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Church attempts sale of Renaissance bldg. Yawu Miller
With million-dollar condominiums being built in new luxury complexes, the South End’s real estate is out of reach of many middle class buyers. Efforts to develop housing for middle-income families ground to a halt in the early ‘90s due to a lack of government support. (Banner photo)
Income disparity squeezed middle class out of S. End Yawu Miller The idea behind the South End Neighborhood Housing Initiative was straightforward enough — one third of all housing built on public land was to be affordable, one third moderate income and one third market rate. Hatched in the 1980s during the administration of former Mayor Raymond Flynn, the plan was aimed at preserving the middle class and low-income residents in the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood. But in the end, only a handful of housing developments were built using the formula and SENHI died quietly during the early years of the administration of former Mayor Thomas Menino. And with it went
any hopes of preserving the middle class in the South End. “The South End is probably richer now than it was when it was built,” says state Rep. Byron Rushing, whose district includes most of the neighborhood. “The thing we never understood was how rich people were going to become. The people who are moving into the South End now are buying all the condos in a building and turning them into single-families.”
South End history The South End was originally constructed in the mid-1800s when city planners filled in the tidal marshes that surrounded the narrow strip of land connecting Roxbury to Boston. Bankers, business owners
and other upper middle class professionals populated the neighborhood in its early years, but housing values began declining in the 1880s. Throughout most of its history the neighborhood was home to blacks, Jews, Italians, Lebanese, Armenians and other immigrants. As white flight intensified in the 1950s and ‘60s, the neighborhood became majority black. In the ‘70s, Latinos began moving in. Also in the ‘70s, white professionals began moving into the neighborhood, attracted by its Victorian-era housing stock. By the 1980s, gentrification began to take hold of the neighborhood, with many of the townhouses in the South End rapidly converting into condominiums. South End, continued to page 8
assets and over $20 million in cash on hand, should fulfill its In the midst of bitterly con- obligation to pay the church tested foreclosure and bank- debt,” a OneUnited spokesman ruptcy proceedings, the Charles said in a statement emailed to the Street AME church is seeking Banner. to sell the Renaissance Center Action for Boston Commubuilding that it borrowed $3.6 nity Development agreed to pay million to renovate. Charles Street $2 million for the The proposed sale, to bidder Renaissance Center, a row of Action for Boston Community storefronts facing Warren Street Development, would have to go and an adjoining parking lot. through a court-approved aucABCD Executive Director tion, but OneUnited Bank offi- John Drew said the agency could cials will likely block the auction use the building for classroom in an attempt to recoup all of the space and space for programs run church’s debt. out of its nearby Elm Hill Family Charles Center. Street owes “ T h i s OneUnited whole campus more than would make $5 million in “The bank believes sense for us,” principal, in- that the proposed sale he said. terest and Attorneys penalties for of certain assets does for Charles loans it took not maximize value Street need out to conthe approval to creditors.” solidate debt of a bankand renovate ruptcy judge — OneUnited for the sale to the Renaissance Center, Bank g o t h r o u g h . formerly As a creditor, the Skycap OneUnited Lounge, into could block a conference the auction by center and make repairs to the out-bidding the ABCD or any historic church building at the other interested parties in what corner of Warren Street and Elm is called a “credit bid.” The bank Hill Avenue. would retain ownership and the While Charles Street has filed church’s debt obligation would for bankruptcy, attorneys for remain intact under that sceOneUnited have insisted that the nario. loans should be repaid by the AfRopes & Gray attorney Ross rican Methodist Episcopal First Martin, who is representing the District, which guaranteed the church, says he is requesting that loan. the judge block OneUnited from “OneUnited Bank believes the bidding in the auction, arguing church’s parent organization and that Charles Street’s bankruptcy guarantor of the loan, the First allows them to sell property to Episcopal District AME Church, meet their debt obligations. which represented to the bank “Any property can be sold in a Charles Street, continued to page 9 that it had over $500 million in
Activists rally to stop Mass. prison expansion Martin Desmarais Hundreds of prison reform activists gathered on Boston Common on Saturday afternoon to show state lawmakers that prison policy must be changed and to decry the estimates from Gov. Deval Patrick’s office that the state will spend $2 billion by 2020 to build 10,000 new prison units, as well as $150 million each year to fill them. Organized by the Jobs Not Jails coalition the event, dubbed
“Rally to End Mass Incarceration and Fund Job Creation,” also gave activists a stage to express outrage that Massachusetts has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world and more than 60 percent of prisoners released from the jails in the state recidivate within three years. Those rallying and organizations such as Jobs Not Jails coalition organizer Ex-Prisoners and Prisoners Organizing for jails, continued to page 10
Hundreds of prison reform activists gathered on Boston Common on Saturday to call on state lawmakers to enact criminal justice legislation that spends less money on building prisons and provides more support services including education and job training. The event was part of the ongoing Jobs Not Jails campaign. (Banner photo).
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Plan calls for apartments, storefronts in Four Corners
The Vietnamese American Initiative for Development has proposed a $14.5 million new development in Four Corners that includes two buildings with both housing and commercial space. The project has 35 units of affordable housing. (Image courtesy of Viet-AID) Martin Desmarais Vietnamese American Initiative for Development is slated to start construction this fall on a $14.5 million housing and commercial development project in Dorchester’s Four Corners neighborhood that proponents are hoping will kick start revitalization of the area. Viet-AID, as the 20-year-old community development corporation is known, was one of 16 proj-
ects in the state that received funding from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development this year for projects to address demand for affordable housing as well as strengthen opportunities for local businesses. The plans include one three-story building and one four-story building along Washington Street in Four Corners. Both buildings will have first floor commercial and community space, with rental units on the
upper floors. The finished project is slated to have 35 new, affordable housing units. It includes nine city lots for which Viet-AID has been designated as the developer by the City of Boston and one private lot that Viet-AID purchased earlier this year. “We are excited to see underutilized land in the Fairmount Corridor converted into sustainable, affordable housing,” Mayor Martin Walsh said in a statement about the project. Backing Viet-AID on the project
are the Greater Four Corners Action Coalition, Four Corners Main Street, and the members of the Fairmount Collaborative. According to Nam Pham, executive director of Viet-AID, in addition to state funding, the project will be funded by loans, private investment and investment from Viet-AID. Backers include Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston and Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation. The $14.5 million price tag is the expected total cost of the project and funding secured so far has Nam expecting construction to start in late October or earlier November with work completed in late 2015 or early 2016. Viet-AID will begin accepting bids for work on the project in the next couple of months. Situated along the MBTA’s Fairmont Line and in proximity to new commuter rail stop Four Corners/ Geneva Avenue, the project can be lumped with some of the new development targeted in what is commonly referred to as the Fairmont Corridor, which the city is hoping will help boost local neighborhoods and businesses. Nam views the project as one that can start to fulfill the promise his organization sees in Four Corners, with the addition of the new commuter rail stop as a catalyst for success. The organization has already completed half-a-dozen housing projects and the Vietnamese American community Center in Dorchester. “For us, who have lived and worked here for 20 years, we believe there are many opportunities in Four Corners and along the Fairmont corridor for housing and for jobs,” Nam said. “It is a very, very good area. “We look for any opportunities to improve the neighbor-
hood,” he added. Dynell Andrews-Blake, executive director of Four Corners Main Street, believes this project will do just that. “This project is definitely going to stimulate that whole intersection,” Andrews-Blake said. According to Andrews-Blake, Four Corners Main Street has spent a lot of time working with area businesses to establish a vision for the neighborhood and find a way to create a whole business district there. The consensus is that the Viet-AID project is a perfect complement to these ongoing efforts. “This process is just a gateway to continue the development and revitalization of that whole district,” she said. She added that there is a great sense of excitement to see what Viet-AID can do with its project and the impact it will have. “It will definitely be a good thing for the businesses to have more residential housing in that area and having more foot traffic in that area to revitalize the businesses. I know they are excited about that also.” Since the new Fairmont line MBTA stops have gone in, a wider eye has been cast to neighborhoods in the region and development to capitalize on the increased public transportation options into the city, but long-time residents have been quick to voice fears about gentrification. Andrews-Blake believes Viet-AID has shown with past projects that it can quell these fears and produce needed affordable housing and bring in the right business tenants. “We have to make sure that people in the neighborhood have a voice about things that come in Four Corners, continued to page 6
Thursday, May 1, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER • 3
Simmons conf. focuses on building women’s leadership Colette Greenstein Approximately 3,500 business and professional women turned out for Simmons College’s 35th annual leadership conference to hear an impressive array of speakers, including former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. The theme of the conference, held at the at the Seaport World Trade Center, was “jumping the curve,” a term traced back to Irish philosopher and management futurist Charles Handy, who used the term to describe how companies need to continually reinvent themselves during times of prosperity to continue to be successful. The message of recreating oneself during good times was further detailed in the various sessions from such dynamic speakers as entrepreneur Zainab Salbi, actress Rita Moreno, former astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison in addition to Clinton. Their messages of being your authentic self, realizing that it’s okay to be vulnerable, and taking risks even if it means failure, was woven throughout their talks. The opening keynote was delivered by Denise Morrison, the first woman to be named president and CEO of the Campbell Soup Company and who is among just 22 women to lead a Fortune 500 company, spoke on the topic of “Fostering Innovation.” Zainab Salbi, founder and former CEO of the organization Women for
Women International, led a workshop, “Signature Dialogue: The Other Side of War,” in which she discussed how she initially wanted to help these “other women” in such countries as Bosnia, Afghanistan, Rwanda and Syria to tell their stories because she believed she didn’t have her own story to tell. However, after speaking to women such as a 52-year-old woman in Africa and hearing about her account of being raped, tortured, having her home destroyed, and being left for homeless, Salbi embarked on her own journey of self-discovery. She said she wept for hours after hearing this woman’s story, and realized that she “had been the prison guard of her own fears,” and began to open up and share her vulnerability with these “other women.” After this, she said, she began to see the possibility of change. The message of empowerment and hope continued with the afternoon keynote delivered by Rita Moreno. The legendary actress, who is only a handful of actors in Hollywood to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, talked about her childhood in Puerto Rico, coming to the United States with her mother in 1936, and how her mother sacrificed for Rita’s dream of acting by working as a sweatshop seamstress. At the age of 16, Moreno was signed to a seven-year contract with MGM where she played “dusky maidens.” Even though she was
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dropped by MGM halfway through her contract, one of the things that kept her believing in her dream was that “hope is an essential part of my DNA.” The stunning eighty-two-yearold gave a heartfelt and funny performance about her successes and struggles in Hollywood, from her breakout role as “Anita” in “West Side Story” to taking a risk and joining the cast of the children’s television show “Electric Company” — where she was joined by Bill Cosby, Irene Cara and Morgan Freeman — to just completing a pilot written and produced by Amy Poehler. Moreno, who thrilled the audience with her stories and anecdotes, left the audience with a nugget that “the greatest sin is in your forgetting yourself, on who you can be.” Continuing this theme of “daring to make a difference” was Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to travel in space when she went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor in 1992. Jemison, who served six years as a NASA astronaut, is also a successful entrepreneur and passionate crusader for science education and literacy. Her highly engaging afternoon session “Signature Dialogue: Exploring the Frontiers of Science and Human Potential” tied in perfectly to the theme of “jumping the curve.” She began by asking the question “What difference does it make if you have a place at the table and you act just like everyone else, you mind
Actress Rita Moreno spoke at the 35th annual Simmons College leadership conference held on April 24. Other speakers included former astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison and Hillary Rodham Clinton. (Carla Osberg Photography) your table manners?” As a response to this question, she posed the scenarios of “what difference would it have made …” to her own experiences growing up in Chicago; working in developing countries overseas; and using her experience as an astronaut?” “Make sure that you bring your experience to bear in positions to the solutions; to the questions that you ask, while you’re at the table,” she said. Dr. Jemison touched upon her background in science and creativity and why it’s important for people to be included in these endeavors that they’re taking on in the future. Her discussion seemed daunting at first, but she broke the ice by describing herself as “a way over 40-year-old African American woman, who is an engineer, a wanna-be dancer, a
medical doctor, an astronaut, a college professor, a struggling business owner, a board member of Fortune 500 companies, a lover of chocolates and cherries, a short-term pessimist, a long-term optimist, a lover of cats and someone who hates to wash dishes.” With much laughter from the audience at her bold description of herself, she smoothly segued into how she imagined being in space as a little girl and learning how not to limit herself as a child or as an adult. The day ended with the delivery of the closing keynote by former Secretary of State and former U.S. Senator from New York Hillary Rodham Clinton. She opened with saying that “advancing the rights and full participation of women and girls here leadership, continued to page 6
4 • Thursday, May 1, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
Established 1965
Poverty in America knows no racial bounds Many Americans once believed in the old adage “if you work hard and follow the rules you will succeed in life.” As the possibility for sustaining a middle class lifestyle declines, and poverty has become more common, attitudes toward the likelihood of success and poverty have changed. American heroes are still the titans who are able to amass great fortunes. Conversely, there was once disdain for those who were unable to put a decent roof over their heads and food on the table. Now there is greater understanding of the difficulties people face. Results of a recent poll by the Center for American Progress conclude that, “rising inequality, unequal economic growth, insufficient access to education and jobs, and low wages are preventing the United States from having a vibrant economy in which all have a fair shot to get ahead.” Even a substantial majority of white conservatives (63 percent) believe that “most people who live in poverty are poor because their jobs don’t pay enough, they lack good health care and education, and things cost too much for them to save and move ahead.” This result is less than what white liberals believe (74 percent) but surprisingly more than African Americans (60 percent). Still, 25 percent of the respondents believe that “most people who live in poverty are poor because they make bad decisions or act irresponsibly in their own lives.” As might be expected, African Americans did not tend to accept that conclusion. Only 17 percent agreed. They are undoubtedly aware of the high incidence of misfortune that can beset the lives of blacks. For many years the issue of poverty did not get the attention it deserves, probably because the excessive media focus on black poverty had
successfully made the American public believe it was primarily a black problem. However, the salary stagnation of the middle class over the past 25 years has suppressed many Americans involuntarily into the lower class. This has raised questions of income disparity and a minimum wage that is not keeping pace with rising inflation. When fighting against income disparity, a national poverty rate of 15.1 percent is no longer acceptable. And the picture behind that number is truly ugly. While whites have a poverty rate of 9.9 percent, African Americans have to endure a rate of 27.4 percent. Even with the lower poverty rate, the actual number of whites living in poverty is almost three times the number of poor blacks because of the much larger white population. There is no sound political reason for poor whites to refuse to unite with blacks to improve the lot of them all. Unfortunately, the historical racial enmity still operates as a barrier. However, it is reasonable to expect the displaced middle class to move in the political direction that will fatten the purse despite racial issues. Response to a question in the Center for American Progress poll suggests a general interest in political reform. Seventy percent of the respondents offered their favorable support to the question “would you support or oppose the president and Congress setting a national goal to cut poverty in half in the United States within 10 years?” Among African Americans there was an 87 percent response for support. Now stories are emerging about poverty in Appalachia and other places with a negligible black population. Perhaps remedial efforts will gain more political support if they are not viewed primarily as special benefits for blacks.
I read the comment of these wannabe black leaders and their liberal white allies with disgust [Scholars mull Obama’s record on race issues, April 24]. They held yet another gripe session of talking heads from the MSNBC crowd. In their sad political mindset, Obama should be like that ne’er-dowell bombast, Stokely Carmichael! A more objective assessment of the Obama presidency would conclude that he has had one of the most substantive presidencies since Lyndon Johnson. While Obamacare is the best-known accomplishment, there are many more things of substance to put on the table: 1. Shutting down the costly and brutal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bringing our troops home and ending the catastrophic Bush wars. 2. Overseeing the stabilization of the financial system and the enactment of the “Dodd-Frank” banking regulations. This has strengthened the banking system, provided oversight of shoddy Wall Street practices, and created a new consumer protection agency.
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3. Installing two good women justices on the U.S. Supreme Court including the first Latina justice — who spoke out strongly on behalf of racial justice last week. 4. Enacting a stimulus package that kept on the job thousands of school teachers, police and fire officer, provided money for extended unemployment benefits (99 weeks), and funded public works projects like the Alewife rotary rehab and the Mass Avenue rehab. 5. Pushing through a tax increase on the wealthy and safeguarding important programs like social security, Medicare, Head Start, and the like. These are no small accomplish-
ments. He did it under withering criticism and unprecedented opposition. He did not sully his term with dumb affairs with interns like Clinton (who I imagine this panel would argue was somehow successful). He has projected an image of black family that has been wonderful to watch, and has inspired millions of people to recognize the abilities of black professionals. In short, the Obama presidency has been nothing short of successful and we will miss him when he is gone. It would help if intellectuals like those on the panel were more generous in their assessments.
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OPINION National Urban League calls for changes to current housing reform legislation Mark Morial
The National Urban League, the nation’s largest historic civil rights and urban advocacy organization, has serious concerns regarding proposed housing reform legislation. There are plans to mobilize against it unless it includes provisions ensuring that working- and middle- class families have access to affordable homeownership. This legislation would radically change the way most Americans buy homes. The so-called Johnson-Crapo bill would lead to cost increases making homeownership unaffordable for many families who already have borne the brunt of the housing crisis as their family wealth was wiped out by foreclosures and plunging home values. Most alarming is that the Johnson-Crapo draft measure does not do enough to promote affordable housing for ownership. This is a fundamental issue that cannot be overlooked, underestimated or relegated to negotiation on the Senate floor. It needs to be included — now — as a core provision in any housing finance reform. The Senate Banking Committee is expected to vote next week on legislation that could accelerate the already significant post-recession decline in homeownership among communities of color and all working and middle-class communities. It would wind down Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and replace them with a new agency, the Federal Mortgage Insurance Corporation. The new agency would end the federal affordable housing goals that helped boost the percentage of African American homeownership to a pre-recession all-time high of 50 percent. The most recent data from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act clearly demonstrates that families of color have already been cut out of the housing market and the situation will only worsen if the Johnson-Crapo legislation is enacted. The HMDA data found that in 2012 there were 1.3 million conventional mortgage loans originated in the United States, but Asian Pacific Islanders received only .2 percent or 10,611 of the loans, African Americans received 2.3 percent or It is unwise to 29,405 loans and Latinos received 5.3 percent or 69,217 loans. The eliminate affordable proposed legislation does not adequately address this ongoing in- housing goals and equity nor does it provide an in- expect the market to clusive way forward for workingand middle-class communities to correct itself. participate in the future housing market. A key area of concern for us is also the degree to which banks are expected to make loans in underserved communities. It is unwise to eliminate affordable housing goals and expect the market to correct itself. The Johnson-Crapo legislation does not take proactive steps to make sure lenders are serving qualified borrowers in all markets. Families of color, expected to represent seven out of every 10 families formed in the next decade, would have homeownership rates that are far below the national average. Homeownership rates among people in their 30s are at their lowest in a generation, and loans are often more expensive in both rural and urban areas. While fully supportive of the idea of Government Sponsored Enterprise reform for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the National Urban League is unwavering in the belief that it should be reform — and not retrogression. The GSEs are the most effective institutions for providing liquidity to the mortgage market for qualified low- and moderate-income borrowers. The National Urban League and its allies cannot support the bill as designated, and strongly urges the committee to take full advantage of this opportunity by passing legislation that will help ensure access to affordable mortgage credit for all creditworthy borrowers, while at the same time protecting taxpayers from bearing the cost of a housing downturn. Maintaining reasonable and measured affordable housing goals for the GSEs will be an important step towards that goal. We urge the Senate to recognize the impact of Johnson-Crapo on the middle class in America and not to make homeownership a luxury reserved for the fortunate few, while all others become renters. In these times of wage stagnation, declining numbers of good-paying jobs and increasing debt costs for education, shifting the risk and burden of housing finance onto regular working- and middle-class families is a bad idea. We must work toward measures that end — not expand — this trend of increasing costs. When will we stop asking working- and middle-class families to pay for a financial crisis that they did not cause — and instead support their efforts to rebuild, as we have with Wall Street? Marc Morial is president and CEO of the National Urban League. He served as mayor of New Orleans from 1994 until 2002.
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Why do you think there’s poverty in the United States?
Because of the disparities in opportunities. If opportunity is not presented to you, you don’t have a chance.
A lack of generosity. A lack of community.
Because people don’t care for other people. They don’t care about other people’s lives. People don’t care that other people have families they need to care for.
Willie Thornton
Tenika Adamson
Natayah Williams
Because the system is designed to keep the poor poor. It was designed to help the people who own businesses to keep the poor from building wealth.
I think because the United States is a good country, they like to help people in other countries. But they don’t take care of their own.
I often wonder that. We go to other countries and help people out, but there are people here going to bed hungry. In this country, we don’t share the wealth.
Quashanta Foster
Carolyn Bryant
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INthe news
Edward Powell
Edward M. Powell, an accomplished leader of youth development in Boston’s neighborhoods, has been named vice president for community engagement at the Justice Resource Institute. Powell, currently executive director at StreetSafe Boston, a Boston Foundation initiative, will officially assume his position on May 5. “Community engagement is critical to the work we do here at Justice Resource Institute and Ed has the right blend of community capital and management credibility to lead these efforts,” said Andy Pond, president of the Justice Resource Institute. “The Justice Resource Institute has been very focused on preventing violence because we know all too well the effect of that trauma on children and adolescents, and Ed will help us to further these efforts.” As executive director of StreetSafe Boston, Powell recently led an internationally celebrated violence prevention initiative that works with active gangs in Boston. Prior to his work at Street-
Safe Boston, Powell was deputy director at Boston Private Industry Council Inc., and he also worked as assistant director of transportation for Boston Public Schools. Powell’s work will focus on building community relationships that will allow the Justice Resource Institute to tailor its programs for, and bring its trauma focus to, neighborhoods af-
fected by violence. Powell will also have a role in recruiting the next generation of leaders who can grow and enhance these programs. Justice Resource Institute works in partnership with individuals, families, communities and government to pursue the social justice inherent in opening doors to opportunity and independence.
6 • Thursday, May 1, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
NEWSBriefs
Probation officer hiring reformed
Under the direction of Commissioner Edward J. Dolan, the Office of the Commissioner of Probation of Massachusetts has amended its hiring process for probation officers by introducing a civil service exam as a first step in the hiring process, followed by application and interview. “The exam professionalizes the hiring process,” said OCP Communications Director Coria Holland. “All candidates initially will be judged by how well they do on the exam.” The exam tests applicants for their knowledge of relevant topics, such as drugs and the court system, as well as reading comprehension. The exam is only one component in the selection process, and a passing score is not a guarantee of selection for interview. This exam may be taken by any resident of Massachusetts seriously considering a career as a probation officer. Exam registrants must have a bachelor’s degree and at least two years of pertinent experience, or a relevant master’s degree in lieu of experience. Additional requirements can be found on the agency’s website. The deadline for registration for this exam is Wednesday, May 7; the exam is June 28. Hiring criteria for probation officers are clearly listed in detail
on the agency’s website, in contrast to the previous administration of John O’Brien who was charged, along with members of his senior staff, with bribery, corruption and mail fraud when it was revealed that his hiring criteria were favoritism and quid-proquo.
Representation before incarceration topic of public hearing City Councilor Tito Jackson is hosting a public hearing of the Council’s Commission on Black Men and Boys at 6 p.m. on May 1 at Madison Park High School in Roxbury. The commission, which the council approved unanimously in February, will be part of the Office of the Mayor, and will consist of 14 mayor-appointed members. The commission is designed to work with all city agencies to advise on issues pertaining to black males and to advocate for legislation to improve the economic, health and safety, youth-violence, employment and educational conditions for this demographic. In a press release announcing the commission, Councilor Jackson said, “It is time to pool
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resources. It is time to be aggressive. These are trying times for the future of black men in the City of Boston and I am joining with members of the community to shine a light on the bright future for this specific population of our city.” Among the grim statistics endangering black males: • Black male students in grades K-12 were suspended from school in 2000 two-and-a-half times more than white students. • About 62 percent of black men graduated from high school in a year when the national graduation rate was 80 percent. • Among young black men ages 25-34, 53 percent are either unemployed or are working-poor. • Comprising 12 percent of the U.S. population, black men make up 44 percent of the prison population. • Disenfranchisement of 1.46 million black male voters due to felony convictions • The murder rate of black men — one out of 21 — is twice the death rate of the US Army in World War II, per the Department of Justice All Boston residents are welcome to attend this hearing. Those who wish to testify should provide 15 copies of any presented documentation. Have no fear. Meditate without care and progress steadily. You will be uplifted and will not fall. The Lord of the universe will do all your work. — Swami Muktananda
and around the world is unfinished business.” Clinton continued this message by laying out statistics on how “more than one hundred countries still have on the book laws that limit women’s rights” and that “women hold less that 21 percent of seats in parliament around the world.” She tied it all together by encour-
Four Corners continued from page 2
the neighborhood and things that happen in the neighborhood so that things like gentrification don’t happen,” she said. Viet-AID is already two years into working with the community and partners in developing the project. Nam points out that this project was not planned first and then presented to the community to be altered based on input — it was developed from the start based on the wants and needs of the community. “We engaged with them every step of the way. We are very proud to say we have established a very close working relationship with all the stakeholders in the area,” Nam said. “The foundation of the success of any project that we have done is a good partnership with the community and the only way to have good partnership with the community is you have to engage the community from Day One.” This is reflected in the design of each building to include affordable housing, retail space and a community room. “This is exactly what the community wanted,” Nam said.
aging the women in the audience to “focus on what we can do for women and girls here at home,” and the many ways that we can improve women’s and girls’ rights — from raising the minimum wage to investing in early childhood development. Clinton ended by challenging the audience to “dare to compete,” and that “women themselves have to develop their confidence to pursue opportunities.” “We always have high hopes for every project, but I think for this one having worked with the community with this project we have been able to establish very good partnerships,” he added. “We are excited we can leverage these wonderful relationships to create more opportunities for the neighborhood.” Marvin Martin, executive director of the Greater Four Corners Action Coalition, confirms Viet-AID’s efforts to engage the community on the project and led the process through which residents could look at housing space, commercial development opportunities and examine concerns such as increased traffic and lack of affordable housing. Martin pointed out the parcels on which the project is slated were specifically identified by residents as a good place for mixed housing and commercial development. “Viet-AID came to meetings. … They heard what people were looking for,” Martin said. “They came back with a project that had what the community was looking for so we supported them on that. “At this point everyone is very supportive of this project. We think it is going to make a difference particularly at that intersection,” he added.
Thursday, May 1, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER • 7
Madison Park group says BPS withholding resources Yawu Miller Long before the school department sent an intervention team to Madison Park Regional Technical and Vocational school, there were signs of trouble and requests for help. The high school — the city’s only vocational school — was under a 2012 Innovation Plan, a new headmaster was hired and the school department had invested over $1 million in additional funding for the school. Yet when headmaster Diane Ross Gary sought last year to hire an assistant headmaster and a discipline officer for the 1,084-student school, school department officials refused her requests, citing budgetary constraints. As unusual as it is for a school of that size to run with no assistant headmasters, the absence of help was even more puzzling considering the inordinately high number of students enrolled at Madison — 35 percent according to the BPS website — classified as having learning or behavioral disorders. “There are special education students who do well in vocational technical schools,” said longtime Madison Park teacher Dennis Wilson. “The special education students who want to be here do well. The problem is there are many special education students who were problems in other schools who were transferred to Madison.”
A school department spokesman disputed the percentage of special education students at Madison Park, stating via email that the number is closer to 25 percent, but did not respond to queries about Gary’s requests for additional staff. The group Friends of Madison Park, of which Wilson is a member, say the actual number is higher than the 35 percent listed on the BPS website. The school department launched a 2012 Innovation Plan for Madison Park, calling for a longer school day, deep partnerships with the business and vocational communities, and a school schedule that allows students to train for 21st-century careers while also receiving rigorous academic instruction. Since the plan was developed BPS has invested $370,000 to turn the building into one of the most technologically-advanced schools in the city, has purchased $350,000 worth of new textbooks and has invested $340,000 for new technical/ vocational materials, according to a BPS press release. Friends of Madison Park members say a specialist hired by the school department to forge partnerships with businesses and vocational communities brought in no new partnerships in the year he worked at Madison. Interim School Superintendent John McDonough said in a press statement that the school has not made nearly enough progress. Last year the average Madison Park stu-
dent missed five full weeks of school, according to the BPS press release. Attendance rates for African-American students are seven points below the district average and one in four Latino students at Madison Park missed more than seven weeks of school. Last year just 30 out of the school’s 1,100 students participated in an internship or co-operative career/vocational opportunity. “None of us is meeting our obligations to prepare students for success at Madison Park,” McDonough said in his statement. “We must make major changes now so Madison Park can truly become the center of excellence and it has the potential to be.” Members of Friends of Madison Park are questioning the school department’s decision to intervene at Madison Park, given what they say is a pattern of neglect at the school. “We feel that Gary wasn’t given a fair chance to turn the school around,” said Wilson, noting that Gary was only at Madison for six months before the department stepped in. Now with the department forming intervention teams, Gary is in a sort of limbo. “You can’t run a school like this,” said Friends of Madison Park member Bob Marshall. Marshall says a program targeting students with learning and behavioral problems was terminated two years before Gary was hired. In the meantime, Marshall says, teachers at Madison Park asked the
school department for other resources, including a reading clinic, but received no additional assistance. “We have kids coming into high school reading at a 3rd and 4th grade level,” he said. “We’ve lost a whole population of kids in those two years.” Wilson said vocational technical high schools in Massachusetts commonly have no more than 19 percent special education students. And other Boston high schools have far lower percentages. At Another Course to College, an alternative high school in Brighton Mass, the percentage is 19.5 percent. At Boston Day and Evening Academy it’s 13.9 percent. The Jeremiah E. Burke school has 20.7 percent. And West Roxbury Academy has 19 percent. Typically, schools with higher percentages of special education students have dedicated staff trained to work with students who have learning or behavioral difficulties.
At Madison Park, Gary, who has been headmaster since September 2013, had no specialized staff. And with no assistant headmaster, the task of mediating disputes and dealing with disciplinary procedures fell on Gary. In the 180 days of the 2012-2013 school year, the school meted out 205 suspensions — more than one a day. While Gary was struggling to keep the school functioning with little support, the school department did dedicate $1 million in federal Race to the Top funds to Madison Park last year, bringing in highpaid staff to create partnerships between the school and businesses, evaluate teachers and enhance the school’s technological capabilities. None of the extra staff had any expertise working with special needs students. And no new partnerships were created with businesses or other educational institutions, according to Friends of Madison Park members.
Boston Postmaster James J. Holland (l) and Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts CEO Darnell Williams (r) unveil the new Shirley Chisholm Black Heritage “Forever” stamp at the Roxbury headquarters of the Urban League. (Don West photo)
8 • Thursday, May 1, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
The South End’s population is relatively diverse, but the class differences in the neighborhood often mean there’s little interaction between the white majority and the smaller populations of Asians, Latinos and blacks. (Banner photo)
South End
continued from page 1
The first mixed-income development It was Tent City, a housing development built on the site where the Boston Redevelopment Authority had planned a mall and luxury housing, where the one third, one third, one third formula was first applied. “It was a movement and community vision that started in the ‘60s,” says David Price, former executive director of the Tent City Community Development Corporation.
“Mel King advanced a vision for the development in the 1983 election. Ray Flynn adopted the vision and completed it.” Other developments that were built with supports for moderate-income tenants and buyers include Langham Court and Roxbury Corners. But in the end, city officials walked away from the SENHI agreement. “It was hard for the city to commit the resources to SENHI because they would have to take funding away from low-income housing,” says Price, who now heads the Nuestra Comunidad Community Devel-
opment Corporation. “The result is what you see today with a polarized income distribution in the South End.” The low-income population in the South End lives lives primarily in large, low-income developments owned or managed by community development corporations, the Boston Housing Authority or other nonprofit entities. On paper, the South End appears somewhat diverse — 55 percent white, 13 percent Latino, 12.5 percent black and 16 percent Asian. But proximity doesn’t necessarily breed community. “The reality is, the integration in
the South End is very limited,” says Vanessa Calderon Rosado, executive director of Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion, the Community Development Corporation that owns the Villa Victoria housing development. The higher income population lives in million dollar duplex condominiums in the neighborhood’s brownstones or the slick, steel, brick and glass luxury towers that are proliferating in the so-called South of Washington section of the South End. They shop in different stores and eat in different restaurants. And because the class divide cleaves along race lines, the polarization is all the more stark. The white South Enders don’t show up for the Festival Betances — a street party in the Villa Victoria housing development that regularly features top-notch Latin music stars. The residents of the Villa don’t make reservations to eat at Mistral or secure lodgings for their dogs in any of the neighborhood’s canine hotels. Charlie’s, the Columbus Avenue sandwich shop, is the last South End commercial establishment where blacks, Latinos and whites mix — or at least share a lunch counter. “If you ask white people why they moved to the South End, the say
able housing in Roxbury. With 45 percent of all housing units in Roxbury designated affordable, it has a higher concentration of subsidized units than any other in the city. While some see the concentration of low-income housing in Roxbury as a bulwark against gentrification, the South End isn’t far behind Roxbury, with 41 percent of its units subsidized. “Affordability doesn’t stop gentrification,” Calderon Rosado says. Price suggests proactive policy changes aimed at helping middle-income homeowners, like property tax breaks for elderly homeowners living on fixed incomes, and prioritizing middle income housing — homes that sell for between $275,000 to $350,000 and are affordable to families making $60,000 to $100,000 a year. “It sounds a little odd coming from a CDC director,” admits Price. With new market-rate single family homes selling for as high as $550,000, Price argues, homebuyers in the moderate income range will have difficulty buying in Roxbury without some level of subsidy. Price also suggests restrictions on the construction of large luxury developments, like those sprouting
“Affordability doesn’t stop gentrification.” — Vanessa Calderon Rosado they like it because of its location and because it’s diverse,” Rushing says. “What they mean is that when they walk down the street, they see black people.” In many ways, the middle class in the South End was the social glue that the neighborhood is now missing, according to Price. “It’s ended up being a segregated neighborhood,” he says. “It’s not as healthy a neighborhood as it should be. There’s not as much social capital.”
Roxbury With early signs of gentrification in Roxbury — renewed public and private sector investment and an influx of white homebuyers — it’s not hard to see the neighborhood turning into another South End, according to Calderon Rosado. “Roxbury is moving in a direction we may not want to see,” she says. Calderon Rosado, who sat on Mayor Martin Walsh’s transition team and sat through several community meetings on housing, says she’s heard the calls for moratoriums on the construction of new afford-
up in Chinatown and Downtown Crossing. “Research shows they’re a major contributor to gentrification,” he says. Standing up for the middle class hasn’t earned Price many friends. He’s caught flak from affordable housing advocates for his advocacy of moderate income units and from market rate proponents for his CDC’s construction of affordable units. But without a middle class, Price argues, Roxbury could very well go the way of the South End. “The South End used to be the same as Roxbury,” he says. “Roxbury could become a majority-white community.”
The end of an era? In the South End, the last vestiges of the black middle class are the large, historically black churches that call the faithful in the parking spacestarved neighborhood on Sundays for worship. They too are in decline. “We’ve lost two churches in the last five years,” Rushing notes. “New Hope Baptist and Concord Baptist. They’ve been made into condos.”
Flashback Sunday
A Festive Gathering for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Older Adults of Color. Join us for a fun-filled Southern Style Brunch and Community Discussion “What Does it Take to Age With Pride?” Facilitated by Gary Bailey, President, International Federation of Social Workers Sunday May 4, 2:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. Harriet Tubman House, 566 Columbus Ave, Boston, MA Free – but reservations are required – limited space – call (617) 396-4926 to RSVP
Friends, allies and supporters are welcome! Sponsored by The LGBT Aging Project, Fenway Health, Ethos, Central Boston Elder Services and Tufts Health Plan Foundation.
Thursday, May 1, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER • 9
Charles Street continued from page 1
way that helps the entity emerge from Chapter 11 [bankruptcy]” he said. But OneUnited argues that the total plan must meet Charles Street’s financial obligation to the bank. “The bank believes that the proposed sale of certain assets does not maximize value to creditors,” reads OneUnited’s state-
“The bank would prefer not to litigate matters with the church, but given the church’s inability to meet its financial obligations and its parent’s refusal to honor its commitment, the bank is left with little choice.” — OneUnited Bank ment. “The bank would prefer not to litigate matters with the church, but given the church’s inability to meet its financial obligations and its parent’s refusal to honor its commitment, the bank is left with little choice.” The judge has not yet ruled on Charles Street’s request. So far Charles Street has submitted seven amendments to its plan before the court, but none have approved by the judge. OneUnited Bank is not permitted to offer a proposal for resolving the bankruptcy until the Charles Street submission has been decided upon by the court. Adding intrigue to the conflict, the law firm representing Charles Street submitted two conflict of interest forms to the bankruptcy court detailing po-
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tential conflicts of interest between the firm and two nonprofits which bid on the Renaissance Center. Ropes & Gray partner Mark Nuccio is a past chairman of ABCD’s board of directors and currently serves as corporate clerk for the nonprofit board. The disclosure states that Nuccio will not represent the debtor in the bankruptcy case. Ropes & Gray partner Diane Patrick, wife of Gov. Deval Patrick, is an honorary board member of Horizons for the Homeless, which also submitted a bid to purchase the Renaissance Center. And ABCD is a client of Ropes & Gray on matters unrelated to their representation of the Charles Street, according to the disclosure.
The Charles St. AME church is seeking to sell the former Skycap Lounge at auction for $2 million. The church, which is in bankruptcy, owes creditors in excess of $5 million. (Banner photo)
10 • Thursday, May 1, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
jails
continued from page 1
Community Advancement, Families for Justice and Healing and Boston Workers’ Alliance, joined an estimated 80 other groups from across the state on Boston Common. Other groups varied from nonprofits that support the formerly incarcerated to family service providers to religious organizations. “This rally is just the beginning of everything we are working for,” EPOCA organizer and event emcee Cassandra Bensahih told the gathered crowd to kick of the event. “Thank you for standing together today for change.” Jobs Not Jails is pushing for a reduction in prison spending and funneling the resulting savings into jobs and employment programs that can help the formerly incarcerated during re-entry into the working world and help reduce recidivism rates in the state. Activists point out that other states — including New York, Washington and Texas — have overhauled their criminal justice systems and thus reduced prison populations and closed prisons. Sunni Ali of the Boston Workers Alliance belabored this point when he spoke to the rally. “This is a terrible condition that is going on because mass incarceration has defined what is going on in our state today,” Ali said. “We have mass incarceration of people that are being unjustly accused of things and given time for non-violent crimes that is just the same as the time given for armed robbery — 10 to 15 years. “The state has money to build
prisons, so why don’t they have money to build jobs, to make jobs not jails. We need education, we need job training and we need help in the industry for employment,” he added. The rallying point for activists on Saturday include many of the following prison reforms: ending mandatory minimum drug sentences; diversion of lowlevel drug offenders to treatment even before trial; eliminating counterproductive “collateral sanctions” such as an automatic driver’s license suspension for drug offenses, and high fees for probation, parole, court costs and telephone charges; reforming the systems of parole and probation; bail reform; restoring educational programs including vocational education as well as college-level courses in prisons and jails. “Every day more than 5,000 women and men are jailed pretrail, that is they have not been convicted of anything — 5,000 here in the state of Massachusetts. Most are held for months only because they do not have the money for bail, often as little as $500,” said Andrea James, a lead organizer for the Roxbury-based Families for Justice and Healing. “We are advocating for a cost-effective criminal justice system that ensures the human rights of residents as well as public safety. We are working to create alternatives, such as pre-trail services and community-based wellness alternatives, instead of building new jails. We are proposing pretrail services that begin at the initial arrest when tax dollars can be most effectively spent and intervention is most effective.” James stressed that state law-
The Jobs not Jails coalition held a rally on Boston Common on Saturday that was supported by about 80 organizations from across the state. Hundreds gathered to call on state legislators for criminal justice reform. (Banner photo) makers must put a stop to legislation that is currently pending to build more jails. “We got it slowed down. We need everybody to stand with us to say: ‘We need jobs. We need health care. We need housing. We need education for our children. We need everything, but we do not need more jails,” she added. Several speakers target the criminal justice system and its impact on the state’s youth. “We need to stop feeding the prison-industrial complex. We need to concentrate on our kids from K through 12. They are being sent straight to prison via the criminalization of our youth through discipline and unfair disciplinary action in our schools. Stop suspending our kids, stop
arresting our kids. Get the cops out of our schools,” said Vira Douangmany Cage, of the Massachusetts ACLU. “Stop arresting our future. Stop arresting our kids.” “If you are asking the white power structure for jobs, that is only a temporary solution,” said Ivan Richiez of Youth Against Mass Incarceration. “What we are demanding for, begging for at this point, will not resolve the problem. It only seeks to solve the problem for you and me right now, but not for our children. And as long as we accept a temporary solution, the problem will go unsolved. “Today we stand here on the Boston Common ground to say that the whole system is entirely flawed. We know it is. We have all the power to address it and to change it,” he added. “When this campaign succeeds — and it will — it will be one step towards ending a system that feeds off of inequity, fear and racism.” Larry Turner of EPOCA called for around-the-clock, community-based intervention programs and programs that replace juvenile court and imprisonment to address the criminal justice problem at its root with youth. The rally also drew out political candidate Maura Healy, who is running for Massachusetts Attorney General. Healy said she was on hand to support prison reform efforts and pledge her action on that regard as attorney general. “It is so heartwarming to see all of you out here today, speaking out and speaking up for a cause that is so important. I am proud to be with you today and to stand with you today and, as your next attorney general, you will have a partner in that office who will lead on this reform. I promise you that,” she said. “I understand what happens when too many lives get embroiled in and cannot get out of a criminal justice system that is not working, that is failing to you, failing our families and failing our communities. “If we’re going to talk about economic inequality; if we’re
going to talk about closing achievement gaps; if we’re going to talk about everybody in this state, every resident having an opportunity for housing education, health care and the like — we can’t have that conversation unless we talk about needed criminal justice reform.” In addition to the rally, Jobs Not Jails also has plans this week to have a smaller group of activists march on the State House and publicly present a petition calling for criminal justice reform, halting the construction of new prison units until reform is in place and re-directing the $2 billion planned for prison expansion into a jobs program. Jobs Not Jails organizers say the petition is on track to collect about 30,000 signatures by the end of the month. Reverend Paul Robeson Ford, senior pastor of the Union Baptist Church in Cambridge, spoke to the Banner just before addressing the gathered crowd on Boston Common about why his church was supporting the Jobs Not Jails campaign. “This is just so important because people have to get organized, have to lift up their voice, to let elected leaders know, to let communities know that we are concerned about the state of people coming back home, people who are looking for opportunities, people who are looking for jobs, for the opportunity to flourish not floundering,” Ford said. “And the Jobs Not Jails campaign and what it is seeking to do is one of the steps that moves in that direction because as long as we have our focus on building prisons, building juvenile detention centers, focusing all the money on law enforcement without also looking at rehabilitation, restoration, job training and building people up we are going to continue to have the type of challenges that we do right now that undermine public safety, tear at the fabric of communities, disproportionately affect black and brown communities and create a real moral injustice.”
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Thursday, May 1, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER • 11
Robert Battle
showcases artistic vision in Boston with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Kevin C. Peterson Robert Battle, the artistic director for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, is pensive and soft-spoken. He is also leader of one of the most dynamic and recognized cultural institutions in the world. Battle follows longtime director Judith Jameson as the head of the Ailey company, which has
performed to more people in more places than any other dance company on the planet. Jameson was singularly responsible for the transformation of the dance company into a global phenomenon and financial success in recent decades. Battle — only Ailey’s third artistic director in over 50 years — has his sights on preserving the past while also fostering future
innovation and dance stylings for the 30-member, New York-based troupe. Battle’s decision to retain Ailey’s classic “Revelations” as a element of each performance speaks to giving his audience what they have been fascinated by about Ailey for years. The soulful, expansive dance routine takes its name from the final book of the Bible which employs
complex metaphors to convey how the world ends under God’s judgment. “It’s a masterpiece. The context has so much to do [with why audiences like it] but it is the construct too. It’s a message of hope. Everybody can relate to going through something. They witness this piece and they come to an understanding about something in them that wants to sur-
vive...and thrive,” said Battle in an interview with the Banner last week. “Revelations” was composed in 1960 by Ailey. Its greatness rests in its ability render human adversity and triumph with aggressive physicality and precise, telling emotional verve. It also possesses the power to transcend Battle, continued to page 15
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Thursday, May 1, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER • 13
14 • Thursday, May 1, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
Taraji P. Henson swings big with ‘From the Rough’
In her latest film, “From the Rough,” Academy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson takes on the little-known, but inspirational story of Catama Sparks, the first female to coach an NCAA Division 1 men’s team. Sparks coached the Tennessee State golf team. Kam Williams Taraji P. Henson earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress opposite Brad Pitt in David Fincher’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” She is a 2011 Em-
my-nominee for Best Actress in a Movie or Miniseries for Lifetime’s “Taken from Me.” Henson also starred as Detective Joss Carter in the highly-rated CBS crime drama “Person of Interest.” She was a series regular on “Boston Legal” and enjoyed a recurring
role on “Eli Stone.” On the big screen, she starred in the #1 box office hit “Think Like a Man,” as well as in its upcoming sequel, “Think Like A Man, Too.” And in September, she’ll be starring opposite Idris Elba in “No Good Deed.”
Taraji’s additional credits include “Larry Crowne,” “The Karate Kid,” “Date Night,” “I Can Do Bad All By Myself,” Peep World,” “The Good Doctor,” “Something New,” “Not Easily Broken,” “Hurricane Season,” “The Family that Preys,” “Smokin’ Aces” and “Once Fallen.” In addition, she received rave reviews for her work in “Talk to Me” and “Hustle & Flow,” making her singing debut performing the Academy Award-winning song “It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp” on the Oscar telecast. Henson is well remembered for her role as Yvette opposite Tyrese in “Baby Boy,” and collaborated with director John Singleton a third time on “Four Brothers.” Plus, she was featured in Jamie Foxx’s music video “Just like Me” and also appeared in Estelle’s “Pretty Please.” Born and raised in Washington, D.C., the Howard University graduate resides in Los Angeles with her son, Marcel. She dedicates much of her spare time to helping disabled and less fortunate children. Here, she talks about her new film, “From the Rough,” an inspirational biopic where she portrays Catana Starks, the African-American trailblazer who became the first female to coach an NCAA Division-1 men’s team when she accepted the reins of the golf squad at Tennessee State.
What interested you in this film?
Well, first of all, I’d never seen a movie about a female coach before, outside of that Goldie
Hawn comedy from years ago, “Wildcats.” And I had certainly never seen an African-American woman portrayed this way in a drama. That was the first thing that interested me. Then, when I read the script, I went, “Wow! What an amazing story!” She had all the odds stacked against her, yet she and her team won. And it was all because of the tenacity and belief and passion that she instilled in her players.
I had never heard of Catana Starks before seeing this film. Why do you think she’s so unheralded?
Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe, because she didn’t coach at an Ivy League or big name school, but at an historically black university. That’s another reason why I did the film. I felt the world needed to know about this woman, which is what we’re trying to do now.
Are you an athletic person? In other words, what are the similarities and differences between you and Catana Starks?
I’m not really an athlete, though I’m quite capable of playing one on TV or film. I’ve been to the driving range, and I do have good hand-eye coordination, but that’s about it. I’m not going to try to play basketball.
What does Catana Starks mean to you and how did you prepare for the role?
She means the world to me, beHenson, continued to page 15
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Battle
continued from page 11
cultural and political experiences. “When I was in Russia watching the audience respond to this great work, I was amazed,” said Battle. “Being there in a foreign country and watching people clap to the beat in that huge theater in Moscow was just incredible. That was such a testimony to the power of the work. “‘Revelations’ changed my life,” he added. Abandoned by his mother at age 2, Battle by 12 had his sights on the dance world that Alvin Ailey created in the 1950s-1960s. An Ailey presentation of “Revelations” to students at the Miami preforming arts school he was attending captured his artistic sensibility and catapulted him into the world of dance, the prestigious Juilliard School of Music and eventually as Ailey’s director. As part of the Celebrity
conveyed his willingness to wade into the different waters of contemporary dance. Last year Battle incorporated “Chrona” into the company’s reportoie. Created by famed British director Wayne McGregor, the work ventures into flights of high abstraction and cryptic meaning that is more post-modern than any of Ailey’s work. Ailey is known for finding his home in naturalism, spiritual evolution and African-American mood and memory. Battle ignores his critics about the decision to take on contemporary dance that appears removed from the Ailey roots. “They might be completely right about what they are saying about my decision but that doesn’t mean we can’t push the envelope and challenge our audience in different ways,” said Battle. Battle’s intentions for the Aliey dance company in the future are also steeped in the optimism of Ailey and Jameson.
“I am just glad that I will get to do what I do best and that is to bring good works to audiences.” -Robert Battle Series, Battle will lead the Ailey company into Boston at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theater, from May 1 to May 4. “He made dance accessible,” Battle said of Ailey, who led the company until his death in 1988 of AIDS-related symptoms. “People could come and have fun and not be intimidated by the music. He did not want it to be a highbrow experience.” Battle’s tenure since 2011 has
“I am just glad that I will get to do what I do best and that is to bring good works to audiences ... When I think of Mr. Ailey, I think about how he broke down so many walls in the dance world. And when Ms. Jameson left, she handed me a company that was financially successful ... and known all over the world,” Battle said. “For me, leading Ailey will be more like an organic ... naturally growing thing.”
Henson
to have a life in show business?
continued from page 14
cause she proved that you can accomplish anything in life as long as you believe, have faith and work hard. How did I prepare for the role? I spent a lot of time at the driving range and talking to Dr. Starks before filming. Because she wasn’t a recognizable figure, I wasn’t worried about walking or sounding like her, I just wanted to bring her essence to life. And that’s all she was concerned about, too.
Has she seen the film? What did she think of it?
Yes she has, and I think she’s quite happy about it.
You’ve had a successful career in movies and television. What aspect of your work has given you the greatest satisfaction?
What gives me the greatest satisfaction is the number of people I can affect with my gift, with what I do. That’s the most important thing to me, more important than any trophy or award.
Do you want your son
I want him to find his own passion, whatever that is. I just want him to be happy and successful in whatever he decides to do
You work with ease in movies, music and TV. Which of these media is your favorite and how does it best show your talents?
I would have to say movies are my favorite. I love doing TV, too, but it’s always rush, rush, rush. With a feature film, those moments and scenes get a chance to breathe, because you don’t have to accomplish as much in one day.
Not many African-American actors have the juice to green-light a project. Are you in a position to get a project that you like greenlighted?
I’m getting there. Hopefully, the success of From the Rough will help, because you first have to prove that you’re bankable at the box office, before you can green-light anything. So, I hope to have that kind of leverage after this film.
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16 • Thursday, May 1, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
COMMUNITY Calendar Saturday May 3
Southeastern MA Adult Walking Club Moderate walk, hilly terrain, 3 miles. Headquarters Path to Doe Hollow Path and return via Bugbee Path. Meet at the Houghton’s Pond main parking lot on 840 Hillside St. in Milton at 1pm. The Southeastern 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. Walks will be led by a park ranger or a Walking Club volunteer leader. Occasionally, the Walking Club meets at other DCR sites. Some DCR sites charge a parking fee. The rangers recommend wearing hiking boots and bringing drinking water on all hikes. The Resilient Child Please join us for the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Department of Psychiatry’s The Resilient Child. This program will address children living with learning disabilities and other challenges and ways they and their caregivers can grow and prosper despite limitations. This free educational program is designed exclusively for patients, families, and friends. This program is not offered for continuing education credit. Topics: The Development of Resilience: Temperament, Attachment and Self-Reflection; Living with Learning Disabilities; Bullying; Building Resilience in Challenging Kids; The Family Dinner: Building Resilience One Meal at a Time. 10am - 3:15pm, with check-in from 9:15-10am. Complimentary coffee, tea, and lunch will be served. Massachusetts General Hospital, The Starr Center Auditorium, Charles River Plaza, 185 Cambridge St., 2nd floor, Boston. The program is offered at no charge for patients and their families. Transportation and Parking: Due to the increasing demands of patient and patient visitor parking, MGH is no longer able to support event parking in the Fruit Street, Parkman Street, Yawkey, or Charles River Plaza garages. Because of the hospital’s close proximity to the Charles/ Mass General Red Line Station, the use of public transportation whenever possible for this event is highly recommended. Parking will no longer be validated free of charge. Registration: Seating is limited and pre-registration is required. To register or learn more about the program, visit www.mghpatientfamily.org or call 866-644-7792. Summer Saturdays Special events on Saturday afternoons (1:00-3:00) in May will feature craft demonstrations, historical talks, live music, and more in the Paul Revere House courtyard, weather permitting. Included with admission to the museum. museum admission: adults $3.50, seniors and college
students $3.00, children ages 5–17 $1. Members and North End residents admitted free at all times. Paul Revere House, 19 North Square, Boston. From April 15 through October 31, the house is open daily 9:30–5:15.
Monday May 5
The Prep School Negro A White Fund screening and Q & A of The Prep School Negro, a documentary recounting the experience of Director and Producer André Robert Lee and current-day minority students in elite prep schools, is being held in partnership with Northern Essex Community College from 8:45-10am at Lawrence High School, 70-72 North Parish Road, Lawrence and from 4:30-6:30pm at the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence, 136 Water Street, Lawrence. The film explores the internal struggle Lee felt as an adolescent provided with the opportunity to leave his lower-income community for a world of privilege through a full academic scholarship to a prestigious Philadelphia prep school. The film also profiles current-day minority prep school students to examine how much has really changed. After the screening, Lee will conduct a Q & A to further discuss the film and its messages. This event is free and open to the public. For additional information or to be notified of upcoming events in the White Fund Enlightenment Series, call 978-738-7403 or visit www.necc.mass.edu/whitefund. The views expressed in the White Fund Enlightenment Series Presentations are the views of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of Northern Essex Community College.
Upcoming Laughter Yoga Club May 8 — 6:30-7:30pm at the Dudley Library. It is a free club for the whole family. Community members will experience all the health benefits of a good belly laugh! No comedy or jokes involved! Enjoy this unique exercise of laughter and clapping combined with gentle breathing. Any age and any level of physical ability can participate in this uplifting experience! Children are welcome. You can sit or stand. There are no fancy poses. European Voices in Translation The Center for the Study of Europe, in collaboration with the Goethe Institut Boston and the literary journal AGNI, announces “European Voices in Translation.” Featured Events: A Reading and Conversation with László Krasznahorkai and George Szirtes | Moderated by James Wood, Staged reading from German play Brandung/Abyss and Conversation with Playwright and Translator Maria Milisavljevic and German Stage Director Guy Ben-Aharon, A Reading and Conversation with Semezdin Mehmedinovic and Ammiel Alcalay,
A Reading from Bohumil Hrabal’s Harlequin’s Millions in English translation by Stacey Knecht, A reading of selected poems Ivan Blatný in English translation by Veronika Tuckerova, and a concert performance by Cambridge Concentus | Intertwined Musical Voices: Biber, Buxtehude, and Bach. There will be refreshment breaks throughout the day and a reception following the concert. The public is cordially invited. $10 General Admission. Students free with current ID. 1-8pm, Saturday, May 10 at Goethe-Institut Boston, 170 Beacon St., Boston.
Puppet-making Workshops FREE! May 10, 17. 10:30am - 12:30pm. Jamaica Plain Community Center (Curtis Hall), 20 South St. Families Creating Together offers free series of four puppet-making workshops for children ages 7-11 with and without disabilities led by celebrated teaching artist using recycled materials. Spanish, ASL translators. Wheelchair accessible. To register and for more information call 617-522-4832. ¡Muévete! Moving to a Latin Beat Thursday, May 15, 5:30-7pm. In honor of El día de los niños, MetaMovements will perform and lead the audience in Salsa, Bachata, and Merengue. The history of each dance will also be revealed. www.bpl.org, Uphams Corner Branch of the Boston Public Library, 500 Columbia Road, Dorchester ~ 617-265-0139. Free. Shirley-Eustis House Spring Lecture Series The Shirley-Eustis House, 33 Shirley St., a National Historic Landmark house museum and c a r r i a g e h o u s e i n R o x b u r y, Massachusetts announces its Spring Lecture Series Schedule. Thursday, May 15 — Dr. Joseph Warren — 6:30 pm; Sunday, May 18 — A Tale of Two Cities: Louisbourg and Halifax in the Contest for Empire — 2:00 pm; Thursday, May 22 — American Crisis — 6:30 pm; Thursday, May 29 — Lafayette! We are here!! — 6:30 pm; and Sunday, June 1 — William Shirley’s Contribution to the American Revolution — 2:00 pm and Tour Season Opening 1-4 pm. All lectures will take place at the Shirley-Eustis House. A d m i s s i o n f o r e a c h l e c t u re will be $10 per person. Visit www.shirleyeustishouse.org for more information, call 617-4422275 or email governorshirley@ gmail.com. Southeastern MA Adult Walking Club Moderate walk, some hilly terrain, 3 miles. Walk from the Donovan School to Ponkapoag Trail and return via Madden Road. Meet at the Donovan School on 123 Reed St. in Randolph at 1pm. The Southeastern 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. Walks will be led by a park ranger or a Walking Club volunteer leader. Occasionally, the Walking Club meets at other DCR sites. Some DCR sites charge a parking fee. The rangers recommend wearing hiking boots and bringing drinking water on all hikes
FREE Family Fun Days at the Kroc This Spring Join us for 4th Fridays: FREE Family Fun Days at the Kroc. Participate in: Swimming, Open Gym, Rock Wall Climbing, Specialized Workshops & Activities, & More! May 23, 5-8pm. Arrive Early! Activities are based on capacity. No membership or registration required. For more information contact our Welcome Desk at 617-318-6900.
Ongoing Rarified Simmons College presents Rarified, an exhibit of drawings by Rebecca Doughty and Alice O’Neill through May 30 at the Trustman Art Gallery, located on the fourth floor, Main College Building, 300 the Fenway in Boston. The exhibit is free and open to the public (closed May 9, 26). Rebecca Doughty and Alice O’Neill are artists exploring shape and line through an economy of means and a rigorous process. Their drawings elegantly compress form, their very spareness an invitation to respond on one’s own terms. These two artists skillfully maximize feeling with a minimum of embellishment. Their aptitude in soliciting our interest in their characters and forms lies in their ability to imply much through their thorough understanding of essence. Trustman Gallery hours are 10am - 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. The gallery is free, open to the public and wheelchair accessible. For more information, contact Marcia Lomedico at 617-521-2268, or visit the Trustman Art Gallery website at www.simmons.edu/trustman. Chaos & Identity: Floating Island The Multicultural Arts Center and Latin Art Space presents CHAOS & IDENTITY: FLOATING ISLAND on view through June 3, in the Lower Gallery, exhibiting works by Angel Ramirez and Ibrahim Miranda, two renowned Cuban artists. The two artists create a celebration and investigation of
Cuban past and present that is sure provoke new thoughts about the chaos of one’s cultural identity. The collection of works, which range in mediums from woodcuts to printmaking, addresses the chaotic process of establishing an identity. It also explores, challenges, and inspires thought about assumptions that many people have about what it means to be Cuban. FREE and open to the public. Regular Gallery hours: Monday-Friday, 10:30am - 6pm. 41 Second St., Cambridge, one block from Green Line Lechmere station and walking distance from Red Line Kendall/MIT station. www.multiculturalartscenter.org.
Geometry Of Nature The Multicultural Arts Center presents GEOMETRY OF NATURE on view through June 3, in the Upper Gallery, exhibiting paintings by CJ Phu, a local artist. An ephemeral display of bright greens, blues, and oranges, Phu’s acrylic paintings place you in a world of new beginnings — teeming with life. His handling of acrylic, graphite, oil stick, and water is almost evocative of printmaking due to the technique he employs. FREE and open to the public. Regular Gallery hours: Monday-Friday, 10:30am - 6pm. 41 Second St., Cambridge, one block from Green Line Lechmere station and walking distance from Red Line Kendall/MIT station. www.multiculturalartscenter.org. 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 word. This free 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. 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.
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.
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Thursday, May 1, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER • 17
Author details Ivies’ history of involvement in slavery
MIT History Department Chairman Craig Steven Wilder, here with Museum of African American History Executive Director Beverly Morgan-Welch, delivered the keynote at the museum’s annual meeting in the African Meeting House on Beacon Hill. More than 100 people enjoyed Wilder’s talk on his latest book, “Ebony & Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America’s Universities.” (Photo courtesy of the Museum of African American History) Kevin C. Peterson Many Americans are aware that the wealth and success of the nation resulted from slave labor over centuries — free labor that included settling most of the South into a powerful agrarian region and which also created the railroads and built the infrastructure of the urban North. But few are clear about the deeply involved role some of the nation’s most prestigious colleges played in supporting the African slave trade, how they reaped the rewards of human bondage, and
for nearly two centuries educated racist elites who kept slavery as the status quo. Slaves tended the landscape of Harvard Yard and served as cooks and errand boys at the Cambridge school, which is now mostly celebrated for its liberal traditions. A future Harvard president once traded a barrel of hogshead rum for a slave girl. At Columbia — originally called King’s College — slaves cleaned dormitories for the sons of powerful slave merchants of the South. Princeton University’s first classrooms and study halls
were built from contributions and grants connected to slavery. These unfortunate facts are the results of 12 years of meticulous research that now comprises the history book “Ebony & Ivy,” a new masterful history about elite higher education and its involvement in the low treatment of human beings. Written by current MIT professor and former Dartmouth professor, Craig Steven Wilder, the work confirms the complicitous nature of the country’s prestigious universities as they participated for centuries in enforcing
bondage and profiting from the enormous amounts of money it produced. “Harvard had an intimate engagement with the slave trade … that was inseparable ... to its successes at its founding,” said Wilder at a recent lecture at the African Meeting House, which hosted him as part of their annual meeting ceremonies. “I would say that higher education — in this country ... [experienced] it highest rates of growth at the height of the slave trade,” which Wilder says impacted life in all of the colonies as profits for whites and misery for black slaves. The first seven presidents of Dartmouth College in New Hampshire were slave holders Benjamin Franklin — a principle organizer of the University of Pennsylvania — held investments in slave merchant companies and also owned slaves. Wilder contends that without the wealth generated through slavery, many of the country’s elite colleges would have met an early and dismal end. “Access to enslaved people could be the difference between success and failure for colonial schools,” he writes in his book. Aided by lustful empire building and laced with religious zeal, many of the founders of the first American colleges were ministers whose rhetoric often endorsed the “civilizing” efforts of slavery. One minister referred to African bondsmen as possessing “no more Souls than Brutes, & were really a Species below Us.” Aside from the African slave trade, Wilder also expertly delves into the near annihilation of Native Americans as they interacted with white colonists through exploited peace treaties, war and then germ warfare. Massachusetts General Jeffery Amherst acted against Native Americans by spreading smallpox among them. Amherst would later
have a major Massachusetts town named after him — the site of the Commonwealth’s largest public college. White colonials also successfully enslaved Native Americans and produced personal wealth by selling them into the West Indies where they were unfamiliar to the land. Wilder’s book is well-research and manages to supplement an often forgotten historical aspect of America’s “peculiar institution.’ It should be read by generations to come as a scholarly insight into the vast influences that slavery had in forming the country — particularly its shameful involvement with what many consider our most esteemed universities.
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18 • Thursday, May 1, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
Author García Márquez leaves enduring legacy Raymond L. Williams Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez, the inventor of the mythical town he called “Macondo,” passed away last month at the age of 87. Journalists loved him for his ability to spontaneously produce catchy one-liners in interviews. The general reading public adored him for his entertaining and engaging stories, so related to their own real experience. Academics have been fascinated to speculate
on the meaning of such oddities as abundant yellow butterflies, old men with inexplicably long wings, or the very best definition of his trademark, “magic realism.” As an academic who decided in the 1970s to launch a career researching the unlikely and then relatively obscure subject called “Colombian literature,” I always benefited from the anchor of at least one accomplished Colombian writer widely recognized beyond that nation’s borders.
Who was this man whose “Macondo” seems so exotic yet at the same time so close to so many lives? My first image of the writer dates back to when the then 48year old emerged from the elevator in the lobby of the Hilton Hotel in Bogotá, in October 1975. Already rich and famous from the 1967 publication of the best-selling novel “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” he had just arrived from Barcelona a few months after publishing the novel “The Autumn of the Patriarch.” A mutual friend (the Colombian critic from Barranquilla, Néstor Madrid-Malo) had arranged for me to meet the writer in the hotel lobby, where I was
immediately struck by the stark contrast between everyone else in that lobby — wearing elegant dark suits and ties — and the visibly informal García Márquez, who was wearing blue jeans and a colorful shirt. The straight-forward, no-nonsense and absolute clarity of the conversation in his room, centering on this complex novel “The Autumn of the Patriarch,” left a lifetime impression on me. I’ve met other accomplished creative writers in my career, but few others have approximated García Márquez in the simplicity and clarity of what was his genius: finding the magic in the things of everyday life. Eventually, as a specialist in what was the still academically dubious field of Colombian literature, I found myself writing a book on the work of García Márquez, starting in early 1982 and then — with a stroke of serendipity — found myself finishing it on a writer now awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in late 1982.
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Gabriel García Márquez Suddenly, my book had far more relevance than might have been the case otherwise. For me, however, reading García Márquez has always been a much more satisfactory experience than writing about his work. With this writer, I tend to resist interpretation for he seems to be so over-interpreted: why not let those yellow butterflies just inhabit “Macondo” rather than insist on dissecting them? Struggling through that first book on the Colombian writer and reading of his work in the process, however, clarified a lot, including the following: the writing of García Márquez is really about how the common people — the pueblo of the impoverished Caribbean coast of Colombia — not only survive but find ways to live with dignity. I do not want to simplify this writer’s complex work too much by claiming it was only about survival and dignity. This was, however, a constant theme in much of his work, and this was the feature that made the Colombian so appealing world-wide. That downto-earth 48-year-old pre-Nobel García Márquez was a man of total integrity: he not only talked the talk, but he walked and wrote the walk of the supreme value of common lives and everyday things. Over the course of an increasingly viable academic career centered on Colombian literature, I spoke with the post-Nobel García Márquez at the ages of 58 (in Cartagena) and 60 (in Mexico City). Now even more of a celebrity public intellectual, he was still alarmingly simple in his genius. He was one of the few writers, for example, whose speech patterns are similar to his writing style. In a dinner conversation among writer friends in Cartagena in 1993 (age 66) he stated that the one book that he wished had written himself was Juan Rulfo’s “Pedro Páramo.” Years before, he had claimed to a journalist that his best book was “No One Writes to the Colonel.” What these two brief novels have in common is both their brevity and the simplicity of the language. In a complex technological, globalized and postmodern 21st century, García Márquez invited all his readers to appreciate the special qualities (or magic) of the commonplace, to revere simplicity, and to celebrate the human spirit. This attitude toward the world placed not only his work on the world map, but the entirety of a nation and its literature in the consciousness of the world community. His attitude, as well as his spoken and written words, represented a life and a writing practice of admirable integrity. New American Media
Three New Orleans schools face civil rights complaints Kari Harden At Carver Collegiate, the family handbook describes in great detail precisely how students should walk, talk, dress, sit, raise their hand, and move their eyes. Volume levels at lunch are hushed (level 2), and silent in the hallways (level 0). Demerits are given if a student does not lock their elbow while raising their hand, does not smile while shaking hands, does not walk on the taped line in the hallway, does not track the speaker with their eyes, or if both feet are not flat on the floor while seated. The handbook instructs “scholars” to always be grateful: “Scholars say ‘Thank you’ when they receive something — even the opportunity of being called
and grooming. But to others, the “hyper-discipline” is seen as oppressive, irrational, belittling, and even abusive. On April 15, New Orleans attorneys Anna Lellelid and Bill Quigley filed a civil rights complaint on behalf of parents and students requesting local, state, and federal investigations into three schools, including Carver Collegiate, regarding discipline policies and culture they allege to be abusive and in violation of the law. “I’ve heard from students who say they feel so depressed to be treated this way, but they feel they can’t speak out because they will get in trouble,” said Anna Lellelid. The complaint “demanded an immediate investigation into whether students were subjected
“I’ve heard from students who say they feel so depressed to be treated this way, but they feel they can’t speak out because they will get in trouble.” — Anna Lellelid upon to answer a question during a class.” And how to answer questions: “If you ask a scholar, ‘Did you have a nice weekend?’ a scholar will respond, ‘It was nice. How was yours?’” According to the handbook: “If a scholar is passing an adult in the hallway, he or she should make eye contact with the adult and smile.” A student can receive a demerit if she or he has on more than one bracelet, if the bracelet is not green, orange, white, gold, silver, or black, or for wearing a belt that is made of cloth rather than of leather or a material resembling leather. “If the scholar cannot get the proper uniform piece droppedoff and they refuse to wear loaner items they will be suspended from school the following day,” the handbook says. And there is the (often subjective) demerit for acting in any way deemed disrespectful. Accumulated demerits lead to suspensions, and Carver Collegiate has the city’s highest outof-school suspension rate at 68.85 percent, meaning that nearly 70 percent of the student body was suspended out of school at least once during the 2012-2013 school year. The state average for out-ofschool suspensions is 9.2 percent, which is higher than the national average. Any faculty member, including first-year teachers without a degree in education, has the authority to suspend a student with requiring another level of approval. But Carver Collegiate is not a military academy and it’s not an alternative school — it’s a public (charter) high school. And these aren’t bad kids, they are just kids. To some, it’s seen as structure
to emotional and physical abuse under the guise of ‘discipline,”’ according to a press release. Lellelid calls it a “culture of fear and intimidation,” and questions whether the (majority white) administrators would put their own children in the (majority-black) schools they run, unconditionally exalting and defending their approach to education. Teachers who leave the school are required to sign a non-disparagement clause. The complaint against Collegiate Academies, the Charter Management Organization that runs Carver Collegiate, Sci Academy and Carver Prep, represents 20 students, 12 parents, and one teacher. The complaint alleges that the policies and practices violate the students’ right to an education by constantly kicking them out, as well as laws that prevent schools from suspending students without documentation, due process, or properly notifying parents. There are also violations of laws related to students with special needs, the complaint charges. Examples cited include excessive suspensions and inappropriate punishments for students with disabilities without properly notifying parents of meetings and decisions regarding Individualized Education Plans. According to the complaint: “One student diagnosed with autism and cerebral palsy was punished because he was unable to walk in a straight line due to his uncontrollable muscle spasms.” The complaint references an autistic child who was called “stupid” by his teacher, who then permitted the other students to throw things at the autistic child. Also described is a student with an IEP who was made to sit in the back of the class every day facing the wall, and a student with dis-
abilities who claimed that “Carver Collegiate falsified his transcript by stating that he had taken courses that he had not taken.” Other concerns in the complaint address safety concerns for students who, after being suspended, spend their day hanging out at the park and library, or are required to stay late for detention and then take public transportation home. The experiences and sentiments expressed by the 20 students who were willing to go on the record echoes what they have heard from many, many others, Lellelid said. In November, about 100 students walked out in protest of Collegiate policies. In addition to getting “disciplined for anything and everything,” their concerns, presented in writing to the board, included not having textbooks, not having a library, having their reading level publicized to peers, not being allowed to go to the bathroom for long periods of time, and not being able to bring their own food when the school’s lunch left them hungry. The complaint addresses bathrooms with locked doors, and even reports of door handles being removed. Many of the students who walked out were later suspended. The Southern Poverty Law Center wrote a letter to the board and administration of Collegiate Academies on Dec. 18 in support
Thursday, May 1, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER • 19
of the Carver Prep and Carver Collegiate students, and echoing many of the same concerns about a the “poor school climate and harsh disciplinary practices” that lack “pedagogical value.” “The descriptions of emotional abuse and a demeaning culture of discipline at Collegiate Academies’ schools raise serious civil rights concerns,” Lellelid said in a press release. Lellelid and Quigley filed the complaint with United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, the Louisiana Recovery School District, and the Louisiana Department of Education, among others. A month after the November student protest, Collegiate Academies CEO Ben Marcovitz issued an open letter on Dec. 20 to the Collegiate Academies community. In it, Marcovitz writes that “Scholars are suspended only for more serious infractions, such as verbal altercations, skipping class, destruction of property, and repeated refusal to follow directions, despite multiple interventions.” But that has not been Lellelid’s experience. She described students who (as a result of demerits) were suspended for bursting out laughing, for coughing too much, for rolling their eyes, and for hugging another student. One student, whose uncle and brother both were shot and killed, was suspended for wearing the wrong kind of belt on the day she returned, Lellelid said. Collegiate Academies president Morgan Carter Ripski released the following statement regarding the civil rights complaint:
“Collegiate Academies’ schools remain a popular choice among New Orleans families. We work in partnership with our families to create a school culture and academic program that will help students reach their potential. We look forward to welcoming our students back on Tuesday, and to continue helping them learn and grow.” But Lellelid challenges the notion of choice. Families can be limited by geography, and many come from Carver families in hopes of carrying on tradition. In addition, if a parent wants to transfer their student after Oct. 1 to a different school, the RSD policies make it extremely difficult. Parents are often simply told that they cannot transfer after Oct. 1. The Carver Collegiate handbook tells parents that if they show up to the school to talk to someone without an appointment, they may wait for hours, and that, “If you have a concern about a school policy, academic grade, discipline decision, or anything else, we ask that you take some time to reflect on it before contacting the school. We want to hear your concerns because we value your input and opinion. We also want to make sure every conversation is respectful and productive. We understand that you have very strong feelings about issues concerning your child but if a parent/guardian/family member is disrespectful to a Carver Collegiate teacher or administrator, we will end the conversation and wait to continue it at another time.” Approximately 15 students Schools, continued to page 20
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Schools
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have dropped out of Collegiate Academies schools since the November protests, Lellelid said. Lellelid said that since November, Marcovitz did hold at least one meeting, and that she has seen better documentation regarding suspensions. However she said that the students and parents still do not feel they have been heard, and that the policies continue to hurt students and violate laws. “As the public, are we okay with those tasked with educating our children continuing to break the law, because they say ‘We are working on it’?” As taxpayers, we are paying to educate our children, Lellelid said, and based on the numbers, Collegiate seems to be more focused on kicking kids out of school than educating them. Marcovitz’s publicly funded salary for the 2013-2014 school
year is approximately $130,000. Lellelid said she has spoken with first year, uncertified teachers who make an annual salary of $45,000. Carver Prep and Carver Collegiate opened in 2012 with only a 9th-grade class, adding a 10th grade in 2103. Sci Academy opened in 2008. Marcovitz wrote that “Suspensions are not correlated with poor drop out or expulsion rates. Collegiate Academies’ 2011-12 drop out rate was 1.6 percent, compared to the state average of 4.7 percent. Collegiate Academies’ 2012-13 expulsion rate was 2.6 percent.” However Carver Prep and Carver Collegiate did not exist in the 2011-2012 school year. Marcovitz also points out that a majority of the out of school suspensions (80 percent at Carver Collegiate for 2012-2013) are only a one-day suspension. He attributes the November protests to a “a small group of activists. . . making inaccurate
claims.” But Lellelid said that based on her extensive work with students and parents, she believes the civil rights complaint represents a majority of students. And for Jolon McNeil, Schools First project director and managing director for the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana, the skyhigh suspension rates (61.36 percent percent for Carver Prep and 38.9 percent for Sci Academy) at all three schools raise larger concerns about the emotional, psychological, and long-term effects on the students. McNeil stresses that the aim of her advocacy work is not just to criticize policies, but to foster conversation with all voices at the table, and to work collaboratively with schools to share best practices and identify effective ways to reduce out of school suspensions. Suspensions don’t work, McNeil said. For one, if a student is in class, they aren’t learning. In addition, she said she wants administrators to look at whether
Gov. Deval Patrick meets with Japanese Senior Vice Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura in the Senate Reading Room in the State House. (Governor’s Office photo Eric Haynes)
LEGAL NOTICE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AT RISK SERVICES The MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY (Massport) is soliciting Construction Management at Risk Services for MPA PROJECT NO. L1191, PARKING GARAGES – 2,050 SPACE CONSOLIDATIONS, LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, EAST BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS (the Project). In accordance with Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 149A, Sections 1 thru 13, Massport is seeking a highly qualified and competent Construction Manager (CM) to provide preconstruction services and implement the construction of the Project in accordance with an agreement where the basis for payment is the cost of the work plus a fee with a negotiated guaranteed maximum price. This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is being utilized to prequalify and shortlist CM firms who will be invited to submit proposals in response to a Request for Proposals (RFP) to be issued by Massport. The proposed project includes construction of garage space that will consolidate 2,050 underutilized parking spaces into new structures adjacent to the West and Terminal B Garages. The project sites are at Logan International Airport in Boston and are located over the existing Hilton Hotel parking lot and above the Terminal B Garage entrance and toll plaza. The project will incorporate sustainable design and resiliency elements. The work includes general site preparation, foundations, utility relocations, construction phasing and sequencing, architecture, pedestrian circulation/ wayfinding, means of egress, signage/graphics, stairs, ADA and code compliance, HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, electrical, lighting, power, security, and other systems and facilities required by existing codes and regulations and necessary to achieve a complete functional facility. Massport recognizes the numerous benefits Building Information Modeling (BIM), Models and Model Applications can potentially provide to each phase of the facility life cycle. In an effort to realize the added value of these benefits, Massport is implementing a Building Information Modeling (BIM) Program for this project. In addition, to further improve efficiency and value on this project, Massport will also be implementing Lean Construction principles, including Pull Planning and other Lean process tools. In addition to the construction services, the CM shall also provide Preconstruction Services which shall include, but are not limited to, cost estimating, scheduling, phasing and logistics, value engineering, document review to support the preparation of trade packages and constructability reviews. The CM shall be expected to work closely with Massport’s Project Manager and design team in order to effectively implement the project. The construction budget is estimated at approximately Fifty-Five Million Dollars ($55,000,000) with an estimated date of partial beneficial occupancy within the third quarter of 2015, and full beneficial occupancy in the third quarter of 2016.
suspensions are achieving the desired effect — Are suspensions working as a deterrent? Are behaviors changing? By and large, they aren’t effective as a deterrent, she said. In addition, suspensions increase student disengagement, increase distrust between the students and parents and the school, and increase the chances that kids will enter the juvenile justice system, McNeil said. She said suspensions are also a moderate to strong indicator of later dropping out. McNeil does not argue against suspension for behavior that is violent or threatens safety and security at the school, but the first thing she wants to know when she see numbers close to 70 percent are “What are they being suspended for?” When students are getting the same punishment for a subjective and often impulsive catch-all like “willful disobedience” as they do fighting — or even something like not walking on a taped line or a uniform violation — then, McNeil said, as a community we have to ask “Why is this a rule that needs a consequence?” At many schools across the country, the zero tolerance approach that was initially designed for things like drugs and guns, has been “expanded to anything you don’t want kids to do,” McNeil said. As with the case of the student who was allegedly suspended for a belt violation after losing two family members, the rules are not individualized, McNeil noted — “Rules are rules are rules.” Punishment for uniform violations also often “penalizes poverty,” McNeil said. McNeil also said she wants to see more support and training for teachers throughout the school year in terms of avoiding bias, identifying self-triggers, and making the best possible decisions in the classroom. Lellelid noted the need for better cultural sensitivity training, as many of the teachers are young, white, uncertified, unexperienced,
Massport intends to implement a two-step selection process including a Qualification phase to create a shortlist of competent CM firms. Shortlisted firms shall be invited to respond to the written RFP which will require both a technical proposal and a price proposal. A Selection Committee will review Proposals to rank the shortlisted firms and make the final selection. Massport intends to shortlist qualified firms in June 2014 and make a final selection by the end of June 2014. Interviews may be held at the Authority’s discretion. The Designer will participate in the selection of the Construction Manager. A Supplemental Information Package which will provide more details on the scope of the Project as well as the selection process shall be available as of Tuesday, May 6, 2014 by contacting Susan Brace at 617-568-5961 or by email at sbrace@massport.com. In addition, a Project Briefing shall be held in the Bid Room located in the Capital Programs Department, Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, Logan International Airport, East Boston, MA on Thursday, May 8, 2014 at 1:00 PM. The briefing is not mandatory. Qualification Statements from interested firms will be evaluated in accordance with the following Evaluation Criteria in order to shortlist qualified CM firms: (1) proposed CMR team, with special emphasis on the experience of the Project Manager; (2) project approach; (3) experience with similar garage projects and recent relevant project experience; (4) Building Information Model (BIM) experience; (5) Project Management and Lean Construction Experience; (6) CM-at-Risk and MGL 149A Project Management experience, including Public Projects; (7) safety record; (8) capacity and financial stability; (9) litigation and termination history; and (10) M/WBE compliance history and approach. These Evaluation Criteria will be more fully explained in the Supplemental Information Package. The CM shall be DCAMM-certified and provide an Update Statement as well as an affidavit that the Statement of Qualifications being submitted in response to the RFQ is signed under the pains and penalties of perjury. The CM shall also provide a letter from a surety company confirming the CM firm’s ability to provide performance and payment bonds in the full amount of the construction estimate. Please note that having the document notarized does not fulfill the requirement for signing under the pains and penalties of perjury. Any information provided to the Authority in any Proposal or other written or oral communication between the Proposer and the Authority will not be, or deemed to have been, proprietary or confidential, although the Authority will use reasonable efforts not to disclose such information to persons who are not employees or consultants retained by the Authority except as may be required by M.G.L. c66. Each Qualification Statement shall be limited to 15 sheets (30 pages) of written material, which shall be printed on both sides of the sheet (8 ½ x 11). The 30 pages exclude cover letter, response cover, dividers, resumes and
and from other parts of the country. The JJPL holds workshops on positive behavior support, and works to give educators numerous (proven effective) tools that can work as alternatives to out of school suspensions. In his letter, Marcovitz writes that Collegiate Academies does use alternatives including positive reinforcement, peer remediation, and restorative justice techniques. But McNeil still sees a need fundamentally rethink “not just the consequences of behavior, but why we have the consequences to begin with.” Many students and parents want the zero tolerance structure, McNeil acknowledges, but that for those who don’t, New Orleans isn’t really an environment of “choice” if the only alternatives are selective admissions schools that are on the opposite side of the city. “Rules exist for some kids and don’t exist for others,” McNeil said. The disparities are undeniable. A report released in March by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights found that black students are three times more likely to be suspended or expelled than white students. The study found that students with disabilities are twice as likely to receive an out of school suspension as students without disabilities. McNeil stressed that when reform is something that “happens to people,” it is vital to include the voices of community, parents and students in the conversation. “If we want to get to the educational equity that this reform is supposed to be about, we can’t leave out the data on discipline,” McNeil said. “It’s critical to what is happening in schools, and part of the equation of school success.” New American Media This article originally published in the April 21, 2014 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
DCAMM documents. The firm’s financial information shall be submitted in a separate envelope. Ten (10) copies of the bound document and one envelope clearly marked “Financial Information” shall be addressed to Houssam Sleiman, P.E., CCM, Director of Capital Programs and Environmental Affairs and received in the Capital Programs Department no later than 12:00 NOON on Thursday, May 22, 2014 at the Massachusetts Port Authority, Capital Programs Department, Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, Suite 209S, Logan International Airport, East Boston, MA 02128-2909. Any submission that exceeds the page limit set here or that is not received in the Capital Programs Department in a timely manner shall be rejected by Massport as non-responsive. All questions relative to your submission shall be directed to CPBidQuestions@massport.com. It is strictly prohibited for any proponent to contact anyone else from Massport about this project from the time of this solicitation until award of the project to the successful proponent. The procurement process for this project will proceed according to the following schedule: Event Solicitation: Release Date: Supplemental Information Package Available: Project Briefing: Deadline for submission of written questions: Official answers published by MPA: RFQ Submission Deadline:
Date/Time April 30, 2014 May 6, 2014 May 8, 2014, 1:00 PM May 14, 2014, 5:00 PM May 15, 2014 May 22, 2014, 12:00 Noon
MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY Thomas P. Glynn CEO and Executive Director The Boston Public Market Association (BPMA), a Massachusetts not-for-profit corporation is offering an exciting new business opportunity with the Boston Public Market, located at 136 Blackstone Street above the Orange and Green line Haymarket MBTA station. The Market will be a year-round, indoor market selling only locally sourced food and will accommodate up to 45 permanent growers and producers. The BPMA is looking for vendors that offer: (1) products that provide taste, freshness, consistency, price point(s), ethnic diversity, and uniqueness; (2) a variety of products that reflect our local New England community; (3) a successful business plan, financial plan, staffing, and vending plan, and impact on local economy. Responses to the request for vendors (“Intent to Apply”) are due no later than 12 p.m. EDT on May 9, 2014. Intent to Apply forms are available at http://bostonpublicmarket.org/ become_vendor.php and must be submitted to vendor@bostonpublicmarket. org or PO Box 52385, Boston, MA 02205. Late submissions in response to the request for vendors will not be accepted. BOSTON PUBLIC MARKET ASSOCIATION Liz Morningstar, CEO
Thursday, May 1, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER • 21
LEGAL NOTICE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
(4)
The MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY (Authority) is soliciting consulting services for MPA CONTRACT NO. L1346-D1, TERMINAL E A380 ACCOMMODATIONS, LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, EAST BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. The Authority is seeking a qualified multidiscipline consulting firm or team, with proven aviation planning and design experience to provide professional services including planning, architectural and engineering design, and construction related services, including resident inspection and project controls relative to THE CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION OF UP TO 85,000 gsf AT TERMINAL E. The Consultant must be able to work closely with the Authority and other interested parties in order to provide such services in a timely and effective manner.
(5)
The consultant shall demonstrate experience in several disciplines and including but not limited to Architectural, Airside Planning, Civil, Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Fire Protection, Security, Signage, Vertical Transportation, Geotechnical, Landscape Architecture, Code Compliance, Lean Planning, Cost Estimating, Construction Phasing, Building Information Modeling (BIM) for all disciplines and Scheduling. The consultant shall also have demonstrated experience with Construction Management at Risk, MGL Chapter 149A.
(9)
The proposed scope of the project shall include, but not be limited to, design construction and commissioning of approximately 85,000 gsf of both new construction and renovation of existing space. The goal of the project is to reconfigure and provide the required services to accommodate A380 Group VI aircraft. In support of this goal the project will investigate the reconfiguration and modification of existing gates #7B, 8A and 8B to allow for the installation of new two-level aircraft boarding jet bridges and vertical circulation nodes at these gates. The addition of departure level concourse holding rooms and arrivals level de-boarding areas, adequately sized to accommodate A380 Group VI aircraft, with concession areas and other support spaces. Reconfiguration and expansion of the existing security checkpoint and re-composure zone. Relocation of existing land side concession areas to secure side areas. Reconfiguration of the holding room at gate E6. Improve passenger access and circulation from the east end of the terminal at gates E1A and E2A to the main terminal concourse. An addition of a third level shell space to be available for Airline Club fit-out. Renovation, reconfiguration and expansion of the existing corridor connection to Immigrations and Customs from both the west and east end of the terminal. Modification and renovation of baggage claim. Modification and renovation of the existing taxi lanes and the existing apron to accommodate the aircraft. The scope of professional services shall include, but not be limited to the following: (1) Collecting existing information and performing site investigations and electronic/laser scanning documentation of existing conditions for the identified location where the construction is planned. (2) Performing architectural engineering studies relating to SCCP Passenger Security Checkpoint Queuing. (3) Providing high quality architectural renderings of proposed interior and exterior finishes for presentation to the various stakeholders. (4) Providing architectural engineering studies for modification of existing and new features that allow seamless integration of the new structures into the existing terminal. (5) Performing field investigations of utilities and existing soils for the purpose of identifying conflicts, and determining foundation types and locations. (6) Preparation of preliminary layout plans and cost estimates to assist in development of a program budget. (7) Development of a BIM Model and management of a BIMxP (BIM Execution Plan) in support of Design and Construction. (8) Demonstrated experience in Lean Planning, Lean Construction and long-term experience working collaboratively with CMs selected early in the design phase. (9) Preparation of contract drawings in a phased approach to allow for early construction packages as design is developed. (10) Preparation of final architectural and engineering design plans, specifications, and cost estimates for up to 3 design reviews for each design package. (11) Preparation of design which have high quality exterior finishes. (12) Evaluation of electrical, security, and mechanical systems to be incorporated into the design. (13) Preparation of high quality presentation graphics. (14) Assist in the procurement of a Construction Manager at Risk as per MGL Chapter 149A. (15) Preparation of bid documents for subcontractor and trade work. (16) Provide support services, field inspection, project controls, and resident engineering during the construction phase. (17) Manage construction closeout, including commissioning of systems, as-built drawing preparation, and O&M submission review. The project is expected to be studied, designed and implemented using Building Information Model (BIM) software. It is understood that the selected firm will develop a model as part of the scope. All subsidiary models are expected to be interoperable with Autodesk Revit or support robust exchange with Autodesk Revit. The designer will be expected to utilize the BIM in all phases of work and in presentations and reviews. The Consultant will be required to have a BIM/Visual Design and Construction (VDC) Manager for each of the following disciplines: Architectural, MEP, Structural and Civil Engineers as part of the team. Resumes for each manager shall be included in the submission package. The contract will be work order based, and Consultant’s fee for each work order shall be negotiated; however, the total fee for the contract shall not exceed $9,000,000. In recognition of the unique nature of the project and the services required to support it, the Authority has scheduled a Consultant Briefing to be held at 10:00 am on May 8, 2014 at the Capital Programs Department, Suite 209S, Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, East Boston, Massachusetts 02128. At this session, an overview of the project will be provided, the services requested by the Authority will be described, and questions will be answered. Each submission shall include a Statement of Qualifications that provides detailed information in response to the evaluation criteria set forth below and include Architect/Engineer & Related Services questionnaires SF 330 (www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/download/116486) with the appropriate number of Part IIs. M/WBE Certification of the prime and subconsultants shall be current at the time of submittal and the Consultant shall provide a copy of the M/WBE certification letter from the Supplier Diversity Office, formerly known as State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance (SOMWBA) within its submittal. The Consultant shall also provide an original and fourteen copies of litigation and legal proceedings information, signed under the pains and penalties of perjury, in a separate sealed envelope entitled “Litigation and Legal Proceedings.” Please follow this link to the Massport Website at: http://www.massport.com/business-with-massport/capital-improvements/ resource-center/ for more information. In order to be eligible for selection, all aspects of Chapter 7C, Section 44 of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts shall be satisfied including the majority of the firm’s Board of Directors or ownership shall be registered in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in accordance with the applicable provisions of the statute. Consultants shall furnish professional registration status of the firm’s board of directors or ownership. All individuals responsible for technical disciplines shall, upon commencement of the project, be registered Architects or Engineers, in that discipline, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Authority may reject any application if any of the required information is not provided: Cover Letter, Insurance Requirements, Litigation and Legal proceedings, and Registration of the Board of Directors as defined in MGL Chapter 7C Section 44, SF330 Part IIs for the Prime and every sub-consultant. The submission shall be evaluated on basis of: (1) Current level of experience and knowledge of the team for similar projects, particularly the Architectural Project Manager, (2) Managerial and communication skills of the Project Manager, (3) Geographic location and availability of the Project Manager, resident
(6) (7) (8)
(10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16)
inspectors and other key personnel to be assigned to the project, Experience and expertise of subconsultants, including prior working relationships, Demonstrated ability in using BIM for programming, design and construction of all architectural and engineering disciplines. The BIM Manager must have demonstrated experience in developing BIM Execution Plans, and have managed, directed and implemented BIM in projects during the pre-construction and construction phases. Demonstrated experience in Lean Planning, Lean Construction or longterm experience working collaboratively with CMs selected early in the design phase. Demonstrated ability to perform work with minimal disruption to airport operations, Demonstrated ability to produce clear and effective design documents within tight time frames, Demonstrated projects within which high quality exterior finishes have been developed and constructed, Familiarity with MGL Chapter 149A, including filed sub-bid experience, Cost management and scheduling capabilities, M/WBE and affirmative action efforts, please indicate the proposed percentage of M/WBE participation, Current level of work with the Authority, Past performance for the Authority, if any, Experience with sustainable and resiliency design concepts, and Project understanding and technical approach to this project.
The selection shall involve a two-step process including the shortlisting of a minimum of three firms based on an evaluation of the Statements of Qualifications received in response to this solicitation, followed immediately by a final selection of the consultant by the Authority. The Authority reserves the right to interview the firms prior to final selection, if deemed appropriate. A Supplemental Information Package will be available to interested parties beginning May 8, 2014, by contacting Susan Brace at 617-568-5961 or sbrace@massport.com. By responding to this solicitation, consultants agree to accept the terms and conditions of Massport’s standard work order agreement, a copy of the Authority’s standard agreement can be found on the Authority’s web page at www.massport.com. The exception to this standard agreement is the insurance requirement of $1,000,000 of commercial general liability. The Consultant shall specify in its cover letter that it has the ability to obtain requisite insurance coverage. Submissions shall be printed on both sides of the sheet (8 1/2” x 11”), no acetate covers. Fifteen (15) copies of a bound document and one PDF version on a disc each limited to: 1) an SF 330 including the appropriate number of Part IIs, 2) resumes of key individuals only each limited to one (1) page under SF 330, Section E, 3) no more than ten (10) projects each limited to one (1) page under SF 330, Section F, 4) no more than 4 sheets (8 pages) of information contained under SF 330 Section H addressing the evaluation items (except for the litigation and legal proceedings history), and 5) no more than 2 sheets (4 pages) of other relevant material not including a 2 page (max.) cover letter, SDO certification letters, covers, dividers, and other required information. This submission, including the litigation and legal proceedings history in a separate sealed envelope as required shall be addressed to Houssam H. Sleiman, PE, CCM, Director of Capital Programs and Environmental Affairs and received no later than 12:00 Noon on Thursday, June 5, 2014 at the Massachusetts Port Authority, Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, Suite 209S, Logan International Airport, East Boston, MA 02128-2909. Any submission which is not received in a timely manner shall be rejected by the Authority as non-responsive. Any information provided to the Authority in any Proposal or other written or oral communication between the Proposer and the Authority will not be, or deemed to have been, proprietary or confidential, although the Authority will use reasonable efforts not to disclose such information to persons who are not employees or consultants retained by the Authority except as may be required by M.G.L. c.66. The procurement process for these services will proceed according to the following anticipated schedule: EVENT Solicitation: Release Date Consultant Briefing/ Supplemental Info. Available Deadline for submission of written questions Official answers published (Estimated) Solicitation: Close Date / Submission Deadline
DATE/TIME April 30, 2014 May 8, 2014/10:00 am May 16, 2014/2:00 pm May 23, 2014 June 5, 2014/12:00 pm
Times are Eastern Standard Time (US). Questions may be sent via email to CPBidQuestions@massport.com subject to the deadline for receipt stated in the timetable above. In the subject lines of your email, please reference the MPA Project Name and Number. Questions and their responses will be posted on Capital Bid Opportunities webpage of Massport http://www.massport.com/doing-business/_layouts/ CapitalPrograms/default.aspx as an attachment to the original Legal Notice and on CommBuys (www.commbuys.com) in the listings for this project. MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY THOMAS P. GLYNN CEO AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Sealed General Bids for MPA Contract No. A288-C5 FY 15-17 INTERIOR AND CURBSIDE SIGNAGE, TERM CONTRACT, AVIATION AND NON-AVIATION FACILITIES BOSTON, BEDFORD, AND WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, will be received by the Massachusetts Port Authority at the Capital Programs Department Office, Suite 209S, Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, East Boston, Massachusetts 02128, until 11:00 A.M. local time on WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 2014 immediately after which, in a designated room, the bids will be opened and read publicly. NOTE:
PRE BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD AT THE CAPITAL PROGRAMS DEPARTMENT (ABOVE ADDRESS) AT 11:00 A.M. LOCAL TIME ON TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2014.
The work includes: TERM CONTRACT FOR INTERIOR AND CURBSIDE SIGNAGE AT ALL MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY FACILITIES LOCATED AT BOSTON, BEDFORD AND WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS ON AN “ON-CALL, WORK ORDER” BASIS OVER A TWO-YEAR PERIOD. WORK INCLUDES REMOVAL OF EXISTING SIGNAGE; FABRICATION AND INSTALLATION OF NEW SIGN PANELS, BOXES, AND FRAMES; REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF EXISTING SIGN PANELS; AND MODIFICATION (IN PLACE) OF EXISTING SIGN PANELS. WORK TO BE INSTALLED ON EXISTING SUPPORTS (HANGARS, POSTS, ETC.), EXCEPT WHERE OTHERWISE SPECIFIED. The estimated contract cost is $900,000. Bid documents will be made available beginning THURSDAY, MAY 08, 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. A proposal guaranty shall be submitted with each General Bid consisting of a bid deposit for five (5) percent of the value of the bid; when sub bids are required, each must be accompanied by a deposit equal to five (5) percent of the sub bid amount, in the form of a bid bond, or cash, or a certified check, or a treasurer’s or a cashier’s check issued by a responsible bank or trust company, payable to the Massachusetts Port Authority in the name of which the Contract for the work is to be executed. The bid deposit shall be (a) in a form satisfactory to the Authority, (b) with a surety company qualified to
do business in the Commonwealth and satisfactory to the Authority, and (c) conditioned upon the faithful performance by the principal of the agreements contained in the bid. The successful Bidder will be required to furnish a performance bond and a labor and materials payment bond, each in an amount equal to 100% of the Contract price. The surety shall be a surety company or securities satisfactory to the Authority. Attention is called to the minimum rate of wages to be paid on the work as determined under the provisions of Chapter 149, Massachusetts General Laws, Section 26 to 27G, inclusive, as amended. The Contractor will be required to pay minimum wages in accordance with the schedules listed in Division II, Special Provisions of the Specifications, which wage rates have been predetermined by the U. S. Secretary of Labor and / or the Commissioner of Labor and Industries of Massachusetts, whichever is greater. The successful Bidder will be required to purchase and maintain Bodily Injury Liability Insurance and Property Damage Liability Insurance for a combined single limit of $1,000,000.00. Said policy shall be on an occurrence basis and the Authority shall be included as an Additional Insured. See the insurance sections of Division I, General Requirements and Division II, Special Provisions for complete details. This Contract is also subject to Affirmative Action requirements of the Massachusetts Port Authority contained in the Non Discrimination and Affirmative Action article of Division I, General Requirements and Covenants, and to the Secretary of Labor’s Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Opportunity and the Standard Federal Equal Opportunity Construction Contract Specifications (Executive Order 11246). The General Contractor is required to submit a Certification of Non Segregated Facilities prior to award of the Contract, and to notify prospective subcontractors of the requirement for such certification where the subcontract exceeds $10,000. Complete information and authorization to view the site may be obtained from the Capital Programs Department Office at the Massachusetts Port Authority. The right is reserved to waive any informality in or reject any or all proposals. MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY THOMAS P. GLYNN CEO & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Sealed filed Sub-Bids for MPA Contract No. M470-C1, CRUISE TERMINAL INTERIM EXPANSION, SOUTH BOSTON, MA 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, MAY 14, 2014 immediately after which, in a designated room, the bids will be opened and read publicly. Filed HVAC Sub-Bids for the subject project were received on February 26, 2014. In accordance with its reserved right, the Authority has rejected all HVAC filed Sub-Bids and is herein re-soliciting filed HVAC Sub-Bids for this project. Sub-bidders are advised to consult complete bid documents for other subtrades and classes of work to be performed as a part of this contract. The work includes IMPROVEMENTS TO THE WAREHOUSE BERTH INCLUDING NEW TOILET ROOMS AND UPGRADES TO MECHANICAL SYSTEMS, INCLUDING EXTERIOR LOUVERS, DUCTS, FANS, UNIT HEATERS, EXHAUST AND TEMPERATURE CONTROLS. Bid documents will be made available beginning WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 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 filed SubBidders must submit with their sub-bid a current Certificate of Eligibility issued by the Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance and an Update Statement. The filed Sub-Bidder must be certified in the category of HEATING, VENTILATING, AND AIR CONDITIONING (HVAC). The estimated contract cost is TWO HUNDRED FORTY-ONE THOUSAND, TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS ($241,200.00). 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 filed Sub-Bid consisting of a bid deposit for five (5) percent of the value of the bid, 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. Attention is called to the minimum rate of wages to be paid on the work as determined under the provisions of Chapter 149, Massachusetts General Laws, Sections 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 ONE MILLION DOLLARS ($1,000,000.00). Said policy shall be on an occurrence basis and the Authority shall be included as an Additional Insured. See the insurance sections of Division I, General Requirements and Division II, Special Provisions for complete details. This contract is subject to a Minority/Women Owned Business Enterprise participation provision requiring that not less than ONE (1%) PERCENT 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
22 • Thursday, May 1, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS The Brookline Housing Authority, the Awarding Authority, invites sealed bids from Plumbing Contractors for the installation of energy efficient toilets for the Brookline Housing Authority in Brookline, Massachusetts, in accordance with the documents prepared by the Department of Housing and Community Development. The Project consists of replacing 177 existing toilets with low flow models.
UPS overnight), payable to the BidDocs Online Inc., to cover mail handling costs. The existing building will be available for inspection on Tuesday, 08-May2014 at 10:00 AM. Meet at 176 High Street, Brookline, MA. The Contract Documents may be seen in person or by electronic media at Nashoba Blue Inc., 433 Main Street, Hudson, MA 01749 - 978-568-1167.
The work is estimated to cost $74,340.00. Bids are subject to M.G.L. c.149 §44A-J & to minimum wage rates as required by M.G.L. c.l49 §§26 to 27H inclusive. THIS PROJECT IS BEING ELECTRONICALLY BID AND HARD COPY BIDS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Please review the instructions in the bid documents on how to register as an electronic bidder. The bids are to be prepared and submitted at www.biddocsonline.com . Tutorials and instructions on how to complete the electronic bid documents are available online (click on the “Tutorial” tab at the bottom footer). General Bids will be received until 2:00 PM on Tuesday, 20-May-2014 and publicly opened, forthwith. All Bids shall be submitted electronically online at www.biddocsonline.com no later than the date and time specified above. General bids shall be accompanied by a bid deposit that is not less than five (5%) of the greatest possible bid amount (considering all alternates), and made payable to the Brookline Housing Authority.
SUFFOLK Division
Deposits may be electronically paid or must be a certified or cashier’s check. This deposit will be refunded for up to two sets for general bidders and for one set for sub-bidders upon return of the sets in good condition within thirty (30) days of receipt of general bids. Otherwise the deposit shall be the property of the Awarding Authority. Additional sets may be purchased for $25.00. Bidders requesting Contract Documents to be mailed to them shall include a separate check for $40.00 per set for UPS Ground (or $65.00 per set for
Sec 8 OK
617-283-2081
Docket No. SU14P0882GD
2.
1.
NOTICE TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES Hearing Date/Time: A hearing on a Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor filed on 04/15/2014 by Jeanette F. Boswell of Dorchester, MA will be held 05/28/2014 09:00 AM Motion Located at 24 New Chardon Street, 3rd floor, Boston, MA 02114 ~ Family Service Office. 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.
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.
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.
SUBSCRIBE
TO THE BANNER CALL:
617-261-4600 baystatebanner.com
Docket No. SU14P0881GD
NOTICE AND ORDER: Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor
NOTICE AND ORDER: Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor
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.
SUFFOLK Division
In the interests of Jakai Jamil Boswell of Dorchester, MA Minor
In the interests of Javier Jason Picou Boswell of Dorchester, MA Minor
1.
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
Bid Forms and Contract Documents will be available for pick-up at www.biddocsonline.com (may be viewed electronically and hardcopy requested) or at Nashoba Blue, Inc., 433 Main Street, Hudson, MA 01749 (978-568-1167). There is a plan deposit of $ 25.00 per set (maximum of 2 sets) payable to BidDocs Online Inc.
Date: April 16, 2014
2.
NOTICE TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES Hearing Date/Time: A hearing on a Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor filed on 04/15/2014 by Jeanette F. Boswell of Dorchester, MA will be held 05/28/2014 09:00 AM Motion Located at 24 New Chardon Street, 3rd floor, Boston, MA 02114 ~ Family Service Office. 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.
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 zminor 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.
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 16, 2014
Ann Marie Passanisi Register of Probate
Saugus Commons
Parker Hill Apartments
Choice One and Two Bedroom Elderly/Disabled Apartments in a convenient residential location. Rental Assistance is provided under the S8 program. Just off Rte 1 in Saugus, MA. Attractive elevator buildings on nicely landscaped grounds. All modern interiors. Clubhouse, pool, private gardens. Experienced professional management. Applications are for a newly opened waiting list for 1 & 2 BR Elderly/Disabled Apartments. Maximum Income limit applies: 1 person $47,450, 2 persons $54,200, 3 persons $61,000, 4 persons $67,750.
Heat and Hot Water Always Included Modern Laundry Facilities Private Balconies / Some with City Views Plush wall to wall carpet Adjacent to New England Baptist Hospital Secured Entry, Elevator Convenience Private Parking Near Public Transportation and much more ...
For further information call Saugus Commons Rental Office. 781-233-8477
2 bedroom starting at $2200
Greendale Village in Needham Affordable Housing Lottery www.s-e-b.com
Two 3BR Townhomes for $112,600* Two 3BR Townhomes for $121,400* This is a lottery for the 4 affordable Townhomes at Greendale Village sold at affordable prices to households with incomes at or below 50% of the area median income. The first affordable homes will be ready in the summer of 2014. All affordable homes feature between 1,800 to 2,100 livable square feet and have 3 bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, master bedroom with walk-in closet, central air conditioning, Anderson double-hung Low-E Insulated Glass windows, laundry room (washers and dryers not included), and garage parking for one car.
The Maximum Income Limits for Households are as follows:
$32,950 (1 person), $37,650 (2 people), $42,350 (3 people), $47,050 (4 people), $50,850 (5 people) and $54,600 (6 people) Households cannot have more than $75,000 in assets. *A Mortgage Pre-Approval of at least $160,000 is required with the application. As the condo fees for the affordable units are $350/mo and $410/mo (depending on the unit), the buying power required to purchase one of these homes is the same as the buying power required to purchase a home that is $160,000 and has no condo fees. Therefore households must be pre-approved for $160,000 as mortgage pre-approvals generally do not consider condo fees. Please talk to your lender for more details. For more information on the Development, the Units or the Lottery and Application Process or for reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities, please visit: www.s-e-b.com/lottery or call 617.782.6900 (press 1 for homeownership and then press 1 for Greendale Village). Applications and Required Income Documentation must be received, not postmarked, by 2 pm on June 24th, 2014 A Public Info Session will be on May 20th, 2014 at 6 pm in Powers Hall in Needham Town Hall (1471 Highland Ave). The lottery will be on July 8th in the same location. Applications and Information also available at the Needham Public Library on 1139 Highland Ave (Hours: M-Th 9-9, F 9-5:30, Sa 9-5, Su 1-5).
The Style, Comfort and Convenience you Deserve!
Open House April 24 12-2 pm
Call Today for more details and to schedule a visit...
888-842-7945
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 91 Clay Street Quincy, MA 02170
Senior Living At It’s Best
A senior/disabled/ handicapped community 0 BR units = $1,027/mo 1 BR units = $1,101/mo All utilities included.
Call Sandy Miller, Property Manager
#888-691-4301
Program Restrictions Apply.
Thursday, May 1, 2014 • BAY STATE BANNER • 23
Walden Woods Affordable Housing Lottery www.s-e-b.com www.WaldenWoodsAtStenbeck.com
2BR Townhomes for $172,600 This is a lottery for the 7 affordable Townhomes being built at Walden Woods that will be sold at affordable prices to households with incomes at or below 80% of the area median income. The first affordable homes will be ready in the spring of 2014. Walden Woods at Stenbeck Place is a private community featuring luxury townhomes in a wooded setting in Scituate. The beautiful new affordable homes feature 1,616 sqft of living space, open first floor plan, 1.5 bathrooms, full kitchens, rear deck and a one-car garage.
GET READY FOR
A Great Office Job! Train for Administrative, Financial
Services, Health Insurance Customer Service & Medical Office jobs.
Work in hospitals, colleges, insurance agencies, banks, businesses, government offices, health insurance call centers, and more! YMCA Training, Inc. is recruiting training candidates now! We will help you apply for free training. Job placement assistance provided. No prior experience necessary, but must have HS diploma or GED. Free YMCA membership for you and your family while enrolled in YMCA Training, Inc.
Call today to schedule an Information Session: 617-542-1800
The Maximum Income Limits for Households are as follows: $47,450 (1 person) $54,200 (2 people) $61,000 (3 people) $67,750 (4 people) Households cannot have more than $75,000 in assets. For more information on the Development, the Units or the Lottery and Application Process or for reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities, please visit: www.s-e-b. com/lottery or call 617.782.6900 (press 1 for homeownership and then press 2 for Walden Woods). Applications and Required Income Documentation must be delivered, not postmarked, by 2 pm on June 12th, 2014 Applications and Information also available at the Scituate Town Library at 85 Branch Street (hours M-Th 9-9, Fri-Sat 9-5, Su 1:30-5) and the Town Hall. An Info Session will be held on May 13th at 6 pm at the Scituate Town Library at 85 Branch Street. The Lottery for eligible households will be held on June 24th at 6 pm.
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resident services coordinator (boston)
Property Management Company is seeking an experienced Resident Services Coordinator for busy Boston Section 8 apartment complex to coordinate and implement services for resident population.
Qualifications:
BA in human services field. Two plus years experience working with elder/youth populations in resident services, social work or case management. Excellent organizational, communication (both oral and written), planning and creative thinking skills. Must possess good telephone skills and provide exceptional customer service. Self-starter who works well with little supervision and has strong follow-up skills.
Send resume with salary requirements to:
CODMAN SQUARE NEIGHBORHOOD 587 WASHINGTON STREET DORCHESTER MA 02124
Real Estate Project Manager The Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corp. (CSNDC) seeks an experienced and energetic Real Estate Project Manager to oversee development and construction of two or more multi-family projects, as well as pre-development activities for future pipeline residential and commercial projects. Qualifications include: At least 3 years’ experience in real estate development or related fields; management, organizational, technical and teamwork skills; relevant bachelors or masters degree. Spanish or Haitian Creole language skills a plus. Competitive salary, plus benefits, depending on qualifications. CSNDC, a long-established community development corporation in the heart of Dorchester, is an equal opportunity employer. Please send cover letter and CV, before May 23rd, 2014, to: Mark Dinaburg, CSNDC, 587 Washington St., Dorchester MA 02124, or email: mark@csndc.com.
In this exciting and challenging opportunity, the
Director of Health and EducationHuman Services will provide overall strategic and operational direction to education, training and human service programs for youth and adults with an annual operating budget of $3M and 45 employees. Assure contractual and funding compliance; identify needs and develop new programs; oversee submission of grants. See the full description on our website www.justastart.org. REQUIREMENTS: • A minimum of 10 years of experience in a senior management position with an advanced degree in education, social work or related field or equivalent; and a minimum of seven years of experience in the areas of workforce development, alternative education, youth development, school to career and higher education systems or related disciplines • Program development and grant writing experience including city/state/federal and private proposals and experience with development and management of governmental grants Just-A-Start (JAS) is a not-for-profit, community development agency dedicated to building a better future through affordable housing, education, training, community engagement and supportive services. We also provide training, education, counseling and placement services to youth and adults. RESPOND WITH COVER LETTER AND SALARY REQUIREMENTS TO hr at justastart.org. PUT TITLE OF POSITION YOU ARE APPLYING FOR IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF YOUR REPLY.
clopez@cornerstonecorporation.net
Equal Opportunity Employer
Project Hope
Housing Department Job Openings Project Hope has two new positions open in its housing department: Housing Services Coordinator The Coordinator supervises two staff and oversees Project Hope’s eviction prevention program. This includes tracking fund expenditures, fostering good working relationships with Property Managers, completing funding applications and producing reports; providing relevant housing search information to staff and clients and tracking outcomes. Qualifications: • 3 years+ of human services program management; • Supervisory experience; • Ability to work with diverse staff and clients; • Strong organizational skills; • Knowledge of homelessness issues and housing programs, specifically: • Knowledge of MA tenant laws and eviction processes; • Knowledge of/experience with conducting a thorough housing search for homeless/low-income families. • Good math, verbal and written communication skills; • Computer proficiency.
Housing Stabilization Case Manager The Housing Stabilization Case Manager provides assistance to families to prevent eviction and stabilize their housing. Duties include client assessment and service plan development, referral, follow up and relationship maintenance, data collection and entry, and cultivation and maintenance of partnerships with appropriate agencies and organizations. Qualifications: • B.A. degree in social work or related field preferred; • 3+ years of experience working with high risk and homeless populations; • Knowledge of MA eviction processes and tenants’ rights; knowledge of poverty issues and resources; • Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to build relationships with clients and community partners; • Excellent written and oral communication skills; strong organizational skills; • Experience with data collection, report writing, and outcome driven programs; • Bilingual (Spanish or Cape Verdean Creole) preferred. Candidates for either position should send resumes and cover letters to: jgrogan@prohope.org Project Hope values diversity in its workforce and candidates from a wide range of backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
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Bay State Banner
Executive Director Brockton Redevelopment Authority 50 School Street, Brockton, MA 02301 The Brockton Redevelopment Authority is accepting applications for the position of Executive Director (ED). ED reports to the Board of Directors of the Brockton Redevelopment Authority (BRA). Recommends and prepares for implementation programs that are consistent with the directions and policies issued by the Board of Directors. Coordinates programming and professional working relationship with Mayor’s Office, City Council members and other City Departments. Builds staff capacity to manage and implement programs. Participates and initiates efforts to promote BRA to multiple audiences, public and private, within and outside the City of Brockton.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 1. Provides direction, manage; coordinate the daily administrative and financial functions of the Authority. 2. Meets regularly with the Board of Directors and Executive Committee to review policies, provide update on program activities, identify and provide assessment of needs. 3. Provide regular updates to the Board on the program and financial status of Brockton Redevelopment Authority. 4. Interact, effectively communicate and establish good working relationships with all stakeholders (especially, state, local, federal government officials; Brockton City Council, city agencies, Brockton residents, Brockton Redevelopment Authority staff and general public on a regular basis. 5. Organize and submit City of Brockton Annual and 5 year Plan to Department of Housing and Urban Development. 6. Preparing and submitting program activity reports to appropriate funders, stakeholders and upon request. 7. Direct staff efforts in the implementation of approved programs. 8. Work directly with the Mayor of Brockton and City Council to ensure that the BRA is meeting the City’s needs as its Grants Administrator. 9. Established personal and recurring contacts and working relationships with key public officials, business leaders and community leaders. Qualified applicants must have at a minimum graduate degree in Public Administration or related field or study and/or accumulation of at least ten (10) years experience in senior management position. Successful applicants must have experience working directly with the following federal and state economic development and housing programs: CDBG, HOME, NSP, Lead Abatement, Main Street; understanding of and knowledge of CFR 24. Individual must have excellent communication skills both written and verbal.
Please submit a cover letter, resume, and three professional references to: Brockton Redevelopment Authority Board of Directors 50 School Street Brockton, MA 02301 No later than 4:00pm on Monday, May 5th, 2014 Brockton Redevelopment Authority is an EOE/AA employer. Diverse candidates are encouraged to apply. AA/EOE