Dorchester Reporter “The News and Values Around the Neighborhood” Volume 34 Issue 10 Thursday, March 10, 2016 50¢ Mattapan trolley line awaits $3m infusion while study prepared ‘Full menu’ of options going forward on order By Bill forry editor The MBTA board will hear a request to pump a fresh $3 million into the Mattapan high-speed trolley line next week as state officials await a consultant’s report that will detail how much it costs to operate the line and lay out options for the future. The fleet of Presidential Conference Cars that are used on the line are at “the end of their life,” according to In the meantime, the request Jeff Gonneville, the T’s chief for new funds to maintain the operating officer, who spoke line in its current form is an BPS high school students rallied on Boston Common on Monday. Aedan Harasymiw photo to the Reporter on Tuesday. acknowledgement that any Gonneville said that an engi- changes – in the form of new or neering firm will be soon be restored trolleys, repurposed asked to compile a study on the Green Line cars, or a more BPS students walk out line that will itemize its costs, radical departure, like electric the viability of the vehicles buses – are years away from and infrastructure – includ- implementation. in protest of budget cuts ing bridges and the right of Gonneville said that the way – and the prospects for consultant has been asked By maddie Kilgannon from the high schools. keeping the line in operation, to scope out a “menu of pos- reporter CorreSpondent According to BPS spokes- either with the trolleys or with sibilities” for the future of the Several thousand Boston person Daniel O’Brien, 3,650 different vehicles. Gonneville line. The MBTA board will be public school students walked students walked out of class on expects the report will be presented with the options out of their classrooms and Monday. There are 17,600 completed by this summer. (Continued on page 14) onto the city’s streets on enrolled in the city’s high Monday morning, protesting schools. budget cuts at schools in “The Boston Public Schools Boston and across the country. appreciates the passion stu- State Senate homes in The action was part of a dents have for their education coordinated national response and their interest in making on housing crisis, lays to the tens of millions of dollars their voices heard,” said that are being cut in large O’Brien. “While BPS en- numbers of cities. courages student activism out strategic initiatives Reaction in Boston to the and advocacy, we do not By Jennifer Smith Massachusetts will need reduced funding has become condone students leaving almost 500,000 new housing school without permission and reporter Staff increasingly fierce in recent Targeting everything from units by 2040, according to missing valuable instruction weeks as neighborhoods ab- zoning, foreclosures, millen- Metropolitan Area Planning time. The district is working sorb the realities of what the nials, and the steady creep of Council projections. Given collaboratively with student estimated $38 million cut to gentrification, a state Senate that, Forry said, the state the BPS budget will mean for Samantha Little, Snowden In- leadership organizations to ternational sophomore: One of report released last week laid needs to take a “holistic” provide students across the specific schools. For their part, the protest organizers. out a strategy for dealing with approach to the housing city opportunities to lead students say they fear the Maddie Kilgannon photo the housing crisis across the issue, increasing resources removal of crucial programs (Continued on page 7) commonwealth. for families and children The Special Senate Com- while also ensuring adequate mittee on Housing outlined housing stock. Marshals step up the hunt 19 proposals, many tied to Nine subcommittees, made existing or pending legislation up of legislators and com- for double-murder suspect and some recommending munity advocates, homed in initiatives to offset rising on state-led efforts to combat Three years after Haitian- By Jennifer Smith land costs and minimize born Jean Weevins Janvier (Continued on page 5) reporter Staff displacement. “Massachusetts became a naturalized US A fugitive sought for the needs a revolution in housing citizen, he allegedly killed 2011 double-murder of two production to keep up with 23-year-old Judith Emile and Haitian-American sisters in the demand for new housing 21-year-old Stephanie Emile, Dorchester has been placed statewide,” the report said. with whom he had previously on the US Marshals “15 Most Committee chair Sen. Linda been romantically involved, Wanted” list. After four and a Dorcena Forry of Dorchester according to Suffolk County half years of searching for the said most housing concerns are District Attorney Daniel man, the Marshals Service is interconnected in areas where Conley’s office. Jean Weevens Janvier, sought All contents copyright offering a $25,000 reward for housing lags behind booming information leading to his by law enforcement for 2011 © 2016 Boston double homicide. population numbers. Neighborhood News, Inc. arrest. (Continued on page 19) Brian W. O’Sullivan CFP®, ChFc, CLU Partner 234 Copeland Street, Suite 225 Quincy, MA 02169 Tel. 617-479-0075 Ext. 331 Fax 617-479-0071 Brian W. O’Sullivan, CFP ®, ChFC, CLU, is a registered representative of and offers securities, investment advisory and financial planning services through MML Investors Services, LLC, Member [email protected] SIPC. Supervisory Address: 101 Federal Street, Suite 800, Boston, MA 02210 • 617-439-4389 www.commonwealthfinancialgroup.com Page 2 THE REPORTER March 10, 2016 dotnews.com DOT BY THE DAY Police, March 10 - 16, 2016 A snapshot look at key upcoming events in and Courts around the neighborhood for your weekly planner. Thursday (10th) – Town Hall meeting on Boston & Fire Public School budget co-sponsored by City Council- lors Tito Jackson and Annissa Essaibi-George, 6 Fire claims one p.m. at Mattapan BPL, 1350 Blue Hill Ave. life in Codman Friday (11th) – Boys and Girls Clubs of Square building Dorchester Alumni & Friends Reunion Party, 7 p.m., Florian Hall, 55 Hallet St. 21+ event, ID A woman was killed required. For more information or to sponsor the early Saturday morning event, please contact Patty Lamb at 617-288-7120 in a fire that destroyed or [email protected]. her apartment in the former Girls Latin Acad- Saturday (12th) – DCR and Phillips Candy A group of volunteers gathered at The Banshee in Dorchester after assist- emy building in Codman House 24th Annual Kids Spring Egg Scramble 11 ing senior citizens at the Ditson Street Senior Housing complex. The elderly Square. The one-alarm a.m. sharp at Pope John Paul II Park, 763 Gallivan residents were displaced by a Feb. 16 that caused an estimated $500,000 in fire was reported at Blvd. in Dorchester. Call the DCR at 617-333-7404, damage to the building. The volunteers helped residents pack up their be- 3:30 a.m. at 380 Talbot ext 104. Children ages 4-8 can join in the scramble longings before renovations begin. Photo courtesy Rodney Byrd Ave. No one else was for toy and candy filled plastic eggs scattered across injured. The fire caused the field. an estimated $250,000 in damage, according • Enjoy a celebration of St. Patrick’s Day with the Volunteers help out seniors to the Boston Fire De- Greene-O’Leary Dancers at the Kennedy Library in partment. Investigators Dorchester. 10:30 a.m. To make a reservation, please displaced by Ditson St. fire from the fire and police visit the Celebrate! page at jfklibrary.org/celebrate department and the or call 617-514-1644 and leave your full name, the Residents of a Fields Cross and the Mayor’s sonal effects in advance Suffolk County District number in your party, and your contact information. Corner elderly apart- Office. of demolition that will Attorney’s office are now • Ward 14 Democrats elect delegates to the state ment complex that was “We’ve had a remark- precede renovations. investigating the cause party convention in a caucus at Anthony Perkins damaged in a two-alarm able response,” said “There was a good of the fire. fire last month are get- Donna Finnegan, the deal of water and smoke Community Center,155 Talbot Ave., Dorchester. Adams Corner Doors open for registration between 12-1 p.m. ting assistance from the CDC’s chief executive damage, so carpeting Chairperson Darryl Smith will call the Caucus to property’s owners and officer. As of this week, will need to come up. bank robbed order at 1 p.m. Call 617-903-7648 or email darryl. volunteers. No one was six of the seniors were Some of the units need on Tuesday [email protected]. injured when a morning still staying at the just a minimal rehab and blaze broke out on Feb. Doubletree Hotel, down some need to be totally The East Boston Sav- Sunday (13th) – 10th annual Dorchester Chili 16 inside the Ditson from 22 in the immediate gutted,” said Finnegan. ings Bank at 489 Gal- Cook-off at the IBEW Hall, 256 Freeport St., Street Senior Housing wake of the fire. Most of Some of the residents livan Blvd. was robbed Dorchester, 4 p.m. For more information contact at 25 Ditson St., but 46 the residents have been will be re-settled in on Tuesday morning by Pat O’Neill [email protected]. residents were displaced re-settled with family, another property owned a young man who fled in in the incident, which friends or in other rental by the Fields Corner a green Jeep Wrangler Monday (14th) – Town Hall meeting on Boston caused an estimated housing.