0.: l fI) .... ~ ~'(f)-...1 ..... & :t InYl ~ B~~E"'5 ri:;: .~~i! ... ~ 0 ..-. ~t.,! I Community Newspaper Company lti Vol. 2, No. 43 FEBRUARY 10 - 16, 1998 72 Pages ~ Two Sections 50¢ Bank branch closes Asian American Trust Co. hopes to fill void By Melissa Da Ponte TAB Staff Writer t was a busy week in the world of bank­ ing last week, as one prominent compa­ Iny decided to close a branch in Allston, and a newcomer decidetl to open a new branch on Harvard Avenue. The,Allston branch ofthe Greater Boston Bank, which was recently acquired by Citizens Bank, will be closing its doors for good as part ofa consolidation plan, officials said last week. At about the same time, the Carlos Campos hosted a radio show for Spanish-speaking residents on Radio Free A.Jlgon, which was shut down by the Federal Communic:ations CollllllBion last ralL Campos said many Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian residen~ no longer bave access to inConnadon in their native language. Asian American Bank and Trust Company will open up 230 Harvard Ave., the fonner site of BankBoston. Citizens recently took over the Greater Boston branch at 157 Brighton Ave., in addi­ tion to the nearby Grove Bank at 429 Falling on deaf ears Harvard St. in Brookline. Both have been slated for a full conversion to Citizens in June, according Mark Luppi, Citizens' senior Immigrants at loss for infonnation after shutdown of radio station vice president of branch administration, who manages the branch's network in Boston. At By Melissa Da Ponte tion, which now has no other venue for and the A-line track removal project. Hosts that time, the Allston branch will close. TAB StaffWriter obtaining local news in languages other also spread the word about health and Luppi said that since Citizens also opened he Federal Communications than English. human services available in the district and a branch in the Star Market on Commission's decision last fall to Radio Free Allston, a pirate radio station local events like the annual Allston­ Commonwealth Avenue in Allston five shut down Radio Free Allston, T based at 107 Brighton Ave. in Allston, 'Brighton Ethnic Festival. The station broad­ months ago, the bank decided to get rid of which offered community-based shows offered programs in English, Spanish, cast for the first time in February and one of the acquired branches. hosted by local residents, came as a blow to Portuguese and Haitian Creole. The shows closed in October. ''In a radius ofone mile, we had three many in Allston-Brighton. frequently featured local leaders and "There's so much going on in Allston­ [branches]," he said. Because the bank had But some say the impact of the station's focused on how residents would experience Brighton that they're not going to hear consistently received customer complaints silence has been particularly strong among the impact of things like the end of rent about," said Carlos Campos, who offered a about the Brighton Avenue location, he said, the district's substantial immigrant popula- control, the Harvard University land deals RADIO, page 28 BANK,page 29 At what price air rights? Pike development could lead to fourth city tunnel By Tom Witkowski and there, you will not see the sky, daylight or the TAB StaffWriter outside world for at least two miles. You drive a: t's the year 2007. You pull out of the Allston­ underneath the Fenway, the Back Bay and the ~ Brighton toll booth on the Massachusetts South End until you reach Chinatown. ~ I Turnpike Extension and head into Boston. As Above you? Awall of steel girders and concrete ~ z the road rises, the skyline of the city stands over the - university buildings, office buildings, hotels, w a: Charles River and the Boston University Bridge on ~ condominium towers and entertainment complexes. o your left. On your right, the BU campus begins. ~ And then the daylight is gone. Can this happen? ~ You plunge into a tunnel of concrete walls arti­ Could the Massachusetts Turnpike become a ~ ficially illuminated by taillights and overhead 2.75-mile long string of skyscrapers above the ~~~--....;;. ........__.......~ ...... lii« light fixtures. Other than a quick glimpse here PIKE, page 30 The Allston-Brighton toll plaza on the Massachusetts Turnpike Books, games and videos for Black History Month PYCCKOE A H E! -- see inside Russian Supplement - Pages 22 - 23 . r. ~ - -- -----..-.-......_........... ...1 Page 2Jbe Allston-Brighton TAB, February 10 - 16, 1998 Attention: Teachers &Parents... ........: Be ready for Feb Vacation ~ the At BUCK A BOOI< we have tons ~ .......... ............of;;...,;;t...errifl.c "time fillers" for those Office Hour with Congressman Speeial Notice "indoor ]a It da So•• James P. McGovern in Town for Teachers:, Online's chat room! From • WORLD fatDOUS encyl~~.& U.S. Representative Jim McGovern (D-Worcester, MA 3rd) is serving in his first term in Congress. Prior to his elec­ teacher supply co. tion, McGovern was Rep. Joe Moakley's staff and previ- ously worked for Senator George McGovern. Bookmarks & McGovern's priority issues are education, transportation Bulletin Board and the environment. McGovern nominated Jody Williams and the International Campaign To Ban Posters Landmines for the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize. FEBRUARY 18TH FROM 7-8 P.M. $1.00-$3.00 at www.townonline.com theirs: $6.00-$12JlOl! ~I· ~. townonhneecom• • We're your home address www.townonline.com I Behind the byline••• Q ~ o o . :; ~ iD 12o :I:a. Name: David DelPoio Favorite Photographers: Josef Koudelka physically, as well as emotionally, close to ~ and Winslow Martin our subjects. The photographs in this paper Occupation: Photo Editor should appeal to your human kindness. Take Favorite BeaDe: John Interests: Cath, Frank Sinatra a look and see -how we did. On Work: Famed photojournalist Robert Last Book Read: "Last Train To Memphis" Personality on every page Capa once said, ~'If your pictures aren't good by Peter Guralnick enough, you're not close enough." Capa ~'Roy COMMUNITY Last Photo Exhibit Seen: DeCarava: A offers sound advice for TAB photographers. INEWSPAPER Retrospective" Our photography is strongest when we get COMPANY ---- -- --- ~If .~, 'fJ ~. February 10 - 16, 1998 BU moves Sunny disposition ahead with Armory plans New housing to be built by 2000 By linda Rosencrance TAB StaffWriter oston University official confmned plans last week to move forward with plans to build 216 units of housing at the site of the B fonner Commonwealth Armory. The 819-bed development is scheduled to open in August 2000 and cost $63 million. It fulfills an eight­ year-old commitment the university made to neighbors to house 75 percent of students on its own campus. According to BU's Master Plan which outlines its five­ to-lO-year development plans, the university will provide 9,300 beds in the year 2000. At that time there will be about 12,300 students attending the university. At last week's meeting of the Boston University Task Force, BU architects presented preliminary "It gets the plans for the three-building number of dormitory project, which will be situated on the east­ students housed erly side of the armory site. on campus to 75 The task force is com­ The mural of Tina Turner on Harvard Avenue got an unexpected view of sunshine last Friday. Weather forecasters had predicted snow. prised of university and percent." city officials, as well as Boston and Brookline Owen Donnelly, Boston community members and Redevelopment Authority is set up to work with BU on its development plans. ''This will free up about Do Re Mi seeks 2 a.m. closing 128 apartments in Boston," said Brighton resident John ness's hours of operation and public safe­ Bruno, a member of the task force. Karaoke studio says ty standards. Do Re Mi is scheduled to The tallest of the three dormitory buildings will be 18 late hour needed to appear before city's Consumer Affairs stories, or 230 feet high. Because the location of the and Licensing office on Feb. 25. At that three buildings has changed slightly since it was first stay in business time, the city is expected to determine proposed in 1990, the university will have to submit an whether Do Re Mi will be granted an amendment to the project' plan to the Boston By Melissa Da Ponte entertainment license and Redevelopment Authority, the city's planning agency. TAB Staff Writer what the restrictions would The development will also have to go through a large fief the owners of the Do Re be. In the meantime, the project review process led by the BRA. In addition, the Mi Music Studio at 442 owners are seeking the sup­ "This culture BRA set up a Project Advisory Committee - which Cambridge St. spent months port of local civic groups for consists of members of the task force - to work with A comes out at contending they did not need an enter­ the studio's request for a the city and the university on this project tainment license for their business, their license and a 2 a.m. closing. 10 or 11 "We think this plan is far superior to the previous plan, new attorney has announced that he Yoon invested $250,000 to o'clock at and it gets the number of students housed on campus to believe the studio does need such a renovate the building and get 75 percent," said Owen Donnelly of the BRA. license, and his clients have opted to take the studio off the ground night." Community members agreed, saying the only down­ his advice. before being told that the side to the plan was that "only students can live there." However, attorney Thomas Orlandi place would need a license, Thomas Orlandi The housing project, however, i not the only large­ said that for Do Re Mi to remain viable, according to Orlandi, who ARMORY, page 6 the business will need to be allowed to specializes in entertainment stay open until 2 a.m.