9-19-2013

Page 1

The Daily Free Press

Year xliii. Volume lxxxxv. Issue XI

CITY HAUL? Rep. Walsh proposes moving city hall in campaign, page 3.

[

Thursday, September 19, 2013 The Independent Student Newspaper at Boston University

TAP-IN

Kirkland Tap & Trotter opens with rustic flair, page 5.

]

www.dailyfreepress.com

THE PATRIOT(S)

Field hockey to face first Patriot League opponent, page 8.

WEATHER

Today: Sunny, high 78. Tonight: Clear, low 53. Tomorrow: 78/56.

Data Courtesy of weather.com

3rd-tallest building in Boston to come in 2014 Former COM prof. found guilty of manslaughter By Bram Peterson Daily Free Press Staff

Boston’s skyline will soon see a major new addition, as a real estate firm is set to construct the third-tallest building in the Hub to add to the iconic John Hancock Tower and Prudential Tower. Real estate firm Carpenter and Company announced the approval of its proposed hotel and residential project on Thursday, and now has official approval to go forward in adding another landmark to the spine of the skyline. George Thrush, co-chair of the Citizens Advisory Committee and the Impact Advisory Groups — two separate groups that reviewed the project — said Carpenter and Company has built several other major hotel and residences in the Boston area and is well suited to undertake the job. “The developers are very high quality and the architects are the highest quality, which is not always true,” he said. “This is a good plan and the designers and developers are very high quality … that gives me great confidence that we’re going to see a good project.” The project will be in Back Bay at the intersection of Dalton Street and Belvidere Street and will consist of a 58-story building split between condominiums, a five star hotel and a 25-story residential section with retail space on its ground floor. Thrush said this project would also focus on turning part of Back Bay into a more tour-

istic area. “One of the things that the committees really stressed and that the developers are really working to execute is the turning of Belvidere and Dalton into more of a front … [currently] it’s kind of the backside of a bunch of things,” he said. “With this development, it is our hope to provide some real prominent investments to [the area].” Ingrid Peschke, media representative for the Christian Science Church Plaza, said the plaza will benefit from this new addition to Back Bay. “The Belvidere-Dalton development, which includes two buildings and a 4,300 [square foot] park will not only improve the quality of the public experience in the immediate area, but will also definitely provide opportunities for a new and larger population to experience our beautiful plaza open

“It’s reasonable to think they will be in the ground at some point in 2014,” he said. “This isn’t going to wait forever.” Thrush said one of the largest benefactors of this new building complex will be the Christian Science Church, which owns the plot of land that the project will be built on. “[This project] provides the Christian Science Church with a revenue stream that will help them continue to maintain the incredibly public space that is the Christian Science Center Plaza,” he said. “The revenue generated from this real estate project will help continue the support for the public good that is the plaza.” Some residents said the tower would just create more traffic in the city. “I think [the area] would be different, but Boston is always growing and changing,” said Makenna RiceKerr, 21, a Northeastern

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ARCHITECTURAL TEAM OF CHELSEA, MA

The Boston Redevelopment Authority announced the construction of 58-story tower on 40 Trinity Street on Sept. 19. Construction will begin in 2014.

space,” she said. The new buildings will offer more housing options in Back Bay, create 250 to 300 permanent jobs, more than 1,000 construction jobs and generate approximately $18 million in taxes annually for Boston and Massachusetts. With the approval of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, Thrush said the project is expected to start sometime next year and take approximately three years to complete.

University student and resident of Fenway. “It would be new, but I’d be fine with that. I like how Back Bay is a little bit quieter … so I’d be a little disappointed if it got a lot busier.” Other people said the addition of the Back Bay Tower would be good for city. “For me, it might increase traffic or cause more commotion down here while it’s being developed, but if the building itself is nice building, see page 2

Boston University Board of Trustees gains 4 new members By Rachel Riley Daily Free Press Staff

The Boston University Board of Trustees has elected four new members, two of which are graduates from BU schools, officials confirmed. BU spokesman Colin Riley explained that technology specialist and businessman Peter J. Levine and primary care physician Shamin A. Dahod, both BU alumni, have been elected to serve on the Board of Trustees. Financial specialist Jorge Morán and Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar were also elected as new members. “When there are openings for people transitioning off or coming on to the board, the Board of Trustees looks for people who are going to bring their expertise, knowledge,and experience to weigh in on university matters as members of the board,” Riley said. Levine, a 1983 College of Engineering graduate, is a partner in venture firm Andreessen Horowitz and lectures at Stanford Univer-

sity’s Graduate School of Business, Riley said. He previously served as the chief executive officer of XenSource, an innovative technology company whose officials aim to allow all types of workers the ability to work from home. Dahod, outgoing chair of the Board of Overseers, graduated from BU’s College of General Studies in 1976, BU’s College of Arts and Sciences in 1978 and BU’s School of Medicine in 1987. She currently works at Lowell General Hospital. In 2008, Dahod pledged $10.5 million to BU’s School of Medicine for the establishment of the Shamim and Ashraf Dahod Breast Cancer Research Center. She has served on the BUSM Board of Visitors since 2004. Morán previously served as president and CEO of Sovereign Bank and Santander Holdings, U.S.A. Sovereign Bank and Santander Holdings has awarded money both to BU’s School of Public Health to fund scholarships for students studying abroad and also to CAS

Mass. gubernatorial race shaping up for November 2014 election By Alice Bazerghi Daily Free Press Staff

Even though the election is more than one year away, the field of candidates is starting to shape up for the replacement of Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick in Nov. 2014. Mass. Attorney Gen. Martha Coakley announced her campaign in a video on Monday and said she will fight for the hard workers of Massachusetts. “After some tough years, this state is ready to take off,” she said. “We’re going to create jobs and improve our schools. I want to be the governor who makes sure everyone has an opportunity to succeed as our economy comes back. I know what it’s like to lose a race. I know how hard that is, but it’s nothing compared to what so many people go through every day in their lives.” Kristen Hughes, chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party, said Coakley has a tough

race ahead of her as several other Democrats have declared their candidacy. “She has a very crowded primary ahead of her full of ultra-liberal people like her, and they’re going to attack,” she said. “She’s really relying on jobs and education, two things which she doesn’t have very much experience with. Jobs and the economy are the number one and number two issues to voters and she has not created a job or helped a business in the private sector.” The Democratic candidates that intend to run include Mass. Treasurer Steven Grossman, Mass. Sen. Daniel Wolf, former Boston Globe columnist and federal homeland security official Juliette Kayyem, former administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Donald Berwick and biotech executive Joseph Avellone.

Governor, see page 2

for the Hispanic Voices Program. Before heading Sovereign Bank and Santander Holdings, Morán served as CEO of Morgan Stanley in Spain and in Portugal. Devadhar, Bishop of the New England Conference of the U.S. Methodist Church, has taught at Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia and Karnataka Theological College in Mangalore, India among other institutions. Devadhar has served as a trustee for Drew University, Centenary College and Pennington School, all located in New Jersey. He has also lectured at West Point United States Military Academy and the Oxford Institute at Duke University. When a seat opens on the Board of Trustees, candidates are suggested, nominated and elected, Riley said. While members are elected to serve three years, they are limited to 14 years

Trustees, see page 2

By Trisha Thadani Daily Free Press Staff

Former Boston University professor Robert Zelnick was found guilty Tuesday of vehicular homicide in a case involving the death of a motorcyclist dating back to 2011. Plymouth Country Assistant District Attorney Peter Maguire said Judge Thomas Kirkman found Zelnick, a former journalism professor, guilty on Tuesday for the negligent operation of a motor vehicle, which caused the death of Brendan Kennedy, a 26-year-old motorcyclist from Plymouth. The fatal accident occurred when Zelnick, driving home after a round of golf on Oct. 7, 2011, failed to see Kennedy in the oncoming lane when making a left turn onto the highway. He struck Kennedy, who was on his motorcycle, at the intersection of Clark Road and Route 3. “He [Zelnick] was convicted after the trial and he was sentenced to three years probation and a mandatory license loss during that time,” Maguire said. Maguire said one is convicted of vehicular manslaughter if he or she operates a motor vehicle negligently or recklessly, resulting in the death of another. He said the incident involving Zelnick and Kennedy was ultimately considered more than just an accident, and was treated legally as such, due to Zelnick’s careless driving. Maguire said Zelnick originally pleaded not guilty, claiming he was not driving negligently. However, he was found guilty after a two-day bench trial at Plymouth District Court. In addition to three years probation and a temporarily suspended license, Defense Attorney Raffi Yessayan said court officials also ordered Zelnick to send a written apology letter to the Kennedy family. “It was an appropriate sentence given the circumstances,” Yessayan said. “There was nothing intentional, malicious or reckless in what Mr. Zelnick did.” Alcohol or drugs were not a factor in this incident, Yessayan said. Due to this, and the fact that Zelnick did not intentionally or maliciously hit Kennedy, the judge did not deem it necessary to sentence Zelnick to jail time. “He [Zelnick] was just somebody who went to make a left turn,” Yessayan said. “Somebody

Zelnick, see page 2

BLENDING IN

PHOTO BY KIERA BLESSING/DAILY FREE PRESS STAFF

Red Sox fans sported beards both genuine and fake for an opportunity to buy $1 tickets Wednesday night at “Beard Night,” designed to celebrate the facial hair that many of the players display.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

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