Union Maid

Solidarity Forever

Which Side Are You On, Boys?

Deportees

What’s your favorite union song, or song about workers/working?

Image:  Demonstrators surrounded by soldiers during the Lawrence textile strike in 1912.  From Wikimedia Commons.

In March, tenants of Burbank Apartments received a letter from their landlord calling a meeting to talk about the future of the affordable housing subsidies that many of them depend on to help pay their rent. These subsidies are due to expire next April. About 50 tenants went to the meeting, and learned that the owners wanted to phase out the subsidies that were attached to specific units and help the current tenants of those units who qualify move into a different subsidy program involving vouchers.

Some of the tenants felt unthreatened by this news; others were concerned about the future of subsidized housing in their particular residence and in the rest of the country. These latter formed the Burbank Apartments Tenant Association. and are now preparing to negotiate with the owners, Burbank Apartments Company. It owns seven East Fens buildings—48, 49, and 52 Burbank St., 15, 25, and 33 Edgerly Road, and 18 Haviland St.—that contain roughly 170 units of subsidized housing, or about 8.5% of the total in the Fenway.

In the Section 8 program, the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) contracts with owners to offer affordable housing by paying a portion of the rent of low-income tenants. These tenants typically pay about 30% of their gross monthly income to rent, and HUD picks up the rest. Through the 221d Below-Market Interest Rate program, HUD contracts with owners to subsidize their mortgages and offer subsidies to low-/moderate-income tenants.

Patrick Murphy, one of the members of the tenant group, characterized the reaction of people at the original meeting as “subdued, with some confusion among some of the tenants.” He got involved after a leaflet was slipped under his door announcing a meeting at the Fenway Community Development Corporation (FCDC) for tenants to consider their options. “After that meeting, the core group of about a dozen tenants started meeting regularly, sometimes weekly. A number of others attend more sporadically, as their schedules permit.”

Murphy, who spoke with The Fenway News by telephone, said that the main concern of the tenants was “that subsidized housing would eventually disappear from the neighborhood, leading to a long-term gentrification of the Fenway.” He says that many of the tenants feel quite a bit of loyalty to the current management “because this is a really nice place to live, and a lot of people don’t want to rock the boat.”

William Kargman, one of the owners, told The Fenway News by telephone that “what we are trying to do is provide a subsidy to everyone that is eligible. We’ve done this in other properties and have had good results. We feel that we are protecting all of our tenants in this process.” He said that the owners have worked with HUD to provide housing to people with subsidies since 1971, and will continue to do so. “We prefer to work with vouchers for current tenants because we think owners should have a right to choose what to do in the future, once a tenant with a portable voucher has moved on.”

Another tenant, who prefers to remain anonymous, says that many people are alarmed by the change. “Some worry about changes in eligibility from one program to another. Others are concerned about the long term affordability of housing in the Fenway.” This tenant argues that “we would like the owner to renew the Section 8 subsidies for at least 20 more years, and to extend the regulation of rents for non-Section 8 apartments.”

The tenant also asserts that “basically in the current state of the economy—employment issues, lower wages—now is not the time to reduce the quantity of affordable housing. People are already suffering, so loss at this time will be devastating to the community and the economy overall.”

Dharmena Downey, the executive director of the FCDC, believes that “The need to produce and preserve affordable housing has never been greater. Twenty-five percent, or 30 million, American households face severe housing challenges, including insufficient funds for monthly rent or mortgage payments, maintenance, and repairs; overcrowding, both within in dwellings and in high-density multifamily developments; and structural deficiencies. We’re not talking only about the poorest among us or those without jobs, but also teachers, clergy, librarians, firefighters, health-care workers, and many others who make significant contributions to our communities.

“Preserving affordable housing,” she said, “is critical for improving the life chances of low- and moderate- income families. In the Fenway, we need to be clear about what the loss of the Burbank Apartments means for the tenants it displaces and for the gentrification of the neighborhood.”

“The Concrete Jungle is an almost abstract concept,” said Matthew Osofisan, co-founder of Annie Mulz. “It is tied to our brand, where we live, strive and survive.”

The name, Annie Mulz, is the personification of the word “animals”. The brand is based on the concept of animal in man and inspired by Darwin’s Natural Law that “we are all bound in nature”, according to its mission statement.

Growing up in the inner cities of Providence and Boston, Annie Mulz founders, Matthew Osofisan and Michael Toney learned the harsh lessons of the street. The images depicted on their tee-shirts parallel what they saw. The “Eyes Wide Shut” shirt that says “all you see is crime in the city, all we see is survival in the jungle” demonstrates each day can be a struggle. “We are survivors, our brand embodies it,” said Osofisan.

In January of 2009, Osofisan and Toney launched Annie Mulz. Osofisan applied his sales and marketing skills to the line and Toney created designs that embodied the spirit of the brand. “I have deeply been interested in art and found a functional way of using it,” said Michael Toney, co-founder of Annie Mulz.

For the past year, Osofisan and Toney have sold their shirts throughout the Boston area. From Newbury Street to Harvard Square, Osofisan and Toney have made Annie Mulz not just a brand, but, a lifestyle. “Annie Mulz does not go with major trends, it is about individual style” said Osofisan. “People, who identify with the brand, buy into and understand the idea.”

While the graphic tee-shirts continue to draw in the college crowd, Annie Mulz is ready to move into the classical realm by creating a line of button-downs. “We want to create new avant-garde pieces and use architectural elements to give it the edge,” said Toney.

As part of bringing a voice to the underground movement, Annie Mulz collaborated with brands following a similar mission for the Concrete Jungle. Borntothepurple.com, George Guest, and The Collective have the energy and vision that keeps the spirit of the jungle alive.

Each weekend, since the opening, the Concrete Jungle has held in-store events featuring live music and brand showcases. Proving the city never sleeps, the Concrete Jungle is open from noon to midnight, Tuesday through Sunday. “We envision using this shop to step out and say we are a real brand,” said Osofisan.

So you may ask what is the next step for these Northeastern seniors? Toney and Osofisan plan on staying in Boston and working from the home base. However, they hope to make The Concrete Jungle a traveling pop-up shop in major cities throughout the country.

For more information on Annie Mulz and the Concrete Jungle please visit www.anniemulz.com.

Among a sea of Japanese Sushi restaurants in Boston, Basho sets itself apart from the rest -  it is one of the first Japanese brasseries to be created in Boston. The mastermind behind this was Jack Huang the owner of Douzo in Back Bay. Opening on April 12 of this year, the restaurant has already started making a name for itself. Basho offers not only a wealth of fabulous sushi, but also a Japanese grill that turns out mouth-watering entrees.

The secret power of this culinary gem located right behind Fenway Park on Boylston Street is their mastery of spices. Anyone can take superbly fresh fish and pass it off as decent without adding much else to it. At Basho the diner can tell that much thought went into figuring out what flavors mix well with what types of fish. Tuna Tartar makes a good example. In the Tuna Tartar a subtle soy sauce complements the taste of the tuna meat, while the rice cake underneath seems to have its own wonderful combination of flavors. Unlike the usual rice cake, this one doesn’t fall apart and has a nice crunch to it.

Some of the other stars of the Basho menu include the Crispy Shrimp, the Oyster Shooter, and the Tuna Kimchee Sashimi. One bite of the Crispy Shrimp creates a taste explosion in your mouth. The glaze on the shrimp is out of this world; it gives a kick of spiciness without being overwhelming.  The Oyster Shooter fantastically blends three food elements not always seen together; the natural flavors of the cucumber, the slight saltiness of caviar, and the slipperiness of an oyster. This dish is successfully completed with the ponzu sauce and a kick of flavor from red bell pepper yuzu that is sprinkled at the top of the shooter. The Tuna Kimchee Sashimi is a simple but delicious dish; the spicy garlic sauce revs up the flavoring of the tuna meat. This particular dish is also part of the sashimi sampler, which for the most part can be seen as a splendid pairing of fresh fish and spices. However, the Kanpachi Carpaccio just slightly falls short of its mark. While the shiso yuzu-kosho dressing matches the kanpachi well, the chardonnay gelee does not seem to blend with the dressing or the fish. It’s an element of the dish that while intriguing by itself does not unify with the rest.

The wait staff of Basho is incredibly attentive to their diners and those who work there are also knowledgeable about all the details the rather sizeable menu. This is important, because without a knowledgeable staff it could take a while for a diner with less Japanese culinary experience to settle on a choice.  The menu really should be considered an asset though. There are so many unique, delectable choices that everyone at the table should come away satisfied.

Along with the knowledgeable staff, the interior design of Basho is also worth noting with its Japanese style of clean lines and simplicity. A variety of accommodation is available – tables, booths, bar seating, and lounge seating. On nice summer nights the restaurant also opens up the front to barely visible screens, which let it the cool night air.

The word Basho, in Japanese means, a place where things happen. With the low lighting, cool night air breezing in, and succulent fresh fish it’s bound to be a place where this word rings true. Basho is a place where a diner can enjoy an overall pleasurable experience.

Ellysia Francovitch, who shot the photo accompanying her essay here,  recently graduated from Boston University.

 Inner-city Youths Stay in Jobs, Off Streets, as Summer Heat Continues

John J. Drew, President/CEO of Action for Boston Community Development, announced today that ABCD will keep its summer jobs program running until August 27. It was originally slated to end on August 13.

“This is a very big move – we are excited to keep SummerWorks rolling for an additional two weeks in the hottest summer in a long time,” said ABCD President/CEO John J. Drew. “Thanks to the increased funding from the state, we can keep 3,500 kids in jobs and off the streets for an additional two weeks, almost to the start of school.”

 “We serve young people who may be at risk on the streets, who fear gang violence in their neighborhoods,” he said. “We don’t want them at loose ends. We want to keep them safe and engaged in jobs and career-oriented activities. They deserve a break. We are still bringing kids on board and now they can work right through August.”

 The teenagers and young adults in the ABCD program work in child care programs, health clinics, libraries and other non-profit sites. Along with paid work experience, they receive tutoring, mentoring and career development experience. Many participate in cutting-edge career exploration programs such as “green jobs,” building trades, health careers, financial education and more.

 ABCD SummerWorks is part of Mayor Thomas Menino’s summer jobs initiative for Boston and has provided opportunities for at-risk Boston youth since 1965. Directors at the non-profit agencies where youth work report that the youngsters help keep important services rolling while regular employees are on vacation in the summer months. Many youngsters are the only wage earners in their families and regularly turn their checks over to their parents to pay for food, rent or utilities.

About ABCD:

ABCD serves more than 100,000 low-income Boston-area residents through its central offices and a decentralized network of Neighborhood Service Centers (NSCs), Head Start centers, Family Planning sites and Foster Grandparent sites. Programs and affiliations include Fuel Assistance; Head Start; Child Care Services; Child Care Choices of Boston; Education; Career Development; Housing and Homelessness Services; Health Services; Family Planning; Urban College of Boston; University High – an Alternative High School; Ostiguy High School for high school students in recovery; Weatherization; Foster Grandparents; Elder Services; Intergenerational Programs; Food Pantries in several Boston neighborhoods; management of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), Commonwealth of Massachusetts Employees Charitable Campaign (COBECC) and City of Boston Employees Charitable Campaign (COBECC); advocacy and consumer services.