Dorchester Reporter “The News and Values Around the Neighborhood” Volume 30 Issue 34 Thursday, August 22, 2013 50¢ Dancing again Mayoral candidates take up public safety as a key issue Reporter survey draws wide range of answers By Gintautas Dumcius Walczak, co-founder of the Codman news eDitor Square Health Center, said there are Nine of the twelve mayoral can- long-term and short-term approaches, didates have weighed in on a host writing: “The short-term approach is of topics – from gun violence to the to reassemble the partnership that names of their role models – that worked in the 1990s, bringing together were included in a questionnaire they police and other law enforcement received from the Dorchester Reporter. representatives with representatives They offer varied and sometimes from schools, churches, human service, lengthy responses as to how they would health care and other nonprofit deal with the key issues facing the city, organizations, to identify families in and a new administration. crisis and do crisis intervention, help- The questions and answers will be ing families in crisis avoid crime. The taken up specifically during the month long-term solution is through providing leading to the Sept. 24 preliminary opportunity and hope to our children. balloting and will be published in full A better education with opportunity this week on the Reporter’s website, for having a career will lead to a more dotnews.com. hopeful group of young adults.” With respect to gun control, Bill (Continued on page 4) BRa status under next mayor is focus at forum By Gintautas Dumcius City Hall staffers to Gov hopeful tests news eDitor Main Streets, which now Mayor Thomas Menino boasts districts in 20 waters in Lower created Boston Main neighborhoods, includ- Mills – Page 5 The Richard family— whose eight-year-old son Martin was killed in the Pa- Streets, a program that ing Fields Corner and triot’s Day bombing at the Boston Marathon— last week released this photo offers financial and tech- Mattapan. closer look at Menino’s of seven-year-old Jane Richard, who is now using a prosthesis to replace part nical assistance to local So it’s no surprise that potential successors. of her left leg, which she lost in the attack. In a statement on the four-month businesses, in 1995, and many of their volunteers, All 12 of the candidates anniversary of the attack, Bill and Denise Richard noted that while they are it has grown in size and executive directors, vying for the mayor’s “making progress, and just like Jane, we each endure the occasional setback scope since then. The and others gathered at office appeared on the here and there along the way.” The family added: “Watching [Jane] dance with stage, all appearing to her new leg, which has her weight primarily on the other leg, is absolutely city funnels federal grant the Strand Theatre on priceless.” Full statement, page 8. Photo courtesy Richard family funding and devotes Monday night to get a (Continued on page 4) Historic homes Baker steps away from offer window into debate on Dorchester’s past landmark By Brianna macGreGor “This is all original By Gintautas Dumcius special to the reporter beaming,” said Ivy Wag- news eDitor ner, the Pierce House District 3 Councillor Dorchester’s Pierce Councillor Frank Baker House is a quaint, museum teacher. She Frank Baker this week unassuming structure, explained that most of said he would recuse had previously made an nestled in a small lot the original architecture himself from an ongoing attempt to purchase the directly across the street of the house is still in debate about whether property, came after a from the Kenny School. place. The Pierce House on Oakton Avenue, built in 1683, a dilapidated home on neighborhood activist Wagner was a class- has been open to the public since 1968. Savin Hill should receive raised questions about A sign on the front Photo courtesy Historic New England walkway is the only room teacher before landmark status from a his comments to the indicator of its historical coming to Pierce House, curriculum.” According to Carolin city commission. In an commission at a City significance. and she said she loves the The Pierce House, built Collins, educational unusual step, Baker also Hall hearing. However, the house’s working environment, in 1683, went through programs coordinator at asked that testimony he (Continued on page 15) interior tells a different where the teaching 10 generations of the Historic New England, made before the Boston story. Several rooms material is also the Pierce family before it several renovations had Landmarks Commission are set up as craft and classroom. was acquired by the to be made before the — in which he argued teaching spaces, with “The house is a major Historic New England in house was declared safe against a landmark des- one room set up using primary source. Kids 1968. Used mostly as an for children. The sid- ignation for the property period furniture, some need to know where architecture study, the ing, which was ridden on Grampian Way— last of which belonged to they came from, and this house had very limited with asbestos, had to be week be “struck from the the Pierce family. Wide house is important to the public presence until removed, though a small record.” slabs of wood are laid history of Dorchester,” the early 2000s, when portion of it remains The move, along with across the floor, and she said. “It’s all hands- it was refurbished as fenced off in the yard for a disclosure form filed All contents copyright with the city clerk’s office © 2013 Boston thick beams hold up the on learning, and it fits in an educational site for observational purposes. Neighborhood News, Inc. roof overhead. exactly with their school school children. (Continued on page 15) noting that his brother SAINT JOSEPH’S REHABILITATION AND NURSING CENTER 321 Centre Street, Dorchester MA 02122. Tel 617-825-6320 Vi Have A Happy Summer! 123 bed sub-acute rehabilitation center. Catholic services 6 days/ Week. DEFICIENCY FREE Page 2 THE REPORTER August 22, 2013 Reporter’s Notebook On The Record Postive polls make Walsh Two cars smash into a campaign flak-catcher homes on Quincy Street By Gintautas Dumcius was asked to address the billions news eDitor spent on development in the city City Councillor Michael Ross on and the small numbers of people of Sunday became the latest mayoral color and Boston residents working at candidate to take aim at state Rep. construction sites. “If you haven’t heard Marty Walsh, a fellow mayoral me out there on the stump screaming hopeful. Standing outside the State and hollering about hiring Boston House, Ross hit Walsh for voting for a residents, it’s because no one asked me. transportation financing package that I mean, I’ve lived in Boston my whole “does not address our needs.” life,” Conley told the audience member, Ross’s targeting of the Dorchester adding that his office is diverse in race lawmaker followed similar efforts by and in gender. Suffolk District Attorney Dan Conley, His job currently is to serve victims a former city councilor who clashed and hold criminals accountable, he with Walsh in a mini-debate on Boston said, and urged the questioner to Herald Radio in early August and later ask the other candidates the same redirected a question at Walsh at a question. “Marty Walsh, for example. forum inside a Roxbury restaurant. He’s my friend, but he’s been involved Walsh, a Dorchester Democrat, has in construction trades,” Conley said, been a member of the Legislature since according to video posted on the Black- 1997 and at one point held down a top stonian, a website run by an activist job in the labor community while serv- who is running for City Council. “He’s ing as a lawmaker – two biographical coming here tonight, perhaps you can points likely to draw heavy scrutiny ask him... I’m the district attorney. I from rivals as the Sept. 24 preliminary mean, I hear what you’re saying.” draws closer. Earlier, Conley and Walsh faced Ross, a Mission Hill Democrat, said off during a morning show on Boston he backed Gov. Deval Patrick’s pro- Herald Radio. Conley, a seasoned posal, which included more revenue for prosecutor, hammered Rep. Walsh the state’s transportation infrastruc- for voting for legislation that legalized ture. “But last month, the Legislature casinos and included a provision that passed a much smaller transportation means only East Boston will weigh bill over the governor’s veto,” Ross said in on a proposed casino at Suffolk A collision on Quincy Street around 11:45 a.m. on Friday ended with a BMW at his State House press conference. Downs, unless the City Council and X3 partially entombed in the basement of 480 Quincy St. and an Oldsmobile “That bill does nothing to expand the mayor decide otherwise. “You mini-van embedded in the side of 486 Quincy. Two adults and a child in the MBTA service. It doesn’t do enough are disenfranchising 95 percent of mini-van were taken to a local hospital to be checked out. Nobody else was to upgrade our aging fleet of trains the citizens of Boston,” Conley said, injured, but firefighters had to use special tools to jack up the houses before and buses. And it doesn’t tackle any according to the Herald. the vehicles were pulled out. Photo courtesy BFD/Universal Hub of the big projects that will allow our Walsh appeared caught off guard by downtown and neighborhoods to grow.” the back-and-forth.