Mediation Initiative at Boston Ten Point Coalition, raised nearly $11,960, of which he donated about $100. Nearly $5,290 remains. Faulk called for increasing students’ access to advanced work and rigorous programming and establishing more school-to-trade career pipelines. To boost homeownership rates, he proposed examing the potential of co-ops and rent-to-own. Systemic forces, such as lack of
BANNER PHOTO
Eleven candidates attended a debate forum. From left to right: Carlos Henriquez, Angelina Camacho, Rufus Faulk, Deeqo Jibril, Charles Clemons Muhammad, Hassan Williams, João DePina, Domonique Williams, Brian Keith, Kim Janey and José López. resources and devaluation of black and brown boys, as well as growing up around violence, are factors driving violence, he said. Faulk said he’d bring detailed knowledge of both policy and policy’s potential to generate unintended consequences to office. Faulk has been endorsed by Rep. Chynah Tyler and community members who include Manny Canuto, BPD officer and Cave Verdean Police Association vice president; Shabazz Napier of the Portland Trailblazers; Rev. Jeffrey Brown; Liz Miranda, executive director of Hawthorne Youth and Community Center; and Alfreda Harris, who retired from the Boston School Committee as its longest-serving member and founded the Shelburne Recreation Center. Carlos Henriquez, a former state representative, raised about $4,320 of which $200 is his own money. He has nearly $2,870 remaining. Henriquez said BPS needs to enhance family engagement and
suggested ensuring each school has an official with the necessary language skills. He also advocated for more school inspections and holding administrators responsible for failing schools. Community development corporations need to be pushed beyond rental housing creation in order to facilitate homeownership, he said. Henriquez also recommended land trusts and co-op housing. With respect to the economy, Henriquez said that residents spend heavily on black churches, which ought to then invest their money in the same local bank to allow the dollars to be re-used locally. He proposed workshops on the importance of wealth building. Poverty, peer pressure and family issues contribute to violence, he said, and more focused policing and preventative strategies are part of the solution. If elected, he said he’d bring
See DISTRICT 7, page 11
YOU’RE INVITED
Ribbon Cutting You are cordially invited to attend our Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, marking the completion of renovations to our Media Arts Center, our Health Sciences Building, and our new Student Commons, bookstore, and food service area. We encourage you to join us and celebrate with faculty, staff, students, community members and friends.
Roxbury Community College 1234 Columbus Avenue Roxbury Crossing, MA 02120 www.rcc.mass.edu
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2017
CEREMONY - 1:30 P.M., RECEPTION & TOURS - 2:00 P.M. KEYNOTE SPEAKER: GOVERNOR CHARLIE BAKER
Location: Roxbury Community College - The ceremony will be held in the Media Arts Center (Building 1). The reception will be held on the first floor of Building 3; and, tours of the Health Sciences Building will begin on the 2nd floor of Building 4. To RSVP, visit http://bit.ly/RibbonCutting134. Questions can be directed to Vanessa Lewis at vlewis@rcc.mass.edu or 617-541-5373. If you require event accommodations, please send an email to accessibility@rcc.mass.edu or call 617-933-7443.
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8 • Thursday, September 21, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER
Girls of color in Boston public schools face academic disparities By KAREN MORALES
At-large Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley held the first-ever listening-only forum on September 11 for girls of color and their parents on how school policies have affected their well-being and academic experiences. This past summer, Pressley helped the National Black Women’s Justice Institute conduct focus groups with more than 100 girls of color from Boston Public Schools about their experiences with school climate and discipline policies. The testimonies from these focus groups were also shared at the hearing. “The school-to-prison pipeline is growing for girls. Research shows that girls of color are disproportionately impacted by school discipline policies, which can too often result in long term negative life outcomes,” said Pressley. “I want to ensure that here in Boston, our policies and programs are co-constructed with our girls, and have the intended outcomes that lead to safe and productive school environments for all students,” she said. Pressley and NBWJI plans to use the testimonies, data research and the focus group results to craft policy recommendations to improve the academic experiences of girls of color in Boston Public Schools. Out of the 45 attendees, 12 students, four parents and two researchers testified. Chavelyn Santana, a former student at John D. O’Bryant who is currently studying at Lasell College, shared her personal experience dealing with test-taking anxiety and low expectations from educators towards students. As someone who excelled at homework, projects and in-class assignments but struggled with
taking exams, Santana was disheartened that the school did not support her learning style, especially since most of her grade was based on exam scores. “Then you have other factors weighing in on that: you’re a person of color, you’re a female, you have an accent,” she said. “You start believing, maybe I am just a C-average student. Not the one that’s going to succeed. That really does take a toll on you.” She also recalled a time when she spoke to a teacher about applying to colleges. “She told me to apply to community college as if that’s the only thing I could aim for. And that takes out more motivation from you. If this professor doesn’t believe in you, why should you believe in yourself ?” said Santana.
Unequal discipline
Paula Kelly, a mother of two Boston Public School students and a representative from the Collaborative Parent Leadership Action Network, testified to hairstyle policies that targeted her biracial daughter. “It’s well known that many educational institutions have unfair hair policies intolerant of beads they call noisy, natural afros they claim are too big, dreads, extensions and hair coverings for both Muslim and non-Muslim girls,” she said. “Those policies are just plain racist in my opinion.” She suggested a possible solution. “I would like to see more educators and administrators provided with more bias training, as well as learning about and respecting other cultures,” she said. In addition, Kelly said that the BPS curriculum is too Eurocentric and that educators should teach students more about leaders of color in history. Several young women, current students at Boston Public Schools,
charter schools and private schools, stepped up to the microphone and shared their personal experiences. Many of them expressed frustration for constantly receiving disciplinary action for dress code violations that were deemed too distracting. Consequently, they lost class time because of this. The girls often felt objectified and sexualized by their schools, whether their clothes were revealing or not, especially for girls who appear more developed than others. Aishatu Yusuf, a senior research policy fellow for NBWJI, presented testimonies from the focus groups conducted with girls of color from Boston Public Schools over the summer. “The reason we do qualitative research, the reason we speak to young people and adults from impacted communities, is because their voices are too often left out,” she said. “We want to tell their stories and put them at the center of the conversation,” said Yusuf. “We put a face to statistics, feelings with percentages.” She presented a quote from a black Dominican girl attending high school in Boston: “My school actually did something. After it all happened, they gathered a bunch of us black kids, we sat down, all the administration, all the faculty, the janitors... we sat in the auditorium, and we led the conversation. They asked us how we felt, what we needed and what we expected from them. They told us what they needed and expected from us. And they listened. They actually listened. You could just tell there was a shift and change in our classrooms. Students leading the conversation was so beneficial because oftentimes teachers just don’t understand. “ Another young woman said, “I got into a fight with a white girl.
PHOTOS BY: KAREN MORALES
Above: City Councilor Ayanna Pressley enjoys a moment with students during a focus group she convened for the natonal Black Women’s Justice Institute. Below: City Councilor Ayanna Pressley interviews students.
She got suspended for two weeks and I got expelled. But we were both fighting.” When asked about dress code policy, “They all said dress code for what they get in trouble for. They said they understand the school wants them to look presentable, but the definition of presentable changed depending on who they were and what they looked like,” said Yusuf. Another girl said, “I’m black. So my natural hair is big and curly. I wore it out once and was told to go to the principal’s office to tie it down because it was distracting other students. That was the last time I did that. I was really embarrassed, I wanted to shave my head, but my mom wouldn’t let me.” In response to law enforcement officers being placed in schools, young women from the
Public Meeting
UPHAM’S CORNER IMPLEMENTATION OPEN HOUSE WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
A
PP
LY
email :
More information and a link to the application can be found on our website at www.bridgebostoncs.org
650 DUDLEY STREET
The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center Village Hall Boston, MA 02125
Are You an Older Adult? Join Jumpstart’s Community Corps
their reading & writing skills
KRISTINA RICCO
● Serve with a team of your peers in a preschool classroom in
Boston Planning & Development Agency One City Hall Square, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02201 617.918.4238 Kristina.ricco@boston.gov
Roxbury or Mattapan
● Receive training and a transportation stipend
Interested? BostonPlans.org
W
Please call the school with questions and ask to speak with Joanna Steffey, Director of Full Service: 857-229-1601.
● Read, write, sing and play with 3-5 year old children to build
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Bridge Boston Charter School is seeking applicants by October 11th for a lottery to fill a seat in our sixth grade immediately following the October 17th drawing. Applicants would need to be willing to enroll in our school and transfer this October 2017.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Please join us for the Upham’s Corner Implementation Open House! Implementation is all about putting the plans that have been prepared into effect and bringing this vision to life. The Upham’s Corner Implementation process will build on goals established by Imagine Boston 2030 and previous planning initiatives to develop strategic parcels in the neighborhood. This kick-off event will give a brief overview of previous planning efforts and will provide specific information about parcels included in the Implementation process. This effort will be guided by a unique partnership between the City of Boston, the Boston Planning and Development Agency and the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative.
mail to:
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Teresa Polhemus, Executive Director/Secretary
Call us at 857-413-4630 or 857-413-4610 to learn more.
focus groups said they felt safer with more guidance counselors in schools, rather than cops. Misha Inniss-T hompson, a doctoral student at Vanderbilt University who works with NBWJI, presented numerical research that complemented the narratives shared by Aishatu. “Neither quantitative or qualitative data can stand alone,” said Inniss-Thompson. “We need both to create effective policies.” The data analysis is based on comparing discipline outcomes between girls of color (black and Latina) and white girls. The analysis used nationwide data collected from the 2013 - 2014 academic year, which is the most recent and most comprehensive report made available via the US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights. According to the report, the nationwide racial and ethnic breakdown of 50,035,744 female students in K - 12 public and charter schools was 50.3 percent white, 24.7 percent Hispanic and Latina, and 15.6 percent black. Black girls were seven times more likely than white girls to receive one or more out of school suspensions, four times more likely to be arrested in school, and over two and half times more likely to be referred to law enforcement. Latina girls were found to be one and half times more likely to receive an out of school suspension, get arrested at school, and referred to law enforcement. To view the entire report, visit NBWJI.org, and click on the “resources” tab. “I’m struck by the common thread among the testimonies of feeling unsafe and unheard,” said Pressley. “As Dr. Monique Morris [co-founder of NBWJI] once said, ‘Our girls are sacred and loved.’” She continued, “Based on what you shared, it’s very clear, most of our girls do not feel sacred and loved. and we have to fix it.” In October, Pressley will hold a second hearing for school personnel to discuss school climate, discipline policies, and disparities in suspension rates, and trauma-informed practices.
Thursday, September 21, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 9
Health Matters from Carney Hospital MEN, QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING
S
eptember is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, which means it is a good reminder to discuss how proper prevention, screening and, if necessary, treatment can address prostate cancer and other common disorders. Talking with your primary care physician will help you make an informed decision about prostate cancer screening. “All men have a prostate and that means that all men are at risk for prostate problems,” says, Leonid Kotkin, MD, a Carney Hospital urologist. “And for the most part, these risks increase with age.” In addition to the aging process, experts believe diet, race and heredity may all lead to prostate trouble. The three most common problems associated with the prostate are: • Prostatitis. This condition develops when the prostate swells or becomes inflamed, usually caused by bacterial infection.
• Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A normal prostate can also grow many times in size when hormonal changes occur after age 40, causing BPH. • Prostate cancer. Even though prostate cancer is one of the most diagnosed cancers in America, on average men have only a three percent risk of actually dying from the disease. Tumors are often slowgrowing and highly treatable. However, patients sometimes experience no symptoms until the cancer has spread. Thus, early detection by your doctor is important.
Symptoms of prostate disease include pain, burning and difficulty in urinating, blood in the urine or semen, painful ejaculation, and lower back pain.
To Be Screened or Not to Be Screened The medical community previously agreed that after a certain age, all men should be screened for prostate problems. However, the latest medical research suggests that prostate cancer screenings are no longer considered necessary for all men. For this reason, it is important to talk to your health care provide about prostate screening and ask the following five questions: 1. What is my personal risk for prostate cancer based on my age, race, and family history?
high risk groups, such as African-Americans or those with a family history of prostate problems.
• Exodx. A new simple urine test that reduces the need for biopsy by up to 40 percent. “If diagnosed, a urologist can discuss and determine the best course of treatment for each individual patient,” says Dr. Kotkin. “Treatments for prostatitis and BPH often include a low-fat diet and medications, while prostate cancer is typically treated with chemotherapy, surgery and/or radiation.”
2. What screening test do you recommend? 3. What will the screening test results tell me? 4. If the test results show I might have prostate cancer, what are the next steps? 5. What are my choices for treating or not treating right away and if I receive treatment, what are the treatment choices? For those who do decide to get screened, the most common exams include: • A digital rectal exam (DRE): Although some men consider this test embarrassing, it is a quick, simple procedure that could save your life. • A PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test: For men over 50 or earlier for men in
Need a Doctor? If you are need of a primary care doctor - we have the right physician for you. Our PCPs offer exceptional care and are committed to making it easy for you to get an appointment when you need it. Carney Hospital’s Center for Primary Care offers patients easy access to quality primary care with the added convenience of the full range of onsite services and specialists offered by the hospital. The Center operates in a spacious, modern facility with plenty of available parking.
To schedule an appointment with a primary care physician, call 1-888-775-1553, or visit carneyhospital.org/doctorfinder. Marvin Diaz-Lacayo, MD
www.carneyhospital.org
Carney Hospital
10 • Thursday, September 21, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER
mayoral race continued from page 1
across Roxbury’s Ward 12, knocking on doors to identify supporters the campaign can count on to vote on Sept. 26. Meanwhile, at Jackson’s Dudley Square headquarters, volunteers streamed in Saturday morning, collecting signs to distribute and clipboards holding the names and addresses of voters before heading out to Brighton, West Roxbury and South Boston as the District 7 city councilor pushes to shore up support citywide in the 10-day stretch leading up to the preliminary election. The centrality of Boston’s black community in the 2017 mayoral race has been evident from the day nomination papers were available back on May 3. Walsh and Jackson both showed up in Dudley Station, each working to collect signatures at Roxbury’s commercial and transportation hub. For all the fierce door-to-door campaigning, there has been little in the way of debate on the key issues dividing Walsh and Jackson: housing, education and criminal justice. There have been no debates in the mayoral race to date and the other two candidates in the race, Robert Cappucci and Joseph Wiley, have been largely silent on the issues. But in recent years, Walsh and Jackson have staked out clear positions.
Housing
In Dudley Square this May, Walsh told the Banner the number one concern he heard from voters was the lack of affordable housing in
BANNER PHOTO
Walsh campaign volunteers Gail Forbes-Harris, Cherose Singleton and Tymecha Furrow door knock on Circuit Street in Roxbury. Boston’s surging real estate market. The mayor kicked off his first term in office with a plan to add 53,000 units of housing by the year 2030 — the 400th anniversary of the founding of Boston. That effort came as planners projected the city’s population to grow from the current 673,000 to more than 800,000. By August of this year, more than half of the 53,000 units were either permitted for construction, under construction or built. But while 1,740 units of affordable housing have been built or preserved during the more than three years Walsh has been mayor, pressure on middle- and low-income renters remains painfully high, with 21 percent of the city renters spending more than half their income on housing. Early in his term, Walsh said the production of new units would relieve pressure on the city’s rental market by creating more supply. His administration scored a partial
victory on that front, with rents in residential units built before 2010 dropping by 4 percent citywide last year after years of steady increases. The average rent for all apartments in Boston — $2,770, according to the internet-based listing service RENTCafé — has remained largely unchanged . With the bulk of new housing units in the city going up as studios and one-bedrooms in highrent areas of South Boston, Downtown and the Fenway, Jackson has been vocal in questioning who is really benefitting from the city’s construction boom. In 2015, he founded Reclaim Roxbury, an organization fighting displacement in the neighborhood that makes up his home district .
Education
Protests over BPS school budgets cut were fierce in 2016. Starting with a picket line of teachers and parents in front of the annual
State of the City address, the demonstrations picked up steam with three student walkouts that drew thousands out of the city’s high schools and middle schools to march on City Hall. Jackson supported the students and spoke out against the Walsh administration budget, which increased school spending by only $13 million — a one percent raise that activists said would necessitate more than $20 million in cuts to schools. Jackson and protesters noted that the cuts were coming despite a growth of more than $150 milliion in the city’s property tax revenue. Jackson staked out a position of hardline opposition, appearing at protests with the students, speaking up during City Council meetings and, ultimately, voting against the mayor’s budget. Jackson also took the lead on opposition to ballot Question 2 in November 2016 which would have removed the state’s cap on charter school expansion. On that issue, Walsh and Jackson were on the same side, both arguing that rapid charter expansion would threaten funding for the city’s district schools. This year, Jackson again spoke out against budget cuts affecting 49 of the district’s 126 schools. Walsh administration officials pointed out that the overall school budget increased by nearly 3 percent, with $14 million going toward extended learning time in several schools. Walsh also announced in 2017 the “Build BPS” ten-year facilities master plan aimed at making billions of dollars worth of repairs, improvements and new buildings for BPS schools. The announcement came a year after a consultant’s report leaked to the media recommended the closure and consolidation of 20 to 50 BPS schools.
Criminal justice
The Walsh administration has touted declining crime and arrest rates, with major crimes last year reaching their lowest point in a
decade. This year, however, an uptick in shootings has marred the relative peace, with 151 shootings between January and August . As Walsh’s term in office began, much of the United States was gripped by protests spurred by social media coverage of police-involved shootings and use of deadly force that left unarmed blacks dead. Large and spirited demonstrations in Boston were mostly peaceful, though several dozen nonviolent protesters complained of assaults by police during a November 2014 protest. Data released by the Boston Police Department at the behest of the ACLU that same year pointed to a disturbing trend — higher rates of police monitoring, stops and searches of blacks by Boston cops. While Walsh earned plaudits early on for appointing a diverse command staff at the BPD, he has endured criticism from Jackson and others for the declining hiring numbers for black, Latino and Asian police officers. Another point of contention: body-worn cameras. While Jackson has called for immediate implementation of a body camera policy, Walsh instead opted for a six-month-long study, outfitting 200 officers with the cameras. At the study period’s conclusion on September 11, Walsh refused to commit to full implementation of body-worn cameras, telling the Banner he will await the results of a months-long analysis of data gleaned from the study before making a decision.
Plenty to debate
Should Walsh and Jackson opt to participate in a debate following the Sept. 26 preliminary ballot, body cameras, affordable housing and education funding will likely be among many issues of contention between the two. But in the next few days, both campaigns likely will be more focused on the immediate task of identifying likely voters who support their candidate and getting those voters to the polls.
ANNUAL SCHOOL FAIR TO PROMOTE
Diversity
AISNE will host our annual school fair to promote diversity. This fair brings together over 50 schools under one roof to support families who are considering an independent school for their child/children. This school fair provides an opportunity for families and students at all grade levels to meet with representatives from day schools in the Boston area and boarding schools throughout New England. DATE SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2017 TIME 1:00–3:00 PM (OPTIONAL INFORMATION SESSION AT 2:00 PM) LOCATION UMASS BOSTON n 100 MORRISSEY BLVD. n BOSTON, MA REGISTRATION Families do not need to register to attend the school fair to promote diversity, but AISNE would appreciate learning of your interest in our fairs. Visit aisne.org/family-resources/aisne-school-fairs to express interest in attending an AISNE school fair. FREE PARKING
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District 7 continued from page 6
ROXBURY • SOUTH END • DORCHESTER • FENWAY Paid For and Authorized By The Janey Committee
policy know-how from previous experience and would improve communication with residents about issues affecting them. He has been endorsed by Rep. Russell Holmes, Blackstonian.com publisher Jamarhl Crawford and the Local 4 Elevators union. Kim Janey is the senior project director of Massachusetts Advocates for Children and is a founding board member of MassVOTE. In 2017 her campaign raised nearly $54,300, with $30,000 remaining as of Aug. 31. She contributed $1,000 of her own money. With respect to education, Janey called for increasing support to close the achievement gaps for immigrant and English Language Learner students . She also was among those who called for a teaching force reflective of the diversities of the student enrollment and more school funding. She proposed workshops and other supports to help people purchase homes and launch their own businesses, and said tackling violence means addressing diminished opportunities for youth opportunities as well as responding to violence-produced trauma and mental health issues. If elected, Janey promised high responsiveness to residents and said her position at Mass. Advocates for Children gives her experience working with City Hall and effectively organizing to acomplish projects. She has been endorsed by District 7 City Councilor Chuck Turner, Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz and Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins. Other endorsements include the Mass Women’s Political Caucus, SEIU Local 888, IBEW Local 222 The Sierra Club, Mass Alliance, Boston Ward 4 Democratic Committee, the Greater Boston Labor Council, and community figures Glynn Lloyd, Thelma Burns, Marilyn Anderson Chase and Rev. Miniard Culpepper. Deeqo Jibril, who was a Somali refugee as a child and later founded African Mall and the Somali Community Cultural Association, raised $42,690 by Aug. 31, of which she donated $1,000 personally. The campaign still has $22,820. Jibril also called for a more diverse teaching staff and more school funding, and was among those proposing homebuyer classes. Combating violence means providing youth with resources and teaching children that they can succeed, she said. Jibril cited her experience initiating dialogues between Boston police and Somali youth. She has been endorsed by Unite Here Local 256 hotel and restaurant employees union. Brian Keith, an executive with an airline startup, raised about $10,220, of which he contributed about $340. He has $3,130 remaining. Keith proposed establishing pipeline programs to train students for positions in emergency medical response, police and fire. (He did not say what this would mean for the police and fire departments’ veteran preference hiring policies.) He, too, called for a more diverse teaching staff and school-to-trade career pipelines. Pathways to better economic prospects, engagement with perpetrators of violence and stricter police action will curb violence, he said. He also cited experience
negotiating with developers for greater inclusion of homeownership units in their projects via his role as president of his neighborhood association. He said he would use this approach to increase ownership opportunities locally, and that in office he would draw on the collaboration skills he honed as neighborhood association president. Keith has been endorsed by Boston Fire Local 718 and Massachusetts Voters for Animals. José López Jr., an attorney and former BPS teacher, raised $14,930, to which he contributed $1,000, and still has about $3,420. He said the BPS’s higher education partners should be pushed to provide more support for improvements at their partner schools. As for strengthening residents’ control of their neighborhood, López advocated for homeowners to sell their house only to people they know within the district, and for residents to seek mutual wealth-building opportunities. To better address violence issues, he said adults need to show children they have potential for success, not just criminality. If elected, López hopes to open city council committee membership to any residents, not just councilors. He has been endorsed by the Boston Teachers Union and the Transit Workers Union ALF-CIO local 2054 Roy Owens did not attend the debate and has raised $0. Domonique Williams, a legal assistant, raised about $12,620, contributing $200 herself, and has $24 remaining. She said improving the BPS means increasing trauma support and housing resources to students who face housing insecurity, along with providing schools with more resources. Speaking on housing and wages, she said she would draw on her experience as a former aide to Boston’s Office of Fair Housing and she, too, proposed homebuyer classes. Williams also said more access to technology industry jobs is needed. Peer mediation, starting as early as elementary school, can help children express issues and find healthier — non-violent — coping methods, she said. More also needs to be done to help people deal with violence-related trauma. Williams said her knowledge of law and negotiation skills would be useful in office. She reported endorsements from the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (ASCFME) Council 93 and Ward 9. Hassan Williams, attorney and former BPS teacher, raised $18,640, of which he personally contributed $12,000 in 2017. As of Aug. 31 he had $13,310 in his campaign coffers. Williams was among those who called for more school funding and proposed raising these monies by taxing larger nonprofits and universities. To improve the housing situation, he suggested implementing rent control, capping property taxes, revising the Area Median Income calculations (thus revising how much housing can cost and still be deemed “affordable”) and converting more public land into co-op housing. He said violence is strongly driven by drugs, and can be abated if key players are made to meet and discuss issues.
“I know that Kim Janey will always fight for us. She is a community organizer who gets real results. As our next City Councilor, she will always put the needs of our community first and stand up for us to remain in our neighborhoods.” – Chuck Turner, Community Activist and Former Boston City Councilor
VOTE TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 26th
12 • Thursday, September 21, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER
Trump plans to end refugee program for children Minors from violence-plagued El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala will no longer be permitted to reunite with their parents in the United States By MARCELO ROCHABRUN, PROPUBLICA
The Trump administration plans to stop accepting refugee applications from children with U.S.-based parents from three violence-riddled Central American countries — El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala — according to the summary of a presentation the State Department made recently to refugee organizations. The decision to end the Central American Minors program, which began in 2014 and is the only refugee program aimed at helping people from that region, could put hundreds of families split between two countries in a delicate situation. The children will no longer be able to come legally to the U.S. Of course, they can still attempt to cross without authorization and then either request asylum or try to navigate the border region without being detained or injured — just the kind of dangerous illegal immigration that the CAM program was meant to discourage. (And if the children do cross the border, as ProPublica recently reported, they could expose their parents to an investigation for child smuggling.) “Ending the program would force desperate children into the arms of smugglers and traffickers because they don’t have a safe and orderly way to get to the U.S.,” said
Lisa Frydman, a vice president of Kids In Need Of Defense, an immigration advocacy group. “This administration is giving the unconscionable message that Central American children are not welcome here for protection.” Refugee organizations were alerted to the impending demise of CAM two weeks ago by State Department officials, according to a memo summarizing the meeting that was obtained by ProPublica. “We were told that [the State Department Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration] will begin winding down the CAM program in its entirety,” according to the summary, which circulated at one resettlement agency. “Please note that this information was conveyed to us in person (verbally) with no documentation that we can share with you at this time … the CAM refugee program will be discontinued no later than December 31, 2017, perhaps sooner.” A State Department spokesperson said that “all aspects of the FY2018 resettlement program are under review” but added that “no decisions have been made.” Asked about the meeting with the refugee agencies, the spokesperson responded, “The State Department works closely with its resettlement partners and shares information as part of an ongoing dialogue and partnership. No formal announcement has been made to partners regarding
the CAM program.” CAM admissions had already dwindled to a trickle. In August, 19 Central American refugees were admitted. By comparison, 160 were admitted last December, the single highest month. Over the history of the program, 1,627 refugees entered the U.S. through CAM, the overwhelming majority of them from El Salvador. In August, the Trump administration terminated a program that served as a sort of back-up to CAM. The program allowed children who failed to qualify as refugees to be allowed into the U.S. temporarily if they could show there was a compelling humanitarian reason. (Obtaining refugee status requires demonstrating a “well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.” The definition of “humanitarian” is much broader.) That program allowed 1,465 minors to travel to the U.S. before its cancellation. An additional 2,500 who were approved for the humanitarian program but had yet to make it to the U.S. had those approvals rescinded. “No more individuals will travel into the United States under this … program,” according to a letter from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency that announced the cancellation. “As such, USCIS is rescinding your condition approval.” So far this year, Central
American refugees accounted for just 1 percent of the 51,000 refugees who have been admitted to the United States. Latin America overall accounts for only 3 percent of the total. “The CAM refugee program has been a small but an incredibly critical lifeline for Central American children,” Frydman said. In a shift from how it operated during the Obama administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is cracking down on relatives who let undocumented kids stay with them after entering the U.S. The cancellation of CAM is one of many moves the Trump administration has taken to discourage immigration from Latin America. This month, the Trump administration announced the phaseout of DACA, a program for 800,000 young undocumented immigrants who are overwhelmingly from Mexico and Central America. Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it will soon end protections from deportation for 50,000 Haitians, and floated the possibility of doing the same with 200,000 Salvadorans, 60,000 Hondurans, and 3,000 Nicaraguans by next March. DHS has also sought to detain all asylum applicants, who are mostly from Venezuela and Central America, until their cases are adjudicated, which can take years. And it has sought to swiftly deport all illegal border crossers, overwhelmingly Mexicans and Central Americans, to Mexico, even if they aren’t Mexican.
The agency has endorsed slashing legal immigration by half. VICE reportedthis week that next year the U.S. will accept a historically low number of refugees from around the world. T he CAM program was launched in 2014 amid an exponential surge of Central American children who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, most of them claiming they had parents or other relatives in the U.S. To qualify for CAM, parents must be legally allowed to be in the U.S. and children must pass a DNA test proving they are the offspring of the person or people in question. (The tests cost the families close to $600.) The process takes an average of 13 months and about 75 percent of the refugee applications were denied. It’s unclear how many applications are pending, but the number is likely to be in the thousands, based on figures from 2016. It’s also unclear what will happen to pending applications once the cancellation of the program takes effect. “Usually, there is an attempt to have an orderly wind down and people who would be in the pipeline would be completed, their cases would be completed,” said Doris Meissner, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute and a commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service under Bill Clinton. “But we’ve certainly seen in others aspects of what the new administration has done, that they haven’t necessarily being so orderly.”
Message From Whittier Street Health Center’s Wellness Team:
SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL CHILDHOOD OBESITY AWARENESS MONTH 1 in 3 children in the United
States is overweight or obese. Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems that were once seen only in adults, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. The good news is that childhood obesity can be prevented. In honor of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, Whittier Street Health Center encourages you and your family to make healthy changes together. n Get active outside: Walk around the neighborhood, go on a bike ride, or play basketball at the park. n Limit screen time: Keep screen time (time spent on the computer, watching TV, or playing video games) to 2 hours or less a day. n Make healthy meals: Buy and serve more vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain foods.
Taking small steps as a family can help your child stay at a healthy weight.
n If you are concerned about your child’s weight, ask his or her doctor for a referral to our Healthy Weight Clinic. The clinic’s team includes a nutritionist and a fitness coordinator who will help your family adopt healthy habits. n Join the Whittier Street Health Center Fitness Club. Teens 14 years old or older have a special rate of $5/month for enrollment!
Steer your health in the right direction by making the smart choice. Building a Healthy Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh
www.bphc.org/SugarSmarts
Made possible by funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Partnerships to Improve Community
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.WSHC.ORG. Whittier Street Health Center 1290 Tremont St. Roxbury, MA 02120 T: 617-427-1000
Whittier @ Quincy Commons 279 Blue Hill Ave. Roxbury, MA 02120 T: 617-585-2550
Thursday, September 21, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 13
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14 • Thursday, September 21, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER
solar
continued from page 1 its economic viability. Church leaders could no longer afford to fully cover the roofs, due both to a reduction to the net metering incentives and to rules around what type of electricity hookup could be used, said Rev. Mariama White-Hammond of Bethel AME Church. The scale-back reduced energy production to one-half or one-third of the original plan. “Originally we thought we would be able to give 50 percent of the energy away,” she said. BANNER PHOTO
Members of the Black and Latino Caucus and Green Justice Coalition supporting the legislation turn out for a State House briefing. Left to right: State Rep. Russell Holmes, Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry, Rep. Aaron Vega, Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, Rep. Bud Williams, Rev. Mariama White-Hammond, Rep. Frank Moran, Neighbor to Neighbor Climate Justice Field Coordinator Andrea Nyameke, Clean Water Action Campaign Organizer Joel Wool and Community Labor United Director of Organizing Khalida Smalls.
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Racial-environmental collaboration
Low-income and otherwise marginalized communities and environmentalism are intertwined, said several speakers at an information session for the new solar bills. In part, that is because those communities often are especially vulnerable to impacts of environmental issues such as climate change and extreme weather, said Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz. Additionally, low-income communities could benefit most from more affordable energy — something that renewable, environmentally-friendly energy generation offers, said White-Hammond. Yet often low-income residents are blocked due to financial reasons, reasons such as credit score requirements or due to the 2016 cut to financial support that otherwise could help offset initial costs of setting up a solar energy producing system. She noted that the new solar legislation is the first environmental bill to be sponsored by the Black and Latino Caucus, that that she hopes it leads to more collaboration. Price said that too often, his community is left out, including from getting information on environmental projects and solar energy incentives. Maria Fortes, an organizer with the Coalition of Social Justice, said that during outreach to Spanish- and Cape Verdean-speaking immigrants on the South Shore, she found many
are interested in renewable energy but blocked by lack of materials supplied in their languages. The changes to financial support made in the 2016 energy legislation also may reflect who has political power. Isaac Baker, co-president of Resident Energy, said he believes municipalities and those who represent homeowners had the lobbying clout that low-income communities lacked, and therefore were able to secure exemptions from the reimbursement cut. “Low-income communities did not get that benefit because they did not have the same presence around the table,” Baker said. Sen. Jamie Eldridge agreed that those without strong political or lobbying presence at the State House appeared to have lost out, and he called the 2016 bill embarrassing. “We’re all paying into these incentives in our electric bills, yet more often than not, middle-income communities — communities in my district — are benefitting more than low-income communities of color,” he said.
The bills
The proposed bills would provide low- and moderate-income residents and renters with similar compensation rates to homeowners when they buy into solar projects in low- to moderate-income communities and communities in which at least a quarter of the population is minority or lacks English language proficiency. Any future solar incentive compensation program would be required to have an equity component as well. Sen. Chang-Diaz says the bills are among several pieces of legislation targeted at giving agency and protection to low-income communities in the face of climate change. Ben Underwood, Resident Energy co-president, said the House and Senate bill would make significant difference. “This bill would make it possible to do those larger projects moving forward,” Underwood said. A legislative hearing on solar energy will be held on October 3.
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W hy An Inde p e nde nt Sc ho o l? Small Classes • Commitment to Diversity • Performing Arts Programs • Sense of Community Afternoon Programs • Athletics • Dedicated Teachers • Individual Attention • Travel Programs High Academic Standards • Visual Arts Programs • Experiential Learning
A group of Greater Boston independent schools invites you to attend Open House Programs SCHOOL NAME •The Rivers School •Boston University Academy •Commonwealth School •The Learning Project •Fay School •Dana Hall School •Newton Montessori School •Park Street School •Boston Trinity Academy •Noble and Greenough School •The Sage School •The Cambridge School of Weston •Delphi Academy •Montrose School •The Newman School •Meridian Academy •Beaver Country Day School •St. Sebastian’s School •Belmont Day School •German International School •Meadowbrook School •Pingree School •The Roxbury Latin School •Waldorf High School of Mass Bay •Brimmer and May School •Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School •Dedham Country Day School •The Fessenden School •Shady Hill School-Lower School •Shady Hill School-Middle School •The Woodward School •Kingsley Montessori School •The Rashi School •Charles River School •Concord Academy •BB&N Lower School •BB&N Middle and Upper School •Dexter Southfield School •Lexington Montessori School •Thayer Academy •Waldorf School of Lexington •The Advent School •Atrium School •Cambridge Montessori School •Jackson Walnut Park Schools •The Park School •Tenacre Country Day School •Derby Academy •Adams Montessori School •Cambridge Friends School •Milton Academy K-8 Division •The Chestnut Hill School •Lesley Ellis School •Newton Country Day School •The Winsor School •Fayerweather Street School •Thacher Montessori School •The Fenn School
CITY/TOWN Weston Boston Boston Boston Southborough Wellesley Newton Boston Boston Dedham Foxboro Weston Milton Medfield Boston Boston Chestnut Hill Needham Belmont Boston Weston South Hamilton West Roxbury Belmont Chestnut Hill Waltham Dedham West Newton Cambridge Cambridge Quincy Boston Dedham Dover Concord Cambridge Cambridge Brookline Lexington Braintree Lexington Boston Watertown Cambridge Newton Brookline Wellesley Hingham Quincy Cambridge Milton Chestnut Hill Arlington Newton Boston Cambridge Milton Concord
AGES AND GRADES 11-18 years (6-12) 13-18 years (9-12) 14-18 years (9-12) 5-12 years (K-6) 5-15 years (K-9) 10-18 years (girls 5-12) 15mo-12 years (T-6) 2-12 (Toddler-6) 11-18 years (6-12) 11-18 years (7-12) 3.2-14 years (PK-8) 14-18 years (9-12) 2.9-13 years (PK-8) 11-18 years (girls 6-12) 13-19 years (7-12) 11-18 years (6-12) 11-18 years (6-12) 12-18 years (boys 7-12) 4-14 years (PK-8) 3-18 (PK-12) 4-14 years (Jr.K-8) 14-18 years (9-12) 12-18 years (boys 7-12) 14-18 years (9-12) 4-18 years (PK-12) 14-18 years (9-PG) 4-14 years (PK-8) 4-15 years (boys PK-9) 4-10 years (PK-4) 11-14 years (5-8) 11-18 years (6-12) 2-12 years (T-6) 5-14 years (K-8) 4-14 years (PK-8) 14-18 years (9-12) 4-12 years (PK-6) 12-18 years (7-12) 4-18 years (PK-12) 18 mos-14 years (T-8) 10-18 years (5-12) 6wks-14 years (PK-8) 4-12 years (PK-6) 4-14 years (PK-8) 21 mos. to 14 years (T-8) 18 mo -12 years (T-6) 4-14 years (PK-8) 4-12 years (PK-6) 4-15 years (PK-8) 15 mo -12 yrs (T-6) 4-14 years (PK-8) 5 -14 years (K-8) 3-12 years (Beginners-6) 2.9-14 years (PS-8) 10-18 years (girls 5-12) 10-18 years (girls 5-12) 3-14 years (PK-8) 15 mos. to 14 years (T-8) 9-15 years (boys 4-9)
OPEN HOUSE DATE(S) : TIME(S) PHONE Sun., September 17: 1-3:30 pm v Sat., Oct. 28: 9-12 pm 781-235-9300 Sun., October 1 & Sun., November 5: 1-3 pm 617-358-2493 617-266-7525 Tue., October 3: 6-8:30 pm v Sun., Nov. 5: 2:30-5 pm 617-266-8427 Tue., October 3: 4-6 pm v Sat., October 21: 11-2 pm 508-490-8201 Thurs., October 5: 10-12 pm v Sun., Nov. 5: 1-3:30 pm Thurs. Oct. 5: 5-7 pm (MS) v Sun., Oct. 22 (MS/US): 1-3 pm 781-235-3010 Wed., Oct. 11: (T-PK) 8:30-9:30 am v Sun., Oct. 22 (K-6) 1-3 pm 617-969-4488 617-523-7577 Wed., October 11: 9-11 am v Mon., Oct. 23: 6-7:30 pm Sat., October 14: 12-2 pm v Tues. Nov.,14: 6:30-8:30 pm 617-364-3700 781-320-7100 Sat., October 14: 9-12 pm v Tue., Dec. 5 : 6:30-9 pm Sat., October 14: 9-11 am & Wed., Nov. 8: 8:30-10:30 am 508-543-9619 Sun., October 15: 1-4:30 pm v Sat. November 4: 9-12:30 pm 781-642-8650 Sun., October 15 and Sun., December 3: 12-2 pm 617-333-9610 508-359-2423 Sun., October 15: 11-1 pm v Thurs., Nov. 30: 7-9 pm Sun., October 15: 11-1 pm 617-267-4530 Wed., October 18 & Mon., December 11: 6:50-8:30 pm 617-277-1118 617-738-2725 Thurs., October 19: 7-8:30 pm v Fri., Nov. 10: 8:15-11:30 am Thurs., Oct. 19: 5:30-8:30 pm v Thurs., Nov. 30: 7-8:30 pm 781-449-5200 Sat., Oct. 21: 9:30-11:30 am 617-484-3078 Sat., Oct. 21: 10-1 pm v Thurs., Nov. 16: 8:30-11:30 am 617-783-2600 781-894-1193 Sat., October 21: 1-3 pm v Tue., Dec. 5: 9-10:30 am Sat., October 21: 10-2 pm 978-468-4415 Sat., October 21: 10-1:30 pm v Sun., Nov. 5: 12:30-4 pm 617-477-6317 Sat., October 21: 1-3 pm 617-489-6600 Sun., October 22 (Lower School) 1 pm, (MS/US) 2 pm 617-738-8695 Sun., October 22 & Sun., November 5: 12:30-3 pm 781-314-0800 781-329-0850 Sun., October 22: 1-3 pm v Thurs., Nov. 9: 8:30-10:30 am Sun., October 22 : 1-3 pm v Tue., Nov. 14: (PK-K) 6:30-8 617-630-2300 Sun., October 22: 2-4 pm 617-520-5200 Tue., November 7: 7-9 pm 617-520-5200 Sunday, October 22: 12-2 pm 617-773-5610 617-226-4927 Tue., October 24: 8:45-10:45 am v Sun., Nov. 5: 1-3 pm 781-355-7318 Tue., October 24: 9:30 am v Sun., Nov., 19: 10:30 am Sat., October 28 and Sun., November 12: 2-4 pm 508-785-8213 Sat., October 28: 9 am-1 pm 978-402-2250 Sat., October 28: 12-2:30 pm 617-800-2471 Sat., October 28: 9-12 pm (US), 10-12 pm (MS) 617-800-2136 617-454-2721 Sat., Oc. 28 (Gr. 6-12): 9-12 pm v Sat., Nov. 5 (PK-5): 9 -11 pm 781-862-8571 Sat., October 28: 10-12 pm v Tues., Jan. 9: 9:30-11 am Sat., October 28 (US) & Sat., Nov. 4 (MS): 9:30-12 pm 781-664-2221 Sat., October 28: 10-12 pm v Sat., January 20: 10-12 pm 781-863-1062 617-742-0520 Sun., October 29: 1-3 pm v Wed., Dec. 6: 9-11 am 617-923-4156 Sun., Oct. 29: 1-3 pm v Fri., Nov. 17: 9-10:30 am Sun., October 29: 1-3 pm 617-492-3410 Sun., October 29: 12-2 pm v Wed., Nov. 8: 5:30-7:30 pm 617-202-9772 Sun., October 29: 12-3 pm 617-277-2456 781-235-2282 Sun., Oct., 29: 1-3 pm v Tues., Nov. 18: 8:15-10:15 am Thurs., November 2 and Thurs., December 7: 9-11am 781-749-0746 Sat., November 4 & Sat., January 20: 10-12 pm 617-773-8200 Sat., November 4: 1:30-4 pm 617-354-3880 Sat., November 4: 1:30-3:30 pm 617-898-2509 Sun., November 5: 1-3 pm 617-566-4394 Sun., November 5: 1-3 pm (PS-8) v Wed., Nov. 15: 7 pm (MS) 781-641-1346 Sun., November 5: 1-3 pm 617-244-4246 Fri., November 10: 8:30-10:30 am 617-735-9503 617-876-4746 Sat., November 18: 1-4 pm v Sat., Jan. 6: 10-12 pm Sat., Nov. 18: 10:30-12 pm v Thurs., Dec. 7: 9:30-11 am 617-361-2522 Sun., November 19: 1-3 pm 978-369-5800
WEB ADDRESS rivers.org buacademy.org commschool.org learningproject.org fayschool.org danahall.org newtonmontessori.org parkstreetschool.org bostontrinity.org nobles.edu sageschool.org csw.org delphiboston.org montroseschool.org newmanboston.org meridianacademy.org bcdschool.org stsebs.org belmontday.org gisbos.org meadowbrook-ma.org pingree.org roxburylatin.org waldorfhighschool.org brimmer.org chch.org dedhamcountryday.org fessenden.org shs.org shs.org thewoodwardschool.org kingsley.org rashi.org charlesriverschool.org concordacademy.org bbns.org bbns.org dextersouthfield.org lexmontessori.org thayer.org thewaldorfschool.org adventschool.org atrium.org cambridgemontessori.org jwpschools.org parkschool.org tenacrecds.org derbyacademy.org adamsmontessori.org cfsmass.org milton.edu tchs.org lesleyellis.org newtoncountryday.org winsor.edu fayerweather.org thacherschool.org fenn.org
CALL LISTED NUMBERS OR VISIT WEB SITES FOR MORE INFORMATION AND DIRECTIONS. The schools listed above do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, disabilities, sexual orientation, gender identity or family composition in their admissions, financial aid, or in the administration of their educational policies.
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16 • Thursday, September 21, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER
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BIZ BITS TIP OF THE WEEK How to lower your monthly mortgage payment Owning your own home comes with many advantages, including escaping rising rents and the personal and financial stability associated with homeownership. Fortunately, millions of Americans, with less than 20 percent down, have been able to buy a home sooner thanks to mortgage insurance (MI). If you don’t put down 20 percent of the mortgage cost, you will likely be required to purchase MI, which enables low-down-payment borrowers to qualify for home financing from lenders. While homeownership has many benefits and continues to be part of the American Dream, it is not without costs. Several surveys have found that the majority of first-time homebuyers — over 80 percent according to one study — put less than 20 percent down. For these borrowers, there is usually the added expense of MI, which may give some of these borrowers pause. But there is good news: The monthly private mortgage insurance premiums do not last forever on most conventional loans. And when private MI (PMI) cancels, homeowners will have more cash in their pockets each month — money that is available for home improvements or other goals. It is important to understand, however, that not all MI is the same, and not all MI can be canceled. There are numerous low-down-payment mortgage options available that include MI. The two most common are: (1) home loans backed 100 percent by the government through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) that include both an upfront and annual mortgage insurance premium (MIP); and (2) conventional loans, which are typically backed at least in part by private sources of capital, such as private MI. The key difference is that one form can be canceled (PMI) while the other (FHA) typically cannot be canceled. An FHA loan can be obtained with a down payment as low as 3.5 percent. However, be aware that you will typically have to pay a mortgage insurance premium (MIP) of 1.75 percent of the total loan amount at closing or have it financed into the mortgage. If you obtain a conventional loan with PMI, you can put as little as 3 percent down. Like an FHA loan, PMI fees are generally factored into your monthly mortgage payment. However, PMI can often be canceled once you have established 20 percent equity in the home and/or the principal balance of the mortgage is scheduled to reach 78 percent of the home’s original value. — Brandpoint
TECH TALK Amazon announces second North American headquarters Seattle-based online retail giant Amazon recently announced it will be opening a second head quarters in North America. Amazon is currently soliciting bids for the $5 billion project which will include the building and operation of the “HQ2.” Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said the facility will employ up to 50,000 people. See BIZ BITS, page 17
BANNER PHOTO
Matt Breveleri (left), operations manager; Larry Celester (center), co-founder and operations director; and Jordan Wimberly (right), who will take over temporarily from Breveleri when he is deployed by the military in November. The three met with the Banner at 1st Amor’s headquarters, near Fields Corner.
Community comes first
1st Armor security firm emphasizes local hiring, community relations By JULE PATTISON-GORDON
Private security company 1st Armor Protection Services makes community service central to its policing approach and, so far, that philosophy seems to be working. The minority-owned and operated company reports that in the past four years no shots have been fired on any of the 1,000 or so properties it protects, and there have been only two arrests. Several members of the firm’s leadership team sat down with the Banner at 1st Armor’s Dorchester-based headquarters, near the Field’s Corner T stop.
Protection services
1st Armor provides ongoing security patrolling and services to more than 1,000 properties through contracts with roughly a dozen property management companies. Matt Breveleri, operations director, likens the firm’s role to that of university campus police, only in their case, they work on any property that hires them. Under Boston Police Department policy, such private firms have the same legal power to make arrests and function much like police.
“
We police a little differently because we were those kids before. It’s not that these … kids are criminals or violent — they’re bored. … I was that poor kid in that neighborhood, bored with nothing to do.” — Larry Celester
Larry Celester, director and cofounder, says that one advantage to hiring 1st Armor is that while a more minor issue such as a residential noise complaint may be lower priority on the BPD’s long list of situations to which it responds, that complaint still matters to residents. Because it focuses only on its properties, 1st Armor can respond quickly. While residential security forms the bulk of the firm’s work, the team also serves commercial clients such as Hen House, McDonalds and Victoria’s Diner. It also provides event security.
Community 1st
While there are other private security companies, its focus on community service sets 1st Armor apart, according to Breveleri and Celester. The business only hires employees who live or grew up in
Boston’s neighborhoods, in order to recruit those who understand the communities. “We police a little differently because we were those kids,” Celester said. “It’s not that these [so-called gang member] kids are criminals or violent — they’re bored. … I was that poor kid in that neighborhood, bored with nothing to do. When security came around, then I had something to do.” This summer, to keep kids out of trouble, 1st Armor used its 14-seater van to take youth to the beach, while staff continued to hold barbecues and seek out other events for kids to attend, Celester said. Bringing ice cream or refreshments to community parties, hosting cookouts and helping out locally — for instance, offering to fix an off-kilter air conditioning unit — are critical parts of company strategy,
as is getting out of the cruiser and walking or biking the areas, both Celester and Breveleri said. Security officers need to establish positive relations and not be known locally only as impersonal figures that are there to lay down the law, Breveleri said. “You can’t just show up and put handcuffs on people and leave, and then come back and expect to be well received,” he said. While the BPD is a leader in its practice of community relations, especially in districts B2 and B4, Celester said, it lacks the type of resources that 1st Armor can provide.
Growing company
Celester is a former police detective with 17 years on the Youth Violence Strike Force or “gang unit,” which helped him build relationships with members of the BPD and with teens, upon which he now draws in this work. Due to a medical issue affecting his heart, Celester had to retire from the BPD, but was not ready to give up the work. “I wasn’t done being a police officer, he said. In 2013, he co-founded 1st Armor with Aisha Yasin, a former community organizer, liaison and
See 1ST ARMOR, page 17
Thursday, September 21, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 17
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1st Armor continued from page 16
nonprofit consultant with experience in youth empowerment and community-police relations. The team started with 20 employees and has grown since to about 100. The 1st Armor security team includes 55 special officers and 45 uniformed officers, deployed according to unarmed services such as night watch, and storefront security that calls for concierge-type and armed services. With a citywide scope and transportation fleet comprising ten cruisers, one van and 12 bikes, each night 1st Armor has several cars on patrol. When it was founded, the firm hired its first employees from a security company that was going out of business, Celester said. They also helped those they couldn’t hire secure training and other jobs. The company’s first contract was a St. Joseph’s housing property, where there were reports of youth violence. On the company’s first day, a youth
Biz Bits
shot another kid and 1st Armor officers worked with the BPD to make nine arrests and collect three guns, Celester recalled. After that incident, Celester held a cookout and, unarmed and wearing jeans, met with the teens to talk about issues they were experiencing. He said he knew some of them from his policing days and told them they didn’t need guns, that 1st Armor would protect them. Since then, there have been no problems, Celester said.
Hiring
Both Breveleri and Celester described their officer force as linguistically and racially diverse, which are important assets for connecting with the communities they serve. Another quality that sets them apart, they said, is the extent to which the company offers upward career mobility. Patrol officers can advance to management positions and the company trains interested parties to become special officers. A number of employees have gone on to join the BPD.
Our experienced residential team is hard at work making sure you get the very best rate. Whether you are buying your first home or refinancing, we will help you navigate the home buying process and find the mortgage that’s right for you. Why, we’ll even provide boxes to help you pack!
6. CPK ($742,500) 7. Cici’s ($430,000) 8. Round Table Pizza ($424,107) 9. Marco’s Pizza ($417,632) 10. Chuck E. Cheese’s ($364,294)
continued from page 17
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Certify. Develop. Connect. Advocate. For more than 42 years, GNEMSDC and our predecessor organizations have provided opportunities for Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) to grow and prosper by selling goods and services to our corporate members, public agencies, non-profit organizations, and other MBEs.
The Business Equity Initiative GNEMSDC is pleased to announce our partnership with the Eastern Bank Business Equity Initiative (BEI). The BEI was launched in July with participation from 10 MBEs and with support from GNEMSDC in the role of strategic advisor for two of those companies. Seven of the 10 MBEs selected by Eastern Bank to receive advisory services are GNEMSDC certified companies. To learn more about the BEI, please visit: www.easternbank.com
September 27, 2017 Business Opportunity Conference & Expo Gillette Stadium Putnam Club One Patriot Place, Foxborough, MA Keynote Luncheon Speaker: Quincy Miller, President of Eastern Bank
To sponsor or purchase tickets, go to expo.gnemsdc.org or call 617-578-8900, ext. 314.
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Massachusetts 101 Huntington Avenue, 17th Floor Boston, MA 02199 617-578-8900
Connecticut 333 State Street Bridgeport, CT 06604 203-288-9744
Visit our website: www.gnemsdc.org
18 • Thursday, September 21, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER
Egleston continued from page 1
Greater Egleston High School’s student count has dropped from 185 to 79, according to a posting from an anonymous source on the Universal Hub news website. The abrupt mass un-enrollment at the school comes just days before the district calculates official enrollment numbers — a process through which Boston Public Schools determines the per-pupil funding each school will receive. So how did this happen? A BPS spokesman declined to answer questions about the un-enrollment or the implications for the school’s funding, and instead emailed a statement to the Banner. “Boston Public Schools is
working to ensure all of our young people have access to as many viable education options as possible, including Greater Egleston High School and other alternative education schools and programs,” the statement reads. “BPS is in the process of informing students who are trying to enroll in Greater Egleston High School directly at the school to instead visit the BPS Re-Engagement Center to begin attending classes at Greater Egleston as soon as possible.” The sudden decline in enrollment at alternative schools has sparked fears among parents that the school department is seeking to close the schools — a politically unpopular move. The BPS spokesman contacted by the Banner would not comment on what effect
the loss of 104 students might have on Greater Egleston’s funding or future, referring a reporter back to the emailed statement. “Unfortunately we cannot comment beyond the statement today,” the spokesperson said. The chaos at Greater Egleston comes as Dorchester Academy, another high school catering to students at risk of dropping out, faces its own uncertainty. As the Boston Globe reported last month, BPS officials laid off three administrators at the Fields Corner school and sent
students letters urging them to visit the BPS Re-Engagement Center. While Dorchester Academy was declared “underperforming” by the state, Greater Egleston is rated as Level III — in the bottom 20 percent of schools statewide, but not in danger of imminent state takeover. But because Greater Egleston often enrolls fewer than 10 sophomores, few students there actually take the MCAS exam, the prime metric the state uses to determine a school’s status. Greater Egleston has a
reputation of working with students who face significant challenges completing high school. Many students work. Some, like Baez, have children. Many students take online courses. For Baez, who has already paid for child care so she can attend school, the clock is ticking. She has just months before her 22nd birthday to obtain her high school diploma through BPS. Once she turns 22, she can no longer enroll in a BPS school. “I don’t want a GED,” she said. “I want a diploma.”
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Boston Police Superintendent in Chief Daniel Gross speaks during a commemoration of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2011 in the House chamber of the Massachusetts Legislature.
Melvin A Vieira Jr, Real Estate Agent RE/MAX Destiny • Phone: 617-283-6003
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Eye & Eye Optics
Building Bridges Conference Wednesday, October 18, 2017 9:00 AM– 3:00 PM at Regis College 213 Wellesley St. Weston, MA
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The challenges and applied strategies to resolve the diversity disparity of the teacher to student ratio in our public schools! Register to attend at: mpde.org
Where Their Future Begins
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Keynote Address Panel Presentations And Interactive Discussions
Now Accepting Applications for the Fall! Call 617-442-8800 ext 1219
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55 Dimock Street, Roxbury www.dimock.org
Superintendents METCO Leaders Political Supporters Student Leaders MPDE is committed to recruiting and pursuing the hiring of teachers and administrators of color for its school district members, and is also committed to encouraging the development of Cultural Competency Skills, in all districts for all teachers and administrators, recognizing the importance of these factors as necessary for the complete education of all students. Member Districts Andover Barnstable Falmouth New Bedford Somerville
Arlington Brockton Fall River Randolph Waltham
Cambridge Canton LLCPS Sharon Wellesley
Thursday, September 21, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 19
20 • Thursday, September 21, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER
ARTS& ENTERTAINMENT CHECK OUT MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS ONLINE: BAYSTATEBANNER.COM/NEWS/ENTERTAINMENT
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FILM REVIEW
Indian immigrant opts for love in ‘The Tiger Hunter’ By KAM WILLIAMS
Rocking the Boat
SpeakEasy Stage rewrites history with gender-bending show By CELINA COLBY
I
n 1869 explorer John Wesley Powell set out with a small crew of white men to chart the Grand Canyon. SpeakEasy Stage has taken that whitewashed history and turned it on its head with “Men on Boats,” a roaring romp that portrays the journey with a diverse, gender bending cast. Playwright Jaclyn Backhaus’s one caveat was: no white, cis-gendered men. The result is an exploratory boat ride that’s much more fun than the original journey. Robin Javonne Smith, who plays Powell, perfectly captures the explorer’s lust for adventure and sometimes misguided optimism. “The show has been compared to ‘Hamilton’ in that there’s this question of who tells your story,” she says. These are not only the people who would have been excluded from the 1869 expedition, but also the people who are often excluded from the arts. In one swoop, “Men on Boats” re-appropriates the historical narrative and the stage. Smith grew up loving the outdoors, much like Powell, and hopes that the performance will encourage the audience to explore their own canyons. “I really love going on hikes and I feel like there’s this
Sami Malik (Danny Pudi) has had a crush on Ruby Iqbal (Karen David) for as long as he can remember. The lifelong friends were raised in the same village where both of their fathers were pillars of the community. His dad (Kay Kay Menon) was a celebrated tiger hunter, while hers (Iqbal Theba) was a highly-decorated general in the army. Sami, who has recently completed his degree in engineering, only wants two things out of life: a successful career and to tie the knot with Ruby. She wants to marry him, too, so you’d think that walking down the aisle would be as simple as pie for them. Think again. The trouble is, we’re talking about India in 1979, a time when most marriages were still arranged. And General Iqbal has made it clear to Sami that he will only surrender his daughter’s hand after the young lad has not only moved to the U.S. but become gainfully employed there as an engineer, too.
Heading to Chicago
PHOTOS: NILE HAWVER/NILE SCOTT SHOTS
Scenes from the SpeakEasy Stage production of “Men on Boats.” stereotype that African Americans don’t go outdoors or visit national parks,” she says. Though gender is the groundbreaking change in the show, it’s not the defining character of it. Humor and history guide the piece. The script is artfully arranged to blend both history, including direct quotes from Powell’s journals, and contemporary language. The characters often act with a childlike excited curiosity,
which brings out the youthful wonder in all of us. The physicality of the boats is a stroke of genius. Three characters standing in a line hoist a thin, flexible, diamond shaped wood frame around them. The frame (boat) moves raucously as they encounter waves, and even waterfalls. This not only added physical comedy to the performance, but gave an accurate representation of what paddling a
small boat down a huge river would’ve felt like. For Powell’s men, the journey would have been tense, arduous and physically and
See “MEN ON BOATS,” page 23
ON THE WEB For more information about “Men on Boats,” and to book tickets for the show, visit: www.speakeasystage.com/
men-on-boats-2
So, with the help of Ruby (who sold her beloved yellow moped) and many of their neighbors, Sami soon raised enough to relocate to Chicago, where he’d been offered a position with an engineering firm. However, only after arriving in the States was he informed by the sassy sister in Human Resources (Patricia Belcher) that he was being hired as a draftsman and at a much lower salary than that of an engineer. To add insult to injury, he’s mugged on the street right after politely declining the bait-and-switch demotion. Suddenly broke and homeless, Sami thanks his lucky stars to be befriended by Babu (Rizwan Manji), a Pakistani who came to the country a year ago . Next thing you know, Sami reluctantly moves into the tiny apartment the affable stranger
See “TIGER HUNTER,” page 23
ON THE WEB “The Tiger Hunter”: Excellent (4 stars) Rated: Unrated Running time: 94 minutes Production Studio: Sneaky Sneaky Films Distributor: Shout! Factory Films To see a trailer for “The Tiger Hunter,” visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
SiUzXKFfkE8
Thursday, September 21, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 21
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Haitian painter/designer Colette Brésilla discusses her work as a feminine artist “It’s just the most wonderful thing when you have confidence in yourself. It doesn’t matter what people say. You just do what you need to do, and that’s the way that I am right now,” says painter, textile designer and sculptor Colette Brésilla about her growth and transformation as an artist. Speaking in her East Boston studio on a warm and sunny Sunday afternoon in August, the Haitian-born artist recalled stepping into the world of design as a young girl, stealing scraps of material from her seamstress mother’s work to create appliqués. She came to channel that creativity while attending Catholic primary school, especially on her favorite day, Thursdays, which was designated for embroidery and the arts. Brésilla grew up in a religious family both in Haiti and in the United States, with a minister father and a church-going mother. Brésilla was expected to pursue a career in medicine, law or engineering. She completed two years of pre-med, but realized she had to follow her true calling as an artist. Despite being considered “a rebel” by her family, Brésilla attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, where in
IT HAPPENS HERE.
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By COLETTE GREENSTEIN
IMAGINE A THRIVING WORLD.
Everything is reversible, including the past.
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST
(left) Colette Brésilla with “Maman Geisha I.” (right) “Inside God’s Heart” 1992 she earned her bachelor’s degree in fine arts, concentrating on Chinese and Japanese paintings, African Textile Design and Italian Technical Painting. As a working artist for 25 years, Brésilla feels that she has grown tremendously, especially with respect to her painting. “After I graduated from art school, I felt afraid for the world to see my art, because of the critics. I was always painting while, in a way, almost hiding. My colors were dark— even though they were bright, they were dark,” she recalled. “I was trying to hide myself, thinking that maybe they won’t criticize it, if I paint like this. But the woman who believes
that art is in her blood couldn’t dim her light forever. In 1999, something within her changed. “Everything exploded,” she said. “I’m like, ‘I am all naked now.’ You can see me. I don’t care. I’m just going to paint what’s coming out of me. I’m not going to let fear control what I paint, what I create—so I just let it out. It was the most wonderful thing that I have ever done.” Since then, she has created numerous thought-provoking, bold, provocative and colorful paintings. Her artwork has been showcased extensively in numerous American and international
See BRÉSILLA, page 23
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Kalimah Muhammad’s sculptures follow the path of self-discovery By CELINA COLBY
ON THE WEB To learn more about the artist, visit:
kalimahmuhammad.com.
Sculptor Kalimah Muhammad presents a subtle, but significant exsteel, to create a sensory experience. hibit of works called “Journey” at In her artist’s statement she expresses Boston Sculptor’s Gallery until Oca desire to heighten her audience’s tober 1. Four thin counters make a visual awareness of everyday life and square around a support beam in the the materials in it. main exhibition area. Muhammad’s Her use of concrete for such subtle small but powerful sculptures line the counters. Constructed in concrete, the sculptures serves as an example of this substantive manipulation. Primarworks speak to the idea of a personal ily used to construct buildings and journey of transformation. monolithic structures, here concrete Muhammad’s work, though physirepresents a more spiritual, ethereal cally small and minimalistic in design, journey of personal development. is astoundingly expressive. No sculp“Journey” is paired with an exhibiture reaches taller than a foot high, and tion of Murray Dewart’s sculptures, yet they represent giants of emotion, called “Spirit Level.” Dewart’s pristine reaching endlessly towards salvation. works cast in heavy bronze provide a Several striking pieces depict a stark contrast to Muhammad’s lighter human figure with legs, head and style. The two exhibits show dramatarms shooting upward. They emaically different representations of nate joy. In a world where bigger and louder is purported as better, Muham- spirituality, but work harmoniously to express two artists’ points of view. mad’s work is a refreshing reminder Dewart is a veteran of the Boston art that much can be said in a whisper. scene, with works in over thirty museNot all the pieces represent posiums and public collections. Seeing the tive parts of the journey. Some of the two artists at opposite ends of their objects are tight and compact with careers further illustrates the journey hard edges, like someone curled into in Muhammad’s exhibition. Everya ball. The sculptures are intermixed thing created during that journey is throughout the installation, a repvaluable, and represents a specific resentation of the ups and downs of state of the artist’s mind. self-actualization. A visit to “Journey” is a cleansing, Muhammad studied at Montserrat College of Art and has been a member motivating and sometimes meditative experience. It provides a chance of Boston Sculptors Gallery since to turn off the chaos of the world 2012. She uses found and fabricated around, and follow a self-reflective materials, often construction compath through ponents such as wood, concrete and bt Half Page AD Bay State Banner 17.qxp_Layout 1 8/14/17sculpture. 1:50 PM Page 1
PHOTO: CELINA COLBY
Kalimah Muhammad’s concrete sculptures on display at Boston Sculptor’s Gallery.
BERKLEE BEANTOWN JAZZ FESTIVAL
September 30, 2017
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Thursday, September 21, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 23
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Brésilla
‘Tiger Hunter’
ON THE WEB For more information about Colette Brésilla and to view her art, visit:
continued from page 21 institutions, including galleries, museums and universities, and housed in a variety of permanent corporate and private collections. Many of her works have concentrated on the female figure, specifically the Japanese geisha, as reflected in “Yeux de Jade/Jaded Eyes,” “The Thinker II,” “Chantale,” “Gesturing Geisha” and “Geisha Française.” Her fascination with the Japanese geisha began when she was a child. She often would clip portraits from magazines, especially those portraying Asian women. “I was always so curious about Chinese and Japanese women,” says Brésilla. In many of her paintings, the geisha are either smoking pipes or breastfeeding, almost always wearing lipstick in a bold color. She recalls that, as a child, she often would see women walking in the Haitian mountains with a basket on their head and a pipe in their mouth. She didn’t consider this sight unusual, as she had Banner ad_Layout 1 9/18/17 2:32 PM
continued from page 20
www.colettebresilla.com. great aunts who were pipe smokers. For Brésilla, the pipes represent the women’s voice. “It’s their mouthpiece,” she explained. Brésilla believes that art “is a form of transformative healing,” and considers herself “a cultural worker for social change,” according to her website’s artist statement. She responds to the world around her by creating various forms of art, whether it’s in the form of mixed media sculptures such as “Ange/Angel” and “Les Jumelles/The Female Twins,” tapestries like “The Stitched Prayers’ Series,” abstract paintings such as the “Silent Warrior” or still life paintings like “Happy Bouquet.” A self-described feminine artist whose work is always “reflecting women empowerment,” there is no retirement for Brésilla. With the current social and political climate in disarray, Brésilla Page 1
TAKE 6
shares with about a dozen, other Southeast Asian immigrants. And after hearing how they’re all underemployed, he just as grudgingly accepts a gig that’s way beneath him. That doesn’t bode well for his relationship with Ruby, And the plot thickens when she and her demanding dad arrive in the country expecting to find Sami faring far better.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST
“La Madonna Cachée” knows that there’s much work to be done, especially with a man in the White House, whom she doesn’t address by name, who “disrespects women” and thinks “women are just like trash.” Brésilla sums up by saying, “I’ve been fighting that for a long time and I will not stop fighting it until I die.”
‘Men on Boats’ continued from page 20
emotionally draining. We see that in the contemporary cast as well, just with more songs and laughter. The satirical show points out problematic elements of the history beyond gender and race. One scene depicts the explorers asking irritated Native Americans for food, another reveals that
Thus unfolds The Tiger Hunter, a charming romantic comedy marking the marvelous directorial debut of UCLA Film School Grad Lena Khan. Lena also co-wrote the relentlessly-funny script that’s so convincingly executed by its talented cast that the picture keeps you in stitches from beginning to end. A lighthearted look at the pursuit of the elusive American Dream from the perspective of a lovesick expat from the Subcontinent. Powell’s crew was largely forgotten and he had a man-made lake named after him before being equally tossed aside. “Men on Boats” runs until October 7. It’s an enjoyable and important show for anyone with a sense of humor, a sense of adventure or sense of equality. Director Dawn Simmons says, “I hope you look at the people on stage and become curious about their stories and their adventures.”
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Page 1
24 • Thursday, September 21, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER
FOOD
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TIP OF THE WEEK Make the perfect sandwich Every sandwich has the potential to be great, says celebrity chef Tom Colicchio, who offers tips for building a better sandwich: n Bread is the foundation, and should be as sturdy as it is delicious. You can find quality bread options like Arnold, Brownberry and Oroweat in your local grocery store. n When dealing with messier ingredients or condiments, try lightly toasting or searing one side of each slice of bread. Stack your sandwich with the toasted sides facing in.
FLASH IN THE PAN
BURSTING with FLAVOR TOMATO JUICE TABBOULEH
COOKOUTS Great grilling tips
(Ingredient quantities are flexible; feel free to improvise) n E nough tomatoes for 2-plus cups soupy puree n 2 cloves garlic, plus or minus to taste (grated, chopped or pressed) n 1 cup bulgur n 3 tbsp lime or lemon juice (and have more on hand to add to taste) n 4 cups chopped parsley (packed cups, not loose) n 1 small handful mint leaves, chopped n½ tsp salt (extra to taste) n 1 cup onions, finely chopped or minced in a food processor n 2 cups cucumber chunks, small or large n½ cup extra virgin olive oil n Optional: olives, whole or chopped
The summer season is made for grilling. Here are three tips from ABCnews.com you can use to make it great. n Heat your grill before placing food on top of it and you’ll reduce your sticking concerns and burn off any remnants from your last cooking session. n Allow your food time to cook on each side and it won’t stick to the grill when you turn it. n Cooking the presentation side first tightens the muscle fibers in the meat and ensures a better presentation at serving time.
SAFETY Avoid foodborne illness Transporting, preparing and serving food outdoors can increase the risk of foodborne illness. These tips from the Michigan State University Extension will keep you and your guests enjoying the party all season long. n Use a food thermometer to guarantee your meals are cooked to the right temperature. n Avoid reusing plates or utensils that have come into contact with raw meat or seafood. n Keep hot foods wrapped tight in an insulated container at 140 degrees or above until serving.
LONGEVITY Coffee may boost health Go ahead and pour another cup of coffee, as two new studies show drinking more java may help you live a longer life. The International Agency for Research on Cancer and the Imperial College London surveyed more than 520,000 people in 10 European countries, making it the largest study on the correlation between coffee and mortality ever conducted in a European population. Its finding: Drinking more coffee significantly reduces the risk of death. A second study funded by the National Cancer Institute surveyed more than 185,000 adults representing numerous ethnicities and found the mortality boost provided by coffee extended across all races included in the study. — Brandpoint
PHOTO: ARI LEVAUX
Ari LeVaux has a tactic for making tabbouleh that will blow the doors off of any other you’ve tried.
Devour the season’s best with Tomato Juice Tabbouleh By ARI LEVAUX, MORE CONTENT NOW
W
hen I used to frequent the IHOP and other such establishments with my homies, I would raise eyebrows by eating the parsley that garnished my sandwich or pancakes. Not the delicate flatleafed parsley, mind you, but the curly kind that tastes like green steel wool. “Nobody eats the parsley,” I was informed. I don’t hang out with knuckle-draggers like that anymore, but garnish-sized portions of parsley remain the rule, rather than the exception. But one noteworthy exception is tabbouleh (aka tabouli), the Mediterranean parsley salad. And I have a tactic for making tabbouleh that will blow the doors off of any other you’ve tried. My trick comes by way of a farmer friend, as many of my best tricks do. The making of a typical batch of tabbouleh begins by cooking the bulgur wheat, also known as chopped wheat grains, while gluten-haters often use
quinoa instead. Instead of cooking the grain, my farmer friend opts to puree a mess of the juiciest tomatoes available, with garlic, and rehydrate the grain by soaking it in the resulting slurry. Bulgur that’s rehydrated in fresh, garlicky tomato juice has more flavor than bulgur that was rehydrated in plain water, as well as a pleasing red color. Currently, many tomatoes are sagging under their own weight on vines and windowsills near you. At the end of the farmers market, growers will often cut deals on the extra-soft-andjuicy specimens that are too unstable to survive the trip home, or to unload to restaurateurs. Those fruits, the kind you can barely even slice in half without flooding the kitchen, are exactly the ones you want to use in Tomato Juice Tabbouleh. Ari LeVaux writes Flash in the Pan, a syndicated weekly food column that’s appeared in more than 50 newspapers in 25 states. Ari lives in Montana and New Mexico and can be reached at flash@flashinthepan.net.
Mix and match whatever tomatoes are available and juicy, from lipstick red slicers to yellow cherries to mottled, funky heirlooms. With low-acid tomatoes like Brandywines you may need to add more lemon/lime. If you can cut the tomatoes into quarters without spilling any juice, do so. Otherwise put them whole into the food processor. Add a pinch of salt and the garlic, and blend. For every two cups of this pinkish soup, mix in a cup of bulgur wheat, along with the lime juice. Let it sit for two to three hours. Before washing the parsley, untie the bunches and look through them, picking out any yellow or rotten leaves. Assuming no slime, decay or other nastiness, wash the bunch by gripping the stem end and dunking the leaf end in a big bowl of clean water with a tablespoon of vinegar. If the water stays clean, you’re done. If the water’s dirty, change and repeat until it stays clean after dunking. Holding the bunch by the stem end, chop the parsley leaves. If using mint, add it a little at a time, because a little can go a long way. Combine the tomatoey bulgur, parsley and mint in a bowl, including salt, onion, cucumber and olive oil. After mixing, adjust salt and lime if necessary, and mix again. It’s ready to eat immediately, but if you let the ingredients get to know each other better over the course of an afternoon, that bonding will pay off.
Thursday, September 21, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 25
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Harvey Stanford Scholarship event hosted by the New England Tuskegee Airmen and the Collings Foundation Several hundred people joined the New England Tuskegee Airmen at their Annual Scholarship event held recently at the Collings Foundation Museum in Stow, Massachusetts. The Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship Program encourages high-school seniors to pursue the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education with an emphasis in aeronautics. Guests celebrated the 2017 scholarship recipients who received $1,500 or $1,000 scholarships provided by the Tuskegee Airmen. One recipient received the “Harvey Sanford” $5,000 Collings Foundation scholarship and one recipient received the $5,800 Tuskegee Airmen/SAME scholarship. The program was hosted by retired WHDH TV anchor Garry Armstrong, and the afternoon included remarks from Mass Veteran’s Services Secretary Francisco Urena, 92-year-young retired Tuskegee Airmen Lt. Col. George Hardy, New England President Willie Shellman, Co-founder of the Collings Foundation Museum Bob Collings, scholarship committee member Dr. Judy Sanford-Harris, and Youth Programs chair Ben Goff. Some guests enjoyed flights on the refurbished WWII PT-17 Stearman that was originally flown by Tuskegee Airmen. Boston Police Supt. William Gross, Deputy Sec. of Transportation Kirk Jackson and his pilot son, were also on hand to celebrate the afternoon. Boston Cadet Squadron CAP kicked off the day with the Posting of Colors. Guests enjoyed plane rides, aviation exhibits, classic car tours and lunch on beautiful grounds.
PHOTO: GAIL JACKSON
PHOTOS: DON WEST/BLACKWIRE
1. The New England Tuskegee Airmen in partnership with the Collings Foundation hosted the Annual Harvey Sanford Scholarship Event. Guests had an opportunity to meet and hear from actual Tuskegee Airmen, experience flights on an authentic PT-17 Stearman airplane and witness the presentation of the 2017 Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship Award to the winners. Pictured are: (l-r) Willie Shellman, Lt. Col. George Hardy, Ret.(Tuskegee Airman), Bob Goff, Robert Collings Sr., Judy Sanford-Harris, Dr. Harold May (Tuskegee Airman), Delbrook Binns (Tuskegee Airman) and Supt. William Gross. 2. Guests watch as donors take flight on the refurbished WWII PT-17 Stearman Airplane. 3. Several of the 2017 Student Scholars with from (l to r) Willie Shellman, Bob Collings, Judy Sanford, Frank West Jr.(scholarship), Ben Goff, Astry Pequero Santana (scholarship), Matthew Sylvia (scholarship) and Hon. Francisco Urena, Secretary of Vet. Affairs. 4. Buffalo Soldier re-enacter, Napoleon R. DePina displays Tuskegee Airmen books and artifacts. 5. Tuskegee presentations. 6. Collings Foundation co-founder, Robert Collings and Lt. Col. George Hardy.
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26 • Thursday, September 21, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER 26 • Thursday, September 21, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER
In Little Haiti, ‘Everyone has opened their hearts’ since Irma By ERIN MARCUS, NEW AMERICA MEDIA
In the days since Hurricane Irma knocked out his family’s electricity, Adrian Knowles learned that the floor is a cooler place to sleep than a bed when it’s 90 degrees and there’s no air conditioning. “You feel kind of helpless,” he said as he ate a meal of chicken and rice on Friday afternoon — a break from the cookies and chips on which he had been subsisting during the preceding 3 days. “This is very comforting.” Knowles and more than 500 other people had gathered in the courtyard of Miami’s Little Haiti Cultural Center last week for a free cookout in conjunction with the Sounds of Little Haiti, a monthly concert series. “It’s been a week and most people have no electricity still,” said Sandy DorSainvil, executive producer of Sounds of Little Haiti. “Something like (the hurricane) can totally put people’s world upside down.” Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida on September 10 after breaking records as the most powerful Category 5 storm ever recorded in the Atlantic, with sustained winds of 185 mph. By the time Irma reached Florida on Sept. 10, it had been downgraded to a Category 4 storm, packing winds of around 130 mph. While Miami was spared the brunt of the storm, widespread damage and other disruptions have been reported, including some 2.6 million people who were left without power in the immediate aftermath of the storm. One woman in Little Haiti reportedly
delivered a baby in her home the day of the storm, as rescue crews were unable to reach her. Damage estimates in Florida are in the billions, while the death toll stands at 34. Last week’s event was one of several organized by local groups in the Little Haiti community since the storm. Nearly one week after the hurricane, most of Little Haiti still did not have electricity, and residents were struggling with downed trees, damage to their homes and spoiled food in the midst of Miami’s unrelenting heat. Food is in fact one of the biggest challenges for storm victims. With power out and no refrigeration, most people are forced to eat out if they can afford it or rely on local charities. In addition to the cookouts, community groups that included The Haitian American Relief Effort and Make the Homeless Smile had delivered hundreds of meals to elderly residents in their homes in Little Haiti and other nearby neighborhoods. DorSainvil estimated that the groups had fed 1500 people on Friday alone, with private donations. “We started being proactive before Irma,” said Francois Alexandre, a community organizer with New Florida Majority, who together with other volunteers has been going door to door in Little Haiti, installing and then removing plywood over windows and clearing branches and fallen trees off of houses and cars. “People don’t want to go to the authorities. Everybody has opened up their hearts but our community has not recovered as much as the state says.”
President Trump approved disaster relief funds for Florida soon after Irma, though reports note more will be needed in the weeks and months to come. NPR reported that residents of Little Haiti say relief efforts there are proceeding slower than other parts of the city. Francesca Menes with the Florida Immigrant Coalition says even before the storm
parts of the neighborhood were already food deserts without options for fresh food. “That’s why there are organizations like ours who stepped up. Because if we’re not doing it, we don’t know who else is going to do it for them,” she told reporters. Alexandre echoed that sentiment. “We’re going to have these events until the lights come on,”
he said, but added, “How can we sustain people for the next two or three months so that we can get our community back?” Despite the hardship, DorSainvil said that many in the neighborhood were relieved that the storm hadn’t been worse. “This is almost celebratory,” she said of the cookout. “People are uncomfortable, but no one’s grieving.”
Senior Party in the Park
PHOTO: MAYOR’S OFFICEPHOTO BY ISABEL LEON
Mayor Martin Walsh, the Commission on Affairs of the Elderly and City Fresh Foods hosted the 13th annual Senior Party in the Park at Malcolm X Park in Roxbury.
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For more information and a complete copy of the RFP please visit our website: http://brooklinehousing.org/Business&employmentOpportunities.html
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.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department
Witness, Hon. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court. Date: August 30, 2017 Terri Klug Cafazzo Register of Probate
The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority is seeking bids for the following: BID NO.
DESCRIPTION
DATE
TIME
WRA-4425
Supply and Delivery of Ferric/ Ferrous Chloride to the Deer Island Treatment Plant
10/03/17
12:00 p.m.
WRA-4426
Purchase of Six (6) New Various 10/03/17 GM Pickup Trucks;Three (3) New 2-3 Yard Dump Trucks (per specifications)
12:00 p.m.
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To access and bid on Event(s) please go to the MWRA Supplier Portal at www.mwra.com. BROOKLINE HOUSING AUTHORITY (BHA) REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) Site-Based Services for Elderly/Disabled Residents The Brookline Housing Authority (BHA) is seeking proposals from qualified firms (Proposers) in accordance with Massachusetts General Law Ch. 30-B § 6-a. for ongoing resident services provided at two federally funded public housing developments each with one hundred apartments serving elderly and/or disabled residents. The BHA has determined it is in the best interest of the BHA and our residents to solicit services under the RFP process, as it will enable the BHA to provide higher ratings to Proposers whose personnel have extensive experience providing similar services to other affordable and/or subsidized housing agencies and therefore maintain high quality services for our residents. The service programs at these developments have been in place with stable funding for several years. Site-Based Services for Elderly/Disabled Residents: Comprehensive sitebased supportive services for low-income elderly and/or disabled individuals with an emphasis on care coordination to enable and promote independent living, and social activities to reduce isolation. Program services are required for residents at Sussman House - 50 Pleasant Street and O’Shea House – 61 Park Street. Proposers must indicate their intention to respond and/or submit any questions or requests for modifications no later than 2:00 p.m. on October 5, 2017 via email to Desiree Ladd at dladd@brooklinehousing.org. A complete Q&A sheet will be distributed via email to all respondents and posted to the BHA webpage no later than October 12, 2017.
Docket No. SU17C0265CA
Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department
In the matter of Ozil Thuo Mwaiwa of Mattapan, MA NOTICE OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME To all persons interested in a petition described: A petition has been presented by Joyce Ruguru Chege requesting that Ozil Thuo Mwaiwa be allowed to change their name as follows: Ozil James Hedd-Williams IF YOU DESIRE TO OBJECT THERETO, YOU OR YOUR ATTORNEY MUST FILE A WRITTEN APPEARANCE IN SAID COURT AT BOSTON ON OR BEFORE TEN O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING (10:00 AM) ON 10/12/2017. WITNESS, HON. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court. Date: September 12, 2017 Terri Klug Cafazzo Register of Probate Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division
Docket No. SU17D0074DR
Divorce Summons by Publication and Mailing Grace Ngozi Nwokeji
vs.
Nasiru Tunde Lawal
To the Defendant: The Plaintiff has filed a Complaint for Divorce requesting that the Court The Complaint is on file at the Court.
Proposers responding to this RFP must submit their sealed bid proposal(s) no later than 2:00 p.m. on October 26, 2017 to: Desiree Ladd, Executive Assistant, Brookline Housing Authority, 90 Longwood Ave, Suite 1, Brookline, MA 02446.
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.
The service proposal(s) and fee proposal(s) must be submitted in separate sealed envelopes clearly labeled with the subject program(s) and the Proposer’s company name.
You are hereby summoned and required to serve upon: Grace Ngozi Nwokeji, 62 Maywood St., Boston, MA 02119 your answer, if any, on or before 10/12/2017. If you fail to do so, the court will proceed to the hearing
SUFFOLK Division
Docket No. SU17P1856GD
Citation Giving Notice of Petition for Appointment of Guardian for Incapacitated Person Pursuant to G.L. c. 190B, §5-304 In the matter of Jannie M Johnson Of Mattapan, MA RESPONDENT Alleged Incapacitated Person To the named Respondent and all other interested persons, a petition has been filed by Department of Mental Health of Westborough, MA in the above captioned matter alleging that Jannie M Johnson is in need of a Guardian and requesting that (or some other suitable person) be appointed as Guardian to serve Without Surety on the bond. The petition asks the court to determine that the Respondent is incapacitated, that the appointment of a Guardian is necessary, that the proposed Guardian is appropriate. The petition is on file with this court and may contain a request for certain specific authority. You have the right to object to this proceeding. If you wish to do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance at this court on or before 10:00 A.M. on the return date of 10/19/2017. This day is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline date by which you have to file the written appearance if you object to the petition. If you fail to file the written appearance by the return date, action may be taken in this matter without further notice to you. In addition to filing the written appearance, you or your attorney must file a written affidavit stating the specific facts and grounds of your objection within 30 days after the return date. IMPORTANT NOTICE The outcome of this proceeding may limit or completely take away the above-named person’s right to make decisions about personal affairs or financial affairs or both. The above-named person has the right to ask for a lawyer. Anyone may make this request on behalf of the above-named person. If the above-named person cannot afford a lawyer, one may be appointed at State expense. WITNESS, Hon. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court. Date: September 12, 2017 Terri Klug Cafazzo Register of Probate
Thursday, September 21, 2017 • BAY STATE BANNER • 27
LEGAL
REAL ESTATE
Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division
Docket No. SU17D0689DR
Divorce Summons by Publication and Mailing Elecir A. Desouza
vs.
BANNER CLASSIFIEDS
Francisco Rocha Desouza
THE BENJAMIN 25 Northern Ave, Boston MA (Seaport) BPDA Income Restricted Housing Lottery
VIA One Seaport Square, Boston MA BPDA Income Restricted Housing Lottery
46 New BPDA Income Restricted Apartments For Rent
50 New BPDA Income Restricted Apartments For Rent
# of Units
To the Defendant:
REAL ESTATE
Type
Rent*
Income Limit
The Plaintiff has filed a Complaint for Divorce requesting that the Court grant a divorce for irretrievable breakdown.
7
Studio
$1,086*
Up to 70%
25**
1BR
$1,267*
Up to 70%
The Complaint is on file at the Court.
9**
2BR
$1,448*
Up to 70%
An Automatic Restraining Order has been entered in this matter preventing you from taking any action which would negatively impact the current financial status of either party. SEE Supplemental Probate Court Rule 411. You are hereby summoned and required to serve upon: Elecir A. Desouza, 206 A Highland St., Roxbury, MA 02119-1176 your answer, if any, on or before 11/02/2017. If you fail to do so, the court will proceed to the hearing and adjudication of this action. You are also required to file a copy of your answer, if any, in the office of the Register of this Court. Witness, Hon. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court. Date: September 11, 2017 Terri Klug Cafazzo Register of Probate Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division
Docket No. SU17P1828EA Estate of Dorothy Lee West Date of Death October 22, 2009
INFORMAL PROBATE PUBLICATION NOTICE To all persons interested in the above captioned estate, by Petition of Petitioner Tracy West of Boston, MA 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 SUFFOLK Division
Docket No. SU17D1754DR
5**
3BR
$1,630*
Up to 70%
vs.
The Plaintiff has filed a Complaint for Divorce requesting that the Court grant a divorce for irretrievable breakdown. The Complaint is on file at the Court. An Automatic Restraining Order has been entered in this matter preventing you from taking any action which would negatively impact the current financial status of either party. SEE Supplemental Probate Court Rule 411. You are hereby summoned and required to serve upon: Teha BryantWoodrow, 33 Howland St. #1, Boston, MA 02121 your answer, if any, on or before 10/12/2017. If you fail to do so, the court will proceed to the hearing and adjudication of this action. You are also required to file a copy of your answer, if any, in the office of the Register of this Court. Witness, Hon. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court. Date: August 8, 2017 Terri Klug Cafazzo Register of Probate Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department
NOTICE AND ORDER: Petition for Resignation or Petition for Removal of Guardianship of a Minor NOTICE TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES Hearing Date/Time: A hearing on a Petition to Resign as Guardian of a Minor or Petition for Removal of Guardian of a minor filed by Ramonita Santiago on 07/31/13 will be held 09/28/2017 08:30 AM Guardianship of Minor Hearing Located Suffolk Probate Court, 24 New Chardon Street, Boston, MA 02114.
2.
Response to Petition: You may respond by filing a written response to the Petition or by appearing in person at the hearing. If you choose to file a written response, you need to:
File the original with the Court; and Mail a copy to all interested parties at least five (5) business days before the hearing.
3.
Counsel for the Minor: The minor (or an adult on behalf of the minor) has the right to request that counsel be appointed for the minor.
4.
Presence of the Minor at Hearing: A minor over age 14 has the right to be present at any hearing, unless the Court finds that it is not in the minor’s best interests.
THIS IS A LEGAL NOTICE: An important court proceeding that may affect your rights has been scheduled. If you do not understand this notice or other court papers, please contact an attorney for legal advice. Date: August 10, 2017
Income Limit
$1,086*
Up to 70%
24**
1BR
$1,267*
Up to 70%
9
2BR
$1,448*
Up to 70%
2**
3BR
$1,630*
Up to 70%
*Rent does NOT include utilities. Tenant will be responsible for paying electricity, cable, telephone and water and sewer. Heating and Hot Water are gas and are paid by the property. Parking is NOT included and will be approximately $400/month. Rent is subject to change when the BPDA publishes the annual rents. **4 units (2 studios, 1 1BR, 1 3BR) are built out for persons with mobility impairments and 2 units (1 studio and 1 3BR) are built for deaf and hard of hearing.
The Maximum Income Limits for Households for the Moderate Income Units (70% AMI) is as follows: 1 Person-$50,700*; 2 Person-$57,950*; 3 Person-$65,200*; 4 Person-$72,400*; 5 Person-$78,200*; 6 Person-$84,000* *Income Limits subject to change when the BPDA publishes the annual Income Limits
The Maximum Income Limits for Households for the Moderate Income Units (70% AMI) is as follows: 1 Person-$50,700*; 2 Person-$57,950*; 3 Person-$65,200*; 4 Person-$72,400*; 5 Person-$78,200*; 6 Person-$84,000* *Income Limits subject to change when the BPDA publishes the annual Income Limits
From Sept 28th to Oct 10th applications can be requested by phone (617.782.6900) or email (TheBenjamin.BPDA@s-e-b.com). Applications may also be picked up at the offices of the Benjamin (25 Northern Ave, Seaport Boston) Thurs Sept 28th (4 pm to 8 pm), Saturday Sept 30th (10 am to 2 pm), Monday Oct 2nd (1 pm to 5 pm), Tuesday Oct 3rd (1 pm to 5 pm), and Wed Oct 4th (1 pm to 5 pm)
From Sept 28th to Oct 10th applications can be requested by phone (617.782.6900) or email (VIA.BPDA@s-e-b.com). Applications may also be picked up at the offices of the Benjamin (next to VIA, on 25 Northern Ave, Seaport Boston) Thurs Sept 28th (4 pm to 8 pm), Saturday Sept 30th (10 am to 2 pm), Monday Oct 2nd (1 pm to 5 pm), Tuesday Oct 3rd (1 pm to 5 pm), and Wed Oct 4th (1 pm to 5 pm)
Completed Applications can be dropped off to the SEB Office between 10 AM and 4 PM on Oct 17th, 2017 The deadline for application drop off at the SEB Office is 4 pm on Oct 17th, 2017. Completed applications can also be mailed to the SEB Office but must be postmarked by Oct 17th, 2017. The SEB Office is on 257 Hillside Ave, Needham, MA. Selection by lottery. Asset, Use & Occupancy Restrictions apply. Minimum income limits apply. Disabled households have preference for 5 units. Preference for Boston Residents. Preference for Households with at least one person per bedroom. The Benjamin is a smoke free and pet friendly community For more information or reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities or those with limited English proficiency, call 617.782.6900
Completed Applications can be dropped off to the SEB Office between 10 AM and 4 PM on Oct 17th, 2017 The deadline for application drop off at the SEB Office is 4 pm on Oct 17th, 2017. Completed applications can also be mailed to the SEB Office but must be postmarked by Oct 17th, 2017. The SEB Office is on 257 Hillside Ave, Needham, MA. Selection by lottery. Asset, Use & Occupancy Restrictions apply. Minimum income limits apply. Disabled households have preference for 6 units (4 accessible and 2 hearing-impaired). Preference for Boston Residents. Preference for Households with at least one person per bedroom. VIA is a smoke free and pet friendly community For more information or reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities or those with limited English proficiency, call 617.782.6900
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Docket No. SU00P2585GM In the interests of Jorge L Rivera, Jr. of Dorchester, MA Minor
1.
Rent*
Studio
Robert B. Woodrow
To the Defendant:
SUFFOLK Division
Type
15**
*Rent does NOT include utilities. Tenant will be responsible for paying electricity, cable, telephone and water and sewer. Heating and Hot Water are gas and are paid by the property. Parking is NOT included and will be approximately $400/month. Rent is subject to change when the BPDA publishes the annual rents. **5 units are built out for persons with mobility impairments (1 1BR, 2 2BR, and 2 3BR)
Divorce Summons by Publication and Mailing Teha Bryant-Woodrow
# of Units
Terri Klug Cafazzo Register of Probate
SENIOR REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT MBL HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT MBL Housing and Development (MBL) seeks a Senior Real Estate Development Consultant to join its affordable housing and community development consulting team based in Western Massachusetts. MBL is an established real estate development consulting firm, located in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. For more than 20 years, MBL has provided public and private funders with the confidence that its clients and their projects are poised for successful outcomes. MBL’s growth is an outcome of this trust and confidence. MBL seeks a detail-oriented, driven and experienced development professional. Reporting directly to MBL’s President, this individual will provide real estate finance and development expertise to clients seeking to build, redevelop, and finance community based assets, with a primary focus on tax-credit financed affordable housing. Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter, outlining their salary requirements and how their skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position to: MBL Senior Consultant Search, Ann L Silverman Consulting, MBLSeniorConsultant2017@gmail.com. See www.mbldevelopment.com for more information. MBL and Way Finders Inc., are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. We encourage applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Pleasant Hill Baptist Church
The Pleasant Hill Baptist Church of Dorchester, Massachusetts is seeking a part-time Administrative Assistant. The Administrative Assistant responsibilities are as follows: n Monitors the overall operations of the church’s day-today operations. n Work closely with the pastor, trustees, church staff and other ministries to ensure that all facets of the church’s needs and requirements are being adequately addressed. n Will follow established procedures for ensuring that all administrative functions are operating in an efficient and effective manner. n Will work with the Board of Trustees to institute procurement, personnel, payment and contracting policies are followed in order to enable the church to meet all obligations and responsibilities promptly. n The Administrative Assistant is directly responsible to the Pastor. Requirements: n The ability to communicate clearly, courteously and effectively. n The demonstrated ability to communicate orally and in writing. n Interpersonal and organizational skills. n The ability to effectively manage/coordinate simultaneous projects, and successfully prioritize multiple tasks with good judgment. Please mail your résumé to: Pleasant Hill Baptist Church P.O. Box 155, Dorchester, MA 02121
ADVERTISE YOUR CLASSIFIEDS (617) 261-4600 x 7799 • ads@bannerpub.com Find rate information at www.baystatebanner.com/advertise
PLEASE VOTE for
Tito Jackson FOR MAYOR
& LET’S MAKE HISTORY Together on TUES. Sept. 26! • The son of beloved Roxbury community and environmental activists Rosa and Herbert Jackson, Councillor Tito Jackson is a lifelong resident of Boston. • Tito Jackson is Boston’s District 7 City Councillor and the Chair of the City Council’s Committee on Education. • Tito Jackson served as the IT Industry Director and then as Political Director in Governor Deval Patrick’s Administration. • Tito Jackson has over a decade of professional experience in the health care industry.
TITO JACKSON FOR THE PEOPLE HousIng we Can aLL afford __________________
funded QuaLIty sCHooLs __________________
Lessen power of Mayor’s offICe __________________
CoMMunItIes tHat are safe __________________
• Tito Jackson has partnered with • Tito Jackson has fought the • Tito Jackson understands • Boston has a 4% arrest rate for housing advocacy groups to lay mayor’s $140M in cuts to our Boston’s mayoral system is too non-fatal shootings, and a 28% out proven solutions to fix the Boston Public Schools that has strong, concentrating power in increase in shootings in 2017, especially in communities of color. housing crisis the current mayor widened the achievement gap. just one person, and that’s bad • Tito Jackson will create a safety • Tito Jackson will fully fund our has made worse. for residents. • City Hall must prioritize housing schools, diversify our teachers, • Tito Jackson will abolish the BPDA plan for all Boston neighborhoods, that working- and middle-class and provide K-12 computer (BRA), empower the voice of local will create a more diverse, and families can afford; not just luxury science, art, music, universal pre-k, neighborhood councils, and create accountable BPD, and will fully condos. We must protect all of and free high school MBTA passes. an elected School Committee, and implement Police body cameras. Boston’s residents. a Civilian Police Review Board.
TITO JACKSON: A PROVEN LEADER WITH A STRONG RECORD • Tito Jackson vigorously opposed the ill-conceived 12 debates and authored the City Council’s limited sales of knives used as weapons. Boston 2024 Olympics (subpoenaed the bid Resolution opposing the measure, and was • He is a leader in efforts to try to curb violence in documents) and Indy Car bids, and was an awarded the 2017 Friend of Education Award by Boston, and against violence toward women, for outspoken critic of a publicly-funded GE helipad. Mass. Teachers Association. body-worn cameras for the police, and a strong • Tito Jackson negotiated a comprehensive • Convened Reclaim Roxbury, a community-led supporter of Ballot Question 4 legalizing adult-use process for residents to oversee neighborhood economic benefits package for women and cannabis to fight unfair incarceration rates for development, helped combat displacement of/ people of color with Northeastern University, and black people. negotiated fairer rents for tenants of one of negotiated better jobs for Boston residents, people • He sponsored a public/private immigrant legal Boston’s largest landlords, and has a strong record of color, and women in many industries including defense fund and Sanctuary School district fighting homelessness. in construction and in hospitality. legislation, supports the TPS and DACA Programs. • Successfully passed the “Jackson Amendment” • Brought/expanded Google and Microsoft into the • The ParkBoston parking app was Tito Jackson’s diversifying Boston’s current electoral map. state without lavish relocation packages. idea. Tito Jackson has advocated for summer • A leading opponent of Ballot Question 2 • Tito Jackson cosponsored legislation governing youth jobs, Boston Housing First voucher program, expanding charter schools, Tito Jackson did family leave legislation for City employees, and and for implementing and funding Vision Zero.
Preliminary Election:
Sept. 26, 2017 General Election:
Nov. 7, 2017