Three Boston City Councilors join pastor’s call for state of emergency in Codman Square

City Councilors Felix D. Arroyo, Sam Yoon and Charles Yancey have joined Pastor Bruce Wall in his call for the city to declare a state of emergency in the 10 blocks surrounding his church, providing an interesting twist in a political battle that hinges on the dual hot button issues of race and crime.

Wall began calling on the city’s elected officials last month to recognize the explosion of violence in the area surrounding Global Ministries Christian Church (“Call for a state of emergency in a lost city,” Letters to the Editor, Dec. 21, 2006), arguing that to do nothing in the face of impending bloodshed was to say “that we expect youth to die” in Boston’s communities of color, and that “we really do not care.”

“Shame on any city official that I voted for acting like any shooting in Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan is normal,” said Wall in a recent statement. “When will we all say that one more shooting should mandate all of us coming together to make a systemic change in Boston? We have to change the mindset of the residents in the City of Boston. Shootings in Newton and Wellesley are not normal and they should not be normalized on Boston’s city streets.”

Arroyo believes Wall’s concern is well warranted and worthy of developing an action plan, and encouraged other pastors and community leaders to coordinate a state of emergency for peace in neighborhoods throughout the city.

“This is not just about tackling violence through prevention and law enforcement, but also through mutual collaboration,” said Arroyo. “We should seek opportunities, review what needs to be done and take responsibility for promoting peace.”

Yoon also shared his support for Wall’s work, commending him for being “true to his calling as a pastor” in his approach to the not only the physical, but the spiritual repercussions of violence.

“I have followed the media reports, walked in marches, participated in rallies; I have done the research, read the studies, talked with the police, worked with youth workers, and met with the families of murder victims... and I am convinced that we need to take real action,” Yoon said in a statement. “To combat the violence, we need a strategic plan and the resources to carry it out. Pastor Wall’s call may well bring more attention and resources to the problem.”

 Repeated calls and e-mails to Yancey seeking comment were not returned.

The support of three of the four members of Team Unity — the fourth member, Councilor Chuck Turner, has not publicly stated his position — may bring additional attention to Wall’s call, which seems to have ruffled some feathers at City Hall.

At a Hanukkah celebration at Downtown Crossing on Dec. 17, 2006, Mayor Thomas M. Menino told the Boston Globe that police have been heavily patrolling the Codman Square neighborhood “for more than a month and a half.”

“We’ve already responded to the issue of violence in Codman Square,” Menino said.

Menino reiterated his stance in comments published in the Dec. 31, 2006, edition of the Globe, saying emphatically: “It’s not a state of emergency.”

Undeterred by the mayor’s opposition, Wall intends to push forward, saying that he will issue a call for residents from Boston and surrounding suburbs to join him in “taking over Codman Square in a day of prayer and fasting” during the Black Ministerial Alliance of Southeastern Massachusetts’ 2nd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Community Celebration on Sunday, Jan. 14.

Kerry’s small business priorities: Health care tax credit, AMT reform bills for small firms

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., outlined some of his top priorities for the 110th Congress by introducing four bills that will help small business owners around the country. These bills will improve the government’s Disaster Loan Program, reduce health care costs for small firms, reform the Alternative Minimum Tax and expand entrepreneurship opportunities in minority communities.

“One of my top priorities is to reduce the skyrocketing cost of health care in this country,” said Kerry. “When it comes to small business, owners should focus on what they do best — creating jobs and contributing to the economy — instead of worrying about whether they can afford to provide health benefits.”

Kerry’s Small Business Health Care Tax Credit Act of 2007 provides small firms with less than 50 employees a refundable tax credit to help with the cost of health insurance for employees earning between $5,000 and $50,000 a year. In order to receive the credit, the employer must pay at least 50 percent of the health care insurance premium.

Kerry’s plan to reform the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) bill expands and extends the individual AMT exemption amount for 2007 and allows nonrefundable credits against the AMT for 2007. It is revenue neutral and is offset by repealing the lower rates on capital gains and dividends for 2009 and 2010.

The senator also introduced legislation to help increase loan, contracting and entrepreneurial development opportunities for current and potential minority business owners.

“The priorities of the nation are set at the beginning of a new Congress. I have introduced the Minority Entrepreneurship Development Act to encourage more development of entrepreneurship in minority communities,” said Kerry.

Specifically, the legislation establishes an Office of Minority Small Business Development at the Small Business Administration to give minority entrepreneurs an advocate in the agency.

The legislation creates the Minority Entrepreneurship and Innovation Pilot Program to foster a passion for entrepreneurship in high-achieving young people at historically black colleges and universities (HBCU), Hispanic serving institutions and tribal colleges. In addition to inspiring a desire to own a small business, this program also gives students the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the business world.

Kerry’s bill also creates the Minority Access to Information Distance Learning Pilot Program, which enables distance-learning programs for small business owners, and reauthorizes the Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Business Program, which increases small businesses’ ability to compete with larger firms by providing a Price Evaluation Adjustment.

Cambridge Health Alliance opens new Gastroenterology Center at Somerville Hospital Campus

Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) announced the opening of its new Gastroenterology Center (GI Center) at CHA’s Somerville Hospital campus. The state-of-the-art facility includes a four-procedure-room endoscopy suite and will be staffed by a team of physicians, nurses and technicians who specialize in helping patients with a variety of digestive disorders ranging from heartburn to cancer.

A usually treatable cancer, colon cancer is second only to lung cancer in terms of mortality rate. The GI Center’s multidisciplinary staff is committed to increasing the community’s access to screenings. Clinicians at the GI Center will provide a full spectrum of services in a patient-friendly setting designed to help ease patients’ anxieties. Gastroenterologists will work closely with an expert team of surgeons, all trained in minimally invasive surgical care, in order to ensure continuity of care.

“Consolidating all GI services into one center will allow us to focus on our patients’ needs,” said Karim Fawaz, M.D., director of the GI Center. “This new center will permit us to not only provide multidisciplinary care but also allow our patients to get an appointment quickly, reducing their anxiety and ensuring timely care.”

Fawaz will lead a tour of the GI Center as part of an open house next Thursday, Jan. 18th, from 4-6 p.m. It is free and open to the public. For more information, call Deborah Gates, R.N., Nurse Manager, at 617-591-4422.

City announces summer job registration dates

For 17 years, the Boston Youth Fund (BYF) summer jobs program has employed Boston youths in a variety of positions across the city. The majority of teens work as counselors, tutors and mentors placed in nonprofit organizations that serve younger children through camps, sports and recreational activities, day care, and academic enrichment programs. The jobs will help serve over 200 community-based organizations in the Boston area.

The Hopeline is the only application process for the city summer jobs program and is only opened for a limited time. You must be registered on the Hopeline in order to work for the Boston Youth Fund.

To register, you must be a resident of the city of Boston who will have turned 15 years old on or before July 8, 2007, but cannot have turned 18 on or before Aug. 17, 2007.

Those interested in applying can call 617-635-HOPE (4673) during the following times: Tuesday, Feb. 20, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.; Wednesday Feb, 21, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.; Thursday Feb. 22, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 27, 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Registration is also available at www.cityofboston.gov by clicking on the Summer Jobs link. The website will be open for 24 hours, from 10 a.m. Feb. 20 until 11:59 p.m. Feb. 22 and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 27. Please note that registering with the Hopeline does not guarantee you a summer job. Please call the BYF Headquarters at 617-635-4202 with any questions.