Beacon Hill Times 10/7 edition

Voicing their opinion by Sandra Miller

A local group of war protestors will bring some musical friends to Boston Common this Saturday morning. The Oct. 11 date was chosen by peace activists around the country, because that was when, in 2002, Congress approved the “Iraq War Resolution” granting the Bush administration authorization to invade Iraq. It’s also right around election time, and event organizers are hoping to raise awareness. The rally is a result of a June Cleveland convention of grassroots organizers, the National Assembly to End the Iraq War and Occupation, where more than 95 percent of those attending voted to support pre-election protests at several major cities across the country on October 11. “We thought that date in particular was important, to remind people that not just George Bush, but Congress, took the steps to go to war,” said John Harris, who is on the coordinating committee of the Greater Boston Stop the Wars Coalition. Stop the Wars is a 600-member grassroots organization based in Chinatown, and one of the event’s organizers. “Congress has the power to end the war, and they’re trying to pass it off and say it’s George Bush and Rumsfeld. We want to put a focus on that in our protest,” Harris added. A broad regional network of anti-war, human rights, and peace and justice groups is organizing a rally featuring Iraq Veterans Against the War, an Iraqi journalist, City Councilor Chuck Turner, student organizers, immigrants’ rights activists, marching bands from Somerville’s “Honk Fest,” costumed participants, large puppets, and cultural performances spanning genres from folk to funk. The two-hour rally will feature speakers and music, an open-mike area, children’s activities, and a one-hour march through downtown Boston and Copley Square that will return to the Boston Common for more music and organizing. “We’re expecting several thousand,” said Harris. “We have a permit for the protest. It will be a peaceful legal action.” He noted that at another peaceful legal activity, at the recent Republican National Convention, “People in the media and peaceful protestors were illegally attacked and imprisoned by police.” But, said Harris, “We don’t expect any problems. Our history here is that our peaceful legal protests have proceeded without incident.” However, Beacon Hill Civic Association’s spokesman, Colin Zick, who monitors Boston Common activity, wasn’t aware of the upcoming protest. "I am very concerned that a large-scale, all-day concert is being scheduled on the Parade Ground,” said Zick. “The Parks Department has stated its intent to reduce the number of large events on the Parade Ground, so I was surprised to learn of this event. If it is in fact permitted, then I hope they take care to respect the Common, and I will certainly make sure that they account for any damages." The rally’s goal, according to its mission statement, is to call for an end to this “criminal war on the Iraqi people withdrawal of all occupation forces from Iraq and the closing of all military bases, and that the money going toward these actions go instead to further justice, equality, and human needs here at home, not death and misery.” According to a statement on the organizer’s Web site, www.oct11boston.org: “Instead of being spectators who watch the media pundits put their spin on the political pronouncements of the candidates, the October 11 protests present us with an opportunity to be engaged in injecting our agenda, the antiwar agenda, into the intensifying debate…March 2008 ushered in the sixth year of war and occupation ‘without end’ on Iraq. In an act of arrogance and impunity, Congress in a bipartisan vote approved another $162 billion in funding for the wars on Iraq and Afghanistan. Stepped-up threats against Iran and the increased likelihood of a U.S. troop ’surge’ into Afghanistan point to an imperative for action and an independent voice from the peace and justice movement.”

Will helps constituents find their way by Sandra Miller

Sometimes it’s difficult to navigate City Hall when you have a problem. However, no matter how big or how small the difficulty, there’s always your friendly neighborhood representative, Will Onuoha. For more than two years, William Onuoha has served as one of the mayor’s neighborhood coordinators. He is young, very outgoing and friendly, and more importantly, very respectful and patient. His District 8 covers the widely diverse range of Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Mission Hill, Fenway and Kenmore neighborhoods. “The mayor has us come out here to bring City Hall to the neighborhoods,” says Onuoha. “Some find going to City Hall too confusing. They’re not sure where to go. It’s much easier to go somewhere and address a problem on the spot.” Every third Monday of the month at 3:30 p.m., he sets up shop in the conference room at the Beacon Hill Civic Association’s Joy Street building. He prefers to schedule his visitors, but sometimes, people just show up. “Usually, about two or three residents come in each week to talk with Will about issues of concern to them, says BHCA Executive Director Suzanne Besser. “Will always gives them plenty of time and lets them know how the city can help. The 74 Joy Street tenants, such as ourselves and the Beacon Hill Business Association, also make use of the opportunity to talk with him about issues we are dealing with.” One recent Monday, he met with a few residents to discuss whether to reduce the number of trash days from three to two. “I don’t know how that system came into place,” says Onuoha. “It’s a small area, [and with] the layout of old buildings, they can’t store trash. That might have been why it was recommended, but as it happens, they just don’t generate that much trash.” The problems of Beacon Hill aren’t as urgent as, say, Mission Hill. His Beacon Hill visitors “complain about trash, about the debris from trash, about the storage of trash…. It’s not an area that suffers from a high percentage of crime,” he says. But, he adds, residents here are very involved in the preservation of the community, which makes his job interesting. “Beacon Hill is a fun place,” he says. “It’s an organized community that is very representative of old Boston. It’s one of the gems of Boston, because it’s a gem they want to preserve. The Civic Association is very industrious, very good at getting their information out. Construction, filming, anything that’s happening in the city, they are very aware of their surroundings. The neighbors are looking out for each other.” Residents often come to him with parking problems. He recalled an incident when some residents complained about how trucks were blocking traffic while unloading items to the Beacon Hill Market on Myrtle Street. “We ended up going through the Zoning Board,” he says. The city installed ballards, or barriers, on Anderson Street, preventing people from parking on the pavement, and installing a loading zone in front of the market. It’s a small matter, but he was pleased he could help out the complainants. Another time, a man parked his car at a meter, and came back to find his car towed. As it turned out, he was towed based on an outdated law that specified how much distance one had to park between a meter and a construction site. Onuoha called the Boston Transportation Department officer who confirmed that he had changed the code; the man was quickly reimbursed the money he paid for the ticket and towing. “We worked it out,” says Onuoha, beaming. He counts the partnership he helped build with landlords - the BHCA and Suffolk University - as successful, in making sure student tenants wereno’ being disruptive to the neighborhood. Onuoha lives in Mission Hill, so he is no stranger to the battles between property owners and student renters. He’s not an elected official, and so he’s not dealing with the major issues that a city councilor may get. “These are small problems, but it’s these kinds of problems that the mayor’s constituents need help on,” he says. They’re important enough that Onuoha spends many nights and weekends attending community meetings, however. “We hear every issue under the sun,” he says. Crime, traffic, development, parking, students. “I’ve been asked to go out and capture ducks,” he recalls, laughing out loud. “The caller said, ‘They make too much noise.’” He’s also there for more pressing issues, too. “At night, I’m called if there’s a fire, a flood, carbon monoxide. When people are displaced, we respond to it. We’re doing everything we can to keep things under control. If the mayor is not there, we bring him a briefing of what happened.” When there was a fire last winter that affected 11 units on Beacon Street, he worked with the Red Cross to put the displaced residents into area hotels, and for the ones who couldn’t return to their homes, he connected them with emergency housing from the Boston Housing Authority. “It’s a 24/7 job,” he says. “We are the eyes and the ears of the mayor.” Which is probably why those who work in the neighborhood liaison office tend to be young. “We’re all energetic. Most of us are in our early to mid-20s. Some are married with families. We’re able to wear these many hats, and do these many things relatively easy,” he adds. It’s also easy for Onuoha and his fellow reps to give their all to a mayor they respect. Onuoha is a huge Mayor Menino fan. “The best part is being able to work with the mayor on a daily basis, and talk to him at will, to talk about everything and anything,” he says. ““People see him and are in awe of him. We have the ability to see a more personal side of him. He’s a hands-on mayor, and he doesn’t waste time. People don’t know that he has a great sense of humor. He is such a goodhearted person - he really cares. I never thought I’d have a relationship with the most powerful guy in the city.” The Peacemaker Onuoha is the go-between when there’s a dispute. He’ll make the calls and connect people to the right city department, helping residents cut through the red tape. He’ll mediate between competing interests. He does this naturally, since his life experiences seem tailored for the job. He grew up the middle child of three brothers and a sister. “I had to learn to do a lot of negotiating, and a lot of compromise,” he says. While attending Snowden High School, Onuoha was a member of the Mayor’s Youth Council from 1998 to 2001, where “I did some things on a smaller level that I do now,” he says. He worked summers with the city’s Youth Fund for two years, from 2000 to 2002 He was an orientation leader at UMass-Amherst, and although he received his bachelor’s degree in political science and international relations at UMass-Amherst, he believes, as Tip O’Neill used to say, that “all politics is local”. Onuoha did constituency work with State Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez, and interned with the State Police. As a judicial assistant and assistant admissions counselor while working at UMass-Boston, he wore a lot of hats, working with students, parents and university staff. “I learned how to know your audience and communicate effectively,” he says. “I think my background exposed me to a very diverse group of people,” he adds. “I’ve been able to deal with people based on their needs. It’s all about community service.” He gets a lot of irate people visiting him, too, but he doesn’t take it personally. He is armed with patience and a blinding smile, and knows how to resolve problems quickly. “When they get upset with the city, they certainly take it out on you. It’s not personal. They are venting certain frustrations. I am here to help,” he says. He also gets great feedback from grateful neighbors. “That means more than any award -to improve the quality of life, no matter how small; to make someone smile. To us, that makes a big difference in the world. We can’t make magic happen with everything, but we can at least attempt it.”

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A well-read voter is an informed voter by Sandra Miller

CAPTION: Jessamyn Conrad, author of “What You Should Know About Politics.” Just in time for the November elections, a local author will give a talk at the Beacon Hill Civic Association’s (BHCA) next reading and wine event tomorrow night. The BHCA’s monthly "Authors Amongst Us: An Evening of Books, Brie & Beaujolais" will feature Revere Street author Jessamyn Conrad, who will discuss her book, “What You Should Know About Politics,” on Wednesday, October 8, at 5:30 p.m. at the Hampshire House. Conrad is the daughter of a somewhat conservative Democrat, Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota, and the niece of a Republican, Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer, so she’s familiar with both the blue and the red side of things. She was also the write-in candidate for social conservation officer. She’s lived all around the world, and became interested in politics, personally, when the U.S. invaded Iraq. Her background and personal lack of a party affiliation has helped her achieve her goal - to offer an objective guide to the issues that guide voters. As a result, the book has been endorsed by Barack Obama, Bob Dole, and Doris Kearns Goodwin, among others. Conrad breaks it down, explaining who stands for what and why - whether it's the economy, the war in Iraq, health care, oil and renewable energy sources, or climate change. A graduate of Harvard and Cambridge universities, Conrad is pursuing her doctorate in art history at Columbia University. She and her fiancé, Tristan Snell, just moved back to Beacon Hill. Conrad had lived on Mount Vernon Street for three years, until 2005, when she left for graduate school. She commuted back and forth to be with her fiancé, who lived on Revere Street, then returned this summer. “We really love Beacon Hill,” she said. “My fiancé is an IP litigator at WilmerHale, and his practice group is based in Boston, so he has a great opportunity to work with the leaders in his field, and I am researching my dissertation and can use Harvard's libraries, which are simply the best in the world. Those are the ‘official’ reasons, but really, we wanted to get NESN again...” She added she’s received some great feedback on the book. “Mostly, people tell me they are glad to have a nonpartisan resource that doesn't assume too much about what they know and doesn't bore them to tears,” she said. “People are tired of the aggressive name-calling that dominates so much of the media. A lot of women have told me they are glad to see a book like this written by a woman.” Of course, she received a few comments from people who assume she’s an East Coast liberal or a western libertarian maverick, she said. “I think the fact that two people, both with strong points of view of their own, assume I am two totally different things. [That] tells me I managed to stay pretty free of party ideologies. But that's partly because I don't personally ascribe to any ideological system. I'm more of an observer of systems than a true believer--an anthropologist rather than a politician.” She hopes her book will be an easy tool to help readers understand the issues, which her book separates into 13 chapters: a background on the election process; the economy; foreign policy; the military; health care; energy; the environment; civil liberties; culture wars; socioeconomic policy; homeland security; education; and trade. In her introduction, she wrote she’s surprised that no one has written such a guide before. “I wrote this book to fill a void, the existence of which has been made all the more apparent by .. mudslinging volumes in the Ann Coulter/Michael Moore mold,” she writes. “I hope residents first understand that they are not alone in being confused by the issues and by government policy--most people are,” said Conrad. For those who consider themselves informed, she thinks her book can help them think about another side of an issue. In an age when voter turnout is often abysmal, many cite their reason for not voting as not knowing the issues. “I hope that this [book] encourages people to be involved in our political system,” she said. “Democracies assume, after all, an informed electorate, and I think our current system is failing to provide most of us with the kind of information we need and want to make good decisions. Finally, I hope that by understanding other people's point of view, we can argue about issues and values on an intellectual, rather than a personal, level.” That’s what Conrad does - she only votes when she’s informed. She votes in major state elections and in presidential elections. “I don't vote in elections that I don't know enough about to cast an informed ballot,” she said, like soil conservation officer or her alumni boards. “I wouldn't know who to vote for--though I am sure I would have an opinion if I did know more. I think most of us vote in matters that we can see concern us, and many Americans have felt alienated from our political system for a long time. And, as long as things are going okay, there appears to be less of a reason to vote.” OK: so Obama or McCain? “My choice for president is Abe Lincoln, with TR [Teddy Roosevelt] as veep. I'd like to see FDR [Franklin Delano Roosevelt] in a cabinet position and George Washington as secretary of state. No, really, what we are going to need is the most thoughtful, open person possible to try to dig us out of this fiscal mess, and that will be hard because the truth is that nobody will know, really, what to do. It's going to be a best-guess, shot-in-the-dark series of policies, so we have to make our best guess as to who can make the best shot in the dark!” The event is $10 per person in advance or $15 at the door. Reservations may be made in advance on www.bhcivic.org or by calling 617-227-1922. The event begins with refreshments at 5:30 p.m., followed by the lecture from 6 to 7p.m.