Bay State Banner 12-31-15

inside this week:

Protests sparked national conversation on race in 2015 pg 7

A&E

business news:

COMEDIAN, ACTOR DEON COLE COMES TO WILBUR THEATRE AS PART OF SHAQUILLE O’NEAL’S ALL STAR COMEDY JAM pg 11

Small business growth contributed to expanding economy in 2015 pg 9

plus Poet, artist Terrence Hayes speaks at MFA pg 12 Thursday, December 31, 2015 • FREE • GREATER BOSTON’S URBAN NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1965 • CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

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Boston planned for future in 2015 Olympic bid sparked Boston 2030

By YAWU MILLER

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Governor Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh rang bells for the Salvation Army this holiday season.

Baker says his budget going in right direction

As 2015 dawned, protesters took to the streets in spirited Black Lives Matter demonstrations against police abuse, newly-elected Governor Charlie Baker promised a leaner state government and the Boston 2024 group forged ahead with its ill-fated bid to bring the Olympics to the Bay State.

But when February came, it was snow that dominated headlines and more than once brought the city to a standstill, with a series of crippling storms that didn’t abate until March. Nature’s fury rendered driving difficult, parking impossible and MBTA service frustratingly unreliable.

Drivers struggled to keep their parking spaces clear, home owners struggled to keep their sidewalks clear and the city conceded vast swaths of the streetscape to the rising mounds of snow and the lack of space to store it.

In the end, it was the MBTA — plagued by frozen switches, ice-covered third rails and buses bogged down in traffic — that garnered the most negative

attention during snowmageaddon. When it appeared she would be made a scapegoat for the city’s transportation frustration, General Manager Beverly Scott defiantly resigned, passing the buck back to the Baker administration.

But news outlets were quick to report that the problems plaguing the MBTA were in place long before Scott took the helm, with an estimated $7 billion in delayed maintenance hanging over the agency. By the time the snow melted and warm weather appeared, tempers subsided and talk of T reform became more subdued. But as the year comes to a close, the Baker administration’s proposal to raise fares next year by between 5 and 10 percent has put it at odds with the Democrat-controlled Legislature, which opposes a fare hike.

Planning for the future

Throughout 2015, Boston’s civic and political leaders were focused on the city’s future, with the Olympic Committee’s January designation of Boston as the

See YEAR IN REVIEW, page 13

Others see need for greater school, MBTA investments

By JULE PATTISON-GORDON When Governor Charlie Baker released his budget earlier this year, he promised to “right size” government. Now, mid-way through the fiscal year, how far has he come with trimming costs, funding the commonwealth’s needs and his urban agenda, all while holding to his policy of not raising taxes?

Sitting down with the Banner last week, Baker said that there still is much to be done to balance the state’s next budget, but that work has been moving in the right direction.

“I expect this year will be difficult, but we have history of this with the folks who are involved and I think we’ll figure it out,” Baker said of the upcoming Fiscal Year 2017, where a $1 billion deficit is expected.

Meanwhile, some activists and officials suggest that Baker’s investment in areas like public transit and education do not go far enough.

Repairing the T

Recently the spotlight has been on the MBTA as the agency considers how to meet looming deficits. Agency officials expect that

See BAKER, page 8

Roxbury’s new job-hunting website Project seeks to boost hiring local ON THE WEB Visit Dudley Street’s Jobcase website:

By JULE PATTISON-GORDON A tech startup and economic development nonprofit have joined forces to connect Roxbury workers with Roxbury jobs.

Jobcase and Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative announced last week that they are partnering to bring the former’s career-focused social media platform to a community level. The

product: a Roxbury-specific section of the site where neighborhood jobseekers can create profiles that highlight their skills and local employers can post jobs and search for hires. Another feature: Jobcase sends alerts to users about job openings and to employers about potential good matches.

While users can make similar posts and searches on the site in general, the new neighborhood portal gathers local activity onto

www.jobcase.com/dudley

one webpage and encourages residents to have conversations on community discussion boards.

The site is free to use for both employers and job-seekers.

Roxbury’s unemployment

The project partic ularly is suited to Roxbury, where

See JOBCASE, page 14

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Protesters staged multiple demonstrations in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2015.

2 • Thursday, December 31, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER

More & more Bostonians are foreign-born

By JULE PATTISON-GORDON The number of foreign-born immigrants in Boston grew by more than a fourth between 2000-2014, according to a Boston Redevelopment Authority report released this month. As of 2014, approximately 27 percent of city residents were foreign-born.

Foreign-born immigrants make up an increasing share of

Boston’s economy and political fabric, advocates say.

“It’s really shifting the dynamics in a remarkable way in terms of workforce and political force,” said Eva Millona, executive director of Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition.

Economic drivers

Immigrants are major players in the workforce, and

government agencies may want to pay attention to making them even more so.

Millona said that immigrants comprise more than 18 percent of the state’s workforce and are twice as likely to start a business as a native-born resident. In 2013, nearly 19 percent of business owners in the Boston area were foreign-born, according to the American Immigration Council.

Mayor greeted by musician during Christmas Eve Walk

MAYOR’S OFFICE PHOTO BY DON HARNEY

Mayor Martin Walsh is greeted by musician Giancarlo Buscaglia during the annual St. Peter’s teen visit and Bowdoin Geneva Christmas Eve Walk.

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They have boosted both employment and revenue, creating 15,000 Boston jobs in 2014 and generating $116 million in state and local taxes, the BRA reports.

But not all new immigrants are ready to dive in and become independent actors in the workforce, and their employment is not always high-paying.

In 2014, the poverty rate was 6 percent higher for Boston’s foreign-born residents than for native-born residents and they were more likely to work in service professions, according to the BRA. It takes effort on the part of both new immigrants and the government to integrate so they become full participants in society, Millona said. She noted that immigrants need to proactively learn the work and language skills to enter the economy, as well take steps such as enrolling in health care that will help them be self-sufficient. In turn, the government needs to offer them resources to help them succeed.

While the city and state have worked to provide resources to immigrants, much remains to be done, Millona said. One critical area: English language education for adults.

The waitlist for English for Speakers of Other Languages services in Massachusetts numbers 14,458, according to figures currently available from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Wait times may range from six months to three years, according to a 2013 report issued by the Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education.

Political presence

Nearly half of Boston’s immigrants are naturalized citizens — and thus are eligible to vote.

By 2012, 15.5 percent of registered Massachusetts voters were either naturalized citizens or native-born children born to immigrants on or after 1965, according to the American Immigration Council.

“The percentage of people

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Eva Millona, executive director of Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. who are not only registered but vote on the day of the election, it’s much higher for the naturalized foreign-born [in Massachusetts],” Millona said.

Not all registered voters may turn out for elections, but the potential political power is there and set to grow if trends in immigration and naturalization levels continue. In Massachusetts, the percent of naturalized immigrants rose from 43.7 percent in 2000 to 52.5 in 2013, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

Major common political causes are immigration reform — including a push for provisions to make it easier to bring over family members and reunite families — and for resources to ease naturalization, Millona said.

Boston makeup

The foreign-born population has not settled equally in Boston. East Boston by far has experienced the highest effects, with more than 50 percent of its population born outside the U.S. Neighborhood populations in Boston are, on average, roughly 20 percent foreign-born. Notable exceptions are the North End and Beacon Hill, with far smaller population percentages: only one tenth in each.

Most immigrants are from the Dominican Republic, with China coming in second, followed by Haiti.

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Thursday, December 31, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER • 3

Campaign to end no-fault eviction wins new attention

Grand opening of Maria Sanchez House

Just Cause Eviction push draws eye of media, politicians

By JULE PATTISON-GORDON Members of the Right to Remain Coalition got a boost of confidence and now seek to seize momentum after their campaign for legislation protecting tenants from no-fault evictions received a flurry of media and political attention.

This December, the Just Cause Eviction campaign, which started collecting signatures in June, drew attention from outlets including WGBH, WBUR, The Boston Globe and the Neighborhood Network News, as well as comments from Mayor Martin Walsh.

If passed, the proposed legislation would require landlords to provide a reason to evict and to sit down to non-binding mediation with tenants before raising rents by more than 3-5 percent. The goal is to make it harder for landlords to force out responsible tenants in order to pursue higher rents and greater profits. “[The attention] has made us really believe that this is a priority in the city,” said Yvette Modestin, community organizer with Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation.

Coalition members said they hope to get their proposed ordinance before the city council in January 2016. If it succeeds there, the measure goes to the mayor and then — if he signs — to the state Legislature.

Where the council stands

To pass in the city council, the Just Cause Eviction bill needs sponsorship from one city councilor and the support of seven. If the campaign can win over nine

councilors, it will be immune to a potential mayoral veto.

Among the strongest champions of the cause are Tito Jackson, newcomer Andrea Campbell and departing councilor Charles Yancey, said Jason Boyd, director of communications for Codman Square NDC. But all councilors are for — or, at least, not against — the idea, according to coalition members.

“All of the [councilors] at this point have expressed support to one degree or another for the legislation,” Boyd said. “There’s been varying degrees of support and enthusiasm.”

“No councilor has said, ‘No,’ that they don’t like the idea,” Modestin added.

Seven councilors attended or sent representatives to voice support at an assembly and rally this past October: Jackson, Yancey, Campbell, Ayanna Pressley, Frank Baker, Michael Flaherty and Michelle Wu. At that point, councilors were only speaking about the general cause — no specific legislation had been written.

In the recent months, campaign members wrote and sent the proposed ordinance to all councilors and have followed up with individual meetings. To date, Right to Remain coalition members have met with eight councilors and have five to go: Mark Ciommo and Michael Flaherty — who are scheduled for early January — Bill Linehan and Salvatore LaMattina, Modestin said.

Mayor Walsh

Among the coalition’s next discussion topics: potential bill sponsorship, Modestin said.

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Coalition members also hope to meet with the mayor in January.

Walsh supports the general idea of just cause eviction and his administration is examining how such a move might be implemented, he told Boston Public Radio in December.

“We’ve had some conversation about this and how it works,” Walsh said. “If everything worked out positively we could do something, absolutely.”

Open questions

One major question councilors raised is how the mediation provision will be orchestrated.

Under the proposed Just Cause Eviction law, if landlords seek to raise rents by more than 3-5 percent — the exact percentage is under discussion — they first must sit down with the tenant and a third-party mediator for non-binding discussion.

Some councilors wanted to know which department would handle the mediation, Modestin said — she proposes the Department of Neighborhood Development — and further logistical details.

A visible debate

Members of the Small Property Owners Association have signaled their opposition to Just Cause Eviction laws.

MAYOR’S OFFICE PHOTO BY ISABEL LEON

Maria Sanchez, mother of state Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez (right) attends the grand opening for the Maria Sanchez House, a 40-unit $15.6M transit-oriented affordable senior rental housing development.

SPOA’s executive director Skip Schloming argues in an article on SPOA’s website that the laws would overly burden owners by limiting the revenue they can get from their properties and enforcing bureaucratic hurdles — the mediation process — to rent increases. He predicts, in the piece appearing on the website, that steps to keep rents from rising would disincline developers from building more housing and make it difficult for landlords to afford improvements to their property. “ The effect of just-cause

eviction will be to stop rent increases or allow only de minimus ones,” he wrote. “Such an effect would stop virtually all capital improvements on controlled properties.”

Ideology aside, SPOA’s opposition reflects heightened attention to the issue and demonstrates to the Right to Remain coalition members that their proposed measure has become a serious topic of discussion. “[It] which indicates to us that this really is gaining momentum, which is very important,” Boyd said.

Historic

TWELFTH BAPTIST CHURCH Announces

Two-Fold Celebration Thursday, December 31, 2015 – 10:30 P.M.

Watch Night Service Praise, Prayer, Preaching

SUNDAY, JANUARY 10, 2016 – 4:00 P.M.

Be sure to check out our website and mobile site

ANNUAL MLK CONVOCATION Convocation Speaker

The Honorable Charles D. Baker Governor, Commonwealth of Massachusetts All Services Open to the Public

TWELFTH BAPTIST CHURCH

www.baystatebanner.com

(The Boston Home Church of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) One Sixty Warren Street (2 blocks south of Dudley Square) Roxbury, Massachusetts 02119 Dr. Arthur T. Gerald, Jr., Senior Pastor

Dr. Michael E. Haynes, Pastor Emeritus

4 • Thursday, December 31, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER

EDITORIAL

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INSIDE: BUSINESS, 9 • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, 11 • CLASSIFIEDS, 14

Happy new year!

Established 1965

A new push for empowerment Every year in January, many people draft New Year’s resolutions to correct their bad habits. At the same time, many business corporations begin to implement fiscal year strategies to improve the bottom line. Rarely do ethnic or racial groups mobilize at the beginning of the year to establish plans to improve their economic status. But Freeze Frame Black Boston has begun the process of establishing a black economic manifesto to do just that.

Boston’s Federal Reserve Bank published an economic study in 2015 that revealed the dire economic circumstances of Boston’s black residents. While white Boston residents had an average of $256,000 in assets, blacks had a net worth of only $700. It is fair to say that black wealth was negligible. And the primary route to attaining wealth in America, home ownership, was deficient. While 68 percent of white residents owned their homes, only 32 percent of blacks did so; and in Roxbury, home ownership was down to only 21 percent.

Unemployment for blacks is about twice the rate for whites. This is true in Boston and elsewhere across the country. This racial gap is to be expected in Boston because most of the jobs with attractive salaries require employees to have earned a bachelor’s degree in college.

According to the report, while 63 percent of whites in Boston have bachelor’s degrees, this is true of only 17 percent of blacks.

The primary organizers of Freeze Frame have business backgrounds, and they fully understand the importance of a substantial increase in local business development. They found that there are fewer black businesses in Boston now than there were 20 years ago. It is of great importance to stimulate the spirit of entrepreneurship among blacks. The organizers have identified education, health, technology, food service and financial services as promising areas both for employment and business opportunities.

During the Civil Rights era, the focus was to end racial segregation and discrimination.

The strategies were civil disobedience and disruptive demonstrations. While this might have been effective when the goal was racial equality, there is no constitutional provision that requires everyone to be rich. New attitudes and different skill sets are necessary to succeed in the business world.

It’s not easy or everyone would be affluent.

Freeze Frame is the most comprehensive effort to achieve economic equality, and it deserves community support.

Will self-interest trump bigotry?

A major event scheduled for 2016 is the election of a new president. The Democrats and Republicans will hold their conventions and each party will decide upon their nominee.

Then in November citizens will go to the polls and decide who shall lead the nation. Nonetheless, the politicizing will not be over.

Donald Trump may have awakened a sleeping tiger. For some time, conventional Republicans have been the guardians of white supremacy. For many whites with a modest education and little more than a moderate income, that service was sufficient to earn their loyalty. But the growing economic disparity that is disrupting their American Dream has aroused anger

and dissatisfaction.

On the Democratic side, Sen. Bernie Sanders has stated that whether or not he wins the race for president, his campaign is the start of a political movement to end the 40-year decline of the middle class. He plans to “fight for a progressive economic agenda that creates jobs, raises wages, protects the environment and provides health care for all.”

Sanders’ post-election effort is likely to be multiracial. It remains to be seen whether Trump supporters will move beyond the bigoted tone of that campaign to pursue their economic interests in partnership with blacks, Latinos and Asians.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR A new low I think it’s safe to say that the presidential campaign of Donald Trump has brought the U.S. to a new low. Trump started from a low point, lambasting Mexican immigrants and pandering to the fears of the ignorant people who have become his base, and went down from there. Seeing him on the

television, one wonders whether the nightly news broadcast has switched places with some debased “reality” TV show.

Many point fingers at the media, for giving Trump a platform to air his views. Sadly, Trump is exploiting not just the news media, but more appallingly the political process itself, to air views that would

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get him fired were he a network talk show host.

Even more sadly, Trump does have an audience of Middle America troglodytes who are on board with his debased views. America, we got a long way to go.

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Thursday, December 31, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER • 5

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OPINION

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Families advance with recent tax bill, but corporations get a lot more

What would you like to see in the year 2016?

By FRANK CLEMENTE Surprisingly, Congress’s $680 billion holiday-season tax deal will bring some cheer to working families and not just to big corporations this year.

Refundable tax credits putting extra cash in the hands of hard-pressed workers and parents were included in a huge year-end gift-wrapped package of tax breaks — the type of bill that usually only offers big rewards to corporate fat cats.

Every two years for the past few decades, Washington has renewed a collection of about 50 temporary tax breaks, called “tax extenders.” Even though some of them had been repeatedly renewed for 30 years, the giveaways were deemed temporary to hide their substantial $50 billion annual cost — 80 percent of which benefitted businesses. It’s an accounting trick. Tax cuts supposedly expiring in a year or two don’t make longrange budget projections look so bad, after all.

None of these corporate tax breaks are ever paid for — for instance by closing other corporate tax loopholes. All of the cost goes straight to the deficit.

Moreover, a repugnant double standard is at work. Any time our side wants even a little bit more in spending to improve public services, conservatives demand it be paid for. They even thumbed their noses at 9/11 responders recently.

Conservatives demanded that a renewal of the 9/11 first responders World Trade Center Health Program and a Victims Compensation Fund, costing a total of $8 billion, be paid for in order to be included in the yearend budget package that included $400 billion in unpaid-for corporate tax giveaways.

Tax extender legislation has always enjoyed strong bipartisan support. It’s a veritable lovefest between both parties and their corporate contributors.

As usual, though, corporations wanted more. Objecting to the (theoretically) temporary nature of their special breaks, this year they pushed to make several of their biggest billion-dollar loopholes permanent. This gave our side leverage to demand major concessions in return.

Progressives rallied around two tax credits that are very important to low- and moderate-income households — the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC). Improvements made to these pro-work and pro-family programs were scheduled to expire in two years. This would have pushed 16 million people — including 8 million children — into or deeper into poverty.

Advocates demanded — and won — that any corporate tax cut package had to also make permanent the improvements to these effective poverty-fighting programs. That means a single mom working minimum wage with two kids at home will have $1,725 more in her pocket, for example.

Another victory was the renewal of the American Opportunity Tax Credit. It provides a tax credit of up to $2,500 per year for expenses incurred while attending college such as tuition, fees and course materials. This will give a helping hand to millions of families struggling with the costs of higher education.

Altogether, the final tax package makes a $250 billion investment in America’s working families.

Of course, corporations still got more: more than $400 billion in tax favors. Among them are two loopholes that make it easier for multinational firms to stash profits offshore in tax havens. The Active Financing Exception was permanently enshrined in law while the CFC LookThrough Rule was extended for five years. It was the AFE that helped General Electric to go five straight years without paying any federal income tax, and in fact get billions in refunds.

Together, the two tax breaks will cost the American people around $85 billion in lost revenue over the next decade. Alternatively, if we didn’t plow $75 billion of that money back into overstuffed corporate treasuries we could guarantee preschool for every low-and moderate-income fouryear-old in America for 10 years.

Congress should not be making any corporate tax loopholes permanent or even temporarily extending them. It should be closing them.

Over the past half-decade of budget austerity, American families have withstood $2.7 trillion in spending cuts in everything from senior nutrition to college financial aid to affordable housing. America’s corporations haven’t contributed a nickel in extra tax revenue.

Moreover, while corporations enjoy record profits, workers continue to struggle in a slow economy. Working families need a hand. Corporations don’t need handouts.

I’m not sugar coating our challenges with a lot of holiday cheer. Progressives won some, but lost a lot, in this big fight.

We have a long way to go towards the day when corporations routinely pay their fair share of taxes and families and communities get the public services they deserve. It may sound like a Christmas miracle today, but we can get there.

Frank Clemente is executive director at Americans for Tax Fairness.

Less violence. That’s number one.

My house burned down on Alpha Road. I’m lucky to be alive. For 2016, I just want to be placed in a house.

Brandon Brown

Sharell Cutler

I’d like to see the economy improve and prices come down so people can live.

Joanne

Construction Mattapan

Medical Assistant Dorchester

Business Manager Boston

I’d like to see the first woman president elected.

I’d like for there to be better transportation in Brockton.

I’d like to see more blacks employed in major construction projects in Boston.

Isabelle Pierre

Allen Knight

Dennis Little

Local Businessman Roxbury

Research Assistant Brockton

Librarian Roxbury

IN THE NEWS

SAMMY GUTIERREZ Boston Community Leadership Academy’s Sammy Gutierrez has been honored with Mass Insight Education’s Partners in Excellence Award for helping more students take Advanced Placement courses with success as they prepare for college. The award recognizes 54 Massachusetts AP teachers for their outstanding contributions to student achievement and their dedication to college success during the 2014-2015 academic year. The teachers were selected out of a pool of more than 600 AP teachers who participated in Mass Insight Education’s AP STEM and English program.

“The teachers Mass Insight supports in AP partnerships across the state are the backbone of the schools’ role preparing students for college success,” says William Guenther, president CEO and founder of Mass Insight Education. “We’re very pleased to recognize the AP teacher partners who have

produced especially outstanding results with their high school students.”

Mass Insight Education’s content directors selected the teachers based on their ability to increase their students’ access to AP classes, their students’ improved performance on the AP Exams, and their students’ resulting college readiness.

The award recipients will be honored at Mass Insight Education’s Partners in Excellence Award Celebration on April 5 from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the Seaport Hotel in Boston. Eric Waldo, the executive director of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher initiative, will be the keynote speaker. Each award winner will be recognized for his or her achievement and will receive a check for $1,000.

Mass Insight Education is a national nonprofit dedicated to improving student achievement and increasing college success through bold district restruc-

turing and rigorous academic programs. This is particularly important within the urban “gateway” communities in which MIE operates, as youth from economically challenged communities are not as typically afforded the personalized, high caliber instruction that is provided in the AP environment.

6 • Thursday, December 31, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER

NEWSBRIEFS VISIT US ONLINE FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS: WWW.BAYSTATEBANNER.COM Mayor Walsh and the Mission Hill Community celebrate the grand opening of the Maria Sánchez House Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the Mission Hill Neighborhood Housing Services, the Sánchez family, local elected officials and Mission Hill residents celebrated the opening of the Maria Sánchez House, which will offer 40-units of affordable rental housing for seniors. The $156 million development is located adjacent to the Roxbury Crossing MBTA Station, in the heart of the Mission Hill commercial district.

All the units are one-bedroom and rented to individuals age 62 or older earning at or below 50 percent of area median income. Most residents earn at or below 30 AMI. The building has two elevators for accessibility, central air conditioning, two on-site laundry facilities, a large community space on the ground floor for programming, a deck with views of the city and a rear courtyard.

Construction of the Maria Sánchez House generated approximately 45 construction jobs.

The city contributed more than $2.8 million, including using Housing Creation Linkage funding from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development provided $6.2 million in Section 202 capital funding and $400,000 in grant funding. The state put in more than $2.8 million. Land was donated

by Wentworth Institute of Technology and the Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development.

The house is named after

Representative Jeffrey Sánchez’s mother.

“This is the result of many years of hard work and many partners,” said Representative Jeffrey Sánchez.

“Naming this for my mother honors her work and commitment to the Mission Hill community she loves with all her heart, but also represents all those community members who dedicated years to creating a vision for Roxbury Crossing that is now being realized,” said Rep. Sánchez.

Treasurer Deb Goldberg announces Massachusetts’ first state-run college savings program

State Treasurer Deb Goldberg, alongside legislators, business executives and community leaders, announced “$eedMA,” a first-of-itskind pilot program to provide college savings accounts for children. $eedMA will be available to all kindergarteners in Worcester public schools. At the start of the 2016-2017 school year, each child will receive a commitment of $50 to cultivate a 529 college savings account.

The program’s goal is to increase the number of children saving for, enrolling in and graduating from college or university. $eedMA initiatives include financial education programming for students and their families, and building a culture centered around saving for the future and employing prudent budget management “Access to an affordable higher education is imperative to strengthening Massachusetts’ economy,” Goldberg said. “I cannot think of a

city more uniquely positioned to take on the leadership role of this college savings pilot program than Worcester. In the upcoming months, we will develop a standard that we hope can be implemented across the state.”

Parents and families will receive more information about $eedMA at kindergarten registration and can sign up for accounts at the beginning of the school year.

Groups collaboration with the state on the program include the Santander Bank, which invested $50,000 into $eedMA. “We applaud State Treasurer Goldberg for creating a college affordability program like $eedMA that will empower students and parents, giving them the building blocks they need to help manage their money and save for college,” said Michael Jones, vice president and director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Santander Bank, at an event announcing the program.

Mayor Joe Petty kicked off the event and spoke on the importance of college affordability to the City of Worcester.

“As the cost of college continues to rise, parents need more tools in the tool box that can make saving for college easier,” Petty said. “I want to thank Treasurer Deb Goldberg for following through with her campaign promise to make a program like this a reality.”

At the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, Chamber President, CEO, and former Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray hosted the treasurer for a roundtable discussion on the program with local companies.

For more information on

$eedMA and the Office of Economic Empowerment please visit www.mass.gov/treasury/SeedMA or follow the hashtag #SeedMA.

Mayor Walsh announces $1.5 million arts education grant for Boston Public Schools Mayor Martin Walsh announced that the Boston Public Schools Arts Expansion Initiative has been awarded $1.5 million in grant funding from The Wallace Foundation, a national philanthropy that promotes children’s learning and enrichment opportunities and access to arts learning.

The Initiative was launched in 2009 as a public-private collaboration between BPS and EdVestors — a Boston-based organization focused on school improvements— as well as local and national funders and arts and cultural organizations with the goal of expanding arts education in Boston schools. The grant will support work to implement new approaches to arts instruction, curriculum and professional development for teachers, partnership coordination and student and family engagement.

“I am honored that The Wallace Foundation has chosen to invest in our ongoing effort to increase the presence of quality arts education in the Boston Public Schools,” Walsh said. “Through the Boston Creates cultural planning process, we are not only enriching the lives of our young people, but we are working towards ensuring a future where art will play a pivotal role in Boston’s cultural landscape.”

Since the BPS Arts Expansion Initiative’s launching, the number of Boston students in preschool through eighth grade that receive weekly, year-long arts education has increased from 67 to 93 percent and access to arts education for high school students has more than doubled, reaching 17,000 additional students.

“The BPS Arts Expansion effort is an excellent model of true

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public-private partnership that is benefiting students in the Boston Public Schools,” Tommy Chang, superintendent of BPS, said. “Our schools are focusing on the arts in a way that they never have thanks in large part to our partnership with private donors, and our students are reaping the rewards of that generosity.”

The initiative has spurred an increase in public funds supporting arts education, from $15 million annually in 2009 through the BPS budget to $26 million this school year. These funds chiefly support arts teachers for the school system, whose ranks have grown by 120 teachers over the past six years.

The initiative also supports community-based arts organizations who partner with BPS to further expand the range of offerings available for students.

“We know high-quality arts education provides important benefits to students - from exposure to new perspectives, to helping them learn how to learn,” said Daniel Windham, director of Arts at The Wallace Foundation. “Boston has made substantial progress in improving access to arts education for all students, and we are pleased to join local foundations to help sustain the progress made.”

This newest $1.5 million grant from the Wallace Foundation follows more than $4.8 million the foundation has invested in BPS Arts Expansion since the initiative began. Other local funders include the Barr Foundation, the Boston Foundation, the Klarman Family Foundation and the Linde Family Foundation, among others.

“EdVestors has been honored to partner with the Boston Public Schools and our funders to make these increases in access to quality arts learning opportunities possible,” Laura Perille of EdVestors said. “The combined efforts of principals, teachers, nonprofit partners and foundations all focused on a student-focused goal prove what’s possible when stakeholders come together.”

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Boston Redevelopment Authority One City Hall Square, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02201 617-918-4492 Raul.Duverge@Boston.gov

CLOSE OF COMMENT PERIOD: Monday, January 25, 2016

www.nationalgrid.com BostonRedevelopmentAuthority.org Teresa Polhemus, Executive Director/Secretary

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Thursday, December 31, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER • 7

Protests prompted national conversation on race in 2015

By YAWU MILLER The year 2015 began with Black Lives Matter protests erupting in Boston and cities and towns across the United States. Protesters blocked freeways, occupied shopping malls and did their best to disrupt businesses as usual.

Arguably, their efforts were successful, sparking conversations, studies and news media coverage of state violence against blacks, Latinos and Native Americans.

The movement kicked into high gear following the June 17 Charleston, South Carolina church shooting by white supremacist Dylann Roof. Photographs of Roof posing with the Confederate battle flag and other white supremacist symbols generated heated national debate about the display of the stars and bars on public property. When Bree Newsome, an activist affiliated with the National Movement for Black Lives, scaled a flagpole in the South Carolina capitol of Columbia, she became an instant social media hero and ratcheted up the pressure on state officials, ultimately prompting Governor Nikki Hailey to sign a bill authorizing the removal of the flag from state property.

Campus unrest

The momentum of the movement continued into the autumn, when protests flared on college campuses over long-standing complaints of institutionalized racism. Scattered campus protests intensified in November when members of the Missouri State University football team went on strike, demanding that the university president resign after his lackluster response to a string of on-campus race incidents.

Across the country, black college students protested both specific incidents, such as a party at Yale that barred black women from entering, and deeper, structural issues stemming from schools’ racist legacies, like the Princeton school of international affairs named for former President Woodrow Wilson, an avowed racist and KKK supporter.

The Black Lives Matter movement also seeped into presidential politics, with activists from the Movement for Black Lives challenging Democratic candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton to hire black campaign workers and incorporate civil rights issues into their platforms.

At the other end of the political spectrum, Republican candidate Donald Trump has driven a very different conversation about race, kicking off his campaign with a diatribe against Mexican immigrants and ordering disruptive Black Lives Matter protesters to be forcibly removed from his rallies.

With his racist and sexist rants airing on the national news, Trump has pushed a different conversation around race, one that has had many questioning why whites are drawn to the billionaire landlord’s campaign, with its backward-looking “make America great again” slogan.

Some pundits, including Banner Editor Melvin B. Miller, point to the declining incomes and rising rates of substance abuse-related deaths and suicides among white males as evidence the candidate is tapping into whites’ feelings of disempowerment.

WHITE HOUSE PHOTO BY PETE SOUZA

President Barack Obama savored political victories in 2015, including a nuclear deal with Iran and the Supreme Court’s defense of his Affordable Care Act. He also spoke candidly about the issues of racism and criminal justice reform.

Speaking to National Public Radio in December, President Barack Obama also cited the increased numbers of blacks, Latinos and Asians in the U.S. and the declining fortunes of the white working class in explaining Trump’s enduring lead in Republican polls.

“You combine those things, and it means that there is going to be potential anger, frustration, fear — some of it justified, but just

misdirected,” the president added.

“I think somebody like Mr. Trump is taking advantage of that. That’s what he’s exploiting during the course of his campaign.”

Presidential perspective

A frequent target of white rage, Obama became more outspoken on race issues this year then perhaps at any point during his seven years in the White House. Seemingly emboldened by his success

with the Iran nuclear deal and the Supreme Court’s decision upholding his signature Affordable Care Act, the President spoke forcefully about race and advocated compellingly for criminal justice reform, becoming the first U.S. president to visit a prison. In Charleston, he delivered a moving eulogy for the shooting victims culminating with his rendition of “Amazing Grace.”

As 2016 dawns, the Black

Lives Matter movement remains strong, in the wake of protests that shut down a major shopping district in Chicago in November and nearly shut down an airport in Minneapolis-St. Paul in December. With the Republican and Democratic primary campaigns in high gear, and the president entering his last year in office, issues of race, discrimination and criminal justice likely will remain front and center.

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8 • Thursday, December 31, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER

Baker

support English language learners and low-income students, the Commission’s report stated.

continued from page 1 — even assuming a 5 percent fare increase — there will be a shortfall of $242 million in operating budget and billions in repair costs.

Baker acknowledged the repair deficit is a concern, but said solving it is a gradual process and that notable steps forward have been made.

“We’re so far in the hole that it does affect safety, dependability [and] reliability,” he said. “The way you get at it is, you chip away at it one year after another. This is the first year in a decade or more that the MBTA will reduce the size of its state-of-good-repair backlog.”

Of the approximately one billion in capital investment dollars made at the MBTA this fiscal year, nearly $700 million is designated for repairs and maintenance, he said. Capital investments are put into infrastructure needs, while the T’s operating budget provides for expenses like employee wages and benefits.

As extra assistance, the state also put in $187 million of direct aid for operational improvements, an increase over $122.5 million in direct aid provided last year.

The exact size of repair deficit depends on how quickly it is handled. The MBTA would need $7 billion, assuming that full amount was given this year, according to Transportation for Massachusetts. If payment is divided over 25 years, the total amount, adjusted for inflation, would be $21 billion, the organizations says.

New oversight

The state achieved another key step in tackling MBTA funding, Baker said: bringing the agency’s operations into public view through the establishment of the MBTA Fiscal Management and Control Board to oversee management and spending.

“The MBTA was behind a curtain for a very long time,” Baker said. “We’ve created — for the first time in maybe forever — a truly transparent public conversation in respect to what’s going on in the T.”

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Millionaires’ tax

The state’s school funding aid is tied to tax revenue, although tax rates are not something Baker intends to raise.

“We made a commitment when we were running that we would support an increase in general local aid [which includes Chapter 70] that would be equal to the growth in state tax revenue,” he said.

When asked about the proposed millionaires’ tax — a measure that would raise tax rates on incomes over $1 million and direct the estimated $1.5 billion in revenue into public education and transportation — Baker declined to speak specifically on it, but said that he is generally against to any tax increases.

“My general view is I don’t think we should be raising taxes,” he said.

Instead, his focus is to boost the economy by encouraging businesses in the state, something he seeks to achieve through reductions to taxes, energy costs and regulations. One focus in the next year, he said, will be growing hydro-power, natural gas, wind and solar use to combat the state’s energy dependence.

Hard but hopeful times ahead PHOTO: JOANNE DECARO

Earlier this month, Baker joined MBTA officials in South Boston to provide an update on efforts to winter-ready the T. His administration invested $83.7 million into an MBTA winter resiliency plan.

Tackling education gaps

In this 2016 fiscal year, the Baker administration put an additional $111 million into Chapter 70 funding, which helps support district schools and is tapped to support charter schools. This represents a 3 percent increase — the highest amount the state has ever provided to municipalities, says the Baker administration.

The increase is not great enough to bring baseline school funding to the levels they should be within one year but may be on track to close the gap in four years, according to the recommendations

of the Foundation Budget Review Commission. The FBRC is a panel charged with re-examining K-12 public education funding needs. It is chaired by Senator Sonia ChangDiaz and represents business, education, governmental, civic and philanthropic sectors.

This October, the FBRC released a report comparing actual school needs to the formula for setting the minimum budget provided to them by the state and district. The team’s conclusion: Calculations heavily underestimate needs and the state and municipalities should invest

millions more.

This school budget gap largely is due to booming health care costs. It also reflects an unrealistically low assessment of special education services demand. To close both these gaps in one go, nearly $431 million should be added to Chapter 70 aid in FY2016, the Commission said. An alternative: phase in the costs over four years, starting with increasing Chapter 70 aid by almost $96 million this fiscal year, the FBRC recommended.

Additional funds ought to be added on top of that to further

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In FY2017, the state may face an $800 million to $1 billion deficit, according to the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. Massachusetts also has been covering budget gaps by dipping heavily into its rainy day fund and using money intended to replenish that fund.

Baker said reliance on onetime funding sources is declining and that overall, the situation is improving.

“The fact that we have a $1 billion deficit is challenging, but it’s coming on the heels of a deficit that was even bigger,” he said. “My expectation is we’ll find a way to figure it out.”

When Baker unveiled his FY2016 budget plans, the deficit was $1.8 billion.

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GARY R. UTER

Boston Redevelopment Authority One City Hall Square, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02201 617.918.4457 Gary.Uter@Boston.gov

BostonRedevelopmentAuthority.org Teresa Polhemus, Executive Director/Secretary

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Thursday, December 31, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER • 9

BUSINESSNEWS Businesses grew in 2015 www.baystatebanner.com

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BIZ BITS

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Working parents: There’s hope if your employer doesn’t ‘get’ you

More American families than ever before have two parents working, but recent studies show many employers haven’t adapted to this change in the workforce demographics. Working parents feel burnt out and unloved at work, making them less creative, less productive and more likely to quit because of work-related stress, according to the 2015 Bright Horizons Modern Family Index.

Employers can do their part to create a culture that supports working parents and reduces the risks of valuable employees quitting or experiencing burn out. Managers should watch for signs of employee burnout and provide opportunities for working parents to voice their concerns. The Modern Family Index, which surveyed working parents across the country and in different industries, found: n Sixty-two percent of working parents don’t believe their employers care about them. They also say employers are inattentive to the needs of working parents (64 percent) and don’t have their best interests at heart (76 percent). n Just 34 percent of managers are concerned working parents struggle to balance work and life demands, while just 30 percent worry about whether working parents feel their company doesn’t care about them.

“Many of the parents we surveyed expressed frustration with their employers and indicated they feel their companies don’t really understand or care about the stresses they face,” says David Lissy, CEO of Bright Horizons, a provider of employer-sponsored child care and other work/life solutions.

Working parents can take several steps to improve their work/life struggles. Kim Callaway from Horizons Workforce Consulting agrees that the first step is communication. Parents should talk to their managers. Often, managers are unaware if an employee is struggling to balance work and home demands. Talking to a manager means you can work together to find a solution.

“Don’t just point out a problem,” she says. “Be prepared to suggest a viable solution. You can also take advantage of the annual employee opinion survey most employers conduct and share your concerns in an anonymous forum.”

In addition to speaking up, parents can also take other steps toward a more satisfying work-life balance. n Learn more about your employee benefits. You may be unaware of some, such as back-up child care or a telecommuting policy that can help. n Be realistic and honest about your work and personal goals. When both you and your employer understand your goals, you can work together to achieve them. n Rest is vital to your overall well-being, and a lack of sleep negatively affects satisfaction with life, health, work and financial success. The Horizons Workforce Consulting study also found 60 percent of working adults don’t get enough sleep each night. n Managers should watch for signs of employee burnout and provide opportunities for working parents to voice their concerns. Regular meetings about work-life issues can help generate ideas for solutions and give employees a better sense of community.

“People want to work for employers who understand and support their See BIZ BITS, page 10

Small business growth contributed to expanding economy

By MARTIN DESMARAIS This past year was a great year for small businesses. Not only did small biz entrepreneurs throughout the country continue to lead the longest streak of job growth on record, but their optimism for the economic future is becoming the final nail in the coffin burying the 2008 financial crisis and recession.

On the job front, the numbers are astounding — 13.7 million jobs over 69 consecutive months of private sector job growth, with small businesses creating two of three new private sector jobs over that time, which equates to more than half of the U.S. workforce.

When the Federal Reserve raised interest rates in December it was the first increase in a decade and although an increase in borrowing costs is not typically exalted by small business entrepreneurs, it is a positive sign that the government believes the economy has finally recovered. Considering that rate hikes often are accompanied by a short-term economic boom pushing both businesses and consumers to spend before rates increase again, it is a good thing. The point is business is thriving and small businesses are at the heart of it.

In Massachusetts, job growth reflects the overall positive national trends and continues to track slightly higher in the percentage of new jobs added each month, which it has for most of 2015. On the state level, small businesses are at the center of this job growth as well.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ICIC

Steve Grossman, CEO, Initiative for a Competitive Inner City.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SBA

Robert Nelson, SBA Massachusetts District Director.

Final Touch grand opening

Support from city

Beyond that, small businesses in Boston have a lot to be thankful for in the past year. Mayor Martin Walsh and his administration continue to fulfill promises to back the city’s small businesses, winning national recognition several times throughout 2015 for efforts to support startups, innovation and making the city a welcoming home for its small businesses.

In the neighborhoods, small business and startup support organizations continue to pop up, with Dudley Square becoming a model of urban entrepreneurial activity, most notably with the launch of the Roxbury Innovation Center.

The Banner’s two separate Pitch in the City events highlighted a dozen local entrepreneurs that offer proof that the inner city small business revolution is alive and well and not just a figment of political imagination.

However, as any small business owner will surely tell you, success really only means one thing — money. In this regard, 2015 really can stake a claim as a small-business watermark because it was a year in which the flood gates really

See SMALL BIZ, page 10

PHOTO: HARIS HARDAWAY

Danny Hardaway (owner of Final Touch), Samira Gonzalez and Emildo Cordero (TV hosts, Univision Boston) and Haris Hardaway (owner of Final Touch) at the grand opening of the clothing store, Final Touch which is located in Dudley Square, Roxbury.

Thursday, December 3, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER • 21

10 • Thursday, December 31, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER

BUSINESSNEWS CHECK OUT MORE BUSINESS NEWS ONLINE: BAYSTATEBANNER.COM/NEWS/NEWS/BUSINESS

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continued from page 9 needs,” Lissy says. “This year’s study shows communication among employees, managers and company leadership needs to improve. When working parents express their needs and employers listen and respond, the whole organization benefits.”

— Brandpoint

THE LIST According to CNNMoney and PayScale the top 100 careers with big growth, great pay and satisfying work are: 1. Software architect

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percent: Employees who take less than 25 percent of their earned vacation are more likely to feel burnout, according to a recent study by Horizons Workforce Consulting.

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small biz continued from page 9

where open for access to capital.

The U.S. Small Business Administration, long a lifeline for small business loans and financing, had its best year on record.

Credited to its efforts to eliminate borrower and bank fees on low-dollar loans, the SBA’s flagship 7(a) loan program set a record with $23.5 billion in 2015, with loans up 22 percent to women, 23 percent to minorities and 103 percent to veterans.

Locally, Massachusetts leads the way for the SBA — the state is No. 1 in low-dollar loans of less than $50,000 and No. 2 on loans of less than $150,000. In total, state SBA loan programs gave out $645 million in just over 2,500 loans in the last year, a record high.

Also record highs were loans given to “underserved” categories, including 64 loans to Black/African

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American businesses, 124 loans to Latino-owned companies and 124 loans to Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs.

“2015 was a phenomenal year for us in Massachusetts,” said SBA Massachusetts District Director Robert Nelson.

In addition to the pure loan numbers, Nelson is encouraged by the wide variety of types of businesses that are getting loans, from retail to food service to entertainment. And most telling for him is an uptick in loans to construction-related businesses.

“When you compare this year to last year and you look at the businesses that are getting loans there is a big increase in loans to businesses in the construction trade. A few years ago, banks did not want to make these deals. Now they do,” Nelson said. “I think that is a positive thing for the economy.”

Raising capital

The Boston-based Initiative for a Competitive Inner City showed the hunger that local small businesses have for loans and capital with a September event at the Federal Reserve Bank in Boston that attracted over 100 local entrepreneurs. As part of the ICIC’s Capital Connections program, those in attendance hope to put themselves on the fast-track to raising the money needed to keep growing.

Through the Capital Connections program, and several other programs it runs, ICIC has helped inner-city businesses raise $1.2

billion in capital and create about 11,000 jobs in the last 10 years.

According to ICIC CEO Steve Grossman, 71 percent of the companies that take part in the Capital Connections program raise capital within a year and 80 percent raise capital within two years.

ICIC held similar events across the country in 2015, but the 100plus companies that took part in Boston is the most that have ever done so anywhere.

For Grossman, it is a telltale sign that as the money becomes increasingly available for small businesses — and minority businesses in particular — they will emerge to grab ahold of it.

The Boston Capital Connections program participants were 54 percent minority-owned businesses.

If 2015 will be remembered as the year that opened wide the door to small business capital it could not have done so without reaching the inner city and minority entrepreneurs. Grossman is encouraged. He sees a growing light in Boston’s neighborhoods for the potential of small businesses. He calls this a “spirit of entrepreneurship” and he believes Boston is a critical city to highlight to the rest of the country the importance of fostering this spirit and also as an example of the impact it can have.

“Entrepreneurship is alive and well and flourishing in places like Dorchester,” he added. “We need to make sure it continues to do so.”

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Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Direct: (617) 804-5789 Office: (617) 696-4430 Email: Bernice.Osborne@nemoves.com, Web: www.nemoves.com/Bernice.Osborne

REMOVAL SERVICES FREE TREE WOOD REMOVAL Good hardwood only.

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Tony Francis, President & CEO, Notary Public

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Thursday, December 31, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER • 11

ARTS& ENTERTAINMENT FIND OUT WHAT’S HOT IN THE CITY THIS WEEKEND: BAYSTATEBANNER.COM/NEWS/ENTERTAINMENT — CLICK WHAT’S HOT IN THE CITY

www.baystatebanner.com

Comedian

Deon

Cole

offers a different perspective

By COLETTE GREENSTEIN

F

or comedian Deon Cole, success is all about having your own perspective or “putting your own spin on everything that you do.”

The comedian, who began his standup career when his friend bet him $50 to go on stage in Chicago, also has become a successful actor, writer and producer. In 2014, Cole appeared on the ABC hit comedy “Blackish” as Dre’s (Anthony Anderson) co-worker Charlie Telphy on the episode “The Nod” that’s sure to be considered a classic someday. Prior to appearing on the sitcom, he was a writer for NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” from 20092010 and on “Conan” from 2010-2011 on TBS. He still performs bits and sketches on the late night show.

He also created and hosted the 2013 series “Deon Cole’s Black Box,” where the comic offered his own take on pop culture.

The Chicago native is set to co-star along side Rashida Jones on the sitcom “Angie Tribeca” as LAPD detective DJ Tanner when it premieres on January 17 on TBS. Cole found out

about the comedy when a friend told him that TBS was doing the show with Steve Carell. He was asked to come in and meet Carell.

“It wasn’t even an audition,” says Cole, in a phone interview with the Banner. “We just sat there and clapped and laughed and joked and had a good time, and went off all the rails of the script. We gelled so much that we came together.”

He originally read for a part of a lieutenant on the series but Carell didn’t want him to be “the average black hollerin’ lieutenant,” mentions Cole. The part that he initially auditioned for, he didn’t get. Instead, Carell

See COLE, page 12

IF YOU GO The Wilbur presents Shaquille O’Neal’s All Star Comedy Jam on Saturday, January

9 at 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Tickets: $55; www.ticketmaster.com.

Deon Cole PHOTO COURTESY OF INNOVATIVE ARTISTS

12 • Thursday, December 31, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT FIND OUT WHAT’S HOT IN THE CITY THIS WEEKEND: BAYSTATEBANNER.COM/NEWS/ENTERTAINMENT — CLICK WHAT’S HOT IN THE CITY

Poet, artist speaks at Museum of Fine Arts Terrance Hayes turns life experiences into artwork

“or,” he said, “I always try to put things together.”

Among the sources that Hayes spoke of were his search for gaps in family history, a process that has moved him to translate autobiography into art. At age 33, Hayes met with his biological father, whom he had not seen since he was a toddler.

Family ties

By SUSAN SACCOCCIA Page through any of the five poetry books by Terrance Hayes and it seems that when he puts a poem together, anything is possible.

A visual artist as well as a poet, Hayes lets the shapes and forms of his poems talk, along with the words. Alongside traditional -looking poems composed of stanzas and lines are others that frame words in charts and grids.

A poem titled “Portrait Of Etheridge Knight In The Style Of A Crime Report” does just what its title states: In the boxes of a police report are phrases evoking the complex life of Knight, a distinguished poet who published his first book while serving an eightyear prison sentence.

Like Knight, one of his muses, Hayes freely draws on everyday language. A 34-line litany begins each sentence with the phrase “If you are addicted to…” In another poem, Hayes compares himself to a Hummer. A crossed-out paragraph titled “The Antidote for Invisibility” is a potent visual pun.

At the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston two weeks ago to speak about turning life experiences into art, Hayes began his talk by invoking jazz pianist Thelonious Monk.

The musician’s emphasis on practice, said Hayes, applies to poetry as well as other disciplines such as law and medicine.

A gem glinting in his ear and elegant in a sport jacket, plaid shirt and jeans, Hayes looked the part of a former athlete as well as a man whose distinctions include a “People” magazine nomination as Sexiest Man Alive along with a MacArthur Fellowship and the 2010 National Book Award.

His melodic voice inflected with a southern accent from his childhood in Columbia, South Carolina, Hayes, 44, kept a tag team of two

PHOTO COURTESY MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON

Above, Terrance Hayes. Left, the piece “Where do your poems come from?”

PHOTO COURTESY OF TERRANCE HAYES

nimble-fingered sign language interpreters working hard to keep pace with his fast-moving talk.

Showing slides while talking at the podium and occasionally reading from hand-held notes, Hayes had a congenial manner, often smiling as he spoke of his approach to making poetry. Although some of his poems are restless, searing first-person conversations with the reader, at the podium he appeared to be having a tremendous amount of fun.

Multiple venues

A persuasive advocate for his craft, Hayes has conducted writing sessions in prisons as well as high schools. Standing 6'5" tall, Hayes was an Academic All-American in basketball at Coker College, where he studied painting and English. He earned an MFA from the University of Pittsburgh, where both he and his wife, author Yona

Harvey, are professors of English.

The couple and their son and daughter live in Pittsburgh.

Playful and purposeful in choosing the forms his poems take, Hayes borrows from unlikely sources. He described one of his innovations, a 20-stanza poem that mimics the format of business presentations in Japan, where he taught for a few years.

The format, called a pecha kucha, requires the presenter to display 20 images and comment no more than 20 seconds on each one.

When reading one of these poems aloud, he timed himself to follow the rule, which also influenced the word count of each stanza.

Free ranging and voracious in his tastes and interests, Hayes invokes in his poems such varied muses as Aretha Franklin, Vladimir Nabakov, Flannery O’Connor, Grace Jones, Miles Davis, Norman Mailer, Leonard Cohen

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and Mark Rothko.

Commenting on his varied sources and inspirations, Hayes spoke of “The Arcades Project,” a 1,000-page volume by French intellectual Walter Benjamin (1892 – 1940) that explored how glassroofed emporiums of small shops changed the street life of Paris.

Hayes described his own project to build an encyclopedic “literary scrapbook” that continuously seeks connections and associations across disciplines and subjects — not unlike an open-ended Internet search.

His books direct the reader to his website http://terrancehayes. com/notes-drawn/ for “notes, references and inspirations for the poems.” Links vary from a video clip of James Brown wailing “Please, Please, Please” to artist Ellen Gallagher’s grid of 60 prints, “DeLuxe” (2004-05), based on vintage ads for skin whiteners and hair straighteners.

Calling himself a “chameleon” and “shape-shifter,” Hayes said that he prefers “to absorb rather than to close up.” Pointing out that he favors “and” rather than

Cole

continued from page 11 wrote a part for him on the show because of “how they gelled.”

Pretty much the same thing happened with “Black-ish.” He initially was going to write on the show, and instead ended up playing Charlie on the comedy.

As luck would have it, the actor who was supposed to play Charlie couldn’t make it and Kenya Barris, the creator of the series, asked Cole to step into the role because the two worked so well together. Charlie was an instant hit and Cole was asked to continue playing the colorful character, who overshares and isn’t aware of his boundaries.

On what he brings to his roles, Cole believes that “People look at me and go ‘Okay, that dude is a different kind of guy and I think we can work with him, and I think

Hayes spoke of how his search led him to the MySpace postings of the man’s sons, whom he regards as his half-brothers. Presenting a surreal dose of raw autobiography, Hayes showed a news clip of a poker-faced newsman reporting the older half-brother’s arrest. Hayes then showed a video of his half-brother, who strongly resembles him, standing in a convict’s jumpsuit before a judge.

Hayes followed these clips with a fast-motion video of his hands sketching a charcoal portrait of his half brother that then dissolved into a striking, expressionist-style oil painting.

Turning life into art, Hayes gave his biological father the name “Butch,” and wrote a poem about the encounter, “Arbor for Butch.”

He composed the poem as a pecha kucha and headed each of its 20 stanzas with the title of a wooden sculpture by artist Martin Puryear.

In a gripping performance, Hayes read the poem aloud and then showed photographs of Puryear sculptures that give the stanzas their titles.

Hayes concluded his talk by returning to his theme of practice and “product making.” Transforming life experiences into art, Hayes suggested, is an activity that is empowering — and available to all.

Quoting a line from “Arbor for Butch,” Hayes said he hoped to teach others how to “build a shelter” for themselves with words, “like the bird who uses the bones and feathers of other birds to build its nest.”

more than anything I think he can bring a different perspective.’”

In April, Cole will appear in the third installment of the “Barbershop” movies called “Barbershop: The Next Cut,” where he plays Dante, a regular at the shop. But before he hits the big screen in the spring, Cole is never far from standup. He’ll be in Boston on January 9 as part of Shaq’s All Star Comedy Jam at The Wilbur.

Joining him on stage will be Bill Bellamy, Tony Roberts and tour host LaVar Walker.

Even with the titles of actor, writer, producer and host under his belt, standup comedy will always be something that he returns to time and time again.

When asked about transitioning from being in front of the camera or on stage to solely being a creative force behind-the-scenes, Cole says, “Stand-up is what got me here. I’m always going to do stand-up.”

Advertise in the Banner call 617-261-4600 x7799 for more information

Thursday, December 31, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER • 13

year in review continued from page 1

proposed host city for the 2024 Olympics. The business boosters and real estate developers backing the bid saw their fortunes flounder over the next several months as anti-Olympics activists raised probing questions about traffic, parking and the displacement of low-income renters — issues that often dog cities hosting the games.

Long a backer of the bid, Mayor Martin Walsh put the final nail in the coffin when he told reporters in July he would not sign a financial guarantee required by the U.S. Olympic Committee. By mutual agreement, the city and the Olympic Committee terminated Boston’s bid.

While the games won’t be heading to Boston, the planning exercise helped spur City Hall to launch a non-Olympics planning effort, Boston 2030. The Boston Redevelopment Authority-led process is the first such citywide effort undertaken in 50 years.

Boston 2030 comes as the city is in midst of its greatest building boom in modern history, with luxury condo buildings springing up in the city’s downtown neighborhoods. The acute lack of affordability in new development projects has continued apace, raising fears that the displacement of working class and middle income families seen in South Boston, Chinatown, Jamaica Plain and other desirable neighborhoods will spread.

Chinatown activists responded to the BRA’s Imagine Chinatown 2030 by adding a question mark to the slogan, underscoring the precarious plight of the Chinese community that has called the neighborhood home for more than 100 years.

In December, affordable housing activists scored a modest victory as the Walsh administration upped the portion of affordable housing units required in new developments to 18 percent and nearly doubled the amount developers are must pay into the city’s affordable housing fund if they choose not to build affordable units onsite.

BANNER PHOTOS

(Above, left) Pedestrians take to the streets during a January snowstorm that dumped two feet of snow on Boston’s sidewalks. (Right) City Councilor Charles Yancey continued late into the year with his push for disclosure of racial breakdowns of the city’s hiring and contracting. (Below, left) Elected officials and activists called on the government of the Dominican Republic to reverse a policy many said was aimed at expelling people of Haitian ancestry from the country. (Below, right) Surrounded by family and friends, Banner Editor and Publisher Melvin B. Miller celebrated the newspaper’s 50th anniversary with a gala at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute.

BANNER PHOTO

PHOTO: REBA SALDANHA DON WEST

Body cameras

While many U.S. cities struggled with police shootings of unarmed blacks, Boston police went another year without a major incident. But the department was forced to wrestle with a proposal to require officers to be outfitted with body-worn cameras.

During an August hearing, Police Commissioner William Evans claimed that police were not ready to implement the cameras, and stressed that his department has a good working relationship with the communities it polices.

By September, Evans changed his tune, agreeing to implement a pilot project with a limited number of officers.

School funding battle

Charter schools remained in the news, thanks to a well-funded campaign to lift the state’s cap on the number of such schools allowed in each district. Charter school supporters, working under the Great Schools Massachusetts coalition, held several large rallies, attended by hundreds of charter school students and parents wearing the campaign’s signature blue tee shirts.

Political support for lifting the cap is split. Gov. Charlie Baker appeared at Great Schools

BANNER PHOTOS

(Above, left) Demonstrators with the Right to the City Coalition protest against evictions and displacement, soliciting support for a proposed Just Cause Eviction renter protection ordinance. (Above, right) Political newcomer Andrea Joy Campbell celebrates her victory in the Nov. 3 election over 32-year incumbent Charles Yancey.

Massachusetts rallies while the Massachusetts House voted in favor of lifting the cap last year.

The Massachusetts Senate voted against the charter cap lift, however. Mayor Walsh supported a gradual cap lift, tied to reimbursements for state funds that are diverted from districts to charters.

While Massachusetts voters are leaning against the ballot measure, pro charter groups and teachers’ unions are expected to pump millions of dollars into

what may prove to be one of the state’s hottest campaigns in 2016.

What’s next?

With a presidential race gaining steam, 2016 promises dramatic contrast to the sleepy 2015 municipal race, where citywide turnout was a dismal 13.6 percent. While low voter turnout has traditionally meant low support for candidates of color, at-large councilor Ayanna Pressley maintained an impressive winning streak, securing the top

vote-getter spot for the third consecutive election cycle. In another departure from historic trends, low voter turnout did not protect the incumbency of the council’s longest-serving at-large councilor, Stephen Murphy, who lost to challenger Anissa Essaibi George.

In another upset, 32-year incumbent Charles Yancey lost his seat to challenger Andrea Joy Campbell, an attorney making her first run for elected office.

In 2016, the battle over charter

school expansion will heat up, as will the race for the next president of the United States. A new City Council with four women and four people of color will be seated.

The BRA’s citywide planning process will attempt to hammer out a common vision for Boston’s future and the city’s ever-expanding stock of luxury condos will continue to grow.

And with 50 years of reporting under its belt, the Banner will be here to record its 51st.

14••Thursday, Thursday,December December31, 31,2015 2015••BAY BAYSTATE STATEBANNER BANNER 14

BANNER CLASSIFIEDS Jobcase REAL ESTATE

“It’s really difficult sometimes to get public transport to and from Roxbury, and commute is huge part of people’s lives,” Goff said.

continued from page 1

unemployment levels are high and many who are employed commute outside the neighborhood for work.

At last count, unemployment in the neighborhood was 11.5 percent, nearly twice the national average. Jobcase both seeks to ease paths to employment and, through the profile approach, showcase skills that may not be apparent on a traditional resume, including periods of unemployment, said Fred Goff, CEO. “We focus on the 70 percent of the country without traditional four-year college degrees, back-to-work moms [and] people with gaps in their resumes,” he said.

school tour REALPerkins ESTATE

REAL ESTATE

Network reach

The Dudley Street neighborhood corner of the site is scheduled for release in January. Currently, the main Jobcase site has more than 900 job listings in the area and approximately 5,000 Roxbury-area businesses listed, according to Christopher Scranton, director of corporate development for Jobcase. Nearly 12,000 residents already are signed up, giving a sense of the potential pull the community-specific page could have.

Path to partnerships

The collaboration was sparked when DSNI reached out to Jobcase, Goff said.

The Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative had been looking to create a local job board, and instead of building it from scratch, realized they could call upon what Jobcase had already created.

This is the second such partnership Jobcase has done, Goff said, the first being an app the company built in November for YouthHub to help young people find job opportunities.

Goff set high goals for the Dudley Street Jobcase portal: every neighborhood resident of working age would have a profile and all local employers would post job opportunities on the site.

“Success would be everyone in Roxbury puts their profiles there and that all employers in Roxbury should list jobs,” he said.

Hire local

Other benefits: local employer-employee matches keep money circulating in the community and reduce many people’s lengthy commutes, Goff said.

Money spent in the black community does not tend to stay and circulate, according to a 2014 report by Jeffrey L. Boney, founder and CEO of the Texas Business Alliance. Many community activists have pointed to this as a major concern.

Additionally, nearly a fifth of workers in Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan spend at least an hour commuting to jobs, twice the city average, according to The Boston Foundation’s 2015 Indicators Report. Residents there also are disproportionately reliant on buses.

PHOTO: MAYOR’S OFFICE PHOTO BY DON HARNEY

Mayor Martin Walsh takes a tour of the Michael J. Perkins School in South Boston.

BANNER CLASSIFIEDS LEGAL

LEGAL

INVITATION TO BID The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority is seeking bids for the following: BID NO.

DESCRIPTION

DATE

TIME

*WRA-4155

Purchase of Seventy-four (74) New Various Size Flood Barriers

01/13/16

12:00 p.m.

*To access and bid on Event(s) please go to the MWRA Supplier Portal at www.mwra.com.

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

DOCKET NO. SU15P2994PM

In the matter of: Dionna Renee Weaver-Smith Respondent (Person to be Protected/Minor) Of: Dorchester, MA CITATION GIVING NOTICE OF PETITION FOR APPOINTMENT OF CONSERVATOR OR OTHER PROTECTIVE ORDER PURSUANT TO G.L c. 190B, §5-304 & §5-405 To the named Respondent and all other interested persons, a petition has been filed by Donna R. Weaver of Dorchester, MA in the above captioned matter alleging that Dionna R. Weaver-Smith is in need of a Conservator or

REAL ESTATE

other protective order and requesting that Donna R. Weaver of Dorchester, MA (or some other suitable person) be appointed as Conservator to serve Without Surety on the bond.

The petition asks the court to determine that the Respondent is disabled, that a protective order or appointment of a Conservator is necessary, and that the proposed conservator is appropriate. The petition is on file with this court.

You have the right to object to this proceeding. If you wish to do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance at this court on or before 10:00 A.M. on the return date of 01/14/2016. This day is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline date by which you have to file the written appearance if you object to the petition. If you fail to file the written appearance by the return date, action may be taken in this matter without further notice to you. In addition to filing the written appearance, you or your attorney must file a written affidavit stating the specific facts and grounds of your objection within 30 days after the return date.

IMPORTANT NOTICE The outcome of this proceeding may limit or completely take away the above-named person’s right to make decisions about personal affairs or financial affairs or both. The above-named person has the right to ask for a lawyer. Anyone may make this request on behalf of the above-named person.

If the above-named person cannot afford a lawyer, one may be appointed at State expense.

Witness, Hon. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court.

Date: December 11, 2015

Felix D. Arroyo Register of Probate

REAL ESTATE

ADMIRALS TOWER CO-OP & CONSTITUTION CO-OP SENIOR LIVING AT ITS BEST! Affordable senior apartments located on the beautiful grounds of Admiral’s Hill in Chelsea, and on the Freedom Trail in Charlestown. These active senior housing co-ops are within walking distance to, shopping, banks, churches and are on MBTA bus lines.

Features such as…...

• Large studio and 1 bedroom apartments • Scenic views of the Boston skyline • Plenty of space for outdoor relaxation • Emergency Response Person living on site, on call • On site laundry facilities and air conditioning • Large community room with many social events

Call 1-800-225-3151 • www.csi.coop

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

Docket No. SU15P2854EA Estate of Frances Coachman Date of Death 04/02/2015

INFORMAL PROBATE PUBLICATION NOTICE To all persons interested in the above captioned estate, by Petition of Petitioner Steven Coachman of Randolph, MA. Steven Coachman of Randolph, MA has been informally appointed as the Personal Representative of the estate to serve without surety on the bond.

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

REAL ESTATE

FRIENDLY GARDEN CO-OP APARTMENTS Friendly Garden Co-op Apartments where member residents have a voice in the management of the property, has large studio and one bedroom apartments.

Located a short distance from Revere Beach, this active senior co-op is on an MBTA bus route, and is within walking distance to shopping, banks and medical professionals.

Features such as…...

• Scenic views of Revere’s beachside community • Plenty of space for indoor relaxation • Emergency Response Person living on site, on call • On site laundry facilities and air conditioning • Large community room with many social events

Social activities include: Bingo, Luncheons, Holiday Parties & More!!

Rent is based on 30% of income (income limits apply) to qualified seniors 62 and older and to younger persons, must be at least 18 or older, who are mobility impaired requiring the special design features of accessible units.

LEGAL

PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR SENIORS.

Rent is based on 30% of income (income limits apply) to qualified seniors 62 and older and to younger persons, must be at least 18 or older, who are mobility impaired requiring the special design features of accessible units.

Call 1-800-225-3151 • www.csi.coop

Thursday, December 31, 2015 • BAY STATE BANNER • 15

BANNER CLASSIFIEDS

REAL ESTATE

Wollaston Manor 91 Clay Street Quincy, MA 02170

Senior Living At It’s Best

A senior/disabled/ handicapped community 0 BR units = $1,027/mo 1 BR units = $1,101/mo All utilities included.

Call Sandy Miller,

Parker Hill Apartments

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

New Jobs In Fast-Growing

Supervisor, General Services

Brand New Renovated Apartment Homes

Companies Now Hiring MEMBER SERVICE CALL CENTER REPS Rapid career growth potential

Stainless Steel Appliances New Kitchen Cabinets Hardwood Floors Updated Bathroom Custom Accent Wall Painting Free Parking Free Wi-Fi in lobby Modern Laundry Facilities

$ STIPEND DURING 12-WEEK TRAINING

The Supervisor, General Services at the Massachusetts Port Authority manages the Authority-wide mail/courier services, staff and equipment ensuring prompt pick-up and deliveries to all of our customers. Monitors incoming deliveries to ensure suspicious packages are handled appropriately per State Police Instruction.

Property Manager

Two Bedrooms Starting at $2200

Program Restrictions Apply.

888-842-7945

#888-691-4301

HEALTH INSURANCE FIELD!

Are you a “people person?” Do you like to help others?

Full-time, 12-week training plus internship.

Job placement assistance provided.

FREE TRAINING FOR THOSE THAT QUALIFY HS diploma or GED required.

Free YMCA membership for you and your family while enrolled in YMCA Training, Inc. Call 617-542-1800 and refer to Health Insurance Training when you call

EDUCATION: Associate’s degree or equivalent professional experience required. Bachelor’s degree preferred.

EXPERIENCE: 3 - 5 years’ work experience and a thorough knowledge of supervisory practices required.

UNIQUE EXPERTISE/CERTIFICATION/REGISTRATIONS: 1. Current and valid driver’s license unrestricted except for automatic transmission and corrective lenses.

2. Written and oral communication skills required.

3. Ability to work with figures and maintain accurate records.

4. Working knowledge of postal equipment and postal regulations required.

5. Ability to pass a Massport controlled substances test and security background checks.

HELP WANTED

MASSPORT IS AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER COMMITTED TO WORKFORCE DIVERSITY You can now apply online by clicking on the job title you are interested in and clicking on the “Apply” link! http://agency.governmentjobs.com/ massport/default.cfm

Tradestone Software, Inc.’s Boston office has openings for a

ADVERTISE YOUR CLASSIFIEDS (617) 261- 4600 x 7799

ads@bannerpub.com

FIND RATE INFORMATION AT

www.baystatebanner.com /advertise

Senior Product Manager (#550170E), a Senior Technical Consultant (#357281E), & a Senior UI Developer (#813224E).

See www.tradestonesoftware.com for job duties & requirements.

Reference Job No. 550170E, 357281E, or 813224E, when sending resumes.

Mail resumes to: HR, Tradestone Software, Inc., 17 Rodgers St., Gloucester, MA 01930.

Are you interested in a

Healthcare CAREER? Project Hope, in partnership with Partners HealthCare is currently accepting applications for a FREE entry level healthcare employment training program.

Program eligibility includes: • • • • •

Have a high school diploma or equivalent Have a verifiable reference of 1 year from a former employer Pass assessments in reading, language, and computer skills Have CORI clearance Be legally authorized to work in the United States

For more information and to register for the next Open House please visit our website at www.prohope.org/openhouse.htm or call 617-442-1880 ext. 218.

CODMAN SQUARE NDC SEEKS A

DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation (CSNDC) seeks a highly motivated and experienced manager to lead our Real Estate Development Department. Primary responsibilities include: develop and maintain a realistic and achievable real estate project pipeline; oversee planning, construction, and implementation of all real estate development projects; develop project proposals and seek project financing in conjunction with staff; plus other associated senior management responsibilities.

We seek an entrepreneurial self-starter who embraces our vision and mission, and has at least 8 years of progressively responsible experience in real estate development. See www.csndc.com for a complete position description. Submit a cover letter, detailing your salary requirements and your qualifications for this position, along with a resume to: Ann L Silverman Consulting, csndcresumes@gmail.com. Applications will be reviewed and acknowledged as they are received. CSNDC is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

@baystatebanner

Director of Strategic Initiatives MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN Reports to Superintendent.

General responsibilities: Completing resident work orders, preventive maintenance, apartment turnovers, upkeep of grounds and completing weekly work schedules.

Specific Responsibilities: 1. Complete work assignments as directed by the Superintendent.

2. Complete weekly work schedules with the approval of the Property Manager.

3. Complete all work in a professional manner.

4. Follow the preventive maintenance plan or the property’s mechanical systems.

5. Responsible for sharing emergency call duties during non-office hours.

6. Monitor the inventory system with the Property Manager.

7. Assist with annual unit inspections.

8. Any other duties as assigned by the Property Manager or Superintendent.

Requirements: 1. Must have own tools 2. Must have a reliable vehicle with a valid driver’s license 3. Prefer two years property maintenance experience 4. Performs various maintenance functions including minor repairs that do not require the need for a license in the following areas: electrical, plumbing, appliances, flooring, carpentry, HVAC 5. Fosters a positive, active and collaborative relationship with residents, communities and associated agencies.

Works patiently, professionally and cooperatively with residents and staff.

6. Enforces and adheres to company policies, rules and regulations.

7. Preserves and respects resident and applicant confidentiality.

Physical Capabilities: Must live within 30 minutes of the property. Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds, climb and work on ladders, work with arms raised over head, stand/walk for long periods of time, climb stairs, bend at waist and knees to lift boxes, appliances, furniture, shovel snow, etc.

At First Hartford Realty Corp, we offer our employees a competitive salary and benefits package that includes a 401(k) plan, medical and dental insurance, life and long-term disability benefits, paid sick time, paid company holiday & vacation, and a confidential employee assistance programs EOE ALL INTERESTED CANDIDATES PLEASE FORWARD YOUR RESUMES TO JFERNANDES@FIRSTHARTFORD.COM OR PICK-UP AN APPLICATION AT SPRING GATE APARTMENT 52 HANNAH WAY, ROCKLAND, MA

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), the regional planning agency for metropolitan Boston, seeks a Director of Strategic Initiatives who is an innovative, mission-oriented systems thinker to lead its Strategic Initiatives Department. The Director of Strategic Initiatives reports to the Executive Director and plays a key role on the agency’s management team. The Strategic Initiatives Department identifies opportunities and approaches to advance significant change in the region, consistent with MAPC’s mission and the goals of MetroFuture.

The department evaluates models from within MAPC and from other regions to identify room for improvement, best practices, replicability and potential to accelerate the implementation of MetroFuture.

Working with the rest of the agency, the department is responsible for maintaining MetroFuture as a living plan that is relevant to the dayto-day work of MAPC, cities and towns in the region, and other allied organizations.

Duties include: Serve as the agency’s chief steward for the MetroFuture plan by evaluating its progress and educating agency staff and the public about our regional goals and implementation strategies.

Keep the plan up-to-date, and prepare for the development of major revisions over the next several years. (MetroFuture was adopted in 2008, and MAPC develops a new regional plan approximately once every 10 years.). Identify opportunities to shape innovative approaches that will advance significant change in the region, consistent with MetroFuture goals, and assist with implementation. Develop and maintain productive working relationships with key partners that include cities and towns, state and federal agencies, other regional planning agencies, non-profit and community-based organizations, philanthropies, regionally-significant institutions, and major employers.

Qualifications include: BA degree plus an advanced degree in planning, public policy, public administration or a related field, and a minimum of 8 years of progressively more responsibilities and relevant work experience.

Candidates should demonstrate: knowledge and experience with project management and meeting budgetary expectations within an entrepreneurial environment; deep knowledge of land use, planning, and public policy; a demonstrated commitment to sustainability, social equity, and public service; proven ability to design, manage, and evaluate programs; fundraising experience including work with foundations and government grants.

Compensation and Benefits: This is a full time position. The starting salary ranges from $80,000 to $90,000, depending on qualifications and experience. MAPC offers excellent Massachusetts state employee benefits as well as a flexible, supportive, and family-friendly work environment.

PLEASE SEE COMPLETE JOB AD AT: www.mapc.org (Jobs at MAPC) AND APPLY AT LINK SHOWN THERE. Please attach a cover letter, resume, and writing sample. A review of applications will begin immediately. The position is open until filled. Candidates must have legal authorization to work in the USA and a valid driver’s license and/ or the ability to arrange transportation to meetings in different parts of the region. MAPC is an EOE/AA employer. MAPC takes pride in the diversity of its workforce and encourages all qualified persons to apply.

Barbara Wooten, Manager of Human Resources.

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ONE DAY SALE PRICES IN EFFECT 1/1 & 1/2/2016, EXCEPT AS NOTED. OPEN A MACY’S ACCOUNT FOR EXTRA 20% SAVINGS THE FIRST 2 DAYS, UP TO $100, WITH MORE REWARDS TO COME. Macy’s credit card is available subject to credit approval; new account savings valid the day your account is opened and the next day; excludes services, selected licensed departments, gift cards, restaurants, gourmet food & wine. The new account savings are limited to a total of $100; application must qualify for immediate approval to receive extra savings; employees not eligible.

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