By Sandra Miller
Back Bay Sun
Background
If elected, Chang-Diaz would become the first Latina to serve in the State Senate.
Chang Diaz is 30, who is also a teacher, was raised with her sister by a single white mother who works with adults with mental illness, foster children, and at-risk toddlers and infants in Dorchester. Her father, an immigrant to the United States from Costa Rica, is of mixed Latino and Asian ancestry, and was our country’s first Latin American astronaut, and a dedicated leader in the Latin-American community. Her grandfather is a rural doctor.
As an urban public school teacher in the Lynn and Boston school systems, Chang-Diaz learned firsthand the challenges facing our public school students, teachers, and parents and the role our state government can play in improving our educational system.
As senior legislative aide to former Sen. Cheryl Jacques, Chang-Diaz gained invaluable inside-the-Statehouse experience and public policy expertise. As a key political adviser at the Barbara Lee Family Office, she worked nationally to increase women’s leadership in the American political system. And most recently, as the director of outreach at the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, a non-partisan fiscal policy think tank, she has worked to build coalitions and educate and empower Massachusetts residents around key budget questions, from closing corporate loopholes to making the state’s budget process more transparent.
Chang-Diaz is also an active member of her community and her church. As a board member of MassVOTE, a statewide voting rights and election reform organization, she has been a strong voice for making the electoral system more accessible for young people, new Americans, communities of color, and low-income residents.
As a member of the Parish Council of St. Mary of the Angels Church in Roxbury, she has worked to hold the line against youth violence in Egleston Square, bringing parishioners and non-parishioners together to identify new ideas for combating the problem, such as direct canvassing in at-risk neighborhoods and grassroots fundraising to expand youth services.
And as a young Latina political activist, Chang-Diaz has been recognized by El Planeta newspaper as one of the 100 most influential people for Massachusetts’s Hispanic community.
Endorsements:
Chang-Diaz said the only endorsements that matter to her are the voters that she talks to and meets.
The issues:
Back Bay and Beacon Hill focus:
Both candidates said they would be monitoring the Storrow Drive tunnel repairs, and expressed sensitivity to residential neighborhoods co-existing with businesses and universities. Chang-Diaz said the recent agreement between Suffolk University and the Beacon Hill Civic Association was a positive role model for future discussions between institutions and communities. Wilkerson stressed the need for transparency in such negotiations, and working with the community.
They differ on only two major area issues: the Columbus Center project and the BU Biolab (see related story).
As far as the Statehouse seat goes, Chang-Diaz called for open and accountable government, “from setting high standards for the responsiveness of my own office staff to constituents to pushing for clear disclosure and evaluation on corporate tax incentives and grants; from maintaining strong campaign finance laws to making our annual state budget more transparent and understandable to the average citizen.”
Chang-Diaz understands that both she and Wilkerson are progressive Democrats, and therefore support most of the same issues. “It’s important to remember the fundamental difference is voters should not be asked to choose, on one hand, good progressive issues, and ethics and accountability on the other hand,” she said, adding, she’d use Rep. Marty Walz as a role model. “I’ve heard wonderful things from the community about the job that Rep. Walz is doing, and how she is an active partner,” she said.
Wilkerson recently settled with the attorney general’s office to close up a decade’s worth of financial problems, ranging from having to pay fines for campaign finance violations, battling a campaign-finance lawsuit, a 1990s income tax evasion conviction, and fighting the foreclosure on her home in 2000 after failing to pay her mortgage.
In a press release, Wilkerson called the settlement "timely and fair,” stating that her committee will install new practices and policies to prevent further accounting errors.
Chang-Diaz pointed out that Wilkerson’s legal problems has created doubts among the district’s voters. “I’m hearing a lot of frustration from voters on this. It’s a significant one, for sure, regarding years of misleading the public,” she said. “This is what turns people off to politics, which makes it harder for us to do things that need to be done.”
Wilkerson barely beat Chang-Díaz in the 2006 primary. Both ran a write-in campaign, Wilkerson after missing the deadline to file the required 300 certified signatures with state election officials, and Chang-Diaz as a late entry. Wilkerson won in the November election with more than 70 percent of the vote.
“We need new leadership to tackle some serious problems,” said Chang-Diaz. Wilkerson said her 16 years in office has created valuable seniority. “The difference is, I’ve been doing it,” said Wilkerson.
In other issues, each candidate released the following statements:
Health:
She pushed for: $37,166,608 for HIV and AIDS Disparities Funding; Health Care Reform involvement; the Needle Bill, for those 18 and up to be able to purchase hypodermic needles without a prescription at pharmacies, to help reduce transmission of AIDS and other diseases; Emergency Contraception; and an oral-health bill to give children under MassHealth access to dental care.
Chang-Diaz supports affordable health care for all, and to maintain the state healthcare program by combining efforts among employers, insurers, the public sector, health care providers, and individuals. She also would work with legislators and experts to pass cost-containment measures to keep health care prices down.
She is pro-choice and supports increasing access to reproductive health services and education.
“How can we contain healthcare costs, so individual families can be able to keep up? How can we control costs? The state healthcare system is venturing into uncharted territory,” she said, and the Legislature can help to control costs with such initiatives as electronic health care records, and setting up an infrastructure with health care providers, eliminating duplicate offices and commissions. “Our system is weighted toward surgeries … we have a huge primary care shortage because it’s not as rewarded,” she said. “We need to shift some of our reward focus system earlier on, toward primary care and prevention, and healthy lifestyles.”
JOB GROWTH and the Economy
Wilkerson’s support includes the following: Economic Stimulus of 2005-2006, such as environmental remediation, cleaning up the old Modern Electroplating, Workforce Development program, creation of a public marketplace in the City of Boston; film industry tax credits, HEAT (heating energy assistance and tax relief) bill, the Life Sciences bill to create high skill jobs; investment in clean energy and clean jobs, which in turn “means construction jobs to create related buildings and infrastructure;” CORI reforms to increase job availability and reduce recidivism; career development and education funding; Boston’s Summer Jobs program; curbing high-interest rates on bank loans; a commission to reduce poverty and poverty-exacerbating statutes; $8 million for summer Jobs for at risk Youth; and minimum wage increase.
Chang-Diaz supports economic development partnerships to revitalize neighborhood economies, create new jobs, and build ownership possibilities; Alternately, she said, economic development can be used as a label for inappropriate public benefits to corporate special interests. Too often, we’ve seen states and municipalities get caught in a race to the bottom for the candidate who can offer the biggest tax giveaway to large corporations. We need to always make sure our development efforts are strengthening those in the city who need it most, and that we’re using our resources in the most efficient, effective way.
“As your state senator, I will support economic development investments that are targeted to build stable and broadly-shared wealth within our communities, rather than subsidize large profits that will be owned outside our community. I will fight for the strongest transparency and accountability standards when development projects involve taxpayer dollars, so that when job-creation promises are made to taxpayers, they are kept.
She continued with, “We must also reform our CORI system, to make sure that jobs in the commonwealth are accessible to those who are working hard to become self-sufficient members of society - not just for more jobs, but for good jobs. That means a fair minimum wage that’s indexed to inflation—just like legislators’ salaries.
“It also means remembering that our public education system is the most proven jobs program we have. It’s our most powerful tool for making Massachusetts an attractive place for businesses in the new economy, and it’s our most reliable way to make sure our people get good-paying jobs, that can sustain families and neighborhoods.”
HOUSING
Wilkerson supported or sponsored: a bill creating a 180-day moratorium on foreclosures resulting from unfair subprime loans, giving tenants four to six months relief from eviction, and providinge a fair review process; judicial review process that would give homeowners the opportunity to have their cases heard by judges before being removed from their homes; and other bills supporting affordable housing protection.
She also supported homelessness programs such as health care and the creation of a homelessness commission.
Chang-Diaz also supports affordable housing programs and mortgage-protection help, including options that help families to stay in their neighborhoods and searches for affordable housing programs beyond the local level. “I will push for both long- and short-term solutions to stabilize the housing market and keep the dream of home ownership within reach for working families,” she said. “I will work closely with affordable housing advocates, development experts, and municipal leaders to target immediate resources into programs that have shown the most success—both locally and at the national level. “
She cites the need to invest in “smart growth” and mass transit in the commonwealth, to expand housing options across the state and distribute demand pressures more evenly between Boston and other areas.
PARKS REVITALIZATION and the Environment
Wilkerson secured funding in the recently passed Environmental Bond Bill to rebuild the docks at Community Boating on the Esplanade, an inline skating facility and kiddie pool at Melina Cass Rink, and a new ice skating rink in Jamaica Plain. She sponsored legislation to, or voted for: Environmental Justice Program, establishing a commission to study the local impact of any fossil fuel, energy generation and storage facilities; $2 million for cleanup of the old Modern Electroplating Building, and also to protect trees in the Emerald Necklace.
Chang-Diaz calls environmental protection “a moral responsibility to future generations and a health and quality-of-life issue.” She wants to protect the low-income residents from environmental problems, and to find ways that the federal government can help the commonwealth. She seeks to set achievable goals for reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions over the next few decades, and seek out renewable energy alternatives, strong clean air and water standards, investment in public transportation, the “green” building codes, and rigorous environmental justice standards; and investment in public parks and green spaces.
EDUCATION
As the senate chair of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, Wilkerson presided over the hearing process for Governor Deval Patrick’s 2008 Education Reorganization plan. She also supported a bill strengthening graduation and drop-out data and programs; a House bill that strengthens the universal Pre-K program and develops early education and care; bills that help teachers with retirement increases; MCAS remediation; a statewide initiative for state education guidelines;Smart Growth state school aid; funded $21 million for METCO program, of which she is senate co-chair of the METCO caucus, and $31 million for adult basic education; and the $430 million Higher Education Bond Bill. She is opposed to lifting the cap on charter schools, until the funding formula is fixed.
Chang-Diaz, a former public school teacher, says she knows first-hand about what students, parents and schools need for support. “I will work ceaselessly to ensure that our schools have the resources and tools they need to complete this job: quality teachers, small class sizes, well-rounded curricula, excellent school leadership, and active community and parental involvement. I will also work to give parents the support they need to be active participants in their children’s education.”
LGBT and discrimination
Wilkerson fought for the following initiatives: legislation to establish domestic partnership for same-sex couples in Massachusetts; led the repeal of the 1913 Law banning out-of-state residents from marrying in this state – which not only will let out-of-state same-sex couples marry, but also sees the state benefiting from spending on wedding and travel; supported same-sex married households gaining access to MassHealth; secured funding for public school Violence Prevention Education and other youth services for LGBT youths; and nursing home diversity training to protect LGBT seniors against discrimination.
She also was the lead sponsor on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act; secured Boston voting ballots in both English-Chinese and English-Vietnamese; helped repeal the Indian Prohibition Act, a 1675 law which stated that any Native American caught in Boston after sundown will be imprisoned.
Chang-Diaz is also a strong supporter of marriage equality: “As state senator, I will actively work to ensure our government protects, respects and values all families,” she said.
Public safety:
Wilkerson has fought against racial profiling in traffic stops, helped secure $3.5 million for violence prevention, $100,000 for the Gun Prosecution Task Force, co-sponsored the Anti-Gang Package, helped Massachusetts become the second state requiring “Fire-Safe” cigarettes that self-extinguish; and supports interstate tracking for adult offenders, and the drunk driving legislation, Melanie’s Law.
Chang-Diaz recalls her days as a teacher and seeing youths who had little hope for their futures and therefore chose a violent lifestyle. “Working in the classroom, I fought every day to change that equation for young people by equipping them with skills and high expectations for themselves,” she said in a written statement. “We should not resign ourselves to crime and recidivism rates that are preventable. We have successfully reduced youth violence rates in Boston before, and we can do it again. Likewise, a wealth of data points us in the right direction for reducing crime by adults. As a city and as a state, we need to reinvest in the tested solutions that we know work and be willing to try new ideas that have gotten results elsewhere.”
To prevent youth violence, she helped prevent the 2005 closing of St. Mary of the Angels Church in Egleston Square. To combat youth violence at its roots, she supports “giving kids a more hopeful sense of their own futures,” she said, through rigorous education and after-school and summer programs, fostering relationships between youths and caring adults, and decreasing access to weapons. She also supports drug courts, sentencing reform, and re-entry programs, but is opposed to the death penalty.
SENIOR ISSUES
Wilkerson’s Senate work on behalf of seniors helped provide bank fee exemptions for senior Citizens when applying for MassHealth; home heating assistance; increased burial benefits for veterans; a connection to tax discounts; help with finding generic prescription drugs; and helping to fight foreclosures.
Miscellaneous:
Wilkerson also voted for Hurricane Katrina aid and the Welcome Home Bill that increased benefits for servicemen and women serving in Iraq and in Afghanistan, and also for their families. Chang-Díaz favors publicly funded elections, while Wilkerson doesn’t. However, both are opposed to casino gambling.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Wilkerson vs. Diaz: the issues
By Sandra Miller
Back Bay Sun
The Second Suffolk District primary race between nine-term incumbent Dianne Wilkerson and challenger Sonia Chang-Diaz is coming down to the final weeks. For many, the choice seems to come down to whether they want someone new or the tried and true. Others may want a refresher on their platforms and background. Here’s a primer to the Sept. 16 primary race, for the district that covers the economic gamut of Back Bay, Bay Village, Beacon Hill, Chinatown, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, Leather District, Mission Hill, Roxbury and the South End.
Wilkerson is again running against Democratic challenger Sonia Chang-Díaz, who came within 800 votes of beating her in the 2006 election.
Background
Wilkerson is an African-American woman in her 50s, who was born in an Arkansas shotgun shack because the local hospital did not deliver babies for black women. Her family moved to Springfield, where she attended the High School of Commerce. Wilkerson received a bachelor’s degree in public administration from American International College, and her law degree at Boston College Law School. She served as clerk to the Massachusetts Appeals Court, deputy counsel to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and assistant legal counsel to Gov. Michael Dukakis, before becoming the first African American woman in Boston to become a partner in a major law firm, at Roche, Carnes and DeGiacomo.
Wilkerson serves on the following senate committees: State Administration & Regulatory Oversight (chair), Financial Services (vice chair), Senate committee on Ways and Means, Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets, Education, and Mental Health and Substance Abuse.
Organizations to which she belongs include Hynes Convention Center and Boston Common Parking Garage Legislative Commission, of which she is co-chair; the Commission to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities; Steering Committee for the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights under the Law; board member for Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD); Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.; and Morning Star Baptist Church. She is also convener of the annual 21st Century Black Massachusetts Conference.
Chang-Diaz, 30, was raised with her sister by a single white mother who works with adults with mental illness, foster children, and at-risk toddlers and infants in Dorchester. Her father, an immigrant to the United States from Costa Rica, is of mixed Latino and Asian ancestry, and was our country’s first Latin American astronaut, and a dedicated leader in the Latin-American community. Her grandfather is a rural doctor. If elected, Chang-Diaz would become the first Latina to serve in the State Senate.
She was an urban public school teacher in the Lynn and Boston school systems, and became senior legislative aide to Sen. Cheryl Jacques. As a political adviser at the Barbara Lee Family Office, she worked nationally to increase women’s leadership in the American political system. Most recently, as the director of outreach at the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, a non-partisan fiscal policy think tank, she worked to build coalitions and educate residents around budget questions such as closing corporate loopholes and making the state’s budget process more transparent.
Chang-Diaz is a board member of MassVOTE, a statewide voting rights and election reform organization. She is an active member of the Parish Council of St. Mary of the Angels Church in Roxbury, and was recognized by El Planeta newspaper as one of the 100 most influential people for Massachusetts’s Hispanic community.
Endorsements:
Wilkerson’s endorsements include US Sen. John Kerry, Gov. Deval Patrick, Senate President Therese Murray, Mayor Thomas M. Menino, the Hon. Maura Hennigan and Rep. Elizabeth Malia and Councillor Michael Ross.
Chang-Diaz said the only endorsements that matter to her are the voters that she talks to and meets.
The issues:
Back Bay and Beacon Hill
As co-chair of the Hynes Convention Center and Boston Common Parking Garage Legislative Commission, Wilkerson prides herself with beating back former Gov. Mitt Romney’s pledge to shut down the Hynes a few years ago. “I went, ‘Not so fast!’” recalled Wilkerson, citing the Hynes revenues and importance to the Back Bay economy. That committee also oversees changes in the way the Boston Common Parking Garage is operated, stating, “No one will wake up and see the flower garden dug up. We’re setting up a process guaranteeing that won’t happen.”
She worked with Rep. Marty Walz for funding Longfellowv and Storrow Drive repairs, recalling that when she attended meetings about the repairs, she was surprised a representative from the Office of Transportation not only wasn’t attending the meetings, but apparently was serving as an adviser to the Department of Conservation and Recreation, which she called ridiculous. She said she extracted a commitment that the Transportation Department would represent itself at the meetings as a separate entity.
When the MBTA held meetings about rerouting the city’s largest bus line - the 39 bus - it held meetings only in Jamaica Plain, at one end of the 103 bus stop line. “I reminded them that this is only one end of the bus line - that there is a Copley side, too,” she said.
Both candidates said they would be monitoring the Storrow Drive tunnel repairs, and expressed sensitivity to residential neighborhoods co-existing with businesses and universities. Chang-Diaz said the recent agreement between Suffolk University and the Beacon Hill Civic Association was a positive role model for future discussions between institutions and communities. Wilkerson stressed the need for transparency in such negotiations, and working with the community.
They differ on only two major area issues: the Columbus Center project and the BU Biolab (see related story).
Accountability
Wilkerson recently settled with the attorney general’s office to close up a decade’s worth of financial problems, ranging from having to pay fines for campaign finance violations, battling a campaign-finance lawsuit, a 1990s income tax evasion conviction, and fighting the foreclosure on her home in 2000 after failing to pay her mortgage.
In a press release, Wilkerson called the settlement "timely and fair,” stating that her committee will install new practices and policies to prevent further accounting errors.
Chang-Diaz pointed out that Wilkerson’s legal problems has created doubts among the district’s voters. “I’m hearing a lot of frustration from voters on this. It’s a significant one, for sure, regarding years of misleading the public,” she said. “This is what turns people off to politics, which makes it harder for us to do things that need to be done.”
Wilkerson barely beat Chang-Díaz in the 2006 primary. Both ran a write-in campaign, Wilkerson after missing the deadline to file the required 300 certified signatures with state election officials, and Chang-Diaz as a late entry. Wilkerson won in the November election with more than 70 percent of the vote.
“We need new leadership to tackle some serious problems,” said Chang-Diaz. Chang-Diaz called for open and accountable government, “from setting high standards for the responsiveness of my own office staff to constituents to pushing for clear disclosure and evaluation on corporate tax incentives and grants; from maintaining strong campaign finance laws to making our annual state budget more transparent and understandable to the average citizen.”
Chang-Diaz understands that both she and Wilkerson are progressive Democrats, and therefore support most of the same issues. “It’s important to remember the fundamental difference is voters should not be asked to choose, on one hand, good progressive issues, and ethics and accountability on the other hand,” she said, adding that she’d use Rep. Marty Walz as a role model. “I’ve heard wonderful things from the community about the job that Rep. Walz is doing, and how she is an active partner,” she said.
Wilkerson said her 16 years in office has created valuable seniority. “The difference is, I’ve been doing it,” said Wilkerson.
In other issues, each candidate released the following statements:
Health
Wilkerson pushed for: $37,166,608 for HIV and AIDS Disparities Funding; Health Care Reform involvement; the Needle Bill, for those 18 and up to be able to purchase hypodermic needles without a prescription at pharmacies, to help reduce transmission of AIDS and other diseases; emergency contraception; and an oral-health bill to give children under MassHealth access to dental care.
Chang-Diaz supports affordable health care for all, and to maintain the state healthcare program by combining efforts among employers, insurers, the public sector, health care providers, and individuals. She also would work with legislators and experts to pass cost-containment measures to keep health care prices down. She is pro-choice and supports increasing access to reproductive health services and education.
“How can we contain healthcare costs, so individual families can be able to keep up? How can we control costs? The state healthcare system is venturing into uncharted territory,” Chang-Diaz said, and the Legislature can help to control costs with such initiatives as electronic health care records, and setting up an infrastructure with health care providers, eliminating duplicate offices and commissions. “Our system is weighted toward surgeries,” she added. “We have a huge primary care shortage because it’s not as rewarded,” she said. “We need to shift some of our reward focus system earlier on, toward primary care and prevention, and healthy lifestyles.”
Housing
Wilkerson supported or sponsored: a bill creating a 180-day moratorium on foreclosures resulting from unfair sub-prime loans, giving tenants four to six months of relief from eviction, and providing a fair review process; a judicial review process that would give homeowners the opportunity to have their cases heard by judges before being removed from their homes; and other bills supporting affordable housing protection.
She also supported homelessness programs such as health care and the creation of a homelessness commission.
Chang-Diaz also supports affordable housing programs and mortgage-protection help, including options that help families to stay in their neighborhoods and searches for affordable housing programs beyond the local level. “I will push for both long- and short-term solutions to stabilize the housing market and keep the dream of home ownership within reach for working families,” she said. “I will work closely with affordable housing advocates, development experts, and municipal leaders to target immediate resources into programs that have shown the most success — both locally and at the national level.”
She cites the need to invest in “smart growth” and mass transit in the commonwealth, to expand housing options across the state and distribute demand pressures more evenly between Boston and other areas.
Parks and the Environment
Wilkerson secured funding in the recently passed Environmental Bond Bill to rebuild the docks at Community Boating on the Esplanade, an inline skating facility and kiddie pool at Melina Cass Rink, and a new ice skating rink in Jamaica Plain. She sponsored legislation to, or voted for: Environmental Justice Program, establishing a commission to study the local impact of any fossil fuel, energy generation and storage facilities; $2 million for cleanup of the old Modern Electroplating Building, and to protect trees in the Emerald Necklace.
Chang-Diaz calls environmental protection “a moral responsibility to future generations and a health and quality-of-life issue.” She wants to protect the low-income residents from environmental problems, and to find ways that the federal government can help the commonwealth. She seeks to set achievable goals for reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions over the next few decades, and seek out renewable energy alternatives, strong clean air and water standards, investment in public transportation, the “green” building codes, and rigorous environmental justice standards; and investment in public parks and green spaces.
Education
As the senate chair of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, Wilkerson presided over the hearing process for Governor Deval Patrick’s 2008 Education Reorganization plan. She also supported a bill strengthening graduation and drop-out data and programs; a House bill that strengthens the universal Pre-K program and develops early education and care; bills that help teachers with retirement increases; MCAS remediation; a statewide initiative for state education guidelines; “Smart Growth” state school aid; $21 million for METCO program, of which she is senate co-chair of the METCO caucus, and $31 million for adult basic education; and the $430 million Higher Education Bond Bill. She is opposed to lifting the cap on charter schools, until the funding formula is fixed.
Chang-Diaz, a former public school teacher, says she knows first-hand about what students, parents and schools need for support. “I will work ceaselessly to ensure that our schools have the resources and tools they need to complete this job: quality teachers, small class sizes, well-rounded curricula, excellent school leadership, and active community and parental involvement. I will also work to give parents the support they need to be active participants in their children’s education.”
LGBT and discrimination
Wilkerson fought for the following initiatives: legislation to establish domestic partnership for same-sex couples in Massachusetts; repeal of the 1913 Law banning out-of-state residents from marrying in this state – which not only will let out-of-state same-sex couples marry, but also welcomes increased wedding and travel spending; supported same-sex married households gaining access to MassHealth; secured funding for public school Violence Prevention Education and other youth services for LGBT youths; and nursing home diversity training to protect LGBT seniors against discrimination.
She also was the lead sponsor on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act; secured Boston voting ballots in both English-Chinese and English-Vietnamese; and helped repeal the Indian Prohibition Act, a 1675 law which stated that any Native American caught in Boston after sundown will be imprisoned.
Chang-Diaz is also a strong supporter of marriage equality: “I will actively work to ensure our government protects, respects and values all families,” she said.
Public safety
Wilkerson has fought against racial profiling in traffic stops, helped secure $3.5 million for violence prevention, $100,000 for the Gun Prosecution Task Force, co-sponsored the Anti-Gang Package, helped Massachusetts become the second state requiring “Fire-Safe” cigarettes that self-extinguish; and supports interstate tracking for adult offenders, and the drunk driving legislation, Melanie’s Law.
Chang-Diaz recalls her days as a teacher and seeing youths who had little hope for their futures and therefore chose a violent lifestyle. “Working in the classroom, I fought every day to change that equation for young people by equipping them with skills and high expectations for themselves,” she said in a written statement. “We should not resign ourselves to crime and recidivism rates that are preventable. We have successfully reduced youth violence rates in Boston before, and we can do it again. Likewise, a wealth of data points us in the right direction for reducing crime by adults. As a city and as a state, we need to reinvest in the tested solutions that we know work and be willing to try new ideas that have gotten results elsewhere.”
To prevent youth violence, she helped prevent the 2005 closing of St. Mary of the Angels Church in Egleston Square. She encouraged parishioners and non-parishioners to try solutions such as direct canvassing in at-risk neighborhoods and grassroots fundraising to expand youth services. To combat youth violence at its roots, she supports “giving kids a more hopeful sense of their own futures,” she said, through rigorous education and after-school and summer programs, fostering relationships between youths and caring adults, and decreasing access to weapons. She also supports drug courts, sentencing reform, and re-entry programs, but is opposed to the death penalty.
Miscellaneous:
Wilkerson helped senior citizens with bank fee exemptions when applying for MassHealth, home heating assistance, increased burial benefits for veterans, help with seeking tax discounts and generic prescriptions, and helping to fight foreclosures.
Wilkerson also voted for Hurricane Katrina aid and the Welcome Home Bill that increased benefits for servicemen and women serving in Iraq and in Afghanistan, and also for their families.
Chang-Díaz favors publicly funded elections, while Wilkerson doesn’t.
Both are opposed to casino gambling.
Back Bay Sun
The Second Suffolk District primary race between nine-term incumbent Dianne Wilkerson and challenger Sonia Chang-Diaz is coming down to the final weeks. For many, the choice seems to come down to whether they want someone new or the tried and true. Others may want a refresher on their platforms and background. Here’s a primer to the Sept. 16 primary race, for the district that covers the economic gamut of Back Bay, Bay Village, Beacon Hill, Chinatown, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, Leather District, Mission Hill, Roxbury and the South End.
Wilkerson is again running against Democratic challenger Sonia Chang-Díaz, who came within 800 votes of beating her in the 2006 election.
Background
Wilkerson is an African-American woman in her 50s, who was born in an Arkansas shotgun shack because the local hospital did not deliver babies for black women. Her family moved to Springfield, where she attended the High School of Commerce. Wilkerson received a bachelor’s degree in public administration from American International College, and her law degree at Boston College Law School. She served as clerk to the Massachusetts Appeals Court, deputy counsel to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and assistant legal counsel to Gov. Michael Dukakis, before becoming the first African American woman in Boston to become a partner in a major law firm, at Roche, Carnes and DeGiacomo.
Wilkerson serves on the following senate committees: State Administration & Regulatory Oversight (chair), Financial Services (vice chair), Senate committee on Ways and Means, Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets, Education, and Mental Health and Substance Abuse.
Organizations to which she belongs include Hynes Convention Center and Boston Common Parking Garage Legislative Commission, of which she is co-chair; the Commission to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities; Steering Committee for the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights under the Law; board member for Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD); Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.; and Morning Star Baptist Church. She is also convener of the annual 21st Century Black Massachusetts Conference.
Chang-Diaz, 30, was raised with her sister by a single white mother who works with adults with mental illness, foster children, and at-risk toddlers and infants in Dorchester. Her father, an immigrant to the United States from Costa Rica, is of mixed Latino and Asian ancestry, and was our country’s first Latin American astronaut, and a dedicated leader in the Latin-American community. Her grandfather is a rural doctor. If elected, Chang-Diaz would become the first Latina to serve in the State Senate.
She was an urban public school teacher in the Lynn and Boston school systems, and became senior legislative aide to Sen. Cheryl Jacques. As a political adviser at the Barbara Lee Family Office, she worked nationally to increase women’s leadership in the American political system. Most recently, as the director of outreach at the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, a non-partisan fiscal policy think tank, she worked to build coalitions and educate residents around budget questions such as closing corporate loopholes and making the state’s budget process more transparent.
Chang-Diaz is a board member of MassVOTE, a statewide voting rights and election reform organization. She is an active member of the Parish Council of St. Mary of the Angels Church in Roxbury, and was recognized by El Planeta newspaper as one of the 100 most influential people for Massachusetts’s Hispanic community.
Endorsements:
Wilkerson’s endorsements include US Sen. John Kerry, Gov. Deval Patrick, Senate President Therese Murray, Mayor Thomas M. Menino, the Hon. Maura Hennigan and Rep. Elizabeth Malia and Councillor Michael Ross.
Chang-Diaz said the only endorsements that matter to her are the voters that she talks to and meets.
The issues:
Back Bay and Beacon Hill
As co-chair of the Hynes Convention Center and Boston Common Parking Garage Legislative Commission, Wilkerson prides herself with beating back former Gov. Mitt Romney’s pledge to shut down the Hynes a few years ago. “I went, ‘Not so fast!’” recalled Wilkerson, citing the Hynes revenues and importance to the Back Bay economy. That committee also oversees changes in the way the Boston Common Parking Garage is operated, stating, “No one will wake up and see the flower garden dug up. We’re setting up a process guaranteeing that won’t happen.”
She worked with Rep. Marty Walz for funding Longfellowv and Storrow Drive repairs, recalling that when she attended meetings about the repairs, she was surprised a representative from the Office of Transportation not only wasn’t attending the meetings, but apparently was serving as an adviser to the Department of Conservation and Recreation, which she called ridiculous. She said she extracted a commitment that the Transportation Department would represent itself at the meetings as a separate entity.
When the MBTA held meetings about rerouting the city’s largest bus line - the 39 bus - it held meetings only in Jamaica Plain, at one end of the 103 bus stop line. “I reminded them that this is only one end of the bus line - that there is a Copley side, too,” she said.
Both candidates said they would be monitoring the Storrow Drive tunnel repairs, and expressed sensitivity to residential neighborhoods co-existing with businesses and universities. Chang-Diaz said the recent agreement between Suffolk University and the Beacon Hill Civic Association was a positive role model for future discussions between institutions and communities. Wilkerson stressed the need for transparency in such negotiations, and working with the community.
They differ on only two major area issues: the Columbus Center project and the BU Biolab (see related story).
Accountability
Wilkerson recently settled with the attorney general’s office to close up a decade’s worth of financial problems, ranging from having to pay fines for campaign finance violations, battling a campaign-finance lawsuit, a 1990s income tax evasion conviction, and fighting the foreclosure on her home in 2000 after failing to pay her mortgage.
In a press release, Wilkerson called the settlement "timely and fair,” stating that her committee will install new practices and policies to prevent further accounting errors.
Chang-Diaz pointed out that Wilkerson’s legal problems has created doubts among the district’s voters. “I’m hearing a lot of frustration from voters on this. It’s a significant one, for sure, regarding years of misleading the public,” she said. “This is what turns people off to politics, which makes it harder for us to do things that need to be done.”
Wilkerson barely beat Chang-Díaz in the 2006 primary. Both ran a write-in campaign, Wilkerson after missing the deadline to file the required 300 certified signatures with state election officials, and Chang-Diaz as a late entry. Wilkerson won in the November election with more than 70 percent of the vote.
“We need new leadership to tackle some serious problems,” said Chang-Diaz. Chang-Diaz called for open and accountable government, “from setting high standards for the responsiveness of my own office staff to constituents to pushing for clear disclosure and evaluation on corporate tax incentives and grants; from maintaining strong campaign finance laws to making our annual state budget more transparent and understandable to the average citizen.”
Chang-Diaz understands that both she and Wilkerson are progressive Democrats, and therefore support most of the same issues. “It’s important to remember the fundamental difference is voters should not be asked to choose, on one hand, good progressive issues, and ethics and accountability on the other hand,” she said, adding that she’d use Rep. Marty Walz as a role model. “I’ve heard wonderful things from the community about the job that Rep. Walz is doing, and how she is an active partner,” she said.
Wilkerson said her 16 years in office has created valuable seniority. “The difference is, I’ve been doing it,” said Wilkerson.
In other issues, each candidate released the following statements:
Health
Wilkerson pushed for: $37,166,608 for HIV and AIDS Disparities Funding; Health Care Reform involvement; the Needle Bill, for those 18 and up to be able to purchase hypodermic needles without a prescription at pharmacies, to help reduce transmission of AIDS and other diseases; emergency contraception; and an oral-health bill to give children under MassHealth access to dental care.
Chang-Diaz supports affordable health care for all, and to maintain the state healthcare program by combining efforts among employers, insurers, the public sector, health care providers, and individuals. She also would work with legislators and experts to pass cost-containment measures to keep health care prices down. She is pro-choice and supports increasing access to reproductive health services and education.
“How can we contain healthcare costs, so individual families can be able to keep up? How can we control costs? The state healthcare system is venturing into uncharted territory,” Chang-Diaz said, and the Legislature can help to control costs with such initiatives as electronic health care records, and setting up an infrastructure with health care providers, eliminating duplicate offices and commissions. “Our system is weighted toward surgeries,” she added. “We have a huge primary care shortage because it’s not as rewarded,” she said. “We need to shift some of our reward focus system earlier on, toward primary care and prevention, and healthy lifestyles.”
Housing
Wilkerson supported or sponsored: a bill creating a 180-day moratorium on foreclosures resulting from unfair sub-prime loans, giving tenants four to six months of relief from eviction, and providing a fair review process; a judicial review process that would give homeowners the opportunity to have their cases heard by judges before being removed from their homes; and other bills supporting affordable housing protection.
She also supported homelessness programs such as health care and the creation of a homelessness commission.
Chang-Diaz also supports affordable housing programs and mortgage-protection help, including options that help families to stay in their neighborhoods and searches for affordable housing programs beyond the local level. “I will push for both long- and short-term solutions to stabilize the housing market and keep the dream of home ownership within reach for working families,” she said. “I will work closely with affordable housing advocates, development experts, and municipal leaders to target immediate resources into programs that have shown the most success — both locally and at the national level.”
She cites the need to invest in “smart growth” and mass transit in the commonwealth, to expand housing options across the state and distribute demand pressures more evenly between Boston and other areas.
Parks and the Environment
Wilkerson secured funding in the recently passed Environmental Bond Bill to rebuild the docks at Community Boating on the Esplanade, an inline skating facility and kiddie pool at Melina Cass Rink, and a new ice skating rink in Jamaica Plain. She sponsored legislation to, or voted for: Environmental Justice Program, establishing a commission to study the local impact of any fossil fuel, energy generation and storage facilities; $2 million for cleanup of the old Modern Electroplating Building, and to protect trees in the Emerald Necklace.
Chang-Diaz calls environmental protection “a moral responsibility to future generations and a health and quality-of-life issue.” She wants to protect the low-income residents from environmental problems, and to find ways that the federal government can help the commonwealth. She seeks to set achievable goals for reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions over the next few decades, and seek out renewable energy alternatives, strong clean air and water standards, investment in public transportation, the “green” building codes, and rigorous environmental justice standards; and investment in public parks and green spaces.
Education
As the senate chair of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, Wilkerson presided over the hearing process for Governor Deval Patrick’s 2008 Education Reorganization plan. She also supported a bill strengthening graduation and drop-out data and programs; a House bill that strengthens the universal Pre-K program and develops early education and care; bills that help teachers with retirement increases; MCAS remediation; a statewide initiative for state education guidelines; “Smart Growth” state school aid; $21 million for METCO program, of which she is senate co-chair of the METCO caucus, and $31 million for adult basic education; and the $430 million Higher Education Bond Bill. She is opposed to lifting the cap on charter schools, until the funding formula is fixed.
Chang-Diaz, a former public school teacher, says she knows first-hand about what students, parents and schools need for support. “I will work ceaselessly to ensure that our schools have the resources and tools they need to complete this job: quality teachers, small class sizes, well-rounded curricula, excellent school leadership, and active community and parental involvement. I will also work to give parents the support they need to be active participants in their children’s education.”
LGBT and discrimination
Wilkerson fought for the following initiatives: legislation to establish domestic partnership for same-sex couples in Massachusetts; repeal of the 1913 Law banning out-of-state residents from marrying in this state – which not only will let out-of-state same-sex couples marry, but also welcomes increased wedding and travel spending; supported same-sex married households gaining access to MassHealth; secured funding for public school Violence Prevention Education and other youth services for LGBT youths; and nursing home diversity training to protect LGBT seniors against discrimination.
She also was the lead sponsor on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act; secured Boston voting ballots in both English-Chinese and English-Vietnamese; and helped repeal the Indian Prohibition Act, a 1675 law which stated that any Native American caught in Boston after sundown will be imprisoned.
Chang-Diaz is also a strong supporter of marriage equality: “I will actively work to ensure our government protects, respects and values all families,” she said.
Public safety
Wilkerson has fought against racial profiling in traffic stops, helped secure $3.5 million for violence prevention, $100,000 for the Gun Prosecution Task Force, co-sponsored the Anti-Gang Package, helped Massachusetts become the second state requiring “Fire-Safe” cigarettes that self-extinguish; and supports interstate tracking for adult offenders, and the drunk driving legislation, Melanie’s Law.
Chang-Diaz recalls her days as a teacher and seeing youths who had little hope for their futures and therefore chose a violent lifestyle. “Working in the classroom, I fought every day to change that equation for young people by equipping them with skills and high expectations for themselves,” she said in a written statement. “We should not resign ourselves to crime and recidivism rates that are preventable. We have successfully reduced youth violence rates in Boston before, and we can do it again. Likewise, a wealth of data points us in the right direction for reducing crime by adults. As a city and as a state, we need to reinvest in the tested solutions that we know work and be willing to try new ideas that have gotten results elsewhere.”
To prevent youth violence, she helped prevent the 2005 closing of St. Mary of the Angels Church in Egleston Square. She encouraged parishioners and non-parishioners to try solutions such as direct canvassing in at-risk neighborhoods and grassroots fundraising to expand youth services. To combat youth violence at its roots, she supports “giving kids a more hopeful sense of their own futures,” she said, through rigorous education and after-school and summer programs, fostering relationships between youths and caring adults, and decreasing access to weapons. She also supports drug courts, sentencing reform, and re-entry programs, but is opposed to the death penalty.
Miscellaneous:
Wilkerson helped senior citizens with bank fee exemptions when applying for MassHealth, home heating assistance, increased burial benefits for veterans, help with seeking tax discounts and generic prescriptions, and helping to fight foreclosures.
Wilkerson also voted for Hurricane Katrina aid and the Welcome Home Bill that increased benefits for servicemen and women serving in Iraq and in Afghanistan, and also for their families.
Chang-Díaz favors publicly funded elections, while Wilkerson doesn’t.
Both are opposed to casino gambling.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Sharing coffee and words with Councilor Ross
By Sandra Miller
Beacon Hill Times
Five area residents sat down at the Paramount Deli’s corner table that Councilor Michael Ross laid out with cheese danish, coffee, juice, and his full attention last Wednesday morning.
Those attending the coffee hour weren't there for the muffins, they were there to solve a few frustrating issues.
Two of the attendees, it turned out, weren’t even in his voting district, and still he got on the phone and made a few calls on their behalf about a permit parking issue. A former Beacon Hill resident named Will complained about the Silver Line’s plans to dig up Boston Common to build a tunnel, which Ross also opposes.
“The Sierra Club says it’s a disaster. Abutters don’t want it,” he said. Ross replied, “Legal commitments were made… Just because the mayor says X doesn’t mean you have to go along with it. It’s not NIMBY (not in my back yard). It’s a complete waste of existing tunnels.”
Ross invited Will to join his Boston Common Special Committee, hoping to turn his complaints into action. Karin Mathiesen, Ross’ director of community relations, took down notes and sat down three more constituents, who had a problem with parking along a private way.
The coffee hour was the first in a new series of scheduled meetings each Wednesday at 8:30 a.m., rotating around Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Fenway and Mission Hill. Ross had held a few coffee socials a few times, including a well-attended one a few weeks ago at L’Aroma Café on Newbury Street, but this is the first time he’s committed to a schedule of them.
At L’Aroma, residents discussed topics ranging from problems with area businesses and development to rodents and trash pickup. The Paramount coffee hour wasn’t as well attended, perhaps because it was scheduled for 10 a.m. But with the frequency of the meetings, now residents can put it onto their calendars.
“My job is to market myself,” Ross says. He wants to make himself available outside the office, in the mornings when people can stop by on their way to work, to get solutions to their neighborhood problems. “I like to joke, ‘If they didn’t have a problem, I wouldn’t have a job.’”
Added Mathiesen, “It’s a chance for face-to-face contact. The chances of seeing him, when he’s not in a meeting or at City Council, are slim.” Added Ross, “We can always schedule an appointment to meet in my office, or for me to attend a meeting or condo board. I can bring other officials to the meeting. Public servants realize they are accountable.”
However, the coffee hours are quick, and perhaps so are the resolutions to problems that come up. Ross says he and Mathiesen either try to solve the issues then and there, or goes back to the office to quickly get back to residents. “It’s rare they don’t get a response,” says Ross, who couldn’t praise Mathiesen enough for the help she provides him.
He is also willing to argue with his constituents, like he did with one Coffee Hour attendee last week who complained about high taxes and politicians going soft on drug dealers around Boston Common. It would have been easy to nod his head, but Ross displayed his progressive Democrat roots and argued back that the drug problem is better solved through education and programs, not arrests.
“The real issue is to get people help – they’re not going to get help in a jail cell,” Ross said later. “It’s like if you have a leak, you plug the hole, and don’t fix the leaky faucet. He needed to hear it straight. It’s taken me a while to be able to do that. You can’t just tell the people what they want to hear.”
Councilor Michael Ross’ next area Coffee Hours will be Sept. 3 at L’Aroma Café, and Sept. 17 at the Paramount. To schedule time with Ross during one of these Coffee Hours, call (617) 635-4225.
Beacon Hill Times
Five area residents sat down at the Paramount Deli’s corner table that Councilor Michael Ross laid out with cheese danish, coffee, juice, and his full attention last Wednesday morning.
Those attending the coffee hour weren't there for the muffins, they were there to solve a few frustrating issues.
Two of the attendees, it turned out, weren’t even in his voting district, and still he got on the phone and made a few calls on their behalf about a permit parking issue. A former Beacon Hill resident named Will complained about the Silver Line’s plans to dig up Boston Common to build a tunnel, which Ross also opposes.
“The Sierra Club says it’s a disaster. Abutters don’t want it,” he said. Ross replied, “Legal commitments were made… Just because the mayor says X doesn’t mean you have to go along with it. It’s not NIMBY (not in my back yard). It’s a complete waste of existing tunnels.”
Ross invited Will to join his Boston Common Special Committee, hoping to turn his complaints into action. Karin Mathiesen, Ross’ director of community relations, took down notes and sat down three more constituents, who had a problem with parking along a private way.
The coffee hour was the first in a new series of scheduled meetings each Wednesday at 8:30 a.m., rotating around Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Fenway and Mission Hill. Ross had held a few coffee socials a few times, including a well-attended one a few weeks ago at L’Aroma Café on Newbury Street, but this is the first time he’s committed to a schedule of them.
At L’Aroma, residents discussed topics ranging from problems with area businesses and development to rodents and trash pickup. The Paramount coffee hour wasn’t as well attended, perhaps because it was scheduled for 10 a.m. But with the frequency of the meetings, now residents can put it onto their calendars.
“My job is to market myself,” Ross says. He wants to make himself available outside the office, in the mornings when people can stop by on their way to work, to get solutions to their neighborhood problems. “I like to joke, ‘If they didn’t have a problem, I wouldn’t have a job.’”
Added Mathiesen, “It’s a chance for face-to-face contact. The chances of seeing him, when he’s not in a meeting or at City Council, are slim.” Added Ross, “We can always schedule an appointment to meet in my office, or for me to attend a meeting or condo board. I can bring other officials to the meeting. Public servants realize they are accountable.”
However, the coffee hours are quick, and perhaps so are the resolutions to problems that come up. Ross says he and Mathiesen either try to solve the issues then and there, or goes back to the office to quickly get back to residents. “It’s rare they don’t get a response,” says Ross, who couldn’t praise Mathiesen enough for the help she provides him.
He is also willing to argue with his constituents, like he did with one Coffee Hour attendee last week who complained about high taxes and politicians going soft on drug dealers around Boston Common. It would have been easy to nod his head, but Ross displayed his progressive Democrat roots and argued back that the drug problem is better solved through education and programs, not arrests.
“The real issue is to get people help – they’re not going to get help in a jail cell,” Ross said later. “It’s like if you have a leak, you plug the hole, and don’t fix the leaky faucet. He needed to hear it straight. It’s taken me a while to be able to do that. You can’t just tell the people what they want to hear.”
Councilor Michael Ross’ next area Coffee Hours will be Sept. 3 at L’Aroma Café, and Sept. 17 at the Paramount. To schedule time with Ross during one of these Coffee Hours, call (617) 635-4225.
Upper Crust pizzeria feature
By Sandra Miller
Beacon Hill Times
Despite it being 2pm on a Monday, usually a dead time for eateries, the Upper Crust on Charles Street had a line nearly out the door. Almost all the seats in the 20-ish seat pizzeria were filled, mainly with a remarkable number of thin adults of all ages apparently not on a low-carb diet.
Around the restaurant, on the floured window that allowed a peek into the dough-making process, and on the door were the various awards and accolades from the usual foodie establishments and publications. But the real award is that Monday afternoon line that forms to get some Neapolitan-style pizza – thin, crispy crust, chunky tomatoes with fresh basil and oregano for a zesty sauce, a thin sprinkle of cheese, and perhaps topped with the day’s special of artichokes, sundried tomatoes and basil, or the “Lexington” – lobster fra diavolo pizza, or perhaps “The Newbury Street” with veal parmesan. The slices are huge, 1/5 of a pizza. They also offer whole-wheat crusts.
More customers file in. “I’m not going to complain,” says General Manager Barry Proctor. Proctor’s been GM of Upper Crust for about 7 years, when he left his line cook job at Grill 23 for something with more customer interaction. “It’s been a great experience for me, to get in on the ground level and watch it expand so quickly,” says Proctor.
A pair in hospital scrubs recognized Proctor and said hello; after chatting a bit, Proctor noticed that they had been waiting a while for their pizza and checked on the order. Upper Crust has accounts set up with MGH and other area businesses, and is always donating pizza to neighborhood events such as an MSPCC fundraiser, Hill House and Make a Wish Foundation events, neighborhood cleanup volunteers, area school parties, and a Boston Children’s Hospital bowling contest in Malden. “We try to get as involved as possible in the community,” says Proctor.
He recalls sending pizza after pizza over to the set of “The Departed,” which was filming across the street. Proctor’s a big Scorcese fan, and he also seemed a little sad when recalling that Leo DeCaprio was on a special diet and couldn’t eat his pizza. “I’ll really miss Manny,” Proctor says, recalling the former Red Sox player Ramirez who with his wife would eat with Proctor. “Say what you will about him, but he was a really good customer.”
In 2001, Jordan Tobins opened Upper Crust on Charles Street. Upper Crust has since expanded to Brookline, Lexington, Newbury Street, Hingham, Waltham, Watertown, Financial District, South End, Harvard Square, Salem, and Key West, Fla. (!) Next up is Newburyport and Plymouth, with Wellesley under consideration. A customer chimes in a vote for a Natick location.
“It’s great pizza,” says Proctor. “All of the ingredients are fresh and the best quality. We make dough fresh on location. We use a light amount of cheese and sauce, so it doesn’t feel like you have a brick in your stomach.” They also bake it on a stone in the pizza oven, not in a pan, for a crispy crust. The pizzas are made to order, and don’t sit around for more than 10 minutes, he says.
Deliveries are made by bikes equipped with wooden crates secured to the back. The crates can be a little unwieldy for experienced delivery professionals; it proved too much for one deliver-bike thief, who apparently lopped off the crate onto Storrow Drive a while ago. One of Upper Crust’s loyal customers was in traffic when he spotted the unique crate, and returned it to the pizzeria. “That’s somebody who liked us a lot,” Proctor recalled. “He was rewarded with a lot of pizzas, needless to say.”
The flagship store makes about 2500 pizzas a week and employs 15-20 regular staffers. “Our A-team works on Fridays,” Proctor says. “Friday is like pizza night for everyone in America.” And when the economy gets rough, people still order pizza because it’s an economical treat, he says. “We won’t empty your wallet,” he says.
Beacon Hill Times
Despite it being 2pm on a Monday, usually a dead time for eateries, the Upper Crust on Charles Street had a line nearly out the door. Almost all the seats in the 20-ish seat pizzeria were filled, mainly with a remarkable number of thin adults of all ages apparently not on a low-carb diet.
Around the restaurant, on the floured window that allowed a peek into the dough-making process, and on the door were the various awards and accolades from the usual foodie establishments and publications. But the real award is that Monday afternoon line that forms to get some Neapolitan-style pizza – thin, crispy crust, chunky tomatoes with fresh basil and oregano for a zesty sauce, a thin sprinkle of cheese, and perhaps topped with the day’s special of artichokes, sundried tomatoes and basil, or the “Lexington” – lobster fra diavolo pizza, or perhaps “The Newbury Street” with veal parmesan. The slices are huge, 1/5 of a pizza. They also offer whole-wheat crusts.
More customers file in. “I’m not going to complain,” says General Manager Barry Proctor. Proctor’s been GM of Upper Crust for about 7 years, when he left his line cook job at Grill 23 for something with more customer interaction. “It’s been a great experience for me, to get in on the ground level and watch it expand so quickly,” says Proctor.
A pair in hospital scrubs recognized Proctor and said hello; after chatting a bit, Proctor noticed that they had been waiting a while for their pizza and checked on the order. Upper Crust has accounts set up with MGH and other area businesses, and is always donating pizza to neighborhood events such as an MSPCC fundraiser, Hill House and Make a Wish Foundation events, neighborhood cleanup volunteers, area school parties, and a Boston Children’s Hospital bowling contest in Malden. “We try to get as involved as possible in the community,” says Proctor.
He recalls sending pizza after pizza over to the set of “The Departed,” which was filming across the street. Proctor’s a big Scorcese fan, and he also seemed a little sad when recalling that Leo DeCaprio was on a special diet and couldn’t eat his pizza. “I’ll really miss Manny,” Proctor says, recalling the former Red Sox player Ramirez who with his wife would eat with Proctor. “Say what you will about him, but he was a really good customer.”
In 2001, Jordan Tobins opened Upper Crust on Charles Street. Upper Crust has since expanded to Brookline, Lexington, Newbury Street, Hingham, Waltham, Watertown, Financial District, South End, Harvard Square, Salem, and Key West, Fla. (!) Next up is Newburyport and Plymouth, with Wellesley under consideration. A customer chimes in a vote for a Natick location.
“It’s great pizza,” says Proctor. “All of the ingredients are fresh and the best quality. We make dough fresh on location. We use a light amount of cheese and sauce, so it doesn’t feel like you have a brick in your stomach.” They also bake it on a stone in the pizza oven, not in a pan, for a crispy crust. The pizzas are made to order, and don’t sit around for more than 10 minutes, he says.
Deliveries are made by bikes equipped with wooden crates secured to the back. The crates can be a little unwieldy for experienced delivery professionals; it proved too much for one deliver-bike thief, who apparently lopped off the crate onto Storrow Drive a while ago. One of Upper Crust’s loyal customers was in traffic when he spotted the unique crate, and returned it to the pizzeria. “That’s somebody who liked us a lot,” Proctor recalled. “He was rewarded with a lot of pizzas, needless to say.”
The flagship store makes about 2500 pizzas a week and employs 15-20 regular staffers. “Our A-team works on Fridays,” Proctor says. “Friday is like pizza night for everyone in America.” And when the economy gets rough, people still order pizza because it’s an economical treat, he says. “We won’t empty your wallet,” he says.
Charles Street to get bike racks
By Sandra Miller
Beacon Hill Times
Back Bay Sun
Charles Street may soon see three new bike racks, as part of Mayor Menino’s ambitious Boston Bikes program.
Nicole Freedman, bike coordinator for Mayor Menino’s new Boston Bikes program, showed her bike racks to the Beacon Hill Architectural Commission on Thursday, hoping to get approval to install three of them in front of the Charles Street Animal Clinic, the Starbucks at 97 Charles St., and Room With a Vieux antiques.
Boston has 250 bike racks, which resemble cast-iron lollipops, and can be seen around the Back Bay. She said that the Back Bay was even considering removing some parking spots to install the bike racks.
According to Freedman, they are designed as simple, sturdy racks big enough to secure two bikes when placed parallel to the street. They have a single installation point for minimal sidewalk damage. The model she showed to the BHAC was the modest black, but she said it also comes in other colors. The racks would only feature the mayor’s bike program logo stamped on top; the mayor turned down $20,000 from an advertiser that wanted an ad along the bottom of the racks.
Freedman also showed other versions of bike racks that she rejected. One looked “historic” but was “bulky and flimsy.” Cambridge’s racks, designed to bolt onto existing parking meters, weren’t safe because they were too easily removable.
The three Charles Street spots were requested by the businesses. Because Charles street sidewalks are narrow, there are only a few choice spots for the racks, Freedman said. Plus she wanted to start slowly in the area. “It’s worse to put in more racks than necessary. We’ll probably need more there.”
Boston Bikes installed 250 this year, and aims for another 250 next year, which is tiny in comparison to other city’s bike rack programs, she said. Vancouver, for example, installed 3,000 racks. “250 is scratching the surface,” Freedman said.
The bike racks need to be placed within 50 to 100 feet of where the riders would work; otherwise, riders begin considering less ideal spots like fences, sign poles, and meters. “There are some gorgeous fences in the historical district,” Freedman noted. “When you see what those fences cost, these racks are much better to clean up.”
Taylor called the Boston Bikes program “commendable”. Fellow commission member Leslie Donovan said she liked the racks, but wasn’t sure how the bikes and cars would coexist on the narrow sidewalks. Freedman assured the board that the racks would be 25 inches from the curb, and that there would be plenty of room for pedestrians.
In general, the application process for a business wanting a rack would be fairly rigorous, so many applications will be rejected based on factors such as space dimensions and other guidelines. The Charles Street racks as proposed “seem to be workable spaces,” Freedman said.
The commission asked that the racks be positioned closer to traffic control boxes and other sidewalk fixtures so “people don’t just see the bike rack,” said acting BHAC chair John Cunningham. Said Taylor, “It’s a positive program.”
The board approved the racks as proposed, but that the BHAC staff needed to review the proposed locations that would be placed closer to other sidewalk fixtures.
Beacon Hill Times
Back Bay Sun
Charles Street may soon see three new bike racks, as part of Mayor Menino’s ambitious Boston Bikes program.
Nicole Freedman, bike coordinator for Mayor Menino’s new Boston Bikes program, showed her bike racks to the Beacon Hill Architectural Commission on Thursday, hoping to get approval to install three of them in front of the Charles Street Animal Clinic, the Starbucks at 97 Charles St., and Room With a Vieux antiques.
Boston has 250 bike racks, which resemble cast-iron lollipops, and can be seen around the Back Bay. She said that the Back Bay was even considering removing some parking spots to install the bike racks.
According to Freedman, they are designed as simple, sturdy racks big enough to secure two bikes when placed parallel to the street. They have a single installation point for minimal sidewalk damage. The model she showed to the BHAC was the modest black, but she said it also comes in other colors. The racks would only feature the mayor’s bike program logo stamped on top; the mayor turned down $20,000 from an advertiser that wanted an ad along the bottom of the racks.
Freedman also showed other versions of bike racks that she rejected. One looked “historic” but was “bulky and flimsy.” Cambridge’s racks, designed to bolt onto existing parking meters, weren’t safe because they were too easily removable.
The three Charles Street spots were requested by the businesses. Because Charles street sidewalks are narrow, there are only a few choice spots for the racks, Freedman said. Plus she wanted to start slowly in the area. “It’s worse to put in more racks than necessary. We’ll probably need more there.”
Boston Bikes installed 250 this year, and aims for another 250 next year, which is tiny in comparison to other city’s bike rack programs, she said. Vancouver, for example, installed 3,000 racks. “250 is scratching the surface,” Freedman said.
The bike racks need to be placed within 50 to 100 feet of where the riders would work; otherwise, riders begin considering less ideal spots like fences, sign poles, and meters. “There are some gorgeous fences in the historical district,” Freedman noted. “When you see what those fences cost, these racks are much better to clean up.”
Taylor called the Boston Bikes program “commendable”. Fellow commission member Leslie Donovan said she liked the racks, but wasn’t sure how the bikes and cars would coexist on the narrow sidewalks. Freedman assured the board that the racks would be 25 inches from the curb, and that there would be plenty of room for pedestrians.
In general, the application process for a business wanting a rack would be fairly rigorous, so many applications will be rejected based on factors such as space dimensions and other guidelines. The Charles Street racks as proposed “seem to be workable spaces,” Freedman said.
The commission asked that the racks be positioned closer to traffic control boxes and other sidewalk fixtures so “people don’t just see the bike rack,” said acting BHAC chair John Cunningham. Said Taylor, “It’s a positive program.”
The board approved the racks as proposed, but that the BHAC staff needed to review the proposed locations that would be placed closer to other sidewalk fixtures.
Beacon Hill Architectural Commission August meeting
By Sandra Miller
Beacon Hill Times
A co-op treasurer for a Chestnut Street home asked the Beacon Hill Architectural Commission for permission to change the building’s hallway from ugly brown to a prettier linen white. Not so fast, said the BHAC.
The applicant, Jeannine Randolph of 5 Chestnut Street, says her building has long been rehabbing the formerly neglected building for years. “Monkeys built the addition,” she said of work done a hundred years ago. “It took us 18 months to renovate it.” All they were asking at this meeting was to change the color of the building’s drab brown pine doorway to linen white, like neighboring homes that have walnut or mahogany wood frames.
After looking at Randolph’s photos, however, BHAC member Leslie Donovan called the doorway a “beautiful Romanesque arch,” and declared that there is no way that it was ever painted white. “It’s just not an appropriate color,” she said.
Donovan suggested that the coop come up with some Victorian colors, such as black, reds, greens, blues, maybe even a dark mustard. Commissioner Kenneth Taylor suggested that the coop members look at similar Victorians in the South End, Back Bay and Beacon Hill to get some color ideas.
The board approved Randolph’s application, but said she needed to submit the new color to the staff before they start painting.
The board also noted the window frames should be painted the same color, but since they had been painted just two years ago, it wasn’t an immediate priority.
Sometimes changes are made to historical homes without consulting the BHAC first. The owner of a Chestnut Street building is paying the price for an illegal chimney that had the BHAC scratching their heads.
Derek Coulter, a contractor for 19 Chestnut St., requested approval to remove a crumbling, unlined brick chimney that apparently was built years ago without proper approval and not according to code. “Removing it would be an iimprovement, to bring back the historic sense of the building,” agreed Taylor.
Coulter said he would cap it in a way that would not be visible from the street. The board expressed concern about a neighboring wall, which belonged to a neighboring building. Coulter noted that soot may need to be removed, or the wall may even need repairs, something that would be discovered after the chimney was removed.
The board noted that this was a legal issue that would need to be worked out with the neighboring building. Coulter agreed that his priorities were “safety first, historical second” regarding working around the wall and tearing down the chimney.
At 13-27 Bowdoin St., property manager John Thiboudot was back before the board to amend his application to replace a decorative iron balcony. Apparently he and the BHAC staff exhaustively hunted through pre-cast catalogs looking for ironworks that would match neighboring balconies, but they didn’t have any luck. Creating one from scratch would be an exorbitant $18,000 or more, said Thiboudot. The question became whether to replace the 20-foot section with ironwork similar to nearby balconies, or whether it needed to match exactly. The board approved his application, pending the submission of a catalog photo of what he was considering.
At 88 Beacon St., landscape architect Scott Carman and his partner presented roofdeck plans for a 10-foot metal-framed arbor, and replacement of the guardrail and flooring. The arbor was designed to as to not block the sunlight from a bedroom, and to only be visible along Brimmer Street. However, the BHAC members considered their metal arbor design “extremely visible.” “I love the design,” said Donovan. But she also called it “alien.”
Carman argued that “there are a lot of crazy roof decks” in the area, but the BHAC said that those other rooftop designs weren’t approved, or weren’t as visible as their design, and that approval would set a precedent for the area. The disappointed landscape architects were asked to return with a new design.
The BHAC only had quorum for up to 6:30pm, when two members, Annlinea Terranova and Kenneth Taylor, needed to leave, so the remaining applications were discussed and recommendations made, but no motions were made. In total, Thursday saw 19 scheduled applications, review of three violations, and administrative approval to nine others.
It was also the last meeting for preservation planner Katie McLaughlin, who is moving on, and being replaced by Emily Wolf.
August 21, 2008 BHAC Public Hearing Determinations
Approved with provisos
Application: 09.214 BH Multiple Locations, Pinckney and Charles Streets
Applicant:
Nicole Freedman (Boston Bikes): installation of bike racks
Application: 09.113 BH 19 Chestnut Street
Applicant:
Derek Coulter (contractor): removal of brick chimney
Application: 09.170 BH 16 Charles River Square
Applicant:
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Prevost (owners): install rods and star plates at third floor fire escape;
replace wood balustrade; repair masonry
(The replacement of the wood balustrade was not approved.)
Application: 09.174 BH 64 Beacon Street (King’s Chapel House)
Applicant:
Oliver Egleston (representative): replace sign on front façade
Application: 09.175 BH 116 Myrtle Street
Applicant:
Michael Gilberg (contractor): replace roof; install new copper gutter; install new roof deck
to match existing; install railings
Application: 09.022 BH 5 Byron Street (cont.’d)
Applicant:
Efekta Schools, Inc./Alexander Hult (owners): rebuild previously approved deck and roof
garden (recently removed)
Application: 08.293 BH 13-27 Bowdoin Street (cont.’d)
Applicant:
John Thiboudot (property manager): amendment to application to replace iron balcony
Application: 09.206 BH 113 Pinckney Street
Applicant:
Daniel H. Baker (contractor): repair/replace windows, window lintels and sills, entry door
lintel and lintel brackets, broken face brick and steps; replace metal bay roof cladding with
copper; install aluminum screens; install cedar shutters and propeller shutter dogs
Application: 09.209 BH 5 Chestnut Street
Applicant:
Jeannine Randolph (resident): paint area surrounding front door
Application: 09.207 BH 37 Beacon Street, #41 and 42
Applicant:
Mark Dmytruk (owner): install thirteen true divided light windows
Application: 09.210 BH 81 Beacon Street
Applicant:
Mr. and Mrs. John Keane (owners): replace windows in three openings on western
elevation of structure with true divided light windows
Application: 08.1182 BH 22 Hancock Street (cont’d.)
Applicant:
Lewis Sassoon (manager): repaint portico; install stone curb along edge of garden;
installation of window grilles and front door buzzer box (work done by previous owner)
Denied without prejudice
Application: 09.110 BH 38 Lime Street
Applicant:
Joanne Burke (owner) and Tim Burke: remove metal chimney pots and replace with
ornamental clay chimney pots
Page 2
Application: 09.169 BH 15-17 Brimmer Street (The Advent School)
Applicant:
The Advent School (owner): addition of three roof vents
Application: 09.202 BH 88 Beacon Street, #3
Applicant:
Scott Carman (landscape architect): construct arbor, replace guardrail, and replace flooring
on existing roof deck
Application: 09.208 BH 19 Revere Street
Applicant:
Rick Fallone (contractor): install three double hung windows
Approved as submitted
09.106 BH: 38-40 West Cedar Street: repaint shutters (color to remain the same)
09.108 BH: 76 Revere Street: repaint shutters (color to remain the same)
09.109 BH: 57 West Cedar Street: repaint entryway and front door (color to remain the same)
09.111 BH: 57 Hancock Street: repoint brickwork between stone cornice and uppermost brick string course
09.112 BH: 5 Chestnut Street: repaint basement windows (color to remain the same)
09.115 BH: 19 Joy Street: remove stucco, repoint brickwork at rear and side of structure, rebuild chimney
09.173 BH: 1-3 Chestnut Street: repaint wooden arches at entryway (color to remain the same)
09.144 BH: 17 Louisburg Square: install new copper gutter to match existing
09.211 BH: Multiple Locations: install tree pit guards as previously approved by BHAC
Beacon Hill Times
A co-op treasurer for a Chestnut Street home asked the Beacon Hill Architectural Commission for permission to change the building’s hallway from ugly brown to a prettier linen white. Not so fast, said the BHAC.
The applicant, Jeannine Randolph of 5 Chestnut Street, says her building has long been rehabbing the formerly neglected building for years. “Monkeys built the addition,” she said of work done a hundred years ago. “It took us 18 months to renovate it.” All they were asking at this meeting was to change the color of the building’s drab brown pine doorway to linen white, like neighboring homes that have walnut or mahogany wood frames.
After looking at Randolph’s photos, however, BHAC member Leslie Donovan called the doorway a “beautiful Romanesque arch,” and declared that there is no way that it was ever painted white. “It’s just not an appropriate color,” she said.
Donovan suggested that the coop come up with some Victorian colors, such as black, reds, greens, blues, maybe even a dark mustard. Commissioner Kenneth Taylor suggested that the coop members look at similar Victorians in the South End, Back Bay and Beacon Hill to get some color ideas.
The board approved Randolph’s application, but said she needed to submit the new color to the staff before they start painting.
The board also noted the window frames should be painted the same color, but since they had been painted just two years ago, it wasn’t an immediate priority.
Sometimes changes are made to historical homes without consulting the BHAC first. The owner of a Chestnut Street building is paying the price for an illegal chimney that had the BHAC scratching their heads.
Derek Coulter, a contractor for 19 Chestnut St., requested approval to remove a crumbling, unlined brick chimney that apparently was built years ago without proper approval and not according to code. “Removing it would be an iimprovement, to bring back the historic sense of the building,” agreed Taylor.
Coulter said he would cap it in a way that would not be visible from the street. The board expressed concern about a neighboring wall, which belonged to a neighboring building. Coulter noted that soot may need to be removed, or the wall may even need repairs, something that would be discovered after the chimney was removed.
The board noted that this was a legal issue that would need to be worked out with the neighboring building. Coulter agreed that his priorities were “safety first, historical second” regarding working around the wall and tearing down the chimney.
At 13-27 Bowdoin St., property manager John Thiboudot was back before the board to amend his application to replace a decorative iron balcony. Apparently he and the BHAC staff exhaustively hunted through pre-cast catalogs looking for ironworks that would match neighboring balconies, but they didn’t have any luck. Creating one from scratch would be an exorbitant $18,000 or more, said Thiboudot. The question became whether to replace the 20-foot section with ironwork similar to nearby balconies, or whether it needed to match exactly. The board approved his application, pending the submission of a catalog photo of what he was considering.
At 88 Beacon St., landscape architect Scott Carman and his partner presented roofdeck plans for a 10-foot metal-framed arbor, and replacement of the guardrail and flooring. The arbor was designed to as to not block the sunlight from a bedroom, and to only be visible along Brimmer Street. However, the BHAC members considered their metal arbor design “extremely visible.” “I love the design,” said Donovan. But she also called it “alien.”
Carman argued that “there are a lot of crazy roof decks” in the area, but the BHAC said that those other rooftop designs weren’t approved, or weren’t as visible as their design, and that approval would set a precedent for the area. The disappointed landscape architects were asked to return with a new design.
The BHAC only had quorum for up to 6:30pm, when two members, Annlinea Terranova and Kenneth Taylor, needed to leave, so the remaining applications were discussed and recommendations made, but no motions were made. In total, Thursday saw 19 scheduled applications, review of three violations, and administrative approval to nine others.
It was also the last meeting for preservation planner Katie McLaughlin, who is moving on, and being replaced by Emily Wolf.
August 21, 2008 BHAC Public Hearing Determinations
Approved with provisos
Application: 09.214 BH Multiple Locations, Pinckney and Charles Streets
Applicant:
Nicole Freedman (Boston Bikes): installation of bike racks
Application: 09.113 BH 19 Chestnut Street
Applicant:
Derek Coulter (contractor): removal of brick chimney
Application: 09.170 BH 16 Charles River Square
Applicant:
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Prevost (owners): install rods and star plates at third floor fire escape;
replace wood balustrade; repair masonry
(The replacement of the wood balustrade was not approved.)
Application: 09.174 BH 64 Beacon Street (King’s Chapel House)
Applicant:
Oliver Egleston (representative): replace sign on front façade
Application: 09.175 BH 116 Myrtle Street
Applicant:
Michael Gilberg (contractor): replace roof; install new copper gutter; install new roof deck
to match existing; install railings
Application: 09.022 BH 5 Byron Street (cont.’d)
Applicant:
Efekta Schools, Inc./Alexander Hult (owners): rebuild previously approved deck and roof
garden (recently removed)
Application: 08.293 BH 13-27 Bowdoin Street (cont.’d)
Applicant:
John Thiboudot (property manager): amendment to application to replace iron balcony
Application: 09.206 BH 113 Pinckney Street
Applicant:
Daniel H. Baker (contractor): repair/replace windows, window lintels and sills, entry door
lintel and lintel brackets, broken face brick and steps; replace metal bay roof cladding with
copper; install aluminum screens; install cedar shutters and propeller shutter dogs
Application: 09.209 BH 5 Chestnut Street
Applicant:
Jeannine Randolph (resident): paint area surrounding front door
Application: 09.207 BH 37 Beacon Street, #41 and 42
Applicant:
Mark Dmytruk (owner): install thirteen true divided light windows
Application: 09.210 BH 81 Beacon Street
Applicant:
Mr. and Mrs. John Keane (owners): replace windows in three openings on western
elevation of structure with true divided light windows
Application: 08.1182 BH 22 Hancock Street (cont’d.)
Applicant:
Lewis Sassoon (manager): repaint portico; install stone curb along edge of garden;
installation of window grilles and front door buzzer box (work done by previous owner)
Denied without prejudice
Application: 09.110 BH 38 Lime Street
Applicant:
Joanne Burke (owner) and Tim Burke: remove metal chimney pots and replace with
ornamental clay chimney pots
Page 2
Application: 09.169 BH 15-17 Brimmer Street (The Advent School)
Applicant:
The Advent School (owner): addition of three roof vents
Application: 09.202 BH 88 Beacon Street, #3
Applicant:
Scott Carman (landscape architect): construct arbor, replace guardrail, and replace flooring
on existing roof deck
Application: 09.208 BH 19 Revere Street
Applicant:
Rick Fallone (contractor): install three double hung windows
Approved as submitted
09.106 BH: 38-40 West Cedar Street: repaint shutters (color to remain the same)
09.108 BH: 76 Revere Street: repaint shutters (color to remain the same)
09.109 BH: 57 West Cedar Street: repaint entryway and front door (color to remain the same)
09.111 BH: 57 Hancock Street: repoint brickwork between stone cornice and uppermost brick string course
09.112 BH: 5 Chestnut Street: repaint basement windows (color to remain the same)
09.115 BH: 19 Joy Street: remove stucco, repoint brickwork at rear and side of structure, rebuild chimney
09.173 BH: 1-3 Chestnut Street: repaint wooden arches at entryway (color to remain the same)
09.144 BH: 17 Louisburg Square: install new copper gutter to match existing
09.211 BH: Multiple Locations: install tree pit guards as previously approved by BHAC
Smooth sailing for Community Boating fundraiser
By Sandra Miller
for Back Bay Sun and Beacon Hill Times
More than a hundred guests nibbled on appetizers and enjoyed libations, elbow to elbow along the narrow rail-lined corridors overlooking the funky yet elegant Liberty Hotel’s lobby three floors below, all to help raise money for CBI’s “Raise the Sails for All” fundraiser.
Women in evening gowns, tuxedo’d youths in wheelchairs and with blind canes, and casually dressed teens all gathered to bid on silent and live-auction items that included a flight to Nantucket, a trip to NYC, a stay at a Tuscan villa, various sailing equipment, and gift certificates from Charles Street merchants.
CBI’s goal was to help match last year’s auction fundraiser purse, in order to help pay for its praised Universal Access program. The program, which launched last year, helps 150 sailors who are blind, in wheelchairs, or otherwise experiencing challenges that kept them from sailing independently.
Marcin Kunicki, the Universal Access program director, called the event “very successful.” CBI is still counting up the proceeds as of press time, but he said, “I do believe we met our goals. It was a great team effort.”
At the fundraiser, it was not only an opportunity to raise money, but for members to relax with each other on land. One of the longest members in attendance at the fundraiser was 38-year CBI member Irving Itzkan, of Beacon Street. He has a lifetime membership card, which he says confuses a few of the younger volunteers. “I had one person ask me, ‘When does this expire?’” he recalled with a grin. “I said, ‘Hopefully not for a long, long time.’”
He was living in New York but working for a lab in Boston, and would drive by CBI with longing. He said to himself, “If I ever move to Boston, the first thing I will do is join that club.” When he got a job in Boston back in 1970, that’s exactly what he did. He seems to have chosen jobs that are close to CBI. He’s a consultant at Harvard Medical School, and for years he was a biomedical physicist at MIT. Over the past few years, he’s averaging between half a dozen to 30 sails a year.
“Every opportunity I get, I am teaching newcomers,” he says, estimating he must have taken about 5,000 students sailing over the years. His son became a Junior member and is now a full member.
“I especially love taking people out for the first time, and hearing them say, ‘This is great, I want to do this for the rest of my life.’” But, he warns, “everyone in my boat works.”
Although she’s not much of a sailor herself, Back Bay resident Jessica Mackey. has a father and cousin who are CBI members, so she came out to support CBI. “I think it’s a great program,” she says. “There are so few things that are inexpensive in the summer. I like the idea that this helps kids learn that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, and that lets them learn something outside, that doesn’t involve them sitting home and playing video games.”
Her friend, Taylor O’Neil of Irving Street, also appreciated CBI’s ability to democratize sailing. O’Neil grew up in a sailing environment -- her father was a sailing instructor in a place that “if your parents didn’t buy you a boat, you didn’t have much to work with.” “CBI is very inclusive. The kids are so much fun, they’re from Chinatown, Newton, Brighton, and they’re all interacting. They learn something thaey’ll have for the rest of their life.”
O’Neil, who works as a WGBH fundraiser, understands the need to raise money for a good cause. “CBI is fiscally responsible and down to earth. They’re all about the kids.”
for Back Bay Sun and Beacon Hill Times
More than a hundred guests nibbled on appetizers and enjoyed libations, elbow to elbow along the narrow rail-lined corridors overlooking the funky yet elegant Liberty Hotel’s lobby three floors below, all to help raise money for CBI’s “Raise the Sails for All” fundraiser.
Women in evening gowns, tuxedo’d youths in wheelchairs and with blind canes, and casually dressed teens all gathered to bid on silent and live-auction items that included a flight to Nantucket, a trip to NYC, a stay at a Tuscan villa, various sailing equipment, and gift certificates from Charles Street merchants.
CBI’s goal was to help match last year’s auction fundraiser purse, in order to help pay for its praised Universal Access program. The program, which launched last year, helps 150 sailors who are blind, in wheelchairs, or otherwise experiencing challenges that kept them from sailing independently.
Marcin Kunicki, the Universal Access program director, called the event “very successful.” CBI is still counting up the proceeds as of press time, but he said, “I do believe we met our goals. It was a great team effort.”
At the fundraiser, it was not only an opportunity to raise money, but for members to relax with each other on land. One of the longest members in attendance at the fundraiser was 38-year CBI member Irving Itzkan, of Beacon Street. He has a lifetime membership card, which he says confuses a few of the younger volunteers. “I had one person ask me, ‘When does this expire?’” he recalled with a grin. “I said, ‘Hopefully not for a long, long time.’”
He was living in New York but working for a lab in Boston, and would drive by CBI with longing. He said to himself, “If I ever move to Boston, the first thing I will do is join that club.” When he got a job in Boston back in 1970, that’s exactly what he did. He seems to have chosen jobs that are close to CBI. He’s a consultant at Harvard Medical School, and for years he was a biomedical physicist at MIT. Over the past few years, he’s averaging between half a dozen to 30 sails a year.
“Every opportunity I get, I am teaching newcomers,” he says, estimating he must have taken about 5,000 students sailing over the years. His son became a Junior member and is now a full member.
“I especially love taking people out for the first time, and hearing them say, ‘This is great, I want to do this for the rest of my life.’” But, he warns, “everyone in my boat works.”
Although she’s not much of a sailor herself, Back Bay resident Jessica Mackey. has a father and cousin who are CBI members, so she came out to support CBI. “I think it’s a great program,” she says. “There are so few things that are inexpensive in the summer. I like the idea that this helps kids learn that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, and that lets them learn something outside, that doesn’t involve them sitting home and playing video games.”
Her friend, Taylor O’Neil of Irving Street, also appreciated CBI’s ability to democratize sailing. O’Neil grew up in a sailing environment -- her father was a sailing instructor in a place that “if your parents didn’t buy you a boat, you didn’t have much to work with.” “CBI is very inclusive. The kids are so much fun, they’re from Chinatown, Newton, Brighton, and they’re all interacting. They learn something thaey’ll have for the rest of their life.”
O’Neil, who works as a WGBH fundraiser, understands the need to raise money for a good cause. “CBI is fiscally responsible and down to earth. They’re all about the kids.”
Ross to attend Democratic Convention
By Sandra Miller
for Back Bay Sun
City Councilor Michael Ross seems to be everywhere lately. Over the weekend, Ross drove to New Jersey to attend the wedding of his chief of staff, Reuben Kantor, then flew off to Denver for his first year as a delegate for the 45th Democratic National Convention in Denver, which began Monday.
Ross is among loads of other Mass Dem delegates that also include Mayor Menino, who is a superdelegate, Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, Gov. Deval Patrick, House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, US reps Michael Capuano and Barney Frank, Senators Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, Suffolk Sheriff Andrea Cabral, State Auditor Joseph DeNucci, Secretary William Galvin, and Senate President Therese Murray.
Ross attended the 2004 Democratic Convention, which was here, but wasn’t a delegate. Instead, he said he wandered the convention hall and watched all the speeches. It was at that convention when Obama first made an impression upon him, and led him to be an early Obama supporter. “I was really inspired by him in 2004,” he said. “I was with him when there weren’t a lot of people with him.
“Obama is fresh and new, but that’s what this country needs. When you vote for established leaders, you get Bush and Cheney. Barack knows how to get around government. He knows the harsh reality of what people are dealing with, and barriers. He knows his way around classrooms and communities. He proved he can go to the Middle East and Europe. He’s invested.”
He’s looking forward to Barak Obama’s speech, as well as networking with other elected officials from around the country to “talk about some common issues.”
Ross will also be blogging about the convention at Boston Magazine’s “Boston Daily” blog (See Friday’s fun entry, about the two types of delegates at the convention.) “There will be five more during the convention, most a humorous behind-the-scenes look, as well as substantive issues once it’s under way.”
for Back Bay Sun
City Councilor Michael Ross seems to be everywhere lately. Over the weekend, Ross drove to New Jersey to attend the wedding of his chief of staff, Reuben Kantor, then flew off to Denver for his first year as a delegate for the 45th Democratic National Convention in Denver, which began Monday.
Ross is among loads of other Mass Dem delegates that also include Mayor Menino, who is a superdelegate, Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, Gov. Deval Patrick, House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, US reps Michael Capuano and Barney Frank, Senators Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, Suffolk Sheriff Andrea Cabral, State Auditor Joseph DeNucci, Secretary William Galvin, and Senate President Therese Murray.
Ross attended the 2004 Democratic Convention, which was here, but wasn’t a delegate. Instead, he said he wandered the convention hall and watched all the speeches. It was at that convention when Obama first made an impression upon him, and led him to be an early Obama supporter. “I was really inspired by him in 2004,” he said. “I was with him when there weren’t a lot of people with him.
“Obama is fresh and new, but that’s what this country needs. When you vote for established leaders, you get Bush and Cheney. Barack knows how to get around government. He knows the harsh reality of what people are dealing with, and barriers. He knows his way around classrooms and communities. He proved he can go to the Middle East and Europe. He’s invested.”
He’s looking forward to Barak Obama’s speech, as well as networking with other elected officials from around the country to “talk about some common issues.”
Ross will also be blogging about the convention at Boston Magazine’s “Boston Daily” blog (See Friday’s fun entry, about the two types of delegates at the convention.) “There will be five more during the convention, most a humorous behind-the-scenes look, as well as substantive issues once it’s under way.”
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Energy and environmental bill contains good things for the Esplanade
by Sandra Miller
A lot of sailors and parks enthusiasts breathed a sigh of relief after Governor Deval Patrick signed a $1.64 billion energy and environmental bond bill Thursday.
The bonds will launch Rep. Marty Walz’s $3.7 million amendment to fund new docks for Community Boating (CBI). However, the Community Boating Facility Pier Construction Project amendment approval “doesn’t mean the money is readily available,” said Walz. “This is just the first step in a multi-step process.”
Now it’s a race against time for CBI, The money is an authorization, not an appropriation, so CBI will be especially anxious to get the new docks in time for 2010, when it will host the annual Mallory Trophy. To be co-hosted with MIT and the Mass Bay League, the 80th annual Mallory Trophy will bring more than 100 families around the country to watch their high schoolers compete along the Charles.
CBI needs the new docks to be completed before the Trophy event, which is in May 2010. With such a complicated project, a lot can happen between now and May 2010, when the competition will be held.
“We’ve worked closely with the DCR on design and engineering, and with the Legislature,” said Zechel. “We’ve been advocating for this for five years now. Some of our docks go back to the 1970s and 1980s, and some go further back.” In 2003, CBI also made significant repairs to 50 feet of dock to repair some structural failure. CBI has much experience in seeing projects being held up by delays in obtaining materials.
“The bill takes it one step closer to happening, but we still need to advocate for [the new docks.] We’re not going to do all of it in September.”
Zechel said first the current docks would be demolished, which must happen during the off-season. Then new pilings would need to be driven, and the docks built and installed. “This could start in September to December, if the materials are available, and then the contractors can move very quickly,” Zechel added.
Walz is also a little nervous. “The docks may not even be done by May 2010. We’ll have to factor that tournament into the scheduling, but it’s not the Legislature’s decision to rebuild the docks, it’s ultimately the DCR’s. I will advocate on behalf of Community Boating.”
The Mallory Trophy is a fleet racing national championship among the nation’s private and public high schools, and is school sailing’s oldest trophy. It is administrated by the Interscholastic Sailing Association (ISSA), which governs secondary school sailing in the United States, in both independent and public high schools.
“These trophies rotate through regions of the country,” said Charles Zechel, executive director of Community Boating Inc. “You bid on it, like the Olympics. There’s not many community sailing programs that can host this. We need some help because of the number of boats needed, so MIT and Mass Bay League is helping. It’s a big stepping stone for us because we don’t usually have the ability to host competitive international sailing regattas, because they are usually by people who bring their own boats.”
“We’ve matured to the point we can host a national event. There will be an expense to it,” he said. “We’ll be using our safety launches, staff, our time, our boats. Over the next two years, we’ll be doing some fundraising.”
Zechel and Walz expect that the tournament won’t have a negative impact on the surrounding community, since the student sailors will be split among the MIT and CBI locations. “It’ll be the same numbers when we’re busy,” Zechel said, but he expected that local hotels and restaurants would benefit from the event.
CBI board member Gary du Moulin saidthe new docks will also improve wheelchair accessibility for its new Universal Access program. “Our facility will be 100 percent accessible,” said du Moulin. “The docks are old. Access for wheelchairs is an effort.”
“Community boating as an organization is doing real good things,” said the director, noting its $1 membership for kids and sailors with disabilities.
At $616.3 million, the level of support provided for parks and other DCR assets is more than twice as much as authorized by the 2002 bond bill, said a spokesman from the governor’s office. Included are $205.7 million for DCR parks and reservations, beaches, harbor islands, swimming pools, campgrounds and hiking and biking trails; and $325 million to repair and reconstruct DCR bridges – including critical spans across the Charles River in Boston. This is in addition to the $900 million included in the accelerated bridge program, which will rehabilitate all of DCR’s structurally deficient bridges.
“This is an important investment for residents across the commonwealth,” Senate President Therese Murray said in a press release. “No matter where you live, people place great value on their parks, beaches and recreational areas. It’s a quality of life issue, and this law will make sure that our open space and recreational facilities maintain their appeal and functionality.”
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Woman named to top BPL post
By Sandra Miller
Back Bay Sun
The Board of Trustees of the Boston Public Library today named Amy Ryan as the next president of the Boston Public Library. After a six-month nationwide search, the Trustees chose Ryan citing her extensive knowledge of big city library systems, her management styles, understanding of technology and commitment to community libraries.
“My fellow trustees and I are delighted to welcome Amy Ryan as the president of the Boston Public Library,” said Jeffrey B. Rudman, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, in a press release. “Since the start of this selection process, we have been committed to finding a strong leader with a clear vision to guide the library. Today we accomplished that goal. We look forward with great anticipation to working with her.”
The Trustees have been searching for a president for months, after asking Bernard A. Margolis to leave in June when his contract ended, after 11 years in the post. The search has mostly been done quietly, but at one point a few months ago, Thomas F. Birmingham, the former state Senate president and onetime candidate for governor, was cited as a candidate running against five professional librarians to take over the BPL.
Birmingham, a friend of Rudman, lacked library experience.
The Associates of The Boston Public Library, a nonprofit library support organization that critized Margolis’ ouster, reportedly hoped for a candidate with strong preservation experience to protect the BPL’s rare artifacts.
The new library president reportedly will need to smooth things over, since the Margolis ouster apparently caused many library supporters, including large donors, to threaten funding.
Ryan takes over from Deputy director Ruth Kowal, who had been serving as Acting President since July 1.
Ryan, director of the Minneapolis and Hennepin County library system since 2005, was honored by the City of Minneapolis for her leadership in the merger of the city and county library systems earlier this year.
“Strong leadership of our historic library system is crucial in creating a continuum of learning in our city,” Mayor Thomas M. Menino said. ”I trust Amy Ryan will bring the skills necessary to make our libraries work for everyone – from the magnificent main branch at Copley to our 26 community branches the Boston Public Library should be a treasure for all.”
Ryan was chosen after a six-month selection process conducted by a search committee, led by James I. Cash, Professor Emeritus of Harvard Business School, and John H. McArthur, former Dean of Harvard Business School. Members of the library staff and support groups and residents citywide chose from an initial group of more than 160 candidates attracted by the international search firm of Korn/Ferry.
“I look forward to working with the Board of Trustees, Mayor, staff and residents of Boston to build upon BPL’s many strengths and to provide library and information services that touch and enhance the lives of all the people of Boston,” Amy Ryan said in a press release.
Back Bay Sun
The Board of Trustees of the Boston Public Library today named Amy Ryan as the next president of the Boston Public Library. After a six-month nationwide search, the Trustees chose Ryan citing her extensive knowledge of big city library systems, her management styles, understanding of technology and commitment to community libraries.
“My fellow trustees and I are delighted to welcome Amy Ryan as the president of the Boston Public Library,” said Jeffrey B. Rudman, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, in a press release. “Since the start of this selection process, we have been committed to finding a strong leader with a clear vision to guide the library. Today we accomplished that goal. We look forward with great anticipation to working with her.”
The Trustees have been searching for a president for months, after asking Bernard A. Margolis to leave in June when his contract ended, after 11 years in the post. The search has mostly been done quietly, but at one point a few months ago, Thomas F. Birmingham, the former state Senate president and onetime candidate for governor, was cited as a candidate running against five professional librarians to take over the BPL.
Birmingham, a friend of Rudman, lacked library experience.
The Associates of The Boston Public Library, a nonprofit library support organization that critized Margolis’ ouster, reportedly hoped for a candidate with strong preservation experience to protect the BPL’s rare artifacts.
The new library president reportedly will need to smooth things over, since the Margolis ouster apparently caused many library supporters, including large donors, to threaten funding.
Ryan takes over from Deputy director Ruth Kowal, who had been serving as Acting President since July 1.
Ryan, director of the Minneapolis and Hennepin County library system since 2005, was honored by the City of Minneapolis for her leadership in the merger of the city and county library systems earlier this year.
“Strong leadership of our historic library system is crucial in creating a continuum of learning in our city,” Mayor Thomas M. Menino said. ”I trust Amy Ryan will bring the skills necessary to make our libraries work for everyone – from the magnificent main branch at Copley to our 26 community branches the Boston Public Library should be a treasure for all.”
Ryan was chosen after a six-month selection process conducted by a search committee, led by James I. Cash, Professor Emeritus of Harvard Business School, and John H. McArthur, former Dean of Harvard Business School. Members of the library staff and support groups and residents citywide chose from an initial group of more than 160 candidates attracted by the international search firm of Korn/Ferry.
“I look forward to working with the Board of Trustees, Mayor, staff and residents of Boston to build upon BPL’s many strengths and to provide library and information services that touch and enhance the lives of all the people of Boston,” Amy Ryan said in a press release.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Hurricane Relief website
The Student Leadership Office at one point collected donations for Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Stan, and I created a website for it.
Mission
The Student Leadership Office is the center for active students who wish to improve their leadership skills. Our office aims to direct the highly motivated student leaders among us who wish to help in the relief effort. Our students come from diverse backgrounds, have all kinds of skill sets, and through their coop experiences, may be able to provide the relief effort with creative, energized solutions and assistance. Our office aims to direct their energies and knowledge so we can all acheive greatness, and help the vulnerable victims of the recent devastations of the hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Stan.
Mission
The Student Leadership Office is the center for active students who wish to improve their leadership skills. Our office aims to direct the highly motivated student leaders among us who wish to help in the relief effort. Our students come from diverse backgrounds, have all kinds of skill sets, and through their coop experiences, may be able to provide the relief effort with creative, energized solutions and assistance. Our office aims to direct their energies and knowledge so we can all acheive greatness, and help the vulnerable victims of the recent devastations of the hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Stan.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
CBI hopes to raise a boatload of money
‘Raise the Sails’ fundraiser Aug. 21
By Sandra Miller
Beacon Hill Times/Back Bay Sun
Community Boating has been turning landlubber youths into independent sailors for more than 60 years.
“Over 2,000 kids are exposed to sail training, learning about taking care of your crew, responsibility, leadership, maintaining your equipment -- these are tremendous lessons when transferred into real life,” says CBI board member Gary du Moulin.
For the past 17 years, CBI has raised funds to help support its $1 youth memberships, their Junior program, raising $35,000 last year. CBI’s Aug. 21 “Raise the Sails for All” fundraiser, at the Liberty Hotel, will feature auction items includes a flight to Nantucket, a trip to NYC, a stay at a Tuscan villa, various sailing equipment, and gift certificates from Charles Street merchants.
This year, CBI also hopes to raise funds for its Universal Access program, which launched last year with 150 sailors who are blind, in wheelchairs, or otherwise experiencing challenges that kept them from sailing independently.
“You’ll see a person sailing and never know they are disabled,” says Du Moulin, a six-year CBI sailing veteran. “They are having the same experiences an able-bodied person has.”
Sailors get access to specially equipped boats, transfer equipment, and help from CBI staff, for a $1 membership fee.
“We developed some of our Mercury Keel sailboats with a lot of adaptations, which are actually brilliant,” says Charles Zechel, executive director of Community Boating Inc. “We have some who want a sailboat ride, to others who want to sail independently.” Zechel says that this summer, the program is “bursting at the seams” with participation.
CBI’s immediate goals are complete accessibility. Right now, the CBI facility is “accessible, but not optimal,” says du Moulin. “Wheelchairs go down to the docks and boards are rough and worn. We make it happen.” One motorized device, called a davit, slips around the disabled sailor for transfer into boat seats retrofitted with straps and seatbelts to support the upper body.
More funding can support additional CBI staff training, dock improvements, and technology such as swivel seats in the boats. If du Moulin “had a blank check,” CBI would get “sip and puff” technology so quadriplegics could blow into a straw to control a boat.
“Some of the technology is incredible. The reward is seeing these people come in and challenging themselves despite this wide range of disabilities. How do we improve and make this program better? There are an infinite number of ways, depending on funding … to let that person be mobile. To react to the wind and control the boat, shift from side to side in the boat as the boat turns in the wind.”
Membership for the disabled sailors and their guests can be for a short sailboat ride for therapeutic recreation or a more learn-to-sail class structure, leading to ratings and expanded sailing privileges. This summer, the program runs from June 16-Aug. 31.
The Universal Access program receives financial assistance from the Dept. of Conservation and Recreation’s Universal Access Program, the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs Office of Public Private Partnerships, and Genzyme Corporation. This year, Genzyme kicked in an additional $4,000 so the summer 2008 program could expand to 7 days a week, says du Moulin, who is also Genzyme’s senior director of quality compliance.
Funding for the Junior Program has been consistent, but “it’s an extremely demanding program stretching our resources,” Zechel says. “We have to do fundraising, and get other support because that $1 just doesn’t cover it.” CBI’s fundraising target is $35,000 before expenses, the same as last year’s fundraiser earnings.
CBI’s Junior Program members get instruction and unlimited use of boats, windsurfers and kayaks, along with land-based dances, CBI’s Junior Olympics, and other team-building events. The adult program offers sailing, windsurfing, and kayaking to sailors 18 years and up, 7 days a week through October 31. Membership includes instruction, unlimited use of all boats, discounts to events and CBI gear. Members also can attend seminars, fundraisers, Friday Night BBQs, Helmsman parties, and other social events throughout the season.
Box:
Community Boating is hosting its 18th annual "Raise the Sails for All" fundraiser auction, Aug. 21 at 7pm at the Liberty Hotel. Tickets are $100 per person, and the night will feature cocktails, hors d'oeuvre and an auction. Call CBI at 617.523-1038 to purchase tickets, or go www.community-boating.org
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Friday, August 1, 2008
Protecting Your iPhone
Review: Speck’s ToughSkin and PixelSkin iPhone cases, and RadTech ClearCal screen protector
by Sandra Miller
www.macnn.com
Like a mom with a newborn baby, I felt scared: I just bought my first iPhone, the 3G, and I wanted it to be protected. Truth be told, my kid was a lot tougher than this delicate little phone. I braced myself, and told myself I wouldn’t buy any accessories immediately until I had test-driven a few cases. (I learned the hard way with my newborn, and have a basement full of underused “safety” products.) As it turns out, I couldn’t use my video iPod cases, like my fave leather TuneWear case that comes with a with protective flap and credit card pockets.
I don’t really need the credit card pockets, but I do want to protect my newest child. Since neither the Skin-Pro nor the PixelSkin came with any kind of screen protection, I ended up first applying a RadTech ClearCal for iPhone transparent Mylar sheet, which was very thin and tough-feeling.
It was easy to install, with hold-tabs to help you remove the front and back of the adhesive surface. It smudges very easily, but is easily wiped clean with the edge of my T-shirt; it also can be reapplied several times without leaving sticky residue. RadTech says it has a “blemish-healing effect” that hides minor scratches and surface defects. I took a scissors to the surface and although I could see the scratch even after rubbing it, I didn’t notice it when I powered up. After a week of using it, I don’t notice any scratches, and it is designed to last years. Designed for both 2G and 3G phones, the ClearCal offers a protector sheet for the back of the 2G phone only.
Once that was installed, I first tried out the PixelSkin for the 3G. This is the former ArmorSkin, designed for 2G iPhones, came in fewer colors, was equipped with a holster, and was $5 more. My skin came in “Blueberry Blue,” which I installed easily by sliding the bottom of my iPhone in through the screen cutout, then pulling the top corners around it. Billed as “fun, flexible protection,” the skin at 4 ounces is still fairly lightweight, and was easy to slip onto my phone. It covers the push-through button covers for the Sleep/Wake, Home and volume buttons, and exposes the ports and camera. One report says the hole for non-Apple headphone plugs will be a bit snug, but I didn’t find this with the couple of headphones I had lying around.
The skin is tough, and doesn’t slip off the iPhone at all. Its textured tile pattern allows for some grip, although I think it is still a little slippery. About 2mm thick, my iPhone would be safe in most accidental drops, although the screen is still vulnerable. As the mom of a 4-year-old with lightning-quick grabhands for shiny new toys that come in Blueberry Blue, I would like to have had a leash installed for extra security. Other kid-friendly colors are Spearmint Green, Sherbet Pink, Huckleberry Purple and Corncob Yellow, and it also comes in Licorice Black and Marshmallow White.
Still, I find the PixelSkin a little bulky to slip into my pocket or a smaller purse, so I tried the Skin-Pro, a “rugged case and holster with stand” for the iPhone. Unfortunately, this was made for the 2G, but I tried it anyway.
The Skin-Pro silicone skin comes in black or a milky-clear color, while the polycarbonate plastic hard case holster is just offered in black. It offers a more rubbery, grippy feel than the PIxelSkin, and fits like a wetsuit for a slim profile. It’s easy to slip around the iPhone, and stays put. You don’t have to remove the case to sync using the cable or dock.
The holster works nicely as a stand – both horizontally and vertically -- once I figured out how to push the clip into the little hole. The holster features a click-swivel belt clip that fits easily onto my belt or along a purse pocket for easy grab. I considered the holster clip a tad loose-fitting, and wouldn’t trust it to hold my iPhone safely.
Still, while I wouldn’t use it as a belt clip, a friend of mine who used it loved the beltclip, and said it was easy to clip on and off and was more lightweight than the leather holsters she’s used to.
Again, using a 2G holster with my 3G iPhone, it felt a little slippy inside the hard case. I would consider using some Velcro to secure it, or use the holster inside my purse or as a stand, but not on my belt.
As a woman, I’m not big on placing phones on my hip, anyway. It adds pounds to the profile For 3G, consider the ToughSkin for 3G, which features thicker edges with rubberized corner bumpers for extra shock absorption. Or SeeThru, a $29.95 hard Shell Case and Stand with candy colors, a removable bottom for docking.
PixelSkin
http://www.speckproducts.com/products/pixelskin/iphone-3g/143
Msrp: $24.95
Rating: 4
Pros: Thick case that retains shape and fit, fun colors
Cons: doesn’t protect screen, still a bit slippery, could use a leash
Skin-Pro
http://www.speckproducts.com/products/skinpro/iphone/117
Msrp: $24.95
Rating: 4
Pros: stand, slim fit
Cons: no protection for screen
Speck of Palo Alto, Calif.
http://www.speckproducts.com/
ClearCal screen protector -
RadTech
http://www.radtech.us/Products/iPhone_ClearCal.aspx
MSRP: $9.95 for one sheet; $17.95 for 2G front and back panel set
Pros: easy to apply, scratch-resistant, long-lasting
Cons: smudges easily although easy to clean; doesn’t repel bullets
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