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Whitaker shares wit, wisdom........ pg. 13
Governor says state can cut recidivism rate in half.................pg. 3
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Min. wage fight gets boost from Obama Martin Desmarais
The webpage of the city’s Civilian Ombudsman Oversight Panel lists just 31 reviews of civilian complaints over a four-year period, while there were 900 civilian complaints in the same time period. Just 10 percent of citizen complaints reviewed by the Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division are sustained. (Banner photo)
Few police abuse cases find way to civilian review Yawu Miller Seven years after the city established a civilian board to review allegations of police abuse, the board remains largely powerless, ineffective and little-known according to attorneys and community activists contacted by the Banner. The three-person Civilian Ombudsman Oversight Panel reviews a small fraction of the civilian complaints referred to the Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division, often taking more than a year to review cases and upholding the majority of the IAD’s findings over the last two years, according to information on the board’s website.
“The bottom line is it’s three people reviewing a small number of complaints each year and it takes a long time for anyone to get a response,” says Miriam Mack, a legal fellow with the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts. Phone messages left for COOP members and at the phone number listed for the panel on its website were not returned by the Banner’s press deadline. Critics of the department’s civilian complaint process say COOP has little capacity to investigate cases. “There should be a board that has the ability to vet cases and has teeth to it,” said District 7 City Councilor Tito Jackson. “The
board should have some ability to investigate and ask questions. Citizen complaints are referred to the current three-person oversight panel when IAD investigators do not sustain a complainant’s charges. Complainants have 14 days after the IAD decision to appeal. COOP members have the power to review notes and transcripts from the IAD investigations, but do not interview police officers or the complainants. Between 2008 and 2011, the years for which COOP provides data on its website, only 31 complainants have appealed to the board. IAD fielded 900 citizen complaints of police misconduct in that same period. COOP, continued to page 7
Political support for a hike in minimum wage is high, with President Obama, Massachusetts lawmakers and political leaders across the country proffering different versions of wage hikes for the nation’s lowest-paid workers. But Massachusetts labor activists aren’t taking their chances with a legislative fix; they’re sticking to their plan to put their proposal for a $10.50 hourly minimum wage on the 2014 statewide ballot. Lew Finfer, director of the Massachusetts Communities Action Network and a steering committee member of Raise Up Massachusetts, an organization that has been leading the charge for a state ballot referendum to raise the minimum wage and ensure that all workers earn sick time if they or family members are ill, said it is a great boost to have President Obama enter the ring in the minimum wage fight, which he did on Feb. 12 when he signed an executive order to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 for federal contract workers for all new federal contracts after Jan. 1, 2015. However, he doesn’t believe the hike in minimum wage on federal jobs while have a big impact on employment overall or trigger any federal legislation on minimum wage for all workers. “I think it is a good thing because when the president talks
about something it increases focus on the issue,” Finfer said. “If he talks about it being important it reaches people and that is helpful.” According to Finfer, a minimum wage bill in Massachusetts would impact 500,000 workers, whereas President Obama’s executive order to raise the minimum wage would likely not impact much more than 1,000 workers in the state. “It is a small thing. It is the only thing in a sense he can legally do on his own,” Finfer said. Finfer and members of his organization also do not expect any legislation from the federal government. “The reality is that politically the Republicans in the House do not have any interest in voting for a minimum wage bill,” he said. “The chances of a federal bill passing are slim.” “ We h a v e to do this work in Massachusetts,” he added. Both President Obama and Gov. Deval Patrick called for increasing the minimum wage in addresses last month. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has also been outspoken in the need for minimum wage increase. When President Obama signed the executive order to raise the minimum wage on federal contract workers, he said it has a wide potential of impact because there are currently hundreds of thousands of people working under contracts with the federal
“I think it is a good thing because when the president talks about something it increases focus on the issue.”
— Lew Finfer
wage, continued to page 9
Expats participate in Venezuelan protests Martin Desmarais Twice in the last two weeks, Venezuelan national Cristina Aguilera has taken to the streets of Boston to show support for the anti-government protestors back in her native country. Mirroring the student-led anti-government protests that have swept every major city in Venezuela, the demonstrators here have been voicing widespread dissatisfaction with the government of Socialist President Nicolas Maduro. Con-
cerns center on rising violence in the country and the lack of basic necessities such as food and medicine for most of the country’s citizens. As a campaign organizer for The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, an organization that advocates for minority and worker rights, Aguilera is no stranger to advocacy, so she said she felt she had to be quick to stand up for the place of her birth. “We want to be the voice of what is happening in Venezuela because Venezuela, continued to page 12
Supporters of the anti-government protesters in Venezuela have demonstrated several times in the last week in Boston. Above, demonstrators on Boston Common on Feb. 18. (Photo courtesy of Estudiantes Boston).
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Roxbury program spawned generation of photographers
“Emerson was a renaissance man,” said Omobowale Ayorinde, a participant in the program who went on to teach photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology. “He was a clean, stand-up black man who mentored and served as a role model. The list of brothers and sisters who he directly influenced is quite long.” Through their two years of training, the teens developed lifelong skills that led to careers in photography and visual arts. Williams got his start in photog-
While the project was shortlived, the teens participated went on to mentor others, Williams notes, each sharing photographic insights and studio space with dozens of other budding photographers and artists over the years. Among the protégés of the project’s graduates is Roxbury artist Ekua Holmes, who studied with Ayorinde in the years following the program. “We would go on photographic journeys together,” she said. So when the original students
“I wanted to capture the beautiful parts of the community. Not the pictures you would see in the Herald.” — Wesley Williams
Photographers and artists who participated in the Roxbury Photography Training Program in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s gathered for a reunion last October. (l-r) Eric Meza, Reggie Jackson, Hakim Raquib, Ekua Holmes, Harry Emerson, Wesley Williams and Omobowale Ayorinde. (Photo courtesy of Omobowale Ayorinde) Yawu Miller In the summer of 1967, Wesley Williams spent much of his time hanging out at the Youth Alliance, a small social service agency located in a Blue Hill Avenue storefront. Everything changed one afternoon when three long-haired white students from MIT showed up with Nikons and spoke to Williams and other teens hanging out at the center. “They said, ‘you guys want to learn photography?’” Williams recalls. “They put Nikon cameras around our necks and asked us to take pictures. They showed us how to use the cameras. Then
they said they’d be back next week to develop the film.” Williams says he was surprised when the MIT students showed up the next week and each of the teens given a Nikon brought the camera back the next week. The MIT students explained that they wanted to train black photographers to capture images of the Civil Rights Movement, the anti-war movement and other events through a black perspective. With funding from MIT, the students rented space at 25 Ruggles St. in Dudley Square and launched the Roxbury Photographers Training Program. The teens worked with the MIT stu-
dents to build a darkroom, photo studio and gallery to display their work. The students enlisted the help of professional photographers to help train the 10 teenagers enrolled in the program. For Williams, who had never considered a career in photography, the program was a revelation. “I shot pictures of the community,” Williams said. “I wanted to capture the beautiful parts of the community. Not the pictures you would see in the Herald.” Eventually, the MIT students brought in Harry Emerson, a photographer who specialized in custom film processing, to lead the program.
raphy freelancing for the Banner, conducting roving camera interviews and covering news and cultural events in the black community. From the Banner gig, Williams went on to shoot freelance assignments for Newsweek, Black Enterprise and other publications. He shot assignments for publishing companies and other commercial ventures before becoming a camera man for WHDH-TV 7. Now a digital arts teacher at the Mildred Avenue K-8 school, Williams says he still draws on skills he learned working with the MIT students.
of the program got together for a reunion with Harry Ellison last October, Holmes was there along with the others. “It was spectacular to be able to thank Harry and let him know the depth of the impact of his mentoring,” she said. “And each of us has gone on to mentor others.” Williams says he is grateful to Ellis and the MIT students, who first had the vision to put a camera in his hands. “Photography has been the most wonderful experience of my life,” he said. “It’s a blessing.”
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Governor says state can cut recidivism rate in half Yawu Miller Gov. Deval Patrick says recidivism, the rate at which people convicted of crimes are re-arrested, can be cut by 50 percent in Massachusetts over the next five years if state policy makers continue an ongoing trend of criminal justice policy reform. Speaking at a forum held at UMass Boston and sponsored by MassINC, Patrick spoke about the success his administration and the legislature have had in reforming the state’s criminal justice system and outlined reforms he plans to advance in the next year. Patrick called on state policy makers to reject the notion that punitive policies — including mandatory minimum sentences, solitary confinement and incarceration of nonviolent drug offenders — will help reduce crime. “We think there is a more pragmatic, more effective and most efficient way to think about criminal justice, one that learns from the experience of the past, deals with the realities of today, and actually makes the public safer,” Patrick said. In many ways, Patrick’s approach to crime is a repudiation of those ushered in during 16 years of Republican governors beginning with William Weld, who told reporters he planned to “reintroduce Massachusetts prisoners to the joys of busting rocks.” Although Patrick and several Massachusetts sheriffs have pursued policies biased toward rehabilitation, the “tough on crime” mentality persists in Massachusetts. Over the objections of Black and Latino Caucus members, the Legislature passed a punitive three-strikes bill in 2012 aimed at repeat offenders. Last week, Patrick highlighted a provision in that bill that reduced mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders and increased the ability of inmates to earn time off their sentences for participating in prison programs. “This has contributed, over the past two years, to a 7 percent decrease in DOC’s inmate population, and a 13 percent decrease in the county jail population,” Patrick said. “That decrease will save almost $8 million in the coming fiscal year and eliminate
the future need for 10,000 new prison bed-spaces, at a cost of $2 billion to build and billions of dollars to operate.” The governor also touted the state’s 2010 CORI reform legislation, which he says has made it easier for ex-convicts to obtain jobs, housing and volunteer opportunities that in the past were closed to offenders. And Patrick said his administration’s Safe and Successful Youth Initiative, an anti-violence program aimed at young men, ages 14 to 24, has led to reductions in gun violence in targeted cities. The program, which requires law enforcement agencies and social service and support programs to work cooperatively, has led to a 25 percent drop in homicides in that population. In another program that Patrick says will reduce recidivism, the sheriffs in Berkshire, Essex, Hampden, Hampshire and Suffolk counties are accepting Department of Corrections inmates, who would normally serve their full sentences in a state prison, to serve the remaining months of their sentences in the county jails closest to their homes. “That’s significant because the inmates can benefit from community-based programs, re-engage with supportive family members, and establish trusting relationships with service providers in the neighborhoods they will soon re-join,” Patrick said. “This partnership will better prepare ex-offenders for productive life in the community after completing their sentences.” Essex County Sheriff Frank Cousins says the governor’s programs are in keeping with his administration’s focus on rehabilitation in the Essex County correctional facilities, including providing drug and alcohol programs, educational programs and allowing DOC inmates to serve in county jails prior to release. “We started with many of these programs in the ‘90s,” he said. “We’re seeing results.” In addition to promoting rehabilitation-oriented programs, Patrick pledged that his administration would end some of the more punitive practices in the Massachusetts corrections systems, including the practice of handcuffing female prisoners who
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are in labor and the full-body restraint of mentally ill inmates. “Unless it can be said with certainty that the inmate poses a serious and immediate physical danger to himself or his fellow inmates, he should not be tied down, limb-by-limb, in a 21st century correctional institution,” Patrick said. “Most of our inmates — even the most difficult ones — will return to the streets of our Commonwealth. Our treatment
of them must always keep that fact in mind, and preserve to the extent possible their own grip on their humanity.” The reform-oriented policies being pursued by the Patrick administration and sheriffs like Cousins are in keeping with public opinion, which, according to a MassInc. poll, has been trending away from punitive policies. In the MassINC poll, 43 percent of respondents said they thought prevention should be the highest priority of law enforcement in Massachusetts and 21 percent selected rehabilitation. Only 15 percent said punishment should be the highest priority while 19 percent chose enforcement. The poll found that overall, 85
percent of respondents support a reform agenda with a focus on rehabilitation and reduced sentences for non-violent offenders. Just 11 percent of respondents chose mandatory minimum sentences as a preferred sentencing mechanism. In his speech, Patrick urged Massachusetts policy makers to abandon punitive anti-crime approaches and embrace reform. “As we charge offenders to break their destructive cycles, we as policymakers can help by breaking a few of our own,” he said. “And if the result is a much safer public and much lower cost, we are duty-bound to try. The only thing left is to toss out the tired old slogans in favor of evidence, experience and wisdom.”
(l-r) Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins, Public Safety Secretary Andrea Cabral and Gov. Deval Patrick during a presentation at a forum on criminal justice reform sponsored by Mass INC. (Banner photo)
4 • Thursday, February 27, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
Established 1965
Damage to the NFL brand Every Sunday during the fall, millions of Americans settle in before their television sets to watch their favorite teams play football. Older African Americans can remember when black athletes were rare participants in the games, but times have changed. In the 2011 season, 70 percent of the players in the NFL were black, while blacks are only 13.1 percent of the nation’s total population. However, the conflict between Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin of the Miami Dolphins made it appear that the race issue is still unsettled. Personnel decisions are made on the skill requirements needed for the team to win. Even the racial resistance to black quarterbacks has diminished. The 32 NFL teams had 97 quarterbacks on their rosters in 2011, and 20 of them were black. That still amounts to 20.6 percent of the total. Not too many years ago black quarterbacks were never drafted. Ardent fans of NFL teams care less today about racial diversity or discrimination than about a string of victories. The eruption of the racial rift on the Miami Dolphins team caught football fans by surprise. People had come to believe that petty racial harassment was from a by-gone era. When the racial hazing became severe enough to induce Martin, a black lineman, to leave the team, the matter attracted national attention. The fans think of football as fun and games, but the NFL is a very profitable business, with annual revenues of about $10 billion. Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the NFL, understood the seriousness of Martin’s decision to leave the team on last Nov. 13. He engaged the services of Ted Wells, a distinguished Washington, D.C. lawyer, to investigate the matter and prepare a report. Martin’s conflict with his white teammate, Incognito, is not the only matter tarnishing the brand of the NFL. Former players and their families have sued to recover damages for the consequences of head injuries. They assert that
the NFL hid the lasting danger of head injuries. The suit was settled for only $765 million, just 7.65 percent of one year’s NFL revenue. That matter is not yet fully resolved. Boston University’s Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy continues to research the connection between concussions and dementia. Progress is controlled by the fact that an absolute diagnosis can be made only on a pathological examination of the brain after death. Efforts are also underway to develop helmets that provide greater protection. But some people now suggest that football is inherently too violent. Almost 2,000 years ago the Romans “I thought it was hard to learn an end-zone dance. Now built the Colosseum so citizens of Rome could we gotta learn how to trash talk in the locker room.” see gladiators fight to the death. There does seem to be a genetic human proclivity to be Editor’s note: The Miami Dolphins were again in the news with the release of titillated by violent encounters. The U.S. vid- documents detailing racial harassment of former lineman Jonathan Martin. eo game revenues for 2013 are predicted to be $12.97 billion, and most financially successful games involve depictions of violence. USPS 045-780 According to reviews of Ted Wells’ report, the vulgarity and racial epithets directed at Martin are so unacceptable that sponsor companies should not be permitted by the public Publisher/Editor Melvin B. Miller to be involved in such an enterprise. The NFL Assoc. Publisher/Treasurer John E. Miller receives $1 billion of its revenue from sponsors. Senior Editor Yawu Miller The commissioner’s office must require the ADVERTISING teams to clean up the locker room badinage. Sandra L. Casagrand Marketing-Sales Director Advertising Coordinator Rachel Reardon Blacks expect bad behavior from low class NEWS REPORTING whites, but it is truly sad and discouraging for Health Editor Karen Miller John Jerry and Mike Pouncey, two black footMartin Staff Writer Desmarais ball players, to join in the racist attacks against Contributing Writers Gloria J. Browne-Marshall Martin, as stated in the report. Both Jerry and Kenneth J. Cooper Pouncey earn more than $1.2 million per year. Colette Greenstein Despite their success as athletes, they have deCaitlin Yoshiko Kandil cided to become the role models for bullies who Sandra Larson impede the academic progress of young boys in Shanice Maxwell public school. Also, they disrespect the sacrificAnthony W. Neal es of their elders who endured bigotry in order Brian Wright O’Connor to create the opportunities that they now enjoy. Tiffany Probasco Their conduct is neither manly nor acceptable. Ernesto Arroyo Staff Photographers Together with Incognito, their fellow antagoJohn Brewer nist, they give football a bad name. Tony Irving Don West
LETTERSto the Editor
Open letter to the Massachusetts House Dear Representatives:
The New England Area Conference of the NAACP respectfully requested that the Massachusetts House of Representatives abstain from voting in the matter of the expulsion of Representative Carlos Henriquez. In the alternative, members of the House were asked to vote against the expulsion of their colleague. There are two bases on which NEAC made the request. Firstly, the matter of expulsion is premature since Representative Henriquez’s case is under appeal. The House of Representatives must respect the Massachusetts judicial process and let Representative Henriquez’s case before the Appeals Court proceed, without jumping to judgment before the appellate decision is rendered. Secondly, while NEAC respects
WHAT’S INSIDE
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Contributing Writers
Robin Hamilton Susan Saccoccia Lloyd Kam Williams
the jury’s decision, there is currently no rule for expulsion that applies to misdemeanor convictions. Representative Henriquez was duly elected by the electorate and there is no legal basis upon which the House of Representatives can properly act. Delaying any decision on the House Ethics Committee’s recommendation would have allowed for a fair process to take place, as required under the law. Reasonable citizens of
the Commonwealth respect the decision of a just jury trial and they also expect a fair and reasoned decision by the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
Marissa Giambrone Heather Austin
ADMINISTRATION Business Manager
Karen Miller
Respectfully submitted, Juan M. Cofield President, NAACP New England Area Conference
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ROVINGCamera
OPINION Creating a level playing field U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren
This is a special moment in history. In August, we commemorated the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shared his dream of equality and called for action. Later this year, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, one of the enduring legacies of the March on Washington. The Civil Rights Act was a landmark moment in the ongoing fight for equality, enshrining in law the principle that ensure no one should be discriminated against because of who they are. The country has come a long way since the early days of the Civil Rights Movement, but there is much more to do to keep the progress we have made and ensure that every child has an equal opportunity to get ahead. The threat to move us backward is real: the impact of the Supreme Court’s recent decision to gut the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is already being felt across the country. The Voting Rights Act is one of the most important civil rights statutes ever enacted by this country. It was designed to protect voters from discrimination and has been an incredible success for over 40 years. In 2006, it was reauthorized by overwhelming bipartisan majorities in both houses of Congress. Now the Supreme Court has decided to rip out some of the act’s most important provisions, pushing the country in the wrong direction — and we need to push back against efforts that restrict people’s right to vote. It is also critical to fight for a level playing field for hardworking families, and for the kinds of investments that strengthen our communities and help build a future. One of my top priorities in the Senate is working to invest in education. The federal government should be a strong partner for our cities and towns, working together to ensure our public schools are providing a quality education for our kids. In 2013, the graduation rate for African American high school students in Massachusetts was 73.8 percent, significantly lower than the statewide average of 85 percent. We need to end this disparity and close the achievement gap. I’m also focused on ways we can improve affordability and increase access to higher education. Today, it is more critical than ever that young people get some form of higher education after they leave high school. But right now, $1.2 trillion in total student loan debt is crushing our young people and making it harder for them to pay for college and get on their feet after graduation. African American students are hit especially hard, leaving school with higher debt burdens than other students. Meanwhile, the government is making billions in dollars of profit every year off the federal student loan program. This is wrong. We need to wring these profits out of the federal student loan system, and invest the money right back into helping our kids get an education. In addition to improving access to a high quality education, we need to bolster our investments in community development to help strengthen our economy and revitalize our neighborhoods. That means making sure there are enough good jobs for everyone who is looking for work, and raising the minimum wage so that no one who works full time is in poverty. It also means ensuring that families can access affordable housing. We’re still recovering from the mortgage crisis, and foreclosures hit communities of color particularly hard. I strongly believe that we need to address our nation’s foreclosure crisis with a housing policy that fires on all cylinders: principal write downs, refinancing options for homes that are underwater, cash for keys, and short sales. We have to take serious and hard steps to keep the housing market on track so that we can continue rebuilding our economy. This month, as we celebrate African-American history and recall the struggles and achievements of the Civil Rights Movement, let’s reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that every kid in every community — from Roxbury to Springfield, Worcester to Brockton and beyond — has the same opportunity to succeed. I’m going to do my part in the Senate to support the kind of efforts that help us level the playing field and build a stronger future together.
The Voting Rights Act is one of the most important civil rights statutes ever enacted by this country.
The Banner welcomes your opinion. Email Op-Ed submissions to:
yawu@bannerpub.com Letters must be signed. Names may be withheld upon request.
What do you think the NFL should do about racial harassment of team members?
The n-word should never be used. We ourselves shouldn’t be using it. If we stopped using it, we would set an example.
There’s no room for harassment. The players have to work together. They should share meals and have family get-togethers.
I think the NFL is a reflection of our society. They shouldn’t tolerate racial harassment. All that should be behind us.
Keith Rowell
Lawrence Mathis
George Jordan
Perpetrators of racial harassment should be suspended for life. The owners need to enforce that.
They should have a policy. In the locker room, they joke, they call each other the n-word. They should have higher standards.
They should not tolerate it. You can’t have bullying. It should be banned.
Eddie Green
William Bean
Disabled Veteran Dorchester
Joelee Baker-Bey Reverend Roxbury
Iron Worker Mattapan
Claims Assistance Roxbury
Self-Employed Dorchester
NAACP Volunteer Roxbury
INthe news
Celia Blue
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation appointed Celia Blue as the registrar of motor vehicles last month. Blue previously worked at MassDOT as assistant secretary for performance management and innovation. In this job, she worked closely with the department’s different divisions to develop and implement performance management systems. Prior to that she served as deputy registrar for the Registry of Motor Vehicles and was responsible for oversight of its customer service operations. “Celia has spearheaded numerous successful innovation initiatives and led our efforts to make performance management more transparent and accountable to the public,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Richard A. Davey. “As a former deputy registrar with private sector experience, she is uniquely qualified to lead the RMV.” Under Blue’s leadership as deputy registrar, customer wait times at RMV branches and the call center were reduced. Blue was also instrumental in
the implementation of the RMV’s innovative partnership with AAA. She previously served as a commissioner of the former Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission and worked in the private sector in leadership roles focusing on customer service, operational management and small businesses management. Blue holds a bachelor’s degree from Worcester State College and a master’s degree in business admin-
istration from Anna Maria College. She has been recognized for her leadership, commitment and dedication to making Boston a more inclusive city and serves on the boards of several civic and community organizations in Massachusetts. Blue will take over an RMV that has implemented significant expansion of its website, a new customer service plan and new branches in rent-free public spaces.
6 • Thursday, February 27, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
An ACLU oversight in the Henriquez case? MB Miller The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has a major voting rights project. Its objective is “to ensure that all eligible voters have an opportunity to cast a ballot that will be counted … and to make sure that all votes are counted equally.” The unconstitutional removal of Carlos Henriquez from his seat in the Legislature is equivalent to a refusal to acknowledge or count the votes that elected him.
The action of the Massachusetts House provides a terrible precedent. Conservatives have resorted to numerous tactics to diminish the effect of more liberal voters. If the
COMMENTARY ACLU fails to acknowledge the injustice of the action by the Massachusetts House, how can they justifiably intervene in similar actions in Mississippi or Alabama?
The ACLU has also expressed a concern about excessive incarceration. Their policy states that “more Americans are deprived of their liberty than ever before — unfairly and unnecessarily, with no benefit to public safety.” The ACLU then points out the over-incarceration in the war on drugs as “a war on communities
of color. The racial disparities are staggering.” A report in Commonwealth Magazine for the Summer 2000 issue demonstrates the racial disparity in the prosecution of drug cases in Dorchester District Court. Non-whites with no prior drug record were treated more severely than whites with a record. It appears that the imprisonment of Henriquez is to require blacks to lead the campaign against spousal abuse, as they have done in the war on drugs. ACLU’s silence on these matters should cause thoughtful African Americans to question the organization’s priorities.
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Mayor Marty Walsh attends the Mothers for Justice & Equality Empowerment Breakfast at Faith Christian Church in Dorchester on Feb. 22. At the breakfast, Mayor Walsh took time to take questions from those in attendance regarding recent violence in the city, as well as opportunities for youth to work this coming summer. (Jeremiah Robinson photo / Mayor’s Office)
Thursday, February 27, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER • 7
COOP
continued from page 1
Of those citizen-initiated complaints, COOP reported on 20 in its 2011 report, the most recent posted online. Of the 20 IAD investigations the panel reviewed four were found to be unfair and sent back to IAD for further review. The COOP web page provides no information on any action IAD may have taken on those four cases.
In the wake of widespread and documented physical and verbal police abuse of black males during the 1989 Charles Stuart Case, the city created a commission headed by attorney James St. Clair to review police practices. The 1992 St. Clair Commission report concluded that “Physical abuse of citizens by a police officer is among the most serious violations of the public trust possible,” and called for the creation of a civilian review board to process complaints.
“The bottom line is it’s three people reviewing a small number of complaints each year and it takes a long time for anyone to get a response.”
fairs Division. The panel began its work in 2007. In 2009, Harvard University researchers issued a scathing report of the review panel, characterizing its work as ineffective. At the time of the Harvard report, only 10 of the 116 people who brought cases to IAD had sought to have the COOP review their cases. The Harvard researchers interviewed 27 citizen complainants who did not appeal to the review panel and found that 26 of them did not know the panel existed. Boston attorney Howard Friedman, who represents clients in police misconduct cases, says police procedures have improved markedly since the late ‘80s when
the department had no standard forms or procedures for taking civilian complaints. But he says the IAD process still seems biased against the complainants. Friedman says IAD inspectors will often ask leading questions, that the complaint process is lengthy and complainants are not given status updates on their complaints. One of his clients, who was issued a parking ticket after she stopped her car to observe what she thought was an instance of officers using excessive force, filed a complaint against the officer who wrote the ticket on April 1, 2013. “We still haven’t received a response,” Friedman said.
The lack of communication suggests that civilian review panel may have limited influence on police procedures. In its 2012 report, the COOP members recommended that police issue updates to complainants at 90-day intervals. While the COOP members said IAD investigators are now refraining from “overuse of leading questions” in their investigations, Friedman says he often observes that behavior during questioning. “What I’ve seen is that they’ll ask police officers leading questions like, ‘so you had to use force to restrain him,’” he said. “There’s still a difference between the way a complainant is treated and the way officers are treated.”
— Miriam Mack Civil rights advocates who called for the creation of a civilian review board prior to the establishment of the COOP argued that the board could serve as a balance to IAD investigations, which many perceive as biased in favor of police officers. Current statistics on the COOP website suggest that bias may still exist. In instances where department brass issued IAD complaints against officers in 2010, 84 percent of the complaints were sustained, according to COOP data. But for civilian-initiated complaints that year, 13 percent were sustained, 60 percent were not sustained and 23 percent were still pending at the end of the year. Persuading the administration of former Mayor Thomas Menino to accept a civilian review board was a long process.
While other key reforms recommended by the St. Clair Commission were implemented soon after the release of the report, the civilian oversight panel was put on the back burner for the next 12 years. The high-profile beating of a black undercover officer and string of police shootings of unarmed black suspects in the ‘90s sparked repeated calls for a civilian review board but yielded no action from the city. Following the 2005 accidental death of Emerson College Junior Victoria Snelgrove, felled by a projectile fired from a pepper pellet gun which struck her in the head, former Mayor Thomas Menino created the COOP, charged with reviewing cases of complainants not satisfied with the outcomes of cases dismissed by the department’s Internal Af-
Police officers take a suspect into custody on Washington Street on a recent evening. (Banner photo)
8 • Thursday, February 27, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
Vintage fashion site touts mixing-n-matching styles
Vanessa Lundy, founder of vintage fashion site VanaVainVintage.com, aims to help women create a variety of outfits with clothing they already have in their closets. Kassmin Williams As a child, Boston resident Vanessa Lundy had a fascination with her mom’s clothing. She would go in to her mother’s closet and try on jackets, skirts and high heels. But as she grew up that fascination became more teasing with her and her sister sometimes laughing at her mother’s choice in outfits. Once Lundy could fit into some of the items she loved and ridiculed, she started to develop a love for vintage pieces like the high-waisted black leather skirt her mother passed down to her when Lundy was in high school. Today, Lundy runs her own
vintage blog site, VanaVainVin tage.com, where she shares her personal style and fashion advice and sells some pieces from her ever-growing vintage collection. Lundy’s main goal with vanavainvintage.com is to give the everyday woman insight into how to create a variety of outfits out of the clothing already in her closet. Lundy often mixes vintage pieces with clothing from the customer’s usual clothing store and repeats items to show women that styles can be created without making heavy purchases or needing a lot of clothes. “A lot of time I repeat a lot pieces and it’s not something that is
a bad thing to me. It’s showing that you can have your clothes and wear it many different ways,” Lundy said. “I think a lot of times we think it’s having a lot of clothing that makes you have personal style.” Aside from showing off her own fashion sense, Lundy gives her audience a chance to dabble with vintage by providing them an opportunity to make purchases from her site. As vanavainvintage.com moves into its second year, Lundy is making some changes to the website to include the option to shop — which is unavailable now. Lundy is readying the selection with spring items from the ‘40s, ‘60s and ‘80s, and hopes to have it launched in March. For Lundy, vintage clothing isn’t “old” clothing, but instead it has history making it more significant to her than the purchase of a brand new item. “I consider [the vintage pieces] to be the originators of fashion because everything comes back,” Lundy said. “If you look at a lot of today’s fashion, it’s similar to the vintage clothing with a little twist. To me it’s really not old and it feels good to have the original piece.” Lundy is also drawn to vintage clothing because she believes the pieces could tell a story that can inspire an ensemble. “Before us somebody else had this. Whether it’s been worn or not, there’s still a story to it.”
Lundy said. “There was an era. There was a time when people wore it specifically. When I see a piece I think of who wore it, where’d they wear it. “It just puts me in a better mood and I’ll wear that piece whenever I’m feeling similar, going out or just want to put it on and add my own twist to it.” Lundy also plans to move beyond the computer screen to offer in-person styling tips to models and everyday woman, she said. Services will include styling for events and appearances and a closet analysis during which Lundy will provide advice on how to wear specific items in multiple ways. “If I can inspire someone to wear a black dress two different ways, to me that’s fulfilling,” Lundy said. Information about styling will also be included on the new website.
Lundy said her interest in vintage clothing can be traced back to her childhood when she spent hours trying on and modeling her mother’s clothing.
Stylist Lundy said she hopes to inspire women to spend less and wear more with her fashion website VanaVainVintage.com.
Thursday, February 27, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER • 9
wage
continued from page 1
government who are currently making less than $10.10 an hour. Examples he gave of the jobs that could be impact included nursing assistants at veterans’ homes, concessions workers at National Parks, food workers catering to the military and grounds workers on military bases. Following his remarks in his State of the Union address, President Obama touted the executive order as his move to set the example to U.S. lawmakers that the minimum wage should be raised. He pledged to continue to work with Congress to raise the minimum wage for all Americans through current legislation, which would see it rise in stages to $10.10 — including an index to increase with inflation — and also raise the minimum wage for tipped workers for the first time in 20 years. The president also said he will continue to support and encourage state and local efforts to increase the minimum wage. Boston University Professor
“The president is exercising the buying power of the federal government to accomplish a longoverdue increase in minimum wages for workers employed by federal contractors.” — Peter Doeringer Peter Doeringer, an authority on labor relations and work organizations, said that President Obama’s executive order to raise the minimum wage for workers on federal contracts is an easy political move to make as it will have little impact on the federal contractors because the higher wage costs will be passed on to the government in the bidding process, but it will also have minimum impact on most American workers. “The president is exercising the buying power of the federal government to accomplish a long-overdue increase in minimum wages for workers employed by federal contractors,” Doeringer said. “It may also have modest spillover benefits for private sector workers, particularly among government contractors who also operate in sectors outside of the federal government.
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But these spillovers are unlikely to affect employment in any significant way.” If the ballot campaign is any indication, popular support is high for a minimum wage increase in Massachusetts. Last fall, Raise Up Massachusetts and more than 50 Massachusetts community organizations conducted a campaign to collect signatures on petitions to have questions about minimum wage and sick time on the November 2014 election ballot. Each petition needed about 100,000 signatures by Nov. 20 to get a question or proposed measure on the ballot. About 280,000 signatures were collected — enough to place the questions on the ballot for a
state-wide vote this fall. The petition for minimum wage collected over 150,000 signatures. At the end of 2013, the state Senate passed a bill that would raise minimum wage from the current $8 an hour to $11 hour in the next two years. But the House has yet to vote or take up the bill, although House Speaker Robert DeLeo has indicated he would support the bill if its tied to reductions in the state’s unemployment insurance program designed to cut costs to businesses. No action has been taken at all by either the Senate or the House on the sick time issue, so Raise Up Massachusetts is already moving ahead plans to get that question on the ballot next fall. Now,
Finfer said, the organization expects to have to do the same for the minimum wage question. “The Senate passed a good bill but things are more cloudy about whether the House will pass a strong bill and will they add other weakening pieces like a lower minimum wage for teens and cuts in unemployment benefits,” Finfer stated. “If the Legislature does not pass this by May 6, we can qualify it for a fall ballot vote if we gather a second round of voter signatures of around 30,000 during May and June. This is substantial work to do but we gathered 154,000 last fall so feel we can get this second group of signatures.” Labor activists will specifically
have nine weeks to collect the signatures needed if no minimum wage legislation comes through or if something is passed that is not strong enough to satisfy them. By preparing for another signature drive, Finfer said they are covering all grounds. “At least, in this case, we have an option if they don’t pass something or if they pass something that isn’t strong we can take something to the voters and then they can decide,” he said.
One who takes false pride in his wisdom attains neither yoga, love, nor knowledge. Due to pride, man is miserable and afraid. O dear one, he falls. – Swami Muktananda
10 • Thursday, February 27, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
HISTORY BLACK
CELEBRATING THE IMPORTANT EVENTS AND PEOPLE THAT HAVE HELPED SHAPE AMERICA
Joseph Lee: famed hotelier, restaurateur, inventor
Joseph Lee Anthony W. Neal After having spent more than a decade of his childhood in bondage, in the late 19th century African American Joseph Lee became one of the most talked about hotel proprietors and restaurateurs in New England. He was born between 1848 and 1849, in Charleston, S.C., to slave parents Susan and Henry Lee. Not much is known about his early years. A Freedman’s Bank record dated January 30, 1872, makes reference to a “light” complexioned 24-year-old Joseph Lee, who was born and raised in Charleston and who listed Susan Lee as his mother. The record reveals that he was employed as a servant in Beaufort then. At some point in his early life, he became a skilled chef and baker. In 1875, Joseph Lee married Christiana Howard, a schoolteacher in Philadelphia. She was born free in 1850 in Sandy Springs, Md., to Rebecca and Greenbury Howard. Her mother was a dressmaker and her father was a laborer. Christiana bore four children of the marriage: Genevieve, Joseph Howard, Therese and Narka. In February 1876, in Pennsylvania, she gave birth to their first child, Genevieve. The Lees made their way to Massachusetts by June of 1878, as their
second child, Joseph Howard, was born there at that time. Joseph Howard attended high school in Newton and, in 1896, enrolled at Harvard College, where he was a member of the varsity football and crew teams. He eventually received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the college in 1903. In 1880, the Lee family resided in Needham. Joseph Lee found work at a boarding house. Two years later, he leased the Woodland Park Hotel on the corner of Washington Street and Woodland Avenue in Auburndale — one of the villages of Newton. It was just a summer hotel then, standing in the middle of a sand bank. In 1883 Lee purchased the place, built additions to it, and enlarged and beautified the grounds. During the summer of 1885, in connection with his Woodland Park Hotel, Lee also managed the Fort Point House, a first-class family resort on Cape Jellison in Stockton, Maine. Lee’s investment in the Woodland Park Hotel must have become profitable by 1886. That year, the Boston Daily Advertiser listed him as one of “Newton’s rich men” — among the town’s large taxpayers. Lee added a new annex to the hotel, containing bowling alleys and billiard and pool rooms, and formally opened it to the public on May 2, 1890. A year later, the Advertiser described his establishment as “a picturesque structure, with gables and towers, dormer windows, high chimneys and wide, shady verandas.” His hotel was “surrounded by seven acres of well-kept grounds, provided with tennis courts and laid out in pretty drives and walks.” Open to visitors throughout the year, the elegant guest house provided unrivaled facilities for hosting class suppers, dinner parties and other social events. Lee delivered ice cream, fancy cakes and delicacies made to order from the Woodland Park Hotel to all parts of Newton. He catered parties and weddings as well, in
both Newton and Boston. At that time, he also owned The Abbotsford, a top-quality hotel at 186 Commonwealth Ave. in Boston. Indeed, the proprietor “proved himself one of the most successful and pleasing hotel men in New England,” wrote the Advertiser. Many distinguished guests stayed at the exclusive Woodland Park Hotel. For instance, on September 16, 1891, President Benjamin Harrison’s family paid a visit. Mrs. Harrison boarded there for about three weeks, while the rest of the family — Mr. and Mrs. J. R. McKee and their two children — spent the winter at the hotel. How did the president of the United States learn of the Woodland Park Hotel? Six days before the presidential party arrived, Lee explained, “The whole story is this. Mr. McKee, as you know, is a Boston man of business and has not only known of me and the Woodland Park for a long time but has been out here and is also a member of the Boston Trade Club. He is also aware of the charms of The Abbotsford, my Boston hotel, and has said many times that he intended to bring the President and his family to Woodland Park.” The hotel owner added, “Mr. McKee visited the house last summer” and “enjoyed his stay very much.” For several seasons, Walbridge Abner Field, Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, was a guest at the hotel. On November 24, 1891, the Earl and Countess of Aberdeen and Lady Marjorie Gordon were guests, and on March 22, 1892, Lady Henry Somerset, a British philanthropist, temperance leader and champion of women’s rights, had a sojourn at the hotel. Joseph Lee served on the executive committee of the Massachusetts Hotel Association, and he was a member of the Hotel Men’s Mutual Benefit Associa-
Joseph Lee received a number of patents for his inventions, including this 1895 patent for a bread crumbing machine. His inventions were often closely related to his work with hotels and restaurants. tion. He also participated in the battle for civil rights. From Feb. 4 to Feb. 8, 1890, he served as a Massachusetts delegate to the Convention of Colored Men in Washington, D.C. There, the American Citizens’ Equal Rights Association was formed to secure the full rights of black men, especially in the South. A contemporary observer noted that the Lees were “included in Boston’s leading colored society and no circle” was “complete without their presence.” He described Mrs. Lee as “a woman of culture and refinement and magnificent personal charms.” Joseph Lee was a successful inventor as well. On Aug. 7, 1894, he acquired U.S. patent no. 524,042 for his dough-knead-
ing machine, intended for use in hotels and large houses. On June 4, 1895, he secured U.S. patent no. 540,553 for his bread crumbing machine. Due to a severe economic depression, which began in 1893, Lee gave up the Woodland Park Hotel in 1896. But the following year he opened the Pavilion Restaurant — a “grand elevated” fine dining establishment overlooking the Charles River and Norumbega Park. Norumbega Park was a popular new amusement park at the end of the Commonwealth Avenue trolley line, in Auburndale. It featured a variety of rides, a penny arcade, a deer park, an outdoor theatre, a gorgeous electric fountain, picnic areas and splendid canoeing on the Charles River.
Joseph Lee purchased the Woodland Park Hotel in Newton, Mass., in 1883. The exclusive hotel hosted many distinguished guests including the family of President Benjamin Harrison, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Justice Abner Field and the Earl and the Countess of Aberdeen.
Thursday, February 27, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER • 11
HISTORY BLACK
CELEBRATING THE IMPORTANT EVENTS AND PEOPLE THAT HAVE HELPED SHAPE AMERICA
Emily Dickinson’s poems reflect specter of slavery
Emily Dickinson Aife Murray The recent furor about human trafficking shows a curious disconnect with its long history that profoundly changed American lives and culture. Solomon Northup’s book, and Steve McQueen’s recent film, “Twelve Years a Slave” renders gruesome details of that long shadow when slave trafficking was legal. Emily
system that knew no borders. Upstate New Yorker Northup’s experience of being tricked and sold into slavery was not an isolated event. In the previous year, in Amherst, there was a highly publicized case of 11-yearold Angeline Palmer nearly sold into bondage. Dickinson was a girl of 9 and this might have been her earliest lesson about human trafficking; her lawyer father represented three African-American men who staged a daring stagecoach rescue of Angeline. The child worked as a servant for a white family who, while on a Georgia vacation, planned to sell her. Angeline overheard the plot and told her family. Angeline’s brother, with two others, absconded with the child to a safe house near the Vermont border. Those familiar with the story of Patsey — a doubly-trafficked slave held captive with Northup — can appreciate why Angeline’s rescuers refused, under oath, to reveal her whereabouts. For this offense the men were held in contempt and thrown in jail. A dozen years later, 21-yearold Dickinson wrote her brother
Slavery’s existence operated as an ever-present threat to free blacks and as one of opportunity for whites. Dickinson — generally thought of as outside the social tide — was 22 when Northup’s book appeared. Human trafficking and slavery were so pervasive to the imagination that it became the metaphorical, or actual, subject of many of Emily Dickinson’s poems — proof that those distant from the slave states were changed by a
a newsy letter mentioning that their stableman, Wells Newport, had “disappeared.” Wells was the great-grandson of a former slave who, in the 18th century, successfully sued for his freedom in a Springfield court. But in March 1852 Emily didn’t sound alarmed that Wells had “disappeared” even though this occurred two
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years after the Fugitive Slave Act was made law. The act unleashed a reign of terror for anyone of African descent (whether or not a family, like the Newports, had lived freely in Massachusetts for 100 years) because it gave slave agents an open hunting license to travel the free states to re-capture “escaped property.” They didn’t want to go home empty-handed so cases of “misidentification” or crimes of opportunity prevailed. Slavery’s existence operated as an ever-present threat to free blacks and as one of opportunity for whites. If Dickinson’s stableman had gotten into an argument
with a local white man, the ability to relocate to another town or state, while feelings were high, was essential. It’s why there were safe houses; they served more purposed than aiding escaped slaves bound for Canada. This may account for why small 19th century Berkshire towns had disproportionately high numbers of African-Americans. Many relocated from New York; a state so dependent on the southern slave economy that it was a hostile to them (contrary to bucolic scenes of Northup’s Saratoga life in McQueen’s film). We don’t know if Wells Newport’s disappearance was another of the poet’s brush with human trafficking. There’s a gap in Newport’s life story but he eventually migrated back to Amherst and died there. His family’s legacy is memorialized by Newport House at Amherst College, named for several generations who served as trainers for colle-
gian athletes. As a child, Dickinson might’ve been shocked about what was planned for Angeline Palmer but, at 21, she is offhand about her stableman’s unexplained departure. It took another dozen years for this poet to register the pervasive injustice of legalized human trafficking, north and south. In this 1863 poem, this northern white writer may be acknowledging parallels for household servants, free and enslaved, and that escape was the correct act to dismantle a system that Dickinson, too, depended on for her vocation: The Lamp burns sure - within ‘Tho’ Serfs - supply the Oil It matters not the busy Wick At her phosphoric toil! The Slave - forgets - to fill The Lamp - burns golden - on Unconscious that the oil is out As that the Slave - is gone.
12 • Thursday, February 27, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
On Feb. 18, demonstrators gathered on Boston Common to show support for the protesters in Venezuela, who are calling on the South American country’s government to reduce violence and provide more access to basic necessities such as food and medicine. (Photo courtesy of Estudiantes Boston)
Venezuela continued from page 1
nobody is reporting what is going on. The only reports coming out of there is from the government and it is highly biased,” Aguilera said. “We did this with the hope that more people will find out what is happening in Venezuela.” Aguilera pointed out that, on Feb. 18, demonstrators in Boston joined over 100 cities around the world — and 70 in the United States — who held similar demonstrations to bring to light the current situation in Venezuela. The protests in Venezuela started in early February, mostly led by student activists concerned about the rising crime and violence, but the demonstrations have since grown in magnitude and intensity. After the government arrested prominent opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez last week, protestors responded with the one of the largest anti-government demonstrations yet on Saturday, which saw thousands take to the streets in the country’s capital city Caracas. Deep class divisions in Venezu-
elan society came to the fore when the late Hugo Chavez was elected to the presidency in 1999, pledging to share the profits from the country’s oil wealth with the poor. Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the western hemisphere. The Chavez presidency survived a coup attempt that many in the international community claim was backed by the U.S. and four contentious elections. Praised among the poor for reducing the country’s rate of extreme poverty by two thirds and cutting unemployment in half, Chavez was criticized for consolidating political power and clamping down on the opposition media. His successor, former Vice President Nicolás Maduro, has pledged to continue the socialist policies Chavez advanced, but has been plagued by growing inflation and crime. The most recent report on the growing violence of the protests, from an international news outlet, came from Reuters and reported 13 deaths in the protests so far. The Venezuelan government has publicly stated that over 500 people have been charged in the demonstrations, but only about 50 have been kept in jail, with the rest warned and released. Venezu-
ela government officials also claim that about 150 people have been injured. Aguilera said that though the protests in Venezuela were initially started by students, she and others joining her on Boston’s streets feel that the students were just giving a voice to all of Venezuela’s people and the fight is for everyone. “It wasn’t just about the students. They are leading the fight but everyone else is backing them in trying to do something,” Aguilera said. “There is something that we all have in common in Venezuela — crime, scarcity of food, no medicine, inflation, corruption. It is becoming impossible to live there.” The Venezuelan Embassy in Boston released a statement last week from the government of Venezuela that asked the United States for an explanation “why it finances, supports and defends opposition leaders who promote violence” in the country. “The Venezuelan government reiterates that it will continue monitoring and taking the necessary actions to impede U.S. agents from instilling violence and destabilization, and to inform the world about the nature of the Obama Adminis-
tration’s interventionist policies in our country,” the statement said. According to news reports, the U.S. State Department has channeled $5 million to Venezuelan opposition groups in the last year. A number of leftist U.S. organizations have voiced support for the current government in Venezuela. The Washington-based Black is Back Coalition for Social Justice, Peace and Reparations publicly backed President Maduro and the current government. “The greedy, elite Venezuelan opposition, fearful of the growth of socialist organization and aspirations of the working masses, is making attempts to indict the Venezuelan government in the arena of international public opinion,” the statement said. “The Black is Back Coalition is aware that the current violent demonstrations by the opposition are designed to promote the Maduro government’s response as repressive and extreme in order to justify imperialist intervention. The Black is Back Coalition is opposed to these new attempts to promote new coup attempts in Venezuela. We denounce all imperialist-supported interventions in Venezuela.” The National Lawyers Guild also called on Congress and Secretary of State Kerry to oppose U.S. intervention in Venezuela, calling the current conflict there “a violent campaign brought by Venezuela’s extreme right-wing opposition that seeks to topple the recently elected government.” “For the last seven years, the NLG has observed Venezuelan elections — most recently, that of President Maduro in April 2013. NLG observers and other human rights groups (notably the Carter Center) found these elections to be free, fair, and exemplary of a democratic process,” said a statement from the organization. “The NLG opposes any U.S. interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs … The NLG urges the U.S. government to rightfully respect Venezuelan self-determination and sovereignty.” Like many Venezuelans living in Boston, Luzmar Centeno-Valerio,
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Whitaker shares wit, wisdom in discussing latest film Kam Williams Forest Whitaker is a distinguished artist and humanist. He is the founder of PeaceEarth Foundation, co-founder and chair of the International Institute for Peace and is the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation. He is also a talented, versatile performer and one of Hollywood’s most accomplished figures. He has received prestigious artistic distinctions including the 2006 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in “The Last King of Scotland” as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. Forest has dedicated most of his time in the past decade to extensive humanitarian work. His social awareness has compelled him to seek ways of using the film medium as a means to raise peoples’ consciousness. To that end, he produced the award-winning documentary “Kassim the Dream,” which tells the poignant story of a Ugandan child soldier turned world championship boxer; “Rising From Ashes,” which profiles genocide survivors of the Rwandan war who have risen from wooden bicycles to competing in the Olympics; “Serving Life,” which focuses on hospice care for prisoners at Louisiana’s Angola Prison; and the Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-winning “Brick City,” which takes a look at life in inner-city Newark, N.J. In 2007, he received the Cinema for Peace Award for his ongoing advocacy for child soldiers, as well as
for his work with inner-city youth. The following year, he served as a member of the Urban Policy Committee and currently sits on the board of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. In 2011, Forest was designated as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation. In this role, he works towards global peace building through anti-violence education, research, training and community building. In 2013, Boston University’s Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center appointed Forest as a Martin Luther King Jr. Fellow. Plus, he currently serves as a senior research scholar at Rutgers University, and as a visiting professor at Ringling College of Art and Design. Here, he talks about his latest movie, “Repentance,” a psychological thriller co-starring Anthony Mackie, Sanaa Lathan, Nicole Ari Parker and Mike Epps.
What interested you in producing and starring in “Repentance?”
I’d say the fact that it’s a movie that talks about dealing with your past issues and past pain, and being able to move forward in the future from that. I think that’s a lesson that we all have to deal with and learn from. In addition, the film offered me a great opportunity to do a really interesting character with an amazing cast of actors, and to be directed by a friend and associate, one of my partners. We own a company together. So, a lot of things came to-
gether to make this happen for us.
What message do you think people will take away from “Repentance?” Understanding and searching for the truth by dealing with issues from the past, by taking them out and allowing them to be present so that you can move past them or with them into your future. I think this film suggests it’s possible to address even those hidden secrets that we keep sequestered under the rug of our minds.
What steps do you take to understand and become “Repentance” character Angel Sanchez? How do you prepare for a role? I read a number of different books and articles on mental illness … about schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, medications and issues surrounding those topics. And I also did some interviews with people dealing with those things. So, that helped shaped part of Angel. For the rest of it, I tried to look at grief and pain. I wanted to understand the stages of grief, and the escalation that might happen if this person was in deep pursuit of the truth about the loss of his mother, and then you put the other stuff on top of that. So, I just kept piling it on until it started to leak out in the movie.
What consideration enters into your decision to take on
a role?
often away for months at a time. You have to try to find a balance by having your loved ones on location with you or you can go back to visit them. There’s also the phone, Skype and other things of that nature. It’s a struggle, but this isn’t the only profession that has to deal with adverse conditions. For instance, I met a cab driver who hasn’t been back home for years. I’m lucky that I don’t have that kind of distance from my family.
Is there a particular role that you would like to do next, if you could choose any one you want?
What did you learn from being directed by Clint Eastwood in “Bird.”
I think every character bears it, but I’d like to know that the movie’s going to shed some more light on our humanity, and open up another door for me. I think the biggest thing that motivates me when I’m choosing a part is a role that will help me continue to grow as a person and as an artist, and a role that will deepen my understanding of humanity, and my connection to it.
Well, I’ve been playing around and toying with doing the Louie Armstrong story. I’ve developed a script we’ve been working on. It still may happen. That’s interesting to me. Otherwise, I’m just looking for characters that continue to make me stretch and grow and learn more about the human condition.
How has being an actor made you a better person, and how difficult is it to balance a personal life with the life of a working actor? Do relationships and family suffer? I think it’s allowed me to understand more about myself, and to understand more about others. In that way, it has helped me better myself, and expand myself. As far as family, it’s always difficult to be away, which a film career calls for. You’re
I think Clint trusts himself completely. I came to appreciate that kind of trust that he has in the artists and his choices that allows you to feel like you’re walking in some form of grace. I think the other thing would be that he’s worked with his crews for so many years, for 15, 20, sometimes 25 years. As a result they truly operate like a well-oiled machine. That’s a great insight to learn about the relationships you want to nurture and maintain.
When did you realize that you could carry a film as the star?
I guess it would be around the time I made “Bird,” because, although I wasn’t all that confident about my performance, it was the first time I was allowed to be the focal point of a film.
When did you get your first Whitaker, continued to page 17
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Hancock discusses ‘70s soundtrack at Film Archive
Herbie Hancock discusses his soundtrack to the film “The Spook Who Sat by the Door” during an appearance at the Harvard Film Archive. (Harvard University photo by Douglas Kirkland) Kevin C. Peterson “The Spook Who Sat By the Door” — a 1973 political action film depicting a black, ex-CIA
agent who leads an armed insurrection against the U.S. military — made a brief splash on the national screen. Perceived as “too radical” by
the Hollywood establishment, it was pulled from distribution after a week-long run and, in the following decades, relegated to underground cult status among
black intellectuals. A casualty of the film’s near disappearance was Herbie Hancock’s smoldering jazz-funk score. Hancock, currently an artist in residence at Harvard University, spoke at a screening of the film Monday. As he reflected back, Hancock seemed amused by the creative experience that displayed his budding genius. “I don’t know how I was picked to [write the score] for this movie,” Hancock said during a discussion after the movie was screened. “I had maybe had two records out at the time. I was playing around with Miles Davis at clubs at the time.” Noting the centrality of music to film, Hancock waxed didactic. “You really can’t watch a movie without music,” said Hancock added. “Just try it.” Considering the subversive intentions of “Spook” Hancock’s score is innovative and indispensable. Like the movie’s bold themes, the film’s music score was aggressive and forward-looking. “”I liked the idea of using new instruments and new sounds. Everything before this was with acoustic instruments. I remember wanting to mix synthesizers with orchestral instruments [for this movie]. The results remain stunning. The music in “Spook” give scenes a sense of drive and sustained tension, using jazz “improvisation” and “funk” as vehicles. The music also discloses the tension of the characters and gives testament
to the pulsating black ideology at the time. “They thought this film could be very dangerous,” said Hancock about the subversive themes in “Spook,” which depicted a neighborhood gang at one point detonating a bomb in the mayor’s office and taking over a radio station for the purposes of racial payback. A musical radical and agitator then, Hancock is now an American sage. He is in the midst of delivering a six-part series of lectures about jazz and culture called the “Ethics of Jazz” for the 2014 Norton Lectures at the Mahindra Humanities Center at Harvard. On Feb. 27, Hancock will speak on “Cultural Diplomacy and the Voice of Freedom” in Cambridge. Ever mindful of self-expression and creation, Hancock has developed a clear view of his music and soulful aspiration more broadly. “The point [of life] is to always build up. Freedom is the core of your being [and] is the goal of every human being weather they know it or not,” he said.
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Luminous cast fuels “Witness Uganda” run
“Witness Uganda” is making its world premier at the American Repertory Theater’s Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge. The musical, which tells the story of a volunteer traveling to Africa, runs through March 16.
(l-r) Nicolette Robinson, Kristolyn Lloyd, Griffin Matthews, Jamar Williams and Tyrone Davis Jr. in “Witness Uganda.” (Gretjen Helene photos) Susan Saccoccia March 16, it becomes apparent But given the subject of “Witthat the show is about him. ness Uganda,” which Griffin deFrom the moment that GrifA doe-eyed gazelle of a man, clares is about “the complexity of fin Matthews steps on stage at the Matthews is charming in the lead helping,” it would seem approstart of “Witness Uganda,” in its role of Griffin in this semi-autobi- priate that the people he strives world premier at the American ographical musical, which is based to help be given equal weight. Yet Repertory Theater’s Loeb Drama on his experience as a volunteer in in most scenes, Griffin and his diCenter in Cambridge through Africa. lemmas are center of attention.
Attn: ALL TEACHERS - Public, Private, Charter, Pilot, Parochial, etc
Join us for TEACHERS ARE AWESOME Appreciation Event Fri Feb 28 - 4:30-7:30pm Presented with support from Boston Teacher’s Union
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FEB 27 Gentrification Jujitsu & Working Toward A Unified Vision Influencing the Community Process by Christian Williams Open Mic MAR 6 Fulani Haynes Jazz Collaborative Open Mic MAR 13 Poet Neiel Israel and Film Screening, “Fundi” Ella Baker Open Mic MAR 20 Film Screening, “The Culture” a film on Guns in America by Noube Rateu and Deconstructing the Prison Industrial Complex with C.F.R.O.P. The Committee of Friends and Relatives Of Prisoners Open Mic Program begins at 7PM - Dinner from 5PM! 12 Dade Street, Roxbury, MA 02119 617-445-0900 www.haleyhouse.org/cafe
Rejected by his church choir after letting them know he is gay, and frustrated by the limited options he finds as an African-American actor — roles of druggies or jungle animals (a humorous reference to “Lion King”), Griffin decides on impulse to leave New York and travel to Uganda to help build a village school. He soon learns that his unseen host, Pastor Jim, lures volunteers into rehabbing hovels and then sells the properties for personal
profit. The rehab project is a hoax but the village’s need for a school is real. Griffin begins teaching a group of teenagers — despite warnings from Joy, the dour woman who is Pastor Jim’s assistant. As the plot turns melodramatic, the hilltop where Griffin and his students meet becomes a place of refuge. Here, they plan their escape. And here, in another scene, the suffering Griffin finds consolation in the arms of a Madonna-like villager. What keeps this production watchable is the cast of young actors who give their thinly drawn characters personalities and convey their change and growth. As Griffin plants the vision of a future in their heads, their wariness molts into eager hope. Kristolyn Lloyd is luminous as the aspiring Grace. Nicolette Robinson is a mischievous Eden, brimming with bravado and vulnerability. Their good-natured male friends are Ibrahim, played by Jamar Williams and Ronny, played by Tyrone Davis Jr. As Joy, Adeola Rola endows her stern character with humanity. Michael Luwoye is convincing as Jacob, Joy’s anguished brother. Emma Hunton lends warmth and self-effacing humor to the role of Ryan, Griffin’s best friend and an aspiring pop singer. Matthews and Matt Gould co-wrote the script and music of “Witness Uganda.” Their twoman concert version of the show won the 2012 Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theater. ART Artistic Director Diane Paulus directs its first fully staged production. Sets by Tom Pye, lighting by Maruti Evans, and video projections by Peter Nigrini imaginatively and efficiently shift between New York City and a Ugandan village. A marvelous tilting platform creates the rise of the hill where the young people meet for their lessons with Griffin, far from the reach of Pastor Jim or his spying cohorts. Gould leads a sextet of musicians who perform a score that blends African rhythms and textures with a western pop beat. Unlike the organic flow of Afro-pop, the music, along with the Uganda, continued to page 17
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Uganda
continued from page 16
choreography by Darrell Grand Moultrie, is often high octane, conjuring a fever dream of Africa that heightens the show’s melodrama. The six-member singing and dancing ensemble is terrific, but usually performs on the periphery of the stage, framing rather then driving scenes. When on stage, they often act the part of anonymous villagers. A standout in the ensemble is Melody Betts who, with her commanding presence and powerful pipes, injects grandeur into the production’s gospel-style numbers. Clever costumes by ESosa express a variety of worlds. The ensemble’s attire, like the music and dancing, bursts with the colors and verve of Africa. Griffin and Emma wear the casual garb of itinerant young westerner, and the young students are outfitted in T-shirts and denim. Among the show’s bright touches are the teasing exchanges between Griffin and the students as they get to know each other. Intrigued by this emissary from faraway New York, they alternate between taunting and heeding him, and he responds in kind. Showing off her skirt, Eden asks Griffin how he likes it. He replies, “It needs a belt.” In the stirring finale of the show, Griffin cedes the spotlight to his students. In their school uniforms, they speak — and sing — as young people with a future.
Veteran actor Forest Whitaker stars as Angel Sanchez, estranged husband to Sophie Sanchez (Nicole Ari Parker) and parent to a daughter in his custody. (Photo courtesy of Codeblack Films)
Whitaker continued from page 13
big break as an actor?
My first big break? I think “The Color of Money” was very instrumental in opening up other opportunities. People started to recognize me as an artist after that film. And then, after I did Bird, it was more solidified.
Did playing the main character in “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” make you more empathetic toward our ancestors?
Yeah. I think one of the great things Lee did was humanize his characters in a way that they could experience all these emotions as they walked through history. As a result, I came away with a deeper understanding, an in-dwelling, a knowing that I didn’t have before, as opposed to its just being an intellectual or emotional exercise.
Was making “The Butler” a “game changer” for you spiritually, emotionally or politically?
Working on the film, a transcendent space was created for me that I was able to carry to my next film. So, in that respect, it served as a catalyst for change in my work. Certainly, it was also a solidifier of an understanding of social justice in my life.
When do you feel the most content?
It varies. It’s a wave that comes over you. Sometimes, it comes from just sitting still quietly in the moment. Or it can be the feeling you get looking out a window at a tree while riding in the back a car. It’s not a permanent space. It’s a place that moves with me different places that I go in my life. It happens quite often. I feel it in my skin.
Is there something you wish people would note about you? The desire to connect.
18 • Thursday, February 27, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
Community Calendar Friday
Tuesday
Through Barbed Wire presents 4th Friday Series: Reading of Prisoners’ Writings Monthly Reading of Prisoners’ Writings. Audience participation encouraged. Light refreshments offered. Created and directed by Arnie King, www.arnoldking.org. Standard-size wheelchair accessible. Near T bus and train lines and Amtrak. First Parish Church Dorchester, 10 Parish St., on Meetinghouse Hill in Dorchester, rsvp throughbarbedwire@yahoo. com. Cost: donation.
“Tuesday Nights” concert series Starting at 7pm, at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 838 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, mezzo-soprano Betany Coffland and classical guitarist Aaron Larget-Caplan in Passion and Thought in Song. $10 at the door. For more information please visit www.BetanyCoffland.com, www. AaronLC.com.
“Black History/ Art History” Lecture and Performance Series Shaun El C. Leonardo, Performance Artist, New York City. One-on-Ones — Discussion moderated by Paisid Aramphongphan, Ph.D. candidate, History of Art and Architecture, Harvard University. Co-sponsored by the Ethelbert Cooper Gallery of African & African American Art, the Provostial Fund for the Arts and Humanities, the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, and the Department of the History of Art and Architecture. http://black historyarthistory.tumblr.com/. Outdoor performance to take place in Harvard Yard, discussion to follow at the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, 5:30pm, Room B-04, 24 Quincy St., Cambridge. Free and open to the public.
W. E. B. Du Bois Research Institute Spring 2014 Colloquium Series Holly Ellis, Doctoral Student, African Studies, University of Birmingham, U.K. Dorothy Porter & Charles Harris Wesley Fellow — The Dream that Never Was: The Associated Negro Press in West Africa. Ellis is a doctoral candidate in the Department of African Studies and Anthropology at the University of Birmingham. She is an Africanist by training, mainly working Ghanaian gender history. Her thesis focuses on the networks between West African and African American women from 1930-1960. Her research interests include the histories of gender and sexuality, trans-Atlantic exchange and trans-local communication. 12pm, Thompson Room, Barker Center, 12 Quincy St., Cambridge. Free and open to the public. A Q+A session will follow the lecture. Please feel free to bring a lunch. For community events please visit our website: http://hutchinscenter. fas.harvard.edu/news.
February 28
Saturday March 1
Charles Trenet, le fou chantant Saturday, March 1, starting at 2pm, at Waltham Public Library, 735 Main St., Waltham, the French Cultural League of New England presents a free concert “CHARLES TRENET, le fou chantant” featuring beloved songs composed by France’s most popular singer of the 20th century. There will be a lecture preceding the music and a reception to follow.
Sunday March 2
The Southeastern Massachusetts Adult Walking Club Moderate walk, hilly terrain, 3 miles. Wolcott Path to Wildcat Notch and return via Halfway Path. Meet at the Houghton’s Pond main parking lot at 840 Hillside St. in Milton. 1pm. The Southeastern Massachusetts Adult Walking Club meets each weekend on either a Saturday or Sunday at 1pm for recreational walks. This club is open to people of 16 years of age and older, and there is no fee to join. Walks average 2 to 5 miles. New walkers are encouraged to participate. Walks will be led by a park ranger or a Walking Club volunteer leader. Some DCR sites charge a parking fee. The rangers recommend wearing hiking boots and bringing drinking water on all hikes.
March 4
Wednesday March 5
Upcoming Take Control of Your Health Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is partnering with Whittier Street Health Center to provide community residents with clear information about cancer prevention and to help them learn and adopt healthy living practices, specifically as these topics relate to colon cancer. Oscar Sanchez, Colorectal Cancer Patient Navigator at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, will facilitate the discussion on “What You Need to Know About Colon Cancer.” DFCI Community Resource Room, Whittier Street Health Center, 1290 Tremont St., 5th Floor. Thursday, March 6, 12-1pm. Light refreshments will be served. For more information and to register, please contact Athene Wilson-Glover at 617-632-4860. Laughter Yoga Club March 6, April 10, May 8 — 6:30-7:30pm at the Dudley Library. It is a free club for the whole family. Community members will experience all the health benefits of a good belly laugh! No comedy or jokes involved! Enjoy this unique exercise of laughter and clapping combined with gentle breathing. Any age and any level of physical ability can participate in this uplifting experience! Children are welcome. You can sit or stand. There are no fancy poses.
All Stirred Up! Elementary school students from Neighborhood School in Jamaica Plain have concocted an original play, “All Stirred Up!” Synopsis: Incubating local food businesses can get a bit sticky when a shared commercial kitchen is the meeting ground. Will competitiveness or cooperation rule? Will a hoped-for Farmers Market be ready to launch? Students will share this recipe for community-building with story-telling and musical flair. Mainstage Theatre, Roxbury Community College, 1234 Columbus Ave., Roxbury. Friday, March 7 at 7pm and Saturday, March 8 at 3pm. Admission by donation.
Maple Sugar Festival It’s sugarin’ time in the Blue Hills! Join us as we make maple syrup in the traditional way at beautiful Brookwood farm in Canton. Smell the wood smoke as you watch clouds of steam rise from the bubbling sap. Savor the taste of real maple sugar and enjoy a journey through time as you learn about the history of maple sugar in Massachusetts. Activities for all ages. March 8 & 9, 10am - 4pm. Program Admission: $6 per person, Ages 2 and under Free. Maple Sugar Festival is a joint program of the DCR and Mass Audubon’s Trailside Museum. Brookwood farm is located in the DCR Blue Hills Reservation in Canton. Take exit 3 (Houghton’s pond) off Route 93 and follow signs to Maple Sugar festival parking. This program is wheelchair accessible. For more information, please call 617-333-0690. Charles Trenet, le fou chantant Saturday, March 15, starting at 12pm, at Isaac Cary Memorial Building, 1605 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington, Voyages en Francophonie presents a free concert “CHARLES TRENET, le fou chantant” featuring beloved songs composed by France’s most popular singer of the 20th century. Voyages en Francophonie features a variety of cultural activities associated with French-speaking peoples the world over, including those from Algeria, Belgium, France, Haiti, Madagascar, Monaco, Morocco, and many more. Arts Marathon Somerville-based OnStage Dance Company will present an Arts Marathon from 6:30 11:30pm Saturday, March 15, at its Somerville studio at 276 Broadway. For one night, the studio will be transformed into a theater, comedy club and music hall as we celebrate the arts, featuring more than two dozen acts in Dance, Music, Improv, Comedy and Visual Art. Guests must be 18 years of age to enter. A cover of $10 will go towards OnStage Dance Company, a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization. For more information, visit www.onstage danceco.com/arts-marathon.html. Common Scams & Identity Theft Wednesday, March 19, at 3:30pm. Amy Schram of the Better Business Bureau will discuss common scams and identity theft. She will show us the major
red flags to watch out for and offer tactics that we can use to protect ourselves and our identities. www. bpl.org. Uphams Corner Branch of the Boston Public Library, 500 Columbia Road, Dorchester, 617265-0139. Spring Planting 2014 The Green Neighbors Education Committee, Inc. presents: Spring Planting 2014 Learn to grow food at your own home, in your yard, on your porch, inside your house. Free event to help people learn how to grow your own fresh, healthy nutritious foods. Information tables, displays and demonstrations. March 22, 2-5pm, St. Katherine Drexel Church, 517 Blue Hill Ave., Grove Hall in Dorchester. Contact: otoney@comcast.net, 617-4276293. Free.
Franklin Park: A ‘Quiet Season’ Jaunt On Sunday, March 23 at 2pm a National Park Service ranger from Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site (Olmsted NHS) will be conducting a guided walk of Franklin Park entitled “Franklin Park: A ‘Quiet Season’ Jaunt.” This roughly 90-minute tour will meet at the Resting Place picnic tables across from the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital, a short distance inside Franklin Park’s Forest Hills Entrance. It is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required by Friday, March 21. To register, please email Mark_Swartz@nps. gov. Please be sure to provide the number of people in your party and contact information. Hip-Hop and the Remix of Science Education: Which Way Forward? 2014 Simmons College-Beacon Press Race, Education & Democracy Lectures. Hip-Hop and the Remix of Science Education: Which Way Forward? Lecturer: Christopher Emdin, PhD. Dr. Emdin is Professor of Science Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. He is co-founder and leader of the #HipHopEd hashtag on Twitter, a movement to engage the public on the intersections of Hip-hop and education. In partnership with GZA (Gary Grice), he developed the Science Genius B.A.T.T.L.E.S, where students battle — writing and performing rap songs that capture the beauty and complexity of science and hip-hop. Dr. Emdin is author of numerous articles and the award-winning book, Urban Science Education for the Hip-Hop Generation, Sense, 2010. LECTURES: March 29 — From Rap Battles to Science B.A.T.T.L.E.S: Toward a Grounded Theory of Practice for Science Hip-Hop Education, 10am - 12pm., Cambridge Public Library, The Lecture Hall, 449 Broadway, Cambridge. March 29 — Hip-Hop and STEM Education: Possibilities, Problematics, Research, 1-3pm., Cambridge Public Library, The Lecture Hall, 449 Broadway, Cambridge. April 1 — Reality Pedagogy: Teaching and Learning from a Student’s Standpoint, 4:30-6:30pm., Simmons College, Kotzen Center, 300 The Fenway, Boston. For information and to register visit www.
raceandeducation.com or call 617-521-2570. Lectures are free and open to the public. Free parking is available at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School A complimentary lunch will be provided to Saturday participants. High school students are encouraged to attend the lectures.
Ongoing Solidarity Works: Politics of Cultural Memory Solidarity Works explores how art and architecture can act as vehicles for community making, both real and imagined, and generate a sense of solidarity in contexts of conflict and crisis. Critical reflections on Islamic architecture and the politics of cultural memory are presented through multiple thematic clusters. Bridging art, architecture and history, Solidarity Works presents work in a variety of media, including textile, furniture, architectural sculpture, video, audio and networked productions. Featured is Aksamija’s prayer space design at the Islamic cemetery in Altach, Austria, winner of a 2013 Aga Khan Award. Wolk Gallery, MIT School of Architecture + Planning. Through March 21. For more information visit http://sap.mit.edu/resources/ galleries/wolk_gallery/. Young Artists: Artwork by Cambridge Public School Students The Multicultural Arts Center presents Young Artists on view until March 28, in the Upper and Lower Galleries, exhibiting works by Cambridge Public School Students. The students participating in the exhibition range from grades K-12 and reflect a multitude of backgrounds. The show is a true example of the creativity and imagination from the Cambridge Public School Students and the immense young talent that we have in our backyard. In both galleries you will see a variety of different mediums used including graphite drawings, collage, watercolors, and ink washes (just to name a few). Multicultural Arts Center, Upper & Lower Galleries, 41 2nd Street, Cambridge. www. multiculturalartscenter.org/galler ies. Free and open to the public. Regular Gallery hours: Monday-Friday, 10:30am - 6pm King’s Chapel announces the TUESDAY NOON HOUR RECITAL King’s Chapel announces t h e T U E S D AY N O O N H O U R RECITAL programs for MARCH 2014. Historic King’s Chapel is located in downtown Boston at the corner of School and Tremont Streets. Hailed by residents and visitors alike as a treasure in the midst of a bustling city, this year-long series features a wide range of programming from classical to jazz and more! Admission to the Noon Hour Recitals is by suggested donation of $3 per person; the donations are given to the performing musicians. Programs begin at 12:15pm and last approximately 35 minutes; for more information, please call 617-227-2155.
The Community Calendar has been established to list community events at no cost. The admission cost of events must not exceed $10. Church services and recruitment requests will not be published. THERE IS NO GUARANTEE OF PUBLICATION. To guarantee publication with a paid advertisement please call advertising at (617) 261-4600 ext. 7797 or email sandra@bannerpub.com. NO LISTINGS ARE ACCEPTED BY TELEPHONE, FAX OR MAIL. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. Deadline for all listings is Friday at noon for publication the following week. E-MAIL your information to: calendar@bannerpub.com. To list your event online please go to www.baystatebanner.com/events and list your event directly. Events listed in print are not added to the online events page by Banner staff members. There are no ticket cost restrictions for the online postings.
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Black unemployment rises to double national rate Freddie Allen The black unemployment rate increased from 11.9 percent in December to 12.1 percent in January, according the Department of Labor’s latest monthly report. At 12.1 percent the black unemployment rate is nearly double the national unemployment rate of 6.6 percent. The unemployment rate for black men over 20 years old jumped from 11.5 percent in December 2013 to 12 percent in January, compared to
white men who experienced a decrease in their unemployment rate from 5.6 percent in December 2013 to 5.4 percent in January. The jobless rate for black women over 20 years old didn’t change from December to January, staying flat at 10.4 percent, compared to white women who saw their unemployment rate tick down from 5.3 percent in December to 5.2 percent in January. Young blacks, 16-19 years old, continue to suffer the high-
est rate of unemployment among all worker groups at 38 percent. The jobless rate for whites in the same age group is 17.5 percent. Many economists believe that lack of job experience during their teenage years hinders blacks from learning crucial job skills at a young age, stunting any future job prospects. The labor force participation rate, the number of people who are either employed or looking for work, rose for all adult worker groups. In a statement on
the jobs report, U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez noted the increase in the labor force participation rate and the slowly shrinking unemployment rate as signs of economic progress in the flailing economy. That progress has not trickled down to the black community, where the jobless rate for blacks is nearly twice the national average. The labor force participation rate also increased among blacks, which may indicate that more blacks were looking for jobs in January, but hadn’t found one. Earlier this month, Republican senators buried a deal that would have extended unemployment benefits for 1.7 million Americans. Perez said that Congress remains a roadblock to progress. On a post on the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities website Chad Stone, the center’s chief economist, wrote that, “Families rely on unemployment benefits to meet basic needs like
spending that those benefits generated, the Great Recession would have been even deeper and the recovery even slower.” In an effort to find ways to spur job growth, last week the Congressional Black Caucus announced plans to create a “Full Employment Caucus.” The caucus will “host expert economists and policymakers to discuss proven job-creation proposals and implement strategies for their adoption.” In a statement on the creation of the caucus penned by Reps. John Conyers, D-Mich., and Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., the CBC members implored lawmakers to make job creation a top priority. According to a report by the Macroeconomic Advisers, an independent economic research, partisan gridlock and budget cuts have stripped $700 billion from the economy and slashed two million jobs from the labor force. “Achieving full employment
“If Congress doesn’t restart the [longterm unemployment benefits], the number of affected workers will continue to climb each week, reaching 4.9 million by the end of the year.” — Chad Stone
Hip hop artist and actor LL Cool J was honored as Artist of the Year at the Harvard Foundation’s annual Cultural Rhythms event held at Saunders Theater. (George Weinstein photo)
Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division
Docket No. SU13D2724DR
Divorce Summons by Publication and Mailing Kerline Cadet
vs.
Peguy Cadet
To the Defendant: The Plaintiff has filed a Complaint for Divorce requesting that the Court grant a divorce for irretrievable breakdown of the marriage pursuant to G.L. c. 208, Section 1 B. The Complaint is on file at the Court. An Automatic Restraining Order has been entered in this matter preventing you from taking any action which would negatively impact the current financial status of either party. SEE Supplemental Probate Court Rule 411. You are hereby summoned and required to serve upon: Kerline Cadet, 25 Astoria St., Apt. 2, Mattapan, MA 02126 your answer, if any, on or before 03/20/2014. If you fail to do so, the court will proceed to the hearing and adjudication of this action. You are also required to file a copy of your answer, if any, in the office of the Register of this Court.
a deadline date by which you have to file the written appearance if you object to the account(s). If you fail to file the written appearance by the return date, action may be taken in this matter without further notice to you, including the allowance of the account(s). Additionally within 30 days after said return day (or within such other time as the Court upon motion may order) you must file a written affidavit of objections stating the specific facts and grounds upon which each objection is based and a copy shall be served upon the Conservator pursuant to Rule 3 of the Supplemental Rules of the Probate & Family Court. You have the right to send to the Conservator, by registered or certified mail, a written request to receive a copy of the Petition and account(s) at no cost to you. 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: February 13, 2014 Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate
Witness, Hon. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court. Date: January 6, 2014 Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate
Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court
Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department
Suffolk Probate and Family Court 24 New Chardon Street Boston, MA 02114 (617) 788-8300
SUFFOLK Division
DOCKET NO. SU98P0805
In the matter of: Charles E. Penn Protected Person/Disabled Person/Respondent Of: Roxbury Crossing, MA CITATION GIVING NOTICE OF CONSERVATOR’S ACCOUNT To the named Respondent and all other interested persons, you are hereby notified pursuant to rule 72 of the Supplemental Rules of the Probate & Family Court that the 15th account(s) of John M. Fitzgibbon, Esquire of Brookline, MA as Conservator of the property of said Respondent has or have been presented to the court for allowance. You have the right to object to the account(s). 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 03/20/2014. This day is NOT a hearing date, but
food, health care, and housing while they look for work.” Stone continued: “If Congress doesn’t restart the [longterm unemployment benefits], the number of affected workers will continue to climb each week, reaching 4.9 million by the end of the year.” Stone wrote that jobless benefits go to people who spend the money quickly, which has a positive effect on the overall economy. “In fact, without the consumer
SUFFOLK Division
Docket No. SU14P0304EA
Citation on Petition for Formal Adjudication Estate of Lloyd Parham Also known as Lloyd Parham, Sr. Date of Death: 11/07/2013 To all interested persons: A petition has been filed by Peter G. Parham of Washington, DC requesting that the Court enter a formal Decree and Order of testacy and for such other relief as requested in the Petition. And also requesting that Peter G. Parham of Washington, DC be appointed as Personal Representative(s) of said estate to serve With Personal Surety on the bond. You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at
isn’t only about helping jobless people. When we return to full employment, investors and business people have more customers. When we return to full employment, workers have power to bargain for higher wages,” the statement said. The CBC statement continued: “Finally, when we return to full employment, crime declines as desperate people gain a paycheck and a purpose.” New American Media
the Court. You have a right to object to this proceeding. To do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance and objection at this Court before 10:00 a.m. on 03/13/2014. This is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline by which you must file a written appearance and objection if you object to this proceeding. If you fail to file a timely written appearance and objection followed by an Affidavit of Objections within thirty (30) days of the return date, action may be taken without further notice to you. The estate is being administered under formal 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 recipients 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. WITNESS, HON. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court. Date: February 10, 2014 Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division
Docket No. SU13D2703DR
Divorce Summons by Publication and Mailing Theresa Serena Tyrell
vs.
Tyrone Anthony Tyrell
To the Defendant: The Plaintiff has filed a Complaint for Divorce requesting that the Court grant a divorce for abandonment. The Complaint is on file at the Court. An Automatic Restraining Order has been entered in this matter preventing you from taking any action which would negatively impact the current financial status of either party. SEE Supplemental Probate Court Rule 411. You are hereby summoned and required to serve upon: David H. Appleyard, Esq., 90 Salem Street, Malden, MA 02148 your answer, if any, on or before 03/20/2014. If you fail to do so, the court will proceed to the hearing and adjudication of this action. You are also required to file a copy of your answer, if any, in the office of the Register of this Court. Witness, Hon. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court. Date: February 13, 2014 Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate
Thursday, February 27, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER • 21
WANTED TO LEASE OFFICE SPACE IN BOSTON, AS FURTHER DEFINED ON MAP ATTACHMENT C-5 IN THE RFP On behalf of the Parole Board, the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance is requesting proposals to lease approximately 6,700 usable square feet of office space in Boston, as further defined on Map Attachment C-5 in the RFP for a term of seven years. Proposals must be submitted to: Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance Office of Leasing and State Office Planning One Ashburton Place 14th Floor – Room 1411 Boston, Massachusetts 02108 Proposals must be submitted by the deadline of March 19, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. Proposals will be opened at that time. To obtain a Request for Proposals (RFP), please call 617-727-8000, extension 355, at any time or send a request to the Office of Leasing and State Office Planning at the above address. Please include your name, address, telephone and fax number or a business card, and cite the name of the agency seeking space and the RFP Project Number 201351000.3. This RFP can also be obtained through the Internet at http://www.comm-pass.com. For further information, please call 617-727-8000, extension 800, during business hours. MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Sealed General Bids for MPA Contract No. L1064-C1, RUNWAY 15L-33R RUNWAY SAFETY AREA IMPROVEMENTS, LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, EAST BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS , will be received by the Massachusetts Port Authority at the Capital Programs Department Office, Suite 209S, Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, East Boston, Massachusetts 02128-2909, until 11:00 A.M. local time on WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 immediately after which, in a designated room, the proposal will be opened and read publicly. NOTE: PRE BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD AT THE CAPITAL PROGRAMS DEPARTMENT (ABOVE ADDRESS) AT 10:00 AM LOCAL TIME ON THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2014 The work includes SHIFTING THE THRESHOLDS OF RUNWAYS 15L AND 33R APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET TO THE EAST, ALONG WITH THE RELOCATION OF THE AIRPORT PERIMETER ROAD AT BOTH RUNWAY ENDS. THE WORK GENERALLY INCLUDES EXCAVATION AND EMBANKMENT, PAVEMENT REMOVAL, PAVEMENT MILLING, NEW FULL DEPTH RUNWAY PAVEMENT CONSTRUCTION, DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, NEW RUNWAY EDGE AND THRESHOLD LIGHTING, DUCT BANK AND CONDUIT INSTALLATION, PAVEMENT MARKINGS, TOP SOILING AND SEEDING. Bid documents will be made available beginning WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014. Bid Documents in electronic format may be obtained free of charge at the Authority’s Capital Programs Department Office, together with any addenda or amendments, which the Authority may issue and a printed copy of the Proposal form. The estimated contract cost is $1,750,000. A proposal guaranty shall be submitted with each General Bid consisting of a bid deposit for five (5) percent of the value of the bid; when sub bids are required, each must be accompanied by a deposit equal to five (5) percent of the sub bid amount, in the form of a bid bond, or cash, or a certified check, or a treasurer’s or a cashier’s check issued by a responsible bank or trust company, payable to the Massachusetts Port Authority in the name of which the Contract for the work is to be executed. The bid deposit shall be (a) in a form satisfactory to the Authority, (b) with a surety company qualified to do business in the Commonwealth and satisfactory to the Authority, and (c) conditioned upon the faithful performance by the principal of the agreements contained in the bid. The successful Bidder will be required to furnish a performance bond and a labor and materials payment bond, each in an amount equal to 100% of the Contract price. The surety shall be a surety company or securities satisfactory to the Authority. Attention is called to the minimum rate of wages to be paid on the work as determined under the provisions of Chapter 149, Massachusetts General Laws, Section 26 to 27G, inclusive, as amended. The Contractor will be required to pay minimum wages in accordance with the schedules listed in Division II, Special Provisions of the Specifications, which wage rates have been predetermined by the U. S. Secretary of Labor and / or the Commissioner of Labor and Industries of Massachusetts, whichever is greater. The successful Bidder will be required to purchase and maintain Bodily Injury Liability Insurance and Property Damage Liability Insurance for a combined single limit of $10,000,000.00. Said policy shall be on an occurrence basis and the Authority shall be included as an Additional Insured. See the insurance sections of Division I, General Requirements and Division II, Special Provisions for complete details. This contract is subject to a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise participation provision requiring that not less than TEN PERCENT (10.0%) of the Contract be performed by disadvantaged business enterprise contractors. With respect to this provision, bidders are urged to familiarize themselves thor-
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oughly with the Bidding Documents. Strict compliance with the pertinent procedures will be required for a bidder to be deemed responsive and eligible. This Contract is also subject to Affirmative Action requirements of the Massachusetts Port Authority contained in Article 84 of the General Requirements and Covenants, and to the Secretary of Labor’s Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Opportunity and the Standard Federal Equal Opportunity Construction Contract Specifications (Executive Order 11246). The General Contractor is required to submit a Certification of Non Segregated Facilities prior to award of the Contract, and to notify prospective subcontractors of the requirement for such certification where the subcontract exceeds $10,000. A Contractor having fifty (50) or more employees and his subcontractors having fifty (50) or more employees who may be awarded a subcontract of $50,000 or more will, within one hundred twenty (120) days from the contract commencement, be required to develop a written affirmative action compliance program for each of its establishments. Compliance Reports - Within thirty (30) days of the award of this Contract the Contractor shall file a compliance report (Standard Form [SF 100]) if: (a) The Contractor has not submitted a complete compliance report within twelve (12) months preceding the date of award, and (b) The Contractor is within the definition of “employer” in Paragraph 2c(3) of the instructions included in SF100. The contractor shall require the subcontractor on any first tier subcontracts, irrespective of the dollar amount, to file SF 100 within thirty (30) days after the award of the subcontracts, if the above two conditions apply. SF 100 will be furnished upon request. SF 100 is normally furnished Contractors annually, based on a mailing list currently maintained by the Joint Reporting Committee. In the event a contractor has not received the form, he may obtain it by writing to the following address: Joint Reporting Committee 1800 G Street Washington, DC 20506 Complete information and authorization to view the site may be obtained from the Capital Programs Department Office at the Massachusetts Port Authority. The right is reserved to waive any informality in or reject any or all proposals. MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY THOMAS P. GLYNN CEO & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LEGAL NOTICE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS The MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY (Authority) is soliciting professional consulting services for MPA CONTRACT NO. AP1407, FY15-17 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING SERVICES. The Authority is seeking a qualified consultant to provide professional safety and health related training services on an on-call, as-needed basis. The Consultant must be able to work closely with the Authority and other interested parties in order to provide such services in a timely and effective manner. The work may be performed at any or all of the Authority’s facilities including but not limited to Logan International Airport, Hanscom Field, Worcester Airport, Port of Boston and other Maritime facilities. To maintain an atmosphere of safety and health for its employees and the environment, the Authority is seeking classroom, hands-on and computer-based training (CBT). The Scope of Services may include but shall not be limited to the development and delivery of effective training programs for: Powered Industrial Truck Safety, Aerial Lift Safety, Vehicle-mounted Work Platform Safety, Electrical Safety, Lockout/Tagout, Confined Space Entry, Respiratory Protection, Personal Protective Equipment, Safe Driving, Back Injury Prevention, Work Zone Safety, Storm Water Pollution Prevention, Oil and Hazardous Materials Spill Response, Solid Waste and Recycling, Environmental Management System (EMS) Awareness and other Safety and Environmental Topics. All training materials shall be customized to incorporate Authority Policy and meet applicable Federal, State and Local regulations. All CBT programs shall be SCORM compliant, enable employees to receive the information at their own pace, test employee’s knowledge of the subject material; and track successful completion of training for each module. All materials developed on behalf of the Authority shall become the property of the Authority.
is not provided: Cover Letter, Insurance Requirements, Litigation and Legal proceedings, Proposed M/W/DBE (when applicable), SF330 Part IIs for the Prime and every sub-consultant. The submission shall be evaluated on basis of: (1) current level of experience and knowledge of the team for similar projects, particularly the Project Manager, (2) geographic location and availability of the Project Manager and other key personnel to be assigned to the project, (3) experience and expertise of sub-consultants, if any, (4)
previous teaming experience of the prime and its sub-consultants, if any,
(5) cost management and scheduling capabilities, (6) familiarity with Massport facilities (7) current level of work with the Authority, (8) past performance for the Authority, if any, and (9) M/W/BE and affirmative action efforts, (10) Project understanding and approach. The selection shall involve a two-step process including the shortlisting of a minimum of three firms based on an evaluation of the Statements of Qualifications received in response to this solicitation. The shortlisted firms shall be ranked and a final selection shall be made by the Selection Panel. Massport reserves the right to conduct interviews of the shortlisted firms, if deemed necessary. If so, a final selection shall be made by the Selection Panel following the interviews. By responding to this solicitation, consultants agree to accept the terms and conditions of Massport’s standard work order agreement, a copy of the Authority’s standard agreement can be found on the Authority’s web page at www.massport.com. The Consultant shall specify in its cover letter that it has the ability to obtain requisite insurance coverage. Submissions shall be printed on both sides of the sheet (8 1/2” x 11”), no acetate covers. Ten (10) copies of a bound document and one PDF version on a disc each limited to: (1) an SF 330 including the appropriate number of Part IIs, (2) resumes of key individuals only each limited to one (1) page under SF 330, Section E, (3) no more than ten (10) projects each limited to one (1) page under SF 330, Section F, (4) no more than 3 sheets (6 pages) of information contained under SF 330 Section H addressing the evaluation items (except for the litigation and legal proceedings history), and (5) no more than 2 sheets (4 pages) of other relevant material not including a 2 page (max.) cover letter, SDO certification letters, covers, dividers, and other required information. This submission, including the litigation and legal proceedings history in a separate sealed envelope as required shall be addressed to Houssam H. Sleiman, PE, CCM, Director of Capital Programs and Environmental Affairs and received no later than 12:00 Noon on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 at the Massachusetts Port Authority, Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, Suite 209S, Logan International Airport, East Boston, MA 02128-2909. Any submission which is not received in a timely manner shall be rejected by the Authority as non-responsive. Any information provided to the Authority in any Proposal or other written or oral communication between the Proposer and the Authority will not be, or deemed to have been, proprietary or confidential, although the Authority will use reasonable efforts not to disclose such information to persons who are not employees or consultants retained by the Authority except as may be required by M.G.L. c.66. The procurement process for these services will proceed according to the following anticipated schedule: EVENT DATE/TIME Solicitation: Release Date
February 26, 2014
Deadline for submission of written questions
April 9, 2014 by 12 Noon
The Authority expects to select one consultant. However, the Authority reserves the right to select a different number if it is deemed in its best interest to do so. The Authority shall issue one contract in an amount not to exceed Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($ 300,000.00). The services shall be authorized on a work order basis.
Official answers published (Estimated)
April 16, 2014 by 5 PM
Each submission shall include a Statement of Qualifications that provides detailed information in response to the evaluation criteria set forth below and include Architect/Engineer & Related Services questionnaires SF 330 (www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/download/116486) with the appropriate number of Part IIs. The Consultant shall also provide an original and nine copies of litigation and legal proceedings information, signed under the pains and penalties of perjury, in a separate sealed envelope entitled “Litigation and Legal Proceedings”. See www.massport.com/doing-business/Pages/ CapitalProgramsResourceCenter.aspx for more details on litigation and legal proceedings history submittal requirements.
Questions may be sent via email to CPBidQuestions@massport.com subject to the deadline for receipt stated in the timetable above. In the subject lines of your email, please reference the MPA Project Name and Number. Questions and their responses will be posted on Capital Bid Opportunities webpage of Massport http://www.massport.com/doing-business/_layouts/ CapitalPrograms/default.aspx as an attachment to the original Legal Notice and on Comm-PASS (www.comm-pass.com) in the listings for this project.
The Authority may reject any application if any of the required information
Solicitation: Close Date / Submission Deadline April 23, 2014 by 12 Noon Times are Eastern Standard Time (US).
MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY THOMAS P. GLYNN CEO AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
22 • Thursday, February 27, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
THE ECO, 75 BRAINERD ROAD ALLSTON
HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY
5 AFFORDABLE CONDOMINIUMS
Washington Woods
NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES IN ALLSTON
239 Washington St, Norwell
TO BE SOLD BY LOTTERY TO ELIGIBLE HOMEBUYERS
Fourteen AFFORDABLE apartment units are being offered in Allston for qualifying applicants: # of Units 7 6 1
Unit Type Studio One Bedroom Two Bedroom
(5) 2-Bed, 2 or 2.5 Baths Townhouse Style Condos 2 car attached garages $181,250, 1750 - 1850 sf (approx)
Rent $1,024 $1,194 $1,365
Max Income 1 Person - $47,450 3 Persons - $61,000 2 Persons - $54,200 4 Persons - $67,750 Other Restrictions Apply
Maximum Income Per Household Size HH size 70% 1 46,250 2 52,850 3 59,450 4 66,100
OPEN HOUSE: 239 Washington St. Unit #19; Sat 3/8; 10AM-Noon INFORMATIONAL MEETING: Norwell Town Hall, Gymnasium; Tues 3/25; 6-8PM Applications available at: Norwell Town Hall, Town Clerk’s Office • Norwell Public Library
Applications can be picked-up at our leasing center located at 1302 Commonwealth Ave in Allston, MA. A marketing agent will be available to distribute applications in person and answer questions. Hours during which applications will be made available during this marketing period include: • Monday, March 10th, 2014
9:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M.
• Tuesday, March 11th, 2014 through Friday March 14th, 2014
9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
• Saturday, March 15th, 2014
9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.
• Monday, March 17th, 2014
9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Write To: JTE Realty Associates, P. O. Box 955, No. Andover, Ma. 01845 Or e-mail: washington@jterealtyassociates.com MAILING ADDRESS MUST BE PROVIDED 978-258-3492 APP. DEADLINE REC’D BY 4/21/2014
Location: 1310 Commonwealth Avenue, Allston, MA 02134 Applications can also be made available upon request by calling (617) 870-3584 or by email at AffordableHousing@mvernon.com. Applications can be returned anytime until Tuesday, April 1st at 5:00 P.M. Applications can be returned by mail or by hand to:
SENIORS LIVE ROYALLY AT CASTLE COVE
The Mount Vernon Company Attention: Affordable Housing Agent 29 Commonwealth Avenue 6th Floor Boston, MA 02116
225 West Second Street
Castle Cove Cooperative Apartments
A unique community of seniors managed by CSI Support & Development Services of Malden. A cooperative apartment is a building controlled by the members. All major operating decisions are voted on by the members. Coop apartments help to keep quality housing affordable.
Applications received after 5:00 P.M. on Thursday, April 1st or postmarked after April 1st, will not be accepted. Selection by lottery. Use and occupancy restrictions apply. Preference for Boston Residents. Preference for households with at least one person per bedroom.
We Have: • Our own separate apartment • A non-profit organization; any profits are put back into coop services to benefit its members • Open voluntary membership without social, political, racial or religious discrimination • A building democratically controlled by the residents.
For more information, or for reasonable accommodations, please call: 617-267-0006 Equal Housing Opportunity
Each building has their own activities run by a committee of residents such as entertainment, bingo, gift case We have: A library, game room, community room, lounges on each floor, our own laundry room
ADVERTISE YOUR CLASSIFIEDS
The success of a Cooperative depends on the active participation of its members
(617) 261-4600 x 7799 • ads@bannerpub.com
If you would like more information or to apply please call
Find rate information at www.baystatebanner.com/advertise
1-800-225-3151
OFFICE SPACE
HAMILTON GREEN APARTMENTS 311 Lowell Street Andover, Massachusetts 01810
DORCHESTER/ MILTON
Waitlist open on 2/24/2014 through 3/24/2014 Waitlist applicants will be chosen by lottery Rental Amounts and Minimum and Maximum Income Limits as of 1/1/2014 Rent
Household Size
50% $790
1BD
$942
1
2
3
4
5
6
Min Max
$25,170 $31,350
$25,170 $35,800
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
2BD
Min Max
N/A
$30,210 $35,800
$30,210 $40,300
$30,210 $44,750
N/A
N/A
$1,083
3BD
Min Max
N/A
N/A
$34,890 $40,300
$34,890 $44,750
$34,890 $48,350
$34,890 $51,950
80% $1,169
1BD
Min Max
$36,540 $45,500
$36,540 $52,000
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
$1,397
2BD
Min Max
N/A
$43,860 $52,000
$43,860 $58,500
$43,860 $65,000
N/A
N/A
$1,610
3BD
Min Max
N/A
N/A
$50,700 $58,500
$50,700 $65,000
$50,700 $70,200
$50,700 $75,400
Tenants pay for Electricity only — Utility Allowances are as follows: 1BR – $49; 2BR – $65; 3BR – $80 *Minimum income requirements do not apply to Section 8 Voucher holders. All utilities, except electricity are included in rent. Voucher holders are eligible. Applications are available at the property daily between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday – Friday or call the office @ 978-623-8155, TTY:711 or 800-439-0183. Application Deadline: March 24, 2014
1st Class Office Space Corner of Gallivan Blvd and Washington St ample parking.
$375/mo. $695/mo. $1000/mo. $1395/mo. heated
OWNER
617-835-6373 Brokers Welcome
FOLLOW US ON
TWITTER @baystatebanner
CHELSEA APARTMENT
4+ bdrms Newly renovated, 2000+ sq ft apt in 3 fam, no smkng/pets, hrdwd flrs, eat-in kit, pantry, lg master bedroom, din and lv rm, laundry rm, enclosed frnt/bck prchs, off street prkng, T access, min to Bost. Sec 8 OK
617-283-2081
Thursday, February 27, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER • 23
AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
For Elders 62 & Older
Dalrymple School 46 Grovers Ave Winthrop, MA 02152 *conversion of historical elementary school into 27 units of affordable housing for elderly residents* Developer: EBCDC, Inc. d/b/a Metro Management # of Units
Type
Rent
% of Income
23
1 BR
Contract Rent
30%
4
0 BR
Contract Rent
30%
Executive Director
Timothy Smith Network, an innovative Boston-based nonprofit, seeks an accomplished leader as Executive Director. TSN is a member organization which increases the capacity of the Greater Roxbury community to effectively use and access technology by providing technology-related services, educational programs and resources. The first Timothy Smith Computer and Community Learning Center was established in 1997. Today there are 27 active Centers along with eleven Boston Public School sites. www.timothysmithnetwork.org. Requires entrepreneurial style, successful fundraising and management experience, and understanding of technology and online learning. Please send cover, resume and salary history to Susan Egmont at Egmont Associates, segmont@ egmontassociates.com.
Maximum Income Limits per Household Size Household Size
30 %
50%
1
$19,800
$32,950
2
$22,600
$37,650
Applications may be picked up in person at: Winthrop Senior Center 35 Harvard Street Winthrop MA, 02152 Wednesday March 5th to Friday March 7th 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Or picked up in person or by telephone at: Metro Management Company 201 Sumner Street, East Boston, MA 02128 (617) 567-7755 Located just across from the Maverick T stop on the Blue Line. Weekdays, March 3rd to March 7th, 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Evening hours, Thursday March 6th 6pm-8pm Saturday, March 8th, 9:00 am-12:00 pm Deadline for completed applications at the Metro Management address above: In person by 4 pm Friday March 28, 2014 or mailed and postmarked by that date SELECTION BY LOTTERY Use and Occupancy Restrictions apply. 5 units have a preference for households needing wheelchair accessible units. 3 units have a preference for households whose income meets 30% Income limits or less Projected Occupancy Summer 2014 For more information or reasonable accommodations call Jeff Buono, Metro Management 617-567-7755 Equal Housing Opportunity
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 617-442-1800 ext. 218.
EVENTS MANAGER Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) seeks an experienced events manager to serve as an integral member of an eight-member development team. The events manager will design, manage and execute engaging meetings and events to grow and cultivate CLF’s donor and volunteer base. The events manager reports to the Vice President for Development. This is a full-time exempt position based in Boston, MA. TO APPLY Send your resume titled “your last name-first initial-resume” (e.g. “SMITH J RESUME”) and a detailed cover letter titled “your last name-first initial-cover” (e.g. “SMITH J COVER”) to careers@clf.org. Please make “Events Manager” the subject of your e-mail. No phone calls please. http://www.clf.org/about-clf/ employment-opportunities/#eventsmanager
SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER The Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC) seeks a Senior Project Manager to join our housing team. We provide financial resources and technical expertise for communitybased and other nonprofit organizations building thriving communities. Our work supports three key building blocks of community development: affordable housing, workforce development, and early care and education. The Senior Project Manager acts as a pre-development lender and technical assistance provider. S/he facilitates the successful management of all phases of the real estate development process. We seek a self-starter who has already demonstrated leadership in developing affordable housing and/or managing and implementing current housing and community development policies and financing programs. Submit a letter of interest and resume by March 21 to dramirez@cedac.org. For more information and a full job description, see the Resources tab at www.cedac.org. CEDAC is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.
ENERGY COORDINATOR/ PLANNER The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), the regional planning agency for Metro Boston, seeks an Energy Coordinator/Energy Planner to help achieve MAPC’s local and regional clean energy goals. This is an opportunity to work in a dynamic, inter-disciplinary, and innovative environment to build a more sustainable and equitable future for metropolitan Boston. The Coordinator/Planner will work closely with other staff at MAPC, state agencies, local officials, community groups, businesses, and institutions to promote clean energy efforts in Metro Boston. Duties include: Help cities and towns to develop plans, policies, zoning, and programs to promote energy efficiency, to advance renewable energy in the residential, commercial and municipal sectors, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; design and run regional energy projects, e.g., procuring energy-efficient equipment or services, or planning energy initiatives among neighboring municipalities.
Senior Asset Manager Madison Park Development Corporation (MPDC) seeks an Asset Manager to join our Real Estate team. MPDC is an active and established community development corporation that serves the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. The Senior Asset Manager will work with our Director of Asset Management to ensure that: our goals for our properties are met; future planning for the financial and physical health of the properties is completed; and all investor and lender reporting requirements are satisfied. Our ideal candidate will demonstrate expertise in property financial analysis and planning, physical plant knowledge, and knowledge of affordable housing communities. For more information, see www.madison-park.org. Submit a letter detailing your salary requirements and your qualifications for this position along with a resume to: madisonparkassetmanager@gmail.com. Madison Park Development Corporation is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.
Qualifications include: MA in planning, public policy, engineering, or public or business administration, with training in energy systems or related disciplines and a minimum of one year of professional experience working directly with energy issues in a public or private sector setting; or relevant bachelor’s degree and a minimum of three years of professional experience. Full time position with an excellent state employee benefits package. Salary range $45,000 to $55,000 depending on qualifications and experience. This position is a one year contract appointment. 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. Diverse candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Please see complete job description on MAPC Web site and APPLY ON LINE AT LINK SHOWN THERE. Please attach cover letter, resume, writing sample, and names of three professional references. Posted 2-18-14 by Thomas E. Hauenstein, Manager of Human Resources.
Join a dynamic group of civil/transportation professionals at a 115-person multi-state
CONSULTING ENGINEERING FIRM. The following positions are currently open in our Boston office:
Project Assistant – to provide administrative services and clerical support to a team of consultants. Must have strong organizational and analytical skills and ability to manage large volumes of information successfully. Requires Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree, proficiency with MicroSoft Word and Excel, valid MA driver’s license and 2-5 years of experience in a business environment. Professional Land Surveyor – to perform land surveying
tasks for various projects. Must have MA PLS registration and at least 5 years of experience supervising land title, topo/existing conditions and boundary surveys, along with land subdivision work. BSC offers competitive salary and benefits package.
Please submit resume with cover letter to: Human Resources Department, BSC Group, Inc., 15 Elkins Street, Boston, MA 02127; e-mail: info@bscgroup.com; fax: 617-896-4301.
No telephone calls, no recruiters, please. BSC is an AA/EEO employer.
CONTROLLER The Boston Redevelopment Authority, Boston’s Planning and Economic Development Agency is seeking candidates for the key position of Controller. Reporting to the Director of Administration and Finance, develop, recommend and implement policies and procedures to control and safeguard the organization’s assets; manage preparation of all financial reports; manage accounting staff.
QUALIFICATIONS: Completion of a Master’s degree in Business Administration, Accounting, related field or equivalent is preferred and/or completion of C.P.A. certification, plus seven to ten years of progressively responsible related experience. Supervisory background is required. Ability to use automated accounting modules and office software is required. SALARY RANGE: $74, 360 — $96, 860 annually based on education and experience. For full position details, visit our website at: www.Bostonredevelopmentauthority.org TO APPLY Submit resume/cover letter to: Human Resources BRA, 43 Hawkins Street Boston MA 02114
E- Mail: Hr.bra@boston.gov
An Equal Opportunity Employer BOSTON RESIDENCY REQUIRED ON DATE OF HIRE