VOL. 125 - NO. 8 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, FEBRUARY 19, 2021 $.35 A COPY $6.4 Million for North End Knights of Columbus HQ MassDevelopment Issues Tax-Exempt Bond to Repurpose Knights of Columbus Building for Senior Affordable Housing MassDevelopment has issued to be rented to households a $6.4 million tax-exempt bond earning no more than 60% of on behalf of 41 N. Margin Senior the area median income. The Apartments, LLC, an affi liate project includes renovating of East Boston Community the building, adding two fl oors Development Corporation where the housing units will (EBCDC) and Affirmative be located, and constructing a Investments, Inc., which is 1,600-square-foot addition that using bond proceeds to receive will serve as the new quarters a 99-year lease from Ausonia for Ausonia Council 1513, Home Association for a por- Knights of Columbus. Eastern tion of its property at 41 N. Bank purchased the bond. Margin Street in Boston’s North “MassDevelopment is proud End. EBCDC and Affi rmative to help bring affordable senior Investments are also using housing to one of the most his- bond proceeds to convert the toric neighborhoods in Boston, property, which has been vacant through East Boston CDC for two years and was previ- and Affirmative Investments, ously the headquarters for the Inc.,” said MassDevelopment Ausonia Council 1513, Knights President and CEO Dan Rivera. of Columbus, into the Knights of “The Knights of Columbus Columbus Apartments that will headquarters played such an feature 23 one-bedroom units important role in the life of of affordable senior housing the neighborhood so we are News Briefs Rendering of 41 N. Margin Street by architect Michael Angelo Interbartolo, Jr., AIA. by Sal Giarratani honored and excited to see the Knight of Ausonia Council organizations by contributing property continue its legacy as 1513, Knights of Columbus. its real estate fi nance and devel- Principal Says a safe and affordable home for “We believe that using Ausonia opment expertise to expand Education Based on Racism many area seniors.” Home Association’s property to housing opportunities and Sherwood High School Principal Melissa Baran was “This project will help to address the shortage of afford- deliver critical services in low- slammed as a “BLM Marxist” for saying education has create much needed afford- able housing in the North End income communities. Since its its roots in “white supremacy.” Baran addressing the able senior housing in the fulfi lls our charitable mission founding in 1984, Affi rmative Sherwood School District on the outskirts of Portland, heart of Boston’s North End,” to improve the quality of life for Investments has facilitated the Oregon said, “Historically, our under-represented stu- said Pamela Feingold, Senior people in need.” fi nancing and development of dents, our most vulnerable students that are experi- Vice President and Head of East Boston Community $921 million of affordable hous- encing a variety of diffi cult circumstances ... the system Community Development Development Corporation ing nationwide, representing hasn’t been working for them.” Lending at Eastern Bank. (EBCDC) is a nonprofi t commu- more than 6,200 units and 81 Baran, added that, “Education as a whole was built “Eastern Bank is proud to nity development corporation New Markets Tax Credit deals on the system of oppression and white supremacy, and provide the construction dedicated to enhancing the life totaling 4.5 million square feet we are trying to talk about that more.” and permanent fi nancing for of low-income residents of East of space with development costs How Many Masks are Too Many? this project, and we thank Boston through community of $2 billion. MassDevelopment and the services such as elderly hous- “We are so pleased to move The CDC is now recommending that everyone entire group of funders for ing, affordable and accessible forward with this exciting proj- wear two face coverings after a new study found that expanding secure and stable housing, economic development ect for the North End com- doubling up can improve mask performance against housing to the elderly.” programs, and support for resi- munity and cannot thank the COVID-19 by about 50 percent. In addition to the tax-exempt dents of public housing facili- Knights of Columbus enough Wearing a cloth covering over a disposable mask bonds, MassDevelopment ties. EBCDC has developed or for their generosity and vision,” signifi cantly helps reduce exposure to the deadly virus, assisted the Massachusetts co-developed more than 1,000 said Affirmative Investments the CDC study found. Users should make sure no air Department of Housing and units of subsidized housing and President David Ennis. “And is escaping from the area under their eyes or from the Community Development with manages 700 subsidized rental MassDevelopment is a great sides of the mask, the agency said. the approval of federal low- apartments. and supportive partner.” NBA Tells Cuban to Play income housing tax credits, “EBCDC, AI, the Knights of MassDevelopment, the The National Anthem which will provide approxi- Columbus, MassDevelopment state’s finance and develop- The NBA has told Dallas Mavericks owner Mark mately $4.7 million in equity for and the City of Boston have, ment agency, works with busi- Cuban to restart the playing of the National Anthem the project. once again, formed an excit- nesses, nonprofits, banks, before the team’s home games after Cuban apparently “The members of Ausonia ing partnership that will result and communities to stimu- stopped doing so because of his concerns about unify- Council 1513, Knights of in affordable housing that late economic growth across ing the nation in these turbulent times. Columbus, are excited to will create an opportunity for the Commonwealth. During The NBA says the National Anthem will be played work with East Boston CDC, those senior citizens who have FY2020, MassDevelopment before the start of each game. Prior to Cuban’s reversal Affirmative Investments, long ties to the North End to fi nanced or managed 341 proj- after told to do so by the NBA, Anthony White, the Vice and state and city govern- remain in the community,” ects generating investment of President of the Fort Worth Police Offi cers Association ments to provide 23 afford- said East Boston Community more than $2.69 billion in the able, elderly apartments to give Development Corporation Massachusetts economy. These (Continued on Page 9) residents an opportunity to President Albert Caldarelli. projects are estimated to create remain in the neighborhood,” Affi rmative Investments, Inc. or support 10,871 jobs and build said John Pagliuca, Grand partners with mission-driven or preserve 1,787 housing units. THE POST-GAZETTE SATELLITE OFFICE HAS MOVED TO 343 CHELSEA ST., DAY SQUARE, EAST BOSTON This offi ce is open on Tuesdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM and Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, for the convenience of our East Boston and North Shore clients and contributors Call 617-227-8929 for more information PAGE 2 POST-GAZETTE, FEBRUARY 19, 2021 Res Publica by David Trumbull Democrats Intent on Using Pandemic to Permanently Change Elections VIRGINES VESTALES Massachusetts Republican Party Chairman Jim Lyons on (The Best Little Virgins in Old Rome) Wednesday, February 10th blasted legislation fi led by Democrats that seeks to make universal mail-in voting a permanent fi xture in Massachusetts, a system he pointed out that “half the country doesn’t trust.” “The Democrats are trying to use the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to permanently change how we vote,” Lyons said, ref- erencing the so-called VOTES (Act fostering voting opportunities, trust, equity, and security) Act, a proposal that calls for same-day voter registration, two weeks’ worth of early voting, and no-fault vote-by-mail. Proposals outline in the legislation are backed by Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin, among other Democrats. “Just this past year, we saw thousands of ballots mailed to residents who had long since changed addresses, and mean- while Secretary Galvin has so far refused to even acknowledge a request made by Republicans to hold a review of the last election’s strengths and weaknesses, and instead he and the rest of the Democrats want to make mail-in voting permanent,” Lyons added. Lyons pointed to concerns voiced by several town clerks regard- ing the lack of signature verifi cation systems and references photos that surfaced ahead of the 2020 election of reams of ballots sitting unattended outside several Massachusetts town halls. “Voters deserve a free, fair, and secure election process,” Lyons said. “When half the country doesn’t trust that process, Democrats should fi nd out why before trying to make it permanent.” He also singled out language in the VOTES Act stipulating bal- lot signature comparison inspections “except if a family member signed the application … or if the voter received assistance in signing the application or the envelope.” “That line about ‘voter assistance’ is classic Democrat Party- Early 18th-century depiction of the dedication of a Vestal, by Alessandro Marchesini speak for ballot harvesting,” Lyons said, referencing the controver- sial practice of allowing third parties to collect and deliver ballots. “Voters need to feel assured that their vote counts, and proposals Nothing in Rome is said to be the king’s daughters is trace- one whom they escorted was like these only serve to sow more doubt and division.” more ancient than the institu- able to their position of honor also protected from assault. The proposal for permanent mail-in voting may not even be tion of a maiden priesthood. As in the Roman State. They have Meeting them by chance in constitutional. Shira Schoenberg, a reporter for CommonWealth was mentioned in a previous been compared to the nuns of the street also saved a crimi- magazine notes, “The Massachusetts Constitution explicitly says issue, the worship of Vesta goes the Roman Catholic Church, nal who was being led away to the Legislature can authorize absentee voting for just three rea- back to the time when it was and the Atrium Vestae has been punishment.