Roxbury

News

Joell Ortiz rocks with Cornell Mills

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BLACKSTONIAN EXCLUSIVE On Saturday February 5th, 2011 Joell Ortiz breezed through Boston to show love to some local fans.Joell touched down at the Mass Ave and Columbus Store Lacedhttp://www.lacedboston.com/Much Love to his hosts, Edo G. and Lino of the Floor Lords After breaking bread with Blackstonian Fam fromScope Urban Apparelhttp://scopeurbanapparel.com Joell Ortiz showed some love to Cornell Millswho brought Joell to Boston during the 2008 Obama Campaignfor a Get Out The Vote event at the Reggie Lewis Center.On that day NY Artists Joell Ortiz and NYOIL were honoredfor their participation and community involvement and presentedcertificates from Sen. Dianne Wilkerson. l-r Jesse Winfrey, NYOIL, Dianne Wilkerson, Joell Ortiz, Jamarhl Crawford(photo from the Baystate Banner 10/16/08)

News, Politics

MON. FEB. 7 BLACK HISTORY IN THE MAKING OVER 100 BROTHERS FOR CORNELL Fundraiser to Elect Cornell Mills City Council – District 7

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BLACK HISTORY IN THE MAKING 2/7OVER 100 BROTHERS FOR CORNELLFundraiser to Elect Cornell MillsCity Council – District 7 BROTHERS FOR ROXBURY- BROTHERS FOR CORNELL BREEZEWAY BAR & GRILL MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2011 6:00PM-8:00PM REV. CHRIS WOMACK, CHAIR VICE CHAIRS  WILLIAM DORCENA, K. WAYNE MILLS, JAMARHL CRAWFORD Co-Hosted By Brothers of Roxbury REV. THOMAS CROSS BISHOP SAM HOGAN MIN. RODNEY MUHAMMAD MIN. MARVIN VENAY ELDER GILBERT G. WHITE III ADRIAN NILES GREG ALTENOR MIKE HOPKINS AJIBOLA OSINUBI GREG BERRY MIKE MASSEY ALLAN ARRINGTON GREG FRANCIS NATE GAMBLE ALLEN TURNER GREG HILL NELSON MIRANDA ANDRE NORMAN HUGH JOHNSON OMAR BILAL ANTHONY JENNINGS ISAIAH WILLIAMS OMAR LAWRENCE ANTHONY MEEKS J.D. NELSON OSAMAH ORLEBAR ANTHONY PITTS JALIL HEATH PAUL MARCOTTE, JR ASWAD SMITH          JAMAL GALAWAY QUEON JACKSON AVERY EVANS JAVON TAYLOR RALPH VALENY           BILL SINGLETON JED HRESKO RAMON MADREY BOYCE SLAYMAN, JR JEFF ROSS, ESQ REGGIE BROWN       BOYCE SLAYMAN, SR JERMAINE BLUNT   RICHARD BAKER BRUCE SINCLAIR JEROME WHITE RICHARD EVANS C. DEVONN MILLS, JR JERU BERRY ROB GRIFFIN CARLOS GONZALEZ JESSE WINFREY ROB HENDERSON CARLTON BUFFORD JOHN MOYET ROMERO HOLIDAY CHAD NELSON JOSE MOE RONALD ALSTON CHARLES WHITE JOSHUA JAMES ROYAN MCCLEAN CHRIS MASSEY           KALONJI WILLIAMS RUSSELL PAULDING CHUCK JONES KAREEM TYLER RYAN MCCULLUM COREY LORD KEITH DELOACH SALIH ROWE CORKEY WINSTON KEITH SPADEY SANTONIO GOODEN DANA JONES KENNY WILKERSON SERGIO BRICE DANA ROGERS KEVIN CONNER SHAWN ENNIS DARYLE JACKSON KEVIN ROSS SHYRONE BROWN DAVID ALLEN KEVIN WILKERSON STEVE GAYLE DAVID COX KEVIN WILLIAMS TERRENCE KELLY        DAVID CRAWFORD KHALIF NELSON THADIUS THOMAS DAVID THOMAS KHARI ROULHAC THOMAS REYES DELANO MOE KIM GROSS, SR THOMAS WEST DEMETRI ROBERTSON KION SANTOS             TOM THOMPSON DERRIK STONE KION THOMAS TONI ROSSI, ESQ DON DINGLE              KIRK WOMACK            DONALD OSGOOD LARRY BOGARTY TONY RICHARDS DONNIE POWELL LAZARO DELGARDO TRAMAINE ROTHERS DRE ROBERTS              LEE KINDELL VERNON JACKSON DUANE NELSON LEROY ALEXANDER VICTOR MORALEZ DWAYNE GUMBS MARCUS JACKSON WALTER SORIANO II DWIGHT MORRIS MARK STALLWORTH WES RITCHIE ED COAKLEY MERVIN REESE WILL DUNN ERIK HALL MICHAEL CAMPBELL WILLIAM HOLLIMAN ERNEST BATES MICHAEL JOSEY WILLIE GLOVER          ERNEST MONNELL MICHAEL WARE        WILLIE HICKS, JR GARY BYNOE MIKE CAMPBELL WILLLIE BAKER YVELT VINCENT ***Committee still in formation… Please make checks payable to Committee to Elect Cornell Mills $500 max. for individuals Cash limit- $50. RSVP to Facebook Event HERE DONATE HERE via PAYPAL VOLUNTEER for CORNELL HERE Committee to Elect Cornell Mills Candidate for District 7 City Council email: cornell4district7@gmail.com phone: 617-800-9414 www.cornellmills.com For Campaign Updates & Info: TEXT CORNELL to 41411 For Twitter Updates: TEXT FOLLOW CORNELLMILLS to 40404 JOIN US ON FACEBOOK JOIN US ON TWITTER

News

BLACKSTONIAN Finds Historical Archaeological Artifacts!!!!

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BLACKSTONIAN EXCLUSIVEBLACKSTONIAN Finds Historical Archaeological Artifacts!!!! by: Blackstonian Publisher/Editor Jamarhl Crawford I just may be the Boston version of the Dos Equis guy. Boy do I have a story to tell you…. So over the summer I was doing renovations on my house, which is an old school Roxbury classic right off of Humboldt Avenue. The house was built in 1875 and my Grandparents bought the house in 1938. They were the first Black family on the street. The second Black family to move in was Art Carney of the Duke Ellington Band. During this entire renovation process I found alot of interesting things throughout the house; my grandfathers boyhood sled from the 1920’s, an old washboard from the 1930’s and when I cleaned out the basement I even found some Coal, as in Coal that used to get shoveled into a furnace for heat. When I got to the front of the house and began ripping up the old floorboards on the front porch, I was amazed to find a pile of “Stuff” in the middle of wet sand and bricks. Upon further inspection I found hundreds of documents, a few intact glass bottles and an old toy car. DOCUMENTSThe documents turned out to be several stacks of receipts “Record for the sale of liquor” they were all dated from 1938-1940. Back then liquor was delivered to a home like a pharmaceutical, with a receipt given describing the type of liquor, the amount, the price and the use, they all cited “medicinal” reasons.Many of the liquors purchased are prominent companies like J&B scotch for example.There were also receipts and invoices from a Company called SS Pierce which delivered goods to the local pharmacies on Humboldt Ave. BOTTLES1) Dark Half Pint Bottle which bears the embossing “Federal law forbids sale or reuse of this bottle”2)Whiting’s Milk Bottle: Whiting’s was an old school Milk company from Somerville/Charlestown from the days of horse drawn carriages which delivered Fresh same-day Farm Milk packed under ice. The Whiting’s company was one of many small, local companies which ultimately got bought out by Hood Milk.

News

Cops arrest Shawn Drumgold on drug charges

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Blackstonian Editor’s Note: Shawn Drumgold is a friend of the Blackstonian. He and His Family remain in our prayers and we wish Shawn the best after suffering a life altering tragedy of his wrongful imprisonment. Cops arrest Shawn Drumgold on drug charges By Laurel J. Sweet  |   Friday, January 28, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Coverage A man awarded — but not yet paid — $14 million by a jury for the 14 years he languished in prison after a wrongful murder conviction was busted by Boston cops Wednesday for allegedly peddling heroin and crack cocaine. Shawn Drumgold, 45, of Fall River was rounded up from an apartment on Cardington Street in Roxbury with more than a half-dozen other individuals and what police executing a search warrant reported was seven bags of heroin and 12 bags of crack cocaine on the kitchen floor, five bags of crack inside a pill bottle and an open bag of crack with a straw sticking out on a bedroom table. Police said they found cut-off baggies on Drumgold. “I can’t imagine he was intending to distribute anything. It certainly seems he’s made some poor choices. I talked to him at Christmas and he was doing great,” said Drumgold’s longtime defender, attorney Rosemary Scapicchio. Drumgold, who is married and a father, pleaded not guilty yesterday in Roxbury District Court to possession with intent to distribute heroin and crack and two counts of violating the state’s drug laws. Judge David Weingarten released Drumgold on $500 cash bail. In 1989, Drumgold was convicted of the notorious 1988 murder of 12-year-old Darlene Tiffany Moore. In a crime that shocked the city, Moore — who was perched on a mailbox — was gunned down on a summer night by two masked individuals who fired into a crowd. The case remains unsolved. Drumgold’s conviction was overturned in 2003, and a U.S. District Court jury awarded him $14 million in October 2009 for the freedom he lost while behind bars. That money has not yet been paid. “The city is awaiting the (federal) court’s entry of a final judgment on the verdict,” said Bill Sinnott, the city’s corporation counsel. “It will then consider its options for the filing of post-trial motions.” Drumgold “walks the streets, and people think he’s a rich man. He doesn’t have $2 in his wallet,” Scapicchio said. “He wants to go to school. He’s struggling to get a job. I feel bad for him.” Meanwhile, Moore’s “case remains open,” said Jake Wark, spokesman for the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office. He declined to comment on Drumgold’s arrest. Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1312509

News

Can One Man Make A Difference?!?! ROXBURIED: The Big Snow Job… pt. II

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BLACKSTONIAN EXCLUSIVE Within hours of the report from the Blackstonian on the horrendous condition on our streets Our work was featured in the Boston Globe http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/blogs/the_angle/2011/01/shoveling_at_ci.html AND as we are reporting to you now at approx. 6pm crews from the BRA are cleaning up the lot that they have not visited for almost a year…. One Man Can Make A Difference!!!!Especially if that man is aBLACKSTONIAN

News

TONITE!!! 1/27 Kick-Off Fundraiser to Elect Cornell Mills – City Council – District 7

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Kick-Off Fundraiser to Elect Cornell MillsCity Council – District 7 TONIGHT!!!!Thursday, January 27th Time : 6:00pm – 9:00pm Location: Darryl’s Corner Bar & Kitchen604 Columbus Avenue Boston, MA Host Committee:Stephanie Soriano-Mills, Esq.Ardrena Parkman-Lyles, Esq.Tiffanie Ellis-Niles, Esq. RSVP to Facebook Event HERE DONATE HERE via PAYPAL VOLUNTEER for CORNELL HERE Committee to Elect Cornell MillsCandidate for District 7 City Councilemail: cornell4district7@gmail.comphone: 617-800-9414www.cornellmills.com For Campaign Updates & Info: TEXT CORNELL to 41411For Twitter Updates: TEXT FOLLOW CORNELLMILLS to 40404 JOIN US ON FACEBOOK JOIN US ON TWITTER

News

BLACKSTONIAN EXCLUSIVE: The Big Snow Job… ROXBURIED

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BLACKSTONIAN EXCLUSIVE The Big Snow JobROXBURIED The City of Boston consistently fails its residents in both its own removal and selective enforcement which is heavy handed on tax payers and home owners but lax on others. The Worst offenders in the City of Boston is often the City of Boston.Properties seized by Project PrideBRA – Boston Redevelopment AuthorityDND – Department of Neighborhood DevelopmentMBTANSTAR City of Boston Officials have confirmed that all property owners are responsible for snow removal on their property. This means all above entities, including the City of Boston are responsible and accountable. The Blackstonian did a brief neighborhood walkthrough at 10 am this morning and what I witnessed was atrocious. Much of what I saw was clearly not at all touched from the first storm weeks ago. BRA owned property on Ruthven St. at Humboldt Ave. I haven’t seen them back since the day last summer when they put the locks on the gate to ensure the church couldn’t drive to the back of their building. Unplowed Ruthven St. (Many of the streets along Humboldt Avenue remained unplowed including Crawford, Ruthven, Homestead, Hutchings, Brookledge, Harold MBTA Bustop buried at Harold and Seaver any Eldery, Disabled, Parents with Stroller, Person with groceries/laundry and you are forced to wait in streets which are also unplowed and it creates a mass public safety issue. Plows clearing the main thoroughfares this along Columbus on the left of the photo is Franklin Park. All along Franklin Park from Walnut Ave. going up Seaver taking a right on Blue Hill Ave NO SIDEWALK IS SHOVELED all the way to the main entrance of Franklin Park Zoo. MBTA Bustop buried across from Harold at Seaver any Eldery, Disableb, Parents with Stroller, Person with groceries/laundry and you are forced to wait in streets which are also unplowed and it creates a mass public safety issue.  Columbus on the left of the photo is Franklin Park. All along Franklin Park from Walnut Ave. going up Seaver taking a right on Blue Hill Ave NO SIDEWALK IS SHOVELED all the way to the main entrance of Franklin Park Zoo.  Top of Humboldt Ave and Seaver. The Plows in many cases create a huge cliff of snow and slush which makes it almost impossible to get to the sidewalk even if you wanted to. Buried MBTA stop Top of Humboldt Ave and Seaver.  Buried MBTA stop Top of Humboldt Ave and Seaver.  Buried MBTA stop Top of Humboldt Ave and Seaver.  This is the ONLY spot I found dug out at all… also at the top of Humboldt and Seaver this appears to be have done by a Good Samaritan. At Seaver and Humboldt in front of the Stores/Restaurant  Fire Hydrants buried in snow cause a great hazard! as told to the Blackstonian by the Boston Vulcans, Boston’s Black and Latino Firefighters Association. (see their link on the main page)  Many of these bus stops have clearly not been dug out since the original storm several weeks ago.  In front of 7th Day Adventist church at Humboldt/Seaver HERE IS A GREAT ExampleA Tale of Two Properties One Property in a adjoining building is citizen owned and they had a path shoveled and the steps cleared.  The second property right next door… as in attached 257 Humboldt ave is City Owned. This property has clearly not been shoveled at all since the very first storm!! The remnants of a path you see here is from the neighbors shoveling and this is where they stopped.  This property is also a corner property and extends around the corner… which has also never been shoveled! More MBTA buried bus stops this at Humboldt/Hutchings Humboldt/Homestead   Further down Homestead St. looking at City Properties. Some of the Apartment Building Maintenance Men were plowing/shoveling the streets as well as the City had not come through at all. Unplowed Homestead St. NSTAR Owned property at Homestead and Humboldt   multiple offenses… Fire Hydrant!  multiple offense… Mail Boxes…  Mailboxes and Bus Stop This was just a basic 15 min walk around a few blocks in the Blackstonian Neighborhood!!! If you have an issue… report it to the Mayor’s Hotline at 617-635-4500 Don’t let them snow you! If you are or know some elderly who need help getting dug out, call the Blackstonian at617-297-7721…. must be in Roxbury Area If you are a Brother or Youth who is willing to lend your back to digging out our people in surrounding neighborhoods throughout Boston call the Blackstonian 617-297-7721

Events, News

From Cell Block to City Block; a Discussion on Prisons and Public Safety Feb. 5th

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Dear Community, You are invited to participate in a very important community dialogue about how Prisons affect Public Safety (a link made even clearer after the Mattapan Massacre and the Officer Maguire losing his life in Woburn). In the past 3 years we have had 3 Commissioners leave the Department of Corrections which has been plagued by scandals and accusations of corruption. With the seat currently vacant, prison overcrowding, a record high in suicides and skyrocketing costs we will discuss the implementation of an independent Oversight Committee. The meeting with feature a short multimedia presentation and various speakers. What: From Cell Block to City Block; a Discussion on Prisons and Public SafetyWhere: 2nd Floor of the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center 1350 Tremont St When: Saturday Feburary 5th from 4 to 6 pm Sharp

News

Lawyer: Chuck’s suffered enough Asks judge to spare ex-pol jail time

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Lawyer: Chuck’s suffered enough Asks judge to spare ex-pol jail time HAVE MERCY: Defense attorney Barry Wilson argued that Chuck Turner, seen above speaking at the Cambridge Friends Center on Saturday, should get supervised release instead of incarceration.By Laurel J. Sweet  |   Monday, January 24, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local CoveragePhoto by Christopher Evans Disgraced former City Councilor Chuck Turner’s lawyer is begging for mercy for his client, saying hard time will leave the convicted bribe-taker with no means of supporting himself and no time to rebuild his lost retirement. Attorney Barry Wilson said Turner’s conviction on public corruption charges and his expulsion from the City Council has dealt the 70-year-old a “catastrophic” financial blow. The fallen civil rights crusader — whose pocketing of a $1,000 bribe to grease the skids for a proposed nightclub in Roxbury cost him his $87,500 councilor’s salary and his pension — loaned his campaign committee $175,000 of his own money in the past 11 years, Wilson reveals in his sentencing memorandum to U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock. In order to justify the loan, Wilson told Woodlock, “Mr. Turner had to convince his wife that one day the political committee would have enough money to pay them back.” The campaign fund is now below $5,000. Wilson, claiming in the new court filing that his client already has suffered “a life-altering experience,” will ask for a term of supervised release, rather than incarceration, when Turner stands before Woodlock tomorrow. A jury convicted Turner in October of attempted extortion and making false statements to the FBI in connection with a $1,000 “preacher’s handshake” he was videotaped taking in his Roxbury district office in 2007 from Hub businessman Ron Wilburn, an undercover FBI informant. Still, Wilson argued in his memorandum, “There is no support that his office was ‘up for sale.’ ” Wilson charged that Turner, because he’s black, is a victim of “selective prosecution.” Federal prosecutors are asking for 32 to 41 months behind bars for Turner, a maximum of just under 3A years. Woodlock could send the disgraced politician away for up to 35 years. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also has asked Woodlock to order Turner repay the $1,000 bribe. Neither Turner nor Wilson could be reached yesterday. Turner’s former fellow councilors, meanwhile, are asking a different jurist — U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mark L. Wolf — to uphold his ouster last month. Turner is suing the board on the grounds that a rule the council implemented in January 2009 after he was indicted, which empowers the panel to vote out any member convicted of a felony, is unconstitutional. The council points out in court filings that Turner himself voted in favor of Rule 40A because he was confident he would be acquitted. Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1311543

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