Sonia Chang-Diaz for state senate


The Beacon Hill Times endorses challenger Sonia Chang-Diaz in the Democratic primary race for state senator in the Second Suffolk District. The current senator in this district is Dianne Wilkerson. On Beacon Hill this district includes the flat of the Hill and the north slope from Pinckney Street to Cambridge Street and from the river to Irving Street. The primary election will be held one week from today on Tuesday, September 19.

The reasons to endorse Chang-Diaz were clear from the start of our interview with her. She is well spoken, smart, passionate about the issues and has views that most Democrats support. Although she is young, she has lived her values, as one interviewer pointed out. She also has the right kind of experience for a new senator, from a stint as an 8th grade teacher in the public schools to a legislative aide with Cheryl Jacques, to a position with Democratic women’s fundraiser Barbara Lee. Her answers to questions led interviewers to conclude that she has a deep and nuanced understanding of the issues. She has a catchphrase—Chang for change—she cooked up to differentiate herself from the other Diaz who is running. She is an impressive young woman who has prepared herself to take this step. She deserves your vote.

We did not endorse our current Senator Dianne Wilkerson for one reason: she seems overwhelmed, a condition that cannot be good for her constituents. She said herself that it has been hard for her to manage her personal affairs and the ethics charges surrounding her since she is working on legislation, sometimes for months at a time. The interviewers noted, however, that other senators manage both political and personal lives seamlessly.

There is a lot of talk about her financial problems, troublesome campaign filings, the complaints filed against her and other possible charges. Her explanation for these problems was elliptical and unsatisfactory, but she is innocent until proven guilty in these matters.

Of more immediate concern to voters is her seeming inability to manage the fundamentals of political life. She lists many bills she has sponsored and can cite instances in which she has gone beyond the call of duty. She clearly is a champion in the struggle for social justice.

But so is her opponent Chang-Diaz. And Wilkerson always seems to be in legal or regulatory trouble in one way or another. For her constituents, it is exhausting. It is as if she harbors the fatal flaw or hubris present in a protagonist in a Greek tragedy.

But that flaw has direct consequences on her effectiveness as our senator. Although she has been running for office since 1992, she came up short with signatures last spring, so she did not get on the ballot. She has had to run a sticker campaign, which left her vulnerable to challenges from other candidates, and two of them showed up within weeks to take her on.

Maybe having to manage the stickers and her opponents’ challenges are the reasons she is almost nine months late in publishing a report concerning the fate of the Hynes Convention Center and the Boston Common Garage. (She said it is now appearing within the week.) She was the chair of the committee that considered whether the state should sell the two facilities and, if not, what the state should do about them. She ran the meetings skillfully.

But the committee’s work ended at the beginning of the year and the lack of a report has left convention center and garage officials uncertain about the future. These matters are especially important to our neighborhood since so many of us use the Boston Common Garage, and the health of our shopping district depends on its affordability for visitors and tourists.

Another challenger is Samiyah Diaz, whom interviewers declined to endorse because she is also running as a Republican. Rumor has it that a person named John Kelleher will also mount a sticker campaign, but he has taken no official step to do so and we were unable to contact him.


The practice for endorsements at The Beacon Hill Times is to enlist residents to interview the candidates and come to a consensus about whom the newspaper should endorse. In this race’s endorsement, Times readers teamed up with Back Bay Sun readers, since the Second Suffolk District encompasses both neighborhoods. Our endorsement panelists were Fritz Casselman of Beacon Street, James Holland of Commonwealth Avenue, J. Dayne Lamb of Pinckney Street, Deirdre Rosenberg of Commonwealth Avenue and Kissy Zalcman of Chestnut Street. The Beacon Hill Times thanks them for their time and effort.

Police, university officials and Beacon Hillers have met several times with City Councilor Michael P. Ross to talk about ways to calm the rowdy, disrespectful behavior of a few college students and young professionals living in apartments on Beacon Hill.

But a fourth group of involved individuals have been long missing from the talks: the landlords of the apartment buildings occupied by the troubling youth. So, Ross asked 15 landlords with problem tenants to meet with the other interested parties at Boston City Hall last Tuesday.

The police came. Suffolk University officials came. Residents came. But, only two landlords showed up. The rest, apparently, don’t think they are part of the problem nor part of the solution.

“I am very discouraged by their lack of interest, many of whom have violation citations in the wake of last weekend’s move in,” Ross said. “Their unwillingness to work with the community will make it more difficult for the rest of us to solve the problems.”

Sita Smith, aide to Councilor Ross, said the landlords who had been asked to attend the meeting had buildings that were considered problematic because of complaints made by residents, loud party reports by the Boston police, and trash and other violations given by the Inspectional Services Department.

After receiving the invitation to the meeting, several landlords called to decline because, they said, their properties were not part of the problem. Others did not respond at all, Smith said.

Winchester resident Gora Banerjee, who owns 46-48 Irving Street, and Pinckney Street resident David Thomas, who owns several properties on the Hill, were the two who attended the meeting. Banerjee, who said later he felt “defensive” at the meeting, was told by Ross “the fact that you’re here is good. It means you are trying to help us. We have a problem with some kids on this hill.”

Thomas, who is active in the community, said he no longer rents to students. “I decided I had had it with the student behavior in my buildings,” he said. “None of my apartments are now rented to undergraduates. The alternative is to spend a lot of time and money dealing with repairs, trash and so on. Last year, one kid even got arrested for beating down the door.”

But Ross, who doesn’t support Thomas’ no rental approach, said he wants Beacon Hill landlords to take measures to get control of the problems similar to those undertaken by landlords in other Boston neighborhoods. Such measures include posting information detailing the responsibilities of tenants, adopting a zero tolerance policy and hiring private security guards to knock on doors at night, shut down parties and report back to the landlords. Some have hired commercial trash haulers to remove trash. Ross wants absentee landlords to meet with their immediate neighbors and ask them to call when problems occur, or be on site more frequently and kick disruptive partygoers out of their building.

It’s very easy to give advice to do this and that,” said Banerjee after the meeting. “The [group] is trying to change the rules of the City of Boston. Why don’t they change their lifestyles and go away for the weekend? Kids need their fun every now and then. This is a city. New York never goes to sleep.”

Banerjee was upset because at least one neighbor was so angered at the behavior of his tenants “that he chased me with a baseball bat inside a building and was abusive, swearing at me,” he said.

But Banerjee defended the tenants. “I have a very nice group of students in my building. They come from good homes. When they have had a couple of drinks, they forget where they are. I try to resolve problems that come up. I will pass the minutes of [Ross’s] meeting telling of the problem to my tenants. Things will change if we all work on it.”

Smith said that Banerjee had been asked to come to the meeting because of complaints about loud parties and blowing furniture on the roof of the building. “He must take responsibility for it,” she said.

“Whether or not their tenants are problems to the neighbors is for the neighbors to decide, not the landlords,” said Ross, who has vowed to spend two mornings a month dedicated to solving the problems caused by disruptive young people on the hill. He plans to work with city resources, such as ISD and the police, to make sure landlords with problem properties are compliant with regulations, have mandated permits and a process in place to deal with problems.

“The only hope we have is to all work together on this,” said Joe Mari, a South Russell Street resident who attended the meeting.

CREDIT: John Gillooly
CAPTION: A new Suffolk University student (front, second from left) received a big welcome as she moved into her apartment from (left to right) Kristen O’Brien, Richard Grealish, John Nucci and Michael Feeley, all of Suffolk University; Ross Levanto of the Beacon Hill Civic Association and Dina Moeller, a Joy Street resident.

For several years, Myrtle Street resident Ross Levanto has been dubbed “the trash man” for his efforts to clean up Beacon Hill’s streets and sidewalks. Not afraid to get his hands dirty, he has lead the Beacon Hill Civic Association’s annual clean ups, posted flyers with trash regulations in buildings considered guilty of trash violations and worked with residents and city officials to devise ways to keep the neighborhood tidier.

Because he knows well just how much trash accumulates during the annual September 1 student turnover weekend, Levanto, now vice-president of neighborhood affairs for the civic association went one step further this year. He assembled a crew of neighbors and Suffolk University officials who walked through Beacon Hill’s north slope during the long weekend, welcoming young professionals and students and giving them a bit of advice on how to be a good neighbor.

“It went really well,” Levanto said. “All these people were moving in. The doors were all propped open, and friends and parents were carrying things in. We just walked in and started talking. One young woman, who had lived here for several years with her boyfriend, said ‘Wow, this is new.’ She was pleasantly surprised to see us.”

Levanto handed new tenants a packet of information about city services, a civic association neighborhood guide and an official welcome letter listing the five things you need to know about Beacon Hill —beginning, not surprisingly, with “Trash Days are Monday, Wednesday and Friday.” It concluded by saying “We are happy you are here. Say hi to your neighbors.”

Saying hi to the new neighbors is why Dina Moeller of Joy Street was a part of the team greeting the new neighbors several times throughout the long holiday weekend, and she encourages other residents to do the same. “I know things have been contentious over the past couple of years, and it may not be the first thing [residents] feel like doing,” she said. “But I think it will help them understand they are moving into a neighborhood we make our homes and lives in.”

During the visits to student apartments, Moeller put a community face on the neighborhood issues, making an impression with the students that there are more than students here, said John Nucci, vice president for government and community affairs who was one of several Suffolk officials in the group. “When you don’t know your neighbors, you don’t act as well.”

Suffolk officials spent the better part of the weekend welcoming students and talking with them and their parents. “It gave us a good sense of where they are all living,” said Nucci. “We walked into their apartments, looked them in the eye, welcomed them and gave them the message of what behavior we expected of them.”

Nucci said students and especially parents seemed to appreciate their visible presence in the neighborhood and enjoyed the visits. “We thought they were quite interested,” he said. “Some were shocked: Their eyes opened wide, and they were taken aback when school officials showed up at their doors.”

All Suffolk students were given a copy of a video, which was produced as a collaborative effort by the university and the community, to further explain the expectations and consequences related to off-campus behavior—ranging from improper disposal of trash to loud parties to drunken behavior.

Because neighborhoods with heavy student populations are overloaded with garbage, trash and debris, units not up to code and major traffic issues, the city sent along representatives from the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services, Public Works and Inspectional Services Department to keep things moving throughout the weekend. According to the Mayor’s press office, 733 tons of trash and debris were collected throughout the city during the eight days surrounding September 1. On Beacon Hill alone, 110 tickets were written for trash and other violations.

Levanto praised the work done by the city’s trash collectors in removing the debris.

credit: Jacqueline G. Freeman
caption:
The 3rd and 6th grade students from the Advent School on Brimmer Street will be incorporating the T station art project into their curriculum. Ready to learn and create, the students gathered at the Red Line station last week. They included Eli Abarbanel, Eliza, Beebe, Shayna Bredbeck, Pompeo Contarin, Jennifer Fanning, Haben, Girmay, Christian Labeck, Thomas Marchi, Alexandra Obert, John Michael Ronayne , Valerie Schoeck, Augustus Viveiros, Attabelle Wasniewski, Henry White, Sam Abarbanel, Marisa Breece-Sullivan, Grace Coviello, Akilah Evans-Smith, Yasmin Francis, Abe Gobel, A. J. Gomes, Beth Minahan, Roy Ownes, Nia Rivera, Isabella Schumann, Jasmine Turnbull and Andrew Zick. Faculty included Anna Bell, 3rd grade teacher, Natalie Sanders, 3rd grade teacher, Neil Taylor, 6th grade teacher, Amanda Golden, 6th grade teacher, George Anastos, art teacher, Nancy Harris Frohlich, Head of School, and Jaime Bard, director of Admission and Community.





Red Line commuter Jaime Bard was discouraged by the dirty, unkempt temporary Red Line station. But rather than complain — Bard created.

As director of admission and community for the Advent School on Brimmer Street, Bard thought the students might be able to help liven up the station for awhile.

“The T is a real mess,” said Bard. “In many ways it is the welcome mat for our community.”

With the go-ahead from the head of school, Bard approached the MBTA about putting a temporary art exhibit up in the station until the new station is complete. “Our mission is to ‘learn with passion, act with courage to change the world’,” said Bard.

Bard met with Director of Design for the MBTA Barbara Boylan who “lit up” at the idea. And that’s when the project really started to grow.

The MBTA agreed to give the Advent School a permanent installation in the new T station, scheduled to open in late January, said Bard.

And that’s where the neighborhood comes in. “The idea is for this to be about the community, not just about the Advent,” said Bard. “We are the leaders in the project, but it is not about us.”

The art teachers and staff at the Advent School will spearhead the project to give the final product a sense of continuity, but the goal is to have the piece put together, almost like a quilt, by residents and community members. “Our goal is to have it be an exceptional piece of work,” said Bard. “We want the list of people who participated to be almost as big as the piece.”

The piece will be approximately 20 feet by 20 feet in size and will be made of up smaller panels of both plexiglass and chicken wire. The panels will be linked together, but will show some fluid movement as the trains go by, said Bard. The plexiglass will let light through and will be two-sided so that it can be enjoyed from both the street and inside the station.

Students at the Advent will work on the art project, which is based on the Reggio Emelia philosophy of early childhood learning, this term. Teachers will be available to host workshops throughout the neighborhood for groups that want to work on a panel or section of the piece.

Bard said they will also host open workshops at the Beacon Hill Block Party on September 17 and on Boston Common in the fall. “It is going to fabulous to watch this thing progress over the next couple of months,” she said.

“We want the end product to be a success, but we also want the process to be a huge success,” said Bard. “It is about creating connections, kid to kid, neighbor to neighbor.”

The Advent is looking for materials and volunteers. If you are interested in donating materials or in hosting a workshop contact Bard at 617-742-0520, ext. 11, or stop by the Advent’s table at the Beacon Hill Block Party on September 17.

SIDEBAR:
Materials wish list
David Poutré, owner of Boston Art & Framing on Charles Street has already committed to donate 25 20 inch by 20 inch plexiglass pieces for the project. Here are other things needed for the piece:

Materials
Rubber
Colorful rags
Fishing line
Ribbon
Feathers
Beads, glass, wood, plastic, clear, colors
Yarn
Fabric, shiny, colorful
Pine cones
Wire
Plastic containers with tops

Please note they do not want sharp items, soda bottles, old food containers, dirty objects, furniture, toys, clothes, or anything that looks like a weapon. They are hoping for many of the materials to be recycled.