THURSDAY, JANuary 14, 2021 FREE charlestown PATRIOT-BRIDGE Biden taps Walsh for U.S. Labor A safe return Secretary in Washington, D.C. BPS announces tentative schedule for re-opening additional school buildings By Seth Daniel By Seth Daniel key health, safety, and staffing President-elect Joe Biden has protocols to the future reopen- called on Mayor Martin Walsh As Boston Public Schools ing of all school buildings for to join his Cabinet and lead his (BPS) Supt. Brenda Cassellius and the remainder of the school year incoming Labor Department – and Boston Teachers Union (BTU) on Monday. That allowed a new Walsh has answered the call for his President Jessica Tang announced timeline for a return to in-person, long-time ally and friend. on Monday an update to the time- and hybrid in-person education Rumors had been swirling all line for re-opening school build- in the schools. The timeline starts last week, particularly in the State ings to students, a prominent on Feb. with high-needs priority House, about Walsh’s impend- grass-roots parent organization in students, and concludes on April ing departure – which most Charlestown had its doubts about 1 with the return of high school thought would be announced last the sincerity of the plan. students. The detailed timeline is Wednesday. National events at the Officials announced an as follows: U.S. Capitol seemed to postpone update to the Memorandum of •Monday, February 1: All stu- that, and on Tuesday it was first Agreement (MOA) between the officially reported by Politico.com. union and the district to extend (SCHOOLS Pg. 11) On Friday, Biden held a television Mayor Martin Walsh shown here being sworn in on Jan. 1, 2018 at press conference to make the offi- the Cutler Majestic Theatre as his mother, family and President-elect cial announcement Joe Biden look on. Biden was the keynote speaker at the Inauguration Arroyo files Council order to “I am nominating a good friend event and spoke about the close friendship with Mayor Walsh – which and a stand-up guy – Marty Walsh has now budded into what looks to be a close working relationship as Walsh heads off to become a member of the new Presidential Cabinet. of Boston,” said Biden on Friday. waive Mayoral Special Election “The son of Irish immigrants, his By Seth Daniel of March 6, which most expect only downside is they’re not from will certainly happen. The Charter Mayo, they’re from Galway. They in his second term a successful this country and unions built the City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo indicates that if there is a vacancy left Galway and moved to Boston. time as mayor of the iconic city middle class. He sees how union has filed a Home Rule Petition in the mayoral seat within 16 Marty was born and raised in of Boston and always puts work- workers have held this country before the City Council to waive months of the last Municipal Dorchester. People who know him ing people first…Marty under- any Special Mayoral Election Election, a Special Election must know he’s tough as nails…He’s stands that the middle-class built (WALSH Pg. 9) that would be triggered if Mayor take place. With the current time- Martin Walsh were confirmed as line in Washington, D.C., in over- the new U.S. Secretary of Labor drive, it is highly likely that Special Who’s Running? More like who isn’t running for mayor and would leave before March 6. Election mandate would be trig- The City Charter indicates that gered. That has been a gift from By Seth Daniel with the shifting political sands running. District 4 Councilor a Special Election would occur nationally and at the state level, it Andrea Campbell also entered the sometime in June if Walsh were (ARROYO Pg. 4) In the wake of Mayor Martin could even mean another Special race last fall, and has shown great to leave before the cutoff date Walsh deciding to join the Biden Election thereafter. momentum lately in gathering Administration in Washington, In Charlestown, the big story is support and raising money. D.C., everyone quickly wondered who isn’t running and that includes Potentially jumping into the STATE OF THE CITY who would be a candidate in any both elected officials qualified to race on Monday was Police Special Election, which would be run – Councilor Lydia Edwards Commissioner Willie Gross, who required if Walsh left office before and State Rep. Dan Ryan. said he is giving deep consider- March 6 – which he is expected Edwards confirmed almost ation to a run. Gross would be an to do. immediately she will not run in a intriguing candidate who has been That said, the proper question Special Election. popular in the neighborhoods and this week wouldn’t be who is run- “I am not running for mayor in would generate lots of law enforce- ning, but rather who isn’t running. no way, shape or form,” she said. ment support. Gross has been rou- Filling Mayor Walsh’s seat “I’m interested in the City staying tinely visible in Charlestown over could likely mean a workout for stable and focused and getting it the past year and would have voters at the polls in 2021. Were through one of the most difficult a lot of support in the Town. there a Special Election in June times ever, which is the pandemic Having grown up in Boston and as required by the City Charter, and a potential economic reces- spent most of his adult life in that would mean there would sion. People need to stay focused the Boston Police Department, he also be a Preliminary Election in and do their jobs now.” has made a recognizable name September and a General Election State Rep. Ryan also said he for himself. However, in the cur- in November. The City could isn’t interested in running either. rent police-community climate, it Photo courtesy City of Boston/Jeremiah Robinson potentially have four mayors in Already in the race are At-Large is uncertain if his support would Mayor Martin Walsh delivers the State of the City address virtually on Councilor Michelle Wu, who one year in some scenarios. Were January 12, from the new Roxbury branch of the Boston Public Library. things to change after November announced last fall that she was (RUNNING Pg. 4) See story on Page 5. PAGE 2 THE CHARLESTOWN PATRIOT-BRIDGE JANuary 14, 2021 editorial WE MUST NEVER FORGET THE LEGACY OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. As we were watching on TV the dramatic events unfold in Washing- ton last week when the Trump Mob stormed the Capitol, threatening the lives of the Vice President, members of Congress, and the police who tried to hold them back (and actually murdering one of the members of the Capitol Police), the image of a gathering 58 years earlier in August, 1963, illuminated our mind’s eye. We are referring to the March on Washington, when more than 250,000 Americans from all across the country gathered at the Lincoln Memorial on a steamy summer day to demand “jobs and freedom,” an event that was climaxed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s immortal “I Have a Dream” speech. The March on Washington was famous not only for Dr. King’s iconic words, but also because the unprecedented mass gathering of Americans was completely peaceful. Pundits and others had predicted rioting, but GUEST OP-ED there were no arrests, no incidents, no violence -- a stark contrast to the events of last Wednesday perpetrated by Trump’s Mob. The March on Washington and Dr. King’s subsequent peaceful pro- Important legislation for Boston at the State House tests galvanized support for the goals of “jobs and freedom,” eventually By Councilor Lydia Edwards clear the records of thousands of I worked in the Office of Housing resulting in laws such as the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act residents that are having a hard Stability in the City of Boston. that ended segregation in the South and discrimination in the North. With everything happening in time finding housing because of This new law will give tenants and things that happened when they We would note that even the best efforts of a revered figure such as Dr. the world I want to thank my state- nonprofits the opportunity to pur- house colleagues for taking action were children and had no control chase apartments when buildings King could not stem the tide of violent rioting that marked the 1960s, on some amazing housing legisla- over. I want to thank the Chelsea go on sale. This will help preserve most notably Watts in 1965, Detroit in 1967, and Chicago in 1968. tion last week that I introduced, Collaborative for their leadership long-term affordability and pre- Yet Dr. King’s legacy of peaceful protest is what endures today. led, and worked on. I was excited in advocating for minors’ eviction vent massive displacement. For those of us old enough to remember the 1960s, it’s hard to believe to work with them and a broad records to be sealed. I’m very grateful to all of my coalition of advocates on these In addition to eviction sealing, that it has been almost 53 years since Dr. King was assassinated while statehouse colleagues for working laws that will protect residents and the legislature passed a home rule hard to make these victories a he was standing on a balcony in a motel room in Memphis.