Bay State Banner 09/12/2013

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Roxbury’s Cooper Center to unveil portraits of black greats.........pg. 9

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At-large City Council candidates hit the streets for open seats Howard Manly

Robert Lewis Jr. founder of the Boston Astros baseball program is looking to build off the success of the 35-year old team in launching The Base. The Roxbury-based nonprofit program will serve student athletes in Boston and provide baseball training as well as educational support. Lewis says that all Boston Astros players will be required to take part in the academic component of The Base. (Photo courtesy of the Boston Astros)

Swinging for the fences ‘The Base’ uses sports to push student athletes to excellence on the field and in the classroom Martin Desmarais Robert Lewis Jr. believes in the power of sports to help boys succeed not just on the field, but in life.

He has proven that over the past three decades with his Boston Astros baseball program and he is looking to prove it even more with the launch of The Base, a nonprofit organization that pairs baseball training with educational support.

More than anything, though, Lewis, the former Boston Foundation vice-president, believes in the players.

“It is about belief, hope and opportunity,” Lewis says. “I don’t look at our kids in a deficit mode. If you look at our name it is The Base

— which is foundation — and our theme is ‘Success Lives Here.’”

The foundation for The Base is the Boston Astros baseball program — a 35-year old baseball organization started by Lewis and John Ruiz in the 1970s. It has served 8,000 players and more than 600 teams. It now has over 400 players, mostly black and Latino teenagers from Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan.

The Boston Astros home field park is Jim Rice Field on Washington St. in Roxbury. Its teams have won two national championships, one in 2010 and one this summer. The Boston Astros were also named the “Triple Crown Sports’ 2012 Team of the Year.”

There are about 30 former

Boston Astros players attending college and playing baseball. And three former players are playing in Major League Baseball: Manny Delcarmen of the Boston Red Sox, Juan Carlos Portes of the Minnesota Twins and Nelfi Zapata of the New York Mets.

“What I have shown over the years is that I can take the same kids that others say are not successful, and win national titles,” Lewis says.

The Base, which is headquartered in Roxbury and will serve players in neighborhoods such as Dorchester and Mattapan, is an extension of what Lewis has done with the Boston Astros.

The big difference now is that The Base, continued to page 20

in 2011, is one of them. Gareth Saunders held a district seat repMichelle Wu started her bid resenting much of Roxbury in the to become an at-large Boston late 1990s and is also running. city councilor about a year ago, As a result, Wu said, as much and since then, she has knocked as she would like to focus on fund on doors throughout the city, raising and developing position attended meetings and public papers, she has focused on her field forums and organized her army of efforts from the very beginning. volunteers.

It is a lesson she learned during With less than two weeks left her time with the campaign of remaining before the Sept. 24 pri- former Harvard Law professor Elizmary, she almost sighed in relief. abeth Warren. Wu, one of Warren’s Wu, a first-time candidate, knows law students, directed Warren’s what can transform a dream statewide outreach to communities into an actual of color. elected office.

By all ac“ I t s e n - “Its entirely about counts, Wartirely about the the ground game,” ren’s upset win ground game,” over incumshe said. “With she said. “With bent U.S. Sen. such a large pool such a large pool Scott Brown of candidates, was the result that is what will of candidates, that of one of the put someone is what will put most extensive into office.” get-out-theWith most someone into office.” vote efforts in of the attenhistory.

— Michelle Wu recent tion focused An attorney At-large candidate for by profession, on the 12 candidates runBoston City Council Wu has focused ning to replace her efforts on long-standing the South End, Mayor Thomas M. Menino, the where she lives, and West Roxbury, contest for city council has taken where her mother now lives. Fund a back seat. Elections are under- raising is important, but turnout is way for four at-large council seats, key, and with such a large slate of but with two popular incumbents, candidates and several open seats, Council President Steve Murphy city election officials are anticipatand Ayanna Pressley, campaigning ing a larger turnout than in recent to retain their seats, only two slots elections. are open. But there are 17 other Turnout varied in the last 2011 candidates running. municipal election, from 27.9 perTwo of those candidates have cent in West Roxbury’s Ward 20 already been elected to the Boston to 19.5 percent in Roxbury’s Ward City Council in the past. Mi- 12 and just 11.5 percent in Ward chael F. Flaherty, a former council Five, which includes the Back Bay president who gave up his seat to and Beacon Hill. Overall, turnout run against Menino for mayor in across the city was 18.1.

Council, continued to page 21 2009 and failed to regain the seat

Boston schools launch bullying text hotline Martin Desmarais Boston Public Schools is serious about stopping bullying in its halls.

BPS has had a bullying hotline for several years, but this school year it has launched a new text hotline that school officials are hoping will get more kids reporting problems.

“With the text hotline we hope it is going to provide direct access for students to report bullying,” said Jodie Elgee, head of BPS’ anti-bullying program, which is run

out of the school system’s Consulting and Intervention Center in Roslindale. “We know that the way most kids communicate is by text.

“It is providing them with a platform they are familiar with that they use on a daily basis,” she added.

The text hotline allows any student to send information to a phone line set up specifically to deal with bullying. According to Elgee, depending on what the text says, students will receive different automated responses.

Text, continued to page 19

“Untitled #2,” a pigment print photograph by Gohar Dashti is on display at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, as part of the exhibit She Who Tells a Story: Women Photographers from Iran and the Arab World. (Photo courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) Story on page 14.

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CampaignNotes Consalvo aims to keep kids and teachers safe at school “We can make schools safer without interfering with learning,” Consalvo says.

Former District Five City Councilor Rob Consalvo released last week his plan to keep children and teachers safe at school.

Consalvo’s plan outlines key strategies to make schools safer: Keep intruders out. Of the 127 schools in the Boston Public Schools system, only 53 require a security key card to get inside.

Requiring key card access in all school buildings would give authorized staff the ability to come and go and ensure that buildings remain locked at all times.

Increase security cameras.

Only 35 of the 127 BPS schools have security camera systems.

These cameras give school staff total awareness of what is happening on the perimeter, at the entrances and in the hallways of school buildings. Cameras also collect the vital evidence needed to hold people who commit acts of violence in schools accountable.

Allow easier access to mental health services for teachers and students. It should be just as easy for a child or their teacher to talk to a mental health professional as it is for them to see the school nurse for a band-aid.

If children are being bullied, suffering from a mental health crisis or experiencing trouble at home, they should have someone to talk to before they reach the point of violence. By increasing public-private partnerships between schools and neighborhood health centers and private mental health practices, we can make sure children and teachers always have somewhere to go when they need help.

Ross releases plan to create jobs, reduce income inequality Boston mayoral candidate Mike Ross unveiled last week his comprehensive plan to create jobs and grow Boston’s economy.

The plan focuses on innovative ideas like streamlining government, making it easier for small businesses to open, using smarter incentives to get businesses to open and taking a regional approach to growing our economy.

“Boston has always been a city of innovators, but we can’t rest on our laurels,” Ross said in a statement.

Besides a focus on the innovation economy, Ross’ plan also includes a number of measures designed to reduce income inequality and make sure all neighborhoods share in Boston’s prosperity. Some of those ideas include establishing a citywide minimum wage, raising the living wage, creating paid sick leave, enact-

Governor Deval Patrick celebrated the expansion of athenahealth last week at its facilities in Watertown. At the event, he spoke about his administration’s efforts to expand the online health sector. (Photo courtesy of the Govenor’s Office)

ing several measures designed to encourage banks to lend to small businesses and enforcing the Boston Residency Jobs Policy.

Ross has represented District Eight on the Boston City Council since his election in 1999. The district includes Back Bay, Beacon Hill, West End, Fenway, Kenmore Square, Audubon Circle and Mission Hill.

Mass. NOW PAC endorses Councilor Ayanna Pressley The Massachusetts Chapter of the National Organization for Women Political Action

Committee (Mass. NOW PAC) recently announced its endorsement of Boston City Councilor At-Large Ayanna Pressley in her re-election campaign.

Nancy Rosenblum, co-chair of the Mass. NOW PAC, says, “We are proud to once again endorse Councilor Pressley. She has been an outspoken champion of women and girls in Boston during her tenure on the City Council.”

The Mass. NOW PAC endorses candidates who are committed to NOW’s mission and priority issue areas, including reproductive freedom, racial justice, constitutional rights, economic justice, LGBTQ Rights

and ending violence against women. In order to receive the support of the Mass. NOW PAC, candidates must go through a rigorous endorsement process, including a multi-issue questionnaire and an interview with PAC members.

“Since my first day on the campaign trail in 2009, I’ve been unapologetic about making women and girls a priority in City Hall,” Pressley stated.

“From pay equity to domestic violence, there is still much work to be done and with NOW’s help I’ll return to the Council in 2014 and continue our critical work.”

The preliminary election will be held Sept. 24.

4 • Thursday, September 12, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

Established 1965

Understanding the battle over minimum wage Protesting employees of fast food restaurants have alerted Americans to a long-continuing problem.

Those being paid only the minimum wage do not earn enough to maintain even a modest standard of living. Some conservatives even oppose food stamps or other federal programs to aid the working poor.

Prior to 1938, progressives tried unsuccessfully to implement a federal minimum wage. However, conservatives battled in the courts that a required minimum wage would unconstitutionally interfere with an open negotiation between the employee and the employer. Finally President F.D. Roosevelt was able to establish a federal minimum wage in 1938 as a necessary policy to rebuild the economy after the Great Depression.

The original minimum wage was only 25 cents per hour. Over the years as a result of amendments, that rose to the present $7.25 per hour. However, any state can assess a minimum wage that is higher than the federal level. In Massachusetts the minimum wage is $8 per hour.

Unfortunately, the minimum wage does not accomplish its basic objective, to enable those who work full time to rise from poverty. The annual in-

come at the minimum wage is only $15,080. The federal poverty guideline level for a family of two is $15,510. With four in the family the income must be more than $23,550 to be out of poverty.

Those campaigning for an increase in the minimum wage are calling for a raise to $10.10 per hour from the present level of $7.25. That would provide an annual income of about $21,000 rather than only $15,000. The rationale for that number is easy to calculate. In 1956 the minimum wage was raised to $1.00 per hour. The purchasing power of the dollar has declined to about 10 percent of what it was in 1956. So an increase of about 10 times the 1956 rate should be about right.

The political debate for the increase in the minimum wage has not yet begun in earnest. This is a policy change that business will not want to lose.

An increase of $2.58 per hour for each minimum wage employee will mean an increase of more than $114.00 per week. If there are 100 employees, that will cost $11,400 per week and $592,800 per year.

With a cost increase of that magnitude, employers will fight vigorously to maintain the status quo.

This will not be an easy victory.

The changing status of black NFL quarterbacks The start of the 2013 professional football season causes those old enough to remember the days when blacks were not permitted to play quarterback. The reason was not that they lacked the skill.

The problem was that those in charge believed that blacks did not have the intellectual capacity and discipline to manage the offense.

Most Americans were unaware of this defective reasoning by football team owners because there were numerous black players at other positions.

There was a general belief in the country that Jackie Robinson had ended racial discrimination in professional sports when he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.

Doug Williams was drafted by the Tampa Bay

Buccaneers 31 years later in 1978 to become the team’s quarterback. He took the team to the playoffs three out of the next four years, while being paid the lowest salary for a starting quarterback in the league. When the Bucs owner Hugh Culverhouse refused to meet Williams’ demand for a raise, Williams left the team in 1982.

As quarterback for the Washington Redskins in 1987, Williams became the first black quarterback to play in a Super Bowl game. When he defeated the vaunted John Elway-led Denver Broncos 4210 more than 25 years ago, he also vanquished the myth that blacks could not perform as NFL quarterbacks. This year, nine black quarterbacks started on opening day of the NFL season.

Lettersto the Editor

Next Fed chair must be a friend to Main Street

In the midst of budget negotiations and talk of a military strike against Syria, the President must decide whom to pick for one of the most important jobs in the world — Chairman of the Federal Reserve.

Ben Bernanke has held this job since 2006, one year before the start of the Great Recession. While Bernanke is not without his critics, many believe his policies helped prevent another Great Depression and put the nation on the road to a steady, albeit much too sluggish, recovery.

The economy is moving in the right direction. But the 13 percent unemployment rate for African Americans and the 9.3 percent rate for Hispanics make it clear that even as the recovery inches forward, communities of color are still being left behind.

With Bernanke’s term set to expire on Jan. 31, 2014, President Obama must choose a successor who is committed to

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ending these inequalities while remaining acceptable to Main Street, Wall Street and Capitol Hill — an almost irreconcilable team of rivals.

The President’s choices include former Treasury Secretary and Obama economic adviser Larry Summers and current Federal Reserve Vice Chairwoman Janet Yellen.

Opposition to Summers, the former president of Harvard, is intense. Summer’s policies have been viewed as helping to pave the way to the Great Recession. A recent New York Times editorial concludes that

“Mr. Summers has also shown an indifference to the effects of economic decisions on ordinary people.”

We urge the President to consider appointing someone who is more of a friend to Main Street than to Wall Street. This includes the highly-qualified Janet Yellen, who would be the first woman to lead the Federal Reserve.

Marc H. Morial President and CEO National Urban League

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RovingCamera

Opinion Why the GOP Is suddenly the party of peace

What should be the top priorities of the next mayor?

Earl Ofari Hutchinson

The stunning number of GOP lawmakers that are vehemently opposed to U.S. war against Syria has been nothing less than astounding.

Lame duck Minn. GOP Rep. Michelle Bachman’s flat-out assertion that Syrian intervention would be a bad call and the United States is war weary seemed to punctuate much of the GOP’s new thinking about war.

The eye-catching part of their sudden remake as the party of caution, even peace, can’t be overstated. For three decades, a string of GOP presidents — Ronald Reagan, George Bush Sr. and George W. Bush, GOP lawmakers and top GOP administration officials drilled into the public the party’s hard-asnails stance on defense spending, military preparedness and unlimited war making, with or without congressional approval.

The wars in Nicaragua, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon and, of course, Iraq and Afghanistan, have been testimony to the GOP’s unfettered affinity for military intervention.

During the 2008 presidential election campaign, the GOP hit plan on the man who was then the Democratic presidential candidate, Barack Obama, was simple. Pound him relentlessly as soft on the war on terrorism and inadequately supportive of the military. Reagan, Bush Sr. and especially the younger Bush in his 2004 reelection fight with Democratic presidential foe Mass. Sen. John Kerry used this ploy masterfully against their Democratic opponents.

GOP strategists believed that the soft-on-terrorism smear would work on their Democratic opponents because the party had so firmly staked out its position as the party of military toughness. They had the numbers to back them up.

In the months before the 2004 election, polls showed that the overwhelming majority of Republicans unequivocally backed the Iraq War. A decade later, the well-documented fact was that Bush’s claim that weapons of mass destruction were stockpiled in Iraq was a sham and a fabrication, and that he and the war hawks in his administration shamelessly deceived Congress, the United Nations and the public. Yet a majority of Republicans still held fast to the notion that the Iraq War was the right war to wage.

The GOP’s attempt to tag Obama as soft on defense during the campaign did in part work against Obama. During the 2008 campaign, polls consistently showed that despite the mountain of political baggage GOP presidential contender John McCain and the GOP carried and the sky-high voter disgust with Bush Jr.’s domestic and foreign policy bumbles, the soft-on-terrorism concern about Obama still had enough resonance to keep McCain competitive.

Recently, the GOP’s unconditional love affair with the defense industry was again on display in the rancorous congressional debates over the sequestration cuts. House GOP members paid lip service to the need to make some cuts in the bloated military budget along with cuts in the dizzying array of domestic programs that they demanded be axed.

But in repeated votes last spring, House Republicans sought to water down the military cuts and hack more money from everything from food stamps to disaster relief programs. The aim as always was not give an inch on the military.

Despite that history, the reversal by many GOP officials on waging aggressive wars is real. It’s driven by several factors, among which are the astronomical cost of defense spending on military actions, the libertarian ideals of party leaders such as Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, neo-isolationism and the dawning realization that U.S. military actions have done absolutely nothing to enhance national security or promote stable democratic regimes in the Middle East.

The other compelling factor is that Obama has been unflinching on the use of military action against wayward states. This has been evident in the relentless drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, the ramping up of the Afghan war, missile shots at Libya and now his full-throated push for a Syria strike.

This has his personal stamp all over it. And since GOP leaders have spent five years in an unbroken, unapologetic campaign to obstruct, delay and torpedo any and every program and initiative that he has proposed, a congressional refusal for a Syria strike authorization would simply be a continuation of the pattern. It would put Obama in the position of invoking the War Powers Act and authorizing a strike against Syria.

This would raise instant howls that Obama is subverting the constitutional process. If he doesn’t act, there will be howls from the still-prominent GOP war hawks such as McCain that this is just another example of an administration that’s inept, adrift and indecisive in its foreign policy initiatives.

Obama sought to avoid that very trap by tossing the ball for Syrian action back to Congress. But with a solid majority of the public opposed to a Syria strike and memories short about the GOP’s hawk-like history of military cheerleading, it’s a cynical but easy call for the GOP to try to reimage itself as the party of peace — at Obama’s and the Democrats’ expense.

It’s a cynical but easy call for the GOP to try to reimage itself as the party of peace — at Obama’s and the Democrats’ expense.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst.

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

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

The top priorities for the next mayor should be job creation and [to] control the development that goes up in the city

Nestor Garcia Hotel Worker Dominican Republic

The new mayor needs to advocate for lower prices on the T.

Imani Ani Vocalist Back Bay

I don’t know if any one has the courage to do the things that are necessary to fix the schools but that’s what needs to happen — the schools need fixing.

The MBTA needs 24/7 trains and the mayor should push for that.

Charles Pelta

Drummer Dorchester

Teacher Roslindale

A stronger arts community

Catherine Woodcock Student Baltimore

Milae Benj

Homelessness and drug abuse in the homeless community

Jason Kennedy Travel Agent Boston

INthe news

Tracey Hathaway The University of Massachusetts Boston’s Vice Chancellor for Athletics and Recreation, Special Projects and Programs Charlie Titus has named Tracey Hathaway as Beacons Athletics’ new compliance officer and assistant academic advisor.

As compliance officer, Hathaway will oversee NCAA compliance for all 18 varsity sports teams, student athletes, coaches, athletic staff, and all appropriate university personnel. As assistant academic advisor, she will work with the athletic academic counselor to provide support for student athletes in assigned sports.

Hathaway comes to Boston after working for the last two years at Concordia University Texas in Austin. At Concordia, she served as the senior woman administrator and assistant athletic director for the 13 NCAA Division III varsity sports.

No stranger to New England institutions, Hathaway has also worked at Northeastern Univer-

sity as a compliance assistant and at Roger Williams University in Newport, R.I., where she served as the head women’s basketball coach and compliance coordinator.

Hathaway is a 1986 graduate

of the University of Rhode Island, where she received a bachelor’s degree in urban affairs. She also holds a master’s degree in sports leadership from Northeastern University.

6 • Thursday, September 12, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

CommunityVoices

Economic mobility linked to a strong middle class

High inequalities, stagnant wages cited as deterrents Charlene Crowell Since the onset of the foreclosure crisis, research reports from esteemed universities and policy institutes have generated a still-growing knowledge base that recounts all the rippling effects of what went wrong.

Some have offered new proposals to get things right again.

Now another new report purports that economic recovery needs a different perspective: one that views the creation of a strong middle class as the solution and not as the byproduct of strong economic growth.

Middle-Out Mobility, published by the Center for American Progress (CAP), explains how high inequality harms economic prosper-

ity. The report reaches this conclusion after analyzing recent research by former chairman of President Barack Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers Alan Krueger, Stanford University, Harvard University, the University of California, Berkeley, the Pew Economic Mobility Project and others.

“Economic growth depends on ensuring that we can make

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full use of a precious national resource: the American workforce,” the report states. “That means we must cultivate individuals’ talents and make sure that every person can realize their full potential.

This is not merely a moral matter, it is an economic imperative: When one person is held back, all Americans are held back.”

The report also reviewed whether race was a factor in limiting class mobility. Findings suggest that racial inequities — both social and economic — still persist. Regions with large African American populations were found to be linked to smaller increases in class mobility than in other areas.

“The size of the middle class is a powerful predictor of mobility, yet its reach is limited by our nation’s troubling legacy of racial inequity,” the report stated.

The report also cites that while 97 percent of Americans believe that every person should have an equal opportunity to get ahead in life, children born to low-income parents tend to become lower-income adults. Metropolitan areas with small or few middle-class communities also tend to have higher amounts of poverty. Conversely, children of affluent parents tend to remain affluent.

But in metropolitan areas with a strong middle class, better access to quality schools leads to improved test scores, more civic and religious engagement and the enhanced ability for greater mobility among low-income students.

Noting how tremendous economic growth was shared by an expanding middle class from the late 1940s to the early 1970s, CAP

identifies another important gap: the income gap. While American productivity continued to grow, wages did not. As a result, nearly all of the income gains from the last 40 years have benefitted the nation’s richest 10 percent.

Fixing this mismatch of high productivity against stagnant wages is at the center of America’s hopes for future prosperity, according to the report. It is also the basis for the CAP report to refute “supply-side” or “trickle-down” economic theories that promote giving tax cuts to the wealthy as the way to generate economic prosperity and opportunity for all.

“If supply-side theory were right,” states the report, “then we should expect regions with higher taxes to have lower economic mobility. But there is simply no evidence of any such relationship; to the contrary, there is a small positive correlation. In regions with higher state income tax levels, low-income children were slightly more mobile than in regions with lower state tax levels.”

In conclusion, the report adds, “Giving tax breaks and other benefits to the wealthy will only perpetuate the current era of diminished mobility; to reignite opportunity, policymakers must grow and strengthen a vibrant middle class.”

Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending.

One who takes false pride in his wisdom attains neither yoga, love, nor knowledge.

Due to pride, man is miserable and afraid.

O dear one, he falls.

– Swami Muktananda

Vote Sept. 24, #15 on the Ballot Dear Boston Residents:

My name is Gareth Saunders and I am a candidate for Boston City Council At-Large.

I love our city of Boston. I refuse to entrust our city’s growth and well-being to just anyone who might not have our best interest at heart.

I am running for City Council-At-Large to make Boston a more livable city for all of its residents.

I am a U.S. Air Force Veteran. I received my Bachelor of Science Degree in Microbiology from Howard University, Washington, DC, and attended graduate school at Tufts University, Medford, MA, where I studied Urban and Environmental Policy.

I bring proven leadership to the Boston City Council. I was elected three times to serve as the District 7 Boston City Councilor. In that capacity, I chaired the Committees on Public Health, Libraries, Youth and Residency, and championed such issues like affordable housing, public education, public safety and the Boston Jobs Residency Policy. My tenure included working diligently to bring investment, improved city services, greater police street presence, and strong advocacy for citizen engagement in the political process and participatory government.

Today, there are still considerable challenges confronting us in Boston. Many are similar to the ones that I fought while a council member. These challenges to our residents include: the high cost of housing, which threatens to displace working- and middle-class families; too many underperforming schools in our Boston Public School system; the lack of employment opportunities that provide livable wages; and unacceptably high levels of crime, and too many unsolved cases in some of our neighborhoods.

To change these issues, I will work with you to strengthen economic opportunities for all residents.

I will advocate for more moderately priced housing. And I will advocate for new leadership and adequate resources to improve our public schools and to enhance our public safety strategies. I will be a strong advocate for our working- and middle-class families, the elderly, veterans, and youth.

My wife Michele and I live in Dorchester. I am the proud father of three children: my daughter Veronica, and late twins, Iyesha and Joseph. I am also the proud grandfather of one grandchild.

I will bring to the Boston City Council proven leadership with independent thought, and innovative new ideas, with a community focused vision. I have successfully navigated the maze of city government in the past. I know how to get things done and I will work diligently on your behalf.

Today, I am asking for one of your four votes for City Councilor-at-Large on September 24.

Sincerely, www.GarethForBoston.com

Gareth R. Saunders Boston City Council-At-Large, Candidate

Paid for By The Committee for Gareth Saunders.

Thursday, September 12, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 7

Community Call honors two with Young Leader Award Kassmin Williams As Boston-based nonprofit Community Call moves into its second year of working with atrisk high school students, the organization has found a way to expand its focus to better serve the students in its program.

The group works with high school students in its Community Call Event Planning Enrichment Programs, where students plan and execute community events while getting hands-on training in business and leadership while making a positive difference in the community.

To further highlight the importance of community service, Community Call has created the Greater Boston Young Leader Award, which will honor two young leaders: one who is at the start of his or her community activism and another who has already made a significant impact.

“We really thought it was important that we establish role models so that we’re not only teaching [our students] the skills and teaching them self empowerment, but they have the opportunity to see that other people have made a difference in the community that are in their peer groups or maybe a little bit older,” Community Call Executive Director Carolyn Edwards said.

Edwards said the organization

hopes those honored can help students envision the long-lasting impacts their own efforts can have on the community.

Twenty-four award nominations were gathered from all parts of the city by Community Call, ONEin3Boston, various Boston foundations and the general public.

of 40 students to serve on the Mayor’s Youth Council by Northeastern University, the City of Boston and the Boston Bar Association.

As a council member, he meets with Mayor Thomas Menino and other city leaders to discuss youth issues and outreaches in his neighborhood, listens to his peers’ con-

“I think they’re both wonderful role models not just for our students but really for anybody.”

— Carolyn Edwards Community Call Executive Director Out of the 24 nominated, Boston Mayor’s Youth Council member Benjamin Haideri, 18, and Jonathon Feinman, 29, executive director and founder of InnerCity Weightlifting, were chosen to receive the inaugural Greater Boston Young Leader Award.

“I think they’re both wonderful role models not just for our students but really for anybody who wants to see that, as challenging as things are in the community, if we really think about it and put our heart into it each of us can make a difference,” Edwards said.

Haideri was chosen to be one

cerns and shares information and organizes community service projects.

Recently, the Roslindale resident spoke to more than 3,000 local elected officials and community leaders from across the nation requesting they recognize the importance of including young people in government.

Haideri also works with the Mayor’s Youthline program to maintain its website and post Youth Council news.

Feinman’s work also involves working with youth.

InnerCity Weightlifting seeks to deter youth from violence by

empowering them through individualized fitness goals, which in turn allows them to set other positive goals like finishing school and landing a job.

“He’s just really exceptional in terms of coming in and working with people who much people in society would turn their back on because they’ve already got criminal backgrounds or they’ve been involved in gangs,” Edwards said.

“He has not only taken on the challenge of working with these people but he invests himself completely in their success not only in terms of job training but in terms of helping them receive their GED and getting them acclimated back into society.”

Community activist Lenny Zakim’s work inspired the award criteria, Edwards said.

Zakim, who died of cancer at 46 in 1999, worked throughout the Boston area to build and grow partnerships among the city’s diverse groups.

To show the link between Zakim’s work and the work done by the two award recipients, Zakim’s son will be presenting Haideri and Feinman their awards

at the sixth annual Home Sweet Home event Sept. 28.

The dessert competition, organized by Edwards to benefit an area nonprofit, is being held at the Cambridge Hyatt Regency.

In the past, the event has benefitted a program that provides funding for the homeless to get housing and Home Base, a state organization focused on caring for local veterans with traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder.

This year, Home Sweet Home will benefit Community Call, where the proceeds will pay for the event-planning classes the students participate in as part of the program as well as help fund the events the students plan.

As the event approaches its sixth year and focuses on supporting a new organization, Community Call, Home Sweet Home is being restructured to reach a larger cross-section of the community, Edwards said.

In addition to the dessert competition, the event will feature music, wine tasting, a magic show and an urban art exhibit showcase

by Future Alliance Boston artists.

(L-R) Caitlin Gallagher, Herbert Hall, Brooke Hilliard, Jade Rivera. Boston Collegiate Charter School Students from their Play It Forward, A Boston Community Fair event at the Parkman Bandstand on May 11th. (Carolyn Edwards photo)

8 • Thursday, September 12, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

Fulfill King’s dream with fair tax and spending policies John Conyers Jr. In the 50 years since the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. articulated the dream of a generation, the United States has seen significant progress toward the ideal of racial equality. But the other half of King’s vision — economic equality for all Americans — remains sadly unfulfilled.

America’s wealth and income gaps have grown to shocking proportions, in no small part due to federal tax and spending policies

that have betrayed the great civil rights leader’s ardent hopes for a better society. To many, the quest for economic equality represents the last great frontier in civil rights.

As we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, political and social progress is clear. Legally mandated racial segregation in the American South has been dismantled. African Americans have come to occupy positions of power and influence, from the boardroom to the State House and the White House. When I was

first sworn into the House of Representatives in 1965, I joined just five other African American members; today there are 43.

Yet there is need for continued vigilance. Voter suppression efforts plague modern elections. And Section V of the Voting Rights Act, which gives the federal government power to approve changes to the voting laws of certain states with a history of discrimination, has fallen victim to legal challenge.

But the most obvious failure to

On Sept. 7, Neighborhood Health Plan joined the American Heart Association and thousands of participants on the Charles River Esplanade for the 2013 Boston Heart Walk. Every year, the Heart Walk raises funds and awareness to support the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. (Photo courtesy of Neighborhood Health Plan)

achieve equality is in the economic realm. With a few exceptions, U.S. income inequality has consistently worsened since reaching a low in 1968, according to the Congressional Budget Office and the U.S. Census Bureau. Over that same period, the average African American household continued to earn about 60 percent of the average white household. The percentage of Americans living in poverty — after dropping to 11 percent in the years immediately following King’s 1963 speech — was back to 15 percent in 2011.

Wealth disparities are even more glaring. While the wealthi-

from job training to education to mass transit — the very resources American families need to pull through tough times and get ahead over the long term.

To help close these economic gaps, we need reformed tax and spending policies that require everyone to pay a fair share. Closing tax loopholes that encourage individuals and large corporations to hide profits and ship jobs overseas could easily raise $600 billion over the next decade, which could be invested in American communities.

Limiting the wealthiest families to the top tax deduction available to middle-class taxpayers (28 percent)

Dr. King understood that civil rights included economic rights, and that we can never truly form a more perfect union until income, wealth and opportunity are made more equal. est 1 percent — just over 1 million households — owned more than one-third of America’s wealth in 2007, the bottom 80 percent — almost 89 million households — owned only 15 percent. In 2010, the median white household had eight times the assets of the median black household, according to the Urban Institute. These huge discrepancies threaten our democratic institutions because concentrated wealth wields disproportionate political influence.

While several factors have contributed to these troubling financial disparities, researchers have determined that roughly onethird of this escalating income inequality can be attributed to our skewed tax system and cuts to public services and benefits.

An unfair budget policy contributes to economic inequality in different ways. First, lower tax rates for the wealthy and numerous tax loopholes for large corporations keep money in the pockets of those who need it least.

Then the resulting decline in tax revenue causes Washington to slash investments in everything

could raise another $500 billion.

With millions unemployed or underemployed, rather than losing 900,000 more jobs with another round of cuts mandated by the cruel budget “sequester,” we could use this new revenue to invest in America’s future through a national jobs program. My proposal, the Humphrey Hawkins Full Employment and Training Act (H.R. 1000), would put Americans back to work rebuilding our infrastructure and rehabilitating our communities.

Dr. King understood that civil rights included economic rights, and that we can never truly form a more perfect union until income, wealth and opportunity are made more equal. On this 50th anniversary of his greatest speech, we come once more to rededicate ourselves to that dream.

U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr. (DMich.), dean of the Congressional Black Caucus, is serving his 25th term in Congress. He is the only member of Congress ever endorsed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This article previously appeared in Politico.

Thursday, September 12, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 9

Roxbury’s Cooper Center to unveil portraits of black greats

Portrait of Soloman Carter Fuller, the first black psychiatrist in the United States.

Banner Staff More than a dozen portraits of African American achievers with ties to Greater Boston and Massachusetts will be shown at an upcoming Roxbury exhibit opening.

The Roxbury-based Edward L. Cooper Community Garden and Education Center will unveil the permanent exhibit that celebrates pioneers of African descent — both living and dead — who have made a difference in Massachusetts and the world, said Jacqueline Johnson Maloney, member of the board of directors of the Cooper Center.

Located in the heart of Fort Hill, the Community Garden and Center is an intergenerational oasis in an economically diverse

and stable community.

“It is our hope that young people will be inspired to dream big and build on the foundation left by our elders and ancestors,” says Carol Shearer, another board member and a resident of the neighborhood.

The individuals featured in this exhibit stand on the shoulders of the builders of the pyramids, the Washington monument and the African Meeting House in Boston.

The portraits include Boston University School of Medicine-graduate and professor Solomon Carter Fuller — the first black psychiatrist in the United States, Elma Ina Lewis — who founded and operated for more than 30 years a school for the arts

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for black youth, Amherst College-graduate and blood bank pioneer Dr. Charles Drew and former Mass. State Rep. Mel King — a long-time community organizer and founder of the South End Technology Center of Boston.

The community unveiling and festivities will be held Sept.

14 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Edward L. Cooper Community Garden and Education Center at 34 Linwood Street in Roxbury.

The admission-free event is open to the public and will also feature vendors, food, school-supply giveaways, pony rides and much more.

Maloney, a long-time Roxbury resident, said the Solomon Trust commissioned the portraits to honor her late mother, Carmen Rubinia Solomon Maloney-Welch of Brooklyn, N.Y. “When she emigrated from Trinidad, it was her intention to attend medical school,” Maloney said. “Social norms and Caribbean culture required that she stay home and raise her four children. She was extremely gifted and lived vicariously through the educational achievements of her children.

“She loved the arts and sciences and would have been honored to help celebrate these greats,” Maloney added. “This exhibit honors those whose dreams would not be deferred. These men and women have laid a foundation for all Americans to build upon.”

An exceptionally gifted team

of high school and college-age graphic designers at South Boston-based Artists for Humanity researched the subjects’ vocations and avocations before producing the computer-aided portraits. Among them was Kenyan-born Hamza Mohamed, 16.

“It’s inspiring to learn how these African Americans strived for success and pursued their dreams,” said Mohamed, a rising sophomore at Boston Latin Academy, who has aspirations of being a professional graphic artist. “It makes me really happy that they found success by following their dreams.”

The portrait honorees also include Artists for Humanity cofounder and paint studio director Rob D. Gibbs. Gibbs, a critically acclaimed graffiti artist known as “ProBlak,” said it was “surreal” to be part of the focus of the project.

“To be mentioned in the same company and context as these forefathers is kind of humbling,” Gibbs said. “It lets me know that my work

is not over.”

Organizers say the exhibit also illustrates the significant relationships of math and computer technology to the creation of these paintings.

Alongside the depictions of Gibbs, Drew, Lewis, Fuller and King are paintings of educational advocate and engineer Karl W. Reid, NASA astronaut Ronald E. McNair, internationally renowned artist Allan Rohan Crite, NASA astronaut Mae Jemison, inventor Lewis Latimer, engineer and activist Kenneth Irvin Guscott, Dr. Alice Tolbert Coombs — the Massachusetts Medical Society’s first African American president, Dr. Joan Reed — Harvard Medical School’s first African American female dean, civil rights leader Robert Moses and Dr. Rebecca Crumpler — the first black female physician in the U.S. The permanently installed exhibit at the Edward Cooper Community Garden and Education Center is available for school and community tours by appointment.

Lewis Latimer, famed inventor.

Allan Rohan Crite, a Boston-based artist.

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Obamacare to close youth coverage gap Anna Challet Over 4 million uninsured adolescents will be eligible for healthcare coverage on Jan. 1, due in part to increased Medicaid eligibility, according to a new report released by the Department of Health and Human Services.

While last year’s Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act allows states to opt out of Medicaid expansion, all states are required to increase Medicaid eligibility for children up to the age of 19.

The department says that some 10 percent of children nationwide between the ages of 10 and 19 will qualify for coverage when the ACA goes into effect in

who are uninsured and eligible for coverage is highest in some of the states where legislatures rejected Medicaid expansion. Texas has the highest percentage in the nation, with nearly 18 percent of eligible adolescents lacking coverage. In Florida, just over 16 percent of eligible adolescents are uninsured.

Starting Jan. 1, all states must cover children ages 6 to 18 in families with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, or just under $27,000 a year for a family of three. Previously, the national maximum income for eligible families was 100 percent of the federal poverty level.

Robinson points out that several provisions of the ACA are

“All the emphasis has been on the adult population ... but there are unique benefits for adolescents as well.”

— Wilma M. Robinson, deputy director of the Office of Adolescent Health January — many of them Latino and African American.

“When you look at the statistics and you see the number of adolescents who are uninsured and eligible for benefits, 35 percent of them are Latino and 16 percent are African American,” says Wilma M. Robinson, the deputy director of the Office of Adolescent Health. “[The Affordable Care Act] is especially important for communities of color.”

The report, released by the Office of Adolescent Health and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, calls attention to the large number of adolescents nationwide who stand to benefit from greater access to coverage.

The percentage of adolescents

already in effect for adolescents, including a ban on denying coverage to children under 19 who have pre-existing conditions, formerly a common practice among private insurers. According to the report, one in four children between the ages of 12 and 17 has special health-care needs.

“The information [about the Affordable Care Act] is coming from so many sources and it can be overwhelming at times. All the emphasis has been on the adult population ... but there are unique benefits for adolescents as well,” Robinson says.

Open enrollment begins Oct. 1.

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intheMix with Colette Greenstein

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with Colette

John Biggers’s “Shotgun, Third Ward #1, 1966” (Photo courtesy of the Peabody Essex Museum)

Bearden, Biggers and Jones

Kudos to the Peabody Essex Museum’s recent exhibit In Conversation: Modern African American Art. The exhibit was colorful and rich with paintings, photos and sculptures of black life in the twentieth century, including such artists as John Biggers, Romare Bearden and Loïs Mailou Jones, as well as the legendary photographer Gordon Parks and many more artists. The works recorded the African American experience from the Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights Era to present day and wove a story about rich culture and heritage.

Ladies of General Hospital

Daytime soaps are so different from other television shows.

Audiences become involved in another world and emotionally attached to the characters. Viewers experience a range of emotions: happiness when star-cross lovers finally marry, or indignant surprise when a character is killed and leaves the show. Those who came to the Wilbur Theatre to see them on Sept. 8 got to watch Carly, Anna, Kate and Olivia up close and in person. The ladies were a hoot as they discussed their characters and told stories about their backstage antics, fielding

questions from the mostly female audience. To the fans it was just another day in Port Charles.

Tea at the Taj

Overlooking Newbury Street, the Taj’s opulent French Room is bathed in warm lighting from the chandeliers along with the natural lighting shining through the draped windows. Saturdays and Sundays from 1:30-3 p.m., then again from 3:30-5 p.m., guests dressed in their Sunday finest eat from the fine china filled with an assortment of sandwiches, pastries, petits fours and scones served with a refreshing lemon curd. The Taj supplies an absolutely delightful way to retreat, at least momentarily, from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Coming Up

New England Patriot Jerod Mayo hosts the Fourth Annual Mayo Bowl on Monday, Sept. 16, at Kings in Legacy Place. This star-studded bowling event and VIP party will benefit Pitching in for Kids and Boston Medical Center. The evening will include hors d’oeuvres along with a live and silent auction. Tickets are $85 at www.wepay.com/ events/161246.

For three days, beginning on Sept. 19, WGBH presents its Taste of WGBH Food and Wine Festival 2013 at the station’s stu-

Fans of the long-running daytime soap opera General Hospital came to “Ladies of General Hospital” at the Wilbur Theatre to hear some behind-the-scenes gossip on Sept. 8. (L-R): actresses Lisa LoCicero, Kelly Sullivan, Finola Hughes and Laura Wright. On the show, Locicero plays Olivia Falconeri, Sullivan plays Kate Howard, Hughes plays Anna Devane and Wright plays Carly Corinthos Jacks. (Photo courtesy of the Wilbur Theatre) dios with 25 unique food stations showcasing the cuisine of local chefs paired perfectly with selected wines. Admission costs $30-150.

The brothers behind the company Life is Good are back with another two-day fundraising festival taking place Saturday, Sept.

21, and Sunday, Sept. 22. The two-day event features Jack Johnson, Daryl Hall and John Oates,

The Roots, Amos Lee and many more performers and family activities. For a schedule of events and ticket prices, visit www.lifeisgood. com/festival.

On Monday, Sept. 23, Symphony Hall plays host to the “Mission Gratitude” fund raiser to benefit the Home Base Program, featuring performances by Sarah Silverman, Rita Wilson, Darrell Hammond and The Band Perry. For

tickets and additional information, go to www.missiongratitude.com.

The annual Men of Boston Cooking for Women’s Health fundraiser to benefit the Codman Square Health Center returns on Sept. 26. For more information, visit www.menofboston.com.

If you would like Colette Greenstein to cover or write about your event, email inthemixwithcolette@gmail.com.

12 • Thursday, September 12, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

Thursday, September 12, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 13

14 • Thursday, September 12, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

Above left: “Bullets Revisited #3,” three chromogenic prints on aluminum by Lalla Essaydi. (Photo courtesy of Miller Yezerski Gallery Boston and Edwynn Houk Gallery New York City) Above right: “Untitled,” gelatin silver print from “Qajar” series by Shadi Ghadirian. (Photo courtesy of Shadi Ghadirian) Bottom: “Untitled #5,” pigment print by Gohar Dashti. (Photo courtesy of of Galerie WHITE PROJECT Paris, all photos supplied by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)

In their eyes

Arab women photographers lift the shroud of the Muslim world

Susan Saccoccia Young newlyweds gaze at the viewer from their beribboned wreck of a car, which stands alone in a battlefield. Iranian Gohar Dashti’s droll, staged photograph of life in a time of war is one of the many memorable works in a new exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, She Who Tells a Story: Women Photographers from

Iran and the Arab World.

On view through January 2014 and curated by Kristen Gresh, who also created the show’s handsome catalog, the exhibition presents 100 works by 12 contemporary Arab and Iranian women photographers.

Countering clichéd Western views of women in Arabian cultures as submissive, shrouded and oppressed, these artists tell their

own stories. Their works are art, but not for its own sake. Instead, the images are potent distillations of human experience, urgent as well as spectacular.

Drawing its title from the name of an artists’ collective, rawiya, an Arabian word that means “she who tells a story,” Gresh organizes the works into three groups: Deconstructing Orientalism, Constructing Identities, and New Docu-

mentary. The images explore such themes as gender power, the toll of war, gaps between the old and new and the struggle to carry on ordinary life in a war zone.

While all 12 artists were born in the Middle East, some currently live in the Europe or the United States. Only two are in their 50s and both of those live in New York: Shirin Neshat and Lalla Essaydi.

Inspired by a visit to Iran after the 1979 Revolution turned her formerly secular native country into a theocracy, Neshat’s pioneering work asserts the power of Iranian women through traditional Farsi imagery.

A still from her 1998 video installation “Turbulent,” which won the Gold Lion at the 1999 Venice Photos, continued to page 17

Thursday, September 12, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 15

Nursing a passion for movies Bridget O. Davis reflects on a decade of her Pocono Mountains Film Festival and its growing audience Kam Williams Bridget O. Davis grew up in Harlem in the Drew Hamilton Projects with her four sisters.

Some of her close friends took to the streets — selling and using drugs and becoming stick-up kids.

Her mother, a counselor at a drug rehabilitation center, would often bring home recovering heroin addicts to show her daughters first hand the severely detrimental effects of narcotics abuse. Davis found refuge in writing and praying secretly in her bedroom closet. She also enjoyed playing hopscotch and jumping Double Dutch.

At the age of 13, Davis tried her hand at writing and won an essay contest that afforded her the opportunity to attend a writing camp in Russia. This trip would change her life forever.

Upon returning home, her love for writing grew exponentially. Now exposed to a life outside of Harlem, Davis had something else to aspire to besides what she witnessed on the streets from her bedroom window.

After losing her mother to cancer at the age of 20, Davis vowed to reach the pinnacle of success. Feeling helpless about being unable to save her mother’s life, Davis went to college

and became a registered nurse specializing in emergency-room, I.C.U. and operating-room care.

Davis also founded the Pocono Mountains Film Festival (PMFF). Now in its 11th year, the PMFF has been graced with the presence of such Hollywood legends as Billy Dee Williams, Jack Palance, Joyce Anne Dewitt, Edie Adams, Robert Townsend, Joe Jackson, Cliff Robertson, Robert Vaughn and Fred Williamson.

“My calling is to prepare a place for the creative to use their gifts of writing, acting, speaking and directing, and to engage in the higher process of healing at all levels of life’s deficiencies,” Davis says. “And to bring hope to those in despair.”

Congrats on your hosting the Pocono Mountains Film Festival for its 11th year. How did a sister from Harlem end up in the Pocono Mountains?

After witnessing all of the lives lost while growing up in Harlem to drugs and street violence, I was determined to make a positive difference in my community. After having two children with two men who did not share my same family values, I went to college and studied science with

the goal of becoming a registered nurse. As an R.N., I would become financially independent.

I would not have to depend on any man to decide the outcome of our lives.

How were you able to make it out of Harlem when so many of your friends weren’t?

In life, either you get it or you don’t. You cannot allow anyone else to tell you what direction you should go. My take on life is that your life should be determined by your own choices. If you fail, it will reflect your lack of hard work.

Where did you, a registered nurse, get the idea of starting your own film festival?

I wanted to see my second novel, Henry’s Heart, turned into a screenplay and independent film here in the Poconos. There was no place in the Poconos that had a venue to screen indie films.

The Poconos being a beautiful place, a film festival was missing.

What were the biggest obstacles in getting it launched?

Being an African American

Bridget O. Davis, an emergency-room nurse, founded the Pocono Mountains Film Festival in 2002. (Photo courtesy of Bridget Q. Davis) female in a predominantly white community, I received no financial support from the arts society or state reps. As I brought Academy Award winners to the Poconos the challenge became greater.

I had to work double shifts in the emergency room to pay for the event. The shift of negativity in this environment came when the folks here saw that I was fair to all independent filmmakers.

What was the initial reception of the Pocono community to the festival?

Negative, due to the fact that other people had tried to develop a film festival and they were not successful. Also, I made it clear

that everyone would have an opportunity to showcase their work and win honestly regardless of color, political agenda or socioeconomic status. Blacks, Christians, Muslims and Jews had the same opportunity to compete in the Indie Film category and win.

How many attendees did you have that first year? How many last year?

The first year we had over 300 attendees and last year we had over 2,000.

Why should people come to the Poconos for a film festival? What else is there Davis, continued to page 16

16 • Thursday, September 12, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

Davis

continued from page 15

for them to enjoy besides the movies?

People should come to the PMFF to support filmmakers who are creative and would otherwise not have an opportunity to showcase their work to the professionals that we have partaking in this forum.

Besides the movies, the PMFF has great networking opportunities for people trying to break into the film industry. We have high-profile celebrities in attendance to spearhead workshops.

We have an annual honorary awards ceremony in which we honor filmmakers for Best Full Feature, Best Documentary, Best Screenplay, Best Film Short, Best Reality Show and Best Christian Film. We have film critics to interview the independent filmmakers and we have distributors present to shop.

Does the festival have certain films it is looking for?

We look for films that motivate, educate and provide a deep sense of healing. We also feel that creativity is infinite and we are open to all ideas that could stimulate the human mind and assist with the conception of greater ideas and exchange.

The festival has honored such icons as Billy Dee Williams, Roberta Flack, Robert Vaughn and Oscar-

winner Cliff Robertson. Who is this year’s winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award?

We have a couple of people in mind that we are still reaching out to.

Parenting, nursing, writing, filmmaking, running a film festival, et cetera. Why do you try to juggle so many things?

When my time comes to leave this Earth, I don’t want to have any regrets. I can say I did it, everything that I wanted to do. I accomplished my dreams. I want my epitaph to read “Job well done!”

How would you describe yourself?

I would describe myself as strong, sensitive, ethical, driven — and as not a person to be handled.

Is there any question no one ever asks you that you wish someone would?

Why do you stay so busy helping other people fulfill their dreams? My answer: I realized that I never lived until I was able to help someone who could not repay me.

The feeling is wonderful!

When was the last time you had a good laugh?

The last time that I had a good laugh was when I got dressed in the dark and arrived in the E.R. with two different color shoes on.

What was the last book you read?

Living and Dying in Brick City

by Dr. Sampson Davis.

What was the last song you listened to?

“The Impossible Dream” by Luther Vandross.

What excites you?

When a patient comes into the E.R. and they are experiencing a life-threatening illness, [and] I save them and visit them the next day sitting up in bed smiling. Also, when I speak at women’s prisons and I begin by telling them that it is only for the grace of God that I am not sitting where they are sitting. I share my personal experiences with them and share how I was able to rise above the immediate predicament and became successful through setting boundaries that I would not go outside of.

Also, at the honorary awards dinner we will call the winners up to receive their award, and to see the expression of happiness on their faces is worth all of the hard work.

What was your best career decision?

I have two best career decisions. The first one was becoming an E.R. nurse. This decision allowed me to bankroll my other career decision to create the Pocono Mountains Film Festival.

When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

I see a person that could change the course of many lives for the better if I had the financial means. I see the eyes of a person who loves life as long as she is

able to assist with helping someone else survive. I see a caretaker of everyone regardless of race or economic status. I see a grown woman with the spirit and innocence of a little girl. I see success!

If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?

My one wish would be to destroy the prison-industrial complex. Corporations should invest in education and colleges, not slavery. That way, little boys and girls would have their daddies at home with them where they should be to help with child rearing.

If you only had 24 hours to live, how would you spend the time?

I would spend my last 24 hours telling everyone not to waste time on issues that they cannot change. Don’t look back at yesterday’s mistakes. Instead, focus on making tomorrow better.

What key quality do you believe all successful people share?

Hard work and sacrifice, without caring what others think of their endeavors.

What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

Remain humble at all costs and focus on your agenda. Take responsibility for your projects, work hard for what you believe in and never take anything for granted.

How do you want to be remembered?

Bridget O. Davis’ love of movies led to her launching a film festival. (Photo courtesy of Bridget Q. Davis) As a person that gave it her all, who never gave up, who loved people and cared for those who couldn’t care for themselves. And as a person who enjoyed making people happy and bringing out the best in everyone. I want to be remembered as a person who accomplished all of her dreams.

The Pocono Mountains Film Festival begins Oct. 18 with a meet and greet with all honorees and filmmakers. The festival will accept submissions of films and screenplays at www.poconomountainsfilmfestival.com until Oct. 10. This year’s winners will receive monetary gifts.

Thursday, September 12, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 17

“Untitled XIII,” 2002 pigment print by Rula Halawani. (Photo courtesy of Rula Halawani and Selma Feriani Gallery London and supplied by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)

Photos

continued from page 14

Biennale, shows a female singer holding a microphone, her face covered with the words of young Iranian women handwritten in delicate Persian script.

Under Islamic rule, female singers cannot record or perform in public. But in Neshat’s film, male and female singers are equals. Appearing on opposite screens, the two seem to face each other. He performs first, before a male audience, singing verses by 13th century Sufi poet Rumi.

She sings alone, in an empty hall.

As his veiled female counterpart chants Islamic verses in wild, incantatory cries, the man’s face becomes a study in awe.

Morocco native Essaydi also takes up the traditionally male tool of Islamic calligraphy, applying it directly to her models and their clothing. Her 2012 tryptich “Bullets Revisited #3” is both alluring and ironic, enfolding a supine woman in a shimmering backdrop composed of metal bullet casings.

In her 2010 series “Listen,” Newsha Tavakolian of Tehran portrays six Iranian singers who, as women, are denied recordings and audiences. She creates for each an imaginary CD cover — one emerges from the sea like an Arabian Venus, a poignant image of freedom. In soundless video clips, she shows each woman singing.

Slit-eyed black niqabs gradually engulf a mother, daughter and doll over the course of nine photos in a 2010 series by Boushra Almutawakel, who lives in both Paris and Sana’a, Yemen. At first the artist shows herself, her child and the doll in sunny headscarves.

The ninth photo is simply a black shroud.

In her 1996 installation, Iraqborn Londoner Jananne Al-Ani treats the veil as a fact rather than a symbol of oppression. On opposite walls, two large photographs show Al-Ani and four female relatives seated in a row. Cloaked in gradual stages of concealment, they stare at the viewer.

Shadi Ghadirian of Tehran juxtaposes images of old and new in a 1998 group of gelatin silver prints.

In warm, vintage tones, the photographs portray young women in 19th century European-style studio backdrops. While dressed in traditional clothing, they listen to a boom box, hold a Pepsi and read a banned newspaper. Her 2008 series “Nil, Nil” is a set of painterly color prints that display bullets and grenades in fruit bowls, handbags and bedding.

Nermine Hammam, who lives in Cairo and London, takes the art of unexpected juxtapositions even further. She photographed young soldiers on duty in Tahrir Square during the January 2011 uprising. In her prints, she places their photos in candy-colored settings — bucolic alpine scenes and flowery verandas. With poignant humor, her incongruous images reflect the strangeness of violence and war.

Street photography by Tanya Habjouqa of East Jerusalem portrays scenes of defiantly ordinary joy in Gaza, a seaside enclave of Palestine isolated and attacked by its neighbors Egypt and Israel.

Giddy girls, their hijabs flapping in the wind, enjoy a boat ride. In a photo of a family relaxing at the beach, the baby looks at the photographer.

In Egyptian Rana El Nemr’s 2003 series “The Metro,” the streamlined geometry of trains frames the women and their traditional garb. Human subject and setting also have equal weight in the 2009-2012 series “A Girl and Her Room,” portraits of young women in the Middle East by Beirut native Rania Matar, who lives in Brookline.

The wonder of this show is the way it brings together artists who are inventively using the medium of photography to make unseen or overlooked experiences visible — including scenes of joy, growth and change, as well as oppression and loss.

Rula Halawani in East Jerusalem blows up her negatives of the 2002 Israeli incursion into the West Bank to create ghostly images of human suffering and charred ruins.

Jananne Al-Ani traces the human imprints on landscapes of the Middle East, using aerial photography to capture contours of roads and buildings that emerge as shadows in the late-day sun. As the plane engine drones, her video shows the curves of long-abandoned desert roads, as ornate as Farsi script.

The MFA will present two events that complement this exhibition: On Sept. 29, Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan will introduce a day-long symposium with the artists hosted by exhibition curator Kristen Gresh On Oct. 16 and Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m., Shirin Neshat will discuss her work with Gresh in a session entitled “Through the Lens: The Life and Work of an Iranian Artist”

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18 • Thursday, September 12, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

NewsBriefs

Guess who’s coming to breakfast?

A political fight over who should host South Boston’s traditional St. Patrick’s Day breakfast ended last week when newly elected State Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry was named the host of the next traditionally Irish event in March 2014.

The breakfast, essentially “a political roast,” is usually hosted by the senator representing the First Suffolk district. For generations, the “Southie Seat,” representing parts of Dorchester, Mattapan and Hyde Park, has been held by Irish-American men — most recently Jack Hart.

But Sen. Jack Hart resigned this year to take a job in the private sector, leaving the seat vacant and the event without a host. City Councillor Bill Linehan, who represents South Boston, thought that he should be the host.

Dorcena Forry wasn’t having it, and rested on her credentials as the new First Suffolk state senator. In fact, she talked about her Irish credentials in a Boston Globe article. She is married to Bill Forry, the publisher of the Boston Irish Reporter and the Dorchester Reporter. She and her Irish-American husband have raised their family in South Boston.

“I have four bi-racial children — Irish-American and black,” she told the Globe. “I’ve been to Ireland four times. We celebrate the culture in my house. My two oldest sons were baptized in St. Augustine’s chapel in South Boston. I’m not just a random black woman who has this seat.”

Linehan backed down and Dorcena Forry will become the first non-Irish-American host.

The pair issued a joint statement Friday afternoon, saying they have agreed to end their standoff and allow Dorcena Forry to lead the festivities.

“It is evident there has been miscommunication surrounding this event,” Dorcena Forry said in the statement, adding, “I look forward to the South Boston delegation playing a major role in the event as they have done in the past.”

Linehan was equally gracious. “I look forward to working with Senator Forry on presenting the St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast next year,” Linehan said. “I am confident that we can present a quality event that makes us all proud.”

Boston’s new rental inspection program receives City Council hearing The Boston City Council’s Committee on City, Neighborhood Services and Veteran Affairs will hold a public hearing regarding Boston’s new rental registration and inspection program, ordinance CBC 9-1.3, on Sept. 16 at 11 a.m. in the Iannella Chamber on the fifth floor of Boston City Hall.

Boston City Councillor Charles C. Yancey ordered the public hearing last month following a closed meet-

After a brief hubbub, State Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry was named the host of St. Patrick’s Day breakfast, and will become the first non-Irish to hold the honor. Dorcena Forry, a Haitian-American, was recently elected to represent the First Suffolk district, which has traditionally been held by white Irish men. (Banner Archives) ing with representatives of Boston’s Inspectional Services Department in which he was dissatisfied with the administration’s responses to questions regarding the new ordinance.

“There are many lingering and unanswered questions that need to be answered,” Yancey said. “We need to have a public dialogue for all of Boston to attend so they can get the answers they need from the officials who will be enforcing this order.”

The program required all property owners of private rental units to register their properties with the City of Boston by Aug. 31 at an initial registration fee of $25 per unit.

The cost for registration fee after the initial year will be $15 per unit. In

addition to the registration fee, the ordinance also requires private nonexempt rental units to be inspected on a 5-year cycle starting Jan. 2014.

Boston Foundation sets records for fund raising and grant making in 2013 fiscal year

The Boston Foundation announced last week that its 2013 fiscal year was a record-setting year for fund raising, with the foundation receiving gifts and grants totaling $131.7 million between July 1, 2012, and June 30, 2013. The foundation also set a record for grants released in the fiscal year, with the foundation and its donors giving nearly $98 million in grants to nonprofits

throughout Greater Boston and beyond.

“Boston Foundation donors have a long history of investing to solve the challenges of Greater Boston, and there is no greater evidence of that than 2013,” said Paul S. Grogan, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation.

“This fund-raising effort underscores the value donors place in creating funds that can utilize the unique strengths of the Boston Foundation in asset management, research and grant making to change lives.”

The $131.7 million total marks a 26 percent increase over the previous record year for contributions, $104 million in the 2008 fiscal year. The $97.7 million in grants paid out is a slight increase over the record set in the 2012 fiscal year.

The Boston Foundation will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2015 — over its history, the foundation has distributed more than $1.1 billion to nonprofit organizations, over half of that in the past decade alone.

Thursday, September 12, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 19

Text

continued from page 1

If a student writes that someone is in a dangerous situation, for example, the text will direct them to call 911. For less dangerous situations the automated reply will ask for information about who is doing what, when and where.

The text line is being monitored, and text responses give students the number to call to reach a school official if the student wishes to speak to one. Anyone who says they are being bullied will hear back from a school official.

When many states established anti-bullying legislation several years ago, most had key stipulations that reporters of bullying must remain anonymous in order to prevent of retribution aimed at students reporting incidents.

Elgee pointed out the text hotline is still anonymous.

“We are really not interested in who is calling specifically. We want to help kids have a way to

share their concerns,” Elgee said.

“We can get in touch with the school principal and not identify the person who is making the report.

“They also do not have to talk to me in person. We can do the whole thing by text,” she added.

BPS’ bullying prevention hotline, which was started in 2009, is called a success by school officials. But Elgee said it also taught them that most of those calls that come in are actually going to be from adults — 90 percent of the calls to the bullying hotline since it was started are from parents or caregivers. Students are going home and reporting bullying to their parents, who are then calling to report the incident.

While school administrators are happy that students are reporting incidents of bullying to someone, the concern is that it takes longer to report through parents, and that many incidents still go unreported.

“We are hoping we will get a quicker response to the students because it doesn’t have to

go through the filter of adults,” said Elgee. “We are hoping the incidents will be reported as they occur.”

Elgee also points out that it is better for students to report bullying incidents themselves, whether they are the victim or a bystander. “We would like to empower students,” she said. We would like them to learn to stand up for themselves and advocate for themselves,” she said.

A key part of bullying prevention is not just dealing with bullies and victims, Eglee explains.

She points out the bystanders have power to stop bullying. Bullying education always pushes students to be “helpful and active bystanders.”

Statistics show that 85 percent of the kids that go to school want to do the right thing and help stop bullying, while only 15 percent are bullies or show antisocial behavior, according to Elgee.

“Unfortunately, it is very often the minority who sets the tone,” Elgee said. “What we are trying to do is enable and empower the majority of kids to do the right thing. “When you talk to kids about bullying most kids will say they know it is wrong.

What they don’t realize is that not doing anything is allowing the bully to have more power. …

We don’t want kids to put themselves in jeopardy in any way, but there are lots of ways that kids can stop it.”

Administrators have some suggestions for students that witness bullying: don’t laugh, tell an adult, be friends with a target of bullying and tell a bully to stop.

BPS runs a program called “Saturdays for Success” for students involved in bullying inci-

dents, including those who were bystanders to bullying. It is a 32hour program run for four hours over eight Saturdays.

The new bullying prevention text hotline is made possible by Blackboard Inc.’s TipTxt, a twoway texting service for schools.

The Washington, D.C.-based Blackboard is provider of technology products to schools.

In May, Blackboard offered TipTxt free to all K-12 schools and districts in the United States.

According to the company, it did so to help address the nationwide dilemma of bullying in schools.

“To us at Blackboard, we are not only a technology vendor to K-12, we are also part of the community and we want to help address issues and bullying is a huge issue,” said Jay Bhatt, chief executive officer of Blackboard.

[We offered it for free because] we felt it aligned with our mis-

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(L) Robert Lewis Jr. founded the Boston Astros baseball program 35 years ago to provide an outlet for inner-city kids to play baseball. Earlier this year, he started The Base, a Roxbury-based nonprofit program that will provide baseball training as well as educational support. (R) The Boston Astros work with many groups and organizations to support its inner-city baseball teams, including the Boston Red Sox. Boston Astros players and coaches are shown during a visit to Fenway Park. (Photos courtesy of the Boston Astros)

The Base

continued from page 1

the education component will be required. And on this point, Lewis is very clear: If players do not keep up with the educational requirements of The Base, they will not be able to play baseball for the Boston Astros.

According to Lewis, The Base will focus on several approaches to help its players succeed. One is baseball training, condition and competition. Another is college readiness and after-school tutoring for academic achievement. A third is job training, skill develop-

ment and learning. Finally, The Base will provide individual counseling, knowledge and resources. “The bottom line for me,�

Lewis explains, “is I want very active engaged citizens that are equipped and resourced for the 21st century jobs that exist and are out there.�

While the specifics are still being worked out, Lewis says that for every hour of playing baseball the athletes will have an hour of education-related prep work or life skills training. His hope is to provide to each player about 250 hours of off-the-field support a year.

To support this, the organiza-

s n o i t a l u t a r C ong

to Alma Woodberry

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tion will have coaches, trainers, educators, social workers and administrators all on staff. The Base has also partnered with 13 area colleges and universities, including Harvard University, Northeastern University, Brandeis University, the University of Massachusetts Boston, Endicott College, Emerson College and Simmons College. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If I can make academics a mandatory aspect to play in my program, we have something,â&#x20AC;?

Lewis says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to give our kids all the tools that they need to be successful.â&#x20AC;?

But with The Base, Lewis acknowledges that just winning on the ball field is not enough. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now what I need to do is up their GPA in school,â&#x20AC;? Lewis says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I need to let them know that those great skills and talents they have need to be applied. I need them to know that the three Ps â&#x20AC;&#x201D; preparation, practice and performance â&#x20AC;&#x201D; is not just on the field.â&#x20AC;?

Lewisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; overall goals for The Base are focused on the issues plaguing black and Latino males, such as the 55 percent and 51 percent four-year public high school graduation rates. He has pledged that the graduation rate for his organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s athletes will be 90 percent by 2017.

He also has the goal of sending at least 80 percent of its athletes to college or job-certification programs. Further, he says that at least 60 percent of The Baseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s student athletes will graduate from two- or four-year colleges.

Lewis launched The Base at the start of this year after spending several months working on his plans for the organization. He has very ambitious fund-raising goals for the nonprofit â&#x20AC;&#x201C; $12 million dollars in the next five years. He already has the backing of Grand Circle Travel owner and Chairman Alan Lewis, who pledged $2 million.

He also has the support of an impressive list of individuals and organizations, including Harvard Law School Professor Charles Ogletree Jr., the Whittier Street Health Center, College Bound

Dorchester, uAspire, the Latino Professional Network, The Boston Foundation, former CEO of Timberland Jeff Swartz, Ron Walker, II, of Next Street Financial, National Black College Alliance, and WilmerHale LLP. In addition to baseball, Lewis has worked in the civic, community and nonprofit fields. He has served as executive director of

for the Boston Housing Authority and founder and first director of the Streetworkers Program for the Boston Community Centers. Lewis was most recently vice president for programs at the Boston Foundation, where he oversaw $16 million in grant money. During his time with the Boston Foundation, he helped launched two major initiatives.

The first was StreetSafe Boston which has a mission of dramatically reducing gun violence in the city by working directly with known offenders in the neighborhoods most affected by street-level violence.

The second was CHAMPS Boston, which promotes positive youth development through sports by training coaches, providing donated sports equipment and uniforms, refurbishing fields and investing in youth sports programs throughout the city.

Since he launched The Base, Lewis says he has had many people ask him why he gave up a great job at the Boston Foundation. Lewis says he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look at it that way. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel like this is the promotion,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel privileged.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;My biggest goal is I want to

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want urban baseball to be a vehicle that is going to shift the trajectory of all of our kids. Every kid deserves to be educated, safe, healthy and warm.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Robert Lewis Jr., The Base Founder the Boston Centers for Youth and Families, president and executive of the National Conference for Community and Justice, senior vice president of City Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national operations and executive director of City Year Boston, director of community initiatives

revive and revitalize urban baseball in America,â&#x20AC;? he explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want urban baseball to be a vehicle that is going to shift the trajectory of all of our kids. Every kid deserves to be educated, safe, healthy and warm. Period. That is the moral basic standard.â&#x20AC;?

The Base will require all members of the Boston Astros baseball teams to take part in the nonprofit organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s educational support programs, such as tutoring and SAT prep, according to founder Robert Lewis Jr.

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Thursday, BAY STATE STATE BANNER BANNER •• 21 21 Thursday, September September 12, 12, 2013 2013 •• BAY

Standing above the first two letters of her name on the campaign banner, At-Large City Council candidate Michelle Wu joins supporters in Dudley Square. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Wu)

Council

continued from page 1

But in addition to the at-large race, several other City Council races have the potential to be quite lively. The District Two race is a rematch between incumbent councilor Bill Linehan and Chinatown’s Suzanne Lee, who narrowly lost in 2011 by 97 votes. Lee, a former school principal, has been running ever since in the district that includes Chinatown and South Boston.

Linehan has been politicking too, and during the City Council’s recent redistricting process, tried unsuccessfully to eliminate a pro-Lee ward from District Two, which has been held by a Southie politician since the days of James Kelley. The contested area — Ward Four, Precinct Three — consisted of about nine blocks and roughly 1,520 people. In the 2011 municipal election, voters there backed Lee by a five-to-one ratio.

Wu says she is hoping for the best turnout, which partly explains why she has focused on a grassroots campaign of the type that not only saw Warren win, but also Deval Patrick and Pressley, the City Council’s first female of color, who topped the at-large ticket in a historic 2011 election with more than 35,000 votes.

But based on her interactions with potential voters, Wu says many are “overwhelmed” and almost fatigued by several recent special elections.

District Five candidate Ava Callendar adds another word to Boston electorate — “confused.”

When Councilor Rob Consalvo launched a bid for mayor, his seat representing District Five attracted nine different candidates.

Further complicating matters is last year’s city redistricting map.

It stripped away parts of Mattapan from District Four — longtime city councilor and mayoral candidate Charles Yancey’s seat — and added them to nearby District Five,

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS CLASSIFIED LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS EXECUTIVE OFFICE FOR ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE DIVISION OF CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT & MAINTENANCE (DCAMM) Sealed proposals submitted on a form furnished by the Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance (DCAMM) and clearly identified as a bid, endorsed with the name and address of the bidder, the project and contract number, will be received at the Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance, One Ashburton Place, 16th Floor, Room 1610, Boston, MA 02108, no later than the date and time specified and will forthwith be publicly opened and read aloud.

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Mass. State Project No.

TRC0604 Contract No. HC1

Boiler & Associated Upgrades at East Cambridge Courthouse Cambridge, Massachusetts And the following Sub-Bids: Miscellaneous & Ornamental Iron, Glass & Glazing, Fire Protection Sprinkler System, Plumbing, HVAC and Electrical.

E.C.C: $1,630,601 This project is scheduled for 210 calendar days to substantial completion and in general includes: Installation of new boilers and associated upgrades.

Minimum rates of wages to be paid on the project have been determined by the Director of the Department of Labor Standards under the provisions of the Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 149, Sections 26 to 27H. Wage rates are listed in the contract form portion of specification book.

Each general bid and sub-bid proposal must be secured by an accompanying deposit of 5% of the total bid amount, including all alternates, in the form of a bid bond, in cash, a certified, treasurer’s, or cashier’s check issued by a responsible bank or trust company made payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The bidding documents may be examined at the Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance Bid Room, One Ashburton Place, 16th Floor, Room 1610, Boston, MA 02108 Tel (617) 727-4003. Copies may be obtained by depositing a company check, treasurer’s check, cashier’s check, bank check or money order in the sum of $100.00 payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. No personal checks or cash will be accepted as deposits. Refunds will be made to those returning the documents in satisfactory condition on or before OCTOBER 25, 2013 (ten business days after the opening of General Bids) otherwise the deposit shall be the property of the Commonwealth.

WE DO NOT MAIL PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS.

making it significantly more diverse.

More than 70 percent of residents in District Five will be voters of color, and almost 50 percent of the voting-age population will be black.

Those sorts of numbers should help Callendar’s campaign. Consalvo won the District Five seat in 2011 with a little more than 6,000 votes and he was virtually unopposed. In the last two months alone, Callendar says she has met at least 2,000 potential voters in the new district. “It really comes down to who can reach out to the most voters,” she says.

But, she quickly added, she has spent a lot of time explaining just who can vote in District Five. “A lot of residents are confused about the new district boundaries,” she said. “A lot of folks in the old District Five didn’t know that they are now a part of District Four.”

Once that is cleared up, Callendar says she can talk about the issues and why she believes she is the one to represent the new district.

For Callendar, politics is in her DNA. She was raised by her grandmother, the former State Rep. Willie Mae Allen. “She took me everywhere when I was a little girl,” Callendar says. “So I started in politics really, really early.”

Hanging out with her grandmother led Callendar to become politically active as a teenager. She served on several political task forces and youth councils as a high school student at Boston Latin Academy. She continued her political work after she graduated from Johnson C. Smith College, a historically black college in North Carolina, by working for her cousin, the esteemed U.S. Democratic Whip

James E. Clyburn, (D-S.C.), the man President Barack Obama once said is, “one of a handful of people who, when they speak, the entire Congress listens.”

“It really comes down to who can reach out to the most voters.”

— Ava Callendar At-large candidate for Boston City Council Callendar is now attending New England Law School and has worked as a victim’s advocate for Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley.

Like Wu, she hopes to increase

“I don’t want to be a city councilor that only sits in their office,” Callendar says. “I want to be out with the people, listening to their concerns and making city government more responsive to their needs.”

District 5 candidate Ava Callendar pauses for a moment during the recent HaitianAmerican parade in Mattapan. Callendar’s grandmother is the former State Rep. Willie Mae Allen and her cousin is U.S. House Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) (Photo courtesy of Ava Callendar)

Messenger and other type of pick-up and delivery services are the agents of the bidder and the Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance assumes no responsibility for delivery or receipt of the documents. Bidders are encouraged to take advantage of a rotating credit plans and specifications deposit program initiated by the Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance to encourage the easy accessibility of documents to contractors.

Designer:

the diversity of City Council members. More importantly, she says, she wants to increase constituent services and give her district a reliable voice.

DHK Architects, Inc. 54 Canal Street, Suite 200 Boston, MA 02114

Carole Cornelison COMMISSIONER MASSACHUSETTS PORT AUTHORITY NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Sealed General Bids for MPA Contract No. AP1405-C1, FY 2014-2016 TERM MECHANICAL CONTRACT, ALL MASSPORT FACILITIES, BOSTON, BEDFORD, WORCESTER, BRAINTREE, WOBURN, PEABODY, FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, will be received by the Massachusetts Port Authority at the Capital Programs Department Office, Suite 209S - Logan Office Center, One Harborside Drive, East Boston, Massachusetts 02128-2909, until 11:00 A.M. local time on WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013 immediately after which, in a designated room, the bids will be opened and read publicly.

Sealed filed subbids for the same contract will be received at the same office until 11:00 A.M. local time on WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2013, immediately after which, in a designated room, the filed subbids will be opened and read publicly.

NOTE: PREBID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD AT THE CAPITAL PROGRAMS DEPARTMENT, LOGAN OFFICE CENTER, ONE HARBORSIDE DRIVE, EAST BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS AT 10:00 AM LOCAL TIME ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2013.

The work includes PROVISION OF LABOR, MATERIALS, TOOLS, EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES TO REMOVE, RELOCATE AND INSTALL MECHANICAL AND PLUMBING COMPONENTS AT ALL MASSPORT PROPERTIES, BOSTON, FRAMINGHAM, BRAINTREE, PEABODY, WOBURN, BEDFORD AND WORCESTER, ON AN AS NEEDED/ON CALL BASIS. THE DURATION FOR THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE FOR A TWENTY-FOUR (24) MONTH PERIOD BEGINNING AT THE NOTICE TO PROCEED. Bid documents will be made available beginning THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 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 Assessment Management and Maintenance and an Update Statement. The General Bidder must be certified in the category of HVAC. The estimated contract cost is ONE MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($1,700,000.00).

In order to be eligible and responsible to bid on this contract, filed Sub-bidders must submit with their bid a current Sub-bidder Certificate of Eligibility issued by the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance and a Sub-bidder Update Statement. The filed Sub-bidder must be certified in the sub-bid category of work for which the Sub-bidder is

submitting a bid proposal.

Bidding procedures and award of the contract and subcontracts 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 subbids are required, each must be accompanied by a deposit equal to five (5) percent of the subbid 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 TEN MILLION DOLLARS ($10,000,000). Said policy shall be on an occurrence basis and the Authority shall be included as an Additional Insured. See the insurance sections of Division I, General Requirements and Division II, Special Provisions for complete details.

Filed subbids will be required and taken on the following classes of work: PLUMBING $600,000.00 The Authority reserves the right to reject any subbid of any subtrade where permitted by Section 44E of the abovereferenced General Laws. The right is also reserved to waive any informality in or to reject any or all proposals and General Bids.

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

The General Contractor is required to submit a Certification of 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

22 • Thursday, September 12, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER

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

Docket No. SU13D1753DR

Divorce Summons by Publication and Mailing Latarsha Sawyer

vs.

THIS IS A LEGAL NOTICE: An important court proceeding that may affect your rights has been scheduled. If you do not understand this notice or other court papers, please contact an attorney for legal advice.

Date: September 3, 2013

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.

SUFFOLK Division

NOTICE AND ORDER: Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor

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: Latarsha Sawyer, 116 Adams St, Unit 1, Dorchester, MA 02122-1223 your answer, if any, on or before 10/24/2013. 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.

1.

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

Date: August 13, 2013 Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate

2.

SUFFOLK Division

Docket No. SU13D1774DR Summons By Publication Agathe Joseph , Plaintiff (s) v.

Jimy Choute , Defendant (s)

A Complaint has been presented to this Court by the Plaintiff (s), Agathe Joseph, seeking a Complaint for Annulment.

You are required to serve upon Agathe Joseph — plantiff (s) — whose address is 10 Perthshire Rd, Brighton, MA 02135 your answer on or before October 31st, 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.

3.

Counsel for the Minor: The minor (or an adult on behalf of the minor) has the right to request that counsel be appointed for the minor.

4.

Presence of the Minor at Hearing: A minor over age 14 has the right to be present at any hearing, unless the Court finds that it is not in the minor’s best interests.

Date: September 3, 2013

NOTICE AND ORDER: Petition for Resignation or Petition for Removal of Guardianship of a Minor NOTICE TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES Hearing Date/Time: A hearing on a Petition to Resign as Guardian of a Minor or Petition for Removal of Guardian of a Minor filed by Caroline Walker of MATTAPAN, MA on 08/30/2013 will be held 10/02/2013 09:00 AM Guardianship of Minor Hearing Located at 24 New Chardon Street, 3rd floor, Boston, MA 02114 — Family Service Office.

Response to Petition: You may respond by filing a written response to the Petition or by appearing in person at the hearing. If you choose to file a written response, you need to:

File the original with the Court; and Mail a copy to all interested parties at least five (5) business days before the hearing.

3.

Counsel for the Minor: The minor (or an adult on behalf of the minor) has the right to request that counsel be appointed for the minor.

4.

Presence of the Minor at Hearing: A minor over age 14 has the right to be present at any hearing, unless the Court finds that it is not in the minor’s best interests.

SUFFOLK Division

NOTICE AND ORDER: Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor 1.

2.

NOTICE AND ORDER: Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor 1.

NOTICE TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES Hearing Date/Time: A hearing on a Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor filed on 08/29/2013 by Mildred L. Wright of Roxbury, MA will be held 10/03/2013 09:00 AM Motion Located at 24 New Chardon Street, 3rd floor, Boston, MA 02114 ~ Family Service Office.

2.

Response to Petition: You may respond by filing a written response to the Petition or by appearing in person at the hearing. If you choose to file a written response, you need to:

File the original with the Court; and Mail a copy to all interested parties at least five (5) business days before the hearing.

3.

Counsel for the Minor: The minor (or an adult on behalf of the minor) has the right to request that counsel be appointed for the minor.

4.

Presence of the Minor at Hearing: A minor over age 14 has the right to be present at any hearing, unless the Court finds that it is not in the minor’s best interests.

Response to Petition: You may respond by filing a written response to the Petition or by appearing in person at the hearing. If you choose to file a written response, you need to: File the original with the Court; and Mail a copy to all interested parties at least five (5) business days before the hearing.

3.

Counsel for the Minor: The minor (or an adult on behalf of the minor) has the right to request that counsel be appointed for the minor.

4.

Presence of the Minor at Hearing: A minor over age 14 has the right to be present at any hearing, unless the Court finds that it is not in the minor’s best interests.

THIS IS A LEGAL NOTICE: An important court proceeding that may affect your rights has been scheduled. If you do not understand this notice or other court papers, please contact an attorney for legal advice.

Date: September 3, 2013

Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate

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

Docket No. SU13P1981GD

In the interests of Muhammed LL. Sillah of Roxbury, MA Minor NOTICE AND ORDER: Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor 1.

Docket No. SU13P2089GD

In the interests of Isaiah Cristopher Bowman of Roxbury, MA Minor

NOTICE TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES Hearing Date/Time: A hearing on a Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor filed on 08/29/2013 by Mildred L. Wright of Roxbury, MA will be held 10/03/2013 09:00 AM Motion Located at 24 New Chardon Street, 3rd floor, Boston, MA 02114 ~ Family Service Office.

Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate

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

Response to Petition: You may respond by filing a written response to the Petition or by appearing in person at the hearing. If you choose to file a written response, you need to:

File the original with the Court; and Mail a copy to all interested parties at least five (5) business days before the hearing.

3.

Counsel for the Minor: The minor (or an adult on behalf of the minor) has the right to request that counsel be appointed for the minor.

4.

Presence of the Minor at Hearing: A minor over age 14 has the right to be present at any hearing, unless the Court finds that it is not in the minor’s best interests.

THIS IS A LEGAL NOTICE: An important court proceeding that may affect your rights has been scheduled. If you do not understand this notice or other court papers, please contact an attorney for legal advice.

Date: August 21, 2013

NOTICE TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES Hearing Date/Time: A hearing on a Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor filed on 08/20/2013 by Jessie LL. Johnson of Roxbury, MA will be held 09/19/2013 09:00 AM Motion Located at 24 New Chardon Street, 3rd floor, Boston, MA 02114 ~ Family Service Office.

2.

Response to Petition: You may respond by filing a written response to the Petition or by appearing in person at the hearing. If you choose to file a written response, you need to:

File the original with the Court; and Mail a copy to all interested parties at least five (5) business days before the hearing.

3.

Counsel for the Minor: The minor (or an adult on behalf of the minor) has the right to request that counsel be appointed for the minor.

4.

Presence of the Minor at Hearing: A minor over age 14 has the right to be present at any hearing, unless the Court finds that it is not in the minor’s best interests.

THIS IS A LEGAL NOTICE: An important court proceeding that may affect your rights has been scheduled. If you do not understand this notice or other court papers, please contact an attorney for legal advice.

Date: August 21, 2013

Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate

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

Docket No. SU13P1983GD

Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate

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

Docket No. SU13P1970GD In the interests of Terrence Isiah Cook of Dorchester, MA Minor

NOTICE AND ORDER: Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor 1.

Docket No. SU13P2087GD

In the interests of Jaylah Raquel Bowman of Roxbury, MA Minor

THIS IS A LEGAL NOTICE: An important court proceeding that may affect your rights has been scheduled. If you do not understand this notice or other court papers, please contact an attorney for legal advice.

Date: September 3, 2013

NOTICE TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES Hearing Date/Time: A hearing on a Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor filed on 08/20/2013 by Jessie LL. Johnson of Roxbury, MA will be held 09/19/2013 09:00 AM Motion Located at 24 New Chardon Street, 3rd floor, Boston, MA 02114 ~ Family Service Office.

2.

Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department

Docket No. SU07P2225GM1

In the interests of Jasiyah Love Formerly of DORCHESTER, MA and Now of MATTAPAN, MA Minor

2.

Response to Petition: You may respond by filing a written response to the Petition or by appearing in person at the hearing. If you choose to file a written response, you need to: File the original with the Court; and Mail a copy to all interested parties at least five (5) business days before the hearing.

Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate Court

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department

1.

NOTICE TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES Hearing Date/Time: A hearing on a Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor filed on 08/29/2013 by Mildred Wright of Roxbury, MA will be held 10/03/2013 09:00 AM Motion Located at 24 New Chardon Street, 3rd floor, Boston, MA 02114 ~ Family Service Office.

Witness, Joan P. Armstrong, Esquire, First Justice of said Court at Boston, this 20th day of August, 2013.

SUFFOLK Division

1.

THIS IS A LEGAL NOTICE: An important court proceeding that may affect your rights has been scheduled. If you do not understand this notice or other court papers, please contact an attorney for legal advice.

To the above named Defendant (s):

Publication: Bay State Banner

NOTICE AND ORDER: Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor

Docket No. SU13P2088GD

In the interests of Jessica Rachel Bowman of Roxbury, MA Minor

The Complaint is on file at the Court.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department

Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department

Kenneth A. Melendez

In the interests of Waquia MA Ramsey of Roxbury, MA Minor

NOTICE TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES Hearing Date/Time: A hearing on a Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor filed on 08/20/2013 by Barlinda Annette Cook of Dorchester, MA will be held 10/08/2013 09:00 AM Motion Located at 24 New Chardon Street, 3rd floor, Boston, MA 02114~Family Service Office.

2.

Response to Petition: You may respond by filing a written response to the Petition or by appearing in person at the hearing. If you choose to file a written response, you need to:

File the original with the Court; and Mail a copy to all interested parties at least five (5) business days before the hearing.

3.

Counsel for the Minor: The minor (or an adult on behalf of the minor) has the right to request that counsel be appointed for the minor.

4.

Presence of the Minor at Hearing: A minor over age 14 has the right to be present at any hearing, unless the Court finds that it is not in the minor’s best interests.

THIS IS A LEGAL NOTICE: An important court proceeding that may affect your rights has been scheduled. If you do not understand this notice or other court papers, please contact an attorney for legal advice.

Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate

Date: August 21, 2013

Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department Docket No. SU13D0187DR

SUFFOLK Division

Divorce Summons by Publication and Mailing Judy Saavedra-Santiago

vs.

Jovanny Santiago

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: Judy SaavedraSantiago, 151 Chelsea St, Apt 3, E. Boston, MA 02128-1010 your answer, if any, on or before 10/10/2013. 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: August 2, 2013 Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Department Docket No. SU13C0338CA

SUFFOLK Division

In the matter of Jayden Thanh Huynh of Roxbury Crossing, MA NOTICE OF PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME To all persons interested in a petition described: A petition has been presented by Lena Vo requesting that Jayden Thanh Huynh be allowed to change his name as follows: Jayden Thanh Vo 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: August 26, 2013 Patricia M. Campatelli Register of Probate

Thursday, September 12, 2013 • BAY STATE BANNER • 23

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$375/mo. $695/mo. $1395/mo. heated

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

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ADMIRAL’S TOWER CO-OP

SENIOR LIVING AT ITS BEST! Affordable senior apartments located on the beautiful grounds of Admiral’s Hill in Chelsea, this active senior housing co-op is within walking distance to shopping, banks, churches, and is on the MBTA bus line.

Features such as: • Scenic view of the Boston skyline • Plenty of space for outdoor relaxation • Transportation to Stop & Shop • New beauty parlor, shops & a flea market close-by • Well-maintained library • Emergency response person always available Social activities include: Bingo, Luncheons, Holiday Parties & More!!

Rent is based on 30% of income (income limits apply to qualified seniors 62 and older.

PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR SENIORS.

Call 1-800-225-3151 • www.csi.coop As of September 13, 2013 the accessible apartment waitlist will open for seniors who are 62 and older and for persons 18 and over who are mobility impaired requiring the special design features of accessible units.

APPLICATION OPENING The Saugus Housing Authority will be accepting applications for the 2 and 3 bedroom units of family housing located at 212 Essex Street, Saugus, MA. The income limits for family households are:

2-person household: $52,000 5-person household: $70,200 3-person household: $58,500 6-person household: $75,400 4-person household: $65,000 7-person household: $80,600 8-person household: $85,800 Applications are available between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and between 8:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Friday at the Saugus Housing Authority, 19 Talbot Street, Saugus, MA. You may also obtain an application by mail by calling the Authority at (781) 233-2116.

WINTER VALLEY

All applications in the Authority’s possession as of 2:00 p.m., Thursday, October 3, 2013, will become part of the lottery system for tenant selection set forth by DHCD.

Winter Valley Residences for the Elderly, Inc., a 160-unit complex financed by HUD for those 62 and older or physically disabled, is now accepting applications.

On Thursday, October 3, 2013 at 2:00 p.m., application numbers will be drawn from a container one at a time. Each corresponding application will be assigned a permanent control number and the application will be entered into a Master Ledger. Applications will remain on waiting list for consideration as vacancies occur.

RESIDENCES FOR THE ELDERLY, INC.

Winter Valley Residences has studios, one and two bedroom and barrier free units. They are owned and managed by Milton Residences for the Elderly, Inc., 600 Canton Avenue, Milton, MA 02186

Contact: Sharon Williams, Manager

617-698-3005

Stanley T. King, Chairperson, Saugus Housing Authority EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

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617-283-2081