“The News and Values Around the Neighborhood” Volume 37 Issue 27 Thursday, July 2, 2020 50¢ St. Brendan and St. Ann parishes merge While each church building will keep Pastor asks its current name, the parish itself will have a new one. Fr. Clary said parish- suggestions ioners are invited to submit their ideas through July 15 and three finalists will be sent to the cardinal. for a new name “When submitting a name, two BY BILL FORRY things are important: (1) give the name EDITOR and (2) offer a reason for the name. Cardinal Seán O’Malley has ap- You might think only in terms of a proved the merger of St. Ann and St. “saint’s name,” but there are many Brendan parishes into a new Catholic other possibilities (Holy Trinity, Incar- parish in a move that will keep both nation, Holy Family, Gate of Heaven church buildings open under a new are parishes around the archdiocese)… name. In a letter sent to parishioners The key is the reason why!” last week, Fr. Brian Clary said that tablished with two worship sites and dinal’s approval, we move forward. It is Name nominations may be sent to the merger will take effect on July 1. campuses,” Clary wrote. “All the assets a daunting but exciting opportunity.” Fr. Clary at [email protected]. “On that day, the two parishes will and liabilities of the former parishes One immediate task will be selecting Clary and his co-pastor, Fr. Bob end, and one new parish will be es- will be under one parish. With the car- a new name for the combined parish. (Continued on page 14) HAIL AND FAREWELL If the pause is lifted, For BAA grads, care packages tenant advocates see with diplomas ‘tidal wave’ of evictions BY DANIEL SHEEHAN REPORTER STAFF BY KATIE TROJANO on Sunday which focused on At a drive-thru event in front REPORTER STAFF Boston Housing Court records of their school last Thursday, Tenant advocates this week from 2014 to 2016 but also seniors from the Boston Arts warned of a potential “tidal looked at filings from this year. Academy received their diplo- wave” of evictions of Boston The report was shared during mas and care packages pur- residents this year if the pan- an online conference that in- chased through funds raised demic-induced moratorium on cluded tenant advocates from by the BAA Foundation’s “103 filings is lifted, saying it would across the nation. Reasons to Give” campaign, an exacerbate the crisis that “The key finding here is that initiative that raised nearly already disproportionately market-rate eviction filings in $264,000 for a senior class that impacts Black residents in Boston are occurring dispro- saw most of its year-end tradi- city neighborhoods, including portionately in neighborhoods tions and festivities cancelled Mattapan and Dorchester. of color, particularly Black by COVID-19. City Life/Vida Urbana pub- neighborhoods,” said David “We’re immensely grateful lished its latest research on Robinson of MIT’s Depart- that the community chose market-rate eviction filings to support BAA’s diverse, (Continued on page 11) talented, and hardworking graduates during this un- precedented time,” said BAA Councillors propose Foundation President Denella Clark. ‘crisis response system’ “Many of BAA’s 103 gradu- ates are set to become the first in their families to pursue for non-violent 911 calls higher education. The gener- BY KATIE TROJANO safe, and how we can increase osity of our donors will help REPORTER STAFF trust in our government. ensure they are fully prepared National polling shows that BAA students Samil Battenfeld of Jamaica Plain and Kaydra Three city councillors want to succeed in the next stage of Hopkins (valedictorian Class of 2020) of West Roxbury with Boston to explore a new “crisis across party lines, people want (Continued on page 8) their diplomas. Don West photo response” system that would options when it comes to public divert non-violent, emergency safety,” she said, adding: calls away from the Boston “This could be useful when, Police Department in favor of say for example, there’s a Walsh orders up fireworks ‘task force’ “a more holistic public safety (Continued on page 10) BY KATIE TROJANO day. “People lose sleep, babies from last year by a factor of infrastructure integrated with REPORTER STAFF get woken up, some people 5,543 percent, an increase in public health.” Fed up, like many Bosto- with PTSD (Post Traumatic calls from 139 to 7,844. Michelle Wu, Julia Me- nians, with the increase at Stress Disorder) experience The taskforce includes Je- jia, and Lydia Edwards in- all hours of illegal fireworks real harms, pets are terrified rome Smith, the mayor’s chief troduced the proposal last in the city, Mayor Walsh has – and they’re fire hazards.” of civic engagement, At-Large Wednesday that calls for an set up a task force to address Last month, Walsh said, City Councillors Michelle Wu, unarmed “Community Safety the issue ahead of the Fourth complaints of fireworks in the Michael Flaherty, Julia Mejia Crisis Response System.” of July holiday. city had increased by 2,300 and Annissa Essaibi-George, Edwards said the legisla- All contents “Fireworks are a serious percent in May. According to the Boston Arson Squad, the tion was not meant to start a © 2020 issue not only in the City of the mayor’s office, fireworks Boston Police Department’s “replace the police” conversa- Boston Neighborhood Boston, but all across the calls to the Boston Police Bureau of Community En- tion. “This is about structural News, Inc. country,” Walsh said last Fri- Department in June were up (Continued on page 10) change, how we keep people WE’RE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD! Come visit our four full-service Dorchester locations. Codman Square: 305 Talbot Avenue Lower Mills: 2250 Dorchester Avenue Gallivan Boulevard: 489 Gallivan Boulevard Morrissey Boulevard: 960 Morrissey Boulevard NMLS # 457291 Member FDIC Member DIF 800.657.3272 EBSB.com Page 2 THE REPORTER July 2, 2020 dotnews.com Walsh gets budget OK; lays out plans to set up new Police Mattapan pedes- trian fatally struck ‘equity fund,’ file a zoning fix on housing on I-93 – A 49-year-old Mattapan man was hit BY KATIE TROJANO Walsh said his Equity The Boston Planning yesterday, for her leader- by two vehicles and killed REPORTER STAFF and Inclusion Cabinet and Development Agen- ship on the amendment. on the I-93 expressway Mayor Martin Walsh would be a “first in cy is working with the “We had a meeting a nearExit 9 in Milton on last week rolled out three Boston’s history.” On Department of Neigh- couple of weeks ago and June 24 around 8:30 p.m. initiatives that he said Monday, Walsh named borhood Development, Lydia made the impor- State Troopers say they are aimed at address- Dr. Karilyn Crockett, a the Boston Housing tance of this amend- found Tat Segundo in the ing systemic racism in Dorchester native and Authority, and the Office ment real, about saving roadway suffering from Boston – an “equity and lecturer at the Mas- of Fair Housing to create people’s abilities to live serious injuries. He was inclusion” cabinet in his sachusetts Institute of a project assessment tool in their communities.” transported to Boston administration; a new Technology, to be the that Walsh said will be He also thanked Dis- Medical Center where Racial Equity Fund; and Chief of Equity, a new used to identify and trict 8 Councillor Kenzie Dr. Karilyn Crockett he succumbed to his in- the filing of a “fair hous- cabinet-level position. address the risk of dis- Bok, who voted for his juries. “The exact cause ing” amendment to the “Karilyn is one of the placement, and enhance budget, for her work in nity,” Walsh said. “We and circumstances of city’s zoning code before most intelligent people access for historically “drafting the language” believe Boston will be the the crash remain under the end of the year. I know, and I am so excluded communities. of the amendment. first city in the country investigation,” according The announcement honored to welcome her The mayor thanked “We look forward to with fair housing re- to State Police. came a day after the City back to city government District 1 Councillor additional conversations quirements written into Monday morning Council approved the to take the helm of this Lydia Edwards, who with the council as a our zoning code.” gunfire – A person was mayor’s FY21 budget in new role,” said Walsh. voted yes on the budget whole and the commu- shot on Monday morning a tight 8-5 vote with dis- As to the Racial Equity near Columbia Road and senters saying that the Fund, he said, “This fund Devon Street, according operational budget could will invest in nonprofits Council votes no on use of to Boston Police. The vic- only enact “incremental that empower black tim, who was not named change” and allow “busi- and brown residents, in by officials, showed up to ness as usual during an economic development, ‘facial-surveillance’ by BPD a Boston hospital with unprecedented time.” public health, youth The City Council last not currently use facial- with darker-skinned “non-life-threatening” In the face of the vote, employment, education, week voted unanimously surveillance technology faces. injuries around 11 a.m. Walsh thanked the city arts and other areas.” to bar police and other because it is unreliable. In response to a ques- ••• councillors who “voted The initial goal is to city agencies from using A planned upgrade to the tion from Councillor Boston Police this for the budget, allowing raise $10 million in fund- facial-surveillance soft- camera network that the Frank Baker (Dorches- week released the name those investments to ing, with a long-term ware except for specific department has in place ter), Arroyo said the pro- of a 19-year-old man who move forward and ad- goal of $50 million, said criminal investigations - around the city would in- posal would not prohibit was shot and killed on vance the work of racial Walsh who added that and even then only if the clude a facial-recognition police from collecting Thane Street in Dorches- justice in our city.” He he would announce a data are not generated by module, but BPD has photos from existing ter on June 23.