bay state banner 12/06/2012

24
Solutions needed to combat inequality in Boston schools ...pg. 2 Howard Manly The U.S. Treasury Depart- ment honored OneUnited Bank last week with its Bank Enter- prise Award (BEA), the federal agency’s highest award for com- munity service. The BEA program is admin- istered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institu- tions (CDFI) Fund and provides an incentive to FDIC-insured banks to expand the availability of credit, investment capital and financial services in distressed urban and rural communities. Accompanying the fed- eral recognition was an award of $415,000, the maximum amount for any recipient. In all, the CDFI Fund awarded nearly $18 million dol- lars in BEA grants to 59 banks across the country, and these grants in turn helped spur loans and investments in distressed communities by more than $400 million over the previous year. “This award underscores OneUnited’s commitment to lending in underserved com- munities during the current economic downturn,” said Kevin Cohee, chairman and CEO of OneUnited Bank. “In 2011, OneUnited Bank gener- ated over 100 loans totaling $60 million with over 80 percent in low to moderate income com- munities, compared to only $4 million in 2009.” This year’s award marks the 10th time OneUnited has re- ceived the honor. Awards are provided on an annual basis and eligible institutions must comply with the rigorous re- quirements of the program. Cohee has paid more than lip service to the bank’s community lending policies. A few years ago, OneUnited opened a branch on Warren Street in Grove Hall. The bank had provided the fi- nancing for the redevelopment of the Silva Building in which the branch is located. “Opening the Grove Hall branch in a black-owned build- ing represents an opportunity By Fran Cronin A gaggle of 5- and 6-years olds clomped down a flight of linoleum- covered stairs on their way to their school’s basement-level cafeteria. It was the Monday after Thanks- giving weekend and the children were still energized from turkey, late nights and few demands. It was hard to tell if they were just coming in or on their way out: their knitted hats, unzipped jackets and uneces- sary boots were askew. But there was no mistaking their delight in seeing “Ms. Rose,” smiling at them from the bottom of the stairs. They waved, calling her name to get her attention as they contin- ued their giddy march to lunch. Ms. Rose, aka Charlotte Rose, 77, would agree she is gray-haired and seemingly grandmotherly toward these Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter School students, but she is also a tough and determined woman with a mission. For the past nine years, Ms. Rose has been a Generations In- corporated classroom volunteer working with GI’s senior literacy program to help young readers in the greater Boston area. “You come [into a kinder- garten class] and some kids can’t read. Next year they are. I just like seeing how the kids progress,” says Rose. As Rose’s almost decade-long stint as a GI tutor has taught her, helping is not always about reading. Some students do need help making sense of phonics; others may want a reading buddy or someone to snug- gle up against when a story is being read aloud. Sometimes, they just want someone to listen as they talk. “We’ve found kids love to read because of the relationship,” said Mary Gunn, GI’s executive director. After all, Rose is retired, more grandmother than teacher, as are the seven other GI senior volun- teers at Dudley Street. A total of 132 students are evenly divided across the school’s four kinder- garten and two-first grade classes. Two GI volunteers are assigned to each class. This school and neighborhood is also Rose’s home. She grew up attending local Roxbury public schools and now lives in Mission Hill, a two-bus ride from her home to Shirley Street in Rox- bury where the new in-district Dudley Street charter school is located. Three days a week Rose takes this 30-minute bus ride, puts on her forest green GI-emblazoned jacket, and volunteers as a one-to- one tutor or in-class support with struggling young readers. She vol- unteers 15 hours each week. Her experience and commit- ment have also catapulted Rose to team leader of GI’s senior volun- teers in the school. GI follows the “five-star” national core standards for literacy training and Rose mentors her fellow senior volun- teers as well as her young charges. Dudley Street opened its doors this past September. It’s a new Amy Saunders Weeks of research and dozens of phone calls led journalist Wil Hay- good to the home of the perfect pro- file subject: an 89-year-old Wash- ington resident with an unparalleled view of American history. Eugene Allen worked for eight presidents in his 34 years at the White House, starting in 1952 as a dishwasher and retiring as maitre d’ in 1986. During years of racial unrest in the United States, the black man — born in the segregated South — served the decision-makers whose actions would change his life. But to Haygood, the Washington Post reporter who arrived at his door in 2008, Allen modestly downplayed his experiences, suggesting that his life was nothing special — that all he had done was his job. Hours into the interview, Allen’s wife, Helene, apparently decided that the reporter had earned her trust and deserved to know more. “You can show him now,” she OneUnited Bank receives U.S. Treasury service award Senior volunteers go back to school A-List film focuses on White House butler OneUnited, continued to page 3 Volunteers, continued to page 19 Some students do need help making sense of phonics; others may want a reading buddy or someone to snuggle up against when a story is being read aloud. Sometimes, they just want someone to listen as they talk. Butler, continued to page 18 As promised during the campaign, President Barack Obama invited former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney to the White House. Last week, they dined on chili and grilled chicken salad and discussed America’s leadership in the world. (Photo courtesy of the White House) The Cathedral High football team poses for a victory photo after defeating Madison Park 22-20 in overtime and winning the Div. 4A Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 1. (Patrick O’Connor photo) ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Tick Tick Toks! Toks! pg. 14 pg. 14 Thursday • December 6, 2012 • www.baystatebanner.com Whatʼs INSIDE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT . . . . 14-16 LISTINGS LISTINGS BUSINESS DIRECTORY . . . . 10 CHURCH GUIDE. . . . . . . . . 20 PERSPECTIVE PERSPECTIVE EDITORIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 OPINION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 ROVING CAMERA . . . . . . . . 5 CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS HELP WANTED . . . . . . . . . . 23 LEGALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 REAL ESTATE . . . . . . . . . 21-23 FREE FREE

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Page 1: Bay State Banner 12/06/2012

Solutions needed to

combat inequality in

Boston schools ...pg. 2

Howard Manly

The U.S. Treasury Depart-ment honored OneUnited Bank last week with its Bank Enter-prise Award (BEA), the federal agency’s highest award for com-munity service.

The BEA program is admin-istered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institu-tions (CDFI) Fund and provides an incentive to FDIC-insured banks to expand the availability of credit, investment capital and financial services in distressed urban and rural communities.

Accompanying the fed-eral recognition was an award of $415,000, the maximum

amount for any recipient. In al l , the CDFI Fund

awarded nearly $18 million dol-lars in BEA grants to 59 banks across the country, and these grants in turn helped spur loans and investments in distressed communities by more than $400 million over the previous year.

“This award underscores OneUnited’s commitment to lending in underserved com-munities during the current economic downturn,” said Kevin Cohee, chairman and CEO of OneUnited Bank. “In 2011, OneUnited Bank gener-ated over 100 loans totaling $60 million with over 80 percent in low to moderate income com-munities, compared to only $4

million in 2009.”This year’s award marks the

10th time OneUnited has re-ceived the honor. Awards are provided on an annual basis and eligible institutions must comply with the rigorous re-quirements of the program.

Cohee has paid more than lip service to the bank’s community lending policies. A few years ago, OneUnited opened a branch on Warren Street in Grove Hall. The bank had provided the fi-nancing for the redevelopment of the Silva Building in which the branch is located.

“Opening the Grove Hall branch in a black-owned build-ing represents an opportunity

By Fran Cronin

A gaggle of 5- and 6-years olds clomped down a flight of linoleum-covered stairs on their way to their school’s basement-level cafeteria.

It was the Monday after Thanks-giving weekend and the children were still energized from turkey, late nights and few demands. It was hard to tell if they were just coming in or on their way out: their knitted hats, unzipped jackets and uneces-sary boots were askew.

But there was no mistaking their delight in seeing “Ms. Rose,” smiling at them from the bottom of the stairs. They waved, calling her name to get her attention as they contin-ued their giddy march to lunch.

Ms. Rose, aka Charlotte Rose, 77, would agree she is g r a y - h a i r e d and seemingly grandmotherly toward these Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter School students, but she is also a tough and determined woman with a mission.

For the past nine years, Ms. Rose has been a Generations In-corporated classroom volunteer working with GI’s senior literacy program to help young readers in the greater Boston area.

“You come [into a kinder-garten class] and some kids can’t read. Next year they are. I just like seeing how the kids progress,” says Rose.

As Rose’s almost decade-long stint as a GI tutor has taught her, helping is not always about reading. Some students do need help making

sense of phonics; others may want a reading buddy or someone to snug-gle up against when a story is being read aloud. Sometimes, they just want someone to listen as they talk.

“We’ve found kids love to read because of the relationship,” said Mary Gunn, GI’s executive director.

After all, Rose is retired, more grandmother than teacher, as are the seven other GI senior volun-teers at Dudley Street. A total of 132 students are evenly divided across the school’s four kinder-garten and two-first grade classes. Two GI volunteers are assigned to each class.

This school and neighborhood is also Rose’s home. She grew up attending local Roxbury public schools and now lives in Mission Hill, a two-bus ride from her home t o S h i r l e y Street in Rox-bury where the new in-district Dudley Street charter school is located.

Three days a week Rose takes

this 30-minute bus ride, puts on her forest green GI-emblazoned jacket, and volunteers as a one-to-one tutor or in-class support with struggling young readers. She vol-unteers 15 hours each week.

Her experience and commit-ment have also catapulted Rose to team leader of GI’s senior volun-teers in the school. GI follows the “five-star” national core standards for literacy training and Rose mentors her fellow senior volun-teers as well as her young charges.

Dudley Street opened its doors this past September. It’s a new

Amy Saunders

Weeks of research and dozens of phone calls led journalist Wil Hay-good to the home of the perfect pro-file subject: an 89-year-old Wash-ington resident with an unparalleled view of American history.

Eugene Allen worked for eight presidents in his 34 years at the White House, starting in 1952 as a dishwasher and retiring as maitre d’ in 1986.

During years of racial unrest in the United States, the black man — born

in the segregated South — served the decision-makers whose actions would change his life.

But to Haygood, the Washington Post reporter who arrived at his door in 2008, Allen modestly downplayed his experiences, suggesting that his life was nothing special — that all he had done was his job.

Hours into the interview, Allen’s wife, Helene, apparently decided that the reporter had earned her trust and deserved to know more.

“You can show him now,” she

OneUnited Bank receives U.S. Treasury service award

Senior volunteers go back to school

A-List film focuses on White House butler

OneUnited, continued to page 3 Volunteers, continued to page 19

Some students do need help making sense of phonics; others may want a reading buddy or someone to snuggle up against when a story is being read aloud. Sometimes, they just want someone to listen as they talk.

Butler, continued to page 18

As promised during the campaign, President Barack Obama invited former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney to the White House. Last week, they dined on chili and grilled chicken salad and discussed America’s leadership in the world. (Photo courtesy of the White House)

The Cathedral High football team poses for a victory photo after defeating Madison Park 22-20 in overtime and winning the Div. 4A Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 1. (Patrick O’Connor photo)

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENTARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

TickTickToks!Toks!pg. 14pg. 14

Thursday • December 6, 2012 • www.baystatebanner.com

Whatʼs INSIDE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT . . . . 14-16

LISTINGSLISTINGS

BUSINESS DIRECTORY . . . . 10

CHURCH GUIDE . . . . . . . . . 20

PERSPECTIVEPERSPECTIVE

EDITORIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

OPINION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

ROVING CAMERA . . . . . . . . 5

CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIEDS

HELP WANTED . . . . . . . . . . 23

LEGALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

REAL ESTATE . . . . . . . . . 21-23

FREE FREE

Page 2: Bay State Banner 12/06/2012

Kenneth J. Cooper

The Boston School Depart-ment has for two years focused on improving education in a “Circle of Promise,” an area in Roxbury, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain and the South End where 11 of the city’s 12 underperforming schools are concentrated.

Also concentrated in those five square miles are high levels of asthma, residential foreclosures and homelessness, according to published statistics.

All three have been shown to hamper academic progress, James Jennings, a Tufts University pro-fessor, noted in a presentation at Northeastern University last week.

Children with asthma are absent from school more often, while a family losing housing through foreclosure and becom-ing homeless can cause students to start classes at one school but finish the year at another, which can be academically damaging.

Jennings suggested that the school committee consider these in-equalities affecting students of color as its members decide on a new student assignment plan to create neighborhood schools, reduce transportation costs and simplify the choices facing parents.

Superintendent Carol John-

son said the school system alone cannot counter those inequalities but acknowledged their “com-pounding impact” as a consider-ation in drafting new zones for school attendance.

“What exists in many of our urban cities, not only Boston, is a complex web of inequality. And so because it is a complex web of inequality, it requires a response on multiple levels,” Johnson said. “While the resources may have been distributed to the schools, if you have a really complex web of inequality, tapping into one ele-ment will not be a sufficient lever to change the course of the future.”

Johnson envisioned greater roles for advocacy groups, com-munity organizations, libraries

and YMCAs, but added: “It may be about busing some kids to some neighborhoods to get equal-ity, but it’s also about making sure everything not get abandoned in our neighborhoods.”

School officials have drafted

five plans to produce more neigh-borhood schools. The plans have between zero and 23 attendance zones, compared with the current design’s three.

Mayor Thomas Menino has pressed for a return to neighbor-hood schools, without citing re-search that shows they produce better academic results. He has been responding to pressure from par-ents of white students, a 13 percent minority among the city’s 57,000 students. Despite the large number of recent immigrants of color, white voters remain the dominant politi-cal force in city elections.

Resistance has come from elected officials, community lead-ers and educators of color whose greatest fear is black and Hispanic

students becoming trapped in un-derperforming schools.

“The purposes of busing kids today may not be the same reasons for busing kids” under the fed-eral desegregation order of 1974, said Charles Desmond, chairman

of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education.

White parents and parents of color appear to have divergent goals as school attendance bound-aries are shifted. White parents want neighborhood schools, which they presume are of quality. Par-ents of color want access to quality schools — wherever they may be.

As it is now, academic research-ers are studying the five draft plans in an effort to predict the school choices parents will make under each one. Those plans, however, lack a focus on the system’s major educational problem — the con-centration of poor schools in the “Circle of Promise.” That also stands as the biggest political ob-stacle to a more neighborhood-based and less busing-intensive way to get students to school.

Johnson said a new assign-ment plan will not completely address educational shortfalls in that area, such as attracting the best principals and teachers to underperforming schools to serve the system’s students with the greatest needs.

“The student assignment plan will answer some questions, but it will not answer others,” she said.

The plan might provide more answers if it reflects more bold-ness and creativity than the five on the table.

The open dialogue between Johnson and black community leaders was the last in a series of four sponsored by the Trotter Institute at UMass Boston. Last week’s session was hosted at the O’Bryant African-American In-stitute at Northeastern.

Solutions needed to combat inequality in Boston schools

A N A L Y S I S

Arts activist and journalist Nina LaNegra illustrates a point during a Ladies Tea and Book Discussion on Dec.1 at Hafun Café in Dudley Square. The discussion focused on the book “Good Self, Bad Self” by Judy Smith, who is the real-life Olivia Pope of ABC’s hit TV series “Scandal.” (Eric Esteves photo)

“What exists in many of our urban cities, not only Boston, is a complex web of inequality. And so because it is a complex web of inequality, it requires a response on multiple levels.”

— Carol Johnson

2 • Thursday, December 6, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER

Page 3: Bay State Banner 12/06/2012

for black people to support black-owned businesses and re-channel wealth back into our community,” Cohee said at the

time. “Our communities de-serve access to quality financial products, not sub-prime gim-micks or predatory lending.”

OneUnited’s mission is to be the premier bank serving urban communities by promoting fi-nancial literacy and offering af-

fordable financial services. Through mergers and ac-

quisitions of struggling com-munity banks in Miami and Los Angeles, Cohee has taken the old Boston Bank of Commerce and transformed it into the first black-owned national bank with

about $550 million in assets.“We are honored by the

recognition of our commu-nity development efforts as we continue to focus on generat-ing more loans and promoting financial literacy in urban com-munities,” Cohee said.

OneUnitedcontinued from page 1

Remain far from other’s wealth.Neither go anywhere near itnor cast your eyes upon it.Never let it creep into your meditation.Regard women with respect and affection.Never harm a woman.Consider her the mother of the universe. — Swami Muktananda

Thursday, December 6, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER • 3

Page 4: Bay State Banner 12/06/2012

GOP insanitySpeaker of the House John Boeh-

ner (R-Ohio) has requested that Presi-dent Obama and the Democrats bring Obamacare to the negotiating table in the “fiscal cliff” debates.

I might be mistaken, but didn’t the U. S. Supreme Court uphold Obam-acare (The Affordable Care Act) on June 28, 2012 by a 5-4 vote with Chief Justice John Roberts voting in support of it? What’s next? Will Congressman Boehner and his supporters demand a reconsideration of Roe vs. Wade, Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

Let’s hope that this is mere po-litical posturing for the cameras and nothing more.

DavidVia email

All hands on deck

In the aftermath of the national Republican political meltdown, in an effort to affix blame for failure to cap-ture the presidency or control of the U. S. Senate, we are bound to see further implosion.

But the Democratic Party can take

no long-term comfort or luxury in gloating. This is no time for individual political opportunism. In a party top-heavy with superstars, ego will have to be subordinated on the alter of party unity for the next four years and (most importantly) beyond 2016.

I see the need for the Obama Ad-ministration to stand pat with as little changing of the guard as possible. Su-perstars Hillary Clinton, John Kerry and Deval Patrick should all be strongly encouraged to place party and country before personal political ambitions, and shore up the Obama mandate to be “Fired-Up, Ready to Go!”

It is also a golden opportunity to ef-fectively derail the budding superstar aspirations of Scott Brown, before he can springboard to a presidential run from the high-visibility opportunity

offered as a sitting governor or U.S. Senator from Massachusetts.

There is much talk of our country standing on the brink. The truth is that the brink is a crossroads rather than a precipice. Bold leadership and total team effort is capable of taking us to an international position of un-equaled respect and prosperity.

As both parties gather their forces and reassess what role they each will play in leading this nation forward, bi-partisanship as never before could and should be the guiding principal and northern star for both. E Pluribus Unum is not just a phrase but a man-date for survival. My country, right or wrong, but still my country.

Jim Butler Falmouth

Send letters to the editor:By Fax: 617-261-2346

From Web site: www.baystatebanner.com click “contact us,” then click “letters”

By Mail: The Boston Banner 23 Drydock Avenue Boston, MA 02210.

Letters must be signed. Names may be withheld upon request.

Brother Lincoln has been depressed about the GOP since the election.

Historians consider Abraham Lincoln to be one of the nation’s most outstanding presidents. Dur-ing his administration the very union was chal-lenged and the nation fought a bloody Civil War. The United States also had to decide whether or not it was going to tolerate slavery.

Older generations of African Americans revered Lincoln as the president who ended slavery. Con-sequently, wherever they could vote, blacks became loyal members of the Republican Party, the party of Lincoln. It was not until 1933 that the dynamic leadership of Franklin Delano Roosevelt inspired major defections of blacks to the Democrats.

Lincoln was assassinated on April 15, 1865, less than three months after the 13th Amendment end-ing slavery everywhere in the U.S. was passed by the House on Jan. 31. Blacks’ loyalty to Lincoln survived for 65 years after his death despite Jim Crow, lynching and racial oppression. However, with the emergence of the Civil Rights Move-ment in the 1950s, blacks became more critical of Lincoln’s attitudes that were deemed to be racist, despite his leadership to end slavery.

From the perspective of 2012 America, it is im-possible to understand with clarity the mindset of those in Lincoln’s era. However, the new fi lm “Lincoln” recreates the ambience of that time. One of the most shocking scenes in the fi lm was the absolute outrage in the House of Represen-tatives to the suggestion that women might be permitted to vote. Female suffrage did not occur for 55 years from then until passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920.

If the mothers, wives and daughters of those in power are excluded from the democratic process, there was certainly no immediate plan for the par-ticipation of blacks. Nonetheless, it was still con-sidered to be morally reprehensible for one human being to own another. Great Britain had acknowl-edged this tenet of civilized conduct by passing the British Slavery Abolition Act of 1833. This un-doubtedly infl uenced many Americans.

When Lincoln fi rst came to the presidency in 1861, the Southern states were already consider-ing withdrawal from the union. In February, South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas ratifi ed the Confederate Con-stitution and seceded. The original seven states were later joined by Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina. The fi rst shots of the Civil War were fi red at Fort Sumter, S.C. on April 12.

Lincoln had hoped to avert warfare by assuring the Confederate states that local customs would be preserved by states’ rights. In his fi rst Inaugural Address on March 4, 1861, Lincoln said, “I under-stand a proposed amendment to the Constitution … has passed Congress to the effect that the fed-eral government shall never interfere with the do-mestic institutions of the states, including that of persons held to service. I have no objection to its being made express and irrevocable.”

Lincoln was a native of Illinois, a state that had abolished slavery by its constitution in 1818. None-theless, as a politician it was inadvisable for Lin-coln to be branded as an abolitionist. With limited personal contact with slavery it was easier for him to tolerate the practice until he came to Washing-ton, where he developed an abhorrence for slavery. By Sept. 22, 1862 he was quite ready to issue the Emancipation Proclamation that freed only those slaves living in the Confederacy as of Jan. 1, 1863.

With most blacks still in the South, the Emanci-pation Proclamation freed about 75 percent of the slaves. As efforts to end the war developed, Lincoln became concerned that his executive order based upon the constitutional war powers would not sur-vive the armistice. He feared that lawsuits could re-voke his executive order and reinstitute the legacy of slavery. Lincoln therefore pushed for adoption of the 13th Amendment that passed the Senate on April 8, 1864. With a forceful effort from the presi-dent it passed the House on Jan. 31, 1865.

The film “Lincoln” is essentially the story of that political battle.

Established 1965

LETTERSto the Editor

Lincoln’s record endures

4 • Thursday, December 6, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER

USPS 045-780

Publisher/Editor Melvin B. MillerAssoc. Publisher/Treasurer John E. MillerExecutive Editor Howard Manly

ADVERTISINGMarketing-Sales Director Sandra L. CasagrandAdvertising Coordinator Rachel Reardon

NEWS REPORTINGHealth Editor Karen MillerManaging Editor Lauren CarterDeputy Editor G. Valentino Ball

Contributing Writers Gloria J. Browne-MarshallKenneth J. Cooper

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Caitlin Yoshiko KandilSandra Larson

Shanice MaxwellAnthony W. Neal

Brian Wright O’Connor

Staff Photographers Ernesto ArroyoJohn BrewerEric Esteves

Tony IrvingDon West

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTContributing Writers Dart Adams

Robin Hamilton Susan Saccoccia

Lloyd Kam Williams

PRODUCTIONProduction Manager Marissa GiambroneProduction Assistant Heather Austin

ADMINISTRATIONBusiness Manager Karen Miller

The Boston Banner is published every Thursday.Offices are located at 23 Drydock Ave., Boston, MA 02210.Telephone: 617-261-4600, Fax 617-261-2346Subscriptions: $48 for one year ($55 out-of-state)Web site: www.baystatebanner.comPeriodicals postage paid at Boston, MA.All rights reserved. Copyright 2010.

The Banner is certified by the NMSDC, 2009.

Circulation of The Bay State and Boston Banner 33,740. Audited by CAC, March 2009.

The Banner is printed by: Gannett Offset Boston, 565 University Ave.,

Norwood, MA 02062

Quotes from Swami Muktananda reprinted with permission from SYDA Foundation. © SYDA Foundation

Page 5: Bay State Banner 12/06/2012

Thursday, January 3, 2008 • BOSTON BANNER • 5

State Senator Sonia Chang-Díaz received the 2012 Walter G. Turner Award from the National Association of Educational Service Agencies (AESA). Chang-Díaz and her Education Committee co-chair, Representative Alice Peisch (D-Wellesley), were selected for their work reforming the state’s system of education collaboratives.

Education collaboratives are entities that enable school districts to pool their resources to achieve shared goals, such as serving severe-need special education stu-dents or professional development for teachers.

State officials and the public called for immediate action last fall after investigations by the State Auditor and Inspector General uncovered a serious misuse of funding at the Mer-rimack Special Education Collabora-tive and other collaboratives around the state. The Education Committee held a series of oversight hearings on the financial abuses, and Chang-Díaz filed a collaboratives reform bill that

became the first piece of legislation passed by the Senate this year.

Chang-Díaz and Peisch were also selected for their contributions to the advancement of regional edu-cation programs in Massachusetts.

The award comes on the heels of another education award Chang-Díaz received earlier this month, the Legislator of the Year award from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees.

Why do you believe working class whites vote with the Republican Party?

Because Romney was white and they didn’t want to see a black man in office again. Racism is still kind of alive.

Gary DixonCommonwealth Construction & Restoration

Roxbury

People vote with what they con-nect with. Democrats connect more with the poor; Republicans connect more with high power.

Dawnn Jaffi erEducatorBrighton

They see they’re losing control and want “their” country back, and of course you know what that means.

Sharon KnightHomeless Coordinator

Dorchester

In my thinking, because they be-lieve they are superior.

J.J. KingRetired

Fields Corner

Not all do and things are chang-ing. I know a lot of whites who voted for Obama too.

James WorrellRetail

Brockton

Because they see it as a way of pre-serving wealth.

Martin KellyPatient & Family Relations

Jamaica Plain

White guys still rule the GOPEarl Ofari Hutchinson

House Speaker John Boehner didn’t bother to go through the pretense of recommending more women and minorities to chair House committees. All 19 of his chair picks were white men. The committee chairs determine what legislation gets heard or stone-walled in the House.

So Boehner’s naked move to ensure that white guys still rule in the House seemingly makes mockery of all the GOP’s big post-election talk about making women and minorities bigger players in the party.

A charitable defense of Boehner would be to say that he just doesn’t have the numbers to place more women and minorities in House leadership positions. One of their two African American members and one of their seven Hispanic members were defeated. At the same time, they have six fewer women in the coming House session than in the last one.

But that’s too charitable. Boehner’s House leadership’s exclusive white male recommendations serve two purposes. It gives him a cozy, familiar and reliable House team that will fight hard to hold a firm line against President Obama and the Democrats’ legisla-

tive initiatives on health care, tax and regulatory reform, de-fense budget cuts and an array of spending hikes for domestic programs.

Boehner also has a firm eye on what he and many in the GOP — despite their talk — still see as who the party needs to draw in to win elections. It’s not Hispanics, blacks, youth, gays, labor rank and filers or white middle-class professional women. The Democrats have a firm lock on them and that’s not likely to change when the 2014 mid-term elections roll around.

The GOP’s base supporters are and will remain the ones who gave failed GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney nearly half the popular vote and that insured that Boehner and the GOP kept control of the House.

They are conservative blue-collar, rural, lower-income, non-college degree white males, blended with upper-income and wealthy, conservative corporate and white male small business owners in the Midwest, the South and the border states.

Their numbers may be shrinking, but they are the voters that fueled victory for Nixon, Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. They also provided the voter muscle for GOP governors and legions of state legislators who run the majority of states.

In a CNN 2004 presidential election voter profile, males made up slightly more than 40 percent of the American electorate, and of that percent, white males comprised 36 percent, or one in three American voters.

The percentages didn’t change much in 2008 and 2010 na-tional elections as well as the 2012 presidential election. They consistently give on average 60 percent of their vote to whoever the GOP presidential candidate is. In the South and the heart-land states, the percentage jumped to 70 percent for Reagan and George W. Bush.

GOP leaders aren’t just counting numbers. They also hear what millions of their conservative male backers say even in the wake of Romney’s flop.

That is that the GOP’s defeat was Romney’s defeat and did not in any way negate the message that vast numbers of Americans still think government is too big, intrusive and costly and that the tra-ditional family, conservative religious beliefs, patriotism, a strong military, and a sliced-down government are still time-tested and noble values that must be fought for and preserved.

They are and will continue to push the GOP not to cave in to liberals, Hispanics and blacks and become a Democratic-lite party.

Boehner’s all-white male picks for House leadership posts add more reassurance that the GOP’s white male rule is firmly in place and will likely stay that way.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst.

Thursday, December 6 • BAY STATE BANNER • 5

ROVINGCameraOPINION

INthe newsSonia Chang-Díaz

The Banner welcomes your opinion.

Email Op-Ed submissions to:

[email protected]

Letters must be signed. Names may be withheld upon request.

Boehner’s naked move to ensure that white guys still rule in the House seemingly makes mockery of all the GOP’s big post-election talk about making women and minorities bigger players in the party.

Page 6: Bay State Banner 12/06/2012

Charlene Crowell

In a recent speech before the Operation HOPE Global Finan-cial Dignity Summit in Atlanta, Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, warned that the current housing recovery is leav-ing communities of color behind. In his remarks, he acknowledged that racial discrimination in hous-ing persists despite federal fair housing laws and the Community Reinvestment Act.

“Two types of discrimination

continue to have particular sig-nificance to mortgage markets,” said Bernanke. “One is redlining, in which mortgage lenders dis-criminate against minority neigh-borhoods, and the other is pricing discrimination, in which lenders charge minorities higher loan prices than they would to compa-rable non-minority borrowers.”

He added, “I am reminded here that fair treatment in hous-ing was a significant focus of Dr. King’s and the Fair Housing Act of 1968 — still one of the nation’s cornerstone laws to prohibit dis-crimination — was passed only a week after his assassination and stands among his legacies.”

Despite that historic legisla-tion, from 2004 to 2012 African American homeownership fell more than double that for other racial groups, and the number of home purchase loans among Af-

rican Americans and Hispanics dropped more than 65 percent. By comparison, lending to non-Hispanic whites fell during these same years less than 50 percent.

Nationwide, the current ho-meownership rate stands at a 15-year low.

Bernanke’s conclusions under-score recent independent housing

research by the Center for Respon-sible Lending (CRL). The report entitled “Collateral Damage: The Spillover Costs of Foreclosures” measures losses in property values suffered by families who live near foreclosed homes. CRL found that among the 10.9 million homes that went into foreclosure between 2007 and 2011, over half of the

“spillover” costs were borne by Af-rican American and Latino fami-lies — a loss amounting to approx-imately $1 trillion.

While Bernanke called for con-sumers to become more financially informed, CRL cautions that ef-forts to strengthen consumer edu-cation should never substitute for fair policies. There will always be gaps in financial literacy; but sound policies can help ensure better and more sustainable opportunities for families to build wealth.

Now, while the Consumer Fi-nancial Protection Bureau (CFPB) moves toward finalizing key mort-gage reforms, CRL has publicly posed an important question: How

will these policies affect homeown-ership opportunities for lower-and middle-income families who bore the brunt of the recent crisis?

In coming months, CFPB reg-ulatory actions can become an op-portunity to correct the multiple ills wrought by lending abuses and lax financial regulation

As Bernanke said, “Our re-covery must be broadly felt to be complete, and families and com-munities that were already strug-gling before the crisis must be in-cluded in that recovery.”

Charlene Crowell is a communi-cations manager with the Center for Responsible Lending.

Bernanke: Communities are key to economic recovery

COMMUNITYVoices

On Nov. 28, the Dorchester YMCA hosted a breakfast at Phillips Old Colony in recognition and support for their initiatives. Pictured (L to R) are Rev. Harold Sparrow, Bill Moran, Tom Finneran, Kathy Townsend, executive director of the Dorchester YMCA, Bernie Sigh, Phil Strazzula and Bob White. (Tony Irving photo)

“Our recovery must be broadly felt to be complete, and families and communities that were already struggling before the crisis must be included in that recovery.”

— Ben Bernanke

6 • Thursday, December 6, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER

Page 7: Bay State Banner 12/06/2012

Brigham and Women’s Hospital cardiologist Eldrin F. Lewis, M.D., M.P.H., specializes in evaluating patients with heart failure. His goal, however, is to prevent patients from ever needing his expertise.

Knowing that high blood pres-sure (hypertension) is the biggest risk factor for heart failure, Dr. Lewis tells his patients that they’ll dramatically reduce their risk of developing heart disease if they follow a few simple guidelines. “Eliminate excuses from your vocabulary,” says Dr. Lewis.

What is high blood pressure and why is it important?

Hypertension occurs when blood flow force is too high and stretches the walls of the blood vessels. The ”top number” measures pressure when the heart beats, and the ”bottom number” measures pressure when the heart relaxes. An elevated level for either measure is cause for con-cern. Normal is 120/80 (or less), and elevated is 140/90 (or more). Left un-treated, high blood pressure can cause heart attacks, stroke, kidney failure or heart failure.

African American adults are more than 44 percent more likely to have hypertension than non-Hispanic whites. Some of this difference may be due to genetics, but obesity, inac-tivity, tobacco and alcohol use, stress and salt intake are all modifiable risk factors for developing hypertension.

Unfortunately, many people are unaware of their blood pres-sure levels. Since mild to moderate hypertension usually doesn’t come with any symptoms, you won’t know whether you have it unless you get your blood pressure checked. This lack of warning, combined with a failure to get regular check-ups, is why an estimated 30 percent of Af-rican Americans are unknowingly living with hypertension. And only half of all people with hypertension have it under control.

There’s no excuse for not knowing your blood pressure, says Dr. Lewis. Everyone should have their blood pressure checked at least once a year, and thanks to President Obama’s new health care law — the Afford-able Care Act — you can get your yearly physical for free. People at risk or who have already been diagnosed with hypertension, however, should check their blood pressure more frequently. This can be done at your doctor’s office or on your own.

Get active “Obesity is a normal response

to an abnormal environment,” ex-plains Dr. Lewis.

We now live in a world where it’s easy to be inactive. This is why you should be vigilant about incorporat-ing exercise into your daily life. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park a bit farther away and walk to

the store instead of searching for the closest parking spot.

Start small and then build more physical activity into your day. And be sure to do something you enjoy. Whether it’s dancing, yoga, walk-ing, biking, swimming or hiking, before you know it, you’ll reach the recommended 30 minutes of physi-cal activity every day.

Exercise also is a great stress re-ducer, which is yet another factor in helping prevent heart disease. Aero-bic exercise is great for strengthen-ing the heart, but exercises such as tai chi and yoga are great for relaxing the body and mind. Approximately two and a half hours of exercise per week will reduce stress, blood pres-sure, and improve how you feel.

Know what you’re eating Dr. Lewis advises patients to “stay

lower on the food chain.” Aim for foods that are in their natural state, like fruits and vegetables. Avoid pro-cessed foods, which are often high in salt, sugar and saturated fat. Look at the labels and search for low sodium options (e.g., frozen vegetables in-stead of canned foods).

You also should focus on reduc-ing your calorie intake. By reducing your consumption by 500 calories a day, you’ll eliminate 3,500 calories a week — roughly the equivalent of one pound of body weight. This might seem like a daunting task, but

if, for example, you replace a bagel and cream cheese (700 calories) with a serving of low-fat granola and yogurt (200 calories), you’ve already reached your goal.

Behavior modification Don’t smoke, don’t drink alco-

hol heavily (if you drink), and don’t do drugs. Take your blood pressure medicines and do not stop them

without speaking with your doctor.

Learn more To learn more about heart dis-

ease risks and how to lower them, visit www.brighamandwomens.org/heartrisks. For an appoint-ment with a cardiovascular special-ist, call the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Cardiovascular Center at (857) 307-4000.

HEALTHY FAMILIESA SPECIAL ADVERTORIAL

Heart disease: Eliminate excuses to reduce your risks

Brigham and Women’s Hospital cardiologist Eldrin Lewis, M.D., M.P.H., tells patients that one or more lifestyle changes can dramatically reduce their risk of developing heart disease.

Thursday, December 6, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER • 7

Page 8: Bay State Banner 12/06/2012

Hear that rhythmic thump? Every beat of your heart pumps blood to cells throughout the body, delivering oxygen from the air you breathe and nutrients from the foods you eat.

Congestive heart failure pre-vents the heart from filling with enough blood, or pumping blood forcefully enough, to meet the needs of the body. This life-threatening health problem af-fects roughly 2.7 million Ameri-can women. In right-sided heart failure, not enough blood gets pumped through the lungs to pick up oxygen. In left-sided heart fail-

ure, not enough oxygen-rich blood gets pumped to the rest of the body. Some women have both.

Struggling to do its job, the heart enlarges, says the Ameri-can Heart Association. More muscle cells develop and the heart beats faster, too. Blood ves-sels throughout the body narrow, raising blood pressure to help compensate for power loss. The body shunts blood away from less essential organs to ensure that the brain and heart get sufficient supplies. Eventually, these strate-gies stop working as heart failure worsens.

What are the symptoms?

• Weakness and fatigue

• Shortness of breath

• Swollen ankles, feet and legs

• Rapid or irregular heartbeat

• Swelling of the abdomen (ascites)

• Sudden weight gain

• Persistent cough

• Difficulty breathing when lying flat

What causes heart failure?

“Often, there’s more than one culprit,” explained Dr. Jan Cook, medical director of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachu-setts. Untreated or poorly treated high blood pressure, a problem for nearly 40 percent of African American women, is the number one problem, according to the Na-tional Heart, Blood, and Lung In-stitute. Overweight and obesity, in-activity and high blood cholesterol — health issues affecting roughly 80 percent, 55 percent and 50 per-

cent of African American women, respectively — raise odds for de-veloping coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart attacks, another path to heart failure.

Does heart failure differ in women?

Generally, women develop heart failure later than men and live longer with it. Among women, high blood pressure and heart valve diseases are more likely than CAD to be underlying causes of heart failure. However, CAD is such a powerful risk factor that women who have it are much more likely to go on to develop heart failure than women who have only high blood pressure. Ankle swelling, breathlessness and curtailed ability to be active seem to affect women more often than men.

How is heart failure treated?

Experts recommend lifestyle changes, such as an exercise pro-

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Congestive heart failure in women

Heart failure, continued to page 9

For morehealth news,

visit us online at

behealthy.baystatebanner.com

8 • Thursday, December 6, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER

Page 9: Bay State Banner 12/06/2012

gram prescribed by your doctor, plus medicines aimed at easing symptoms and preventing wors-ening heart failure, if possible. Such as diuretics remove excess fluid build-up and sodium from the body, thus lowering blood pressure. Other drugs called beta-blockers and ACE-inhibitors ease the heart’s workload in different ways. Medical devices to help the heart pump or surgery, such as coronary artery bypass, are some-times needed, as well.

Which lifestyle changes help prevent or ease heart failure?

Healthy habits can help pre-vent conditions that lead to heart failure or worsen it. Try tackling one change at a time. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts members can use online tools at www.mybluehealth.ma.com to set practical goals, create action plans and connect with experts.

• Quit tobacco. That cuts your risk for CAD in half in one year. Get a step-by-step guide to quitting from Smoke-free.gov (or 1-800-QUIT-NOW).

• Exercise regularly. Regular ex-ercise helps maintain a healthy weight, normal blood sugar and normal blood pressure.

• Eat heart-healthy foods (see

page 7). This helps lower high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

• Lose excess weight. This light-ens the load on your heart and lowers risk for diabetes.

• Keep blood pressure in a healthy range (below 140/90 mmHg).

• Be sure to take medicine if prescribed.

First published in Be Healthy. For more information please visit http://behealthy.baystatebanner.com.

To register for seminars, call 1-800-BWH-9999or email [email protected]

Wed, Dec 19th, 5:30-7pm, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Shapiro 3rd Floor Lounge

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Heart failurecontinued from page 8 A heart-healthy diet

Go low on sodium (salt):

• Cut back. Shake on half the salt. Slowly cut back further.

• Hide the salt. Boost flavor with spices or herb mixes. Try a squeeze of lemon or lime, or sprinkle on vinegar or hot pepper.

• Check “Nutrition Facts” labels when shop-ping. Canned goods often are high in sodium. So are many store-bought breads. And even foods labeled “low sodium” may have more than you think.

• Go low naturally. Fruits and vegetables are natu-rally low sodium. Frozen is as healthy as fresh. Select only canned produce in water with no added salt.

• Eat less fast food, prepared food and pro-cessed foods. Limit brined or cured foods, such as olives, pickles, ham and bacon. All are hidden salt sources.

• Choose healthy snacks, such as carrot or celery sticks, fruit slices or unsalted air-popped popcorn.

Other heart-healthy tips include:

• Choose whole grains (whole wheat, brown rice, oatmeal, cornmeal, popcorn and more) instead of refined grains (white flour, white rice) for more fiber and healthful nutrients.

• Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products.

• Eat lean protein (beans, tofu, fish, poultry and lean cuts of meat).

• Nibble heart-healthy nuts and seeds.

• Use small amounts of heart-healthy oils (olive, corn, canola, safflower), limit satu-rated fats (butter, palm oil) and avoid trans fats (also called partially hydrogenated oil).

• Limit sweets.

Thursday, December 6, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER • 9

Page 10: Bay State Banner 12/06/2012

G. Valentino Ball

In its five seasons, HBO’s hour-long drama “The Wire” attracted critical acclaim and a fiercely loyal fan base for its stark portrayal of

the complexities of inner-city Bal-timore. But since the show left the airwaves in 2008, it has continued in a new light. Harvard University — along with other higher learn-ing institutions such as UC Berke-

ley, John Hopkins, Syracuse, Brown and Duke — are using the series as a backdrop for courses that examine the issues covered on the show.

At Harvard Law, the class is called “Race and Justice: The

Wire,” and is taught by Professor Charles Ogletree. On Monday, Ogletree moderated a panel of the show’s cast members includ-ing Sonja Sohn (Kima Greggs), Jamie Hector (Marlo Stanfield), Gbenga Akinnagbe (Chris Part-low) and Chad Coleman (Cutty Wise) along with some of the people who inspired characters on the show to speak about the impact of the series.

That impact can also be seen in

the lives of the actors themselves. Sohn spoke of being inspired to start the nonprofit ReWired For Change, an organization that works with at-risk kids in the Baltimore area. Others in the cast detailed how the series underscored the need for work in the community and pushed them to action.

According to Ogletree, the course is so popular that some stu-dents have to be turned away. It has also motivated students to seek out less conventional career paths.

“The good thing about it is that more students are pursuing law ca-reers in the public interest law than working for corporations and busi-nesses,” he said. “In my sense, this course has changed the way that

Harvard Law students think about their careers as lawyers. They want to do more about service for the public than making money for them-selves, so it’s been a big victory.”

Ogletree, who credited Rever-end Eugene Rivers for opening his eyes to the show’s power, is hope-ful that the course will spark a new wave in public service.

“A lot of students say ‘I want to be something else,’” he said. “I can be a lawyer for a mayor, superinten-

dent of schools, superintendent of corrections. I hope that the same thing that we saw in the ‘60s with the conviction of public service is now coming back to places like Harvard Law School in the 21st century.”

Hector, who starred as Marlo Stansfield on the series, wasn’t shocked about “The Wire” being the basis for a course.

“I was excited, but I wasn’t surprised,” he said. “When I met Tree (Professor Charles Ogle-tree) and Reverend Rivers, these men are really dedicated to social issues in the community … Being that it’s Harvard, that kind of says ‘wow.’ Because when they speak, people listen.”

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Acclaimed drama ‘The Wire’ still connecting at Harvard

Cast members from the popular TV drama series “The Wire” visited Professor Charles Ogletree Jr.’s class “Race and Justice: The Wire” at Harvard University on Dec. 3. Pictured are (back row, L to R) Professor Charles Ogletree, Chad Coleman and Gbenga Akinnagbe; (second row, L to R) Jamie Hector, Denise Francine Andrews, Larry D. Andrews and Blaize Connelly Duggan; (front row) Professor Ron Sullivan. (Tony Irving photo)

“This course has changed the way that Harvard Law students think about their careers as lawyers. They want to do more about service for the public than making money for themselves, so it’s been a big victory.”

— Professor Charles Ogletree

10 • Thursday, December 6, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER

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Mayor Thomas M. Menino announced last week that Partners HealthCare is committing $1 mil-lion to the Boston Public Health Commission for a collaborative effort with the Boston Public Schools to implement a social and emotional learning curriculum for 7,000 students in 23 Boston public elementary and K-8 schools.

The two-year grant will provide training and professional develop-ment for 750 teachers, teaching assistants and principals to imple-

ment the evidence-based Open Circle Curriculum. At the heart of the curriculum are 15 to 20 minute classroom meetings led by home-room teachers twice each week.

Recent research has shown that social and emotional learn-ing does more than improve be-havior. It can also help students make significant gains in academic achievement — on average, a gain of 11 percentile points in read-ing and math, according to a 2011 review of more than 200 studies

published in the journal Child Development.

Social and emotional learning also equips students with the skills that today’s employers consider important for the workforce of the future – communication, collabo-ration, cooperation, goal setting, problem solving, and persistence in the face of challenges.

“Every day we look for inno-vative ideas and strategies that we can use to support our students,” said Boston Public Schools Su-perintendent Dr. Carol R. John-son. “Social and emotional learn-ing is critically important to our students so they can learn strate-gies that will help them manage their feelings and cultivate healthy relationships.”

NEWSBriefsPartners donates $1M to Boston Public Schools

On Nov. 29, Gov. Deval Patrick met with the 15 community college board chairs in the Governor’s Council Chambers at the State House. The 15 newly-appointed chairs will partner with the administration to create a more integrated, effective community college system responsive to both local and statewide employer needs. (Photo courtesy of Eric Haynes/Governor’s Office)

Thursday, December 6, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER • 11

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Thursday, December 6, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER • 13

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Kam Williams

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Toks Olagundoye was raised in her native country as well as Switzerland and England. The exotic Nigerian-Norwegian beauty moved to the United States to attend Smith Col-lege, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts.

After jumpstarting her career in New York, the actress relocated to Los Angeles and soon landed roles on such TV series as “NCIS,” “Prime Suspect,” “Switched at Birth,” “CSI: NY,” “Law & Order” and “Ugly Betty,” to name a few. She now stars in ABC’s new hit comedy “The Neighbors” playing “Jackie

Joyner-Kersee,” an alien from the planet Zabvron who has taken on human form to live in a gated com-munity in New Jersey.

Toks’ character is married to the community’s Supreme Leader and serves as the Zabvronian equivalent of the First Lady. “Jackie” is baffled by Earth’s strange customs but is more open than her stubborn hus-band, who refuses to adapt.

In addition to acting, Toks enjoys writing and producing films for the web and is the founder of Unlimited Ceiling, for which she’s created web series like “Callbacks” and “Alpha-Series.” In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, horseback riding, Pilates, archery and going to the gun range.

Toks’ secret talent is imitating ac-cents from around the world.

What interested you in “The Neighbors?”

Well, honestly, I love being an actor and a job is a job, and I’m always happy to have a job. So, ini-tially, I would say: employment. But I am also a sci-fi lover and have been itching to be on a sitcom forever. So, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to audition and I really went for it.

Tell me a little about the show’s wacky premise.

Sure. A community of aliens set up a colony of sorts on Earth in a New Jersey golfing community,

taking on the guise of human form, and they do their best to fit in and not attract attention. Of course, they fail spectacularly. One of the alien couples in the community gets tired of waiting around to hear from their home planet and they vacate their house, leaving it open for a nice, human Jersey family of five to pur-chase and move into. Let the hyster-ical comedy of errors ensue.

How would you describe your character, Jackie?

Quirky, cute, loving, kind, cu-rious, proper, diligent, patient, in-quisitive, genuine, lovely, tall, green-blooded… Okay, now I’m just throwing words at you. I shall cease

and desist.

So, you play an alien queen who’s impersonating U.S. Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Which is more challenging, playing an alien or impersonating Jackie?

Well, neither, because neither is the case. Jackie is the wife of the Zabvrobian supreme commander, so she is more of a matriarch than a queen. And the aliens are not im-personating the athletes they have named themselves after. They have taken on these names in the hope of

Tick Toks!

Toks Olagundoye talks about her life, career and work on ‘The Neighbors’

Toks continued to page 16

14 • Thursday, December 6, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER

Page 15: Bay State Banner 12/06/2012

Lauren Carter

You could say the all-stars aligned.

Sunday night at Royale, a di-verse array of classic hip hop rulers staged a show that lasted more than four hours, mixing wisdom with entertainment and touching on ev-erything from the Illuminati to the ills of commercial hip hop. Boston rap veterans Akrobatik and Edo

G shared the stage with national legends. College professors in the crowd mingled with their students. And the only thing hanging from a rapper’s neck was a lanyard.

It was the Hip Hop Gods tour featuring headliner Public Enemy, with frontman Chuck D acting as emcee, host and hip hop profes-sor. Between sets he chatted with artists, reminisced about early ’90s tours and schooled fans on all things

hip hop, from Boston’s relevance in the rap scene to the meaning of the phrase “word is bond.”

“This is more than a concert,” he said. “It’s a movement.”

If typical rap shows are studies in misguided thuggery, Sunday’s spectacle was a reminder that the true tenets of hip hop – knowledge, wisdom, authenticity, skill and in-novation — are alive and well. Rap-pers kept the energy high but never

delivered empty verses, acting as teachers sent to uplift rather than fake gangstas sent to make it rain.

Trio Son of Bazerk delivered an animated opening set and sent one of many shoutouts to the late, great Boston-born emcee Guru. Dinco D of Leaders of the New School got calories burning with his verse from “Scenario” and Schoolly D — jacket open, no shirt on — delivered hard-hitting rhymes with a decidedly sexual edge. Brother J of X Clan had “no time for booty rap” as he fo-cused on dropping knowledge and calling for unity, peace and justice.

Boston icon Akrobatik ap-peared on stage at Chuck D’s request and unleashed a rhyme that took aim at skinny jeans, cor-porate pimps, fantasies sold for profit and other evidence of hip hop’s downfall.

Monie Love reminded the audi-ence that female rappers can remain relevant while fully clothed. Paying homage to females in hip hop, she celebrated femcees including Queen Latifah, Lil Kim and Salt-N-Pepa, invited Boston ‘brother’ Edo G on stage and spat slick verses from “Buddy,” “It’s A Shame” and “Monie In The Middle” that proved her mic skills haven’t slipped.

A set from Wise Intelligent of Poor Righteous Teachers was among the night’s highlights, as he dropped blistering a cappella verses between pushing albums and t-shirts. In a 20-minute span, he managed to touch on Jay-Z and Roc-A-Fella Records, the Il-luminati, slavery, white suprem-acy, inner-city murder rates and failing public schools, eclipsing what the average rapper covers in

an entire career.But of course, the night’s peak

was the hour-long set from Public Enemy. For anyone who doesn’t count Lil Wayne as their per-sonal hero, and maybe for some who do, it all felt epic. There was the giant banner with the in-your-face logo. The security-dance brigade S1W (Security of the First World) who alternately stood watch and engaged in their unique mix of dance and military drill. The thunderous and politi-cally-charged music that changed the face of hip hop.

Chuck D bellowed over DJ Lord and a live band on tracks includ-ing “Welcome to the Terrordome,” “Bring the Noise,” “Can’t Truss It” and the set-closer “Fight The Power.” Quintessential hype man and sidekick Flavor Flav appeared in a mink coat, later pulled his signature giant clock from under his shirt and took center stage for “911 Is a Joke.”

Flav is obviously the quirky counterpoint to the hard rhym-ing Chuck D. But don’t let the clocks and reality TV stints fool you; under that viking hat there’s a revolutionary hiding. Flav closed with a sermon against racism and separatism, reminding the audi-ence that peace and togetherness create power.

And with that, the show officially ended and fans bum-rushed the stage for autographs.

In one sense the concert felt like a throwback to the past, but it was also a vision of the future — the be-ginning of a movement dedicated to revitalizing hip hop and taking back the power and control that is rightly due to the gods.

Public Enemy, Hip Hop Gods reign supreme at Royale concert Icons bring music with a message to Hub tour stop

The Hip Hop Gods tour featuring Public Enemy (pictured above) rocked a crowd of several hundred strong in Boston on Sunday.

Thursday, December 6, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER • 15

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becoming a part of the elite. In their minds, choosing the names of ac-complished sports figures will help them fit in and excel. They don’t re-alize it actually makes them all stick out like a box of sore thumbs. Yes, I realize that is not an official adage. Hey, it is now!

Does the show have a message?

In my humble opinion, as a for-eigner, it does. And the message is this: The only way to come to a full acceptance and understanding of yourself is to embrace your own culture, quirks and differences while learning about those around you and exploring, incorporating and em-bracing their cultures, differences, quirks, etcetera … One should be open to new things and, above all, tolerance and understanding are es-sential for growth and happiness … We are all different and that’s okay. That’s not incredibly poetic, but it’s the message at its essence.

You’re half-Nigerian and half-Norwegian. Which do you identify with more?

Oh, I identify with them both very strongly. I identify myself as a Nigerian because that is where I was born and raised and where my family still lives. And, in my mind, that is the definition of where someone is from. But I was raised by a very Norwegian mother and spent a ton of time there every year until I was about 14 and am closest to my Norwegian relatives. So, it is very difficult to choose.

You studied theater at Smith prior to embarking on your professional career. Do you recommend that route to other aspiring actresses?

Not necessarily. It was right for me, but other people do better going on to grad school and others yet are naturally inclined and do just fine without any formal training at all. Everyone is different. The only

things I think are imperative are focus, determination and hard work.

Are you ever afraid? Constantly, but it’s a big driv-

ing force in my life. I’m more likely to try and tackle a fear than let it control me.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Carbs. Sad but true.

What was the last book you read?

The final Hunger Games book, “The Mockingjay.” Seriously, Su-zanne Collins, I need another one.

What was the last song you listened to?

I was just listening to Radiohead’s “Reckoner.”

What excites you? Positivity.

What was the best business decision you ever made, and what was the worst?

Best: Moving to LA. Worst: Going into business with a friend.

When do you feel the most content?

When I take the time to look pos-itively at my life, assess my accom-plishments and truly allow myself to congratulate myself.

Who is the person who led you to become the person you are today?

My mother.

What key quality do you believe all successful people share?

Determination.

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

Be sure of what you want, focus, work hard, be ready to pick your-self up, do not take rejection per-sonally, be as prepared as you can, always be learning and eliminate negative people from your life re-gardless of who they are.

12 Dade Street, Roxbury, MA 02119617-445-0900 • www.haleyhouse.org/cafe

Friday December 7th, 7pmAnnual Holiday Concert with Charlie King

Come early for dinner on this evening and get a seat, because it is always crowded! Charlie will get started around 7pm with his repertoire of activist

and social justice music through the ages.(Dinner from 6pm).

Saturday December 8th, 5:30 - 7pmReception for Haitian PeaceQuilts Exhibit:

Haiti CherieJoin us for return of Haiti PeaceQuilts to Haley House Bakery Cafe. These rich and beautiful quilts are handmade by women’s quilting collectives in

Haiti. A perfect holiday show!

Coming to Art is Life itself:12/6 FULANI HAYNES JAZZ COLLABORATIVE

+ OPEN MIC

12/13 PRESSPASS TV: HOUSE OF COMPAS-SION: AIDS AND HOMELESSNESSABCD Health Services - Intergenerational Female Dialogue

+Open Mic

12/20 END OF SEASON AILI BASH + OPEN MICNumerous featured guests and performers, food & dancing

Join us for Brunch on Sundays from 10am — 4pm

The FBI War on TUPACSHAKUR and BlackLeaders

For more info on book & film — DVD: www.fbiwarontupac.com

U.S. Inteligence’s Murderous Targeting of Tupac, MLK, Malcolm, Panthers, Hendrix, Marley, Rappers & Linked Ethnic Leftists

“REMARKABLE!” — Black Panther/journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal

by John Potash

Tokscontinued from page 14

16 • Thursday, December 6, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER

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told her husband, who then led Hay-good into a locked basement, hold-ing his arm as they walked down the steps and turned on the light. The two rooms were like a museum, full of presidential memorabilia: signed books, Christmas gifts, an oil paint-ing by Dwight Eisenhower, photos of Allen smiling as he served them at their birthday parties.

“It was a treasure-trove,” Hay-good recalled. “It brought tears to my eyes; it genuinely did.

“I turned to him, this frail, elderly man, and I said, ‘Mr. Allen, now, are you sure nobody has ever written a story about you?’”

Haygood proceeded to write the untold story of Allen, who was born on a Virginia plantation in 1919 and

died two years after casting his vote for America’s first black president. “A Butler Well Served by This Elec-tion,” featured on the front page of the Post, was published the Friday after the election of Barack Obama.

The story has since become the basis for what looks to be one of next year’s most buzzed-about movies: “The Butler,” starring Oscar winner Forest Whitaker as the protagonist and Oprah Winfrey as his wife.

With Lee Daniels (“Precious”) di-recting, the cast includes a roster of A-list actors, including Robin Williams and Melissa Leo as the Eisenhowers, Alan Rickman and Jane Fonda as the Reagans, and Cuba Gooding Jr. and Lenny Kravitz as other butlers.

Behind it all is Haygood, a long-time journalist and author who grew up in Columbus and began his career at the city’s African American newspa-per, the Call & Post. He later worked

for the Boston Globe for many years before leaving to work at the Wash-ington Post.

“The Butler,” for which he serves as an associate producer, marks a foray into Hollywood for the 58-year-old,

who is also involved with three other film projects.

“It’s been, in many ways, a year of magic for me,” said Haygood, who often visits his mother and two sisters here.

A Washington Post reporter since 1991, Haygood was covering a campaign rally in North Carolina when he met young white women who tearfully said that, because they supported then-candidate Obama, their fathers had stopped speaking to them.

Confident that Obama would become president, Haygood began searching for a former White House employee who had worked there in the era of segregation — someone who probably couldn’t have imagined the outcome of the 2008 election.

“Not in my wildest dreams did I think I would find a figure as unique as he happened to have been,” Hay-good said.

Allen had previously been ap-proached about telling his story and, although he took great pride in his job, adamantly refused to participate, said his only child, Charles.

Allen didn’t want to betray the trust of those who had treated him warmly: from the Fords, who sang to him because his birthday was the same as the president’s, to the Rea-gans, who invited Allen and his wife to be their guests at a state dinner.

But near the end of her life,

Helene Allen began to express con-cern that her husband’s role would be forgotten.

Haygood approached the couple at the right time but also put them at ease, joining them to watch back-to-back episodes of their favorite TV show, “The Price Is Right,” before asking the first question.

“Sometimes, it seems like it was preordained for him to come by,” said Charles Allen, 66, of Washington. “It could have been anybody else, and Mom and Dad, in all likelihood, wouldn’t have talked to him.

“Wil just had the gift.” The night before the election,

Helene told her son that she felt at peace, knowing Gene’s story would finally be told. She died in her sleep, before getting the chance to vote.

On the day the story was published — resulting in hundreds of emails, phone calls from Hollywood pro-ducers and an invitation to Obama’s inauguration — Allen attended the funeral for his wife of 65 years.

Knowing the film would have been important to Helene, Allen continued to meet for additional interviews with Haygood and “The Butler” screenwriter Danny Strong before he died of renal fail-ure in 2010.

Strong and director Daniels de-cided to set “The Butler” largely in the time of the Civil Rights Move-ment, exploring the relationship between the White House’s black employees — the film’s protagonist,

Cecil Gaines, is a composite charac-ter mostly based on Allen — and the white presidents they served.

“They were dealing with these issues that affected not only millions but these people who worked so un-believably close with them,” said Strong, who won an Emmy this year for writing HBO’s Sarah Palin movie, “Game Change.”

“The Butler” was filmed in New Orleans during the summer, with Haygood serving as an on-set con-sultant. He was invited to Whitaker’s home and to lunch with Winfrey.

It likely won’t be the last time he visits a movie set: He has recently written two screenplays adapted from his biographies and a third based on a true story of a janitor who, in the 1950s, robbed a government build-ing in Washington.

All three projects are moving forward, with the script for “Sweet Thunder: The Life and Times of Sugar Ray Robinson” in the hands of producers Strong and Rachael Horo-vitz, who produced the Oscar-nomi-nated “Moneyball.”

Meanwhile, the rights to “In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis Jr.” were purchased by singer Ne-Yo, who has long been interested in play-ing the Rat Pack entertainer.

The developments are gratify-ing for Haygood, a lifelong fan of the movies who, after graduating from Miami University in 1976, moved

to New York with the thought of be-coming an actor.

At the same time, he is on leave from the Post as he writes his sixth book, a biography of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall that he has researched for the past two years.

Strong calls Haygood multital-ented, with his work translating just as well to the big screen as to the printed page.

“Wil has an amazing eye for char-acter,” he said. “A great story, whether it’s a news story or a movie, is a uni-versal thing.”

Haygood likes to compare his career to his time on the basket-ball team at Indianola Junior High School: Cut from the team in eighth grade, he still dressed for practice the next day, promising to work for a second chance.

Colleagues laughed at him when, in an early job as a copy editor, he vowed that he was going to write books. More recently, Denzel Washington read his script for the Sammy Davis Jr. film and, half-jok-ingly, bought him a Christmas gift: a computer program that could help correct his novice screenwrit-ing mistakes.

All the while, Haygood’s confi-dence in his goals didn’t change.

“It’s been a lot of hard work,” he said. “But wow. With “The Butler” — it’s something else, isn’t it?”

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Butlercontinued from page 1

Journalist Wil Haygood

“I turned to him, this frail, elderly man, and I said, ‘Mr. Allen, now, are you sure nobody has ever written a story about you?’”

— Wil Haygood

18 • Thursday, December 6, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER

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school for Boston and it’s also a new school for GI’s senior volun-teer program.

As the largest affiliate with AARP’s Experience Corps, GI now manages 250 GI-AARP volunteers with a goal of 300 by the end of the year, said Katie Klister, GI’s direc-tor of volunteer management.

GI’s success is dependent on recruiting, training and retaining senior volunteers to its literacy program. Of equal importance is the recruitment of participat-ing schools. Of the 65 elementary schools in Boston, GI volunteers in 10. In total, GI volunteers work in 13 elementary schools and four after-school programs in the greater Boston area.

To address what Gunn calls “slippage” — especially for

young, at-risk students — during the summer months, GI launched its first summer program last year. Forty-five students attended a four-week program with a one-to-one tutoring ratio. Gunn said the goal is to include another school this summer and double the number of students in the program. Under development is a “Young Achievers Program” in Mattapan.

Of the GI-AARP partnership, Gunn said, “We’re part of a na-tional program but still have our independence. That’s rare, and we’re proud of that participation.”

As a nonprofit, GI is not funded by AARP but applies for the bulk of its funds through the federal grant programs that AARP sponsors. GI’s budget this year is $2.7 mil-lion, a third of which is allocated as

stipends to its senior volunteers.A good tutoring program,

however, is not free. Rose, like the other GI senior volunteers in the school, may not be paid for their time, but schools par-ticipating in GI’s literacy program do pay a sliding fee. For Boston schools, the fee is between $5000 and $10,000 a year. Revere, Gunn said, pays $25,000.

With singular dependence on the quality and enthusiasm of its volunteer corps, Gunn said, “We are as interested in our older adults as we are in our young chil-dren. We want to be the best place for seniors to serve.”

Along with dispensing stipends, GI has launched its “Act of Aging Initiative” to help its seniors make time to connect and socialize. Vol-unteers meet once a month to plan activities from knitting to bowling, or just to have a cup of coffee.

When Rose was asked about

being a volunteer and GI’s senior outreach program, she said, “I’m always talking about how much I love the work.”

In 2009, after volunteer-ing for her fourth year, GI pre-sented Rose with its first John McCullough Service Award for her outstanding role as a reading coach at the JFK School in Ja-maica Plain. Rose said she keeps the glass award “on the bookshelf where I can see it.”

An original member of the 1950‘s Doo Wop group The Tune Weavers, promoted by Dick Clark and inducted into the Doo Wop Hall of Fame in 2003, Rose still performs as a lead singer in shows up and down the east coast.

“She’s a busy woman with a busy life. We are lucky to have her,” said Gunn.

Don’t get ripped off! Don’t pay anyone for loan modification orforeclosure prevention counseling. Use only HUD-certified services.

Free HUD-certified Foreclosure Prevention Counseling

To learn how to avoid foreclosure, please attend a Foreclosure Prevention Forum in your neighborhood from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Questions? Call (617) 524-2555 or visit our website at www.esacboston.org

ESAC Sustainable Homeownership CenterOffering community programs since 1965

January 10 & 24, 2013The Community Room

at the Boston Police Department, E-181249 Hyde Park Avenue

Hyde Park

December 6 & 13Brookside Community

Health Center3297 Washington Street

Jamaica Plain

Volunteerscontinued from page 1

GI volunteer Ruby Howard, 67, with two Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter School first-graders, (L to R) Liyah Cacho and Iyanna Raymond. (Fran Cronin photo)

“We are as interested in our older adults as we are in our young children. We want to be the best place for seniors to serve.”

— Marry Gunn

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Thursday, December 6, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER • 19

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The Citizens Bank Foundation participated in the first-ever “Giving Tuesday” by announcing it will award more than $250,000 in grants to Mas-sachusetts nonprofit organizations.

Styled after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, “Giving Tuesday” is a campaign that includes more than 1,400 organizations to create a na-tional day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. It celebrates and encourages charitable activities that support nonprofit organizations.

The Citizens Bank Foundation grants announced last week follow the bank’s donation last week of 100,000 meals to the Greater Boston Food Bank.

As part of its “Giving Tuesday” grants, the Citizens Bank Foundation awarded $25,000 to The Partner-ship, a group dedicated to developing professionals of color and increasing their representation in Boston area businesses and institutions.

The Partnership is celebrating its 25th year of operating with the re-gion’s 50 leading organizations com-mitted to attracting, retaining, and advancing top professionals of color. Each year, the Partnership offers the Next Generation Executive Pro-gram, Fellows Program and Associ-ates Program.

Another recipient is The Boston Main Streets Foundation. The long-standing city program re-ceived $50,000, which will help enable Main Streets organizations to operate in Boston’s small com-mercial districts.

The BMS Foundation funding allows the Main Streets organizations to provide much-needed economic development activities in commer-cial districts. These activities include physical improvements, design ser-

vices, and technical assistance.The grants announced today will

be distributed as follows:

• $30,000 to the Paul Revere Me-morial Association

• $20,000 to Boston Children’s Chorus

• $20,000 to Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries

• $20,000 to Neighborhood Hous-ing Services of the South Shore

• $15,000 to the Boston China-town Neighborhood Center

• $15,000 to the Boston Founda-tion

• $10,000 to the Appalachian Mountain Club

• $10,000 to the Community Re-sources for Justice

• $10,000 to the Ellis Memorial & Eldredge House

• $10,000 to MASSCAP

• $10,000 to Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps

• $10,000 to Somerville Commu-nity Corporation

“During the busy holiday season, Citizens Bank recognizes the importance of giving back in any form that individuals and com-panies are able, from volunteering at a local soup kitchen to donating a warm coat to providing financial support to outstanding nonprofit organizations,” said Jerry Sargent, president of Citizens Bank and RBS Citizens, Massachusetts. “In the spirit of ‘Giving Tuesday,’ Citi-zens Bank celebrates Massachusetts organizations working to meet the needs of our communities.”

Religious Worship Guide

The First Church of Christ, Scientist

Near the corner of Huntington & Mass. Ave. Free Parking at all services.T Hynes, Prudential, Symphony, or Mass. Ave.

For further information, call 617.450.3790or visit www.ChristianScience.com

Sunday Church Services & Sunday School10 am and 5 pm (no evening service July & Aug.)

Wednesday Testimony Meetings 12 noon and 7:30 pm (2 pm online)

Sunday & Wednesday Live Services OnlineChristianScience.com/OnAir

NEWSBriefsCitizens Bank Foundation donates $250K in grants

ADVERTISEWITH

THE BAY STATE BANNERcall (617) 261-4600 or email [email protected] information at www.baystatebanner.com/advertising

20 • Thursday, December 6, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER

Page 21: Bay State Banner 12/06/2012

LEGALS LEGALS LEGALS

INVITATION TO BID

The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority is seeking bids for the following:

BID NO. DESCRIPTION DATE TIME

OP-202 Roof Replacement at Bellevue 12/20/12 2:00 p.m. 1 Water Storage Tank and New Neponset Pump Station

*WRA-3557 Purchase and Delivery of One (1) 12/21/12 10:30 a.m. Dry Type Ventilation Transformer

*WRA-3559 Purchase of Eleven (11) New Fire 12/21/12 11:00 a.m. Alarm Pumps Manufacturer: Aurora, ITT, Peerless (or Equal)

*WRA-3558 Purchase of Annual Supply of 12/21/12 11:30 a.m. Employee Clothing

Sealed bids will be received at the offices of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, Charlestown Navy Yard, Document Distribution Office, 100 First Avenue, First Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, up to the time and date listed above at which time they will be publicly opened and read.

*(indicates) Bid Documents available on the Comm-PASS Website (www.comm-pass.com).

Commonwealth of MassachusettsThe Trial Court

Probate and Family Court Department

SUFFOLK Division Docket No. SU10P1394EA

Citation on Petition for Order of Complete Settlement of Estate

Estate of Audrey Lee WilliamsDate of Death: 12/29/2009

To all interested persons:

A petition has been filed by David Cormier, Esquire of Burlington, MA requesting that an Order of Complete Settlement of the estate issue includ-ing to approve an accounting and other such relief as may be requested in the Petition. For the First and Final Account.

You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at the Court. You have a right to object to this proceeding. To do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance and objection at this Court before 10:00 a.m. on 12/27/2012. This is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline by which you must file a written appearance and objection if you object to this proceeding. If you fail to file a timely written appearance and objection followed by an Affidavit of Objections within thirty (30) days of the return date, action may be taken without further notice to you.

WITNESS, HON. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court.Date: November 26, 2012

Sandra GiovannucciRegister of Probate

Commonwealth of MassachusettsThe Trial Court

Probate and Family Court Department

SUFFOLK Division Docket No. SU12P2182EA

Citation on Petition for Formal AdjudicationEstate of Dorothy Jean Scott-Higgins

Date of Death: 04/10/2012

To all interested persons:

A petition has been filed by Clester Scott of Mattapan MA requesting that the Court enter a formal Decree and Order of testacy and for such other relief as requested in the Petition. And also requesting that Clester Scott of Mattapan MA be appointed as Personal Representative(s) of said estate to serve Without Surety on the bond.

You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at the Court. You have a right to object to this proceeding. To do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance and objection at this Court before 10:00 a.m. on 12/23/2012. This is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline by which you must file a written appearance and objection if you object to this proceeding. If you fail to file a timely written appearance and objection followed by an Affidavit of Objections within thirty (30) days of the return date, action may be taken without further notice to you.

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

WITNESS, HON. Joan P. Armstrong, First Justice of this Court.Date: November 09, 2012

Sandra GiovannucciRegister of Probate

BOXBOROUGH AFFORDABLE CONDOMINIUM LOTTERY SALE #1

The Town of Boxborough is accepting applications for the sale of a two-bedroom, lower level condominium located at 176 Swanson Road, unit 302. The unit has an updated kitchen, new windows and the septic system assessment has been paid. The unit will be sold by lottery for $96,822 to an eligible buyer. The eligibility criteria include not owning a home in the past three years, with the exception of households with one member age 55 or over and displaced homeowners. The annual house-hold income shall not exceed specified income limits based on household size (e.g. $65,000 for a four-person household), and the household size shall not exceed four persons. An open house is scheduled for December 8th at 10:00 a.m. and will be followed by an informational session at Town Hall, 29 Middle Rd. at 12:00 noon. Applications are due no later than 4:00 p.m. on December 21, 2012.

Information packet and applications are availableat the Town Hall at 29 Middle Rd,

the Sargent Memorial Library at 427 Massachusetts Ave,and on the town website at www.town.boxborough.ma.us.

7 Affordable condominium residences consisting of 7 duplex homes,3-Bedroom/2.5 Bath units

Units will be sold to eligible households by lotterySales Price $193,000

Income Qualifications

Number of Occupants Maximum Annual Income

1 45,500

2 52,000

3 58,500

4 65,000

5 70,200

6 75,400

A F F O R DA B L E OW N ER SH I P OPPOR TU N I T Y

Welsch Woods343R Bay Road, Easton, MA

Application deadline:December 21, 2012

Applications are available by calling:Ms. Alicia Toney(781) 318-5380

Or by writing or email to:Toney & Associates, Inc.95 Washington Street, Suite 104-171Canton, MA 02021Attention: Ms. Alicia [email protected]

Informational Meeting ScheduledNovember 8, 2012

Lottery ScheduledJanuary 7, 2013, 6:00 p.m.Frothingham Hall15 Barrows StreetNorth Easton, MA 02356Individuals and families from all communities are encour-aged to apply.

Applications will be made available starting: October 22, 2012

Thursday, December 6, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER • 21

Page 22: Bay State Banner 12/06/2012

Fifteen (15) One-Bedroom (1 BR) Garden Style Apartments (Rent = $1,218 Per Month)

Thirteen (13) Two-Bedroom (2 BR) Garden Style Apartments (Rent = $1,462 Per Month

Utilities (Electricity, Heat, and Water / Sewer) are Included in the Monthly Rent

The Project Includes Two (2) Barrier Free Affordable Units –Including a One Bedroom (1BR) Unit and a Two Bedroom (2BR) Unit

Those Requiring Barrier Free Units are Strongly Encouraged to Apply

New Construction / On-Site Management and Maintenance Staff / Access to Route # 95 and MBTA Commuter Rail / In-Unit Laundry / Fitness Center / Library / Decks & Patios

Residents who Qualify will be Selected by Lottery for the Opportunity to Rent UnitsIn Order to Qualify, Total Household Income cannot Exceed

the Maximum Annual Income Limits for the Household Sizes Shown Below

One Person Household: $45,500 Four Person Household: $65,000Two Person Household: $52,000 Five Person Household: $70,200

Three Person Household: $58,500 Six Person Household: $75,400

A Joint Venture Development of:The Richmond Company, Inc. and The Federated Companies LLC

MARKET RATE RENTAL UNITS ARE ALSO AVAILABLEIN THE PROJECT ON A FIRST COME BASIS

INTEREST IN MARKET RATE UNITS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO: 978-988-3900 – Ext. #12

To Receive an Informational Packet and an Application:Contact Housing Resource Group, LLC at (781) 820-8797, or Visit the

Lucius Bebee Memorial Library (345 Main St. Wakefield MA), orVisit the Wakefield Town Hall (1 Lafayette St. Wakefield MA)

Completed Applications must be Returned to:Housing Resource Group, LLC

Four Raymond Street, Lexington, MA 02421

All Applications must be Postmarked by December 22, 2012

Informational Meetings Regarding this

Project /Opportunitywill be held at the

Americal Civic Center467 Main Street, Wakefield MA

on Tuesday December 4, 2012at 7:00 PM

AFFORDABLE HOUSING RENTAL OPPORTUNITY

Legacy Park Wakefield Apartments101 Hopkins Street (off Summit Drive) Town of Wakefield

22 • Thursday, December 6, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER

ADVERTISEYOUR CLASSIFIEDS WITH THE BAY STATE BANNER(617) 261-4600 x 119 [email protected] information at www.baystatebanner.com/advertising

Heat and Hot Water Always IncludedModern Laundry Facilities

Private Balconies / Some with City Views Plush wall to wall carpet

Adjacent to New England Baptist HospitalSecured Entry, Elevator Convenience

Private ParkingNear Public Transportation

and much more ...

Call Today formore details and toschedule a visit...

888-842-7945

Parker HillApartments

The Style, Comfort andConvenience you Deserve!

1 bedroom $1058 – $1250 income must not exceed $41,100

A senior/disabled/handicapped community

0 BR units = $1,027/mo1 BR units = $1,101/moAll utilities included.

Call Sandy Miller, Property Manager

#888-691-4301Program Restrictions Apply.

WOLLASTONMANOR91 Clay Street

Quincy, MA 02170

Senior Living At It’s Best

Page 23: Bay State Banner 12/06/2012

ALTA BRIGHAM SQUAREAFFORDABLE HOUSING LOTTERY

ARLINGTON, MAWWW.S-E-B.COM/LOTTERY

17 New Affordable ApartmentsStudios @ $941/mo 1BRs @ $1,068/mo

2BRs @ $1,185/moRent does not include any utilities except water and sewer

Alta Brigham Square is a 116 unit apartment building located one-half block off of Massachusetts Avenue at Arlington Center. 17 of the units will be reserved for individuals and families who qualify for this affordable housing program.

Affordable apartments include designer finishes such as gorgeous plank flooring in kitchen and bath; granite countertops; stainless steel appliances; upgraded espresso-colored designer cabinetry; oversized kitchen islands; and tile surrounds in baths. Community amenities include a wellness center with cardio salon and an outdoor lounge with fire pits and community grills.

The Maximum Income Limits for Households are as follows:

1 Person — $45,500 2 Person — $52,0003 Person — $58,500 4 Person — $65,000

A Public Info Session will be held on January 10th, 2013 at 6:00 pm in the Arlington Senior Center Mural Room (27 Maple Street, next to Town Hall).

Completed Applications and Required Income Documentation must be received, not postmarked, by 2 pm on January 30th 2013.

The Lottery will be held on February 12th, 6 pm in the Arlington Senior Center Mural Room.

For Lottery Information and Applications go towww.s-e-b.com/lottery or call (617) 782-6900

And Leave A Message. Applications and Information alsoavailable at the Robbins Library on 700 Mass Ave in Arlington

(M-W 9-9, Thurs 1-9, Fri+Sat 9-5, Sun 2-5).

Thursday, December 6, 2012 • BAY STATE BANNER • 23

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BOXBOROUGH AFFORDABLE CONDOMINIUM LOTTERY SALE #2

The Town of Boxborough is accepting applications for the sale of a two-bedroom, first floor condominium located at 318 Codman Hill Road, unit 1E. The septic system assessment has been paid. The unit will be sold by lottery for $85,000 to an eligible buyer. The eligibility criteria include not owning a home in the past three years, with the exception of households with one member age 55 or over and displaced homeowners. The annual household income shall not exceed specified income limits based on household size (e.g. $65,000 for a four-person household), and the household size shall not exceed four persons. An open house is scheduled for December 8th at 10:00 a.m. and will be followed by an informational session at Town Hall, 29 Middle Rd. at 12:00 noon. Applications are due no later than 4:00 p.m. on December 21, 2012.

Information packet and applications are availableat the Town Hall at 29 Middle Rd,

the Sargent Memorial Library at 427 Massachusetts Ave,and on the town website at www.town.boxborough.ma.us.

Project Hope Job Openings

Director of Educational ServicesProject Hope offers a variety of programs that support families so they can move up and out of poverty. We seek a part-time (80%) director for our Adult Educational Services department. The Director works collaboratively with the team to lead and coordinate all aspects of the division, including: staff supervision, program design and implementation, budget development and monitoring, grant writing and reporting, regulatory compliance and data gathering.

Qualifications:B.A. in Education or related field (Masters’ preferred);

5 yrs+ experience in adult education, preferably funded by DESE;

Experience with SMARTT system preferred;

Computer literate, including data entry;

Supervisory experience strongly preferred;

Experience with workforce development a plus;

Experience working with low-income families preferred.

Candidates should respond to: [email protected]

QUINCY HOUSING AUTHORITYEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Quincy Housing Authority, Quincy, Massachusetts is seeking candidates for the position of Executive Director. The Executive Director leads a staff of 64, administers 945 Section 8 vouchers, and a small number of vouchers for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Department of Housing and Economic Development (“DHCD”). QHA owns and manages 651 units which are subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) and 909 units which are subsidized by DHCD. QHA leases a total of four facilities to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Department of Mental Health and/or the Department of Mental Retardation as group homes for disabled clients.

A Bachelor’s degree is required and major coursework in public administration, business administration, or management is preferred. A minimum of eight years of management experience in public housing, non-profit affordable housing, or for-profit property management or closely related field is required. A Bachelor’s degree may be substituted for up to two years of experience. One year’s supervisory experience of a staff of ten or more is also required. Candidates must be bondable. Candidates must demonstrate exceptional knowledge, skills, and abilities in key areas that include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) strategic leadership; (2)management efficiency and effectiveness; (3) business and finance acumen; (4) human resources manage-ment; (5) internal/external stakeholder relationships; (6) program integrity, knowledge, and compliance; (7)decision-making; (8) entrepreneurism; (9) written and verbal communication; (10) asset management; and (11) maintenance planning. The agency’s website also is being updated to include additional information on recruitment, the position description, agency strategic goals, and the agency profile (www.quincyha.com).

The salary will be in accordance with Massachusetts Housing and Community Development guidelines. Cer-tification as a Public Housing Manager from a HUD approved organization is required, but may be substituted by certification as a property manager or similar classification by a nationally recognized housing or real estate organization, or by certification as a MPHA of a DHCD-approved Massachusetts Public Housing Administra-tor Certification Program. Candidates must also have achieved either the NAHRO Certified Management Executive designation or the PHADA Executive Director Education Program within two years. The success-ful candidate must have also achieved or commit to successfully achieving the designation of Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official as offered through the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General.

The application must include a one-page cover letter, a maximum of a two-page resume (including salary history), a one-page summary of leadership/management style, and a one-page listing of three profes-sional references from sources such as board members, peers, or stakeholders. An email or hard copy version of the application must be received by January 4, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. Central Time at this address:

Mr. Stan Quy, NCC, President/Principal, The Organizational Leadership Edge147 Ginger Cove Road, Valley, NE 68064

[email protected]

QHA is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

ASSOCIATED EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION, INC.

Join Our Team of professional early education teachers. A minimum

of 1 year experience working with young children in an educational

setting is required. DEEC Teacher Certified with the interest in

continuing studies in the field of Early Childhood Education. Strong

interest and commitment to the education and wellbeing of young

children is a plus. Desire to work in a community based setting.

High School Diploma/GED is required, DEEC certification desired,

bilingual abilities a plus. Associated Early Care and Education has

six locations in the metro Boston area. We currently have several

full and part time openings.

• Teachers and Lead-Teachers for Preschool/ Infant

and Toddler Classrooms

Apply Online:www.AssociatedECE.org/careers

Or send updated cover letter and resume to: Suzanne Steen, Recruiter [email protected]

Or Fax to: 617-695-9590

An Equal Opportunity Employer

CommunityResource Counselor(Boston Area Rape Crisis Center;

Cambridge, MA)

Provide direct client advo-cacy svcs to sexual assault survivors. Min. req’s: Master’s in Social Work +1 yr exp pro-viding direct client advocacy svcs to trauma survivors. Will accept pre-Master’s exp.

Send resume:M. Gopnik, Mng Dir, BARCC,

99 Bishop Allen Dr,Cambridge, MA 02139.

Ref. CN14079.

Page 24: Bay State Banner 12/06/2012