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Mass. attorney ‘elected’ head of NAACP Boston Bridgit Brown and Russell Contreras
New and old members of the NAACP’s Boston Branch wait in line at Roxbury Community College’s Media Arts Building on Monday to elect a new president. Michael Curry, legislative director of the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Centers, was the unofficial winner of the election over former state Sen. Bill Owens. (Eric Esteves photo)
Mass. Dems, GOP study elections for keys to 2012 Steve LeBlanc Massachusetts Democrats and Republicans are chewing over this year’s two marquee political races for lessons they can use in 2012 — including U.S. Sen. Scott Brown’s re-election campaign. When Brown, a Republican, seized the Senate seat formerly held by Democrat Edward Kennedy in January, it revealed a more conservative side of Massachusetts that GOP leaders hoped would propel them into top offices on Election Day. Brown’s surprise win also forced state Democrats to rethink how they lost what had been considered one of the
safest Democratic seats in Congress — and how to hold onto the governor’s office in a year when Republicans were eyeing big wins. An Associated Press review of town-by-town election returns shows Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick gained re-election in part by winning back more than two dozen cities and towns Brown had captured in the Senate race, including Lowell and Quincy. Equally important, Patrick racked up lopsided wins in liberal and Democratic strongholds and narrowed his losing margin in communities won by his GOP rival Charles Baker. Patrick lost just four of the
state’s 25 most populous cities and towns, compared with Democratic Senate nominee Martha Coakley, who lost nine to Brown. For Democratic leaders, the biggest lesson learned was the value of turnout in a state that still largely favors their party. They credit a massive “get out the vote” drive Nov. 2 with not only delivering Patrick a second term, but also the party’s ability to hold onto all 10 U.S. House seats and every other statewide political office. “One thing that became obvious in the final weeks of the campaign was that Democratic voters were coming home,” said John Election, continued to page 20
In the meanwhile, most of those who stood in line for as much as two hours were very pleased at this A Brockton attorney has de- year’s turnout. feated a longtime civil rights activ“People have been complainist to become the next president of ing about the lines being too long, the Boston chapter of the National but I think that’s a good thing,” said Association for the Advancement of Adler Elecian who was running for Colored People. Boston branch treasurer. “ Last year Unofficial results Monday this process was done in an hour and showed that attorney Michael it’s so exciting to see so many people Curry edged out former state Sen. come out to vote.” Bill Owens by fewer than 80 votes in Boston at-large City Councilor the Boston’s chapter’s first contested Ayanna Pressley was especially election in a decade. Both candidates heartened. billed the election as a referendum “It’s beautiful,” Pressley said. “I on the future of one of the nation’s believe in Michael Curry’s leaderoldest NAACP chapters. ship for a 21st Century NAACP. The elecWhat I also tion was held think this demM o n d a y a t “You see folks from onstrates for Roxbury Comanyone that has munity Col- all walks of life, had an iota of l e g e ( R C C ) . young and old. It’s doubt in their NAACP offi- incredible. People are mind that the cials say it atNAACP is still tracted nearly coming out to make relevant. I don’t 500 members their voices heard think that this to vote. people and I think that is so many The 43-yearshow up to cast old Curry is leg- important.” a ballot in an islative affairs that is — Linda Dorcena election director for the irrelevant if they Forry don’t believe Massachusetts League of Comthat there is munity Health room and a caCenters and succeeds Karen Payne, pacity for this iconic civil rights inwho stepped down earlier this year stitution to still play in empowering to pursue and unsuccessfully run for and advancing our community.” state representative. State Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry The vote will not become offi- was equally impressed. “This is an cial until all challenges are reviewed amazing turnout,” she said as she by the NAACP’s national branch. stood outside. “You see folks from Former Boston Branch President all walks of life, young and old. It’s Leonard Alkins said that either can- incredible. People are coming out to didate has five days to challenge make their voices heard and I think the results and then the NAACP’s that is so important.” national board has another 30 days The bottom line, she said, “is for review. “It could be as early the about the communities of color and middle of December or as late as the how we are going to come together end of January,” Alkins said. “We to try and shape the direction of this will not know the election results city and really make some policies NAACP, continued to page 3 until then.”
Documentary series features Rox success Bridgit Brown When people think of Roxbury, the last thing that comes to mind is business and organizational success or the phrase, “Roxbury is rich!” But rich it is. One relevant example is The Roxbury Unseen Success Project, a series of documentaries about successful Roxburians like Beth Williams, CEO of the Roxbury Technology Corporation — a major supplier of toner to the
Whatʼs INSIDE
multi-billion dollar Staples Corporation; or Ken and Lisa Guscott of Longbay Management Company — one of the leading partners in the development of the office tower at One Lincoln Street where State Street Corporation is headquartered. The first documentary in the series premiered before a packed Hibernian Hall last month. “The Roxbury Unseen Success Project” is a joint project of RDM Productions and the South End Success, continued to page 19
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT . . . . 15-17
Ron Mitchell and Mike King have collaborated to produce “The Roxbury Unseen Success Project,” a series of documentaries focused on the achievements of African Americans in Boston. (Joe Johnson photo)
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2 • Thursday, December 2, 2010 • BAY STATE BANNER
Harvard’s new image
Retired Harvard Medical School Professor Chester M. Pierce (l) and Harvard Foundation Director S. Allen Counter flank the oil portrait of Pierce unveiled last week at Lowell House at Harvard College. (Erint Images photo) Brian Wright O’Connor CAMBRIDGE — When Chester Middlebrook Pierce showed up in Harvard Square in 1944, he never thought he’d spend his entire career under the Crimson canopy. The dedication of Pierce’s portrait
in one of Harvard’s undergraduate dorms guarantees that the retired medical school professor will always remain a watchful presence at his alma mater. “I am so grateful for all this,” said the soft-spoken psychiatrist as tears filled his eyes. He looked around the room at the
dozens of family members, friends and colleagues who were gathered to witness the unveiling of a gold-framed oil portrait commissioned to honor his 41 years of service to Harvard. “I’m used to giving lectures but this time I’m speechless,” said the long-time professor of psychiatry and education.
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Just behind Pierce, members of Harvard’s varsity football team crowded around the painting of the lanky scholar standing at a lectern in the Ether Dome at Massachusetts General Hospital. They came to the Junior Common Room at Lowell House to pay tribute to the lineman who starred on the 1947 team, which refused to play Virginia until the Cavaliers dropped their opposition to competing against the integrated Harvard squad. More than 60 years after last donning pads and helmet with the likes of young Robert F. Kennedy, Pierce recalls his gridiron memories as among his fondest. That’s why he chose to wear a Harvard Varsity Club tie for the painting. Lowell House, where he lived as an undergraduate and where his portrait was unveiled, is equally cherished. Pierce, whose parents worked as domestics on Long Island, graduated from Harvard in 1948 and earned a medical degree in 1952. He spent a year as a research fellow in psychiatry and 41 years as a professor. His brother, Samuel Pierce, was a Cornell graduate who served as U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Reagan cabinet. House Master Diana Eck, a religion professor who presides over the stately residential hall, welcomed Pierce and his family back to Lowell House and said it was critical that Harvard expand its portrait gallery beyond the mostly white faces adorning its common rooms, lecture halls, libraries and departmental offices. “It’s really important to Harvard to update our image, which has changed so much from the early days,” she said. Pointing out the window to the Georgian brick courtyard and soaring belltower, Eck noted that Pierce’s portrait, flanking the fireplace, would overlook students coming and going from the arched entryway he used every day as
an undergraduate. The image makeover at the nation’s oldest university is due to the efforts of the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations, which had already unveiled nine portraits of individuals who served Harvard for more than 25 years and contributed significantly to the diversity of campus life. The portraiture project was launched by Harvard Foundation Director S. Allen Counter, a professor of neurology, after a 2002 survey of 750 portraits on campus showed that 690 were of white men. Only two, commissioned in the 1980s and 1990s, depicted people of color. Recent subjects of the project include the late dean of students, Archie Epps III, the Rev. Peter J. Gomes and David Evans, a senior admissions officer under whose tenure “more minorities were admitted to Harvard in the last 35 years than in the last 350,” said Counter. Rulan Pian, a Chinese-American music professor who served as Harvard’s first minority house master, has also been honored along with L. Fred Jewett, a white man who headed the Harvard admissions office for decades. A portrait of Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck, who in 1665 became the first Native American to graduate from Harvard, will be unveiled next month. In the coming years, the foundation will add a portrait of Venus Whittemore, a slave purchased by Harvard President Benjamin Wadsworth, who identified her in a 1726 diary entry as a “negro wench.” “We simply wish to place portraits of persons of color and others who’ve served Harvard among the panoply of portraits that already exists,” said Counter in the elegant Lowell House meeting room adorned with classical columns and murals of colonial life. “We will not displace any portrait, just simply add to them.”
Thursday, December 2, 2010 • BAY STATE BANNER • 3
NAACP
NewsDIGEST
continued from page 1
that are going to affect our lives.” Monday night’s voting at RCC comes as some members of the venerable civil rights group say the Boston chapter is not doing enough to reach out to younger potential members nor speaking out more on the issues of the day. That is affecting the NAACP’s chances of growing in the Boston area and how it can address civil rights complaints, said member Marchelle Jacques-Yarde. “The Boston branch does need a lot of work,” said Jacques-Yarde, 28. “I feel that it has faded into the background and it’s time to reengage with the community.” A c t i n g NAACP Boston President Julia Hardy Cofield said the Boston chapter has remained active on numerous fronts, including registering new voters and driving elderly voters to the polls. “The general consensus among members is that the NAACP in Boston has been doing absolutely nothing,” said Cofield. “That could not be further from the truth.” Next year will mark the Boston chapter’s 100th anniversary. Both Curry and Owens and their supporters campaigned aggressively through social media, radio and community newspapers as they sought the two-year term. Members say it’s been years since they’ve seen such an active campaign for the NAACP Boston chapter’s presidency. Curry’s apparent victory was made more difficult because of the opposition to his candidacy by Juan Cofield, president of the New England area conference of the NAACP and Boston branch treasurer. Cofield and others recruited Owens to run against Curry. A native of Demopolis, Ala., Owens, 73, came to prominence in the late 1960s as director of the Community Education Project of the Urban League, co-founder of the Boston Education Alliance and director of Jobs and Employment for Self-Improvement, a statewide program sponsored by the University of Massachusetts. Owens entered the Legislature in 1972 as the state representative from Mattapan’s Ward 14. Two years later, he bested fellow state Rep. Royal Bolling Sr. to become the first senator from the newly formed Second Suffolk District. But by all accounts, the NAACP’s voting process was not smooth. Questions arose over the handling of online registrations. Because of a computer glitch at the National office, applicants for the Boston branch received errant code numbers. That mistake disqualified an uncounted number of applicants from voting in this year’s election. To ensure that those votes were not disqualified, a petition was taken where organizers say several hundreds applicants filed a complaint. But the long lines touched a nerve among some of those patient enough to wait. “It was horrible; it was too long,” said David B. Eastmond, co-founder Road to Redemption. “People left because they had other appointments, and I thought it was sad for the NAACP to conduct their business like that.” Not all was negative.
U.S. Navy: Merchant sailors foil pirate attack DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The crew of a Turkish-flagged merchant ship foiled an apparent attack Sunday by Somali pirates by locking themselves in the engine room and calling for help from an antipiracy task force, the U.S. Navy said. The international flotilla patrolling the waters of the Horn of Africa dispatched a helicopter from the destroyer USS Shoup to survey the MV 26 Agustos, but the suspected pirates had fled before the American ship arrived, said a statement from U.S. 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. A team from the Shoup boarded the merchant ship and found the crew unharmed in the engine room, where they had retained control of the ship during the suspected pirate attack and was able to call maritime monitors in Dubai, the statement said. The MV 26 Agustos, which was traveling from Romania to Bangladesh, was reported attacked near Socotra island in the Arabian Sea between the coasts of Somalia and Yemen. The ship continued on its journey after being assisted by the USS Shoup. A multinational task force has patrolled off lawless Somalia since January 2009. Last week, a jury in Virginia found five Somali men guilty of attacking a U.S. Navy ship off Africa’s coast in what the government said was the first piracy conviction in a U.S. courtroom in nearly 200 years.
‘A spectacular show’ of terrorism: Feds say Ore. bomb plot suspect was determined, acted alone A Somali-born teenager plotted “a spectacular show” of terrorism for months, saying he didn’t mind that children would die if he bombed a crowded Christmas tree-lighting ceremony, according to a law-enforcement official and court documents. He never got the chance. Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19, was arrested Friday in downtown Portland after using a cell phone to try to detonate what he thought were explosives in a van, prosecutors said. It turned out to be a dummy bomb put together by FBI agents. Authorities said Mohamud was acting alone. The alleged plot followed a string of terrorist attack planning by U.S. citizens or residents, including a Times Square plot in which a Pakistanborn man pleaded guilty earlier this year to trying to set off a car bomb at a bustling street corner. Last month, another Pakistan-born Virginia resident was accused in a bomb plot to kill commuters. In the Portland plot, Mohamud was not being directed by any foreign terrorist organization, according to a law-enforcement official who wasn’t authorized to discuss the case publicly and spoke on a condition of anonymity. The official said Mohamud was very committed to the plot and planned the details alone, including where to park the van to hurt the most people.
Ugandan president pays surprise visit to Somalia
Hundreds of NAACP members lined up at the Roxbury Community College media center to vote Monday for a new president of the Boston branch of the legendary civil rights organization. Michael Curry was the unofficial winner. (Eric Esteves photos) “The process could have been improved,” said Janet Humdy Morrison as she stood in line. “One nice thing is that there are people who are interested in the NAACP, that it is not dead, that it is alive and well and that’s a good thing.” Sheneal Parker said she too was a bit frustrated when she learned of potential problems with online registrations. “But I was still able to vote tonight,” she said. “I was able to cast a ballot and then I went downstairs and signed the petition to challenge the process. It was such a wonderful feeling to see everybody out here engaging in the voting process.” Under Alkins, Curry began his community organizing work for the NAACP. During his 12 years of membership, he chaired the political action committee for four years and spent five years as chair of the communications committee, writing speeches for Alkins, taking part in the development of policy papers, and standing in on his behalf at committee hearings and public and private events. Curry says that Alkins would say to him, “Pick an issue and just go at it.” His first campaign was “Knock Across Boston” in 2000, which was modeled after the national organization’s “Knock Across America” campaign that focused on getting communities of color throughout the country to vote. “I wanted to be as methodic as
candidates are when they’re trying to get out the vote,” Curry has told the Banner. “We picked blocks, and created block captains. We used provocative images that drew on the interest of a young person or an older person, like the one with the kids getting hosed in Birmingham. We had as a caption: ‘We fought so hard for it, yet we still don’t do it.’ ” Coincidentally, the city of Boston and the general elections saw the greatest increase in voter turnout among communities of color that year. “There was no doubt in my mind that the success of that campaign was due to the practice of strong collaboration and the use of tools that can effectively mobilize people,” said Curry. In reflection, one of the things that he appreciated most about Alkins was his understanding of how young people can motivate each other. “Marketing for today is not like marketing 30 years ago, and Lenny trusted me. He could have been very traditional, but he let us do it.” Jacques-Yarde, who supported Curry, said many members viewed the election as an opportunity for the next generation to take them helm of the Boston group. “The next president will have the challenge to unite everyone after the election,” Cofield said. “We have a lot of work to do.” Associated Press
NAIROBI, Kenya — Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has paid a surprise visit to Somalia’s war-ravaged capital. A spokesman for the African Union peacekeepers, Barigye Bahoku, says that Museveni’s more than 4-hour visit on Sunday was meant to show his solidarity with the war-battered Somali people. He says Museveni met with the Somali president, the prime minister, and peacekeeping commanders and soldiers before he left the country. Uganda has contributed the bulk of the 7,000-strong African Union force that is keeping the country’s weak government alive. Museveni is a strong supporter of an African intervention to defeat insurgents who confined the U.N-backed government into a few blocks of the capital, Mogadishu. Bahoku says this was Museveni’s second visit to Somalia since he took power in 1986.
Dominicans demand more money for public schools SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Hundreds of protesters clutching yellow umbrellas are demanding the Dominican Republic spend more on public education. The government spends only 2 percent of GDP on schools although the law requires 4 percent. The law was approved in 1997, but no administration has complied with it. Teachers union president Radhames Camacho said Friday that just 39 percent of the country’s 11,091 public primary schools have a library and only 61 percent have safe drinking water. Camacho was among the protesters holding umbrellas printed with the message: “4 percent for education.” President Leonel Fernandez has said he doesn’t plan to boost spending. He says he sees no direct link between money spent and school performance.
Canada boycotts UN racism conference TORONTO — Canada’s immigration minister says the country will not attend Durban III, a United Nations conference on racism next September in South Africa because he says the event has negatively targeted Israel. Minister Jason Kenney said last Thursday that Canada has lost faith in the Durban process, a conference that began in 2001 to develop strategies to defeat racism. Canada and several other countries walked out of that meeting after Iran and several other countries gave anti-Israeli speeches. A conference document also said the assembly recognizes the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the right to an independent state. Canada led a boycott of Durban II in Geneva last year, where Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad railed against the Jewish state. Associated Press
4 • Thursday, December 2, 2010 • BAY STATE BANNER
Established 1965
The old way still good Adolescence is a natural stage in the development to adulthood. During that period there is often a strong desire to defy parents and reject the behavioral standards of the community. Currently, a major concern of society is the involvement of teenagers in violence, crime, drugs and sex. Once a child becomes delinquent, many parents then turn to remedies that are too little and too late. The standards and values in American society are constantly changing. Some changes that might seem innocent in the beginning can create difficulties in the future. One example is the formal manner of greeting in the black community some 60 years ago. No one would ordinarily address an older person by his or her first name. This practice reminded the young that everyone is entitled to respect, regardless of their personal achievements or their level of wealth. Another practice was that high schools had more demanding dress codes back then. Boys had to wear shirts, ties and dress slacks of their choice. Jeans were not permitted. Girls had to wear skirts with hems to the knees or below and conservative blouses or sweaters. The dress codes in public schools today are so lax that almost everything goes.
The decline of other practices also eased the pressure on adolescents to conform, but none was more destructive than the idea that parents should be their children’s friends, rather than their disciplinarians when appropriate. Not surprisingly, some children believe that they should be free from parental intervention because “times have changed” and their parents are “old fashioned.” In order for parental authority to retain its vigor, no breach of the rules should be ignored. Children will tend to be compliant when they believe that they will be caught after a violation, and the punishment will be greater than they care to endure. However, this authority system works best when the children believe that their parents love them, are interested in their greatest welfare, and the penalty fits the offense. The psychological and arbitration approach to child discipline now seems to be more popular than old-fashioned authoritarianism. However, more undisciplined youngsters seem to develop now in the black community, compared to the days when parents were unabashedly authoritarian. Perhaps it is time for parents to emulate some of the old successful child-rearing techniques.
An emerging conflict As of Nov. 21, 70 people have been murdered in Boston. During the same period last year, the number was 45. That is a 55.6 percent increase, but even such a large jump in the murder rate does not tell the whole story. Armed attacks on minority gunmen have been occurring in social venues. In the past month or so, Rudi’s restaurant in the Hampton Inn Hotel was closed by gunfire, an assailant armed with an AK-47 killed a woman in a store on Warren Street opposite the Washington Park Mall, and three people were killed and one wounded in a shootout at a busy pizza shop on
Centre Street in Jamaica Plain. Racial minorities were involved in all three incidents. Is there now reason for restaurant and other business owners to have special security concerns? How are African Americans and other minorities to have unimpeded access to places of public accommodation? A party for Harvard and Yale alumni was recently closed because of security interests. This will indeed be a recurring issue. Unless this crime is curtailed, everyone will have to rethink what security measures are appropriate in public places.
“I’m not worried about the cops, but my dad might find out.” USPS 045-780
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LETTERSto the Editor AARP against Medicare cuts One of the major reasons I hear from seniors is because they can’t find a doctor who takes Medicare patients, or they are afraid their doctor will stop seeing them. This problem will get much worse if Congress does not act now to stop a 25 percent pay cut for Medicare doctors, scheduled to take place on Jan. 1, 2011. More than one million Massachusetts seniors rely on Medicare. They have earned their Medicare, and the security of knowing they can keep seeing the doctors they count on. But, more than 10 years ago, Congress created a flawed system to pay Medicare doctors. Since then, Medicare payments have gone up 1 percent while the cost of practicing medicine in the Commonwealth has increased 34 percent. The numbers just don’t add up, and today, Medicare does not pay doctors what it costs to care for seniors. If Congress does not fix the system now — and the 25 percent pay cut goes into effect — some doctors may be forced to stop treating Medicare patients altogether, leaving seniors without the care they need. Let me be clear: This is not a partisan issue. Both parties share responsibility for creating the system, and both parties share responsibility for fixing it. And, if there’s one thing AARP members agree on, re-
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gardless of political affiliation, they want Congress to work together so seniors can continue to see the doctors they trust. AARP is fighting against this cut — and to stop Congress from driving doctors out of Medicare. If you or a family member counts on Medicare, I urge you to contact Sen. Scott Brown, Sen. John Kerry and your U.S. representative, and tell them to keep doctors in Medicare. Deborah Banda State Director AARP Massachusetts
Reclaiming respect I am a member of the Boston Branch of the NAACP. I have been a member well over 15 years. I initially joined as a result of the youth violence during the late 1980s and early 1990s. I am trying to really remain op-
timistic with whomever wins this week’s election to choose the next branch president. Our community is in peril. The educational system is hemorrhaging, unemployment is too high and crime remains unbelievable. Pick a topic and communities of color are in the middle of a train wreck. There is a lot of work to do and I am not interested in egos, sour grapes nor attitudes. If you are joining the branch for prestige and fame then you need to move to Hollywood. We need members who are going to bring positive energy, hands ready to work and minds to solve problems. If that describes you, we would love to have you join us to do the seemingly impossible: Reclaim our dignity, respect and honor. Concerned member Via e-mail
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Thursday, Thursday, December January 2, 3, 2010 2008 • BAY • BOSTON STATE BANNER • 5
OPINION Palin is the GOP’s, not Obama’s, worst nightmare Earl Ofari Hutchinson Sarah Palin continues to terrorize GOP mainstream leaders. She made Iowa a prime stop on her latest book tour junket. Iowa is the bellwether primary state for every presidential hopeful. Then the man who unleashed her on the national scene, John McCain, sloughed off any talk about her being divisive, and said that she’d be formidable as a presidential candidate. Palin flatly told Barbara Walters “I believe so” to her question whether she could beat President Barack Obama in a head to head match-up. Palin has ducked and dodged the question of whether she’ll run for president or not. That’s just standard procedure for all presidential hopefuls. But barring a cataclysmic happening, scandal, or fatal verbal stumble, Palin will run, and she’ll run to win. A Palin presidential bid that GOP leaders once chuckled at is no longer a laughing matter. She is the most polarizing Republican since Lincoln. But McCain also quickly added that GOP icon Ronald Reagan was also called polarizing. McCain’s point was so what, he still went on to greatness. This was yet another tip that in the inner sanctum of GOP political circles, a Palin presidential bid is expected. The GOP pragmatists who control the money, media spin and party apparatus will do everything they can to maneuver and massage the primaries and convention to ensure that the noise and mischief outsider Palin makes will die before primary season begins. That may not happen. The media and public obsession with Palin, and the mostly favorable scorecard of wins by her endorsed picks in the GOP primaries, did nothing to stir hope that Palin’s political star will flame out. Palin mania, though, is less important than the cast of GOP presidential hopeful competitors. They carry nearly as much baggage as she does. The three best known Palin competitors are Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney. The knock against Gingrich is that he’s too divisive, polarizing and washed up. The knock against Huckabee is that his appeal is limited to religious fundamentalists. The knock against Romney is that he’s too tainted by an embrace of health care reform and not authentically conservative enough. Palin starts with another advantage that they don’t. Her mug is seen round the clock on Fox, on news shows, on book tours and a reality show. The overexposure this early in the presidential hunt makes it that much easier to raise funds and build the type of grassroots organization she’ll need to be any kind of real threat. The lesser known GOP hopefuls, governors, ex-governors and senators say that they can do what Obama did and come from relative political obscurity in a relatively short period of time and make a serious run. That won’t wash. Obama was not the political rags to riches story that he was made out to be. He spent four years building support in the party, raising money, writing books and honing a catchy and timely message. This created a groundswell of acclaim, admiration and support for him, and ultimately a million-dollar winning political image for him. One of the currently obscure GOP presidential hopefuls could break from the pack and build the support and garner the cash it takes to make a serious run. But to do that they’ll also have to try to sell the Tea Party throngs that they would be the better choice for the GOP presidential than their heroine, Palin. That’s a near impossible sale. Palin has already staked out that turf, and it appears unshakeable. GOP consultants have noted the overwhelming majority of Tea Party-leaning ultra-conservatives watch Fox News religiously, and when they do they see and hear Palin spouting one or another dig, slam or inanity about Obama. They love every word of that. She’s also cheer-led by Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck and other Tea Party mass media gurus, and she has command of the social media network. Palin’s strength is to play on and to stoke popular rage and frustration with tin ear politicians who’ve turned voters into invisible men and women. That translates to millions of disgruntled, frustrated voters who will be sorely tempted to push, prod and hector the GOP to give Palin her due. Many will be just as sorely tempted to vote for Palin as a maverick candidate, or if her name is not on any ballot, stay at home. This would be tantamount to a vote for Obama. This would be an even bigger disaster for the GOP. Palin, then, is the GOP’s textbook Catch-22. If they nominate her they almost certainly guarantee Obama a second term. If they don’t nominate Palin, they would risk incurring the anger of millions of GOP grassroots voters. Palin is the GOP’s, not Obama’s, worst nightmare.
But barring a cataclysmic happening, scandal, or fatal verbal stumble, Palin will run, and she’ll run to win.
Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst.
The Banner welcomes your opinion. Email Op-Ed submissions to:
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ROVINGCamera What do you think are the major challenges facing the Boston Branch of the NAACP?
They need to find new ways to communicate the issues where it’s relevant to people under the age of 36. Our medium of communication is not the medium they grew up with.
Black people in Boston don’t support the NAACP the way they should. They need to build more support. This organization is on its last feet.
They need more members and funding. When they were down on Mass. Ave., the condition of the place was embarrassing. It needs to be more visible and more anchored.
T Lawrence Ware
Arthur Hughes
Melvin Hubert
Student Pembroke
Retired South End
Chef South Boston
The NAACP is irrelevant today. They were effective in the civil rights era. We are in a new era. They have to get young leadership with ideas that are relevant.
They need to keep up with the changes happening in our community as well as focusing on the issues they used to focus on.
They should be paying more attention to what’s going on in our neighborhoods — violence, gangs, drugs. We need more positive role models to talk to our kids.
Emmanuel D. Matthews
Karan Valentini
Lori Watson
Retired Dorchester
Banker Roxbury
Financial Analyst Dorchester
INthe news
Andrea J. Cabral
Suffolk County Sheriff Andrea J. Cabral was recently appointed to serve on the U.S. Department of Justice’s Science Advisory Board. Assembled by Assistant Attorney General Laurie Robinson under the auspices of U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, the board consists of ranking officials from the world of criminal justice as well as leaders of academia from across the country. The board operates within the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs. Addressing attendees earlier this year at the National Criminal Justice Association’s National Forum, Assistant Attorney General Robinson spoke about the directives of the board prior to its activation. “This body [is] made up primarily of academics, but also of practitioners and other leaders outside of OJP. The board [will] help inform our program development activities and make sure we’re adhering to the highest level of scientific rigor.” As one of those professionals now chosen to work toward achiev-
ing the stated goals, Cabral was both grateful and enthusiastic about her appointment. “It is an honor to be chosen by the U.S. Attorney General’s Office to serve among so many distinguished people from the ranks of academia and the criminal justice profession,” said Cabral. “I look forward to working alongside my colleagues as the board begins its work in earnest.” According to information provided by the organization, the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) “provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-theart knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime-fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. Therefore,
OJP does not directly carry out law enforcement and justice activities. Instead, OJP works in partnership with the justice community to identify the most pressing crime-related challenges confronting the justice system and to provide information, training, coordination, and innovative strategies and approaches for addressing these challenges.” To read more about the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, visit: www.ojp.usdoj.gov.
6 • Thursday, December 2, 2010 • BAY STATE BANNER
Election debacle has Haiti near turmoil again Jonathan M. Katz and Ben Fox PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Haitians entered election day hoping for the best. Within hours, ballot boxes were ripped to pieces, protesters were on the streets and nearly every presidential hopeful was united against the government. Add it to Haiti’s list: Already reeling from a catastrophic earthquake, one of the world’s poorest economies, storms, a deadly cholera epidemic and unrest over
U.N. peacekeepers, the Caribbean nation could now be on the edge of full-on political turmoil. The chaos in Sunday’s voting united most of the top presidential candidates against the president’s heir apparent — Jude Celestin, head of the state-run construction company and beneficiary of a well-financed campaign. Allegations ranging from outright fraud to polling-place disorganization that disenfranchised many Haitians nearly brought the election to a halt. Polling places opened late, voters could not find
their names on lists, and thugs ransacked some polling places. The United Nations cited “numerous incidents that marred the elections.” Observers from the Organization of American States canceled an afternoon news conference, releasing a statement hours later that they were “in the process of evaluating and analyzing the information gathered.” The discontent boiled into a potential political crisis at about 2 p.m., when 12 of the 19 presidential candidates — including nearly every major contender —
gathered in a hotel ballroom to join hands, denounce President Rene Preval and call for the election to be canceled. “It is clear that the government of Rene Preval, in agreement with the (electoral council), is putting into execution the plan hatched to tamper with the elections ... with the help of the official political party and its candidate, Jude Celestin,” independent
the streets carrying tree branches and campaign posters, decrying the vote and jubilantly claiming victory for their candidates. The Haitian government had no immediate response to the criticism. But the electoral council held an evening news conference to say the candidates’ protest had no legal weight. It said there had been irregularities at only 56 of nearly 1,500 voting centers, but
Polling places opened late, voters could not find their names on lists, and thugs ransacked some polling places. candidate Anne Marie Josette Bijou read aloud. The other candidates joined the crowd in applause. The crowd, which had burst into Haiti’s national anthem when the candidates arrived, chanted “Arrest Preval!” Protesters took to the streets, and demonstrations demanding the balloted be nullified stretched into the night. Crowds surged through
did not explain how it arrived at that figure. “If they declare that one of these candidates won, are they going to say they don’t want to be elected?” council official Pierre Louis Opont mused after a fifth Haitian reporter asked the officials to respond to the presidential candidates’ appeal. Associated Press
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Thursday, December 2, 2010 • BAY STATE BANNER • 7
How Congress’ tax-cut decision may affect economy Jeannine Aversa WASHINGTON — On this, economists agree: Extending tax cuts passed under President George W. Bush for low- and middleincome people would strengthen the weak economy. The question is what to do about the highest-paid 3 percent of taxpayers. Should Congress let their tax cuts expire at year’s end as scheduled? Extend them for only a while? Or make them permanent? It isn’t just a debate over how much money high-income Americans should get to keep. It’s about how much their tax cuts might aid the economy. And how much they’ll affect the budget deficit years from now. But first, consider what would happen next year if Congress let the tax cuts for everyone expire as scheduled. According to Moody’s Analytics, the deficit would drop to $732 billion. That’s well below the $1.3 trillion deficit for the budget year that ended Sept. 30. At the same time, the economy would suffer, Moody’s says: Growth would tail off to just 0.9 percent next year. That’s scarcely more than a recessionary pace. And unemployment would average 10.7 percent next year. That’s because higher taxes would leave people with less money to spend. Businesses would be less inclined to hire. Economic growth would slide. Yet if Democrats and Republicans can’t reach a deal during the post-election lame-duck session that began this
month, taxes will rise across the board in January. Republicans triumphant in the mid-term elections insist that everyone, regardless of income, should continue to enjoy the taxcuts approved during George W. Bush’s presidency. President Barack Obama wants to extend the tax cuts for individuals with taxable incomes below $200,000 a year and couples with incomes below $250,000. Taxable income is a taxpayer’s total income minus allowable deductions and exemptions. Obama has long argued that income above those levels should be taxed at the higher rates that existed before 2001. Yet since his party suffered major losses in the elections, Obama has signaled a willingness to compromise. The White House has indicated he is open to a oneor two-year extension of the tax cuts but opposes a permanent extension for the highest earners. Here’s how analysts think each of the three leading options would affect the economy next year: Option One: Let the tax rates for the highest earners rise back to what they were before 2001, when the first round of Bush tax cuts was passed. But extend them permanently for everyone else. This is what Obama favors. Moody’s Analytics says that under this scenario, the economy would grow 2.6 percent in 2011. That’s better than the scant 0.9 percent growth envisioned if everyone’s tax cuts expired. Economists note that low- and middle-income people tend to spend
more of their take-home pay than the highest-earners do. That’s especially true in a tough economy. Still, unemployment would average 10 percent next year, up from the 9.7 percent estimated for this year. The jobless rate would tick up as growth weakened slightly next year. This reflects the Republican argument that a tax increase for highincome taxpayers would hurt some small-business owners, making them less inclined to hire. The budget deficit would fall to $904 billion in 2011, from $1.3 trillion in the just-ended budget year. That would be due to the additional taxes paid by higher-income Americans. Option Two: Extend the tax cuts for one or two years for the highest earners and permanently for everyone else. Moody’s Analytics estimates this scenario would help the economy more than the first approach. The economy would grow 2.95 percent next year — a 0.4 percentage point improvement over Option One. Unemployment would average 9.9 percent next year. That would be slightly worse than the 9.7 percent average rate estimated for this year. Stronger growth wouldn’t be enough to prevent the unemployment rate from rising as more jobseekers, perhaps feeling better about their prospects, resume their search for work. Even though no one’s taxes would rise in 2011, the budget deficit would drop to $943 billion from $1.3 trillion
this year. That’s because tax revenue would rise as people spent more and stimulated more economic activity. The reasoning is that Option Two would deliver a psychological boost: Americans, regardless of income, would know their income taxes wouldn’t rise anytime soon. High earners would have more money to spend than under Option One. Obama and Republicans have signaled their openness to extending the tax cuts for everyone temporarily, perhaps for one or two years. That would force Obama to face the issue again in 2012, when he’ll likely seek re-election. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., says he’ll fight to make sure no one, regardless of income, would face a tax increase once any extended tax cuts expire. Supporters say the economy is too fragile now to boost taxes even on the highest earners and risk causing them to spend less. At the same time, a temporary extension wouldn’t necessarily swell the budget deficit over the long run. Option Three: Make the tax cuts permanent for everyone. This is the plan Republicans favor. By Moody’s calculations, the impact on unemployment, growth and the deficit in 2011 would be the same as in Option Two. Still, renewing the tax cuts across the board would swell the debt over the next decade by nearly $4 trillion, the Congressional Budget Office says. That’s even after accounting for the extra revenue that would flow to the government as permanently lower taxes boosted spending and growth. Besides, many economists say highincome Americans tend to squirrel away most of the tax money they save. A report from the Congressional Budget Office agreed. Mark Zandi, chief economist at
Moody’s Analytics, calculated that when higher earners get an extra dollar of after-tax income, they spend just 40 cents of it. Middle-income Americans spend 66 cents. The poor spend almost all of it. Even so, as higher earners chip in and spend, the economy benefits. Allen Sinai, chief economist at Decision Economics, fears that letting the tax cuts for high-income Americans expire could reduce the flow of money into private equity firms, venture capital and other investments that “grease the wheels of entrepreneurship in the U.S. economy.” Under Sinai’s estimates, extending the tax cuts for all would provide the biggest boost to spending and growth. People and businesses would know they could count on the money in the future. Yet even if the tax cuts were extended for everyone, unemployment would still be expected to rise next year. Economic growth still wouldn’t be robust enough to create enough jobs. Associated Press
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Cambridge College named 15 th in conferring master’s degrees to African-American students!
find your place here
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I worked at Cambridge College as a receptionist in 1999 and was intrigued by the organizational culture and tight knit community. I addition, I found the faculty to be extremely supportive and committed to the success of the students. Later, I enrolled in the Master of Management program and am so happy that I did. As a life coach and consultant, I found this program to be instrumental in the development of my theoretical framework. I graduated feeling much more confident in my abilities to help clients find solutions to complex organizational challenges. I returned to Cambridge College last year to pursue a degree in psychology and am preparing now to apply to doctoral programs at the end of this year.
Thulani DeMarsay Master of Management, Leadership and Organizational Development, 2009
Cambridge College recognizes diversity as an asset to the classroom, the community, and to society. We’re pleased to announce that Cambridge College has been named one of America’s top 100 graduate degree producers by Diverse Issues in Higher Education magazine, ranking 15th in conferring the most master’s degrees to African-American students in the 2008–2009 academic year. This focus on diversity, coupled with an innovative teaching and learning model, is a powerful means for adult students to meet the challenges of higher education and earn the degree credentials they need to advance their careers.
JOIN US AT AN INFORMATION SESSION TO LEARN MORE
Thursday, December 2, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 14 at 6:00 p.m. Cambridge College, 1000 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 Located between Harvard and Central Squares. Accessible via the Red Line or Bus 1.
CONTAC T US TODAY
www.cambridgecollege.edu/info11 800.877.4723 for working adults Cambridge College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges ( NEASC ). Applicants are responsible for reading the academic catalog and getting all the information needed to make informed decisions.
8 • Thursday, December 2, 2010 • BAY STATE BANNER
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Rep. Rangel wants House to reject censure Larry Margasak WASHINGTON — Rep. Charles Rangel is ready to make a last stand to salvage his reputation and tell the House that a censure should be reserved for crooked politicians. He will argue that he’s not one of them. The 80-year-old Democrat from New York’s Harlem neighborhood wants his punishment for ethics violations downgraded to a reprimand, according to congressional and nongovernment sources who are in touch with Rangel but are not authorized to be quoted by name. Rangel will ask the House ethics committee chairman, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., for time to plead his case on the floor of the House, where he has served for 40 years, including a stint as chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee. The ethics committee voted 91 on Nov. 18 that Rangel should be censured for committing 11 counts of fundraising and financial misdeeds that violated House rules. There is precedent for Rangel’s argument that censure — the most severe punishment short of expulsion — is too harsh in his case. It won’t be easy because he’ll have to overcome the overwhelming vote of a committee that has an equal number of Democrats and Republicans. Rangel plans to argue that censure has been imposed for violations including bribery, accepting improper gifts, personal use of campaign funds
and sexual misconduct; none is present in his case. The ethics committee, in explaining its recommendation, agreed in a report that the discipline usually is reserved for lawmakers who enrich themselves. In Rangel’s case, the committee said, its decision was based on “the cumulative nature of the violations and not any direct personal financial gain.” The committee’s chief counsel, Blake Chisam, responding to a question from a committee member, told Rangel’s ethics trial that he saw no evidence of corruption. The House will take up Rangel’s discipline in the post-election session that resumed Monday, but no date has been set for deciding his punishment. To the public, a censure and a reprimand appear similar. Both punishments are meted out on the floor of the House and include a vote disapproving a member’s conduct. A censure goes beyond the vote and requires the disciplined member to appear at the front of the chamber — called the “well’’ — and receive an oral rebuke from the speaker that includes a reading of the resolution. A reprimand is simply a vote of disapproval. It can be a separate resolution or a vote to adopt the ethics committee’s findings. The punished lawmaker is not required to stand in the well. Rangel was found to have improperly used official resources — congressional letterheads and staff — to raise funds from businesses and foun-
dations for a center named after him at the City College of New York. Some of the donors, the committee found, were businesses and foundations with issues before the House Ways and Means Committee. The contributions left the impression that the money was to influence legislation, although Rangel was not charged with taking any action on
behalf of donors. He also was found guilty of filing a decade’s worth of misleading annual financial disclosure forms that failed to list hundreds of thousands of dollars in assets, and failure to pay taxes for 17 years on his rental unit in the Dominican Republic — an embarrassment for someone who presided over tax legislation. In addition, the committee told Rangel to pay any taxes he still owed. The sources said Rangel complied last week, sending the U.S. Treasury a check for $10,422 and a check for $4,501 to New York state. Rangel has apologized and admitted his mistakes, although he denied any intent to violate stan-
dards of conduct. Twenty-two House members have been censured while nine have been reprimanded. The last censures were in 1983, when the House disciplined Reps. Gerry E. Studds, a Massachusetts Democrat, and Daniel Crane, an Illinois Republican. Both were cited for sexual misconduct with teenage pages — Studds with a male page, Crane with a female one. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., was the last to be reprimanded. He was disciplined in September 2009, in a partisan vote, for shouting “You lie!” at President Barack Obama during a nationally televised speech to Congress. Associated Press
Randal Rucker (r), CEO of Family Service of Greater Boston, chats with Mayor Yona Yahav of Haifa, Israel, during a recent tour of that city’s seaport revitalization area. Rucker was a member of the City to City Leadership Delegation focusing on entrepreneurial best practices to apply to Boston’s emerging “Innovation District” on the South Boston waterfront. (Don West photo)
10 • Thursday, December 2, 2010 • BAY STATE BANNER
WOMEN’S HEALTH A SPECIAL ADVERTORIAL SECTION
Dana-Farber helps young women with breast cancer face unique needs A diagnosis of breast cancer is hard to receive at any age. But for women in their early 40s and younger, the concerns may be more challenging, say breast cancer experts at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. “When young women are diagnosed with breast cancer, they face not only concerns about the breast cancer itself, but they may have issues with fertility and family planning, genetics, sexual function, as well as emotional hurdles that may be more difficult to handle compared to older women,” said Ann Partridge, MD, MPH, Clinical Director of the Breast Oncology Center and Director of the Program for Young Women with Breast Cancer at Dana-Farber, and recently appointed to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer in Young Women. “Many of these women are just starting careers, families or relationships, and having breast cancer at such an early age is the furthest thing from their minds.” According to the American Cancer Society, about 5 percent of all breast cancer cases occur in women under the age of 40 in the United States. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women; however, relatively little is known about breast cancer in women in their 40s and younger. Partridge, who founded the Program for Young Women with Breast Cancer at Dana-Farber, said that evidence shows that young age is a risk factor for disease recurrence and death. It is controversial
whether the poorer prognosis is a reflection of delays in diagnosis, differences in tumor biology or the effectiveness of treatment, but growing evidence indicates that biologic differences may play an important role. Young women are likely to be diagnosed
women appear to be slightly different than they are for older women. “Family history is the strongest risk factor for younger women,” said Partridge. “Women who have a first-degree blood relative such as a mother or sister who have had breast cancer espe-
“When young women are diagnosed with breast cancer, they face not only concerns about the breast cancer itself, but they may have issues with fertility and family planning, genetics, sexual function, as well as emotional hurdles that may be more difficult to handle compared to older women.” — Ann Partridge at a later stage with more aggressive types of breast cancer. They therefore tend to receive more aggressive treatment than older women usually including chemotherapy, and often radiation, hormonal and new biologic treatments. “Treatment with chemotherapy, in particular, can be difficult because many of these younger women may be interested in having a baby after breast cancer and treatments may result in premature menopause and infertility,” Partridge said.
Risk factors Risk factors for breast cancer in young
cially at a younger age may be a higher risk of developing the disease.” The genetic risk can also come from the father’s lineage. So if the father’s sister had breast cancer particularly at a younger age that could increase a young woman’s risk for breast cancer. In general, having a mother, father, daughter or sister who has had breast cancer can increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer at any age. Women who have a mutation or defect in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes are at greater risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. A genetic counselor can help discuss any risk fac-
tors and can suggest genetic testing options.
Warning signs Delayed diagnosis in young women is an issue. Because it is rare for a young woman to develop breast cancer, any change in the breast may be minimized or ignored. Partridge stressed the importance for all women to be aware of the following warning signs. “Do not be afraid to go to the doctor if you’re concerned about any breast symptoms.” Lump or thickening in the breast: Especially one that is growing or changing as well as lumps under the arm or axilla. Skin changes: Skin changes on the breast, like swelling or a rash, warmth, redness or darkening; or an itchy, scaly or sore nipple. Nipple discharge: “We are also worried when we hear about nipple discharge particularly if it is bloody,” said Partridge. Breast changes: Change in size or shape, dimpling or puckering of skin. Pain: Pain in the breast or under arm that does not go away or gets worse over time. “There is a common misperception that if it’s painful, it’s not breast cancer,” said Partridge. More information is available at www.danafarber.org/YoungWomenBreastCancer. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (www.danafarber.org) is a principal teaching affiliate of the Harvard Medical School and is among the leading cancer research and care centers in the United States.
Thursday, December 2, 2010 • BAY STATE BANNER • 11
WOMEN’S HEALTH A SPECIAL ADVERTORIAL SECTION
Two Partners HealthCare professionals, one passion: Connecting patients to community–based primary care
Bernice McField-Avila is a Partners HealthCare primary care access project coordinator at Mass General Hospital. (Photo courtesy of Partners HealthCare) “When I can place a patient in a primary care setting when they need it, at the time they need it and in a language that they can understand — that’s my best day,” said Josefina Roques, a primary care access coordinator at Brigham and Women’s Hospital
(BWH). Those sentiments were echoed by her peer Bernice McField-Avila, a primary care access coordinator at Mass General Hospital (MGH), when she said, “Being able to assist patients from every ethnicity, socioeconomic status and cultural back-
ground, to find a primary care physician they are comfortable with, makes doing this work a pleasure more than a task.” McField-Avila and Roques moved to the United States 12 and 19 years ago, respectively. They were both trained as doctors in their countries of origin — McField-Avila in Honduras, Roques in the Dominican Republic. They speak English and Spanish, and they share a passion for health care and helping patients get access to primary care. In fact, between the two women, they have connected nearly 3,800 people to community-based primary care through Partners HealthCare’s Primary Care Access Project (PCAP). PCAP began five years ago as Massachusetts moved toward coverage reform, and the need to connect patients to primary care in their communities, to engage people in their health care and to reduce emergency room visits. Connecting patients to primary care is not an easy task. McField-Avila and Roques consult with patients who struggle with multiple, complex illnesses, as well as language and cultural barriers. Many patients have lacked a primary care provider for many years — or never had one. McFieldAvila helped a 70-year-old man get a pri-
mary care doctor after he had a fall. The man never had a primary care provider in his life. He had a difficult time understanding why he needed one now, especially at his age, but in time he was convinced by Mcfield-Avila that he did. Educating patients about the importance of primary and preventive care can be challenging. People may not understand why having a doctor — when you feel fine — is important. McField-Avila and Roques prevail by providing informed and culturally competent guidance to both English and non-English speakers. They relate to the patients from unique and empathetic perspectives, as they are both minorities and immigrants who once had to navigate a new country and culture. Because of their personal experiences and their education, medical and linguistic expertise, they feel comfortable crossing from one culture to another, talking with both patients and providers. They bring the total enrichment of their lives to their work. They are the connection between patients and primary care. No matter the challenges, making the patient and community-based primary care Partners, continued to page 14
At Partners HealthCare, the journey never ends. Some of our many community benefits. Partners HealthCare is committed to improving the health of our community. Last year, we provided $150 million to support community health centers, fund innovative health and prevention partnerships, and provide unreimbursed care to uninsured patients. Much of what we do benefits young people. • More than 75,000 children and adults served in our community health centers in Charlestown, Chelsea, Revere, the North End and Jamaica Plain. • Support for our affiliated health centers in Dorchester, East Boston, Jamaica Plain, Lynn, Mattapan, Roxbury, Salem, the South End and South Boston in their efforts to improve community health and access to care. • Care for more than 117,000 children and adults who are uninsured or covered by Medicaid. • Comprehensive advocacy services for domestic violence survivors at six of our hospitals. • Active involvement in Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s commitment to have Boston lead in ending the national problem of racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care.
• Case management services for more than 800 low-income pregnant women in Boston. • Three school-based health centers — at Chelsea High, Revere High and English High in Jamaica Plain — help teens stay mentally and physically healthy. • Partnerships with Boston Public Schools which help middle and high school students from Boston neighborhoods excel in science, attend college through scholarships, and prepare for careers in health care. This year, Mass General and Brigham and Women’s Hospitals provided summer jobs for more than 300 Boston teens. • Helping hundreds of low-income Boston residents enter or advance in health careers in our hospitals. • Partnering with Bank of America, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the Mass. League of Community Health Centers to provide medical school loan repayment for 110 primary care providers and enabling more than 195,000 newly insured patients to have access to care. • Youth substance abuse prevention coalitions with Charlestown and Revere residents that are showing real, measurable success.
12 • Thursday, December 2, 2010 • BAY STATE BANNER
WOMEN’S HEALTH A SPECIAL ADVERTORIAL SECTION
Brigham and Women’s Cardiovascular Wellness Service Did you know that heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in the United States, accounting for more deaths nationwide than all cancers combined? Did you also know that in most cases, heart disease is fully preventable? The Brigham and Women’s Hospital Cardiovascular Wellness Service was founded for this very cause — to prevent heart disease and promote heart health, particularly within the Boston community. Centrally located in Mission Hill, the Cardiovascular Wellness Service not only hosts free programs, events and screenings at the hospital, but also takes prevention programming directly into neighboring communities, partnering with organizations including Body by Brandy and Roxbury Community College to provide free, impactful services to help prevent heart disease. The Wellness Service’s overall goal is to ensure that all Boston area residents have access to the best care possible and understand their health risks and needs, through its four primary components of clinical services, community outreach, research and medical education. The Service’s highly trained cardiovascular wellness team includes a wide range of medical and behavioral health providers, including cardiologists, nutritionists, exercise physiologists, psychologists, yoga instructors and pharmacists, who help patients and participants quit smoking, achieve a healthy weight, reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure, exercise
regularly and manage stress.
Women and heart disease: While heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women nationwide, heart disease in women demands increased focused attention. In women, more than one third of all deaths are the result of heart disease and in the U.S., more women die of heart disease than men. This is the result of many factors, including the lack of awareness of risk factors and symptoms of heart disease in women, as well a lack of focus on personal health and well-being. The Cardiovascular Wellness Service has set out to reduce the disparity of heart disease in women by offering various screenings and programs in Boston to help encourage women to make necessary lifestyle changes to prevent or reduce their risk of heart disease. Through screenings, women can learn their personal risk for heart disease, receive individual counseling on lowering risk factors, and learn about heart disease prevention in women. To view a list of upcoming screenings, programs, and events for women, please visit the Calendar of Events at www.brighamandwomens.
org/cvwellness. If you are a woman and interested in weight loss or reducing you risk for heart disease, please read below about the FREE Loving Your Heart and Beat the Holiday Bulge programs described below.
Loving Your Heart: The Cardiovascular Wellness Service has partnered with Body by Brandy in Roxbury, to support a free, 12-week weight loss program created by and for women. This program includes two free screenings for cardiovascular disease, free weekly weight loss classes and a free three-month membership to the Body by Brandy Fitness Center, to help you reach all of your weight loss goals. If you are interested in joining this program, please visit the calendar of events at www.brighamandwomens.org/cvwellness or e-mail bwhcvwellness@ partners.org.
Beat the Holiday Bulge: To extend its reach throughout and beyond Boston, the Cardiovascular Wellness Service has created an Online Wellness Pro-
Body By Brandy Fitness Center
gram that is free to all users nationwide. This program is a comprehensive tool that uses a unique, friendly and interactive approach to educating, engaging and empowering users on their path to building a healthy heart. As part of its seasonal offering, the Online Wellness Program has taken the shape of a fun, exciting program known as “Beat the Holiday Bulge” — a free fourweek, results-oriented weight management challenge to anyone looking for a little extra help managing their weight this holiday season. The program runs from Nov. 1 to Dec. 3, 2010, and all participants who complete the entire four-week course automatically qualify to win an iPod or $75 gift certificate to New Balance. Time is limited, so be sure to enroll by the second week of December to participate in the full, four-week program. Registration is quick and easy, so visit www. bwhcvwellnessonline.com to sign up today. To learn more about the Cardiovascular Wellness Service and their many free offering, visit www.brighamandwomens. org/cvwellness, or contact them directly at bwhcvwellness@partners.org or 617582-4821.
Black Women’s Health Institute
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Loving Your Heart: Feel the Beat! A FREE 12-week weight loss program for women!
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• • • • • • Kick-off Fitness Explosion – Dec. 11th, 9am-12pm • • • • • • Pre-registration and free cardio classses! Did you know that 1 out of 4 women die from cardiovascular disease every year? Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most simple and effective ways that you can help prevent heart disease. If you are looking to achieve a healthy weight and meet all of your wellness goals, join our FREE 12-week weight loss program for women. This program will include: • A FREE 3 month membership to Body By Brandy Fitness Center • Weekly Weight Management & Healthy Eating Workshops • Monthly Weigh-ins • Goal setting techniques for accomplishing your fitness goals • Development of self care tools • Confidential & Supportive Environment • Cardiovascular Disease Screenings Pre-register and attend free workout classes at the Loving Your Heart: Fitness Explosion on Saturday, December 11th from 9am-12pm at the Body by Brandy Fitness Center OR register by contacting the Body By Brandy Fitness Center at 617-442-2187 or bbblovingyourheart@gmail.com.
Thursday, December 2, 2010 • BAY STATE BANNER • 13
WOMEN’S HEALTH A SPECIAL ADVERTORIAL SECTION
Whittier’s Centering Pregnancy program provides critical prenatal care The need for prenatal health services in Whittier’s community Women within Whittier’s primary service area face increased risk of poor birth outcomes, especially African American women, who are at the greatest risk nationally and locally for unhealthy births. These disparities can be seen through the available data for Roxbury and Boston’s African American community. The table below outlines national Healthy People 2010 goals for birth outcomes and how Boston, Roxbury, black or African American residents of Boston, and white non-Hispanic residents of Boston compare.
The Centering Pregnancy program at Whittier To address these disparities, Whittier Street Health Center has implemented a new and innovative program. The Centering Pregnancy program is a group visit model of prenatal care delivery that is designed to promote safety, efficiency, effectiveness, timeliness, culturally appropriate patient-centered care and more equitable care. The model incorporates three critical areas of effective health care, which are: health assessment, education and support. The
program begins at 16-18 weeks of gestation and consists of 10 two-hour visits in a group prenatal care model. The 10 visits follow the recommended schedule for prenatal care. At each group visit, women: • Perform self-care skills, such as weight and blood pressure. • Have a short assessment with their provider. • Discuss their concerns and ask questions.
• Learn about necessary health information to keep themselves safe and healthy in pregnancy and beyond. The last point is of special importance for Whittier’s community. Whittier has found, and studies support, that pregnancy often acts as a first point entry, or reentry, for underserved populations into primary care. Therefore, while ensuring the healthiest birth for the baby, Whittier is also able to work closely with expectant mothers who have historically not been connected to health care
Healthy People 2010 Target
Boston
Roxbury
Black or African American
Non Hispanic White
Adequate Prenatal Care
90.0%
81.4%
NA
75.8%
86.7%
Low Birthweight
5.0%
9.6%
12.3%*
12.7%
8.6%
Preterm Births
7.6%
10.7%
13.8%
13.6%
9.3%
Infant Mortality
4.5 per 1,000 live births
6.4
9.4*
11.3
3.4
Breastfeeding in Early Postpartum Period (at 2
75.0%
NA
NA
69.6%
98.6%
months)
Source: Health of Boston Report, 2009
to provide health education, screenings and connection to other needed services, such as behavioral health, eye care and oral health.
Program effectiveness Whittier has particular interest in implementing the Centering Pregnancy program because if its documented success in improving healthy birth indicators that are particularly poor in Whittier’s community. Several studies have been published regarding the effectiveness of the Centering Pregnancy program. Relevant outcomes include: • Group prenatal care appears to improve early preterm delivery rates, low and very low birthweight infants, and neonatal mortality. • For adolescent patients, the program appears particularly effective in lowering preterm birthrate. • Group prenatal care results in higher breast feeding rates and higher prenatal knowledge scores. Under the leadership of Dr. Laura Holland, Whittier’s OB/GYN Department is extremely excited to offer this program to its patients to improve the delivery of prenatal care. To find out more information about this program, please call 617-989-3123 and ask for Mildred Bailey.
14 • Thursday, December 2, 2010 • BAY STATE BANNER
WOMEN’S HEALTH A SPECIAL ADVERTORIAL SECTION
Partners
FDA reviews 2 new drugs to reduce prostate cancer Matthew Perrone
continued from page 11
connection is what drives McField-Avila and Roques. “Every time you serve a patient, it can bring you happiness or sadness,” Roques said. Happiness, for example, is the patient who was transferred to the United States from the Dominican Republic by her employer, and came into the Emergency Department for high blood pressure. Roques connected her with communitybased primary care three years ago. Since then, she has had many interactions with her doctor, has kept her illnesses under control and has remained out of the Emergency Department. Then there are the cases that get away, explained Roques. “Sometimes we try to approach the patient, and because they have other problems that are so daunting like being homeless, they are not ready to address their health care needs.” And sometimes the window of opportunity is so small, critical connections can be missed. McField-Avila explained, “When I work with someone with substance abuse, and they have a
Josefina Roques is a Partners HealthCare primary care access project coordinator at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. (Photo courtesy of Partners HealthCare) clear moment — when they are absolutely ready for care and I struggle to find the right place for them and press for an immediate appointment only to have the person slip back into the addiction and disappear, not return my calls — that’s hard.” McField-Avila and Roques know that the patients have to be ready for care. They have to be able to read the patients and know when to go forward and connect them to care, and when to back up
and wait. For those who are not ready, they wait. Roques said that sometimes people who she tried to help, but weren’t ready, will call her back a year later and say, “I’m ready now.” A similar project has also been in effect at the North Shore Medical Center (NSMC) the past five years. Among NSMC, BWH and MGH, more than 8,200 patients have been connected to community-based primary care.
Boston Community Health Centers Participating in Partners HealthCare Primary Care Access Project That Are Accepting New Patients BROOKSIDE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER (Pediatric and OB patients only) 617-983-6019
MGH CHARLESTOWN HEALTHCARE CENTER 617-724-8135
CODMAN SQUARE HEALTH CENTER 617-825-9660 and press #1
SOUTH END COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER 617- 425-2000
EAST BOSTON NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTER 617-569-5800 GEIGER GIBSON COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER 617-288-1140 MATTAPAN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER 617-296-0061
SOUTHERN JAMAICA PLAIN HEALTH CENTER (call 1st business day of the month) 617-983-4200 UPHAM’S CORNER HEALTH CENTER 617-287-8000 WHITTIER STREET HEALTH CENTER 617-427-1000
WASHINGTON — Regulators said Monday that two drugs from GlaxoSmithKline and Merck reduce the risk of prostate cancer in men, though scientists questioned the drugs’ overall benefit, since the tumors they prevent are usually not life-threatening. The reviewers for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also complained that the companies only studied a small number of African Americans, who are at high risk for prostate cancer. The agency was scheduled to hold a public meeting on the drugs on Wednesday.
FDA’s review also raises broader questions about the value of preventing low-grade tumors. According to the FDA, about 80 percent of the tumors the drugs prevent are not aggressive. Because the tumors grow so slowly, they are not considered a threat to senior men with less than 20 years of life expectancy. While the tumors may not be life threatening, Glaxo has argued that they can lead to unnecessary treatment and biopsies — a procedure where a tiny tissue sample is removed and tested for cancer. About 650,000 men had prostate biopsies last year and 70 percent of the tumors found were low-
About 650,000 men had prostate biopsies last year and 70 percent of the tumors found were lowgrade, according to Glaxo.
U.K.-based GlaxoSmithKline PLC has asked the FDA to approve its drug Avodart for a new use against prostate cancer, after research showed a 23 percent reduction in lowgrade prostate tumors among men taking the drug. Merck & Co. of Whitehouse Station, N.J., achieved similar results with its drug Proscar and is asking the FDA to approve labeling about its drug’s benefits in reducing prostate cancer risks. Both drugs are already approved to treat enlarged prostate. But regulators said in an online review Monday that only a small percentage of patients studied were African Americans, who are at increased risk of the disease. Only 4 percent of Merck’s patients were African American, while Glaxo’s trial enrolled just 2 percent African American patients. “The applicability to African American men is not known due to marked under-representation,” states the FDA’s review.
grade, according to Glaxo. Some recent studies have suggested prostate cancer is over-diagnosed and over-treated in men — even in men with lowgrade tumors. Treatment for the disease can include surgery to remove a tumor, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. On Wednesday, the FDA asked a panel of advisers to vote on the safety and effectiveness of Avodart and Proscar in preventing prostate cancer. The agency is not required to follow the panel’s advice, though it often does. Associated Press
Only 25% of Liberians have access to safe drinking water. Many Liberians continue to drink contaminated water because of unsafe water treatment and distribution systems and unsafe water storage and handling practices.
Thinking quality child care? Think Crispus Attucks Children’s Center Green Playground with agility course and fitness track • Affordable • Convenient- Ten minutes from Downtown Boston, Roslindale, West Roxbury and Jamaica Plain • Nurturing Environment • Emphasis on developing early literacy skills • Strong age- based academic curriculum • Nutritious breakfast, lunches & snacks • Computers in all Pre-School classrooms
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Thursday, December 2, 2010 • BAY STATE BANNER • 15
The engaging
Miss
Washington (Photo courtesy of www.magpictures.com)
As one of Hollywood’s most prolific actresses and an Obama Administration appointee, Kerry Washington finds time to work for change I told my readers I’d be interviewing you, character was so forceful and angry and smart and sharp and verbally articulate. Kelly is almost the opposite. She’s very vulso I think we should get right to their many nerable and soft in a good way. Her role is to be a witness of Winner of the 2005 NAACP Image Award as questions. Children’s book author Irene Smalls these women and their journeys. It was a wonderful challenge the “Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture” asks: What attracted you to the role of Kelly in for me as an actor to have to immediately exhibit the opposite for “Ray,” Kerry Washington is a versatile, tal- “For Colored Girls?” qualities of those that I had been cultivating for almost a year. I really just wanted to be a part of the production. I had heard ented and fearless actress who has built an imHow was it having Hill Harper play your husband? pressive list of credits over the course of her rela- a rumor that Tyler [Perry] was directing It was great to have tively brief career. She has also garnered critical it, so I approached him the opportunity to acclaim for recent roles in “Mother and Child,” at one of these industry work with Hill, since he’s a friend, and we’ve “The Last King of Scotland,” “The Dead Girl” parties, and said, ‘If it’s The most important thing people can true, I want in, because and “Lakeview Terrace.” do in this representative democracy is to traveled together
Kam Williams
Washington made her feature film debut in “Our Song” in 2000, and has since co-starred in “Fantastic Four” and its sequel “Rise of the Silver Surfer,” “I Think I Love My Wife,” “Little Man,” “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” “She Hate Me,” “Against the Ropes,” “The Human Stain” and “Save the Last Dance.” For her role in “Save the Last Dance,” Washington received received a Teen Choice Award for Best Breakout Performance. She will soon be seen opposite Eddie Murphy in “A Thousand Words” and then in “We the Peeples,” an ensemble comedy featuring Craig Robinson, David Alan Grier, Tyler James Williams and S. Epatha Merkerson. She now has two films in theaters, “For Colored Girls” and “Night Catches Us.” Washington is an active board director for The Creative Coalition, a group dedicated to raising awareness of First Amendment Rights and to supporting the arts in education. She’s also a member of the V-Counsel, a group of advisors to V-Day, the global movement to end violence against women and girls (www.vday.org). As for endorsement deals, Kerry is a spokesperson for both L’Oreal Paris and Movado. In this interview, Washington talks about everything from films to family to President Barack Obama.
it’s such an important piece of literature.’ ”
along this political/artistic path. It was also nice to be able to tell this story of supportive, positive love between a black man and woman. I know that was important to Tyler and we felt very blessed to take on that responsibility.
stay active and interested, if we want to continue the momentum of change.
This play was written some time ago. Do you think it is still relevant to today’s black woman?
I do. I do. I think the play is still relevant to all human beings, not just black women.
What is it about Tyler Perry that enabled him to assemble such an accomplished cast? He’s a very inspiring person, when you look at the empire that he has created and built on his own. He wasn’t born into it.
With a text this powerful, what was the selfdiscovery factor like? Were there any dormant traits that unexpectedly came to the surface? It was really fun for me to do this because I was coming off doing the David Mamet play “Race,” on Broadway. And that
Even though the film is specifically about “Colored Girls,” would you say it explores themes which resonate with all women? Absolutely! On the set, we even talked to each other about how universal the journeys of these characters are. So, the spectrum of colors that we’re referencing really reflects a rainbow of human emotions. We’re talking about being sad and blue, or red with rage, or green with envy. Those are the colors that we girls are embodying.
What African American icon would you like to portray in a movie? Kerry, continued to page 16
16 • Thursday, December 2, 2010 • BAY STATE BANNER
Black Nativity 2010 season of
Kerry
Jane Alexander’s memoirs called “Command Performance.”
continued from page 15
A Gospel song-play by Langston Hughes
Presented by the National Center of Afro-American Artists
What do you struggle with as an actress: honesty in your roles, diving into the depth of your characters, or just navigating the crazy landscape of Hollywood and auditioning?
Experience this joyous account of the Nativity in scripture, verse, music and dance, based on the Gospel of St. Luke and combined with the poetry of Langston Hughes.
D, all of the above! [Laughs]
One weekend only Blackman Auditorium, Northeastern University Friday December 17 8pm
Saturday December 18 3:30pm & 8pm
Angela Davis is somebody I have my eye on. Also Diahann Carroll.
Sunday December 19 3:30pm
Tickets are $36 and $45. Purchase tickets online at www.BlackNativity.org or call 800-514-3849. For group rates and other information, call 617-585-6366. photo by Lolita Parker Jr
How do you feel about the recent backlash against President Obama? Why hasn’t there been a massive pushback by the Democratic Party against all the recent unfair rhetoric? It’s exciting to me that people know that I’m someone who’s very political. For full disclosure, it’s important for me to say that I’m a member of the administration now because I’m on President Obama’s Committee for the Arts and Humanities. So, I’m not unbiased. I’m really proud of everything that he’s accomplished in his first couple of years. I think it’s great that all of us Americans were inspired to work so hard [to] get him elected. But now, the most important thing people can do in this representative democracy is to stay active and interested, if we want to continue the momentum of change.
What was the last song you listened to? “Hot Tottie” by Usher and Jay-Z.
What do you consider your biggest accomplishment? I don’t know. I really don’t know. If I ever have a family one day, everything else will pale in importance to that.
When you look in the mirror, what do you see? I see an ever-unfolding process.
If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for? For a million more wishes.
What is your earliest childhood memory? Being in my stroller in the elevator in the building where I grew up in the Bronx.
What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps? Study! Study! Study! Get an education.
Have you ever wished you could have your anonymity back? No.
Are you happy?
Do you have any regrets?
I think I am, for the most part. But everybody has ups and downs, right? I have bad moments, but not many bad days.
I do. I do. I think everything in life happens for a reason. I always think there’s room for me to improve as a person.
The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
How do you get through the tough times?
About 15 minutes ago. I loooooove to laugh! [Laughs]
Through prayer and meditation. And I have really good friends and family, and a great therapist.
What is your guiltiest pleasure? Popcorn and massages.
What is your favorite dish to cook? Baking and decorating cakes, but I don’t even eat them, because I try to stay away from wheat. I just made my own icing from scratch the other day, but it didn’t come out very well. I’m working on refining that.
What was the last book you read?
What do you want your legacy to be, and where are you in relation to that at this point in your life? I’m not really sure. I don’t think in those terms, exactly. I just want to keep having the courage to raise the bar for myself, and to keep striving for excellence in artistic integrity and public service. And to continue to challenge myself to move outside of my comfort zone, personally and professionally.
Join us on Wednesday December 15th for
SOMALI ROXBURY A panel discussion Presented in partnership with Discover Roxbury Program begins at 7pm. Come early for dinner (Somali fare and regular menu)
Coming to
ArT iS LIFE ItSeLf! every Thursday evening
Dec 2 Professor Napoleon Henderson AFRICOBRA Artist Collective Office Yoga & Dharma Talk: Extended to one more session by Peter Ruggiero, RYT200 & Educator Dec 9 Voice & Bass: Ms. Valerie Stephens, Vocalist & Dr. Daniel Day, Bass Program begins at 7pm - Come early for dinner
Haley House Bakery Café 12 Dade Street, Roxbury, MA 02119
617-445-0900
Thursday, December 2, 2010 • BAY STATE BANNER • 17
Shakespearean actor comfortable in ‘Vengeance is the Lord’s’ Jules Becker Great British actors like Albert Finney and Peter O’Toole have been as comfortable tackling supporting roles as lead parts through their long ongoing careers. So it goes with American veteran Johnny Lee Davenport, arguably one of the Boston area’s finest thespians. For many years, the 60-year-old Ay e r- b a s e d A f rican American actor has been making the rounds of Shakespearean repertoire. Not surprisingly, Davenport’s playbill biography reads like a Who’s Who of the Bard’s great tragedies, histories and comedies. Now he has taken on a small but pivotal role in Huntington Theatre Company’s latest effort, an urban family drama by Bob Glaudini called “Vengeance is the Lord’s.” Set in a present day large house in an outer borough of an unspecified big city, “Vengeance” brings Davenport’s character, Parcel Sytes, to the door of the
family in question — the Horvaths — during the latter part of the first act. “I’m disoriented. I’m dazed,” he noted speaking of Parcel in a recent interview with the Banner. Understandably Sytes suffers from trauma and aftershock. “My son has just been killed in front of me,” he said. “I realize something
Tergesen (Off-Broadway’s “The Exonerated” and HBO’s “Oz”) — he has questions. The time is a very chilly Thanksgiving Eve. “I‘ve walked in after the dinner,” he says — a very long walk in fact. Parcel, invited in to their home — a wonderfully detailed house from veteran designer Eugene Lee — sits in the armchair Mathew uses during the play. “I think my son is innocent, “ Davenport said of Parcel’s first time offender son, who was accused of stealing a car in the play’s back story and “shot going for a cell phone,” which the police claimed they thought was a gun. There is a clear parallel between Parcel and Mathew, who believes that his late daughter Cheryl never went willingly with the man who murdered her. The big question, as the first act ends, is whether Parcel’s questions will spiral into an investigation of the corrupt business practices of the Horvaths. Davenport was excited not only about the Huntington role, but also about becoming busier
Vengeance is the Lord’s, Huntington Theatre Company, Boston University Theatre, through Dec. 12. Call 617-266-0800 or visit www.huntingtontheatre.org. is not right.” While this is Davenport’s sole scene, it serves as catalyst for what happens later, he explained. “I know that it (the scene) changes the dynamic of the family.” As Glaudini makes clear during Parcel’s encounter with Horvath patriarch Mathew — played by Larry Pine (“Carol Mulroney” at Huntington) — and his older son Woodrow — played by Lee
in the Hub theater scene. “This is a wonderful respite for me, and I’ve never worked at the Huntington before,” he said of his break from work at such estimable regional companies as Trinity Rep (“Richard III” and “A Raisin in the Sun”), Shakespeare & Co. (“Hamlet and Macbeth”) and even Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Canada (“King Lear and “Twelfth Night”). Davenport called his scene “pretty electric” and praised Peter DuBois’ direction. “I am really awed at how he’s getting to the subtleties of the writing,” he said. Davenport added that he was
enjoying the playwright’s “tight piece of writing.” After Huntington, he heads to Company One’s upcoming production of “Neighbors” at the Boston Center for the Arts and then to the Lyric Stage Company of Boston for the area premiere of the acclaimed Off-Broadway play “Brokeology.” No stranger to the Hub, Davenport has worked with Actors’ Shakespeare Project (“Much Ado About Nothing”) and Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (“As You Like It” ) . “I’m excited about being here,” he concluded. “I’m trying to get known as a local actor.”
18 • Thursday, December 2, 2010 • BAY STATE BANNER
LOCALNotes
40% chance of going to college? Make it 92%.
Probe sought in racial bias claim at Boston club
Urban 8th-graders in Mass. face high dropout risk
A Boston city councilor is calling for an investigation after a group of black Harvard and Yale students and alumni were denied entry to a downtown club over concerns they would attract criminals. City Councilor Ayanna Pressley said she was contacted by Harvard students who told her they had been denied entry to the Cure Lounge. According to an e-mail from a Harvard Business School student, the group was turned away after he said club managers complained that a large group of young black men and women in line would attract “local gang bangers.” George Regan, the chairman of a public relations firm who is a spokesman for the club, said the Cure Lounge’s management did nothing wrong. He said some people in line were known to police as “bad people” and probably couldn’t spell Harvard.
Massachusetts education officials say new data show that more than a third of eighthgraders in urban school districts during the last academic year are considered at risk of dropping out of high school. The state Education Department used a new system for measuring students’ likelihood of dropping out by looking at factors including low MCAS scores, high absenteeism and suspensions. The system found that about 7,700 urban students are at risk. The rate at suburban and rural districts was 8 percent. Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Mitchell Chester told The Boston Globe that the numbers should “instill a sense of urgency” in school officials. Education experts say districts and parents should respond with tutoring, mentoring or other assistance. Associated Press
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Thursday, December 2, 2010 • BAY STATE BANNER • 19
Success
continued from page 1
Technology Center that focuses on the milestones that Roxbury has made in what is considered the six primary categories used to evaluate community progress. “If you look at Roxbury as an urban area,” said producer Ron Mitchell, “it actually far exceeds most urban areas in the country in the primary categories of business, education, health, political empowerment, arts and entertainment, and parks and recreation. “But if you listen to the general commercial messages that c o m e o u t a b o u t R o x b u r y, ” Mitchell noted, “it’s about crime and poverty and we know that’s not what Roxbury is all about. Roxbury’s footprint affects the whole world, and that’s what this message is about.” Mitchell, a 25-year veteran of the broadcast television industry, says the idea for the series was partly inspired by the highly successful, Boston-based “Phantom Gourmet.” The show started when its producer, David Andelman, the son of sports talk radio hoist Eddie Andelman, purchased on-air time for the show. “That show gave me a business model that I could use, and so I ran out and put together a team and I created The Unseen TV, which was a commercial television show that ran in 2007. We created RDM Productions, an incorporated company, a corporate law firm, and had 10 million shares of stock,” Mitchell concluded. His team created one season of “The Unseen TV,” totaling nine original shows that featured Theo Epstein, Heather Walker, Earl Graves Sr. and Jr., Kanye West, and Roxbury native Hassan Smith who leads a security company that has partnered with popular R&B singer John Legend. “The premise of the The Unseen TV was to tell stories of really successful people that nobody knew,” Mitchell explained. “We wanted to show our viewers that success wasn’t the bling. You don’t have to be a gangster; you don’t have to be a rap star, or an athlete to have success. You could be a responsible person and you could have fun doing it.” Mitchell went on. “Every episode had a “bling factor” that looked at what these successful people did in their spare time,” he said. “Some people like to surf. So we took an underwater camera and we went to Baja. Some people like to ski; some people like to kayak, so we put our anchorman in a kayak with a mic and we kayaked with Heather
Walker Pierce who worked for the Celtics at the time.” In 2008, Mitchell said they got a finance deal that went to term but when the economy went south, it took the funds with it. “A year after that,” said Mitchell, “I sat down with Mike King of the South End Technology Center, who is director of photography on the project, and we started talking and brainstorming on how we could use film and video to help our community become more economically active. Mike said he liked the television show and wanted to continue working on that. So together we came up with the idea for the Roxbury Unseen Success Project, and we looked around for grants and found a request for proposals for funding that the Roxbury Trust Fund put out to support projects that would work as economic development tools for Roxbury.” Funding from the Trust made it possible for The Roxbury Unseen Success Project to create three documentaries on the unpopular success stories of Roxbury and the dynamic characters behind them. The first documentary on business success received a standing ovation at the premier. In a little less than an hour, this video presents an intimate look at CEO Beth Williams of Roxbury Technology engaged with her staff, and Longbay Management’s co-founder Ken Guscott as he talks about his legacy and the importance of empowering a younger generation of leaders, such ashis daughter, Longbay’s CEO Lisa Guscott. The documentary also provides a glimpse into the life of restaurateur Darryl Settles as he sits in his favorite room at home and discusses the indelible impression that his father left on him as a child. Businessman Kirk Sykes shares his recipe for success, and while Dunkin Donuts franchise owner Clayton Turnbull likes to give to charities, he would rather see more for-profit ventures emerge in urban communities rather than nonprofits that seem to promote a co-dependency. And last, but not least, City Life’s founders Sheldon and Glenn Lloyd talk about being youth in Roxbury and wanting to create a business that would have a multi-generational impact. Overall, this first documentary captures honest stories about people driven by the desire to create a more commercially viable infrastructure within their neighborhoods that could both employ and service not just Roxbury, but the world. “When we talk about economic development, we are talking about investing and what drives people
to a marketplace and what makes them want to invest in or live in an area,” says Mike King. “We are trying to project Roxbury as a place to invest in and a place to grow a business and a family.” While the team has completed the first three documentaries within the series, funding is needed to support the production costs of the remaining three. The second documentary focuses on the arts and entertainment and includes an in depth look into the history and makings of Black Nativity, the Beantown Jazz Festival, Urban Nutcracker, Roxbury International Film Festival, the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists and the historic Wally’s Jazz Bar. The third features educational success stories, such as Roxbury Community College, the Nathan Hale Elementary School, South
End Technology Center and Roxbury Preparatory Charter School. The project does not just provide documentaries, but also includes accompanying companion and education tools for schools, libraries and individuals to use to replicate and/or create new models that can help urban areas across the country become more successful. “There will be a packet that people can use and that will include the tips that these successful people and businesses have used to make it,” said Lynn DuVal Luse, president and creative director of NIAmedia. “So the companion tools are really the most important things that we can bring to this so that people can figure out how to make success work for them despite being seen or unseen.” The pre-broadcast premiere of the second of three television
programs showcasing Roxbury’s unseen success will train its lens on great arts, entertainment and personal success stories. The event will be held on Wednesday, December 22 at Roxbury Center for Arts at Hibernian Hall. A minimum donation of $5 per person will help support efforts to develop additional documentaries celebrating keys to success in Urban America.
You create your own illusion, and become entangled in it. What a wonder! You have forgotten your own Self. Sinking in the ocean of world-liness, you are swept away by the currents of ignorance. — Swami Muktananda
Religious Worship Guide New Hope Baptist Church “The Church That Cares and Shares” Reverend Willie Dubose Jr., Pastor
PEOPLES BAPTIST CHURCH OF BOSTON A Christ-Centered Caring Church
134 Camden St., (P.O. Box 180358) Boston, MA 02118
Organized as the First African Baptist Church August 8, 1805
Reverend Wesley A. Roberts, Ph. D., D.D., Pastor Minister Olivia J. Dubose Sunday School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8:45 AM (Sunday) Sunday Morning Worship. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10:20 AM Noon-day Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wednesday, 12 Noon Bible Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wednesday, 7PM Nurturing for Baptist Churches (NBC) Friday, 7PM Prayer Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Friday, 8PM
740 Tremont Street, P.O. Box 180479, Boston, MA 02118 Tel: (617) 536-9332 , Fax: (617) 437-1439
Fall & Winter Weekly Schedule Sunday Services 8:00 A.M. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Early Worship Service 10:45 A.M. . . . . . . . . . . . . Regular Worship Service Prayer Services Wednesday . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12:00 Noon & 7:00 P.M. Friday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:00 A.M.. Weekly Radio Broadcast: WEZE 590 AM Saturdays @ 10:30 a.m. Youth Activities Contact the Church Office for Dates & Times Telephone (617) 427-0424 • Fax: (617) 427-4604 www.pbcboston.org
20 • Thursday, December 2, 2010 • BAY STATE BANNER
Election
continued from page 1
Walsh, chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party. Jennifer Nassour, chairwoman of the state Republican party, cautioned against drawing too many parallels between the two campaigns, saying Brown was a stronger candidate than Baker. “It would be unfortunate to look at Charlie Baker and Scott Brown as the same person,” she said. In the governor’s race, Walsh said the party focused as much on driving up vote totals in communities that typically vote Democratic as it did on narrowing the margin of victory in Republican-leaning areas. He pointed to his hometown of Abington, which favored the Republican candidate in both races. In January, about 66 percent of voters backed Brown, compared with just 51 percent who supported Baker. While Patrick pulled in a handful more voters than Coakley in the town, Baker fell 965 short of the Brown’s tally. Abington turned out to be a microcosm of much of the rest of the state.
One major difference between the two races was the presence of two independent gubernatorial candidates, including state Treasurer Timothy Cahill. In Abington, for instance, Cahill captured 14 percent of the total. Walsh, however, chalked up the wider margins for Patrick to a full-court press by Democrats. “The tactics that we used a few weeks ago are not magical. There’s no pixie dust,” he said. “It’s good, hard work.” In Boston, the party enlisted the help of Mayor Thomas Menino, a Democrat. Patrick won the city by 76,421 votes, compared with Coakley’s winning margin of 58,821 votes. Republicans are also weighing the two elections as they look ahead to Brown’s re-election campaign. Eric Fehrnstrom, a top Brown adviser, said Democrats deserve credit for running a strong campaign, but he noted that Patrick still garnered less than half of all votes cast — 48 percent — in the four-way race. “I think the last election underscored how difficult it is for a Republican to win in Massachusetts, even against a weak
Democrat,” Fehrnstrom said. “People like (former Govs.) Bill Weld, Mitt Romney and Scott Brown are the exception, not the rule.” Brown also has some significant advantages. Polls show he is popular with Massachusetts voters. He’s adopted a more moderate GOP stance by occasionally breaking with his party. And he has an enormous fundraising edge, with more than $6.7 million in his account. Adding to the mix is the fact that 2012 is a presidential election year, which typically drives up voter turnout. That election could also include Romney, a former Massachusetts governor and possible GOP presidential contender. “Sen. Brown knows he has his work cut out for him, and that’s why he’s not taking anything for granted,” Fehrnstrom said. Walsh said a higher presidential year turnout could bode well for Democrats. “In Massachusetts, more voters generally means more Democrats,” he said. Associated Press
Puerto Rican vets launch Mass. monument campaign As simple as sharing the newspaper.
Become a Big Brother today.
Being a Big Brother to a boy can change his perspective, help him realize his full potential and change his life. Yours too. As a Big, you get to share experiences and have fun, a few hours at a time a few times a month. Sure you have questions, so call us to learn more. Call us:
Visit our website:
617.956.0281
bbbsmb.org
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay serves boys in Boston and girls and boys elsewhere. Outside Greater Boston call 888-412-BIGS for your local affiliate.
LEGALS MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Sealed General Bids for MPA Contract No. L1072-C2, CONTROL TOWER SUBSTATION UPGRADE, LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, EAST BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, will be received by the Massachusetts Port Authority at the Capital Programs Department Office, Suite 209S, Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, East Boston, Massachusetts 02128, until 11:00 A.M. local time on WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2010 immediately after which, in a designated room, the bids will be opened and read publicly. NOTE: PRE BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD AT THE CAPITAL PROGRAMS BID ROOM (ABOVE ADDRESS) AT 10:00 A.M. LOCAL TIME ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2010. The work includes THE FURNISHING OF LABOR, TOOLS, EQUIPMENT AND INCIDENTAL MATERIALS TO REPLACE THREE (3) 1600A, 480V, THREE-POLE CIRCUIT BREAKERS WHICH ARE PART OF A “MAIN-TIE-MAIN” CONFIGURATION SUBSTATION CONSISTING OF FOURTEEN (14) FEEDER BREAKERS (WHICH ARE TO REMAIN), COMPLETE WITH A NEW REMOTE CONTROL PANEL FOR AN AUTOMATIC TRANSFER PACKAGE (FOR MAIN AND TIE BREAKERS), AND FOR NEW CONTROLS FOR ALL BREAKERS (EXISTING AND NEW), INCLUDING ALL ASSOCIATED CONTROL WIRINGS. ALSO INCLUDED ARE TEMPORARY EQUIPMENT/WIRING TO FEED EXISTING LOADS DURING POWER SHUTDOWNS AND MISCELLANEOUS WORK SUCH AS A COMPLETE CLEANING AND TEST OF ALL EXISTING REMAINING BREAKERS (14), PAINTING, ETC. ALL WORK SHALL BE DONE AT THE CONTROL TOWER SUBSTATION, LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, EAST BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. Bid documents will be made available beginning TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2010.
Russell Contreras A group of Puerto Rican veterans in Massachusetts has launched a campaign to raise money for a monument to honor Puerto Ricans who have served in the U.S. military. Members of the group Puerto R i c a n Ve t e r a n s M o n u m e n t Square Association said they were seeking to build the monument in Boston’s South End neighborhood to honor all Puerto Rican men and women who served during America’s wars — from the Spanish American War to present conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. They also want to use the bilingual monument as a way to battle stereotypes about Puerto Ricans who live on the mainland, members said. “So many people don’t know
that Puerto Ricans have served in every war for the U.S.,” said Antonio Molina, 68, who served in the Marines during Vietnam. “We fought for this country. We died for this country. We paid our dues in blood.” The group is planning to erect the monument next to a current monument for the 65th Infantry, the all-Puerto Rican infantry unit that fought in the Korean War. The South End neighborhood for years was an enclave for Puerto Ricans settling in Boston. Molina said the group seeks to raise around $250,000 through private donations. So far, the group has received $10,000 from the Brown Fund to design the monument. Army veteran Jaime Rodriguez, 68, who also served during Vietnam, said the group is working with volunteers on a design sched-
LEGALS In order to be eligible and responsible to bid on this contract General Bidders must submit with their bid a current Certificate of Eligibility issued by the Division of Capital Assessment Management and an Update Statement. The General Bidder must be certified in the category of ELECTRICAL. The estimated contract cost is THREE HUNDRED EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($380,000.00). Bid Documents in electronic format may be obtained free of charge at the Authority's Capital Programs Department Office, together with any addenda or amendments, which the Authority may issue and a printed copy of the Proposal form. A proposal guaranty shall be submitted with each General Bid consisting of a bid deposit for five (5) percent of the value of the bid; when sub bids are required, each must be accompanied by a deposit equal to five (5) percent of the sub bid amount, in the form of a bid bond, or cash, or a certified check, or a treasurer's or a cashier's check issued by a responsible bank or trust company, payable to the Massachusetts Port Authority in the name of which the Contract for the work is to be executed. The bid deposit shall be (a) in a form satisfactory to the Authority, (b) with a surety company qualified to do business in the Commonwealth and satisfactory to the Authority, and (c) conditioned upon the faithful performance by the principal of the agreements contained in the bid. The successful Bidder will be required to furnish a performance bond and a labor and materials payment bond, each in an amount equal to 100% of the Contract price. The surety shall be a surety company or securities satisfactory to the Authority. Attention is called to the minimum rate of wages to be paid on the work as determined under the provisions of Chapter 149, Massachusetts General Laws, Section 26 to 27G, inclusive, as amended. The Contractor will be required to pay minimum wages in accordance with the schedules listed in Division II, Special Provisions of the Specifications, which
uled to be released next year. Until then, the group is planning a series of fundraising events and forums around Puerto Ricans who served in the military. The move is similar to successful efforts by Mexican-American veterans to erect monuments in California and Texas. Rodriguez said he hoped his group’s efforts would also spark Puerto Rican veterans in other cities to think about building monuments to honor their neighbors who served. “We hope people in El Barrio (Spanish Harlem) do the same,” said Rodriguez. “But our plans here are meant to honor those Puerto Ricans from Massachusetts who put their lives on the line. They need to be remembered.” Associated Press
LEGALS wage rates have been predetermined by the U. S. Secretary of Labor and /or the Commissioner of Labor and Industries of Massachusetts, whichever is greater. The successful Bidder will be required to purchase and maintain Bodily Injury Liability Insurance and Property Damage Liability Insurance for a combined single limit of ONE MILLION DOLLARS ($1,000,000.00). Said policy shall be on an occurrence basis and the Authority shall be included as an Additional Insured. See the insurance sections of Division I, General Requirements and Division II, Special Provisions for complete details. This Contract is also subject to Affirmative Action requirements of the Massachusetts Port Authority contained in the Non Discrimination and Affirmative Action article of Division I, General Requirements and Covenants, and to the Secretary of Labor's Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Opportunity and the Standard Federal Equal Opportunity Construction Contract Specifications (Executive Order 11246). The General Contractor is required to submit a Certification of Non Segregated Facilities prior to award of the Contract, and to notify prospective subcontractors of the requirement for such certification where the subcontract exceeds $10,000. Complete information and authorization to view the site may be obtained from the Capital Programs Department Office at the Massachusetts Port Authority. The right is reserved to waive any informality in or reject any or all proposals. MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY THOMAS J. KINTON, JR. CEO AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Thursday, December 2, 2010 • BAY STATE BANNER • 21
LEGALS
LEGALS
INVITATION TO BID
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority is seeking bids for the following:
LAND WITH BUILDING
BID NO.
DESCRIPTION
DATE
TIME
WRA-3227
Purchase of One (1) Centrifugal Pump
12/15/10
10:00 a.m.
FRR25
RFQ/P Design and Construction Administration for New Automated Grade Crossing
01/07/11
11:00 a.m.
Sealed bids will be received at the offices of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, Charlestown Navy Yard, Document Distribution Office, 100 First Avenue, First Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, up to the time and date listed above at which time they will be publicly opened and read. Bid Documents available on the Comm-PASS Website (www.comm-pass. com).
Affordable Assisted Living
Request for Proposals for the Development of 719 Washington Street (Ward 17, Parcel #01741000) in the Dorchester district of the City of Boston The City of Boston acting by and through its Public Facilities Commission by the Director of the Department of Neighborhood Development, Real Estate Management and Sales Division, sells tax foreclosed or surplus municipal property to buyers who agree to invest in the rehabilitation of the property. Residential, commercial and institutional buildings and land are included in this program. This Request for Proposals (RFP) is to solicit proposals for development of the property for Commercial use and/or Mixed-Use. The property is being offered, As Is. The site, totaling approximately 8,558 square feet of land with building thereon is intended for sale by the City pursuant to the RFP.
Private Studios With Baths • Medication Reminders • 24 Hour Staffing
The Site is: 719 Washington Street (Ward 17, Parcel # 01741000), approximately 8,558 square feet in the Dorchester district of the City of Boston Property Viewings:
Enjoy all the amenities and support of a market-rate Assisted Living Facility, but at an affordable cost. Applicants must be age 55 or older, Medicaideligible, and have a documented need for assistance with at least one of the following: bathing, walking, dressing, grooming. Contact Dawn Matchett at (617) 369-1578.
The property will be open for public viewing on: ADVERTISEMENT
December 17, 2010 from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM January 14, 2011 from 10:00 AM – 11:000 AM February 11, 2011 from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
CITY OF BOSTON DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT
It is strongly recommended that prospective developers avail themselves of the opportunity to inspect the site so that they may prepare their proposals accordingly.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS VACANT LAND Request for Proposals for the Development of: 191 Bowdoin Street, Dorchester; 10-20A Bowdoin Street, Dorchester; 22-30 Bowdoin Street, Dorchester; 251-255 Washington Street, Dorchester; 322 Washington Street, Dorchester; 324 Washington Street, Dorchester; 330A332 Washington Street, Dorchester; 334 Washington Street, Dorchester; 336-336½ Washington Street, Dorchester; 101 Bowdoin Avenue, Dorchester; 317-321 Washington Street, Dorchester; 331 Washington Street, Dorchester; “WS” (Rear 331) Washington Street, Dorchester; 337-343 Washington Street, Dorchester; 6 Arvale Road, Dorchester and 8 Arvale Road, Dorchester The City of Boston acting by and through its Public Facilities Commission by the Director of the Department of Neighborhood Development, Real Estate Management and Sales Division, sells tax foreclosed or surplus municipal property to buyers who agree to invest in the rehabilitation of the property. Residential, commercial and institutional buildings and land are included in this program. This Request for Proposals (RFP) is to solicit proposals for development of the properties (grouped as indicated) for Commercial use and/or MixedUse. The properties are being offered, As Is. Note: All parcels advertised in this RFP (in each Grouping) must be purchased in their Grouping together. Submitted proposals that do not include development plans for all parcels (in each Grouping) advertised herein will not be considered. The Properties (Grouped as indicated)
The RFP package will be available on Monday, November 29, 2010 at DND, Bid Counter, 26 Court Street, 10th Floor, Boston, MA 02108 or it can be downloaded by registering at http://www.cityofboston.gov/dnd/rfp/. Completed proposal forms must be submitted as specified and delivered directly to the Bid Counter, 10th Floor, DND, 26 Court Street, Boston, MA 02108 by February 28, 2011, no later than 4:00 PM. LATE PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Group 3 251-255 Washington Street (Ward 14, Parcel #01556000), Dorchester, MA, approximately 3,234 square feet Group 4 322 Washington Street (Ward 14, Parcel #01178000), Dorchester, MA, approximately 3,409 square feet 324 Washington Street (Ward 14, Parcel #01177000), Dorchester, MA, approximately 3,417 square feet 330-A332 Washington Street (Ward 14, Parcel #01175000), Dorchester, MA, approximately 1,894 square feet 334 Washington Street (Ward 14, Parcel #01174000), Dorchester, MA approximately 1,340 square feet 336-336½ Washington Street (Ward 14, Parcel #01173000), Dorchester, MA, approximately 1,689 square feet 101 Bowdoin Avenue (Ward 14, Parcel #01171000), Dorchester, MA, approximately 1,453 square feet Group 5 317-321 Washington Street (Ward 14, Parcel #01440000), Dorchester, MA, approximately 6,514 square feet 331 Washington Street (Ward 14, Parcel #01443000), Dorchester, MA, approximately 3,981 square feet “WS” (Rear 331) Washington Street (Ward 14, Parcel #01444000), Dorchester, MA, approximately 4,284 square feet 337-343 Washington Street (Ward 14, Parcel #01445000), Dorchester, MA, approximately 3,331 square feet 6 Arvale Road (Ward 14, Parcel #01459000), Dorchester, MA, approximately 2,645 square feet 8 Arvale Road (Ward 14, Parcel #01458000), Dorchester, MA, approximately 2,630 square feet Property Viewings: It is strongly recommended that prospective developers avail themselves of the opportunity to inspect the sites so that they may prepare their proposals accordingly. The RFP package will be available on Monday, November 29, 2010 at DND, Bid Counter, 26 Court Street, 10th Floor, Boston, MA 02108 or it can be downloaded by registering at http://www.cityofboston.gov/dnd/rfp/. Completed proposal forms must be submitted as specified and delivered directly to the Bid Counter, 10th Floor, DND, 26 Court Street, Boston, MA 02108 by February 28, 2011, no later than 4:00 PM. LATE PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. For more information about this Request for Proposals contact Bernard Mayo, Project Manager at (617) 635-0297. Evelyn Friedman Chief and Director PLEASE NOTE: DND BID COUNTER HOURS OF OPERATION ARE: MONDAYFRIDAY 9:00 AM - 12:00 NOON AND 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM. PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY.
CITY OF BOSTON DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT
617-261-4600
Evelyn Friedman Chief and Director PLEASE NOTE: DND BID COUNTER HOURS OF OPERATION ARE: MONDAYFRIDAY 9:00 AM - 12:00 NOON AND 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM. PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY.
For more Help Wanted ads visit www.baystatebanner.com
AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING Constitution Cooperative Apartments, where residents have a voice in the management of their building, is currently accepting applications for studio and onebedroom apartments. Includes heat + electricity.
Affordable Rental Opportunity Elm Place offers 11 brand new units in a new 4-story apartment building at 1066 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA
Located in the heart of City Square in Charlestown, this active senior housing co-op is within walking distance to shopping, banks, churches and is in an MBTA bus line. Rent is based on 30% of income (income limits apply) to qualified seniors 62 and older and to younger persons who are mobility impaired requiring the special design features of accessible units.
Call 1-800-225-3151 for leasing information.
Applications are now being accepted for the following apartments:
# Units
Type
Rent
HH Size
Income Limit
1
1 bedroom
$911
12-
$38,580.00 $44,100.00
8
2 bedroom
$1,083
234-
$44,100.00 $49,620.00 $55,080.00
ALTA AT INDIAN WOODS APARTMENTS
$1,249
3456-
$49,620.00 $55,080.00 $59,520.00 $63,900.00
Stoughton, MA www.s-e-b.com/lottery
2
3 bedroom
Please note: This is a non-smoking building
An Information Session will be held Wednesday, December 8, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. at The George Close Building, 243 Broadway, Cambridge, MA Applications available:
Starting November 29th, 2010
Pick up in person at:
Just-A-Start Corp. 1035 Cambridge Street, Suite #12 Cambridge, MA 02141
Office Hours for Pick: Extended Hours: Call for one to be mailed: Tel:
Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m. Wednesdays, 12/1/2010 & 12/8/2010 4:00 p.m.—7:00 p.m. (617) 494-0444/Mass Relay 711
Deadline for completed applications: In person by 12/17/2010 or postmarked by 12/15/10. Reasonable accommodations made for application distribution and return. * * * Selection by Lottery * * * We are committed to assisting applicants throughout the application process and complying with all applicable Fair Housing laws, including making reasonable changes (such as providing documents in different formats) for applicants with disabilities when necessary to have an equal opportunity to apply; and providing free language assistance to applicants whose primary language isn’t English and as a result have difficulty reading, writing and/or understanding English. Please let us know if you need assistance or have questions.
ADVERTISEMENT
Subscribe to the Banner Call:
For more information about this Request for Proposals contact Christopher Rooney, Project Manager at (617) 635-0493.
Group 1 191 Bowdoin Street (Ward 15, Parcel #01294000), Dorchester, MA, approximately 10,778 square feet Group 2 10-20A Bowdoin Street (Ward 14, Parcel #01419000), Dorchester, MA, approximately 6,871 square feet 22-30 Bowdoin Street (Ward 14, Parcel #01418000), Dorchester, MA, approximately 18,771 square feet
Ruggles Affordable Assisted Living Community 25 Ruggles Street, Roxbury, MA 02119 Equal Opportunity Housing/Handicapped Accessible
For more information, contact Robert MacArthur, Just-A-Start Corp. Tel: (617) 494-0444 X321 / MA Relay 711
EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
AFFORDABLE HOUSING LOTTERY
39 New Affordable Apartments 1BRs @ 1,022/mo 2BRs @ $1,212/mo Rent does not include any utilities except water and sewer Alta at Indian Woods Apartments is a 154 unit apartment community located on Stagecoach Road off Washington Street. 39 of these apartments will be rented to households with incomes at or below 80% of the area median income. The Maximum Income Limits for Households are as follows: 1 Person - $45,100 2 Person - $51,550 3 Person - $58,000 4 Person - $64,400 Units feature full-size washers and dryers; fully applianced kitchens with ENERGY STAR dishwashers and refrigerators and built-in microwaves and disposals; large windows for ample light; carpeting in living rooms and bedrooms; wood-look flooring in kitchens and baths; and kitchen islands in some units. (see www.altaatindianwoods.com for more info on the development). A Public Info Session will be held on Jan 11th, 2011 at 7:00 pm in Stoughton Town Hall. Completed Applications and Required Income Documentation must be received, not postmarked, by Jan 28th, 2011 The Lottery will be held on Feb 9th, 2011 in Stoughton Town Hall. For Lottery Information and Applications go to www.s-e-b.com/lottery or call (617) 782-6900 And Leave A Message. Applications and Information also available at Stoughton Public Library (M-Thur 9 to 9, Fri-Sat 9 to 5) and the Stoughton Town Hall.
22 • Thursday, December 2, 2010 • BAY STATE BANNER
$1,033 / 1br - Boston (West End) – at Charles River Park Accepting applications for immediate availability and waiting list for affordable 1-bdrm apts. Heat, AC, & electricity included. Near Mass General Hospital, N. Station, Govt. Ctr., etc. Rent $1,033 per mo. Must meet income qualifications listed below. Some other restrictions apply. Minimum Maximum 1 person - $32,150 - $38,500 2 person - $36,750 - $44,100
Call for further information and an application. AMY LOWELL APARTMENTS 617-742-0222 Equal Housing Opportunity
For Rent 2 bedroom apt Codman Sq area 3flr for rent $1300 negotiable 1st and last months rent tenant screen a must, leaded, call 617 458 9600 if interested .
For more Help Wanted ads visit
www.baystatebanner.com
Parker Hill Apartments The Style, Comfort and Convenience you Deserve! Heat and Hot Water Always Included Modern Laundry Facilities Private Balconies / Some with City Views Plush wall to wall carpet Adjacent to New England Baptist Hospital Secured Entry Elevator Convenience Private Parking Near Public Transportation and much more ... 1 bedroom only $966 - $1275 2 Bedroom only $1143 - $1550 Call Today for more details and to schedule a visit...
888-842-7945
Stony Brook
Village Hyde Park Affordable Housing Currently accepting
applications for the one & two bedroom wait list 1 BR $850.00, 2 BR $1,196, heat, hot water & gas included. Free parking & onsite laundry facility. $500 security deposit, no fee. Income limits apply. Section 8 OK. Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5 & Sat 10-3:30
617-361-7200
Subscribe to the Banner Call: 617-261-4600
Executive Director Massachusetts Law Reform Institute MLRI seeks a creative, vibrant and skilled Executive Director to lead a powerful advocacy organization in strengthening its mission of promoting economic, racial and social justice for low-income people through legal action, education and advocacy. Full Position Profile at: www.mlri.org Interested candidates are encouraged to apply promptly.
Divisional Office Manager U.S. District Court, Massachusetts has a need for a full-time Divisional Office Manager. For more info go to www.mad.uscourts.gov, Employment, Current Openings. EOE
RENTAL AGENT Highly motivated and energetic rental agent needed for a large low-income, Tax Credit family housing development in the Longwood Medical Area. Candidate must have experience working with low-income housing, COS/LIHTC accreditation a plus, must have outstanding organizational skills, and be able to work independently in a fast-pace work environment; Bilingual in Russian and/or Chinese a plus. Competitive salary and benefit package. Qualified candidate please fax resume to (617) 531-2024
Thursday, December 2, 2010 • BAY STATE BANNER • 23
HELP CHILDREN IMPROVE LITERACY SKILLS
Loan Closing Assistant
Join Generations Incorporated and become an Experience Corps member. Serve as a literacy coach to elementary students to help improve students’ reading skills. Volunteers are needed in our newest programs in Dorchester at the Paul A. Dever and John P. Holland Elementary Schools. No experience necessary, all training provided. 4-10 hrs/wk, some stipends available. People ages 55+ encouraged to apply.
Massachusetts Housing Partnership seeks a paralegal professional, experienced in closing real estate loans, with working knowledge of real estate transactions and strong organizational, communication and interpersonal skills Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite.
Visit www.generationsinc.org or call Meg at 617-778-0553
MHP is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
(temporary, part-time)
Email cover letter, resume to: HR@mhp.net. More information: http://www.mhp.net/about/careers.php
Come join the Community-Based Program at Roxbury Multi-Service Center (RMSC) as a
DIRECTOR of SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE CENTER Help strengthen small business and create pathways out of poverty through entrepreneurship. Community Teamwork Inc. (CTI) of Lowell, MA is seeking a creative, self-starter to direct and grow the Lowell Small Business Assistance Center. The SBAC is a partnership of Middlesex Community College, the University of Massachusetts Lowell, the City of Lowell, and CTI intended to provide low- and moderate-income entrepreneurs with access to the resources they need to succeed. The SBAC Director is responsible for the daily operations of the Center, planning and program development, as well as the advancement of our new microfinance program. A Bachelor’s degree in business, economics, finance or related field and experience in community economic development is required. Bilingual candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Check our web site at www.comteam.org. E-mail HR@comteam.org, submit resume with cover letter or apply to:
Part-time/Full-time Fee-For Service Clinicians
COMMUNITY TEAMWORK, INC. Human Resources Dept 167 Dutton Street, Lowell, MA 01852 Fax: 978-937-5824 EOE/AA
RMSC has immediate openings. The successful candidate will meet the following qualifications: • Master level, Licensed Clinician, CANS Certified • Must have experience in working with children, families and individuals from diverse communities with a minimal of one year experience. • Have familiarity with strength-based approaches. • Must demonstrate composure in intense situations and be able to negotiate complex relationships.
Senior Integration Developer
• Be a self-starter, reliable, and punctual. • Be aware of, and willing to engage in discussion about, issues of accountability and privilege in regard to ethnicity, class, gender, ability and sexual identity. • Must have own transportation and valid drivers’ license. Send Resumes to: Roxbury Multi-Service Center, Inc. 317 Blue Hill Avenue, Dorchester, MA 02121 Attn: Florence Scott, HR Manager Or email to:fscott@roxmulti.org
Child Care Positions!
RMSC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
An Accredited Program! LEAD TEACHERS and TEACHERS!
CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS K-6 Principal, Haggerty School SY 2011/2012 We are seeking a visionary educational leader with solid knowledge and experience in inclusionary school settings who will embrace and further the Haggerty School community motto: “Everyone is Different, Everyone Belongs.” The Haggerty offers a multicultural learning environment where students learn through mutual respect and cooperation. The curriculum approach is based upon the concept of full inclusion and a belief that learning flourishes when the educational environment is designed to meet the academic and social needs of individuals. Cambridge, Massachusetts is a diverse, urban school system that offers small class size, quality and innovation in teaching and learning, a culturally and ethnically diverse community, and exceptional opportunities for professional and leadership development. Qualifications: Master’s degree from an accredited college or university with coursework in educational leadership and school administration. Five or more years of teaching/administrative experience preferably in a diverse urban setting. Mass. DESE licensure: Principal K-6.
Are you a creative and experienced teacher with a CDA or Associates in Early Childhood or EEC qualified?
Job is located in Boston, Massachusetts. 40 hours/week plus extra as needed.
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To apply for this position, please send resume and cover letter to Northeastern University, ATTN: Susan Scannell, Director Business Operations, Information Services, 360 Huntington Avenue, 30BV, Boston, MA 02115.
Large Child Care center open 7:45 – 5:45 Monday – Friday Lots of In-service Trainings Competitive Pay Rate and Health Insurance Strong, age-based academic curriculum Computers in every preschool classroom New Natural Playground/Exercise Track Paid Vacation and Holidays New Renovated, air conditioned classrooms
Apply online at www.cpsd.us. Applications requested by January 31, 2011. Diverse candidates encouraged to apply. AA/EEO Employer
EEO/AA Employer
www.cpsd.us
MAKE LIVES BETTER, INCLUDING YOUR OWN. As New England's largest private, non-profit, human services agency, ABCD has been helping low-income and at-risk families make their lives better for over 40 years. Help us continue to make lives better, including your own.
ASSISTANT PROGRAM DIRECTOR – HS/MA Mattapan Family Service Center
Provide managerial support and technical assistance to the Program Director in the overall administration, leadership and strategic planning at the center, including policies and procedures, budgeting, and staff development and training. Ensure the delivery of high quality services to all families and children in accordance with federal, state, and ABCD regulations, standards, and policies. Develop an annual work plan with objectives and measurable outcomes. Maintain accurate accounting records for all family receiving CP/Voucher/EEC/Private slots. Oversee local parent involvement staff in the monitoring and implementation of parent involvement activities and records. Oversee all administrative and outreach activities related to community partnerships. Perform other related duties as required. Must have excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills. Ability to provide advocacy and relationship building for issues relevant to staff, clients and the community required. Must be willing to work a flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends if needed. Prior experience with a human service agency and a solid background in general office procedures required. Must have a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Early Education and Care, Business Management, Public Administration, Human Services or related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Minimum of three years of demonstrated management and administrative expertise including, but not limited to, the ability to supervise staff, implement work plans, delegate tasks, and evaluate outcomes required. Must be able to work sensitively and effectively with children and families of diverse educational, socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.
For all job opportunities please visit
www.bostonabcd.org
We offer an outstanding benefits package. Apply via email at: hr@bostonabcd.org or Fax: 617-423-7693 or mail to: ABCD, Inc. HR, 178 Tremont St. Boston, MA 02111 An equal opportunity employer actively seeking application under its affirmative action program.
A BA/BS degree in Computer Science or related field and 5 years exp. with integration development in Java, Web Services, XML and developing and using back end SQL-based RDBMS (Oracle, SQL Server and DB2), including 2 years of exp. with Folderwave, Powerfaids, and Apply Yourself higher ed software systems are required, or any suitable combination of ed, exp. or training. Also required are a strong commitment to customer service and satisfaction; excellent written & oral communication skills; strong staff development & mentoring skills; and ability to work in a highly collaborative manner w/functional & technical teams. Exp. w/Banner, Enterprise Integration Patterns incl. message oriented middleware, Enterprise Service Buses and Service Oriented Architecture is highly desired as is exp. w/Enterprise Application Integration tools and Enterprise Identity Management and security solutions. Exp. w/J2EE application servers and architecture is a plus.
We Are Looking For You!
Send or fax resume and cover letter to: Crispus Attucks Children’s Center 105 Crawford Street, Dorchester, MA 02121 Fax (617)445-9939 Attn: Ms. Gladys Smith
Salary: $111,212 - $122,188
Senior Integration Developer directly contributes to the design, development, and implementation of business critical enterprise data and integration projects for Northeastern University. This customer service oriented individual meets with users to help define requirements to address business critical functions. As the Senior Developer of the team this individual is also responsible for mentoring other developers on the team including encouraging members in acquiring and developing skills gained from the intimate knowledge of enterprise integration design patterns and development tools. As a customer focused service, the Senior Integration Developer will be responsible for Tier-2 customer support services related to enterprise data applications. To ensure that essential services are provided to the university community, the employee will be required to work outside their regular working hours as needed.
Northeastern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Educational Institution and Employer, Title IX University. Northeastern University particularly welcomes applications from minorities, women and persons with disabilities.
http://www.neu.edu