Bay State Banner 10/17/2013

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New MFA gallery offers rare view of ancient Edo culture

Health advocates winning fight against teen pregnancy...pg. 3

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Thursday • October 17, 2013 • www.baystatebanner.com

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Boston gets $300K grant to aid health insurance enrollment Martin Desmarais

However, BPHC officials explain that this high number is The Boston Public Health partly a result of the fact that Commission hit the ground run- Boston is the biggest city in the ning last week with efforts to help state, with a population that inthe uninsured in the city enroll in cludes many immigrants, is the many health-care options that younger and more racially diverse are part of the newly implemented and has an average lower income Affordable Care Act. — all factors that lead to lower BPHC was given $300,000 rates of health-insurance coverage. from the Massachusetts Health Nationally, the Affordable Care Connector, which was used to add Act is expected to help 32 million staff members and train others to Americans gain access to health care. make sure people choose the best “Massachusetts led the way health-coverage plan. in providing access to health inThe Afsurance, and fordable Care in Boston we Act, commonly know how imreferred to as portant it is for Obamacare, is our most vulfederal legisnerable resilation that was dents to have signed into law coverage. The in March 2010 federal mandate to increase the is an opportuquality and afnity to build fordability of on the success health insurwe’ve had loance and lower cally, but we the number of need to work uninsured. It — Dr. Barbara Fehner t o g e t h e r t o includes manspread the word dates that reabout changes quire individuso that people als to enroll in their choice of health don’t fall through the cracks,” said plans and also requires health insur- Dr. Barbara Ferrer, executive diance companies to provide cover- rector of the Boston Public Health age with new minimum standards.

Commission in a statement. “If The open enrollment period you’re seeking insurance coverfor the Affordable Care Act began age or have questions about the on Oct. 1 and will last until March new options we want to make sure 31, 2014. there’s no wrong door.”

According to BPHC officials, it BPHC will be relying heavily is estimated that up to 97 percent of on its Mayor’s Health Line to lead adults — and a slightly higher per- the outreach efforts to get Boston’s centage of children — in Boston are uninsured the coverage they need. currently insured. Boston still has “Like with every new law and the largest total number of unin- legislation [with the Affordable Care sured residents compared to other Act] there is so much literature and Insurance, continued to page 10 cities and towns in the state.

“Massachusetts led the way in providing access to health insurance.”

State Rep. Martin Walsh is endorsed by former mayoral candidate Charlotte Golar Richie during a press conference in front of the First Parish Church in Dorchester. (Left-right) Laura Younger, State Rep. Gloria Fox, Richie, Walsh, City Councilor Felix G. Arroyo, and former mayoral candidate John Barros. (Yawu Miller photo)

Walsh, Connolly compete for black, Latino, Asian support Yawu Miller State Rep. Marty Walsh turned up the heat in the mayoral race, kicking off last week with a one-two punch — endorsements on Tuesday from former candidates Felix G. Arroyo and John Barros.

Walsh’s salvo went unanswered.

For one day. And from Connolly’s perspective, it wasn’t a bad move.

With a schoolbus drivers’ strike dominating the headlines, Walsh’s endorsements were relegated to the back pages.

When the smoke cleared, Connolly began his fusillade of endorsements, Wednesday with Rep. Aaron Michelwitz, whose district includes the North End and Back

Bay, City Councilor Sal LaMattina and Everett Sen. Sal DiDomenico, whose district includes East Boston and the North End East Boston.

On Thursday Connolly kept up the barrage of endorsements, first from a group that included members of the Mass. Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers and Nation of Islam Minister Don Muhammad, then from a cadre of black ministers.

Finally, Walsh fired back Saturday morning with an endorsement from former mayoral candidate Charlotte Golar Richie, who was flanked by Barros, Arroyo, State Rep. Gloria Fox and former State Rep. Royal Bolling.

That same morning, Walsh was

in Dudley Square to receive the endorsement of a coalition of community groups including Right to the City Vote, the Latino political organization ¿Oiste? and Chinese Progressive Political Action.

The mayoral candidates backing Walsh pledged to merge their campaigns with his, adding staff and office space to his operation.

“We started out with 12 campaigns,” Walsh said during the Richie announcement. “We’re ending up with one.”

In addition to the mayoral campaigns, the activists in the Dudley Square endorsement also pledged to add muscle to Walsh’s campaign.

“We look forward to integrating Endorsements, continued to page 8

Activists weigh in on anti-gun legislation Yawu Miller

Anti-violence activists gather in the Bromley Heath Community Center to share ideas about stemming the tide of gun violence in Massachusetts. In the front row are (left-right) Ruth Rollins, Kim Odom and Clementina Chery. (Yawu Miller photo)

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After Kim Odom’s son was shot and killed on Oct. 4, 2007, there were two questions that lingered.

“Who did it and why,” she said. “I wanted to know the root cause. What brought a person to the point in their life where they could take a life.”

Then came another question: “Where did the gun that took my child’s life come from?”

Odom found some answers: the identity of the 17-year-old boy who shot and killed her son and that of the other 17-year-old who supplied

him with the gun.

And she learned about the socalled “iron pipeline” of gun dealers in states with lax gun laws like New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and Georgia and the buyers who bring them to Massachusetts and sell them illegally.

Her exploration of the reasons behind her son’s shooting led her to a disturbing conclusion.

“There’s no one answer,” she said.

“It’s not one thing or another. It’s all of the above.”

Anti-gun, continued to page 8

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2 • Thursday, October 17, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

Hub nonprofit Project MEMA extends outreach in Tanzania

The partnership with the second nursery school happened after Wendel paid a visit to the school and saw it was in need of major renovations.

The Rau Children’s Center, formerly Watoto Rau Nursery School, was founded by a group of volunteers who, like Wendel, visited Tanzania and wanted to help in some way. However, the group had trouble maintaining the school after returning home from their visit.

“It’s kind of [a] common theme for people to go to [Tanzania] and kind of see a situation and want to help and have the best intentions but they come back to the

ition-free and Project MEMA provides a teacher for the school and gives uniforms and school supplies and has replaced the students’ flour, milk and sugar-based porridge with one that now includes ground millet and peanuts for substance.

This year, Project MEMA began looking at what the organization can do to support students after they have left nursery school.

Supporting a primary school would have been impossible because of the high costs, so Project MEMA has selected four of its nursery students to sponsor in primary school.

When Project MEMA started

“It’s kind of [a] common theme for people to go to [Tanzania] and kind of see a situation and want to help.”

— Amy Wendel

The four students being sponsored by Project MEMA went on a safari at Arusha National Park. Thomson Safari sponsored the trip.

(Photo courtesy of Project MEMA) Kassmin Williams When Project MEMA launched in 2010, the Boston-based nonprofit supported one government nursery school in in Moshi, Tanzania with the mission of enriching children’s lives by promoting education and healthy living. Since then, the organization has grown in scope and influence.

Project MEMA has supported its first school by providing lunches, school uniforms and school supplies to the 80 students and completing an enhancement project where the organization worked to replace all chalkboards throughout the school, replaced tables and chairs in the porridge room where the students eat lunch and renovated the playground at the school.

“It’s difficult for the teachers to teach and the students to learn if the actual school itself isn’t really up to par,” said Amy Wendel Project MEMA founder and director.

The organization’s expansion in the last several years has included supporting a second nursery school in Moshi, the Rau Children’s Center, and sponsoring four primary students’ education and two secondary students’ education.

U.S. and it’s difficult because their lives sort of takeover,” Wendel said. “And then maybe six months later what they thought they were going to do, it just dies.”

After taking over the 20-student school, Project MEMA renovated the entire school, adding new floors, brand new desks and a playground and building a bathroom.

The organization also had murals painted on both the outside and inside of the school.

“That’s been really exciting because it’s a smaller school, so it’s really now Project MEMA’s school,” Wendel said.

Rau Children’s Center is tu-

the sponsorship, which pays for the student’s tuition, uniforms, school supplies and footwear, the students were in a government school.

The organization has now found boarding schools for two of the four students, Emanueli and Beatrice, and is looking to have the other two students, Gifty and Asha, placed in boarding school by 2015.

Weland described the primary school education in Tanzania as “pretty poor.” The teachers often don’t even show up to classes.

The lack of language education at some of the primary schools in MEMA, continued to page 19

Thursday, October 17, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 3

Health advocates winning fight against teen pregnancy

Dr. Holly Oh, chief medical officer at the Dimock Center in Roxbury, says that her facility focuses on teen pregnancy prevention efforts out of its pediatric clinic.

(Photo courtesy of the Dimock Center) Martin Desmarais While recent research has shown that the rate of teen births in the United States is down — with Massachusetts showing one of the biggest declines in the country — activists who work to combat teen pregnancy in Boston are still hard at work.

According to those who head these efforts, building trust with teens, providing education on sexual health and continuing funding for resources are the necessary steps to continue to prevent teen pregnancies.

Birth rates for U.S. teenagers reached an all-time low for all age and ethnic groups, according to the most recent comprehensive study, released in 2012 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

An especially impressive drop of 44 percent took place between 1991 and 2010. With another 9 percent drop from 2009 to 2010, the teen birth rate reached a historic low at 34.3 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19.

The study also found that Massachusetts was one of the dozen or so top states in terms of teen birth rate declines, dropping over 20 percent from 2009 to 2010. Massachusetts has one of the lowest teen birth rates, with less than 20 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19.

The 2010 rates ranged from 10.9 per 1,000 for Asian or Pacific Islanders to 23.5 for non-Latino white teenagers to 51.5 for non-Latino black teenagers to 55.7 for Latino teenagers.

At the heart of the teen pregnancy prevention fight in Boston are community health centers like Roxbury’s Dimock Center.

Dimock’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Holly Oh, says that the success

the center has found in regards to teen pregnancy prevention comes through a long-view approach. At Dimock, which serves Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan and Jamaica Plain and is one of the largest health centers in Boston, the goal is to educate its teen patients about pregnancy from a young age and continue to support them through adulthood.

According to Oh, Dimock serves about 3,000 patients through its pediatric clinic, of which she estimates about one-third or 1,000 of them are teens. She believes building trust with the teen patients is the first step in pregnancy prevention, because that trust allows teens to feel comfortable talking about sexual health and know they have a place to turn for information and help.

“We really do develop relationships with kids and teenagers on the way up and having that relationship and trust does help significantly,” Oh said. “We begin talking about sexual health from the time they turn into teenagers and we start telling the parents we are talking about these issues.

“We begin to talk to the teenagers on their own … just so they can kind of get comfortable by themselves to start talking about some of these issues,” she added. “We talk about everything you need to stay safe from a sexual standpoint.”

This includes abstinence, safer sex, contraception and family planning. “We always talk about it in a preventive way — what will it take to keep you healthy,” Oh said.

At Dimock, pediatrics patients receive a survey at the age of 13 that has some question about sexual health on it. The center uses responses from this to guide the next step in addressing teen pregnancy with each individual teen.

According to Oh, it is important to offer teens a confidential outlet to talk about sexual health, but she stresses that both the teens and parents know that if any issues arise that are harmful to a teen’s health or life, center staff will find a way to involve the parents. She said that most teens and parents are comfortable with this approach.

Oh also emphasized that simply having community health centers where teens know they can go for sexual health help and resources is important and that the more work such centers do with teens the more they will spread the word about the help that is offered. She added that many teen patients come in to

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Dimock because their friends told them of their experiences there.

While community health centers are one approach to teen pregnancy prevention, Boston also has the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy, which is a statewide coalition of over 100 health and human service agencies working to prevent teen pregnancy and support teen parents.

The organization offers teen pregnancy prevention programs, family planning, teen parent support and public policy advocacy. Started in 1979, the organization has trained over 10,000 individuals in teen pregnancy prevention and support and worked with an estimated 400,000 teen parents and their children.

According to Elizabeth Peck, the interim executive director at the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy, there are three main elements that prevent teen pregnancy and have contributed to the decline in teen birth rates in Massachusetts over the last several decades: access to health education, access to contraception for teens who are sexually active and perception of future opportunities.

Peck points out that, though the teen birth rate is down, most reports show sexual activity is the same, so the difference is that teens are making better use of condoms and contraception.

“Young people absolutely have the capacity to make the best decision for themselves,” Peck said. “For us, it is about how the adults in the community can make sure the right

things are in place for those young people to make the best decisions they can make.”

Though it may not be the first thing people think about as a strategy for teen pregnancy prevention, Peck says that helping teens see opportunity for the future in terms of a work career or graduating high school can be a huge factor in getting them to make smarter choices about sexual behavior.

“A real theme in our work at the alliance is we really believe that our young people hold promise,” Peck said. “One goal is to ensure that they hold promise and let them know that they have tremendous potential.

Chelsea, Lowell and Worcester.

The goals of the program are increased abstinence and delayed onset of sexual activity among teens, reduced rates of youth engaging in health-related risk behaviors including risky sexual behaviors and decreased incidence of teen pregnancies and births, STDs and HIV infection.

Through Doherty’s office the state replicates several programs in its teen pregnancy prevention efforts. These include the after-school program “Making Proud Choices,” the service-learning program “Teen Outreach Program,” the community-based risk-reduction program

“Young people absolutely have the capacity to make the best decision for themselves.”

—Elizabeth Peck “We believe that this enables young people to be successful,” she added.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts runs teen pregnancy prevention through its Bureau of Community Health Access and Promotion. Paula Doherty is the state’s coordinator of teen pregnancy prevention initiatives.

The state takes what is calls a “science-based” approach to the task, with a goal to “promote healthy behavior, responsible decision making and increased opportunities for at-risk youth,” according to the program’s description. The program targets specific cities — currently over a dozen — including

“Focus on Kids” and “California Siblings Program,” a case-management program targeting siblings of parenting teens.

Statistics and reports about teen birth rates have some issues presenting the most up-to-date picture of trends throughout the country due to lag times inherent in collecting this kind of data. But those who work on teen pregnancy prevention in the state are encouraged and will certainly keep up their efforts.

“It is hard to know whether this trend downward is going to be a sustained one. Time will certainly tell. I think all the attention and support, from a public-health standpoint, is certainly helpful,” said Oh.

4 • Thursday, October 17, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

Established 1965

John Connolly for Mayor For 20 years Tom Menino has been the hardworking, popular mayor of Boston. He was considered to be politically invulnerable. John Connolly was the only candidate with the courage to enter the race for mayor when everyone thought the battle would be against Menino. Connolly was willing to put his safe seat on the Boston City Council on the line for the opportunity to implement his programs to benefit the citizens of Boston. He is the only candidate voters can rely on to have the courage to hold excessive union demands at bay. This was not the first time Connolly took great risks to stand on principle. In the prior city election he campaigned with Ayanna Pressley to bridge the racial divide in politics. Both he and Pressley won, and in the recent preliminary election Pressley topped the ticket with 42,875 votes.

Connolly’s earlier position was clearly beneficial.

Now the taxpayers of Boston face an enormous risk and the new mayor must be committed to stand against this challenge. Unionized public sector workers are increasing their demands for benefits that would have to be financed by Boston’s limited tax base. About 54 percent of Boston’s budget pays for schools and public safety (police and fire department). The strongest unions are in those sectors.

Connolly voted against approval of the Boston Teachers Union contract, primarily because it did not guarantee the needed extended day for students. And he has indicated that he will vote to return the police contract to arbitration. Those votes protect both the interests of the city’s students and the taxpayers. Working people have a propensity to support unions. That attitude is understandable with industrial unions in companies that might not adopt worker-friendly policies. However, public sector unions require closer scrutiny. Financial adjustments come from the taxpayers, not the pockets of rich industrialists.

Connolly has the courage and the character to oppose union abuses.

The present police contract under arbitration indicates how matters can become distorted. The police want a 25.4 percent increase over six years.

They believe that this raise in pay is owed to them even though there has been no increase for several years in the wages of Boston workers in private industry and commerce. Executives’ pay has indeed gone up, but workers’ pay has remained static.

According to a report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers in Boston earned an average wage of $60,403, a level higher than the national average. But that is chump change compared to the pay of Boston police patrolmen. A study of the payroll records indicates that Boston police officers, on average, earn almost $110,000 per year from base pay, overtime and paid details.

More than 100 officers even earned more than $140,000 in 2012.

Cities across the country have been financially plagued by excessive salary and benefits plans that have been negotiated by public sector unions.

These windfalls have induced public workers to join unions and now 36 percent are unionized compared with only 12 percent of those in industrial jobs. Boston needs a mayor who will fight against unreasonable union demands. Connolly is that man. The union tactic has been to force negotiations into mediation, where the result will more likely favor the union. Only the mayor and the city council will then be able to oppose the mediator’s decision. But for several years, Connolly’s opponent has been trying to pass legislation in the House of Representatives that would make the mediator’s ruling final.

Boston needs Connolly as a mayor who will protect the solvency of the city and assure fair treatment of taxpayers while still pursuing the progressive development of the city.

“Looks like everybody’s with Connolly”

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Lettersto the Editor

Vote for local officials counts more

You are exactly right. The turn out for Obama shows that people can show up if they want. And that it is important to get a high turn out for every election.

But a third point, if you are not going to vote every time, is that voting at a local election is more important than a national one. There was no doubt that Obama was going to win Massachusetts, so your vote in that election wasn’t as important.

But when there were only 5000 votes between candidates for mayor, your vote counts a lot more.

Billy Chen

Calling out the extremists Both the Banner editorial and Fred McKinney’s op-ed [The process of destroying democracy/ The second Civil War and the radical Republican Party, Bay State Banner, Oct. 10] did a great job of putting the current government shutdown in context. I think the news media have done a horrible job of reporting on this in that they have failed to capture just how outrageous the Machiavellian maneuverings of the Republican fringe are.

Imagine the government shut down

Staff Photographers

was happening in a third world country. The mainstream media would certainly report on it differently, highlighting the extreme anti-democratic leanings of the rogue faction of Republicans embroiled in what appears to be an attempt to take down a democratically elected government.

As both the Banner and McKinney point out, our nation is at a dangerous crossroads. It’s unconscionable that neither the mainstream media, nor the Republican leadership has held the Tea Party extremists accountable for their dangerous actions.

Kenny Clark

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Thursday, October 17, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 5

RovingCamera

Opinion Method to Madness in Tea Party Congressional Hostage Taking Earl Ofari Hutchinson

The frequently asked question since the start of the partial government shutdown and the GOP saber rattle over the debt ceiling raise is: How can so few hold so many hostage and why? The few are, of course, the estimated 40 House Republicans that are solidly Tea Party aligned. The majority of them were elected in the 2010 national elections. This means they have been in Congress barely three years. Yet they have managed to force dozens of votes to defund or repeal the Affordable Care Act, stymied even a whimper of discussion of tougher gun control provisions, and immigration reform, while repeatedly plopping a small telephone book of demands for spending cuts on everything from Head Start to food nutrition programs.

Their biggest coup is to thoroughly terrorize House Speaker John Boehner into not taking a vote on a clean resolution that would end the partial shutdown and raise the debt ceiling. He’s scared stiff of a challenge by these Republicans to his House Speaker position. But contrary to a frequently stated notion that the Tea Party has doomed the GOP to a massive election defeat in 2014, that’s more wish than fact. The Tea Party backed House Republicans’ bank on their perceived trump card to make sure this stays a wish. That’s President Obama. He has been the single biggest foil, and flashpoint for organizing and stoking subtle and at times overt racial antagonism.

The Tea Party strategy was strongly hinted at by Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus a year ago when he staunchly defended then-Florida Congressman Allen West after one of his many over-thetop sound-offs against Obama. On this occasion, he charged that Obama wanted to turn Americans into his “economic slaves.” These type of alltoo-frequent outbursts from Tea Party backers serve a purpose for the GOP. They touch a deep, dark, and throbbing pulse among legions of ultra conservatives who think that Obama and many Democrats are communists, gays are immoral, and that the health care reform law is a massive government intrusion into their personal affairs. Mainstream GOP leaders can’t utter these inanities.

They must always give the appearance that they are above the verbal mugging of Obama, Democrats and minorities. Yet that’s only part of the value of this tactic to the GOP. GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney and dozens of GOP candidates that sought to oust perceived vulnerable Democrats from House and Senate seats in 2012 knew they had to fire up their base to have any chance at the White House and maintain control of the House. They needed ultra conservatives and conservative Christian evangelicals to mass march to the polls. To ignite the march, it was not enough to simply pound Obama and the Democrats on health-care reform, immigration, alleged big government intrusion and tax- and spend-profligacy. There had to be a hypercharged emotional edge to rally the big numbers the GOP needed and still needs to win.

GOP presidents and aspiring presidents, Nixon, Reagan, Bush Sr., W. Bush and McCain as well as packs of GOP governors, senators and congresspersons banked on subtle race and character attacks for victory and to seize and maintain regional and national political dominance. The strategy has worked like a political charm for four decades.

The GOP is an insular party of Deep South and narrow Heartland rural, non-college-educated blue-collar whites. That’s not a demographic to be totally sneered at, because the numbers are still huge. But the number of voters who don’t fit that demographic is even bigger and fast growing.

In the past decade the number of black, Hispanic, Asian and Native American voters has leaped to nearly one quarter of the nation’s electorate.

At the same time, blue-collar white voters shrunk from more than half of the nation’s voters to less than 40 percent. Obama handily won the Hispanic and Asian vote and crushed GOP presidential contenders John McCain and Romney with the black vote. Since then the number of potential nonwhite and youth voters has continued to climb and the white electorate has marginally dropped.

The GOP and its Tea Party shock troops in the House and Senate have fully read the political tea leaves and they know that the 2014 midterm elections shape up to be a titanic battle for the GOP to hold onto the House and to snatch the three seats needed to take control of the Senate. While the Tea Party is declining in overall numbers and support it still can make enough noise and in some districts turn out sufficient numbers to make a difference in close contests. That’s even more vital in swing districts with Democratic congresspersons that are on shaky ground with conservative voters. The Tea Party House Republicans bank that their debt ceiling raise and government shutdown ploys will pay a political dividend. There’s clear method in their madness.

GOP candidates knew they had to fire up their base to have any chance at the White House and maintain control of the House.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst.

The Banner welcomes your opinion. Email Op-Ed submissions to:

yawu@bannerpub.com ­Letters must be signed. Names may be withheld upon request.

Have you decided who you’re voting for in the November election?

I haven’t. I really need to assess their viewpoints in terms of how they’re planning to move the city forward, particularly our neighborhood.

Kathryn Jones

I’ve decided. Both mayoral candidates would do something for the black community. I like Marty Walsh because he came from being an alcoholic and kept on going. He knows what people have gone through.

Joe

Not yet. I’m still on the fence. I feel like they use our community to get votes. We don’t hold them accountable.

Priscilla Flint

Administrator Dorchester

Self Employed Roxbury

Membership Coordinator Roslindale

Yes I have. I’m voting for the person who’s been working with our community on issues of violence and education.

Not yet. I’m still reviewing the candidates.

No I haven’t. I don’t know anything about either of them. I do want to vote. I have to check them out.

Sespy Paul

Barbara Farrar

Sarah Flint Lead Organizer Roslindale

Administrative Assistant Mattapan

Finance Roxbury

INthe news

Ekua Holmes

Ekua Holmes was recently appointed by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino to a five-year term on the Boston Arts Commission, in acknowledgement of her distinguished service to the arts. Ms. Holmes is the first African American to be appointed a commissioner since the founding of BAC in 1890.

Holmes is one of six Greater Boston artists recently selected to receive a 2013 Brother Thomas Fellowship from The Boston Foundation. Holmes and the other awardees were chosen for making significant contributions to their communities through excellence in their craft. Brother Thomas Fellowships are given every two years.

Holmes was a 2009 award finalist.

Holmes is a Roxbury-based visual artist known for vibrant collages that depict urban life and personalities. In addition to creating art, Ms. Holmes maintains a strong commitment to arts education and outreach.

Since 2011, she has served as Community Coordinator for SPARC the ArtMobile, an initiative of the Center

for Art and Partnerships at the Massachusetts College for Art and Design.

In this capacity, Holmes works with community organizations, schools and businesses to create intergenerational programs and events that engage participants in hands-on art-making activities and spirited dialogue about the value of art in public life.

Ms. Holmes currently directs

tours for Discover Roxbury, including “Ekua’s Art Walk,” which highlights public art installations and artist studios in the Highland Park neighborhood and “Black Boston,” which presents an overview of the history of African Americans who migrated to Roxbury from Beacon Hill and other enclaves.

Holmes is the 2013 recipient of the NAACP Image Award for Arts.

6 • Thursday, October 17, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

Thursday, October 17, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 7

Scientists investigate chemicals’ ties to obesity David Epstein Everyone knows Americans are fat and getting fatter, and everyone thinks they know why: more eating and less moving.

But the “big two” factors may not be the whole story. Consider this: Animals have been getting fatter too. The National Pet Obesity Survey recently reported that more than 50 percent of cats and dogs — that’s more than 80 million pets — are overweight or obese. Pets have gotten so plump that there’s now a National Pet Obesity Awareness Day. (It was Wednesday.) Lap dogs and comatose cats aren’t alone in the fat animal kingdom. Animals in strictly controlled research laboratories that have enforced the same diet and lifestyle for decades are also ballooning.

In 2010, an international team of scientists published findings that two dozen animal populations — all cared for by or living near humans — had been rapidly fattening in recent decades. “Canaries in the Coal Mine,” they titled the paper, and the “canaries” most closely genetically related to humans — chimps — showed the most troubling trend. Between 1985 and 2005, the male and female chimps studied experienced 33.2 and 37.2 percent weight gains, respectively. Their odds of obesity increased more than 10-fold.

To be sure, some of the chimp obesity crisis may be caused by the big two. According to Joseph Kemnitz, director of the Wisconsin Na-

tional Primate Research Center, animal welfare laws passed in recent decades have led caretakers to strive to make animals happier, often employing a method known to any parent of a toddler: plying them with sugary food.

“All animals love to eat, and you can make them happy by giving them food,” Kemnitz said. “We have to be careful how much of that kind of enrichment we give them. They might be happier, but not healthier.”

And because they don’t have to forage for the food, non-human primates get less exercise. Orangutans, who Kemnitz says are rather indolent even in their native habitats in Borneo and Sumatra, have in captivity developed the physique of spreading batter.

Still, in “Canaries in the Coal Mine,” the scientists write that, more recently, the chimps studied were “living in highly controlled environments with nearly constant living conditions and diets,” so their continued fattening in stable circumstances was a surprise. The same goes for lab rats, which have been living and eating the same way for thirty years.

The potential causes of animal obesity are legion: ranging from increased rates of certain infections to stress from captivity. Antibiotics might increase obesity by killing off beneficial bacteria. “Some bacteria in our intestines are associated with weight gain,” Kemnitz said. “Others might provide a protective effect.”

But feral rats studied around Bal-

timore have gotten fatter, and they don’t suffer the stress of captivity, nor have they received antibiotics.

Increasingly, scientists are turning their attention toward factors that humans and the wild and captive animals that live around them have in common: air, soil, and water, and the hormone-altering chemicals that pollute them.

Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers, released by a particular gland or organ but capable of affecting cells all over the body. While hormones such as testosterone and estrogen help make men masculine and women feminine, they and other hormones are involved in a vast array of functions. Altering or impeding hormones can cause systemic effects, such as weight gain.

More than a decade ago, Paula Baille-Hamilton, a visiting fellow at Stirling University in Scotland who studies toxicology and human metabolism, started perusing scientific literature for chemicals that might promote obesity.

She turned up so many papers containing evidence of chemical-induced obesity in animals (often, she says, passed off by study authors as a fluke in their work) that it took her three years to organize evidence for the aptly titled 2002 review paper: “Chemical Toxins: A Hypothesis to Explain the Global Obesity Epidemic.”

“I found evidence of chemicals that affect every aspect of our metabolism,” Baille-Hamilton said. Carba-

mates, which are used in insecticides and fungicides, can suppress the level of physical activity in mice. Phthalates are used to give flexibility to plastics and are found in a wide array of scented products, from perfume to shampoo. In people, they alter metabolism and have been found in higher concentrations in heavier men and women.

In men, phthalates interfere with the normal action of testosterone, an important hormone for maintaining healthy body composition. Phthalate exposure in males has been associated with a suite of traits symptomatic of low testosterone, from lower sperm count to greater heft. (Interference

the U.S. Earlier this year, Gatorade ditched BVO, but it’s still in Mountain Dew and other drinks made by Gatorade’s parent company, PepsiCo. (Many doctors would argue that for weight gain, the sugar in those drinks is the primary concern.)

PepsiCo did not respond to a request for comment, but shortly after the Gatorade decision was made a company spokeswoman said it was because “some consumers have a negative perception of BVO in Gatorade.”

And then there are the newly found zombie chemicals, which share a nasty habit — rising from the dead at night — with their eponymous

“I found evidence of chemicals that affect every aspect of our metabolism.”

— Paula Baille-Hamilton with testosterone may also explain why baby boys of mothers with higher phthalate levels have shorter anogenital distances, that is, the distance between the rectum and the scrotum).

Baille-Hamilton’s work highlights evidence that weight gain can be influenced by endocrine disruptors, chemicals that mimic and can interfere with the natural hormone system.

A variety of flame retardants have been implicated in endocrine disruption, and one chemical originally developed as a flame retardant — brominated vegetable oil, or BVO — is banned in Europe and Japan but is prevalent in citrusy soft drinks in

horror flick villains. The anabolic steroid trenbolone acetate is used as a growth promoter in cattle in the U.S., and its endocrine-disrupting metabolites — which wind up in agricultural run-off water — were thought to degrade quickly upon exposure to sunlight. Until last month, when researchers published results in Science showing that the metabolites reconstitute themselves in the dark.

Says Emily Dhurandhar, an obesity researcher at the University of Alabama-Birmingham: “Obesity really is more complex than couch potatoes and gluttons.”

Article originally published by ProPublica.

8 • Thursday, October 17, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

Anti-gun

continued from page 1

Pastor William Dickerson gives his endorsement to City Councilor John Connolly in his campaign for mayor. Looking on are Thomas Cross (seated), Connolly (center), Miniard Culpepper (second from left) and Robin Charlton (left). (Yawu Miller photo)

Endorsements continued from page 1

into the strategy and the organization of this campaign,” said Mariama White-Hammond, a Dorchester resident and coalition organizer.

Walsh’s endorsements may give his campaign a much-needed shot in the arm. Last week Walsh was trailing Connolly by eight points in a UMass Lowell poll of 375 likely voters.

And Walsh has taken hits for sponsoring a bill in the legislature that would remove the ability of the Boston City Council to overrule an arbitrator in the negotiation of public union contracts. Critics say Walsh’s bill would remove a critical check on the power of public employee unions and could have a devastating impact on municipal finances.

Both Connolly and Walsh are contending for votes in the city’s

black, Latino and Asian communities, which are widely seen as critical to the success of any city-wide campaign. Voters in those communities went heavily for Golar Richie, Barros and Arroyo, as did many white liberals.

Whether those voters will follow their former candidates into the Walsh camp is an open question.

Some prominent Richie backers have joined the Connolly campaign, including former Menino operatives Darryl Smith and Brook Woodson and business owners Clayton Turnbull and Brooke Gary Webster.

Several veteran political organizers were present for the Connolly endorsement Thursday, including Ed Cooper and Shirley Shillingford of the Caribbean American Political Action Committee.

Pastors present included Miniard Culpepper, William Dickerson and Thomas Cross. Bruce Wall, who was in New York during the endorsement press conference, sent a statement in

support of Connolly’s candidacy.

“I’ve walked the streets with John Connolly through the toughest neighborhoods,” Culpepper said during the press conference. “I’ve walked with Marty Walsh. He’s a good man, but at a time like this, we need a man like John Connolly.”

Richie’s endorsement, held at the First Parish Church of Dorchester on Meetinghouse Hill, included a wide array of political activists, including Ward 15 co-chairwoman Sandi Bagley, Boston schoolteacher Barry Lawton, former Democratic Party Director Stacey Monihan and a host of former Richie operatives — Laura Younger, Kevin Peterson, Brother Kinney and Linda Monteiro.

Richie told reporters she is not concerned about Walsh’s close relationship with organized labor.

“In my view, it’s Marty’s experience working with unions that will help him,” she said. “Neither candidate wants to bankrupt the city.

Marty supports the rights of working people.”

More endorsements are likely in the coming days. State Rep. Gloria Fox said a group of black and Latino elected officials met with Connolly and Walsh Friday and is in the process of making a decision.

Her own endorsement of Walsh was informed by her experience of working with him in the Massachusetts House, Fox said.

“I know how he is on women’s issues,” Fox said. “I know how he is on health and human services issues. I know how he is on diversity in jobs. He’s worked with the Black and Latino Caucus on many of these issues.”

Monday, Walsh picked up the endorsement of the legislature’s Progressive Caucus in a press conference in front of the State House that was attended by representatives Marjorie Decker, Ruth Balser, Jay Kaufman, Chris Walsh, Dave Rogers, Denise Provost and Frank Smizik.

Last week, Odom and dozens of other anti-violence activists came together for a community meeting to discuss strategies to stem the tide of gun violence. The meeting, convened by state Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez, was aimed at informing the public about proposed legislation to tighten Massachusetts gun laws.

House Bill 47, “An act to strengthen and enhance firearms laws in the Commonwealth,” was filed by Gov. Deval Patrick and would create four new categories of gun offense, including “being a felon in possession of a firearm” and “commission of a violent misdemeanor while in possession of a firearm,” with increased penalties for second-, third- and fourth-time offenders.

The bill also includes tighter regulations for legal gun ownership, including a provision to bar people under 21 years of age from purchasing a machine gun and a provision requiring dealers at gun shows to connect to the Massachusetts Instant Record Check System when conducting the sale of a firearm.

“Massachusetts has some of the strongest gun control laws in the country. And yet gun-related crime continues spiraling upward in this state.”

— Sheriff Steve Tompkins Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins said tougher gun laws alone will not stem the tide of gun violence.

“Massachusetts has some of the strongest gun control laws in the country,” he said. “And yet gun-related crime continues spiraling upward in this state.”

According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Massachusetts has more guns from outside of the state used in the commission of crimes than any other state in the country. “It’s like installing an expensive home security system, but leaving your doors and windows open,” Tompkins said.

Others agreed.

Ruth Rollins, whose son was killed in 2007, emphasized how easy it is for buyers in the iron pipeline to purchase guns in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.

“There are a lot of dealers who

State Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez is soliciting community input on Gov. Deval Patricks gun control legislation. say, ‘Just give me the money and buy what you want,’” she said.

Sanchez acknowledged the limits of gun control laws, emphasizing the importance of approaching gun violence as a public health problem.

“Gun violence is not just a byproduct of gun ownership alone,” he said. “Gun violence is a result of many factors including socio-economic, educational, behavioral and cultural issues.

Addressing this crisis will require a comprehensive strategy that tackles these issues on multiple levels.”

Suffolk University associate professor Erica Gebo stressed the importance of inter-agency collaboration.

“We need to mandate that police work with the community and with social workers,” she said.

More than 200 people attended the meeting last week. Speakers talked about causes of gun violence and possible solutions from varied perspectives. Attendees included State Reps. Gloria Fox of Roxbury and Liz Malia, the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Committee chairwoman, whose district includes parts of Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, Roxbury and Dorchester.

Boston University professor Mike Segal said he has begun researching gun violence as a public health epidemic, but has been unable to secure funding for research.

“There is no federal funding for gun research,” he said.

With limited time and funds, he was able to study the correlation between gun-ownership rates and gun-related homicides.

“We found a one-to-one ratio between the percentage of people who own guns and the firearm homicide rates,” he said. “For every 1 percent increase in gun ownership, there’s a 1 percent increase in firearm mortality.”

During the meeting, Sanchez circulated a fact sheet on House Bill 47 along with a comment sheet so participants could weigh in on the bill.

“We have to work together to stop this epidemic,” he said. “We can do this through public health prevention programs and education, through collaboration and communication.”

Thursday, October 17, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 9

10 • Thursday, October 17, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

Insurance continued from page 1

rules and policy it is difficult for the uninsured to understand what their options are,” said Bradley Moore, project manager at the Mayor’s Health Line. “They need people who can go into the community and explain what is going to change for them.”

are free and confidential and are being offered in many languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole and Cape Verdean Creole.

In addition, BPHC and the navigators will actively reach out to Boston individuals, families and local businesses to make them aware of how the Affordable Care Act changes impact them.

As Moore points out, the new

“Getting people successfully enrolled is what we all need to focus on.”

— Gerry Thomas

The Mayor’s Health Line and BPHC have staff they call “navigators” to help constituents. According to Moore, navigators are certified BPHC employees who are trained to interact with people in person or over the phone and walk them through their health-insurance options.

Navigators can answer questions and explain coverage options, provide personalized information about eligibility, assist with application and enrollment in the right plan, and help people find health-care providers. Navigators can be reached by phone or email. The services provided

law also dictates that some people who already have state-sponsored health insurance as part of Massachusetts’ own health reform efforts in 2006 must now reapply for plans that are part of the federal mandate. The state-sponsored insurance plans affected include Commonwealth Care, Health Safety Net and Mass Health.

BPHC also plans to reach out to people in the community and will conduct outreach through the Boston Public Library, Boston Public Schools, community groups, faith-based organizations and other partners.

The Mayor’s Health Line is also

The Boston Public Health Commission and the Mayor’s Health Line are reaching out to Boston’s uninsured. The Mayor’s Health Line has certified “navigators” trained to help people enroll in new health-care insurance plans that are part of the Affordable Care Act. (Left to right) Javier Gutierrez (navigator), Bradley Moore (project manager), Beatrice Martin (navigator), Sujay Bernardino (administrative assistant). (Yawu Miller photo) reaching out directly to small businesses to help them understand what — if any — insurance options they can offer to employees.

The Mayor’s Health Line has seven full-time navigators — BPHC was able to increase this number from three to seven thanks to the $300,000 in grant money.

For Gerry Thomas, director of the community initiatives bureau at BPHC, the additional employees are a massive boost in the commission’s efforts to reach the uninsured.

“Most of the money is for staff and it basically allowed us to double in size,” she said. “It also allowed us to add someone dedicated to small business.”

According to Thomas, the ultimate goal is to reach every Boston resident with the awareness campaign to make sure they understand their insurance options, though she admits it is likely many will still not enroll.

“I think we would like to be enrolling several thousand people at the very least,” Thomas said. “We would want to directly get a quarter or half of the city.”

Since the Mayor’s Health Line started its outreach efforts last week, navigators have already contacted 2,500 people, according to Thomas.

“We are interested in everybody, but we are particularly interested in immigrants, people with low income and people who speak a primary language other than English,” said Thomas.

“The statistics show that the

highest rate of uninsured is a young, Latino male who is working so we are trying to reach out [to that population].”

With just six months until the open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act is scheduled to close, Thomas emphasized that BPHC does not have much time to get the word out and help the uninsured. So efforts are being ramped up.

“Getting people successfully enrolled is what we all need to focus on,” she said. “People are working on the state and the city level night and day.”

BPHC received the largest grant to fund its navigator grant program, but was one of 10 organizations selected statewide to help implement outreach and enrollment efforts. Fifteen local community health centers also received funding to provide individual and family insurance navigation. The other Boston centers that received money include Boston Health Care for the Homeless, the Codman Square Health Center, Dimock Community Health Center and Dorchester House.

Navigators from the Mayor’s Health Line can answer questions and explain coverage options, provide personalized information about eligibility, assist with application and enrollment in the right plan, and help people find health-care providers. Representatives are available by phone at 617-534-5050 or 1-800-847-0710 or by email at mayorshealthline@ bphc.org.

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Thursday, October 17, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 11

Africa not rising: survey reveals lack of progress John Allen African leaders, foreign investors and formal indicators of economic growth may say that “Africa is rising” — but most ordinary Africans don’t agree.

A pioneering new survey of public opinion in 34 countries across the continent suggests that the relatively high average growth in gross domestic product (GDP) reported in recent years is not reflected in the experiences of most citizens.

An average of one in five Africans still often goes without food, clean water or medical care. Only one in three think economic conditions in their country are good. Fifty-three percent say they are “fairly bad” or “very bad.”

The survey suggests that either the benefits of growth are being

The survey suggests that either the benefits of growth are being disproportionately channeled to a wealthy elite or that official statistics are overstating average growth rates. disproportionately channeled to a wealthy elite or that official statistics are overstating average growth rates (or possibly a combination of both).

The survey was directed by Afrobarometer, a research project coordinated by independent institutions in Ghana, Benin, Kenya and South Africa, with partners in 31 other countries. Afrobarometer says the margin of error in its face-to-face public opinion surveys is around 2 percent. It has been surveying public opinion in 12 countries since 1999 but expanded its reach to include 35 countries between 2011 and 2013.

The results of the latest survey — released in Johannesburg on Tuesday — are the first to reflect public opinion across such a wide swathe of the continent. Interviews for the survey were carried out between October 2011 and June this year.

Speaking at the release of the results, Boniface Dulani of the University of Malawi, the project’s operational field manager, said they indicated that three-quarters of Africans thought their governments were doing badly in closing the gap between rich and poor. Nevertheless, most remained optimistic about the future — with west and north Africans more optimistic than east Africans, and southern Africans “somewhere in the middle.”

A policy brief analyzing the results said the data, “based on the views and experiences of ordinary citizens,” shed light on the debate over whether growth is helping reduce poverty, “suggesting that doubts about the extent of progress achieved in the fight against poverty are well founded.”

In the 16 countries surveyed over a period of a decade, there was little evidence for systematic reduc-

tion of the poverty experienced by ordinary citizens, despite average GDP growth rates of 4.8 percent, the brief added.

While “lived poverty” was reduced in Cape Verde, Ghana, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, it increased in Botswana, Mali, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania.

Professsor Robert Mattes of the University of Cape Town, a co-director of the project, said the data suggested that the reduction in poverty in Zimbabwe was a consequence of the formation of a coalition government after the 2008 elections.

Respondents across all 34 countries were asked how often they had gone without basic necessities in the past year: • 53 percent of the sample said they had sometimes gone without medical care, with 20 percent saying they had gone without many times.

• 50 percent said they had gone without food sometimes, 17 percent many times.

• 49 percent had gone without water sometimes, 21 percent many times.

• 41 percent had gone without cooking fuel sometimes, 13 percent many times.

• 76 percent said they had gone without cash income sometimes in the past year, 44 percent many times.

Other findings of the survey: • People in Burundi, Guinea, Niger, Senegal and Togo experienced the highest average levels of lived poverty, while those living in Algeria and Mauritius experienced the lowest.

• People living in countries undergoing or emerging from conflicts appear to be particularly vulnerable to lived poverty, especially food shortages. Five of the seven countries that experience the highest levels of nutritional deprivation — Burundi, Liberia, Madagascar,

Sierra Leone and Niger — are all emerging from recent conflicts.

And the two worst performers in North Africa — Egypt and Sudan — have recently faced internal conflicts as well.

• Comparing regional experiences of lived poverty, the survey found that both West and East Africans encounter the most shortages, while North Africans experience the lowest levels of deprivation.

Afrobarometer also said that rural people tended to be poorer than citizens living in urban areas, and that those with access to electricity, water, paved roads, sewage systems and health clinics were usually better off than those without.

Countries included in the 2013 results are: Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Results from Ethiopia, the 35th country to be surveyed, are still being compiled.

The core partners coordinating the Afrobarometer are the Ghana Center for Democratic Development, the Institute for Empirical Research in Political Economy in Benin, the Institute for Development Studies at the University of Nairobi, the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation in South Africa and the Department of Political Science at Michigan State University in the United States, backed by another 30 independent research institutes in universities and the private sector in each of the countries surveyed.

This article was originally published

by New American Media.

Malala Yousafzai, a 16-year-old Pakistani girl spoke at a JFK Library over the weekend. Yousafzai survived an assanssination attempt by the Taliban for speaking out on education for girls in Pakistan. (Don West photo)

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14 • Thursday, October 17, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

New MFA gallery offers rare view of ancient Edo culture

The recent celebration of Benin Kingdom Arts and Culture community event at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, was a big draw. (Photo courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) Shanice Maxwell With a diverse crowd of over 250 people, it was no ordinary evening at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. At the opening of the Benin Kingdom Gallery, many gathered to celebrate and witness the history, art and culture of the Edo people, who inhabit the ancient kingdom located in present-day Nigeria.

The gallery contains 34 rare art pieces possessing considerable significance and symbolism for the Edo culture. Those of Edo heritage at the opening event described it as recognition of a treasured part of their culture and a bittersweet, proud and overwhelming moment.

The free public event sponsored by the MFA and Coalition of Committed Benin Community Organizations, representing the current Oba, or King, of Benin along with several Boston Edo groups, was chock full from beginning to end and included a display of “background about the kingdom [that demonstrates] how Africans participated in a global economy as early as the 16th century according to an MFA press release.

The opening began with remarks from Malcom Rogers, the Ann and Graham Gund Director of the MFA, His Royal Highness Gregory I. Akenzua, brother of

the current Oba of Benin Kingdom, and Dr. Arese Carrington, a descendant of Oba Ovonranwen, who ruled the Benin Kingdom in the 19th century.

Throughout the event there were several activities happening simultaneously around the museum for attendees of all ages.

Some families with children sketched what they saw in the gallery and made wearable pendants to take home, while others got drawing tips and ideas from an artist while they sketched in the courtyard.

Crowds of people enjoyed traditional Edo dance performances

complete with dancing, drumming and singing while others learned about the ancient technique of bronze casting and the history behind the Benin Kingdom’s unique works of art. Many even got to enjoy the taste of various Nigerian-inspired dishes.

Certainly, there was something there for everyone to enjoy.

But for the Edo people who were involved in the showcase and those who came simply to visit, this was more than just an exhibition of art. For them is was and is a reflection of a thriving piece of their identity as a community and people — one that they appreciate having

shared on a much larger scale.

For attendees like 40-year-old Jean Desrosiers of Roslindale the gallery provided a window into his family’s past — one that he hoped would give him insight and a sense of connection of who he is to where his family comes from.

“I came to see the exhibit because we traced our ancestry back to Nigeria, to the Oba family, so I came to see a part of my legacy, my culture, my roots,” Desrosiers said.

“I’m feeling a lot of respect and awe. I’m humbled and grateful to whomever collected this art so we can see this and share it. I feel inspired and I’m definitely touched.”

Nigeria native and Roslindale resident Katie Igiede dressed in some of her best traditional garb for the opening and could hardly contain the excitement she felt.

“I’m proud of being a Nigerian so I felt it was necessary for me to be here and witness this history and support my country. I’m very proud, just proud,” Igiede said. “This is something that was very personal to us and now it’s being displayed for the whole world to see. In a way it is also history for the other side of the fence to learn about our culMFA, continued to page 19

The Ugho Dance troupe led by Eunice Ighodaro delighted in the traditions of Edo dancing, drumming and singing last Wednesday for the Benin Kingdom Gallery opening. (Tayla Andre photo)

Thursday, October 17, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 15

On screen, ‘12 Years a Slave’ is a sobering slave narrative

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Chiwetel Ejiofor, center, plays Solomon Northup in the film adaptation of his autobiography “12 Years a Slave.” The movie is directed

by Steve McQueen and also stars Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender. (Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight) Kam Williams Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) was a black man born free in upstate New York in 1808.

A skilled carpenter and fiddler, he and his wife (Kelsey Scott) settled in Saratoga Springs, where they were raising their children (Quvenzhane Wallis and Cameron Zeigler) when their American dream turned into a neverending nightmare.

In 1841, he was approached by a couple of white strangers (Taran Killam and Scoot McNairy) who offered him a high-paying job playing music with the circus in Washington, DC. However, upon arriving in the capital, they instead sold him to a slave trader (Christopher Berry) who put Solomon in chains before shipping him to a cotton plantation in the Deep South.

What ensued was a 12-year ordeal during which he was whipped whenever he attempted to protest his plight. Despite being tortured by a sadistic master (Michael Fassbender) determined to break his spirit, Solomon managed to not only maintain his sanity but his dignity to boot.

Furthermore, with the help of a kindly Canadian (Brad Pitt) passing through town, he was eventually able to inform abolitionists up North of his dire predicament, and was ultimately reunited with his very relieved family. Upon his emancipation in 1853, Solomon also penned and published a memoir chronicling the cruelty of his captivity in explicit detail.

Entitled “12 Years a Slave,” the book became a runaway bestseller before it slipped into obscurity after the Civil War. Directed

by Steve McQueen (Hunger), the screen version proves to be a fairly faithful adaptation of the eye-opening autobiography.

In a banner year for African American film fare, this heartbreaking historical drama just might be the best of the bunch.

The film has already been generating a ton of early Oscar buzz,

thanks to a People’s Choice Award coming courtesy of the Toronto International Film Festival.

Unapologetically graphic in its depiction of the institution of slavery’s evils, the movie “12 Years a Slave” contains nary a comic aside à la Quentin Tarantino’s

similarly-themed “Django Unchained.” Therefore, brace yourself for a relentlessly-gruesome endurance test featuring ever-escalating violence. The film is a sobering slave narrative recounting a recorded, real-life case of inhuman bondage.

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Fiddlehead finds new home at the Strand Kassmin Williams A group of teens spread out and sat at tables with diners at Restaurant Laura, where they engaged the guests in conversation and then burst out into a 60minute performance of “Fame Jr.” during the pop-up dinner theatre that kicked off the children’s program at Fiddlehead Theatre about two weeks ago.

The partnership that Restaurant Laura and Fiddlehead created to make the pop-up theatre dinner possible is an example of the type of community building Fiddlehead Founder and Executive Director Meg Fofonoff hopes to accomplish for the theatre company as Strand Theatre’s new resident.

“We’re not just there to produce theater. We’re there to embrace the community and find out what they’re looking for,

make theater accessible and at the same time produce, in our longterm tradition, Broadway-quality shows,” Fofonoff said about Fiddlehead’s residency.

Fiddlehead, which started in Dedham and later moved to Norwood, became the resident theatre company at the Strand after the 20-year-old company performed “Ragtime” at the Strand last October.

At the time, Fiddlehead had already left its home in Norwood. Fofonoff began looking for a new home and decided to focus on the city.

“I think although we were in the suburbs, I was always interested in looking further afield.

It was limited in terms of what those audiences wanted and what we could do,” Fofonoff said. “I was always interested in a more urban kind of setting and bringing something different to a community that really needed it.”

Fofonoff said she chose to per-

A group of teens put on a show for diners at Cape Verdean eatery Restaurant Laura as part of Boston’s premier arts week celebration. The performance kicked off Fiddlehead Theatre Company’s children’s programming. Above: Trae Gooding, playing Tyrone Jackson. (Photo courtesy of Matt McKee Photography) form “Ragtime” at the historic Dorchester theatre because it’s topics — discrimination, women’s rights and immigration — remain important to the world today and are reflective of some of the issues in the community.

During Fiddlehead’s time at the Strand, it became evident that it was the theatre Fofonoff had searched for.

“It really started a whole new chapter where I said it was really the place for us to be,” Fofonoff said. “It was our destiny, as someone said to me, to be there and revitalize that beautiful theatre.”

After the performance and some discussion, Mayor Thomas Menino and City of Boston Director of Entertainment, Tourism and Special Events Chris Cook decided Fiddlehead would be a good fit for the Strand.

“I’m delighted Fiddlehead Theatre Company’s 2013–14 season will be as resident company of the Strand Theatre,” said Menino in a statement on fiddleheadtheatre.org. “The city invests in the Strand because we recognize that it is an irreplaceable part of Dorchester’s community and culture. After the success of Fiddlehead’s 2012 production of ‘Ragtime’ at the Strand last year we knew this would be a valuable partnership for the Strand and for the City of Boston.”

As Dorchester’s new theatre company, Fiddlehead has two goals — to build interest in theatre in the immediate community and attract theatregoers from outside of the community.

Fofonoff hopes to do this by producing shows like the upcoming performances of “A Little Princess” and “Aida” that have some relevance to the community, but are high-quality shows.

“A Little Princess” will open Fiddlehead’s season with a Boston-area premier from Nov. 21 to Dec. 8.

The musical, based on a novel

by Frances Hodgson Burnett, is about a young girl separated from her father and sent to boarding school in London where challenges unfold. Unlike the book which has the main character originating from India, in the musical she is from coastal Africa.

“It’s the same story which is all about inner strength, all about really believing in yourself against all odds and all about adversity,” Fofonoff said. “Even if you feel very alone and there’s no one by your side that is going to help you stand strong and weather it through there is someone out there that believes in you.”

Due to the reinstallation of a new sound system, there will not be any winter shows, but Fiddlehead will pick back up its season in 2014 with “Aida” from April 24 to May 11.

“That show has a very important message about our world today, about senseless warring between countries, about discrimination, and two people who are going to love each other against all odds,” Fofonoff said.

The prices to see shows are significantly lower ($25 to $45) than they’d be to see a performance in the downtown area, according to Fofonoff, who wants to make it known that the lower price does not reflect the quality of the show.

“We’re trying at the very first step to be very mindful of the fact that we’re not just riding in there to do shows, we are there to bring the community into the theater and I think that’s a really important piece,” Fofonoff said.

A reflection of the quality of Fiddlehead’s productions is the backing it received from the local Playbill Magazine.

“When Meg [Fofonoff] said, ‘I really want the identity of a Playbill. I want to bring Playbill to the Strand,’ in order to make that happen, I need to talk to our counterparts in New York and get the official green light,” said Rita Fucillo, vice president of New Venture Media Group, the local publisher for Playbill. “When I explained the quality of her work, which is stellar and Broadway quality, and you couple that with the mayor’s involvement and the dedication to reviving the venue, reaching out to the community and opening the opportunity of theatre to people who may have never set foot in a theatre before, Playbill was proud to be its publication in the Strand.”

The other important piece for Fofonoff in engaging the community is the education program for children ages 8 to 17, which will take place in four separate sessions throughout the year: fall, winter, spring and summer. The summer session will be broken down into smaller sessions, Fofonoff said.

Activities will range from playing a booked show to improv classes.

Fofonoff is working on gaining grants that would allow children from the immediate community to attend the Fiddlehead Children’s Theatre Division for free while bringing in youth from the outside to continue the diversity that Fofonoff hopes will reflect the Strand’s following.

“We want to just make the Strand, a busy, live, constantly open kind of place,” Fofonoff said.

Thursday, October 17, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 17

18 • Thursday, October 17, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

Community Calendar Thursday October 17

Re-membering Egypt: In Search of Osiris The Multicultural Arts Center presents Re-membering Egypt: In Search of Osiris, a new photographic exhibition by artist Hakim Raquib, on view in the Upper Gallery until October 1 8 . In capturing the photographic images of Egypt Raquib refers to the allegory of the myth of Osiris, an Egyptian God that has been dismembered by his brother and scattered throughout the land. The Exhibition attempts to “assemble” Egypt highlighting the physical natural beauty of its people and the landscape.

Multicultural Arts Center, Upper Gallery, 41 2nd St., Cambridge.

Gallery website: www.multicultu ralartscenter.org/galleries/. FREE and open to the public. Regular Gallery hours: Monday-Friday, 10:30am - 6pm, galleries are also open 1 hour prior to all performances in the Theater.

Cuba: Printed Stories The Multicultural Arts Center

presents Cuba: Printed Stories (translated from Spanish - Cuba: Historias Grabadas) on view until October 18, in the Lower Gallery. The exhibition is curated by Astrid Martinez-Jones of Latin Art Space and features two contemporary Cuban printmakers, Norberto Marrero and Janette Brossard, telling stories of ordinary and staged life through unique etchings, screen prints, collagraphs, woodcuts and engravings. FREE and open to the public. Regular Gallery hours: Monday-Friday, 10:30am - 6pm. www.multicul turalartscenter.org/galleries/.

Friday

October 18 Fifth annual Boston Book Festival Award-winning novelist and essayist Salman Rushdie will present the 2013 keynote address at a 7:30pm appearance at Old South Church (645 Boylston St., Boston). Rushdie’s novels include The Satanic Verses and the Booker Prize-winning Midnight’s Children. Rush-

die’s most recent work is Joseph Anton: A Memoir, which, accordi n g t o t h e N e w Yo r k T i m e s , “reminds us of his fecund gift for language and his talent for explicating the psychological complexities of family and identity.”

Tickets for Rushdie’s October 18 presentation and conversation with Harvard’s Homi Bhabha are available on the Boston Book Festival website (www.boston bookfest.org) for $10.

Monday October 21

I Can Cope Cancer Education Workshop Patients and their family members, caregivers and friends are invited to attend the American Cancer Society’s I Can Cope workshop, titled ‘Keeping Well in Mind, Body, and Spirit’, 2-4pm, at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, St. Margaret’s Center for Women, 736 Cambridge St., Brighton. The free workshop will examine the physical, emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual dimensions of wellness. Participants will be encouraged to think of ways of

maintaining health in spite of cancer, and to explore strategies for increasing well being. The workshop will be facilitated by Lauren Schairer, MSW, LCSW. To register, or for more information, please contact Lauren Schairer at 617-789-2662 or Lauren.

Schairer@steward.org.

Staged reading: Fences 7pm, Central Square Theater, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. Troy Maxson, who played baseball in the segregated era, regrets that his talent did not receive more recognition, and the resulting bitterness festers, poisoning his relationships and his future. Free.

Tuesday October 22

Music of the East and West Starting at 8pm, at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 838 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, the weekly “TUESDAY NIGHTS” concert series presents Aaron Larget-Caplan, the celebrated classical guitarist performing “Music of the East and West.”

Tickets are $10 at the door, and can also be purchased online at www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/472850. For more information about Aaron Larget-Caplan please go to www.AaronLC.com and for the “Tuesday Nights” concert series and directions to the venue please visit www. saintpeterscambridge.org/news -events/announcements/tues daynightconcertseries.

Wednesday October 23

Ups Road Code Driving Class The Blue Hill Boys and Girls club encourages all youth ages 12-19 to register for the free Ups road code evening course. This course provides leadership and driving skills. All participants will be allowed to drive the simulator after they have taken the driving test. Dinner is provided. October 23 @ 4-7pm & November 15 and 19 4-7pm. 15 Talbot Ave., Dorchester. For more info: Email Brandon Drawhorn (bdrawhorn@ bgcb.org) to register your child and/or yourself.

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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MFA

continued from page 14

Primary school students sponsored by Project MEMA on Safari. Asha, Gifty, Beatrice and Emanueli are the first people in their families to see safari animals in person because of the high cost to attend a safari tour in Tanzania. (Photo courtesy of Project MEMA)

MEMA

continued from page 2

Tanzania also makes it difficult for students to pass exams at the secondary school level.

Often students are taught in Swahili during nursery and primary school and then taught in English during secondary school.

“In primary school, you may or may not be getting English lessons, so for a lot of students getting into secondary school is pretty difficult because all of a sudden you [do] math in a language you don’t know,” Wendel said. “That’s a real struggle for secondary school students that goes back to primary school because if you get into a better primary school, the chances of learning English are so much better.”

For Wendel, the best alternative would be a boarding school education, which would eliminate a lot of other factors that could hinder a child’s education.

Many students walk between one hour and one-and-a-half hours to school each day and then are expected to assist with household chores when the school day ends.

“In boarding school, you’re

SUFFOLK ss.

just there and you’re concentrating on school and that’s it,” Wendel said. “The focus is just so much greater on your studies and the quality of teachers is better.”

The four students were selected based on need and academic progress.

Ta n z a n i a - b a s e d P r o j e c t MEMA volunteer Living Kiwelu completed an assessment in which he visited each student’s home, talked to their families and traced their academic progress.

“That’s always a tough decision because I want every graduate to go under our umbrella, but we’re small so we just simply don’t have the funds,” Weland said. “So you just have to pick them and then move on and support them as much as possible.”

As a celebration of the students’ sponsorships, Thomson Safari donated a one-day safari tour to Arusha National Park to Project MEMA. In September, Weland travelled to Tanzania for her 10month visit and accompanied the students on the adventure.

While it may seem like a simple gesture to most people, the safari adventure was a dream come true for the students. According to Wendel, the students were the first

people in their families to take such a safari tour because, despite living in a country known for its wildlife, most cannot afford the admission cost to the parks to see them.

In 2012, Project MEMA partnered with another organization called Knock Foundation to sponsor two secondary students.

To help Project MEMA in its effort to support students throughout their education in Tanzania, The Elephant Walk in Waltham is hosting a benefit dinner for Project MEMA Monday, Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m.

The $40 dinner includes hors d’oeuvres and a three course sitdown dinner with 50 percent of the proceeds being donated to the organization.

While Wendel still considers Project MEMA to be a small organization, she appreciates the amount of growth that has occurred throughout the last three years.

“We’ve been growing at a steady pace since 2010 and we’re really thankful and excited to be able to help so many students,” Wendell said. “We’ve seen real progress with our students, with their studies, with their health — the quality of the day-to-day at these schools. It’s amazing.

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS PROBATE COURT Docket NO. SU07P2569

If you desire to object thereto you or your attorney should file a written appearance in said Court at Boston before ten o’clock in the forenoon on the 21st day of November, 2013, the return day of this citation.

Witness, Joan P. Armstrong, Esquire, First Judge of said Court, this 11th day of September, 2013.

Patricia M. Campatelli, Register.

SUFFOLK ss.

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS PROBATE COURT Docket NO. SU11P1293

To all persons interested in the guardianship of Charles Aaron JohnsonBrown of Boston in the County of Suffolk, a minor child.

A petition has been presented to said Court by by Kristen Johnson of Boston in the County of Suffolk and is the mother of said minor child. Praying that this Honorable Court grant her visitation with her son, and for such further relief as this Honorable Court may deem just and proper for the reasons more fully described in said petition.

Suffolk Probate and Family Court 24 New Chardon Street Boston, MA 02114 (617) 788-8300 Docket No. SU10P2785EA Citation on Petition for Order of Complete Settlement of Estate Estate of Beverly S Smart Date of Death: 01/05/2010

Patricia M. Campatelli, Register.

To all persons interested in a petition described: A petition has been presented by Edwin A Rivera requesting that Edwin Alexander Rivera be allowed to change his name as follows: Edwin Alexander Pena IF YOU DESIRE TO OBJECT THERETO, YOU OR YOUR ATTORNEY MUST FILE A WRITTEN APPEARANCE IN SAID COURT AT BOSTON ON OR BEFORE TEN O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING (10:00 AM) ON 10/31/2013.

WITNESS, HON. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court.

Date: September 26, 2013 Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate

To all interested persons: A petition has been filed by Glen Smart of Boston, MA requesting that an Order of Complete Settlement of the estate issue including to approve an accounting and other such relief as may be requested in the Petition. For the First and Final Account.

You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at the Court. You have a right to object to this proceeding. To do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance and objection at this Court before 10:00 a.m. on 10/31/2013. This is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline by which you must file a written appearance and objection if you object to this proceeding. If you fail to file a timely written appearance and objection followed by an Affidavit of Objections within thirty (30) days of the return date, action may be taken without further notice to you.

WITNESS, HON. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court.

Date: September 26, 2013 Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department

If you desire to object thereto you or your attorney should file a written appearance in said Court at Boston before ten o’clock in the forenoon on the 29th day of November, 2013, the return day of this citation.

Witness, Joan P. Armstrong, Esquire, First Judge of said Court, this 18th day of September, 2013.

Dr. Arese Carrington, Ann and Graham Gund Director Malcolm Rogers and His Royal Highness Professor Gregory I. Akenzua of Benin Kingdom. (Photo courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department

To all persons interested in the guardianship of Da’Nai C Johnson of Boston in the County of Suffolk, a minor child.

A petition has been presented to said Court by by Kristen Johnson of Boston in the County of Suffolk and is the mother of said minor child. Praying that this Honorable Court grant her visitation with her son, and for such further relief as this Honorable Court may deem just and proper for the reasons more fully described in said petition.

ture. It’s overwhelming, interesting, exciting and emotional.”

The Coalition of Committed Benin Community Organizations expressed sincere gratitude to the museum for allowing the gallery, a now-permanent exhibition, to be a part of the museum. Still, many of them expressed anticipation in working with the MFA to reclaim more art pieces and, specifcally, some of the estimated 4,000 works that were forcibly removed by British military action as a result of the Punitive Expedition of 1897.

Nevertheless, it was a cause to celebrate.

“I am the great, great grand-daughter of Oba Ovonranwen from whose palace these beautiful bronzes and other works of arts were taken during the British Punitive Invasion in 1897. One hundred and sixteen years later I find myself an American citizen living in Boston reunited with some of these great bronzes of the Benin Palace through MFA’s opening of the Benin Kingdom gallery,” said Carrington. “Some of these objects have a cultural significance.

Through these objects I feel a connection with my royal ancestors.”

The plurality of participants shared a sense of cultural fulfillment and curiosity that was met by the time the evening ended.

More importantly, a desire to

SUFFOLK Division

Docket No. SU13C0386CA In the matter of Edwin Alexander Rivera of Roxbury Crossing, MA

NOTICE OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME

learn and appreciate something outside the norm was cultivated in several attendees, who commented on how pleasant it was and how eager they are to return with family and friends.

“The MFA worked with the Coalition of Committed Benin Organizations to ensure their participation. I delivered a letter from the Oba of Benin granting the Benin community permission to participate in the events. I saw grandparents, parents and children all enjoying themselves and celebrating the greatness of the Benin Kingdom. … The rich culture of Benin could be felt with the presence of the traditional costumes and dances. I feel [this] is the beginning of a continual relationship between MFA and the Benin community,” Carrington said.

“We look at Western art so much that when art like this comes — they used to call it primitive — it’s so different I have to take time to appreciate each piece and the workmanship that went into it because it is so intricate and unlike any other art. It’s good to see that African peoples made great things as well, even though it hasn’t been as appreciated as Western art, but we did something. We did some great things as well,” Jean Desrosiers added.

For more information regarding exhibitions, guided tours, programs and more at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston visit www.mfa.org.

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

Docket No. SU13R0132 Summons By Publication Jesufina C. Barros, Plaintiff v.

Karcel L. Battle, Defendant

To the above named Defendant: A Complaint has been presented to this Court by the Plaintiff, Jesufina C. Barros, seeking an Abuse Prevention Order.

You are required to serve upon Jesufina C. Barros — plantiff — whose address is c/o Suffolk Probate and Family Court, 24 New Chardon St, Boston, MA 02114 your answer on or before October 23, 2013. If you fail to do so, the court will proceed to the hearing and adjudication of this action. You are also required to file a copy of your answer in the office of the Register of this Court at Boston.

Witness, Joan P. Armstrong, Esquire, First Justice of said Court at Boston, this 8th day of October 2013.

Publication: Bay State Banner

Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate Court

20 • Thursday, October 17, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department Docket No. SU13P2354GD

SUFFOLK Division

Citation Giving Notice of Petition for Appointment of Guardian for Incapacitated Person Pursuant to G.L. c. 190B, §5-304 In the matter of Norman N Mitchell, Jr. Of Roxbury, MA RESPONDENT Alleged Incapacitated Person To the named Respondent and all other interested persons, a petition has been filed by Patricia Taylor of Roxbury, MA in the above captioned matter alleging that Norman N Mitchell, Jr. is in need of a Guardian and requesting that Patricia Taylor of Roxbury, MA (or some other suitable person) be appointed as Guardian to serve on the bond.

The petition asks the court to determine that the Respondant is incapacitated, that the appointment of a Guardian is necessary, that the proposed Guardian is appropriate. The petition is on file with this court and may contain a request for certain specific authority.

You have the right to object to this proceeding. If you wish to do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance at this court on or before 10:00 A.M. on the return date of 11/07/2013. This day is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline date by which you have to file the written appearance if you object to the petition. If you fail to file the written appearance by the return date, action may be taken in this matter without further notice to you. In addition to filing the written appearance, you or your attorney must file a written affidavit stating the specific facts and grounds of your objection within 30 days after the return date.

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

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

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

Date: October 01, 2013 Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division

Docket No. SU13D1491DR

Divorce Summons by Publication and Mailing Charlotte Howard

vs.

Stephan Howard

To the Defendant: The Plaintiff has filed a Complaint for Divorce requesting that the Court grant a divorce for irretrievable breakdown of the marriage under G.L. c.

208, Section 1 B. The Complaint is on file at the Court.

An Automatic Restraining Order has been entered in this matter preventing you from taking any action which would negatively impact the current financial status of either party. SEE Supplemental Probate Court Rule 411.

You are hereby summoned and required to serve upon: Charlotte Howard, 696 Mass Ave, Boston, MA 02118 your answer, if any, on or before 12/05/2013. If you fail to do so, the court will proceed to the hearing and adjudication of this action. You are also required to file a copy of your answer, if any, in the office of the Register of this Court.

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

Date: September 20, 2013 Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department SUFFOLK Division

Docket No. SU13D1154DR

Divorce Summons by Publication and Mailing Osas Aiwekhoe

vs.

Pamela Aiwekhoe

To the Defendant: The Plaintiff has filed a Complaint for Divorce requesting that the Court grant a divorce for irretrievable breakdown of the marriage pursuant to G.L. c. 208, Section 1 B. The Complaint is on file at the Court.

An Automatic Restraining Order has been entered in this matter preventing you from taking any action which would negatively impact the current financial status of either party. SEE Supplemental Probate Court Rule 411.

You are hereby summoned and required to serve upon: Ainsworth O’Neil Jones, Esq., Jones Law Offices, 929 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 01, Cambridge, MA 02139 your answer, if any, on or before 11/21/2013. If you fail to do so, the court will proceed to the hearing and adjudication of this action. You are also required to file a copy of your answer, if any, in the office of the Register of this Court.

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

Date: September 17, 2013 Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department Docket No. SU13P1919EA

SUFFOLK Division

Citation on Petition for Formal Adjudication Estate of Avie Perkins Date of Death: 06/26/2013 To all interested persons: A petition has been filed by Estate Recovery Unit of Worcester, MA requesting that the Court enter a formal Decree and Order of testacy and for such other relief as requested in the Petition. And also requesting that Shirley Barnes of Boston, MA be appointed as Personal Representative(s) of said estate to serve Without Surety on the bond.

You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at the Court. You have a right to object to this proceeding. To do so, you or your

attorney must file a written appearance and objection at this Court before 10:00 a.m. on 11/07/2013. This is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline by which you must file a written appearance and objection if you object to this proceeding. If you fail to file a timely written appearance and objection followed by an Affidavit of Objections within thirty (30) days of the return date, action may be taken without further notice to you.

order to provide such services in a timely and effective manner. The consultant shall demonstrate experience in several disciplines and including but not limited to Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Cost Estimating, and Construction Phasing. 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 $400,000.

The estate is being administered under formal procedure by the Personal Representative under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code without supervision by the Court. Inventory and accounts are not required to be filed with the Court, but recipients are entitled to notice regarding the administration from the Personal Representative and can petition the Court in any matter relating to the estate, including distribution of assets and expenses of administration.

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 nine copies of litigation and legal proceedings information, signed under the pains and penalties of perjury, in a separate sealed envelope entitled “Litigation and Legal Proceedings”. See www.massport.com/doing-business/Pages/ CapitalProgramsResourceCenter.aspx for more details on litigation and legal proceedings history submittal requirements.

WITNESS, HON. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court.

Date: October 08, 2013 Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Sealed General Bids for MPA Contract No. L491-C1, 406 FRANKFORT STREET DEMOLITION, EAST BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, will be received by the Massachusetts Port Authority at the Capital Programs Department Office, Suite 209S, Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, East Boston, Massachusetts 02116, until 11:00 A.M. local time on WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013, 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 10:00 A.M. LOCAL TIME ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2013.

The work includes DEMOLITION OF AN EXISTING 20 FEET BY 50 FEET 3-STORY WOOD FRAMED BUILDING, ALONG WITH REMOVAL OF THE FOUNDATION TO TWO FEET BELOW EXISTING GRADE. IT WILL INCLUDE THE DISCONNECTION OF ALL EXISTING UTILITIES AND CAPPING WITHIN THE STREET, ABATEMENT OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, PROPERLY DISPOSING OF ALL DEBRIS, AND PROVIDING A LEVEL SAFE SITE THAT IS SECURED BY CHAIN LINK FENCE. Bid Documents will be made available beginning THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2013.

Bid Documents in electronic format may be obtained free of charge at the Authority’s Capital Programs Department Office, together with any addenda or amendments, which the Authority may issue and a printed copy of the Proposal form.

In order to be eligible and responsible to bid on this contract General Bidders must submit with their bid a current Certificate of Eligibility issued by the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance and an Update Statement. The General Bidder must be certified in the category of DEMOLITION. The estimated contract cost is SIXTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($60,000.00).

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 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 ONE MILLION DOLLARS ($1,000,000). Said policy shall be on an occurrence basis and the Authority shall be included as an Additional Insured. See the insurance sections of Division I, General Requirements and Division II, Special Provisions for complete details.

No filed sub-bids will be required for this contract.

This Contract is subject to Affirmative Action requirements of the Massachusetts Port Authority contained in Article 84 of the General Requirements and Covenants, and to the Secretary of Labor’s Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Opportunity and the Standard Federal Equal Opportunity Construction Contract Specifications (Executive Order 11246).

The General Contractor is required to submit a Certification of NonSegregated 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 LEGAL NOTICE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS The MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY (Authority) is soliciting consulting services for MPA CONTRACT NO. M417-D1, COMMONWEALTH PIER, HOOSAC PIER & FISH PIER STRUCTURAL REHABILITATION. PROJECT LOCATIONS INCLUDE COMMONWEALTH PIER AT 200 SEAPORT BOULEVARD, BOSTON; HOOSAC PIER AT CONSTITUTION PLAZA, CHARLESTOWN; FISH PIER AT 212 NORTHERN AVENUE, BOSTON. The Authority is seeking qualified multidiscipline consulting firms/teams, with proven experience to provide professional services including planning, design, and construction related services including resident inspection, relative to structural repairs to the three facilities noted. Each facility is in need of a program of structural repairs and upgrades. Commonwealth Pier requires concrete and expansion joint repairs to the apron roadway deck. Hoosac Pier requires repairs to the sheet pile bulkhead and batter piles. The Fish Pier and Commonwealth Pier both require detailed inspections to identify any voids in the seawall and resulting settlement of pavement over filled areas. The Consultant must be able to work closely with the Authority and other interested parties in

The Authority may reject any application if any of the required information is not provided: Cover Letter, Insurance Requirements, Litigation and Legal proceedings, Proposed M/WBE, SF330 Part IIs for the Prime and every sub-consultant.

The submission shall be evaluated on basis of: (1)

current level of experience and knowledge of the team for similar projects, particularly the Project Manager,

(2)

geographic location and availability of the Project Manager, resident inspectors and other key personnel to be assigned to the project,

(3)

experience and expertise of subconsultants,

(4)

demonstrated ability to perform work with minimal disruption to facility operations,

(5)

familiarity with Massachusetts public bid laws

(6)

cost management and scheduling capabilities,

(7)

M/WBE and affirmative action efforts, please indicate the proposed % of M/WBE participation

(8)

current level of work with the Authority,

(9)

past performance for the Authority, if any,

(10) experience with sustainable design concepts, and (11) 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 that discusses the project scope in more detail will be available to interested parties beginning Friday, October 25, 2013 by contacting Susan Brace at 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. Ten (10) copies of a bound document and one PDF version on a disc each limited to: (1)

an SF 330 including the appropriate number of Part IIs,

(2)

resumes of key individuals only each limited to one (1) page under SF 330, Section E,

(3)

no more than ten (10) projects each limited to one (1) page under SF 330, Section F,

(4)

no more than 3 sheets (6 pages) of information contained under SF 330 Section H addressing the evaluation items (except for the litigation and legal proceedings history), and

(5)

no more than 2 sheets (4 pages) of other relevant material not including a 2 page (max.) cover letter, SDO certification letters, covers, dividers, and other required information.

This submission, including the litigation and legal proceedings history in a separate sealed envelope as required shall be addressed to Houssam H. Sleiman, PE, CCM, Director of Capital Programs and Environmental Affairs and received no later than 12:00 Noon on Thursday, November 21, 2013 at the Massachusetts Port Authority, Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, Suite 209S, Logan International Airport, East Boston, MA 021282909. Any submission which is not received in a timely manner shall be rejected by the Authority as non-responsive. Any information provided to the Authority in any Proposal or other written or oral communication between the Proposer and the Authority will not be, or deemed to have been, proprietary or confidential, although the Authority will use reasonable efforts not to disclose such information to persons who are not employees or consultants retained by the Authority except as may be required by M.G.L. c.66.

The procurement process for these services will proceed according to the following anticipated schedule: EVENT DATE/TIME Solicitation: Release Date

October 23, 2013 11:00 AM

Supplemental Information Package: Available

October 25, 2013 11:00 AM

Deadline for submission of written questions

November 8, 2013 11:00 AM

Official answers published (Estimated) November 15, 2013 11:00 AM Solicitation: Close Date / Submission Deadline

November 21, 2013 12:00 NOON

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 Comm-PASS (www.comm-pass.com) in the listings for this project.

MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY THOMAS P. GLYNN CEO AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Thursday, October 17, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 21

Request for Proposals – Property Management Firm The Brookline Housing Authority (BHA) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Property Management Services for the to-be-built, 32-unit affordable housing project in Brookline. MA, to be known as 86 Dummer Street.

The BHA is the sponsor/developer of this project. This is a LIHTC project and respondents to the RFP will be experienced managers of affordable housing tax credit projects and will provide property and asset management services, including leasing, compliance management, financial management and maintenance to ensure socially and financially optimal performance. The RFP contains a wide range of information and is available by contacting the project’s development consultant, Peter Roche at pjroche1@comcast.net.

Proposals are due no later than 5:00 PM on Wednesday, November 6, 2013.

It is the policy of the Brookline Housing Authority to give preference for the award of contracts to Section 3 eligible firms and individuals. BHA is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer; minorities, handicapped individuals and others are encouraged to apply.

Invitation for Bids The Brookline Housing Authority, the Awarding Authority, invites sealed bids from General Contractors for the Various Improvement Projects at Scattered Sites for the Brookline Housing Authority in Brookline, Massachusetts, in accordance with the documents prepared by: Abacus Architects + Planners.

The Project consists of: Kitchen, bathroom, roofing, window, building envelope, and other miscellaneous repairs at scattered sites. The work is estimated to cost: $ 570,000.00.

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).

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,

General bidders must be certified by the Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM) in the category of General Building Construction and must submit with its bid a Certificate of Eligibility and signed Update Statement.

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 UPS overnight), payable to the BidDocs Online Inc., to cover mail handling costs.

General Bids will be received until 13 November 2013 at 2:00 P.M. and publicly opened online, forthwith.

General bidders must agree to contract with minority and women business enterprises as certified by the Supplier Diversity Office (SDO), formerly known as SOMWBA. The combined participation goal reserved for such enterprises shall not be less than 10.4% of the final contract price including accepted alternates. See Contract Documents - Article 3 of the Instructions to Bidders.

Filed sub-bids for the trades listed below will be received until 31 October 2013 at 2:00 P.M. and publicly opened online, forthwith. Filed sub-bidders must be DCAM certified for the trades listed below and bidders must include a current DCAM Sub-Bidder Certificate of Eligibility and a signed DCAM SubBidder’s Update Statement.

SUBTRADES:

A Pre-bid Conference will be held at 11 Harris Street (Kilgallon House), Brookline, MA on 25 October 2013 at 10:00 A.M. at which time the bidders will be invited to visit the project site. For an appointment call David Pollak at (617) 562-4446.

07 31 10 Roofing

The Contract Documents may be seen in person or by electronic media at:

22 00 00 Plumbing

Nashoba Blue Inc. 433 Main Street Hudson, MA 01749 978-568-1167

26 00 00 Electrical All Bids shall be submitted electronically online at www.biddocsonline.com no later than the date and time specified above.

General bids and Sub-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.

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. at 433 Main Street, Hudson, MA 01749 (978-568-1167).

There is a plan deposit of $ 50.00 per set (maximum of 2 sets) payable to BidDocs Online Inc. 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 $ 50.00.

NEW PORT ANTONIO APARTMENTS 530 Warren Street Dorchester, Massachusetts Effective, November 4, 2013, New Port Antonio Apartments will not accept applications for 1BR, 2BR and 3BR Apartments due to the extremely lengthy list of applicants on the wait list; it will take a long time before we can assist applicants already on the waiting list.

THE WAITING LIST IS CLOSED. For additional information, contact 617-541-5510.

Property Manager

A F F O R DA B L E H O M E O W N E R S H I P O P P O R T U N I T Y

Program Restrictions Apply.

53 BALDWIN ROAD, BILLERICA, MA

Parker Hill Apartments

21-unit homeownership development of which 3 units will be affordable

#888-691-4301

The Style, Comfort and Convenience you Deserve!

Heat and Hot Water Always Included Modern Laundry Facilities Private Balconies / Some with City Views Plush wall to wall carpet Adjacent to New England Baptist Hospital Secured Entry, Elevator Convenience Private Parking Near Public Transportation and much more ...

2 bed - $1264-$1900; 1 bed $1058-$1500 Call Today for more details and to schedule a visit...

888-842-7945

OFFICE

SPACE

DORCHESTER/ MILTON

“THE VILLAGE AT FOX RUN PHASE TWO”

Each unit is 2 bedroom, 2/1/2 Bath Units will be sold to eligible households who qualify Maximum Affordable Price is $170,500.00 Income Qualifications Number of Occupants

Maximum Annual Income

1

45,100

2

51,550

3

58,000

4

64,400

Informational Meeting is scheduled for October 15, 2013 At:

Billerica Town Hall Auditorium 365 Boston Road Billerica, MA 01821

At:

7:00 P.M.

1st Class Office Space ample parking.

The purchasers of these units shall be chosen pursuant to a lottery.

$375/mo. $695/mo. $1000/mo. $1395/mo.

Applications will be made available starting September 20, 2013.

heated

OWNER

617-835-6373 Brokers Welcome

People from all communities, including minorities, and families with children are encouraged to apply.

Applications are available by calling or by writing to The Law Office of John J. McKenna, 36 Webb Brook Road, Suite 2, Billerica, MA 01821.

Tel. (978) 663-2170, Fax. (978) 663-2596.

Applications will also be available at the following locations: Billerica Public Library, Boston Road, Billerica Town Hall, Boston Road, Billerica Access Television, Inc., Boston Road.

MHC/Joseph Merrit & Co 17 Everberg Road – Unit C Woburn, MA 01801 (781) 430-2008 Reed Construction Data Document Processing Center 30 Technology Parkway South, Suite 500 Norcross, GA 30092-4578 (203) 426-0450 Project Dog 18 Graf Road Suite #8 Newburyport, MA 01950 (978) 499-9014

Affordable Housing Lottery Somerville: Saint Polycarp Village Apartments Phase III will be accepting applications from October 28th through December 20th for the affordable housing lottery of new 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units. Expected occupancy is February 2014. Income guidelines apply. Section 8 vouchers welcomed!

Located off of I-93 and near bus. Heat and hot water included.

Briefing on October 22nd from 6-7PM at Mystic Learning Center (530 Mystic Ave Somerville, MA).

Call (617) 591-0577 for more details.

Household Size

1 person

2 person

3 persons

4 persons

5 persons

6 persons

Maximum Income

$40,500

$46,260

$52,020

$57,780

$62,460

$67,080

22 • Thursday, October 17, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

Thursday, February 17, 2005 • BAY STATE BANNER • 27

LEGALS

LEGALS INVITATION TO BID

BOSTON BAY APARTMENTS

The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority is seeking bids for the following: BID NO. WRA-2432

530 DESCRIPTION

Warren Street DATE Dorchester, Massachusetts Furnish Two (2) Chesterton 3/14/05

Mechanical Split Seals or

TIME 11:00 a.m.

with Two9,(2) Enviro Effective,Equal November 2013, Boston Bay Apartments will Spiral Trac Seals for North not accept applications for 1BR, 2BR and 3BR Apartments Main Pump Station, Deer due to theIsland extremely lengthy Treatment Plant list of applicants on the wait list; it will take a long time before we can assist applicants Sealed bids on willthe be waiting receivedlist. at the of list the is Massachusetts Water already Theoffices waiting closed.

Resources Authority, Charlestown Navy Yard, Document Distribution Office, 100 For First additional Avenue, First Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, up to the time information, contact 617-541-5510. and date listed above at which time they will be publicly opened and read.

Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Service, Waste and Water Grants and Loan program. Special attention should be paid with respect to the (U.S.D.A.) requirements for Bids.

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 access, min tonotBost.

The Bidder agreesprkng, that this bidT shall be good and may be withdrawn for

All bids for this project are subject to applicable bidding laws of Massachusetts, including General Laws Chapter 30, Section 39M as amended. Attention of bidders is particularly called to the requirements as to conditions of employment to be observed and minimum wage rates to be paid under the contract as determined by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development under the provisions of the Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 149, Section 26-27D, inclusive, as amended. a period of thirty (30) working days, Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays excluded after the opening of bids.

Sec 8 OK

617-283-2081

The Owner reserves the right to waive any informality in bids or to reject any or all bids if deemed in the best interest of the Town of Blackstone.

SECTION 00020 INVITATION TO BID

TOWN OF BLACKSTONE, MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

Eagle Brook Village in Wrentham Affordable Housing Lottery www.s-e-b.com

Sealed Bids for the construction of the Elm Street Sewer Improvements for the Town of Blackstone, Massachusetts, will be received by the Department of Public Works at the office of the Department of Public Works, 15 St. Paul Street, Blackstone, Massachusetts until 10:30 a.m. prevailing time, on March 29, 2005 and at which time and place said bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

for $202,500 The scope of3BR work Single includes Family furnishingHomes and installing approximately 3,065 linear feet ofYour 8-inch gravity sanitary Housing sewer mainCosts* with all are appurtenances; furTotal Monthly only nishing and installing approximately 8,135 linear feet of 10-inch gravity san$1,473 (approx.)!!! itary sewer main with all appurtenances; furnishing and installing approximately 4,100 linearHousing feet ofCosts 6-inch gravity sanitary service con*Total Monthly arePVC the estimated sum of asewer your mortgage nections and(30 allyear, appurtenances, furnishing installing approximately payment fixed rate), your monthlyand real-estate taxes, and insurance.315 linear feet of 4-inch and 3,475 linear feet of 6-inch sanitary sewer force Allwith affordable homes are between 1,716 1,912 sqft (not including main all appurtenances, furnishing andtoinstalling fully functional sanitary pump basement) stations located at the Corrosion two Control ansewer unfinished and have 3 bedrooms, and Facility a half (CCF), Quickstream crossing, Fire Station, and Mill River crossing with all appurtebathrooms, master bedroom with walk-in closet, two zone heating nances, standby generator housed within a prefabricated building at the and centraland air Mill conditioning, double-hung Low-E Insulated Quickstream River pumpHarvey stations; furnishing and installing bitumiGlass windows, laundry room(permanent); (washers and dryers not included), nous concrete trench pavement water system reconstruction (Add 1); miscellaneous drainage improvements (Add Alternate 3); andAlternate garage parking for one car. furnishing and installing associated manholes, paving, project wide mainteThisofis traffic a lottery the 16 affordable Single Family Homes being nance andfor other appurtenances required to complete the Work as specified the Contract Documents. must bebesubstantially complete built atinEaglebrook Village.

These 16Work homes will sold at affordable within 1153 days of the with Notice to Proceed.

The estimated cost of medithe projprices to households incomes at or below 80% of the area ect is $4,500,000.00. an income. The first affordable homes will be ready in early 2014.

Bid Security in the form of a BID BOND, CASHIER’S, TREASURER’S, OR CERThe Maximum Income Limits for Households are as follows: TIFIED CHECK issued by a responsible bank or trust company is required in the amount of five percent of the bid$47,150 price payable to the Town of 1 person Blackstone.

2 people

$53,900

3 people

$60,650

LEGALS

Contract Documents may be examined at the following locations: BSC Group, 33 Waldo Street, Worcester, Massachusetts 01608 4 people $67,350 F.W. Dodge Division, McGraw-Hill Information Services Co., Boston, Massachusetts 5 people $72,750 Town of Blackstone, Department of Public Works, 15 St. Paul Street Blackstone, Massachusetts 6 people $78,150 Contract Documents may be obtained at the office of the BSC Group locatHouseholds cannot have more than $75,000 in assets. ed at 33 Waldo Street, Worcester, Massachusetts, 01608, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon 1 toinformation 4 p.m., uponon payment of a deposit of $100.00 in the form of Forand more the Development, the Units or a check payable to the Town of Blackstone. unsuccessful bidder or nonLottery and Application Process or forAny reasonable accommodabidder, upon returning such set within the time specified in the Instructions tions for persons with disabilities, please visit: www.s-e-b.com/ to Bidders and in good condition, will be refunded his payment. Contract lottery orwill call Documents be617.782.6900x7. mailed via USPS to prospective bidders upon request and receipt of a separate non-refundable check payable to BSC Group, Inc. in the Applications and Required Income Documentation must be delivamount of $25.00 to cover handling and mailing fees.

ered, not postmarked, by 2 pm on December 10th, 2013

Public Info Sessionshall will furnish be on Nov 6th at 6 pmbond in theand Sweatt MeetTheAselected contractor a performance payment bond in amount at least equal to one hundred percent (100%) the contract price ing Room in Fiske Public Library (110 Randall Road,ofWrentham). as The stipulated in Section 00700 GENERAL CONDITIONS of these specificalottery will be on December 19th in the same location. tions. Anticipated funding for this project will be from the Unite States Applications and Info Packets also available in the Fiske Public Library (110 Randall Road, Wrentham) Hours: Tu-Th 10-8, F 10-5, Sa 10-4

BSC Group, Inc. Boston, Massachusetts BOSTON WATER AND SEWER COMMISSION INVITATION FOR BIDS The Boston Water and Sewer Commission by its Executive Director invites sealed bids for CONTRACT # 04-308-001, WATER MAIN RELAY AND SEWER/DRAIN REHABILITATION IN ALLSTON/BRIGHTON, CITY PROPER, HYDE PARK AND JAMAICA PLAIN. Bids must be accompanied by a bid deposit, certified check, treasurer’s or cashier’s check, or in the form of a bid bond in the amount of 5% OF BID payable to and to become the property of the Commission if the bid, after acceptance, is not carried out. The bid deposit is to be returned only when all stated conditions of the Contract document are carried out. In addition, a performance bond and also a labor and materials payment bond, each of a surety company qualified to do business under the laws of the Commonwealth and satisfactory to the Executive Director, and each in the sum of 100 % OF THE CONTRACT PRICE, must be submitted within the time specified in the Contract document. Bids must be submitted on the forms obtained from the Purchasing Manager, Boston Water and Sewer Commission, 980 Harrison Avenue, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02119, and must be submitted in sealed envelopes to the Purchasing Manager clearly marked BIDS FOR CONTRACT # 04-308-001, WATER MAIN RELAY AND SEWER/DRAIN REHABILITATION IN ALLSTON/BRIGHTON, CITY PROPER, HYDE PARK AND JAMAICA PLAIN. Bids will be publicly opened and read at the office of the Purchasing Manager on THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2005 AT 10:00 A.M. There will be a non-refundable charge of $25.00 for each set of contract documents taken out. If the bidder neglects to bid on each and every item, it may lead to the rejection of the bid. The rate of wages paid to mechanics, teamsters, chauffeurs, and laborers in the work to be performed under the contract shall not be less than the rate of wages in the schedule determined by the Commission of Labor and Industries of the Commonwealth, a copy of which schedule is annexed to the form of contract referred to herein. Copies of said schedule may be obtained, without cost, upon application therefore at the office of the Executive Director. Before commencing performance on this contract, the contractor shall provide by insurance for the payment of compensation and the furnishing of all other benefits under Chapter 152 of the General Laws (The Workmen’s Compensation Law, so called) to all persons to be employed under this contract and shall continue such insurance in full force and effect during the term of this contract. Attention is called to Chapter 370 of the Acts of 1963, which must be strictly complied with. No bid for the award of this project will be considered acceptable unless the Contractor agrees to comply fully with the requirement of the Minority Employee Utilization Requirement as set forth in Article VIII of the Contract and the Utilization of Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises as set forth in Article X of the Contract. Included with the Contract documents are copies of the Bidder’s Certification Statement and Weekly Utilization Report. Each Contractor must complete, sign and file with his bid the Bidder’s Certification Statement. Failure to do so will result in rejection of the bid. The Weekly Utilization Reports shall be submitted in accordance with section 8.2 (ii) and (iii) of the Contract. Failure to comply with the Minority Employee Utilization Requirement may result in imposition of the sanctions set forth in section 8.2 (f) and (g) of the Contract.

Attractive and Affordable This beautiful privately owned apartment complex with subsidized units for elderly and disabled individuals is just minutes from downtown Melrose.

The Executive Director reserves the right to reject any and all bids, or any item or items of the bid, and to waive technical defects which are not of a substantive nature if the Commissioners should determine that it is in the best interest of the Commission to do so.

Maintenance Technician (Boston)

Maintenance Technician needed for busy Boston area apartment By: John F. Flynn complex. Candidate must be experienced in all aspects of building Purchasing Manager maintenance, including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and minor carpentry work. Duties include repairs to occupied apartments LEGAL NOTICE and common areas, apartment turnovers, light janitorial and snow CITY OF SOMERVILLE removal as required. Shared emergency on-call duties with other OFFICE OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT maintenance staff.

PUBLIC NOTICE Send resume with salary requirements to: clopez@cornerstonecorporation.net The City of Somerville is requesting comments on the City’s One-Year Action

Plan for the period of April 1, 2005 to March 31, 2006 for the Community Equal Opportunity Employer.

Development Block Grant Program, the Emergency Shelter Grant Program and the HOME Program, which are funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This document will be available for public review and comment from Friday, February 11, 2005 to Monday, March 14, 2005 at the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development (SPCD), 3rd Floor, Somerville City Hall during normal business hours and at the front desk of the Main Branch of the Somerville Public The Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) of the Library.

Transit Planner/Analyst Position

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

Anyone wishing to submit public commentThis should send their comis seeking a transit planner/analyst. individual willwritten be ments to Meredith Smith,of Director of Finance, SPCD fax 617-625-0722 involved in a variety assignments, which maybyinclude service or email msmith@ci.somerville.ma.us by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, March 14, planning, fare studies, Title VI analysis and reporting, suburban 2005. Anyone having general questions regarding the proposed 2005 One mobility studies, capital investment studies, financial analysis, Year Action Plan should contact SPCD at 617-625-6600 x2500.

environmental-justice analysis, and passenger surveys.

Joseph A. Curtatone For more details about this position, please visit Mayor

www.bostonmpo.org. Resume and cover letter to Executive Director, CTPS, 10 Park Plaza, REOPENING OF WAITING LIST Ste. 2150, Boston, MA 02116, or recruitment@ctps.org AA/EOE

Notice is hereby given by the Braintree Housing Authority that on March 15 and March 16, 2005 applications will be available for its one (1), two (2) & three (3) bedroom State-aided MRVP project-based housing program and three (3) bedroom Chapter 705 Family Housing Program. Placement on the waiting list will be assigned by random order (lottery).

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MRVP Eligibility Income Limits Limits Number of Household Members One (1) $18,620 Two (2) $24,980 Three (3) $31,340 Four (4) $37,700 Five (5) $44,060 Six (6) $50,420

705 Family Housing Eligible Income Number of Household Members One (1) $46,300 Two (2) $52,950 Three (3) $59,550 Four (4) $66,150 Five (5) $71,450 Six (6) $76,750

to the banner call (617) 261-4600

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Application will be available from 9:00am – 4:00 pm on March 15 and March 16. Interested persons may apply in person at 25 Roosevelt Street, Braintree or obtain an application by mail by calling (781) 848-1484. Faxes will not be accepted. Applications must be received or postmarked no later than APRIL 19, 2005. The BHA will not accept applications including (Emergency Applications) that are hand delivered or postmarked after April 19, 2005. The lottery will be held at 10 am on April 27, 2005 in the community building at 25 Roosevelt Street, Braintree. The Braintree Housing Authority will close the MRVP family project based waiting list for one, two & three bedrooms and the 705 three (3) bedroom Family Housing Program wait list on March 16, 2005 at 4pm. EHO

For Rent:

For Rent:

ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT

THREE BEDROOM

Please contact: Sharif Khallaq, SAAK Realty 2821 Washington St. Roxbury, MA 617.427.1327

Please contact: Sharif Khallaq, SAAK Realty 2821 Washington St. Roxbury, MA 617.427.1327

Available in quiet Roxbury neighborhood.

Building is well maintained with only three apartments. Renter responsible for heat, hot water and electricity.

DUPLEX

Working fireplace, 2 baths. All GE appliances. Master bath has marble tile floor and whirlpool bath.

Building opposite beautiful quiet park.

Close to Public Transportation • Elevator Access to All Floors • On Site Laundry Facilities Heat Included • 24 Hour Closed Circuit Television • On Site Parking Excellent Closet and Storage Space • 24 Hour Maintenance Availability On site Management Office • Monthly Newsletter • Weekly Videos on Big Screen T.V. Resident Computer Room • Bus Trips • Resident Garden Plots

Call for current income guidelines Joseph T. Cefalo Memorial Complex 245 West Wyoming Avenue, Melrose, MA 02176 Call our Office at (781) 662-0223 or TDD: (800) 545-1833, ext. 131 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for an application

visit us on the web at www.cefalomemorial.com

OPERATION A.B.L.E. OF GREATER BOSTON PRESENTS Meet face to face with top local employers at our

MATURE WORKER’S

Rudy Crichlow, (45+) FALLCRS JOB FAIR Thursday, 617-524-3500 October 24, 2013

Buying • Selling • Relocation 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM • 1st time home buyer assistance • Free home value JOIN US!estimate

At Our New Location: 174 Portland Street, Boston, MA 02114 “I’mfrom hereTD toGarden) help you” (Across Please bring updated resumes.

Business attire required! www.rudycrichlow.com HOUSING this career fair For more informationEQUAL about OPPORTUNITY contact LaVerne Freeman

Operation A.B.L.E. 617-542-4180 x 144 or email lfreeman@operationable.net

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Thursday, October 17, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 23

Rosie’s Place Front Office Coordinator, Full time Rosie’s Place, a sanctuary for poor and homeless women in Boston, has an opening for a full time Front Office Coordinator. Hours are 8am to 4pm Monday through Friday. Responsibilities include: greeting guests and visitors, answering phones, scheduling and helping with laundry, clothing and shower appointments, sorting and distributing mail, and monitoring guest areas and resolving conflicts in a dignified, respectful manner. A successful candidate will be articulate, well organized, able to multi task, comfortable working with diverse groups of people, confident and able to cope with stress, quick thinking and energetic with a good sense of humor. Basic computer skills needed. Ability to speak Spanish or Haitian Creole strongly preferred. We offer a competitive salary, excellent benefits and a strong team environment

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Haverhill Housing Authority seeks qualified applicants for the full-time position of Executive Director to manage operations of a large housing authority. Requirements available at the Haverhill Housing Authority office, 25-C Washington Square, Haverhill, MA 8:30-4:30. Applicants should submit a cover letter, resume and references to Executive Director Search Committee, Haverhill Housing Authority, P.O. Box 751, Haverhill, MA 01831 on or before November 4, 2013. Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Please email cover letter and resume to: jadlerresumes@rosiesplace.org. No phone calls, please.

Adult Education Services

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Substitute Teachers Project Hope seeks qualified teachers to serve as substitutes in its Adult Education Service Department, which offers Adult Basic Education (math, reading, social studies and science) as well as ESOL to a full range of adult learners from the community. We seek substitutes who can serve on an “on call” basis to cover short and longer term absences. Classes are held Mondays through Thursdays between 9:30 a.m. and 2:40 p.m., and on Fridays between 9:30 a.m. and 12:00 noon. Substitutes will be responsible for delivering prepared content material. Pay is $20.50 per hour; there is no guarantee of any specific number or minimum of hours.

Candidates should possess a background in education and have experience teaching adults; be able to respond promptly and reliably to requests for substitution, and be able to communicate and deliver class material effectively.

Send cover letters and resumes to: jgrogan@prohope.org

HOMELAND SECURITY PROGRAM ASSOCIATE COORDINATOR The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), the regional planning agency for Metro Boston, seeks an Associate Coordinator to assist in the work of the Statewide Homeland Security Program overseen by MAPC. This opening is an opportunity to work in a dynamic, inter-disciplinary, and innovative environment to improve homeland security preparedness across the Commonwealth. For further details on MAPC, the Statewide Homeland Security Program, and MetroFuture, see www. mapc.org. Duties include: work with a team of 4 program coordinators from the Statewide Fiduciary Team to implement annual homeland security regional plans, which include projects to train public safety staff, to procure equipment, to conduct public safety exercises; perform administrative and contract work; Candidates must have a BA in business administration, purchasing management, materials management, logistics, budget management, public administration or related fields; ability to interact productively with leaders in multiple public safety disciplines; familiarity with administrative tasks associated with federal and state grant programs; FT position with an excellent state employee benefits package. Starting salary $40,000 to $45,000, depending on qualifications and experience. All candidates must have a valid driver’s license, and/or the ability to arrange transportation to meetings in different parts of the state and legal authorization (citizenship or visa) to work in the USA. Position open until filled. Review of applications to begin immediately. MAPC is an EOE/AA employer. Diverse candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

PLEASE SEE COMPLETE JOB AD AT MAPC WEB SITE www.mapc.org and apply at link shown there and attach cover letter, resume and three professional references.

Thomas E. Hauenstein, Manager of Human Resources.

Posted 10/10/13.

FT MANAGER Boston-based environmental non-profit seeks FT manager with 3-5 yrs. exp. to oversee and enhance CLF’s development operations and maintenance of Raiser’s Edge (RE) database/donor info., reporting, analyses, skill-building & training.

Familiar with development operations and RE required.

Flexible, dynamic, good sense of humor.

Resume and cover letter to careers@clf.org. www.CLF.ORG

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Workforce Development & Employer Partnerships

Collaborative Shelter Case Manager and Case Manager/ Training Assistant

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY DAPER FACILITIES WORKER, Athletics, Physical Education

and Recreation (DAPER)-Facilities, to service the indoor and outdoor needs of DAPER. Custodial services will include trash removal; floor scrubbing; and complete cleaning and sweeping of rest rooms, showers, and locker rooms. Outdoor surface maintenance includes mowing, fertilization, aeration, irrigation, and seeding and lining of fields. Will also handle ice rink set-up and maintenance including operation of Zamboni; field layout for competitions and set up of goals, flags, hurdles, etc.; indoor court surface maintenance including painting ice and oil mopping athletic floors; athletic and nonathletic set up for events that are hosted by the DAPER facility including public address systems and bleacher/chair and table arrangements; maintenance of equipment, e.g., small power tools, hurdles, goals, nets, etc.; and other duties as needed.

REQUIRED: a Class D Massachusetts’ driver’s license; a 1C,2B

hoisting license; ability to lift weights of up to 50lbs. and shovel snow; willingness to work in a team environment and to learn to operate all required equipment including paint machines, Zamboni, mowing equipment etc.; customer service awareness; and basic computer competency. Job #10525 Must be available to work any and all work schedules and be available for all Institute emergencies, including snow removal.

Spring and summer hours:

Friday to Tuesday, 2:00 to 10:00 P.M.

Rink and winter operations:

Tuesday to Saturday, 4:00 P.M. to 12:00 A.M.

APPLY ONLINE AT: HTTP://JOBS.MIT.EDU/ advertise your classifieds

(617) 261-4600 x 7799 • ads@bannerpub.com

Reward...

YOURSELF WITH TWO CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE AND BOOKKEEPING PROFESSIONAL

Do you need to upgrade your skills? Ready for a new career?

ADMINSTRATIVE AND BOOKKEEPING PROFESSIONALS PROGRAM ONE PROGRAM…TWO CAREER CHOICES… MORE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES The Administrative and Bookkeeping Professionals Program uses a combination of hands on classroom instruction and online learning experiences designed to give you employer ready skills, and the self confidence from achieving new, professional level skills for today’s economy.

The Administrative and Bookkeeping Professionals Program offers: • Introductory and advance levels of computer skills training using Microsoft Office 2010 (MS Word, Excel, Outlook) • Bookkeeping essentials and procedures for office professionals • Opportunities to create professional business documents using digital, social media and internet technologies • Computerized bookkeeping using QuickBooks • Procedures for recording, managing and securing client/ customer financial and non-financial data

Training Grants available to qualifying applicants.

Contact: Mr. Royal Bolling, Computer Learning Resources Phone: 617-506-1505 Email: clr2paths@gmail.com

Licensed by the Massachusetts Division Professional Licensure Office of Private Occupational School Education

Project Hope has two open positions in its Workforce Development department. The Collaborative Shelter Case Manager supports shelter residents through outreach, intake, assessment, training and/or education referrals, and case management support. The Case Manager networks with training providers at all skill levels and makes appropriate referrals.

The successful candidate will have significant content knowledge of and experience in workforce development with a focus on low income community members, and direct experience with homeless families.

Experience with case management and service models required; a track record of successful outreach and relationship building; strong written and oral communication skills; a willingness to travel between employers and community sites, and ability to work outside of regular business hours. A BA/BS in Human Services or related field preferred.

The Case Manager/Training Assistant provides case management to program participants and is also responsible for classroom activities for Employer Partnerships clients to improve employment readiness. The instruction will include basic computer skills training. Case management duties include outreach to potential participants and to potential employer partners, intake, assessment, service coordination for participants, documentation and database maintenance, and other duties related to the provision of ongoing support to participants and employers. The successful candidate will have significant content knowledge of and experience in workforce development with a focus on low income community members; experience teaching hard and soft skills to a wide range of adult learners preparing for employment, proficiency in Microsoft Office and Internet; excellent communication skills, a track record of successful outreach and relationship building. Experience in the healthcare filed a plus; BA/BS in Human Services or related field preferred.

Candidates should send cover letters and resumes to: jgrogan@prohope.org Project Hope values diversity in its workforce and candidates from a wide range of backgrounds are encouraged to apply.