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DCF vows changes in wake of audit report Martin Desmarais
State Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry greets spectators in the Dorchester Day Parade, an event many officials view as the unofficial start of the summer campaign season. This is Forry’s first year representing the entire length of Dorchester Ave. (Banner photo)
“We find the report and its recommendation to be thoughtful, objective and fair.”
Candidates kick off summer campaigning in Dorchester Yawu Miller For Dorchester residents, the Dorchester Day Parade is a threeand-a-half-mile-long expression of civic pride that showcases the diversity of Boston’s largest neighborhood. For elected officials, the parade takes on a whole different dimension. “It kicks off the summer parade season,” said Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins, as he prepared to mobilize his contingent of two dozen or so supporters. “And Dorchester is such a tight-knit community. It’s like a family reunion.” For Mayor Martin Walsh, a 16year veteran of the State House, the parade was his first since his ascent
to the city’s corner office. Marching at the head of the parade, Walsh zigzagged along the parade route greeting supporters. “He’s the mayor of Boston and he’s a big person in this community,” said Giovanni Bala, a 4th grader at the Mattahunt Elementary School, after posing for a photograph with Walsh. “For him to take a picture with me was a big deal.” Accompanying Walsh were city councilors Frank Baker, Tito Jackson and Charles Yancey, state Rep. Russell Holmes and Police Commissioner William Evans. The head of the parade had a decidedly Hibernian vibe, with the Boston Police Pipes and Drums Gaelic Column providing the bag-
The Child Welfare League of America has found that the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families is seriously lacking in its abilities to help the state’s children due to the department’s out-of-date policies, high caseloads, inadequate technology and no system in place to make things better. However, DCF and state officials say the work is already under way to improve the department. Released last week, the 75-page report comes as a result of a fourmonth independent review of the department by CWLA, a national advocacy organization for disadvantaged and vulnerable children. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services tapped the CWLA to complete the third-party report in January in response to concerns about the safety of children served by the DCF. In particular, the review was triggered by a public outcry over the death of Jeremiah Oliver, a 5-year-old from Fitchburg who was found dead while under DCF supervision. Jeremiah was first reported missing in December 2013, but subsequent investigation revealed the child had actually been missing since September of last year and that DCF caseworkers lied about failing to conduct home visits in the case. In April, the 5-year-old’s body was found inside a suitcase off Interstate 90. His mother and boyfriend are facing charges in the case and the
incident has led to the firing of three DCF employees. The CWLA report cited a lack of evidence to blame DCF for the death, but found that the department staff did not do their jobs as required and were responsible for failing to protect Jeremiah. With former DCF Commissioner Olga Roche already having resigned and Interim Commissioner Erin Deveney in place, the department has launched a plan to implement some of the changes called for by the report, including addressing issues in staffing and budgeting, technology, policy and practice, medical services and substance abuse services. The report has the backing of Secretary of Health and Human Services John Polanowicz and Gov. Deval Patrick. “ We h a v e no greater responsibility as a Commonwealth than to keep our most vulnerable residents safe,” Gov. Patrick said in a statement. “I am grateful to the Child Welfare League of America for their thoughtful and comprehensive road map for how DCF can better keep children secure and families strong. I have charged Interim Commissioner Deveney with implementing these recommendations consistently and transparently, and to work with our partners both in and out of state government to build on the improvements that have already been made at the department.” Polanowicz called the report’s recommendations well thought-out
pipe soundtrack. For elected officials who represent Dorchester, marching in the parade is an imperative. And for state-wide candidates, the parade is important as well. With a population north of 120,000, the neighborhood has more residents than any Massachusetts cities but Boston, Worcester and Springfield. And, as Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker pointed out, “It’s a politically active community.” Baker may not have much chance of winning Democratic-leaning Dorchester, but he can count on wringing votes out of the neighborhood’s more conservative strongholds, which include Savin parade, continued to page 6
— Erin Deveney
DCF, continued to page 8
P3 developers seek extension from BRA Yawu Miller A BJ’s Wholesale Club, a major sports and outdoor equipment retailer, a national cinema chain, a health and fitness club, arts and crafts store and major clothing retailer are among the businesses that have expressed intent to lease more than 70 percent of the 400,000 square feet of retail space in the Parcel 3 development planned by P-3 Partners LLC. The commitments for commercial space in the proposed complex have brought the partners to the brink of construction,
according to Feldco President Barry Feldman, whose firm partnered with the Elma Lewis Corp. to develop the Lower Roxbury parcel at the corner of Tremont and Whittier streets. The commitments, which the developers expect to finalize with signed leases in coming months, should ensure construction financing will flow to the project. But the developers are facing a BRA-imposed deadline that could derail the project, potentially setting the development of long-vacant parcel back years. Parcel 3, continued to page 19
An artist’s rendering shows the streetscape along the Tremont Street side of the proposed Tremont Crossing project, a housing, retail and hotel complex on Parcel 3 in Lower Roxbury. (Architect’s rendering)
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2 • Thursday, June 5, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
Dudley Neighbors celebrates 25 years building community
Former Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative board president Che Madyun cuts a cake during a celebration marking 25 years for Dudley Neighbors Inc., the development corporation founded by DSNI in 1989. (Photo courtesy of Dudley Neighbors Inc.) Martin Desmarais Dudley Neighbors Inc., a community land trust under the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, last week celebrated a quarter-century of success as one of the ground-breaking land trusts in the country. Created in 1989, Dudley Neighbors Inc. was an early
effort to fight displacement and gentrification in Boston. Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative established the trust to spearhead the development of 1,300 plots of vacant land that the City of Boston targeted in its 1988 “Comprehensive Community Revitalization Plan.” Working with both nonprofit and for-profit developers, Dudley
Neighbors Inc. has created 225 affordable homes on vacant land in the Dudley Triangle, located between Blue Hill Avenue, Dudley Street and Howard Avenue. The homes include 95 owner-occupied units, along with 77 cooperative units and 53 rental units. The trust owns 34 of the 62 acres in the Dudley Triangle and, in addition to its efforts, most of
the other 1,100 empty lots have been turned into parks, open space, community centers, affordable housing and small businesses. This includes the Trina Persad Playground, a community greenhouse and farm operated by The Food Project and a community garden and orchard. While other developers and community development organizations have played their part, Dudley Neighbors Inc. has had a key role in the elimination of almost all of the vacant lots in Dudley. “We have really, in the last year, completed the disposition of the city land in the Dudley Triangle,” said Harry Smith, director of Dudley Neighbors Inc., during the celebration event at St. Patrick’s Church in Roxbury. “We are celebrating because of what has been accomplished. The effort is really a result of a community setting a vision and then organizing to actually implement that vision.” Smith credits the overall efforts of the Dudley community for the work that has been done. He looks back at the city’s community revitalization plan in the late 1980s and says that such plans were not uncommon, but too often they were left only at the planning stage. A key factor in their ability to move forward on the plan and actually develop land was the city’s granting to Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative the power of eminent domain over the land. According to Smith, this was the first time the city granted eminent domain to an organization and it directly led to the start of the Dudley Neighbors Inc. land trust in 1989. In the land trust model, Dudley Neighbors Inc. owns the land while private entities and individuals own “improvements” to the land, such as homes, and lease the land from the trust. Decisions about the land trust are made by a community board that includes residents, leaseholders and representatives from city and elected officials. Homes are deed-restricted so the sale price cannot inflate along with the market. Smith said the land trust model allows for “development without displacement” because, no matter the market or rise in housing costs in the city, the land trust homes remain affordable and can help residents remain. “It really provides the kind of stability homeowners need while allowing them to gain equity in their home,” he said. He points to the recent foreclosure crisis as evidence that the model works. While hundreds of homeowners throughout city neighborhoods — such as Roxbury — lost their homes, none of the homeowners on the land trust lost their houses to foreclosure, according to Smith. He said that the land trust officials stepped in to work with banks and lenders to keep all of the land trust homeowners in their homes. Tony Hernandez has owned a home on the Dudley land trust for over 10 years and has come to believe in the model as a way to
preserve the neighborhood for its residents — so much that he joined the organization and is now president of the Dudley Neighbors Inc.’s board of directors. According to Hernandez, there is often some initial skepticism about the land trust model and buying a home on land that you don’t own, but he says the benefits far outweigh the concerns, and it is a great way for people to become homeowners. “It offered me financial stability,” Hernandez said. “It was a relief to know in the foreclosure crisis what I was up against and that the finances were set in the model … It allowed me to sleep better at night.” He also maintains that the land trust model creates a better sense of community and neighborhood because it is not possible to just buy a home and turn it around quickly by selling for profit. Those who buy the homes are in it for the long haul. Diane Dujon, a homeowner on the land trust since 1998, said that she has seen how the trust can stabilize the neighborhood. “Once people move into their home, they don’t leave. Out of all these people only one person has moved, so I know my neighbors. We watch out for each other and help each other out,” she stated. According to the National Community Land Trust Network, there are 218 land trusts in the U.S. and 13 in Massachusetts. Melora Hiller, executive director of the National Community Land Trust Network, says that although community land trusts have been around since the 1960s they have become increasingly popular. The Champlain Housing Trust is Burlington, Vt., is the country’s largest housing trust, but Hiller said Dudley Neighbors Inc. is a leader in the field. “Twenty-five years is a good long time and Dudley is one of the best known around the country,” she said. The success of the Dudley and Burlington land trusts has led the way for others. “They are certainly gaining in popularity, and there are many more now than they were 25 years ago,” Hiller said. “Our goal at the National Community Land Trust Network is to both increase the number of community land trusts and also increase their effectiveness. “It is a good tool to use in neighborhoods that are gentrifying and to prevent displacement, but it is also a good tool in distressed communities to help it revitalize,” she added. “When prices go up they remain affordable permanently. That is one of the biggest things — that if you are in a hot market you can protect affordability.” Smith said that the success of Dudley Neighbors Inc. has the organization looking around the city at other areas that could benefit from a land trust, including Chinatown and Codman Square. “We are involved to try and help others learn about and develop the land trust model,” he added.
Blacks, Latinos concerned about Walsh admin. hiring Yawu Miller As Martin Walsh enters his sixth month as mayor, political observers in Boston’s black, Latino and Asian communities are cautiously optimistic about his administration’s work in the neighborhoods of Boston. But while Walsh campaigned on promises to bring more diversity to city government, activists continue to voice concern about his administration’s commitment to opening the doors of City Hall to blacks, Latinos and Asians. “There’s still a lot of work to be done,” said the Rev. Miniard Culpepper, pastor of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church. “You have to make a concerted effort to diversify a cabinet.” As he enters the sixth month of his administration, Walsh’s cabinet includes eight whites and three people of color. He presides over a city government with entrenched economic inequality, with blacks, Latinos and Asians concentrated in lower-paying jobs than those held by whites. And, according to statistics provided by the Walsh administration, that pattern is continuing with Walsh’s new hires. Of the 256 people hired by the administration, the 112 whites are in the minority. But with an average yearly salary of $46,341, the white hires are making more than twice the average $20,929 salary of the 27 Latino hires and far ahead of the average $25,415 the
111 black hires are earning. One factor contributing to the lower average salaries of African American employees is the fact that 39.6 percent are youth workers earning $16,000 or less. Of the 27 Latino hires, 13 are youth workers. Walsh could not be reached for comment for this story by the Banner’s press deadline. Culpepper said the mayor could better integrate City Hall by putting more people of color in leadership positions, pointing to former mayor Raymond Flynn choice of Clarence “Jeep” Jones as deputy mayor. “Flynn allowed Jeep to do a lot of recruiting and bringing people in,” he said. “You have to have someone at that level.” While many interviewed by the Banner expressed concern over the Walsh administration’s hiring, there was agreement that the mayor is open to suggestions and input. “People are still hopeful and waiting to see what he does,” said political activist Kim Janey. “There are certainly more positions that need to be filled.” Sociedad Latina Executive Director Alexandra Oliver-Davila, who met with Walsh as a member of the Latino Network and voiced concern over the mayor’s commitment to diversity, expressed cautious optimism. “I believe he heard us,” she said. “I hope there will be positive movement going forward.” One area where Walsh earned
high marks early on was his shakeup of the Boston Police Department’s command staff, where 12 of the 24 positions are now held by people of color and women. In a department that has long been dominated by white men, the shakeup was unprecedented. Walsh’s personnel decisions aside, blacks, Latinos and Asians contacted by the Banner expressed support for the mayor’s initiatives. Chinese Progressive Association Executive Director Lydia Lowe gave Walsh high marks for what she described as the administration’s efforts to stabilize working-class communities. “I think he’s sincere and concrete steps are being taken,” she said, noting that the mayor and Department of Neighborhood Development Director Sheila Dillon have attended Chinatown Master Plan meetings. “The last time that happened was under Ray Flynn and [former Boston Redevelopment Authority Director] Stephen Coyle.” While Chinatown has seen a profusion of luxury apartment buildings that have displaced long-term residents and driven up costs, in the last two weeks, two affordable housing developments broke ground in the neighborhood. “For the first time, we have city leaders, even the mayor himself, saying we have enough luxury units now,” Lowe said. Lowe also expressed support for
Thursday, June 5, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER • 3
the mayor’s decision to hire an outside auditing firm to review the BRA and bring more transparency to city government. “I feel cautiously optimistic about where we’re going,” she said. “I think it’s important for community groups to continue to organize, though. There are lots of powerful groups on the other side of these issues.” In Roxbury, Walsh has received praise for his early commitment to bring a business incubator to the neighborhood’s commercial heart in Dudley Square. BRA Director of Planning Kairos Shen said the agency will issue a request for qualifications for an operator for a 4,500 square-foot incubator in the Ferdinand Building. Walsh has also increased funding to the Boston Main Streets program by more than 30 percent. The Main Streets program provides resources to businesses in 20 of the city’s neighborhood commercial districts.
With regard to the city’s school system, some in the black community have questioned the administration’s move to cut busing for most 7th and 8th graders, a move that would save $8 million. Most of the affected students would be given MBTA passes. At a series of community meetings, opponents of the cuts said the move would put 12- and 13-year-old students in harm’s way. “To put middle school students on these buses, you’re putting them in harm’s way,” Culpepper said. “To us, it’s the safety of our children that matters. And you can’t put a dollar amount on your children’s heads.” Still, like others in the black, Latino and Asian communities, Culpepper praised Walsh for meeting with him and other black religious and civil rights activists to discuss busing and other issues. “We’re working closely with him,” Culpepper said. “We want to see him succeed, and we want to help him succeed.”
Mayor Martin Walsh joined Boston police officers and officials at the Joseph Lee school in Dorchester to talk about strategies for reducing gun violence in the Commonwealth. (Mayor’s Office photo by Isabel Leon)
4 • Thursday, June 5, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
Established 1965
Blacks need to implement an effective strategy to develop power and prosperity John Conyers of Detroit was first elected to Congress in 1964. In every session he has filed a bill for Congress to consider reparations to African Americans. Year after year the bill has generated little interest. Several black intellectuals, including Randall Robinson and Charles Ogletree, have also made cogent arguments for reparations but with little result. The question of reparations was brought to life again with a May 21 article by Ta-Nehisi Coates of the Atlantic Magazine. He entitles his article “The Case for Reparations: Two hundred fifty years of slavery. Ninety years of Jim Crow. Sixty years of separate but equal. Thirty-five years of racist housing policy. Until we reckon with our compounding moral debts, America will never be whole.” The title also serves as a bill of particulars to make it clear that Coates’ argument for reparations does not depend entirely on slavery. A severely destructive aspect of slavery was that blacks had no right to keep families intact. Children were separated from parents, like selling off a treasure to the highest bidder. And husbands and wives were forcefully divorced by separate sales on the auction block. After slavery became illegal, blacks were dismissed from plantations with no property, no pension, and no way to provide for themselves in the inhospitable nation. The notion of reparations was not at that time a foreign idea to Americans. After the Civil War Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman suggested that freed slaves be given 40 acres and a mule. This idea did not appeal to the Congress and President Andrew Johnson. Even today blacks can be heard to say, half in jest, “I’m still waiting for my 40 acres and a mule.”
However, the U.S. has paid reparations to its citizens. In 1988, the government paid $20,000 each to the more than 100,000 survivors of the World War II detention camps for Japanese residents. After Pearl Harbor there was a great panic on the West Coast that residents of Japanese origin were potentially allied with the enemy. Therefore, the U.S. government incarcerated them indiscriminately. John C. Calhoun, the senior senator from South Carolina, aptly stated in 1848 the nation’s social pecking order. According to Coates’ report, Calhoun declared that “the two great divisions of society are not the rich and poor, but white and black. And all the former, the poor as well as the rich, belong to the upper class, and are respected and treated as equals.” America then became a predatory society in which blacks could be plundered by whites with relative impunity. Coates provides a personal perspective of that process with a touching biographical account of the travails of Clyde Ross as his family moved from Mississippi and then on the Great Migration to Chicago. Coates does not provide an accountant’s assessment of the losses suffered by blacks from racial discrimination to determine the value of prospective reparations. Nor does he provide a strategy for distribution. However, one cannot read Coates’ account without concluding that a debt is owed. There is inadequate determination in America to resolve the problem of racism, so what is plan B? What is the strategy to develop power and prosperity for blacks despite the racial barrier? The assertion by Sen. Calhoun of inferior status for blacks has never been repudiated. That is the black leadership’s conundrum.
Would that the Banner and Roxbury as a whole have expressed as much outrage at the long deterioration and ultimate destruction of St. Josephs Church as they seem to be doing about Charles St. AME Church. St. Josephs Church was the oldest Catholic church in Roxbury and the second-oldest in Boston. It is gone forever without a peep of community protest. The fate of Charles St. AME, gorgeous building, is a real worry — to say nothing of the old Skycap Plaza which has its own rich history, but Roxbury is well known for its highly selective protection of its landmarks. Former Temple Mishkan Tefila comes immediately to mind and has fortunately been
largely saved but not because Roxbury protested, aside from a small valiant arts group. Richard Heath Jamaica Plain
Lauds electoral reforms Kudos to Mass VOTE for their dogged work in getting election reforms passed in Massachusetts. As anyone who lives here knows, our elected officials are not always the quickest to embrace innovation and change. For too long, our electoral system has been hide-bound by 18th century sensibilities that don’t fit at all with the 21st century technology and demands.
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When Mass VOTE began pushing for these reforms more than a few years back, there were many who thought they wouldn’t succeed. They expended monumental effort, along with their allies, to convince legislators, town clerks and other stakeholders that modernizing the state’s electoral system would not lead to the dissolution of the Commonwealth into a post-governmental dystopia. I was pleasantly surprised to see the photograph of the governor signing the bill into law on the front page of this week’s Banner. There’s hope for the Commonwealth yet! C. Thomas Dorchester
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ROVINGCamera
OPINION Marking a big loss William Spriggs
Last week marked the loss of a powerful voice with Maya Angelou’s death. Fortunately, many in the nation paused to notice her loss. Dancer, actress, poet and teacher, Angelou captured everyone’s attention because of her ability to talk honestly out of her own pain and to get people to empathize, to share in the human experience. Recently, Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote a telling piece for The Atlantic on reparations. As Coates notes, he leaned on the work of many people in writing the piece, including his experience studying history at his alma mater, Howard University. What he did better than others, however, was weaving his argument through the personal experiences of current residents in a Chicago neighborhood. It was a great attempt to personalize a history of bad policies that others had previously described in abstract form. But perhaps his most telling passage was this: “In America there is a strange and powerful belief that if you stab a black person 10 times, the bleeding stops and the healing begins the moment the assailant drops the knife.” This is a concept rooted in memory and a sense of who can claim to be harmed, to have a sense of being wronged, to mourn, a sense of humanity. The passage is potent because it is a powerful way to explain the lack of empathy for the plight of African Americans. That is one of the reasons Angelou was such an important voice, because not everyone could weave more than a century of biased policies through the lives of one family, as Coates did, and not everyone could be as poetic and powerful as Angelou in bringing empathy to African American lives. But there is a far deeper damage than the case Coates makes about reparations that flows from America’s inability to empathize with the position that bad policies have left African Americans in. At his commencement address to Howard University’s graduation in 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson said, “Negro poverty is not white poverty. Many of its causes and many of its cures are the same. But there are differences — deep, Now, whenever corrosive, obstinate differences — radiating painful roots into the America goes into community and into the family recession, the fault and the nature of the individual. lines of the policies of “These differences are not the past create crevices racial differences. They are solely and simply the consequence of into which hundreds of ancient brutality, past injustice thousands of African and present prejudice.” Americans fall — Johnson’s speech that June compounding poverty day was meant to elicit empathy for African Americans, to con- through the loss of nect them as worthy to claim the incomes and savings. American Dream. And to do this, he makes clear reference to a history of policies with malice; “not the result of racial differences”- differences in character, culture or morals. Now, whenever America goes into recession, the fault lines of the policies of the past create crevices into which hundreds of thousands of African Americans fall — compounding poverty through the loss of incomes and savings. But, rather than focus on bad policy, it quickly becomes a story about issues of character, as Congressman Paul Ryan did in explaining American poverty. The inability to dissect bad policies and to then quickly divert attention to the victims of the policies does not just harm African Americans. It hurts America. The lack of empathy, the sense that letting Wall Street run amok, removing the wage floor from beneath workers, denying workers their right to organize and, lowering investments in our schools and colleges have no consequences leaves Americans with blameless politicians and business elites. Five years into a recovery that has only finally restored the number of jobs that were in place five years ago, but leaves millions unemployed and the incomes of the median family still lower and the poverty rate higher, and thousands still with homes lost to the financial “games” of Wall Street, is not really recovery. Lack of empathy is part of the ability of Republicans to vote against extending unemployment benefits or to cut Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits or fail to extend Medicaid coverage as more than half of America is still making up income losses. They feel no responsibility for those left struggling. It isn’t enough for Americans that we have passed new regulations for Wall Street if we don’t have policies to undo the harm those policies caused. Americans deserve to be made whole. As long as we limit the narratives and stories we may tell, we will limit the policy options we can discuss. And our current “memory” defines who is suffering and who gets to make claims on policy — not the 99 percent. William Spriggs is chairman of the Economics Department at Howard University and serves as chairman of both the Independent Health Care Trust for United Auto Workers Retirees of Ford Motor Company and the UAW Retirees of the Dana Corporation Health and Welfare Trust. The Banner welcomes your opinion. Email Op-Ed submissions to:
yawu@bannerpub.com Letters must be signed. Names may be withheld upon request.
Do you think African Americans will ever receive reparations from the U.S. government?
I have serious doubts that we will, although I feel very strongly that they should do the right thing and provide reparations.
I don’t think it will happen. We live in an era now where so many people falsely think that we’re post-racial.
No. I think the government is still in denial that there’s a problem. Racism is so implicit.
Mimi Jones
Tito Jackson
Alicia Mooltrey
No. Never. There’s too much politics and animosity.
No, because most people in power don’t feel like black people are owed reparations.
No, I don’t think so. I don’t think the government sees it as an important issue.
Julius Tolbert
Ant Thomas
Education Consultant Roxbury
Writer Roxbury
City Councilor Roxbury
Artist Roxbury
Community Organizer Roxbury
Brother Lo
Executive Director Dorchester
INthe news
Stephanie Neal-Johnson Stephanie Neal-Johnson has been appointed Undersecretary at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. In her new role, Neal-Johnson is functioning as Interim Chief for the Office of Diversity and Civil Rights, guiding that team in improving DOC’s Equal Employment Opportunity program, recruiting new staff members and working with the agency’s federal partners to ensure a robust program. Neal-Johnson also manages the agency’s Public and Legislative Affairs team. “Stephanie has been a valued counselor and member of my team over the last three years, helping us continue to push transportation reform across the organization,” said Mass. DOT Secretary and Chief Executive Officer Richard Davey. “We remain committed to creating a top notch diversity and civil rights program. I am most grateful that Stephanie has assumed
the lead role in the Office of Diversity and Civil Rights over the last several months, pushing us to create a model program.” Neal-Johnson formerly served
as Davey’s chief of staff. She received a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a law degree from Boston University School of Law.
6 • Thursday, June 5, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
parade
continued from page 1
Hill, Cedar Grove and Neponset. And, as former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown demonstrated in his upset win over Attorney General Martha Coakley in the 2010 special election to fill the seat formerly held by Sen. Ted Kennedy, winning Boston isn’t the objective for Republicans. Cutting into the Democratic base is. Baker, who says he has been attending house parties and touring commercial districts in Dorchester, received a warm welcome when the Banner caught up with him in the Savin Hill area. “There are a lot of good people in this community,” he said, as he worked the crowd in front of the James A. Murphy and Sons Funeral home. State Treasurer Steve Grossman, running for governor, worked the crowd without competition
here,” she said. “It’s such a wonderful community. This is my first time here representing the whole neighborhood. All of Dorchester Avenue is in my district.” On the parade route, Dorcena Forry showcased the high-energy campaign style that helped propel her into the House and Senate, darting across the street to greet old friends and Dorchester notables and leading her campaign volunteers chanting, “happy Dorchester day.” The parade route follows Dorchester Avenue from Lower Mills, where Dorcena Forry lives with her husband, Dorchester Reporter editor Bill Forry, to Columbia Road, just shy of South Boston. The route passes by Ashmont Station, where a largely Caribbean population lives alongside a growing young professional population. It passes through Fields Corner, where Vietnamese businesses and restaurants have transformed the streetscape over the last 20 years
“It’s great to be born and raised here.” — Linda Dorcea Forry
(Top) Mayor Martin Walsh spends a moment with Mattahunt Elementary School 4th grader Giovanni Bala. (Bottom) Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker fires up the crowd during the parade. (Banner photos)
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from the other Democratic candidates. Joseph Avellone, Dan Berwick, Coakley — a Dorchester native — and Juliette Kayyem took a pass on the parade. “This is a big day for this community,” Grossman said. “It matters a lot to people who shows up. This is all about relationship building.” Grossman, accompanied by a phalanx of orange-shirted supporters, was the lone Democratic gubernatorial candidate, marching ahead of Baker and independent candidates Jeff McCormick and Evan Falchuck. Other candidates for constitutional office included Maura Healey, who is running for attorney general and lieutenant gubernatorial candidates Mike Lake and Steve Kerrigan. As much as the crowd responded to statewide candidates, the local candidates were the real stars. Linda Dorcena Forry, who won the 1st Suffolk District Senate seat in a special election, worked the route with an inside advantage. “It’s great to be born and raised
and past Savin Hill. The strong Vietnamese character remains through Savin Hill, where neighborhood’s Irish, Cape Verdean and Vietnamese residents lined the sidewalks. Dorchester’s diversity was well-represented in the parade participants, with Irish step dancers, Caribbean Carnival mas bands, JROTC chapters, a Vietnamese Community of Massachusetts contingent of marchers dressed in crisp khaki Republic of South Vietnam military uniforms, brass bands, marching bands, martial artists, and floats ranging from the flamboyant Dot Out presentation to the red, white and blue Estrellas Tropicales baton twirlers. Founded in the early 20th century, Dorchester Day commemorates the neighborhood’s founding as a Puritan settlement in 1630. Puritans settled in Dorchester in May of that year, landing in present-day Savin Hill. The settlement was incorporated on June 1 of 1630 and annexed by Boston in 1870.
A free, fun-filled day of family activities and workshops!
Activities include: Family Zumba Class Children’s Art Class Healthy Food Demonstration Family Budget Workshop And Much More!
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Alberto Correia, Ruth Forde, state Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry, Gibran Rivera and Darshan Rivera-Tan (front) pause for a photo during the Dorchester Day Parade. (Banner photo)
NEWSBriefs “Free Fun Fridays” mean no money is no problem Admission fees should not be a barrier to cultural exposure, according to the Highland Street Foundation who, beginning June 27, will generously sponsor admission to between five and seven museums and cultural institutions throughout the state every Friday until August 29. “With summer around the corner, I encourage the community to get out and experience the best our city has to offer, and Free Fun Fridays is the perfect opportunity to do just that,” said Mayor Martin Walsh in a release announcing this year’s programming. In Boston, participating institutions include the Franklin Park Zoo, the Sports Museum, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, the New England Historic Genealogical Society, Mass Audubon’s Boston Nature Center, the Freedom Trail Foundation, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Commonwealth Shakespeare Com-
pany, Boston Harbor Islands National Park, the ICA, Boston’s Children’s Museum and the Museum of African American History. “This year’s Free Fun Fridays program is our most far-reaching yet, and we’re honored to provide families with access to the very best cultural institutions across Massachusetts,” said the Highland Street Foundation Executive Director Blake Jordan. The Highland Street Foundation has granted more than $650,000 for this year’s Free Fun Fridays. Additionally, the foundation is sponsoring a short series, “Out of the Park,” which shows the Red Sox games on a large screen. On June 22, the event will be held at Dorchester’s Franklin Park and on July 27, the event will be held at the Boston Common. The Highland Street Foundation, based in Newton, was established in 1989 by the McGrath family, who still serve as the foundation’s board of directors. The Highland Street Foundation is committed to addressing the needs and concerns of children and families in Massachusetts and California. They direct their efforts to providing access and opportunities in the areas of education, housing, mentorship, health care, environment and the arts. News Briefs, continued to page 20
Roxbury Technology Corp. CEO Beth Williams stood outside the headquarters of her company with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at a rally on June 2 to increase wages and to close the pay gap between men and women.
Ahmed Joe Cook of Roxbury May 25, 2014
Beloved son of Dr. Angela Paige Cook and Rev. Joe Cook, Jr. Dear brother of Israel I. Cook of Washington, DC, Ashé I. Cook of New York, NY and Paige C. Cook of Jamaica Plain. Uncle of Nia R. Cook and great-nephew of Juette Johnson Day both of Washington, DC. He leaves a host of extended family and many friends. A service celebrating Ahmed’s life was held Sunday, June 1, 2014 at 1 PM the First Church in Roxbury at John Eliot Square. In lieu of flowers Memorial donations may be made to the Ahmed Cook Scholarship Fund, Paige Academy at
PaigeAcademy.org.
Thursday, June 5, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER • 7
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DCF
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and said the DCF would implement changes to “help keep children safe.” “We find the report and its recommendation to be thoughtful, objective and fair. The report is an important roadmap for the department. The recommendation recognizes those areas in which the department is promoting children and protecting their safety and promoting their families and also identifying areas where we can make further progress,” said DCF Interim Commissioner Deveney. At the heart of the matter are the high caseloads on DCF’s social workers. In a 2013 agreement with SEIU 509, the union that represents the departments’ social workers, the caseload maximum was set at 15 per social worker. But the report found that the ratio is approximately 20 cases per social worker. SEUI 509 has repeatedly argued that the high caseload is a main factor in DCF’s troubles. According to Deveney, DCF has already hired 200 new social workers and staff since January, with a goal of hitting the 15-case-load-per-social -worker ratio that the union agreement stipulated. “This will help to reduce the concern about current levels of case loads,” Deveney said. Another surprising finding from the CWLA report was the woefully inadequate use of technology by the DCF’s social workers — namely that many did not have cell phones or mobile devices that allowed them to input case information into a database and contact supervisors in a timely fashion while in the field. In March, DCF issued 54 tablets to on-call supervisors. But considering last week’s report concluded the department workers in the field were the most in need of up-to-date mobile technology, this move appeared misguided. DCF has now announced it will issue 2,000 additional tablets to social workers and staff in the field, beginning in June. Deveney was quick to point out that DCF’s improvement ef-
forts have been ongoing and that the report only serves to reinforce the need for the changes they are making. “While we have anxiously awaited the final recommendations, it is important for the public to be aware that the department has been making improvements in hiring and technology,” she said. “We haven’t just been waiting. We have been engaged in progress while we have been waiting for the final report.” DCF interim head was also quick to point out that a lot of the changes called for by the report are reliant on state funding to be implemented. “The Legislature will play an important role as we move forward with these recommendations,” Deveney said. Gov. Deval Patrick has called for $9.2 million additional funding in the state’s fiscal year 2015 budget for the new DCF staff and technology improvements. The House and Senate have topped that number, proposing $14.2 million in the House and $11.4 million in the Senate. Deveney is hopeful that at least the governor’s figure will pass through in the final state budget. Last year, DCF received $2.8 million in additional funding from the state, so the higher proposed numbers do reflect an intended commitment from legislators. As a result of the report, DCF will put together what it is a calling a “kitchen cabinet” of child welfare advocates, experts, community leaders and state policy-makers to oversee the department’s efforts to make changes. “This group, which is a collaborative effort, is intended to ensure the public that the department is doing everything it can to implement the findings of CWLA,” Deveney said. Deveney grouped the report recommendation and necessary changes into short-term, mid-range and long-term objectives. She said the department is already working on the short-term changes, such as staffing and technology issues, and depending on funding, can address mid-range issues in the next year and also start to lay the foundation for long-term objectives.
Secretary of Health and Human Services John Polanowicz has charged the Department of Children and Families with following the recommendations from a recent audit report that found the department lacking in its abilities to help the state’s children. (Photo courtesy of the Office of of Health and Human Services)
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Civil Rights lawsuit alleges discriminatory school closings Julianne Hing Sixty years after Brown v. Board of Education, schools are still both separate and unequal. Community and civil rights groups say they’ve identified a key force that’s aggravated the inequity: school closures. On May 14, on the same week the nation recognized the 60th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark school desegregation ruling, the civil rights group Advancement Project and the national community group network Journey for Justice Alliance filed three federal complaints with the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice alleging that school closures in Newark, Chicago and New Orleans discriminate against African-American students. “We’re in a new era of separate and unequal,” says Jadine Johnson,
students of color. New Orleans, set to become the nation’s first charter-only school district this fall, has been ground zero for school closure-driven reforms. In the city’s post-Katrina reform frenzy, New Orleans has shut down all but five of its traditional public schools, kicked out tenured teachers, and replaced schools with charters and a predominantly black teaching force with young, overwhelmingly white recruits from the controversial education reform and teaching training program Teach for America. However, the complaint alleges, struggling charter schools with higher white enrollments have been spared as the district “turned a blind eye and allowed those schools to remain open.” As neighborhood schools are shuttered, students in New Orleans
the ones they were sent away from. School closures are not limited to the three cities named in the federal complaints. Baltimore, Columbus, Detroit, Houston, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and St. Louis have all closed dozens of schools in the last 15 years. New York City has closed 140 since 2002. “The common element among them is they’re districts with high concentrations of kids of color, most
of them in poverty,” says Dixson. Indeed, school closures are a phenomena which is disproportionately targeted at schools with high African-American and Latino enrollments. There is a political tension, though. The Obama administration, via reform initiatives such as Race to the Top, has written school closures into its reform mandates. The Department of Education, in other words, is arguably driving the very civil rights violations that groups are asking it to investigate. The Department of Justice did not respond to a request for comment. A Department of Education spokesperson told Colorlines that the agency doesn’t confirm the receipt of federal complaints,
but does let relevant parties know if it opens an investigation from a complaint it’s received. Johnson of the Advancement Project and Brown of the Journey for Justice Alliance both said they had not heard anything from the Department of Education or the Department of Justice. “In America, we have good schools being destabilized as a direct result of district policy and the continuation of destructive policies, and being repackaged and sold to us as school reform,” says Brown. “We’re trying to call [Attorney General Eric] Holder to the plate and say, ‘You gotta swing.’” Originally published on Color lines.com
“The common element among them is they’re districts with high concentrations of kids of color, most of them in poverty.” —Adrienne Dixon a staff attorney at the Advancement Project. “Inequity and discrimination still occurs in many schools across the country.” In Chicago, Johnson says, black students make up 40 percent of the district enrollment but were 88 percent of those affected by the 111 school closures the city has undertaken since 2001. In Newark, African-American students comprise 52.8 percent of the district enrollment, and 73.4 percent of those whose schools were closed. In New Orleans, African-American students are 82 percent of the district’s schoolchildren, but 96.6 percent of those whose schools closed. “When you look at who’s impacted, you realize this is more than just reform. This is discrimination and this is abuse,” Johnson says. School closures are one of four turnaround options outlined by the federal government for transforming schools deemed failing based on their test scores. The other options include firing a school’s principal and staff and rehiring no more than half the school’s staff, and restarting a school and handing it over to a charter school. School closure is typically seen as a measure of last resort only for those school sites beyond repair. But it’s all too frequently used in communities of color, says Jitu Brown, director of the Journey for Justice Alliance. What’s more, says Johnson, “When you pull back the data, even using [school districts’] own metrics and standards, school closures” are selectively used against
have to cross town, sometimes up to 15 miles, to get to school. That means that even young elementary school students are waiting at bus stops at 5:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. in the morning, the complaint alleges. In New Orleans, that means that it’s much harder for parents to be involved in their kids’ education, says Minh Nguyen, executive director of the community organizing and advocacy group VAYLA-New Orleans. Parents without cars can’t just pop over to their children’s school for a parent-teacher conference, or lean on the community for advice in navigating their child’s faraway school, says Nguyen. “Schools are cornerstones of communities,” says Adrienne Dixson, a former New Orleans public school teacher and professor of education policy at University of Illinois. They’re very often the heart of the community, the only place where parents and families and community members regularly interact. And when they’re gone, it undercuts a community. In Chicago, a rash of gun violence in recent years has been aggravated by school closures, says Brown, the director of the Journey for Justice Alliance. As a result of school closures, students have been forced to cross neighborhood and rival gang lines to get to school, putting themselves in daily harm just to get their education. What’s more, the complaint says, when schools are shuttered, students are reassigned to schools that are very often no better than
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Cambridge College held its 2014 commencement at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion in Boston on June 1. Honorary doctorates were given to El Mundo newspaper founder Alberto Vasallo Jr., Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Roderick L. Ireland and former Congressman Barney Frank. Pictured (l-r) are Vasallo Jr., Cambridge College Board Chair Derek Davis, Ireland, Cambridge College President Deborah Jackson and Frank.
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Congo activists lobby State House to curb metals trade Laura Onyeneho May 27 marked Congo Advocacy Day at the Massachusetts State House, led by the community organization Congo Action Now, to confront the illegal mineral trade that has perpetuated the war in Congo, which has killed more than 6 million people since 1996. “Many might wonder what this has to do with Massachusetts,” said Francis Lomani member of advocacy group Generation Révolté. The exploitation of the DR Congo’s natural resources is what Lomani says Americans should pay close attention to. Tin, tantalum, tungsten and coltan are minerals
used in cell phones, laptops, and other electronic devices, and trade in these resources has sustained the deadly conflict. Lomani, who emigrated from Congo in 2007, says he could remember the atrocities that tore the Congo apart. “This is a tough barrier. We want to get state representatives’ attention. It might not be a top priority, but we will keep pushing,” he said. The purpose of Congo Advocacy Day was to encourage the passing of the H.2898 bill or “An Act Relative to Congo Conflict Materials.” It would prohibit the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from contracting with companies that do not comply with federal law man-
dating certification of minerals from the Congo. The H.2898 bill was spearheaded by then-Representative Martin J. Walsh to encourage the use of conflict-free minerals. It’s now assigned to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. Two dozen organizations and state representatives have stood behind the bill, including Rep. Ruth B. Balser of Newton. She said she was deeply moved by the presentation Congo Action Now gave to the Women’s Legislative Caucus on the violence in the country and has since partnered with the organization to help move the bill forward. “The legislative process takes
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Jeanne Kasongo L. Ngondo president of the Shalupe Foundation, speaks at the State House. (Laura Onyeneho photo) time, but I believe they will have a great support base,” said Balser. Congo Action Now Chairwomen Pat Aron said speaking to representatives could help them realize the economic and social impact of the bill. “We would like this bill to pass so America won’t be complacent with human rights violations and companies can have more accountability for their actions,” Aron said. Conflicts over Congo’s mineral wealth have attracted multiple armed groups from bordering countries such as Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda. Mass rape has been used as an intimidation strategy in securing control of trade and mines. According to the 2011 study in the American Journal of Public Health, approximately 1,150 women are raped daily in the DR Congo, which is close to 400,000 a year. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described it to be “truly one of mankind’s greatest atrocities.”
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“It’s certainly a dangerous place to be a woman,” said Jeanne Kasongo L. Ngondo, president of the Shalupe Foundation. “This is femicide … genital mutilation. These men go after girls to destroy their reproductive system,” she said. The Shalupe Foundation assists victimized and war-displaced women and children in DR Congo, and Ngondo said what she has seen through her work gives her every reason to speak out against the “shameless” acts of terror. “In Congo there are so many concerns, where to begin I don’t know,” said Ngondo. Bostonians in support of the cause divided into groups to meet with legislators and their aides. The event transitioned to a standout in front of the State House Ngondo said she is confident the legislation will pass. “It’s time to put an end to this war,” she commented.
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The Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting and Get Konnected! came together to host a forum on diversifying corporate boards in an effort to increase racial and gender diversity on corporate and public sector boards. The event entitled “Women and People of Color: The Missing Link on Corporate Boards” was held. Tuesday, May 27 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. The Boston Globe’s business columnist Shirley Leung and Colette Philips, president and CEO of Colette Philips Communications and founder of Get Konnected!, were co-moderators for the forum. Discussion panelists include Bob Rivers, President & Coo of Eastern Bank; former president and CEO of Sonesta Hotel and founder of 20/20 Women on Corporate Boards Stephanie Sonnabend, Ferdinand Alvaro, partner in charge of Boston office of Gonzalez, Saggio and Harlan, executive director of multicultural marketing for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Juliette Mayers, and independent director and trusted advisor Boards and the C-Suite Lucinda Doran. (Don West photos)
Above: Panelist Bob Rivers, President & COO, Eastern Bank; executive director of multicultural marketing for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Juliette Mayers; Shirley Leung, Globe Columnist; Colette Phillips; former president and CEO of Sonesta Hotel and founder of 20/20 Women on Corporate Boards Stephanie Sonnabend; Ferdinand Alvaro, partner in charge of Boston office of Gonzalez, Saggio and Harlan, and independent director and trusted advisor Boards and the C-Suite Lucinda Doran.
Right: Colette Phillips, CEO of Colette Phillips Communications and Founder of Get Konnected, with Bob Rivers, President & COO Eastern Bank.
BOSTON scenes
More than 40 women and minority business owners attended a recent Eastern Bank sponsored reception at Darryl's Corner Bar & Kitchen where Eastern Bank President and COO, Bob Rivers, and Lending Executives met to discuss its business programs to support small businesses. Rivers also discussed the Bank's commitment to helping MBEs grow their businesses in a significant way. This event is one of several initiatives born from the Boston Means Business Forum designed by DCBK owner Darryl Settles and other business leaders to inform MBEs about current and future business opportunities in the City of Boston. (Michael Hailey photos)
Bob Rivers, President and COO of Eastern Bank, Darryl Settles, Proprietor of DCBK, State Representative Gloria Fox, Kirk Sykes, President of The New Boston Fund, Kathy Long-Thurman, VP HR Eastern Bank, Ed Thurman, President, Marion Edward Associates.
12 • Thursday, June 5, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
Doula turns women’s health passion into new business Kassmin Williams Boston based labor coach Shawnda Walker can’t promise an easy birthing process for her clients, but she can guarantee tears forming in her eyes upon each baby’s arrival. “I often tell my clients when I first meet them if you decide to invite me to your labor, I have to let you know right away I cry after every birth,” Walker said. Walker has been working as a doula in the Boston area since 2001. In 2013, Walker decided she wanted to market herself as more than “Shawnda the doula,” so she launched a website and came up with the name “Champagne Babies” to describe the high level of services she offers as a doula. As a doula, Walker said her goal is to not only to provide labor and birth support to families laboring at home, but to also be able to provide support in the hospital. Prior to becoming a doula, Walker worked in the women’s health field for 15 years in various areas, including obstetrics and gynaecology, infertility and labor and delivery. “I wanted to use my hospital experience to be sort of like an advocate not just for the patient with the doctors and nurses, but also for the doctors and nurses with the patient,” Walker said.
As what Walker calls a “happy medium” between the doctor and the patient, she is able to make sure the patient understands the information being thrown at them throughout the pregnancy and birthing process and also fill the medical staff in on beneficial information about the patient to break down communication barriers. “It’s a really delicate situation for the client,” Walker said. “There’s a lot of information being processed, a lot of people and sometimes they don’t get it right away.” During the labor and delivery process, Walker is available to visit her client a week before the client’s due date and a week after, she said. Aside from being available for the labor and delivery process, whether at home or in the hospital, Walker is also available for questions from clients 24 hours a day. “You spend a lot of time checking in with each other after doctor appointments,” Walker said. A doula may not be able to promise a simple labor and delivery experience, but a Cochrane review published last July showed that women who received continuous labor support — through a doula, midwife, nurse or a companion — were less likely to give birth with a caesarean section
and use pain medications and more likely to be satisfied and have slightly shorter labors. One of Walker’s clients, Taylor Schell, was unable to avoid the use of an epidural after spending two days in the hospital prior to being in labor and then 31 hours in labor. Despite this, Schell said having Walker as an advocate helped bring some relief to a stressful labor and delivery process. Walker was able to convince Schell’s midwife to allow her to go for a walk around the hospital without the monitor that she was supposed to wear aroundthe-clock and was able to advocate for Schell to have a needle removed until it was actually needed, Schell said. “That’s actually something that Shawnda [Walker] did for me that I’m not sure I would’ve been able to convince them to do,” Schell said. Schell’s mother, Carlene Laurent, was also present during the process. Laurent admitted she thought she and Schell could do without a doula when Schell first presented the idea. “I never could’ve done it without Shawnda [Walker],” Laurent said. “I was prepared and thought I had all of the answers, but when I was exhausted she was there for me as much as Taylor [Schell].”
(Top) Baby Desmond was born after 31 hours of labor with the assistance of Bostonbased doula Shawnda Walker. (Bottom) Pictured are Walker, Carlene Laurent, Taylor Schell and baby Desmond not long after his birth. (Photos courtesy of Champagne Babies)
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Chef John Verlinden cooks up a treat with new Cuban cookbook
Colette Greenstein John Verlinden or “Chef Johnny” as he’s known from his days as the proprietor of Boston’s first Cuban-American restaurant, Mucho Gusto Café & Collectibles, has recently written the cookbook, “To Cook is to Love.” As he states right up front, the book is “equal parts conversation, cookbook and memoir.” What the book really is though, is a labor of love and a tribute to his Cuban-born mother-in-law, Aida Luisa Gonzalez de Mondejar. Mami Aida, as she’s called, is a woman of character, strength and love who emigrated from Cuba to the United States with her husband and daughter in 1954, to begin a new life in a strange country. Through all her heartaches and triumphs, food was an expression of love and a source of great pride and self-esteem for Aida. It was how she coped with life and all its curveballs. Chef Johnny began his adventure and love affair with food
when he was a young boy growing up on a farm in Tipton, Mo. His mom worked and so it was his responsibility to make lunch for his dad, who came home from work every day expecting a hot meal. His mom began by putting out food every morning with instructions on how to prepare it and, after some time, he found himself enjoying and experimenting with food on his own. His first job was working in a local drive-in restaurant grilling burgers when he was 13 years old. He has been working in kitchens and in restaurants ever since. Some 20 years later, through his partner and husband, Oswald Mondejar (Mami Aida’s son), he found a deeply personal connection with Cuban food. He states on his website that, “I found Cuba’s cuisine to be rich, deep and diverse — full of international influences from all of the peoples who’ve played a role in her history and complete thanks to the island’s natural bounty of tropical fruits and vegetables. ” He goes on to say that “after spe-
cializing professionally in Cuban-American food for the last 15 years, I’ve gotten pretty good at it.” One of his goals in writing the book was “to make [Cuban food] lighter and healthier than traditional foods. The same delicious flavors the same great savory tastes but lighter and less fat and less sodium.” In the 180 Cuban-American recipes in the book, Chef Johnny has been able to accomplish this goal by demonstrating how one can substitute ingredients with healthier options such as substituting yogurt for mayonnaise in creamy salad dressings, reducing salt, cooking with healthier oil or baking certain foods versus frying all without compromising taste and texture. On a recent weekday afternoon, Chef Johnny invited me to his home for lunch and prepared us a three-course meal. We began with an Avocado and Pineapple Salad “Ensalada de Aguacate Y Piña,” (noted in the book as the most popular salad at
Mucho Gusto Café). The salad was refreshing, light and colorful, topped with a little bit of lemon juice and olive oil, and very easy to make. The main course included Brown Rice and Black Beans, “Moros Y Cristianos,” with Beef Turnovers, “Empanadas de Carne,” and Sweet Plantains, “Platanos Maduros Fritos.” The meal was completed with a Guava “Guayaba” Cake for desert, and of course Cuban Coffee or “Café Cubano.” The meal was delicious, colorful and extremely satisfying. Another one of his goals with this cookbook is that he’s hoping “to encourage people to be thoughtful when they’re cooking.” By this he means, if a recipe calls for two teaspoons of salt to ask yourself: “what would it be like with one teaspoon?” He wants people to take a chance and experiment with food. In addition to all the great recipes, you’ll find interesting facts and history about many of the dishes and ingredients peppered throughout the cookbook.
For example, “Moros Y Cristianos” translates to “Moors & Christians.” In the book, Verlinden writes that “according to folklore, the Spaniards who colonized Cuba invented this dish to commemorate the defeat of the Islamic Empire and the liberation of Spain from the Moors who’d occupied portions of it for nearly 800 years.” Who knew? This book hooks you completely from the moment Mami Aida says “hola!” It makes you want to read more of her story. “To Cook is to Love” is filled with photos from Aida’s life and is ripe with her tales and her recollections of growing up in Cuba; marrying at a young age (as most women did back then); following her husband to America with her daughter; having a second child in the U.S.; learning how to be a single mom — all while doing what she knew best, cooking. This book is more than a cookbook. It’s a book filled with hope and possibilities. But most importantly, it’s really food for the soul.
14 • Thursday, June 5, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
‘Guided Tour’ brings audience on roller coast ride of emotion
passion for the mansion. The actor (played in this production by Vincent Ernest Siders) moves across the set pointing out unique details about the estate. His obvious admiration for Elmwood Hall leads one to question his motive to destroy it. Snoad, a Jamaica Plain resident, was visiting playwright at Hibernian Hall. “Guided Tour” was the second of four full-length plays by Snoad to have been performed at Hibernian Hall. Snoad won the Stanley Drama Award
“Guided Tour” at Hibernian Hall didn’t focus on the details of a full set. Instead, the actors were left to imagine certain details about their surroundings. This was the case specifically with Siders as the main character. The set consisted of a stage and enough furniture to depict the shift between Elmwood Hall, the psychiatric unit, and Dr. Rivera’s office. Siders was able to express such desire as he described specifics about the mansion that it made a physical set unnecessary.
‘Guided Tour’ at Hibernian Hall didn’t focus on the details of a full set. Instead, the actors were left to imagine certain details about their surroundings.
Vincent Ernest Siders and Elizabeth S. Rodgers rehearse for “Guided Tour,” which ran for six weeks at Hibernian Hall. Siders plays main character Joe Bell, who is imprisoned for arson, and Rodgers plays heiress Lindsay Pettigrew. (Photo courtesy of Hibernian Hall) Kassmin Williams Peter Snoad’s “Guided Tour” demonstrates love’s ability to drive a person to extremes in its honor. In this play, which recently enjoyed a six-week run at Hibernian Hall, the protagonist, Joe Bell, has
spent 14 years in prison for burning down Elmwood Hall, a Gilded-Age mansion in Rhode Island. Young law student Susanna Hatch is determined to clear Bell of any wrongdoing and, as she visits Bell in a prison’s psychiatric unit, she learns about love’s aforementioned ability.
At the play’s beginning, Bell is standing in the entrance of Elmwood Hall and acting as the tour guide he used to be, telling the imaginary tourists, “Today you get the chance to see Elmwood Hall in the flesh.” This scene portrays Bell’s deep
and the Arthur W. Stone New Play Award for “Guided Tour.” The play’s settings switch between the prison psychiatric unit, Elmwood Hall, and Bell’s psychiatrist Dr. Martin Rivera’s office. The action takes place between 1958 and1986. The audience had an emotional ride, watching Bell insist on a psychotic break as the cause for his burning down the mansion and hearing Hatch try to convince Bell that he has been framed for the crime — with racism as the motivator behind the false accusation.
For instance, in the scene where Bell first interviews for the tour guide position, he begins to describe the details of a fireplace that was not visible to the audience. Siders motioned his hand in the direction of the invisible fireplace and described it in so much detail that his fascination by the fireplace could be felt. On the surface “Guided Tour” looks to be about a young women’s fortitude to clear a black man’s name from a crime she believes he hasn’t committed. However, the main focus is on the power of love.
Thursday, June 5, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER • 15
intheMix with Colette Greenstein
A twist on “The Tempest” …. A buzz of excitement and anticipation was in the air for the opening night of “Amaluna,” Cirque du Soleil’s latest show. Packed under The Grand Chapiteau at the Marine Industrial Park on the Waterfront, were all sorts of people — from fans and families to folks from the worlds of media, business and politics. Backed by a female band, “Amaluna” offers its own spin on “The Tempest,” where the island is governed by several goddesses (the Peacock Goddess, the Moon Goddess, and the Balance Goddess), and tells the familiar and timeless story of love and redemption. The audience is fêted with an array of characters on the island ranging from Amazons and contortionists to gymnasts and aerialists, all dressed in an array of amazing and colorful costumes in rich shades of red, black, blue, and purple. It was a feast for the eyes
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to see the performers’ incredible feats of strength, flexibility and choreography. If you go, be prepared for a two-hour magical and mysterious ride!
Well fed at Grass Fed... Described as a “burger joint with strong values,” the Jamaica Plain burger joint Grass Fed offers delicious burgers, a variety of fries (from truffle-Parmesan to beet fries), onion rings, hot dogs, and sandwiches. Their meat is 100 percent grass-fed beef from cows raised without antibiotics or hormones. One of the best things about Grass Fed is that they also have “adult” milkshakes which include such delicious flavors as caramel-vodka, honey-bourbon or dark rum. Plus, there’s a beer and wine menu. Their classic cheeseburger was delectable and seasoned to perfection and was served on a soft potato bun with a special sauce that is to die for added to the burger. Make sure to add a side of beet fries, which are lightly seasoned in a thincoated flour batter, to add an interesting twist to the “burger and fries” combo. If you’re allergic to wheat or are just going gluten-free, you can order your
Cirque du Soleil opened its newest show, “Amaluna,” in Boston on June 5 at the Marine Industrial Park on the Waterfront. The show is an innovative take on “The Tempest.” (Photo courtesy of Cirque du Soleil) burger on a gluten free UDI’s buns, or you can ask for a “bunless” burger, which is served over mixed greens. With so many options for meat lovers and nonmeat eaters alike, Grass Fed is definitely worth the trip!
Jewels …
Surrounded by wafts of perfume during a matinée performance at the Boston Opera
House, the Boston Ballet presented its final show of the season with “Jewels.” The choreography was based on the legendary George Balanchine with the show divided into three colorful productions; Emeralds, Rubies and Diamonds. Emeralds opened with a pop of sparkling emerald green on the dancers’ costumes and on the backdrop with an image of a rhinestone tiara. Lia Cirio, one of the prin-
cipal dancers, moved with such grace and lightness in her every step during the sweet and sensual performance. The curtain opened for the second act with the audience oohing and aahing as the dancers’ ruby-colored costumes twinkled brightly on stage. The brightness of the rubies was matched by their exuberant smiles as they pirouetted and In the Mix, continued to page 16
16 • Thursday, June 5, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
ONE AD. EVERY MEDIA. $30.* CONTACT SANDRA CASAGRAND AT SANDRA@BANNERPUB.COM OR (617) 261-4600 x7797 FOR MORE INFORMATION *NOT INCLUDING THE PRICE OF PRINT AD
JOHN WILSON: small drawings May 10 – June 28, 2014
In the Mix continued from page 15
leaped to the music of Igor Stravinsky. The final act, Diamonds, was supported with music written by Tchaikovsky. Even though it lacked a little bit of the intensity of Rubies, it ended on an uproarious note with a rousing performance by the ballet company.
Coming up …
On Thursday, June 12, Daryl Hall & John Oates perform at the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion at 8 p.m. Limited tickets are available at
www.livenation.com. From June 12-22, the Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston presents “South Pacific” with a full, live orchestra at the Robinson Theatre in Waltham. Tickets: $35-$63 and can be purchased by calling 781-891-5600 or at www. reaglemusictheatre.com. The Citi Performing Arts Center presents “An Evening with Al Pacino” on Friday, June 27, at 8 p.m. Tickets: $73.25$183.25 and are on sale at to www. citicenter.org. If you would like me to cover or write about your event, email me at inthemixwithcolette@gmail.com.
The Fellowes Athenaeum Trust Fund has released a
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR COMMUNITY PROGRAMS at Dudley Branch of the Boston Public Library Send an email to fellowestrust@yahoo.com to receive the RFP and to find out more about how to apply. Technical Assistance Sessions will be held on: June 5, 5:30-7:00p.m. and June 7, 10:00a.m.-12:00p.m.
The deadline is on July 11, 2014 at 4:00 p.m. Head Bowed
Self Portrait
Man on Long Island Railroad
MARTHA RICHARDSON FINE ART 38 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116 u 617-266-3321 www.MarthaRichardsonFineArt.com
COMING TO
“Art Is Life Itself!”
The Performance Series That Embraces Art, Culture & Spirituality JUNE 5 Trap Drum Workshop Led by Drummer Alvin Terry The Fulani Haynes Jazz Collaborative Open Mic
JUNE 12 Celebrating 25 Years The Theater Offensive Presents The Neighborhood PRIDE Tour Musical Revue “Simple Intentional Living” Led by Mea Johnson Open Mic
JUNE 19 Deconstructing the Prison Industrial Complex Led by Harold Adams of C.F.R.O.P. “African Tapestry - The Journey” African Travel Documentary Film by DeAma Battle, Executive Director of The Art of Black Dance and Music. and Edited by Jibril Haynes Pentimenti presents readings from their Women’s Writing Group. Open Mic
JUNE 26 Regina Jackson, the Vocalist & Certified Sister Locks Consultant and Trainer, presents a “Sister Locks Workshop” “The Groovalottos” Returning from Mashpee Open Mic
Special Events:
SAT JUNE 7, 3:30PM-6PM Haley House Silent Auction & Wine Tasting At the Haley House Soup Kitchen 23 Dartmouth Street in the South End
12 Dade Street, Roxbury, MA 02119 617-445-0900 www.haleyhouse.org/cafe
Thursday, May 22, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER • 17
Community Calendar Thursday June 5
Book Talk L o c a l a u t h o r, D r. N a n c y Goldner, will speak about her book, Living Solo: A Practical Guide to Life On Your Own at the Dudley public library, 65 Warren St.. Roxbury at 6:30pm. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, contact the Dudley library at: 617-442-6186 or www.living-solo.com. Morning Market The Multicultural Arts Center will be exhibiting paintings by local artist Lori Lander until August 29, in the Upper Gallery. Lander has spent much of her life travelling the world allowing for her endless inspiration. Her work often depicts women of the world, their daily routines, and the areas in which they make their homes. The paintings of Morning Market showcase the beauty and grace of not only the morning hours, but also the women living and working in them each day. For this series, Lander has sought out the mor ning markets and created a body of work that embodies the light, color, and movement of these women and the atmosphere surrounding them. Her paintings explore the movement, color and light of their lives through pattern and texture. When she is not working on her paintings of women, she also depicts objects of everyday life with an emphasis on light, shadow, and color. FREE and open to the public. Regular Gallery hours: Monday-Friday, 10:30am - 6pm. Multicultural Arts Center, Lower Gallery, 41 2nd St., Cambridge. www.multiculturalartscenter.org/ galleries.
Friday June 6
Etchings from Moscow The Multicultural Arts Center and From Russia with Art Gallery presents Etchings from Moscow on view until September 2, in the Lower Gallery, exhibiting w o r k s b y A l e x a n d e r Ve t ro v and Stanislav Nikireyev, two honored Russian artists with an exceptional eye for detail and beauty. Each artist works in etching, presenting stunning images of the landscape (both cultural and natural) of Moscow. Alexander Vetrov blends color tactfully and artfully into his etchings, without taking away from the intricacy of the etching itself. Scenes of Russian villages in the different seasons of the year, churches in ruins, his home, his mother, are all captured by the artist’s discerning eye. Stanislav Nikireyev (1932-2007), Vetrov’s mentor and inspiration, was born in the Russian Tambov Region and named People’s Artist of Russia. His black a n d w h i t e e t c h i n g s c a p t u re all the seasons of nature and its creatures, both from the past and from more current eras, producing many diverse and beautiful country scenes. Together, the two Russian artists
g i v e a n a l m o s t s u r re a l v i e w into Moscow with the details only those with deep passion about their homeland can portray. FREE and open to the public. Regular Gallery hours: Monday-Friday, 10:30am - 6pm. Multicultural Arts Center, Lower Gallery, 41 2nd St., Cambridge. www.multiculturalartscenter. org/galleries.
Saturday June 7
Watercolor Painting Workshops The Boston Parks and R e c re a t i o n D e p a r t m e n t h a s announced that its popular summer series of ParkARTS Watercolor Painting Workshops will return during the month of June at five Boston locations. The series of eight workshops for budding artists ages nine and up is just one of the many offerings of the 18th annual ParkARTS program sponsored by Holly and David Bruce. These hands-on watercolor painting workshops enable participants to create their own greenspaceinspired masterpieces. Local art instructors welcome artists of all skill levels to join them and capture Boston’s historic parks in bloom. The free workshops include instruction and materials provided. All classes are held from 12 noon to 2pm weather permitting. Dates and locations are as follows: Boston Public Garden Lagoon (meet near Swan Boats) — Saturdays, June 7 and 14; Geneva Cliffs Urban Wild, 275 Geneva Avenue, Dorchester — Sunday, June 8; Nira Rock Urban Wild, 22 Nira Avenue, Jamaica Plain — Sunday, June 1 5 ; C o p l e y S q uare, Bost on — Saturdays, J u n e 2 1 and 28; Kelleher Rose Garden, 70 Park Drive, Boston — Sundays, June 22 and 29.For further information on the workshops and other ParkARTS programs, please call (617) 635-4505 or visit the Parks Department online at w w w. c i t y o f b o s t o n / p a r k s o r w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / bostonparksdepartment. Blue Hills Reservation Moderate walk, hilly terrain, 3+ miles. Loop around the base of Great Blue Hill. Meet at the Trailside Museum north parking lot at 1904 Canton Ave. in Milton at 1pm. The Southeast Massachusetts Adult Walking Club meets each weekend on either a Saturday or Sunday at 1:00 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. The terrain can vary: EASY (mostly level terrain), MODERATE (hilly terrain), DIFFICULT (strenuous & steep). Walks will be led by a park ranger or a Walking Club volunteer leader. Occasionally, t h e Wa l k i n g C l u b m e e t s a t other DCR sites or car pools to sites within the Blue Hills Reservation. The rangers recommend wearing hiking boots and bringing drinking water on all hikes.
Sunday June 8
PARKSCIENCE FESTIVAL RETURNS TO JAMAICA POND The Boston Parks and Recre a t i o n D e p a r t m e n t ’s P a r k SCIENCE program hosts a children’s science festival from 1pm to 3pm at the Jamaica Pond Boathouse in Jamaica Plain. The festival provides an entertaining way for people to gather and celebrate summer on the shores of the “jewel of the Emerald Necklace.” Families can partake in science-related activities presented by Science on the Street, the New England Aquarium Traveling Tide Pool, the Inventor Mentor, and the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. Activities will include bottle rocket and bubble experiments and refreshments will be provided by Polar Beverages. Professional actor-puppeteer Charlotte Anne Dore of Rosalita’s Puppets will present a whimsical puppet show, and children can visit a facepainter. In addition, the Boston Public Library will give away books and provide information about the “Read Your Way to Fenway” summer reading contest. ParkSCIENCE, a series of educational workshops presented in City of Boston parks, is designed to teach children that science is fun and can be experienced everywhere around them. Interactive experiments and demonstrations challenge children’s cognitive skills and invite them to ask questions, hypothesize, gather and weigh evidence, and then draw conclusions. For more information please contact the Boston Parks and Recreation Department at 617-635-4505 or online at Facebook and Twitter @bostonparksdept.
Upcoming Storytelling Event You are cordially invited to a Special family Storytelling Event Saturday, June 14 from 2-3pm at Pentecostal Tabernacle, 77 Columbia St., Cambridge. A per-
formance of stories for ages 2 to adult. Featuring storytellers, Sumner and Linda McClain. The McClain’s are professional storytellers who delight their audiences with Christian, traditional and original stories utilizing the medium of music, movement, puppetry and the spoken word. Donations for this event will be for the Missions trip to Linaca, Honduras, South America for their Children’s Center and to enrich the lives of their village. Concert in the Park Tuesday, June 17, starting at 8pm, at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 838 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, the weekly “Tuesday Nights” concert series presents Bass and Organ, and the songs featured are Five Greek Folksongs and Don Quixote to Dulcinea by Maurice Ravel; Les plaintes d’un troubador (D. 780, Op. 94) by Franz Schubert; Canonic Etude (Op. 56, No. 6) by Robert Schumann; Songs of Travel by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Tickets are $10 at the door. Wompatuck State Park M o d e r a t e Wa l k ; 4 m i l e s . Explore the glacial rock fields of Wompatuck in a less explored area of the park as we make our way to Burbank B o u l d e r, Wo m p a t u c k S t a t e Park’s largest glacial erratic. Meet in front of the Wompatuck State Park Visitor Center at 204 Union Street in Hingham at 1 pm. The Southeast Massachusetts Adult Walking Club meets each weekend on either a Saturday or Sunday at 1:00 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. The terrain can vary: EASY (mostly level terrain), MODERATE (hilly terrain), DIFFICULT (strenuous & steep). Walks will be led by a park ranger or a Walking Club vol unt eer leader. Occasionally, the Walking Club meets at other DCR sites or car pools to sites within the Blue Hills Reservation. The rangers rec-
ommend wearing hiking boots and bringing drinking water on all hikes.
Ongoing Celebrate African History in Song and SpokenWord Youth, teens, families and seniors are invited to gather at the Dudley Library, 65 Warren St., to Celebrate African American History and express the Spirit of the Sixties in song and spoken w o rd . T h i s f re e intergenerational program facilitated by Vocal Instructor Barbara Sanford Epps and Spoken Word Educator Lisa Lee takes place from 2-4 pm on Saturdays through June 14. Contact Hawthorne Youth and Community Center, Inc,. at hyccroxbury@hotmail.com or 617-427-0613 to register. Computer Classes For Adults — Free Day Classes: Monday thru Thursday — 12:30-2pm, Monday & Wednesday beginner classes, Tuesday & Thursday Advance classes. Evening Classes: Monday thru Thursday — 6-8pm, Monday & Wednesday beginner classes, Tuesday & Thursday Advance classes. The Shelburne Community Center, 2730 Washington St., Roxbury. South Shore Chess Club 100% free and open to everyone, the SSCC meets Mondays 7-10pm at the Hough’s Neck Community Center, 1193 Sea St. Quincy. Play chess, learn chess, and make new friends. www. southshorechess. com, 857-888-1531, or southshore chess@gmail.com for more info. Toddler Drum Circle Toddler Drum Circle series with Cornell Coley will run every Saturday during the school year. 9:30-10:30am. Songs, stories, puppets, drumming and cultural info! Ages 1 – 4 yrs old! Spontaneous Celebrations, 45 Danforth St., Jamaica Plain. Contact: Cornell Coley www.afro latin.net 617-298-1790 cc@afrola tin.net. Cost: $8, $5 for sibling.
SEE MORE UPCOMING EVENTS ONLINE BayStateBanner.com/events
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.
B
18 • Thursday, June 5, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
Be sure to check out our website and mobile site www.baystatebanner.com Members of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge Jurisdiction of Massachusetts gathered with members of the Arlington Historic Society and members of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts to pay homage to the memory of the men that are buried in the Prince Hall Mystic Cemetery in Arlington, Mass., and also to thanks those who work to maintain the historic site property.
OBITUARY Ahmed Joe Cook, 42, dedicated teacher, father Ahmed Joe Cook, 42, of Roxbury, died May 25. A week later, a procession of more than 100 family friends, former pupils and colleagues filled the streets of the Fort Hill neighborhood with African rhythms in a proces-
sion from Paige Academy, where Cook taught, to the First Church of Roxbury, where he was memorialized in a service. Born to Rev. Joe Cook Jr., and Dr. Angela Paige Brooks-Cook, he graduated from Fisk University with a bachelor’s degree in art and education and later took graduate courses in art and education and in kinetic education. He lived for 25 years cancer-free after being first diagnosed with the illness at the age of 16. As a kindergarten teacher at Paige Academy, the independent school founded by his parents, Cook dedicated his life to teach-
ing art and drumming to his students. His sensitivity to the needs of his students and his joy for exploring the world touched everyone in the school community. Cook’s commitment to his culture, heritage and ancestry was demonstrated through his spiritual practices, faith and beliefs. His creed was defined by the statement “Love is my Religion.” He is survived by his daughter, Nia Cook, and will be missed by many family members and friends. In lieu of flowers Memorial donations may be made to the Ahmed Cook Scholarship Fund, Paige Academy at PaigeAcademy.org.
Thursday, June 5, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER • 19
Parcel 3
continued from page 1
On May 22, interim BRA Director Brian Golden sent the P-3 Partners LLC a letter informing them their designation as developers of the parcel would be coming to an end June 30, and calling on them to demonstrate progress on the project if their designation is to be renewed. During a meeting of the Roxbury Strategic Master Plan Oversight Committee Monday, BRA Director of Planning Kairos Shen said that Golden and Chief of Economic Development John Barros would likely meet with the development team after Barros returns next week from a trade mission to Israel and Dubai. “This continues to be one of the things the administration wants to see progress on,” Shen said of Parcel 3. Shen said Golden was concerned about the development team’s financing, noting that some of the project’s proposed financing would come from tax credits
that the development team has not yet secured. Most major development projects in Roxbury — and in Boston — apply for state and federal tax credits. The P-3 Partners team members have requested a six-month extension of the team’s designation, arguing that they need time to sign leases with the retailers, cinema and prospective office tenants — including the Boston Public Schools — in order to obtain construction financing. “We don’t have signed leases for all of this, but that’s the nature of a mixed-use development,” said Feldco Development Vice President Jeffrey Feldman. “It’s like a Rubik’s Cube.” Barry Feldman noted that the team lost months of planning time last year after their former lead tenant, Partners Healthcare, pulled out of the deal. Asked by Menino administration officials to continue pursuing Partners, Feldman said the team waited six months until moving forward with BJ’s Wholesale Club. While Oversight Committee
An artist’s rendering shows a hotel and residential building at the corner of Tremont and Whittier streets in the proposed Tremont Crossing mixed-use development.
Boston Redevelopment Authority Director of Planning Kairos Shen speaks to members of the Roxbury Strategic Master Plan Oversight Committee during a meeting Monday. (Banner photo) Chairman Darnel Williams and board member Charlotte Nelson questioned the team’s request for an extension, other board members and community members at the meeting Monday expressed support for the project and urged Shen to extend the P-3 Partners’ designation as developers for the site. “This is an investment of three years,” said board member Dorothea Jones, drawing applause from attendees. “If we don’t give them six more months, it may take us six more years to get where we are now.” Williams and Nelson cautioned against the board taking a vote in support of P-3 Partners before hearing Barros and Golden’s concerns. Nelson questioned whether the board could request a set of metrics measuring monthly progress on the project. Jones said the board should not have to wait for Barros and Golden to weigh in.
“This is as much for the community to consider as it is for the BRA to consider,” she sadi. “The fact that John Barros is travelling does not mean the community can’t have a voice and express it.” Williams responded, asserting that the issue was too volatile to vote on during the Monday meeting. “This is a powder keg and it can get lit in a nanosecond,” he said. “We just need to hear from John and Mr. Golden first.” No vote was taken Monday. The P-3 Partners LLC development plans include 400,000 square feet of retail, an extended-stay hotel, 300 market rate, affordable and moderate income residential units, a 1,500-space parking garage and a 30,000-square-foot space for the National Center of Afro-American Artists. The Parcel 3 site has been mostly vacant for decades, most of its buildings cleared during
the ‘70s through federal Urban Renewal funds. The parcel is directly across Tremont Street from the Boston Police Department headquarters and across from the Whittier Street public housing development. The Boston Housing Authority is currently seeking federal department of Housing and Urban Development funding for a $300 million rehabilitation project that would raze and rebuild the Whittier Street development and build housing and commercial space in the neighborhood around the development. In addition to Nelson and board member Kevin Cherry, community members including developer Fred Fairfield and former City Councilor Chuck Turner urged support for the extension of P3 Partners’ designation. “I think it’s unfortunate that the community was not given the opportunity to voice their support,” Turner said.
20 • Thursday, June 5, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
NEWSBriefs
continued from page 7
Business plan program helps kids stay in school On Saturday, June 7, BUILD will host the third annual Youth Business Plan Competition. Participants are 9th grade students from Another Course to College, Charlestown High School, Community Academy of Science and Health, and Jeremiah E. Burke High School. Last year’s winner, the team called ReVamp’D from the Community Academy of Science and Health in Dorchester, won first prize with their business plan for customizable aglets for sneakers. In 2012, the winning team, The Dream Team from Charlestown High School, won for their business plan to create customizable bamboo iPhone cases. BUILD acts as a very large business incubator. Winners will receive seed money to transform their business plan into a real business. Funding for the program comes from corporate partnerships, and businesses that donate more than $100,000 may select an employee to serve as a judge in the competitions.
BUILD is a public charity whose aim is to engage youth, particularly from low-income families in urban areas. They carry out their mission by way of a four-year extracurricular program that encourages academic success, decreases the dropout rate, and fosters entrepreneurship among its participants. The final round competition and awards runs from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Suffolk University’s C. Walsh Theater.
Mentor, and the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. Activities will include bottle rocket and bubble experiments and refreshments will be provided by Polar Beverages. Discounted sailboat rides are being offered courtesy of Courageous Sailing, professional actor-puppeteer Charlotte Anne Dore of Rosalita’s Puppets will present a whimsical puppet show,
and children can visit a facepainter. In addition, the Boston Public Library will give away books and provide information about the “Read Your Way to Fenway” summer reading contest. ParkSCIENCE, a series of educational workshops presented in City of Boston parks, is designed to teach children that science is fun and can be experienced ev-
erywhere around them. Interactive experiments and demonstrations challenge children’s cognitive skills and invite them to ask questions, hypothesize, gather and weigh evidence, and then draw conclusions. For more information, contact the Boston Parks and Recreation Department at (617) 6354505 or online at Facebook and Twitter @bostonparksdept.
ParkSCIENCE Festival teaches kids that science is fun The Boston Parks and Recreation Department’s ParkSCIENCE program will host a children’s science festival on Sunday, June 8, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Jamaica Pond Boathouse in Jamaica Plain. The festival provides an entertaining way for people to gather and celebrate summer on the shores of the “jewel of the Emerald Necklace.” Families can partake in science-related activities presented by Science on the Street, the New England Aquarium Traveling Tide Pool, the Inventor
MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Sealed General Bids for MPA Contract No. L1325-C1 DEMOLITION OF HANGAR BUILDING 16, 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, JULY 2, 2014 immediately after which, in a designated room, the bids will be opened and read publicly. Sealed filed sub bids for the same contract will be received at the same office until 11:00 A.M. local time on WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014, immediately after which, in a designated room, the filed sub bids will be opened and read publicly. PRE BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD AT THE CAPITAL NOTE: PROGRAMS DEPARTMENT (ABOVE ADDRESS) AT 9:00 A.M. LOCAL TIME ON THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2014 The work includes DEMOLITION OF BUILDING 16, INCLUDING ASBESTOS AND PCB ABATEMENT, HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ABATEMENT, SITE PREPARATION INCLUDING THE INSTALLATION OF TEMPORARY SECURITY FENCING, PRECAST CONCRETE SECURITY WALL REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION, LANDSIDE SITE RESTORATION, HIGH MAST LIGHTING, AND AIRCRAFT PARKING APRON RESTORATION. Bid documents will be made available beginning WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 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. In order to be eligible and responsible to bid on this contract General Bidders must submit with their bid a current Certificate of Eligibility issued by the Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance and an Update Statement. The General Bidder must be certified in the category of DEMOLITION. The estimated contract cost is $10,500,000 (base bid); $12,800,000 (base plus add/deduct alternate). In order to be eligible and responsible to bid on this contract, filed Subbidders must submit with their bid a current Sub-bidder Certificate of Eligibility issued by the Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance and a Sub-bidder Update Statement. The filed Sub-bidder must be certified in the sub-bid category of work for which the Sub-bidder is submitting a bid proposal. Bidding procedures and award of the contract and sub contracts shall be in accordance with the provisions of Sections 44A through 44H inclusive, Chapter 149 of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 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,
Champions for Children Gala, a fundraiser for Boston Renaissance Charter Public School was recently held at the Taj Boston. The event was attended by over 300 people and featured a dinner reception, a live auction, an awards presentation and a special performance by the Voices of Renaissance Chorus. (l-r) Bud Moseley, Roger F. Harris, J. Keith Motley, Joan WallaceBenjamin, Richard Galvin, Milton Benjamin and Albert Holland. (Cheryl Richards)
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. 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. Filed sub bids will be required and taken on the following classes of work: ELECTRICAL PLUMBING FIRE PROTECTION
($122,000) ($45,000) ($38,000)
The Authority reserves the right to reject any sub bid of any sub trade where permitted by Section 44E of the above referenced General Laws. The right is also reserved to waive any informality in or to reject any or all proposals and General Bids. This contract is subject to a Minority/Women Owned Business Enterprise participation provision requiring that not less than EIGHT POINT NINE PERCENT (8.9%) of the Contract be performed by minority and women owned business enterprise contractors. With respect to this provision, bidders are urged to familiarize themselves thoroughly 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 the Non Discrimination and Affirmative Action article of Division I, General Requirements and Covenants, and to the Secretary of Labor’s Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Opportunity and the Standard Federal Equal Opportunity Construction Contract Specifications (Executive Order 11246). The General Contractor is required to submit a Certification of Non Segregated Facilities prior to award of the Contract, and to notify prospective subcontractors of the requirement for such certification where the subcontract exceeds $10,000. Complete information and authorization to view the site may be obtained from the Capital Programs Department Office at the Massachusetts Port Authority. The right is reserved to waive any informality in or reject any or all proposals. MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY THOMAS P. GLYNN CEO & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS CLASSIFIED LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE DIVISION OF CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT & MAINTENANCE (DCAMM) Sealed proposals submitted on a form furnished by the Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance (DCAMM) and clearly identified as a bid, endorsed with the name and address of the bidder, the project and contract number, will be received at the Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance, One Ashburton Place, 1st Floor, Room 107, Boston, MA 02108, no later than the date and time specified and will forthwith be publicly opened and read aloud.
Sub-Bids at 12:00 Noon:
JUNE 25, 2014
Every Filed Sub-Bidder must submit a valid Sub-Bidder Certificate of Eligibility with its bid and must be certified by the Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance in the category of sub-bid work for which they bid. General Bids at 2:00 PM:
JULY 9, 2014
Every General Bidder must be certified by the Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance for the category of work and for no less than the bid price plus all add alternates of this project. The Category of Work is:
MASONRY
Mass. State Project No.
DCP1415 Contract No. HC1
DCP - Massachusetts Information Technology Center – Building Envelope Repairs Chelsea, Massachusetts And the following Sub-Bids: Waterproofing, Dampproofing & Caulking; Roofing & Flashing. E.C.C: $902,632 This project is scheduled for 182 calendar days to substantial completion and in general includes: Repairs to spalled/displaced brick, deteriorated control joints at building façade, roofing repairs to slope areas around rooftop HVAC units and replacement of walkway pads, window sealants, and condensate drains from HVAC equipment. Minimum rates of wages to be paid on the project have been determined by the Director of the Department of Labor Standards under the provisions of the Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 149, Sections 26 to 27H. Wage rates are listed in the contract form portion of specification book. Each general bid and sub-bid proposal must be secured by an accompanying deposit of 5% of the total bid amount, including all alternates, in the form of a bid bond, in cash, a certified, treasurer’s, or cashier’s check issued by a responsible bank or trust company made payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The bidding documents may be examined at the Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance Bid Room, One Ashburton Place, 1st Floor, Room 107, Boston, MA 02108 Tel (617) 727-4003. Copies may be obtained by depositing a company check, treasurer’s check, cashier’s check, bank check or money order in the sum of $50.00 payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. No personal checks or cash will be accepted as deposits. Refunds will be made to those returning the documents in satisfactory condition on or before JULY 23, 2014 (ten business days after the opening of General Bids) otherwise the deposit shall be the property of the Commonwealth. WE DO NOT MAIL PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS. Messenger and other types of pick-up and delivery services are the agents of the bidder and the Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance assumes no responsibility for delivery or receipt of the documents. Bidders are encouraged to take advantage of a rotating credit plans and specifications deposit program initiated by the Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance to encourage the easy accessibility of documents to contractors. Carole Cornelison COMMISSIONER
Thursday, June 5, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER • 21
MASSACHUSETTS BAY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY 100 SUMMER ST., SUITE 1200 BOSTON, MA 02110
Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division
NOTICE TO BIDDERS Electronic proposals for the following project will be received through the internet using Bid Express until the date and time stated below, and will be posted on www.bidx.com forthwith after the bid submission deadline. No paper copies of bids will be accepted. Bidders must have a valid digital ID issued by the Authority in order to bid on projects. Bidders need to apply for a digital ID with Bid Express at least 14 days prior to a scheduled bid opening date. Electronic bids for MBTA Contract No. P63CN01, MBTA PHASE 2 – SYSTEMWIDE TRANSFORMER REPLACEMENT, BOSTON, CAMBRIDGE, NEWTON, QUINCY, BROOKLINE & BRAINTREE, MASSACHUSETTS, (CLASS 5 – ELECTRICAL, PROJECT VALUE – $4,948,684) can be submitted at www.bidx.com until two o’clock (2:00 p.m.) on July 1st, 2014. Immediately thereafter, in a designated room, the Bids will be opened and read publicly. The work comprises the replacement of 19 rectifier-transformers. The work of this Contract includes but is not limited to furnishing labor, material and equipment to the complete and satisfactory execution of the Work in conformance with Drawings and Specifications for the Phase 2 – Systemwide Transformer Replacement Project. At each location, the Contractor shall remove the existing transformers and associated equipment and install, connect and test the new transformers and supply and install all associated equipment. The DBE Goal is 15%. This Contract is subject to a financial assistance Contract between the MBTA and the Federal Transit Administration of U.S. Department of Transportation. FTA Participation 80 percent. Additional information and instructions on how to submit a bid are available at http://www.mbta.com/business_center/bidding_solicitations/ current_solicitations/
Citation on Petition for Formal Adjudication Estate of Leroy Franklin Brevard, Jr. Date of Death: 03/22/2014 To all interested persons: A petition has been filed by Willie M. Howell of Mattapan, MA 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 Willie M. Howell of Mattapan, MA be appointed as Personal Representative(s) of said estate to serve With Surety on the bond. You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at 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 06/19/2014. 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: May 16, 2014 Ann Marie Passanisi Register of Probate
Citation on Petition for Formal Adjudication
Additionally, within thirty 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: May 12, 2014 Ann Marie Passanisi Register of Probate Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department
Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department Docket No. SU13C0161CA In the matter of Anselma Unknown of Mattapan, MA NOTICE OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME To all persons interested in a petition described: A petition has been presented by Anselma Unknown requesting that Anselma Unknown be allowed to change her name as follows: Venora Anselma Paul IF YOU DESIRE TO OBJECT THERETO, YOU OR YOUR ATTORNEY MUST FILE A WRITTEN APPEARANCE IN SAID COURT AT BOSTON ON OR BEFORE TEN O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING (10:00 AM) ON 06/26/2014. WITNESS, HON. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court. Date: May 21, 2014 Ann Marie Passanisi Register of Probate Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department Docket No. SU98P0805
A petition has been filed by Tina Kellman of Beech Grove, IN 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 Tina Kellman of Beech Grove, IN be appointed as Personal Representative(s) of said estate to serve Without Surety on the bond. You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at 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 06/19/2014. 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: May 20, 2014 Ann Marie Passanisi Register of Probate Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department
Citation on Petition for Formal Adjudication Estate of Ruth Janet Browne Also known as: Ruth J. Browne, Janet Browne, Ruth Browne
CITATION GIVING NOTICE OF PETITION FOR RESIGNATION OF A GUARDIAN OF AN INCAPACITATED PERSON AND/OR CONSERVATOR In the Interests of Charles E Penn Of Roxbury Crossing, MA RESPONDENT Incapacitated Person/Protected Person To the named Respondent and all other interested persons, a petition has been filed by John M Fitzgibbon of Brookline, MA in the above captioned matter requesting that the court: Accept the Resignation of the Guardian and/or Conservator of the Respondent. The petition asks the court to make a determination that the Gaurdian and/ or Conservator should be allowed to resign; or should be removed for good cause; or that the Guardianship and/or Conservatorship is no longer necessary and therefore should be terminated. The original petition is on file with the court. You have the right to object to this proceeding. If you wish to do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance at this Court on or before 10:00 A.M. on the return date of 06/12/2014. This day is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline date by which you have to file the written appearance if you object to the petition. If you fail to file the written appearance by the return date, action may be taken in this matter without further notice to you. In addition to filing the written appearance, you or your attorney must file a written affidavit stating the specific facts and grounds of your objection within 30 days after the return date. IMPORTANT NOTICE The outcome of this proceeding may limit or completely take away the above-named person’s right to make decisions about personal affairs or financial affairs or both. The above-named person has the right to ask for a lawyer. Anyone may make this request on behalf of the above-named person cannot afford a lawyer, one may be appointed at State expense. WITNESS, HON. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court. Date: May 12, 2014 Ann Marie Passanisi Register of Probate
Docket No. SU14P1215EA
SUFFOLK Division
Citation Giving Notice of Petition for Appointment of Guardian for Incapacitated Person Pursuant to G.L. c. 190B, §5-304 In the matter of Livia Lielbardis Of Roxbury, MA RESPONDENT Alleged Incapacitated Person To the named Respondent and all other interested persons, a petition has been filed by DMH c/o Office of General Counsel of Westborough, MA in the above captioned matter alleging that Livia Lielbardis is in need of a Guardian and requesting that some suitable person be appointed as Guardian to serve on the bond. The petition asks the court to determine that the Respondant is incapacitated, that the appointment of a Guardian is necessary, that the proposed Guardian is appropriate. The petition is on file with this court and may contain a request for certain specific authority. You have the right to object to this proceeding. If you wish to do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance at this court on or before 10:00 A.M. on the return date of 06/26/2014. This day is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline date by which you have to file the written appearance if you object to the petition. If you fail to file the written appearance by the return date, action may be taken in this matter without further notice to you. In addition to filing the written appearance, you or your attorney must file a written affidavit stating the specific facts and grounds of your objection within 30 days after the return date. IMPORTANT NOTICE The outcome of this proceeding may limit or completely take away the above-named person’s right to make decisions about personal affairs or financial affairs or both. The above-named person has the right to ask for a lawyer. Anyone may make this request on behalf of the above-named person. If the above-named person cannot afford a lawyer, one may be appointed at State expense. WITNESS, Hon. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court. Date: May 21, 2014 Ann Marie Passanisi Register of Probate Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department
Date of Death: 07/04/2012 To all interested persons: A petition has been filed by Florence G Browne of Roxbury Crossing, MA and Wilda Abbott-Bigby of Port Saint Lucie, FL 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 Florence G Browne of Roxbury Crossing, MA and Wilda Abbott-Bigby of Port Saint Lucie, FL be appointed as Personal Representative(s) of said estate to serve Without Surety on the bond. You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at 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 06/26/2014. 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.
Docket No. SU14P1203GD
SUFFOLK Division
To all interested persons:
May 30, 2014
SUFFOLK Division
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 and objection at this court on or before 10:00 A.M. on the return date of 06/12/2014. This day is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline date by which you have to object to the account(s). If you fail to file the written appearance and objection by the return date, action may be taken in this matter without further notice to you, including the allowance of the account(s).
Estate of Elton Caspar Kellman Also known as: Elton C Kellman, Ed Kellman Date of Death: 04/11/2014
Richard A. Davey MassDOT Secretary and CEO
SUFFOLK Division
Docket No. SU14P1174EA
SUFFOLK Division
Beverly A. Scott, Ph.D. MBTA General Manager and Rail and Transit Administrator
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 16th and Final account(s) of John M Fitzgibbon of Brookline, MA as the Conservator and Guardian of the property of said Respondent has or have been presented to the Court for allowance.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department
On behalf of the MBTA, thank you for your time and interest in responding to this Notice to Bidders Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Docket No. SU14P1155EA
CITATION GIVING NOTICE OF CONSERVATOR’S ACCOUNT
SUFFOLK Division
Docket No. SU14P0970GD
In the interests of Yaneisha Tanice Pitts-Larkins of Dorchester, MA Minor NOTICE AND ORDER: Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor
1.
NOTICE TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES Hearing Date/Time: A hearing on a Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor filed on 04/24/2014 by Beverly L. Rogers of Roslindale, MA will be held 06/26/2014 09:00 AM Motion Located at 24 New Chardon Street, 3rd floor, Boston, MA 02114 ~ Family Service Office.
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.
2.
Response to Petition: You may respond by filing a written response to the Petition or by appearing in person at the hearing. If you choose to file a written response, you need to:
File the original with the Court; and Mail a copy to all interested parties at least five (5) business days before the hearing.
WITNESS, HON. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court. Date: May 22, 2014 Ann Marie Passanisi Register of Probate
3.
Counsel for the Minor: The minor (or an adult on behalf of the minor) has the right to request that counsel be appointed for the minor.
4.
Presence of the Minor at Hearing: A minor over age 14 has the right to be present at any hearing, unless the Court finds that it is not in the minor’s best interests.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division
DOCKET NO. SU98P0805
In the matter of: Charles E. Penn Protected Person/Disabled Person/Respondent Of: Roxbury Crossing, MA
THIS IS A LEGAL NOTICE: An important court proceeding that may affect your rights has been scheduled. If you do not understand this notice or other court papers, please contact an attorney for legal advice. Date: April 24, 2014
Ann Marie Passanisi Register of Probate
22 • Thursday, June 5, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
NOTICE The waitlist for one bedroom apartments at B’nai B’rith III, 30 Washington Street, Brighton, MA 02135 is open and accepting applications effective June 1, 2014. For further information, you may contact: B’nai B’rith III 30 Washington Street Brighton, MA 02135 Telephone: (617) 277-8932 E-mail: susanrack@bbcovhse.org Susan Rack • Property Manager • February 3, 2014
OFFICE SPACE DORCHESTER/ MILTON 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
Wollaston Manor
Parker Hill Apartments
91 Clay Street Quincy, MA 02170
Brand New Renovated Apartment Homes
Senior Living At It’s Best
Stainless Steel Appliances New Kitchen Cabinets Hardwood Floors Updated Bathroom Custom Accent Wall Painting Free Parking Free Wi-Fi in lobby Modern Laundry Facilities
SUBSCRIBE
A senior/disabled/ handicapped community
to the banner
0 BR units = $1,027/mo 1 BR units = $1,101/mo All utilities included.
call:
617-261-4600 baystatebanner.com
Call Sandy Miller,
Two Bedrooms Starting at $2200
Property Manager
#888-691-4301
888-842-7945
Program Restrictions Apply.
HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY
4 Affordable Single Family Homes Emerson Village 196 Nashua Road, Pepperell TO BE SOLD BY LOTTERY TO ELIGIBLE HOMEBUYERS
(4) 3 Bed, 1.5 Baths $193,500; 1464-1472 sf (approx) Max Income One Person – $44,750
Four Persons – $63,900
Two Persons – $51,150
Five Persons – $69,050
Three Persons – $57,550
Six Persons – $74,150
Other Restrictions Apply Information Mtg: Pepperell Town Hall, Conf A, June 16, 6PM-8PM Applications at: Pepperell Town Hall, Town Admin. Office Pepperell Library Or Write To: JTE Realty Associates, P. O. Box 955, No. Andover, Ma. 01845 Or e-mail: emerson@jterealtyassociates.com Mailing Address Must Be Provided 978-258-3492 APP. DEADLINE REC’D BY 6/30/2014
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
@baystatebanner
AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITY Washington Park Apartments Dorchester, MA 02121 Accepting applications for 2, 3 and 4 bedroom units and applications for 1 bedroom waiting list only Application period is June 2, 2014 through June 23, 2014. # of Units
Type
HH Size
23
1 BR
1-2
% Income 30 – 60
29
2 BR
2-4
30 – 60
26
3 BR
3-6
30 – 60
8
4 BR
4-8
30 – 60
Maximum Income per Household Size (HUD 2013 limits) Household Size
30% of median income
60% of median income
Household Size
30% of median income
60% of median income
1
19,770
39,540
5
30,510
61,020
2
22,590
45,180
6
32,760
65,520
3
25,410
50,820
7
35,010
70,020
4
28,230
56,460
8
37,290
74,580
Applications may be obtained in person as follows: WinnResidential Management Office 200 Columbia Road Dorchester, MA 02121 June 2, 2014 – June 23, 2014 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Extended and Weekend hours: Tuesday, June 3, 2014 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Thursday, June 5, 2014 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Saturday, June 7, 2014 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Applications will also be available at the Grove Hall Branch of the Boston Public Library, 41 Geneva Avenue, Dorchester, MA 02121
DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING COMPLETED APPLICATIONS TO BE IN LOTTERY: In person: at the Winn Residential Management Office address above, by June 23, 2014 at 4:00 p.m. or if by mail, application must be mailed to the same address, and must be postmarked by June 30, 2014. Reasonable accommodations made.
SELECTION BY LOTTERY. Use and Occupancy Restrictions Apply. Households needing wheelchair accessible units have preference for 5 units. Preference for households with at least one person per bedroom. *10 units have a preference for homeless households referred by HomeStart or other agencies serving the homeless. Voucher Holders welcome — Rents at Payment Standard. For more information, call WinnResidential at 617-427-4281
Equal housing opportunity
Thursday, June 5, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER • 23
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
North Bellingham Veterans Home 215 Shurtleff Street • Chelsea, MA 02150
Housing for Homeless Individuals or Individuals at Risk of Homelessness
# of Units
Type
60% AMI Rent
HH Size
1
Studio
30% of income
1
Contract rent for 8 project based voucher units: (Eligible Households pay 30% of their income towards rent)
# of Units
Type
PBV Rent
HH Size
8
Studio
30% of income
1
Maximum Income Per Household Size (2014 Limits)
Arlington Public Schools METCO
Teacher Assistant/ Bus Monitor See website for application process: www.arlington.k12.ma.us/hr
Arlington values diversity. We strongly encourage candidates of varied backgrounds, including people of color, person with disabilities and others to apply.
ADVERTISE
your classifieds with THE BAY STATE BANNER
(617) 261- 4600 x 7799
ads@bannerpub.com
FIND RATE INFORMATION AT
www.baystatebanner.com /advertise
HH Size
30%
60%
1
$19,800
$39,540
Applications can be found online at www.TheNeighborhoodDevelopers.org, by phone at 617-892-8716, or picked up in person from 4 Gerrish Avenue, Chelsea MA 02150 or 82 Green Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130: Monday–Friday June 16, 2014 through August 18, 2014 9 am–5 pm, Mondays through Fridays Expanded hours at 82 Green Street: June 18, 2014 and July 16, 2014 from 9 am to 7 pm. Deadline for completed applications at the above address: In person or received by mail by 5pm, August 18, 2014 Selection by lottery; Use and Occupancy Restrictions apply. Handicap households have preference for accessible units. Preferences also include the following: local; local shelter; veteran. Full set of tenant selection criteria available upon request. For more info or reasonable accommodations, call Pine Street Inn 617-892-8716 Equal Housing Opportunity
Land Surveyor-Project Surveyor,
Survey techS, Party chief, inStrument oP. Established Massachusetts Civil/Survey firm is currently seeking Surveyors for all positions listed above. Project Surveyor and Tech must have experience in the field & office and be proficient in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2010-2014. Must be able to analyze data and prepare CAD Drawings from field data and property and utilities records. Reduction of GPS data and exposure to Laser Scanning a plus. Crew Chief & Instrument Operator shall be familiar with Leica equipment and have experience with Carlson Software. Must be familiar performing surveys on detailed transportation projects including Highways and Rails. Must be able to communicate with clients and be organized and detail oriented.
Top Salaries commensurate with experience, full benefits. engr.resumes@gmail.com.
EEO/AA
Business Analyst ($60$85K DOE) Boston Public Health Commission is hiring a Business Analyst to participate in the planning, development, implementation, maintenance, and evaluation of information systems. These activities may include database building, data collection and cataloguing of gathered information, and documentation of the process. This position must participate in an on-call rotation. Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field or /MS preferred. Four years of business analysis experience in information technology may be substituted for a bachelor’s degree.
Developer ($60-$70K DOE) Boston Public Health Commission is hiring a Developer. As part of a small team charged with building productivity solutions for both the Internet and Intranet, the Developer is responsible for implementing enterprise content management and related solutions using Microsoft SharePoint. The developer will also provide on-going support for other BPHC applications as needed. Participation in an on-call rotation is required. BS in computer science preferred; Strong knowledge and understanding of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 /2010/2013; 3 - 5 years' experience with ASP.NET Development, C#, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, XML.
Director of Accounting (Commensurate with experience) Boston Public Health Commission is hiring a Director of Accounting responsible for the orderly and efficient operations of the Finance Department which includes the Accounting Unit, Accounts Payable Unit and Accounts Receivable Unit. Coordinating BPHC’s annual financial audits. Develop systems and internal controls, Manage treasury services. BA / BS in Finance or Accounting required. CPA preferred. MBA or CMA preferred. 5 years of for-profit, not-for-profit, and/or governmental experience required.
Project Manager ($65-$75K DOE) The Boston Public Health Commission is currently developing its property at Northampton Square (NHS) and is hiring a Project Manager who will be responsible for representing the Commission’s interests with the developers and coordinating any relocation of Commission operations at the site. Attend meetings regarding the design and construction, act as liaison between the developer and BPHC, and participate in project planning, project design and construction meetings. BA/BS plus 5 years of relevant work experience required; significant experience may be substituted for degree requirement.
Director, Communication Office (Commensurate with experience) The Boston Public Health Commission is hiring a Director of Communications responsible for managing the marketing of events, communications and campaigns for assigned BPHC activities. Manage associated budgets for campaigns. Write press releases, talking points, marketing material, web information, brochures and newsletter articles on a regular basis. Oversees media relations for Boston EMS. BA/BS in Journalism, Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, English or other related field required. Five years experience in marketing, writing or other related field; experience in government communications work required. Experience working with print, television, and electronic media; experience responding to press inquiries, writing press releases/ advisories and managing press events.
Director of Accreditation and Quality Improvement ($75-$85K DOE) This position will assist the Executive Office in coordinating organization-wide activities toward performance management, continuous quality improvement, and application for Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) accreditation, using a health equity and racial justice lens. Master’s degree in public health, public policy, public administration or related field with a concentration in policy, planning or management or related field required. A minimum of 10 years experience in research analysis, evaluation methodologies, writing reports and preparing presentations is required. BA/BS plus 12 - 15 years relevant experience or 15 years plus of relevant experience in lieu of the education requirement.
Director, Information Services ($80-$100K DOE) Boston Public Health Commission is hiring a Director of Information Services responsible for managing the day to day operations and implementation of the BPHC Health Information Exchange and support the development of strategic direction for public health informatics within BPHC. Bachelor’s degree is required. An advanced degree in a relevant technical discipline and /or health informatics is preferred. Project management experience related to information systems, websites and computer information databases, including three years experience supervising, training, and leading staff in data management at a large or complex organization; Knowledge and/or experience with HL7, meaningful use is essential.
Boston Residency Required or willingness to relocate. To apply online please go to www.bphc.org/careers