Dorchester Reporter “The News and Values Around the Neighborhood”
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Dorchester Reporter “The News and Values Around the Neighborhood” Volume 29 Issue 31 Thursday, August 2, 2012 50¢ Patrick will sign ‘balanced’ bill on sentencing reform By GintautaS DuMciuS Sometimes known as the “three nEwS EDitor strikes” bill, the legislation eliminates A day after Beacon Hill lawmakers parole for some habitual violent rejected Gov. Deval Patrick’s attempt felons, eases some sentences for drug to add judicial discretion to the crime offenders, and reduces the so-called bill, Patrick said he will sign the “school zone” deployed by prosecutors controversial legislation, which its to enhance sentences to 300 feet from supporters say will crack down on 1,000 feet. the state’s most violent criminals. Patrick said preliminary estimates Opponents contend the bill dispropor- peg at almost 600 the number of non- tionately affects minorities. violent drug offenders who would be “I asked for a balanced bill and, after eligible for supervised parole as soon many twists and turns, the Legislature as the law goes into effect. has given me one,” Patrick said in The House and Senate on Monday a statement on Tuesday afternoon. rejected an amendment Patrick offered “Because of the balance between strict that he said would improve the bill by sentences for the worst offenders and providing judges with the discretion more common sense approaches for to grant parole to habitual offenders. those who pose little threat to public The House – whose speaker, Robert safety, I have said that this is a good bill. I will sign this bill.” (Continued on page 17) Summer recipe for tots: Tennis, dash of nutrition By ElizaBEth Murray SpEcial to thE rEportEr About a dozen fourth graders filed anxiously into the room used as both The right thing to do: A Crystal Transport bus turns to enter the UMass Boston a gym and cafeteria last Wednesday campus while another driver heads south down Morrissey Boulevard. Many at the Paul A. Dever School where drivers cheat the law by shifting to the lane the bus is using to go south on mats, bowls and food had been set the boulevard. Bill Forry photo out on tables in preparation for a nutritional cooking class. As the Officials beginning to stir students chatted excitedly about the previous week’s burritos and smoothies, Haley House Cafe chef on safety issues at busy Vanessa Labranche introduced different fruits and vegetables before the students’ next endeavor – fruit Morrissey Blvd. intersection with gingerbread dip and hummus By GintautaS DuMciuS from residents and local also accommodates ‘boats’ with vegetables. nEwS EDitor elected officials alike. numerous pedestrians, One student even brought her own Safety concerns about One top lawmaker, given adjacent attrac- apron to school for the activity. the heavily trafficked Rep. Marty Walsh, said tions like Patten’s Cove For this five-week summer pro- intersection of Morrissey the state may need to on one side of Morrissey gram, the Dever School partnered and Bianculli boulevards “reconstruct the whole Boulevard and the Har- with ‘Tenacity’, a Boston-based near UMass Boston,The intersection” to alleviate borwalk, which rings the non-profit organization dedicated the concerns about the university campus, on to helping city kids develop skills, Boston Globe, and Bos- Haley House employee Vanessa ton College High School, crossroad that in addi- the other. build character and find pathways to excellence by playing tennis and Labranche assists Jonathan Delacruz are drawing attention tion to vehicular traffic (Continued on page 17) (center) during the Dever summer engaging in academics over summer program’s nutritional cooking class last break. The Dever School is one of 40 Wednesday. Nhu Huynh Duong (left) Boston Public Schools partnering chops apples as Tiffany Nguyen (right) $3.5m for sidewalk repairs (Continued on page 4) observes. Elizabeth Murray photo Dorchester lawmakers Tuesday night. no sidewalk there.” this week were able to State Rep. Marty The state of disrepair set aside $3.5 million Walsh has lobbied for the has frustrated neighbor- INSIDE THIS WEEK for repairs of sidewalks funds, calling the current hood residents, who say stretching from the inter- state of the sidewalks a they are dissatisfied with section of Granite Ave. “disaster.” temporary patches and The Reporter’s and Gallivan Boulevard State Sen. Jack Hart state agencies pointing to Morrissey Boulevard said something can be the finger at one another Favorite Restaurant Survey at UMass Boston. The constructed for bikers over who has jurisdiction funding is contained in and pedestrians by of the area. The nominees are in! Vote now for your favorite Dot a transportation borrow- Malibu Beach. Near the The Massachusetts restaurants in the Reporter’s first-ever Favorite Restau- All contents copyright ing plan the state Senate rainbow gas tank, he Department of Trans- rant Survey. With 17 categories, we’re highlighting the © 2012 Boston and House approved late said, “There’s literally (Continued on page 4) range of great eats right in our backyard. See Page 17. Neighborhood News, Inc. Your bank is headed in a new direction. Maybe it’s time you headed for the exits. If you’re looking to simplify part of your life, say goodbye to banks with complicated fee structures and impersonal service, and hello to Meetinghouse Bank. We’re the only community bank in the area, and we plan to keep banking simple and stress free. Call or stop by today. Member FDIC 2250 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester, MA 02124 Member SIF 617-298-2250 · www.meetinghousebank.com MB Exit Ad 10x2 4c.indd 1 12/2/11 10:03 AM Page 2 THE REPoRTER August 2, 2012 Reporter’s Notebook On The Record Lots of traffic heading Up close with the to the Corner Office Clones Colossus By GintautaS DuMciuS who represents parts of Dorchester and nEwS EDitor Mattapan, would require the state to Bills big and small trundled through set up a website and post quarterly State House halls this week with grow- performance numbers in order to track ing intensity as the clock ticked down diversity hires and local job creation to midnight Tuesday and lawmakers efforts. The legislation passed in the heaved legislation onto the governor’s Senate on Tuesday. desk. “This bill addresses one of the greatest Bills on access to auto repair informa- frustrations I hear from constituents: tion and health care cost control were public construction projects are happen- batted between chambers before they ing in their neighborhoods, but the jobs were sent to the Corner Office as was an for these projects are going elsewhere,” economic development bill that creates Chang-Díaz said in a statement. “This a sales tax-free weekend for Aug. 11-12. bill uses the power of sunlight to make Those weren’t the only ones: The sure our communities are benefiting Senate and House passed “right to from the projects our taxpayer dollars know” legislation for temporary work- are paying for by creating greater ers that was sponsored by Sen. Jack accountability on every project from Hart and Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry. start to finish.” The House last week voted, 123 to 28, According to Chang-Diaz’s office, the to support of the bill, which requires bill has the support of Mayor Thomas staffing agencies to provide written Menino, City Councillors Ayanna details to temporary employees. Pressley and Tito Jackson, the Black “After more than a year of meetings and Latino Legislative Caucus, and the with a diverse coalition of stakehold- Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, ers, including workers’ advocates, among others. representatives of the staffing industry On the House side, Rep. Carlos Boxing legend Kevin McBride met Louise Brett from Ireland’s County Sligo and relevant state agencies and task Henriquez’s first bill gained the sup- last week during a dinner at Gerard’s in Adams Corner. She is working in forces, we have a comprehensive piece of port of his colleagues. First proposed Boston and playing football at the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton this sum- legislation that strengthens temporary to him by a Boston University student, mer. McBride, who boxed for Ireland in the 1992 olympics, defeated Mike workers’ right to critical information Henriquez’s bill caps check-cashing Tyson in 2005 and continues to compete professionally. Photo by Harry Brett about their employment while also fees with a set maximum. If the bill minimizing the burden on employers,” becomes law, Massachusetts would said Forry, who chairs the House side come in as the 27th state to regulate Rep. Henriquez arraigned in kidnap case of the Joint Committee on Community check-cashing, according to Henriquez’s On Tuesday morning, Rep. Carlos Henriquez (D-Dorchester) pleaded not guilty Development and Small Business. “A office, which noted that there are 145 to charges of kidnapping, witness intimidation, larceny under $250, and three temporary worker will now know what check cashers across the Bay State, counts of assault and battery at his arraignment in Cambridge District Court. wages they can expect, what safety including ones in Boston, Brockton, Judge Roanne Sragow released Henriquez without any requirements to equipment they might need, and who to Lawrence, Lowell, New Bedford and post bail but with the stipulation that he stay away from the alleged victim, call if they become injured on the job.” Springfield. according to a press release from District Attorney Gerry Leone’s office. She added that the bill, which had been Formal sessions ended this year at The Arlington Police report on the case said that Henriquez, 35, picked up a top priority with labor groups, will the end of July in order to provide his 23-year-old girlfriend at her mother’s Arlington Heights house and when allow the information to be a provided lawmakers with time to campaign for they were in the back of his car, he backhanded her, grabbed her by the throat, in a “variety of forms.” elections in September and November.