Dorchester Reporter “The News and Values Around the Neighborhood” Volume 36 Issue 7 Thursday, February 14, 2019 50¢ More than 150 people gathered Monday night in the Work Inc. building on Beach Street to It was feedback time for hear a presentation about and offer feedback on the latest detailed proposal for the 4-build- latest Dot Block proposal ing, 488-unit, Glover’s Corner project. See Page 3. Jennifer Smith photo Criminal record holders are being encouraged to seek sealing orders, expungement Last year’s reform law expanded process By yukun Zhang their Criminal Offender Record Infor- RepoRteR CoRRespondent mation (CORI) from public notice; they Massachusetts residents with a also counsel clients about the process history of criminal activity or court for expungement, which essentially appearances are increasingly seeking destroys the paper trail of their cases. to seal or, even better, expunge their According to US Department of records to improve their odds of gaining Justice statistics, there were 1,572,600 access to employment, housing, and people in the state’s criminal record educational opportunities. history system as of 2016. A Harvard Now, as lawmakers consider even survey, which followed 122 newly Neighbors opposed to the conversion of a single-family house on Percival less burdensome rules for those looking released people from 2012 to 2013, Street into a group “sober home” gathered in front of the property. for relief, there is a renewed push by found that six to twelve months after advocates to get more people into the they were released, only a little more pipeline through a series of workshops than half had paid employment and Neighbors, city mobilize at courthouses in Dorchester and 35-43 percent lived in temporary hous- Roxbury. ing. The survey also found that black The workshops, led by Greater and Hispanic ex-prisoners earned less against group ‘sober home’ Boston Legal Services (GBLS), advise than their white counterparts. individuals on how to go about sealing (Continued on page 16) By siMón Rios any notice to the city or month in Massachu- WBuR RepoRteR the residents— nd they setts, advocates say the In the auditorium of were hoping the city need for housing free City planing a $1.13b BPS budget the Mather School at the would do something to of drugs and alcohol By Max laRkin And owing to the way schools facing cuts. top of Meetinghouse Hill, slow what they see as is greater than ever. WBuR RepoRteR funds are distributed, And for the first time, three dozen neighbors an impeding onrush of But for neighborhoods Boston Public Schools many schools can ex- both Mayor Marty Walsh gathered on Jan. 30 for sober homes into a proud like Meetinghouse Hill, plans to spend at least pect either limited new and the district super- a sit-down with Boston’s neighborhood at the top which is seeing multiple $1.139 billion in the next investment or cuts for intendent have thrown chief building inspector. of the hill. sober houses pop up in fiscal year, a $26 million the next year. That their explicit support They were assembled The news from the city close proximity to one increase over this year’s said, there is some behind a sweeping effort to block the opening of would bring mixed re- another, neighbors say budget. District officials genuine change afoot to boost state aid for the second sober house views from the residents. it’s become a problem have touted the 2020 in the district’s central schools. on one street — some- In the midst of an that’s getting out of budget as “the largest office. Budget officials It may not count as thing they complained opioid crisis that claims hand. ever” — as they do every say they’ve developed a headline news that Bos- was happening without more than 100 lives a (Continued on page 19) year. way to ease the pain for (Continued on page 5) True Detective — Dot edition By daniel sheehan by Sgt. Dunford, the writer out and couldn’t really RepoRteR staff get a writing career off To the casual observer, blood: his father, Robert, first career choice. the ground.” Sergeant Brian Dun- helmed C-11 for over a “I actually wanted The Dorchester native ford’s current line of decade and ended his to be a writer in col- said he landed on police career as Boston Police lege,” Dunford told work after quitting a work with the C-11 police All contents district’s Community superintendent. But the Reporter last week series of small jobs and copyright © 2019 Service unit might seem despite strong family as he sipped a coffee realizing he wanted to predestined. Dunford, at ties, joining the police at Homestead cafe in “do something I could Boston Neighborhood left, was born with blue force was not Brian’s Fields Corner. “But I got (Continued on page 12) News, Inc. RELIGIOUS SERVICES CHAPEL SHORT-TERM REHABILITATION AFTER HOSPITALIZATION VIETNAMESE PROGRAMMING (MENU, ACTIVITIES & STAFF) LONG-TERM CARE WITH DEDICATED NURSING STAFF PHYSICAL, OCCUPATIONAL AND SPEECH THERAPY COMPASSIONATE END OF LIFE CARE 321 CENTRE STREET, DORCHESTER, MA 02122 MAKE A REFERRAL: CALL US AT 617-825-6320 WWW.STJOSEPHREHAB.COM Page 2 THE REPoRTER February 14, 2019 dotnews.com DOT BY THE DAY Police Feb. 14 - 22, 2019 Courts A snapshot look at key upcoming events in and around the neighborhood for your weekly planner. & Fire Thursday (14th) – Valentine’s Day event at Victim named in Lower Mills Library, 27 Richmond St., Dorchester Feb. 3 homicide at 5:30 p.m. Sing love songs from movies with ukuleles & light refreshments. More info: anneku. A 29-year-old man com/ukulele. who was shot to death Monday (18th) – Presidents’ Day Family Festival on Goodale Road in Mat- at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library from tapan on the morning of 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. includes a free concert by Harvard Dorchester’s Jim Brett, president of the New England Council, was honored at Feb. 3 has been identi- Din & Tonics, hands-on history crafts and a meet the Boston Police Foundation Gala at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel on Jan. 31. fied as Jeudy Romero and greet with actors portraying past presidents. Shown, (l-r): Foundation chairman Carl Jenkins, Boston Police Commissioner of West Roxbury. Police See jfklibrary.org William Gross, Jim Brett, and Craig Levey, Esq., gala chairman. found Romero suffering Photo courtesy NEC Wednesday (20th) – Mayor Martin J. Walsh and from gunshot wounds the Boston Parks and Recreation Department host outside 60 Goodale Rd. the annual Children’s Winter Festival on Boston Councillors eye longer terms, just before 10 a.m. on Common in partnership with the Highland Street Sunday. They arrested Foundation from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Among the 29-year-old John Pat- attractions will the 45-foot-long Toboggan Tunnel at-large vacancy rule change terson of Peabody, who mountainous adventure with twin roller lanes, has been charged with By JennifeR sMith accomplish the goals election in the event of an the 30-foot-high inflatable Everest Climb N Slide, Romero’s murder. Any- neWs editoR that we commit to as at-large vacancy, which a Ski Lift photo op, and much more. In addition, one with information City Council President candidates and making is already required of about what happened is the Highland Street Foundation is sponsoring a Andrea Campbell is sure that we have the any district seat. Current week-long Winter Camp at the Boston Common asked to call BPD detec- the latest to push a set ability to plan and to get rules state that the fifth- tives at 617-343-4470. Frog Pond with free skating and rentals for all of home rule petitions things done.” place at-large finisher ages from Monday, February 18, through Friday, that would change the Elections every two serves out the remainder Suspect arrested February 22. For more information on the Winter council’s elections pro- years are expensive and of a departing at-large Camp skating, please visit highlandstreet.org. after Mattapan cess by creating longer take councillors away councillor’s term. shooting • Children and their families are welcome to an terms and creating a from their legislative Garrison cited the Police responding to a entertaining concert at 10:30 a.m. by Matt Heaton at vacancy protocol that duties, Campbell added, expense of holding a call for a person shot on Grove Hall BPL branch, 41 Geneva Ave., Dorchester. would prevent another citing the $800,000 it special election and said Evelyn Street last Tues- Matt’s songs are a mix of rockabilly, surf, American fifth-place finisher from costs to run a municipal it would be unfair to the day (Feb. 5) arrested a roots, and Irish traditional music, delivered with a being automatically election with only the fifth-place candidate 31-year-old man for sense of humor and sincere sense of fun. appointed to office as council on the ballot and when “the person has allegedly stashing a • Rosa’s Ride, a free children’s program at JFK Althea Garrison was in historically low turnout. already went through gun and crack cocaine Library at 10:30 a.m. traces Rosa Parks’ life in January. Lining the council elec- the election cycle.” in a trash barrel near song and dances. Intended for ages 5 and up. Call One petition would tions up with mayoral Campbell responded, the scene. It happened 617-514-1644 for more info. increase the length of ones would encourage saying,“This is not to just after 6 p.m.