THURSDAY, JANuary 28, 2021 PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY SERVING BACK BAY - SOUTH END - FENWAY - KENMORE Essaibi-George announces campaign for Mayor of Boston Says she brings the rience running a small business in Dorchester (she owns the Stitch right skills for the House on Dorchester Avenue) and having 13 years in the class- City’s “rebirth” room at East Boston High give her a unique skill set that will By Seth Daniel help the City in its post-COVID rebirth. At-large Councilor Annissa “I am running for mayor,” Essaibi George has announced she said this week. “I spent the that she will be a candidate for last few weeks talking with fam- mayor this year, putting her city- ily, friends and supporters and wide political network in play pulling together what’s good for and bringing more than a decade the City and how can I contrib- of experience in the classroom to ute. This is the answer. I believe the table. as mayor of Boston I have the George, who has been on the experience and skill set to be the Council since being elected in leader this moment needs. We 2015, and has focused on many think about this crisis and this issues – particularly education pandemic, but we need to also and homelessness/substance think about getting to a period of With a member of the state VFW Color Guard by his side, South End resident Richard Cooke, 96, saluted as abuse/mental health issues. She is recovery that can be a sustained a City-sponsored Car Parade passed by his home on the corner of Columbus and Dartmouth last Saturday, the chair of the Education Com- period of recovery and growth Jan. 23. Cooke served in the Navy during World War II, and has lived in the South End for decades. mittee and the former chair of the for the City. I believe my skill set Homelessness, Substance Abuse and work on the Council makes and Mental Health Committee. me the person to do the job of Southender Richard Cooke honored with car parade She said she believes her End resident said with a laugh and family and neighbors ready record on the Council, her expe- By Seth Daniel (ESSAIBI-GEORGE, Pg. 9) from his stoop at the corner of to shower him with a much-be- When Richard Cooke headed Dartmouth and Columbus Ave- lated thanks for his extraordi- off to the Pacific Theatre to serve nue last Saturday. nary service. South End artist proposes in the Navy during World War II, Veterans Commissioner Cooke, with a member of the he wasn’t looking for accolades Roberto Santiago led the charge state VFW Color Guard beside monument to ‘Star Trek’ icon and or even a Car Parade, such as he with Councilor Ed Flynn – both him, took it all in from his stoop got last Saturday, but rather to who also served in the Navy – to - stopping occasionally to wave native Bostonian Leonard Nimoy make an escape. honor Cooke with a Car Parade or stand up and salute. By Dan Murphy “Hey, it got me off the chick- past his home full of police cars, en farm,” the 96-year-old South fire apparatus, decorated cars (RICHARD COOKE, Pg. 6) A South End resident is pro- posing to build a monument in the city’s West End that would pay tribute to one of that neigh- City Council holds hearing on potential borhood’s favorite native sons, Leonard Nimoy, while also hon- suspension of special election for mayor oring Mr. Spock - the character he immortalized on “Star Trek” By Lauren Bennett will become the mayor “for the November as well, for a total of and whose signature Vulcan remainder of the term,” Edwards four elections. hand salutation (along with its The City Council Commit- added. Several councilors, elected accompanying spoken expres- tee on Government Operations, Currently, the city charter says officials, leaders of organiza- sion of well-wishing, “Live Long chaired by Councilor Lydia that if the mayor leaves before tions, and members of the public and Prosper”) ranks among the Edwards, held a hearing on Jan- March 5, the City Council is called on the Council to pass this most indelible and instantly A concept sketch by Boston-area artist uary 26 regarding a home rule “required to call for a special home rule petition, saying that recognizable images from the David Phillips of the monument to petition filed by Councilor Ricar- election to fill that vacancy,” the special election is unnecessary classic 1960s TV series. Leonard Nimoy proposed for the West do Arroyo “which will amend Edwards said at the hearing. during the pandemic and will be Like many Bostonians, End. the city’s charter” should there be Should there be a special elec- risky to the health of Boston res- Tom Stocker, the artist and was unaware of the actor’s con- a vacancy in the office of mayor, tion, there will be a primary and idents as well as an unnecessary Northampton Street resident she said. In the case of this home a general election, as well as a who is spearheading the effort, (MONUMENT, Pg. 5) rule petition, the Council chair primary and a general election in (SPECIAL ELECTION, Pg. 3) PAGE 2 THE BOSTON SUN JANUARY 28, 2021 editorial THE DAYS ARE GETTING LONGER Amidst our winter of discontent, there is some good news on the horizon (literally): The days are getting longer. As this is being written, we will have passed the first full month of the astronomical winter (which starts on December 21 and ends on March 21) and we will have completed almost two months of the meteorological winter season, which is defined as December, January, and February. On December 14, the sun set at 4:13 in the afternoon and on December 21 (the start of astronomical winter) the total amount of daylight was just nine hours and eight minutes. But on this Friday, January 29, the sun will be setting at 4:56 in the afternoon and we will have nine hours and 56 minutes of daylight. The longer days, combined with the positive news on COVID-19 vaccines, signal hope for the future that sunnier days lie ahead. LAWSUITS WILL BRING OUT THE TRUTH The announcement this past week that Dominion Voting Systems Inc., the company that manufactures voting machines that are used widely across the United States, has filed a $1.3 billion lawsuit against Rudy Giuliani for his deliberately defamatory statements about the company, is the perfect antidote to the disinformation campaign that was spread by Donald Trump and his minions in their attempt to LETTER TO THE EDITOR subvert the results of the November election. It was one thing for Trump, Giuliani, and others to spout their PROGRESSIVES time. No one should go homeless recession and pandemic, he ridiculous claims, in general terms, about a stolen election, but it is DENOUNCE during a pandemic, but Baker believes that we should settle for quite another when their patently-false statements negatively affect has let the eviction moratorium short-changed services that leave the reputation and business interests of individuals and companies. BAKER PLAN lapse and vetoed essential tenant us falling ever behind. Just as this newspaper cannot publish false and defamatory infor- Charlie Baker’s gratitude mation, neither can major media outlets nor individuals such as Rudy protections. No one should have The ‘good management’ skills toward frontline workers rings to breathe the polluted air that Baker touts have been nowhere Giuliani. We would note that an employee of Dominion has filed a hollow in light of his failure to separate suit against a number of media outlets, as well as the Trump increases the likelihood of disease on display during COVID, but take meaningful action to pro- campaign, for their defamatory and injurious statements about him. and death during a pandemic, management skills were never A few years ago, a web site named Gawker Media posted a video tect them but Baker has vetoed landmark enough. We need good manage- of the former wrestling star Hulk Hogan that was the basis for an No worker should have to climate legislation. ment and good values. Baker, invasion of privacy suit filed by Hogan that ultimately resulted in a choose between their health and Rather than investing in com- sadly, has shown neither. $140 million judgment against Gawker, which put Gawker out of their job, but Baker has failed to munities so that we can have an Jonathan Cohn business. advocate for emergency paid sick equitable recovery from both Progressive Massachusetts We predict that the lawsuits filed by Dominion (they previously sued another of Trump’s lawyers) will have far-reaching consequenc- es, particularly if Dominion names others who, similar to Giuliani, have made defamatory statements about Dominion. Rudy Giuliani now is facing financial ruin, all of which he brought Grass-roots company starts needle on himself because of his antics, a very fitting and appropriate ending for a man who tried to subvert a free and fair election, the most basic element of our Constitution. buy-back program in South End By Seth Daniel So far, so good, Fox said. ber and it’s a three-month pilot,” “I’m delighted to say this idea he said. “Thus far, they’ve man- HANK AARON WAS A For more than two years, sev- we’ve talked about for so long aged to collect 30,000 needles WONDERFUL MAN eral South End and Newmarket has been picked up by a start-up to last few weeks.