Prison staff may be tied to threats Overtime scheme could be a motive

Prison staff may be tied to threats
Overtime scheme could be a motive

By Maria Cramer and David Abel
Globe Staff / May 11, 2011

State Police and Hampden County authorities are investigating whether state prison employees made anonymous phone calls, threatening to kill an escaped inmate being held at a Springfield hospital, possibly as part of a scheme to generate more overtime opportunities, officials said yesterday.

A spokesman for the Department of Correction confirmed that two staff members have been suspended as authorities investigate whether the two made the calls to murder suspect Tamik Kirkland while he was in Baystate Medical Center.

Several law enforcement officials said authorities are examining whether the Correction Department employees allegedly made the phone calls so officials would order more overtime shifts to guard a prisoner whose life was in danger.

FULL STORY HERE
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/05/11/prison_staff_focus_of_investigation_into_threats_against_escaped_inmate/?p1=News_links

READ MORE - Prison staff may be tied to threats Overtime scheme could be a motive

Imprisoned, Turner refuses to remain silent

Imprisoned, Turner refuses to remain silent

By Andrew Ryan
Globe Staff / May 11, 2011

Chuck Turner was convicted of accepting a bribe. His colleagues threw him off the Boston City Council. And voters overwhelmingly elected Tito Jackson to replace him in the district that includes the heart of Roxbury.

But none of that has silenced Turner. From a federal prison in rural West Virginia, Turner has written several dispatches over the last six weeks he calls “Reflections from Behind the Wall.’’

The writings have been posted on his website, published in a weekly Internet magazine, and distributed via e-mail by his former chief of staff, who has since been hired by another member of the City Council.

The lengthy communiqués take direct aim at Jackson, in the first month of his tenure. Turner has promised a weekly posting on key issues that “demand the attention of Councilor Jackson.’’

FULL STORY HERE
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/05/11/imprisoned_former_boston_councilor_refuses_to_remain_silent/?p1=Local_Links

READ MORE - Imprisoned, Turner refuses to remain silent

Chains renew effort to sell beer, wine in supermarkets, stores

Chains renew effort to sell beer, wine in supermarkets, stores

By Colleen Quinn / State House News Service  |   Tuesday, May 10, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Politics

Grocery store owners are planning another push to make it easier for them to sell beer and wine in stores.

Under current law, grocery store owners can only sell beer and wine once they receive an alcohol permit from their local communities, but they are not allowed to hold more than three permits in the state – making it difficult for chain grocery stores to sell alcohol.

Lawmakers will hear testimony to change that restriction Tuesday during a Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure hearing. A bill (S 1851) filed by Sen. Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport) would allow stores to hold up to 20 licenses in the state, but not more than one in any city or town.

Grocery store owners say they need the licenses to boost store sales, especially in smaller stores trying to compete with large chains, according to Jon Hurst, president of the Massachusetts’ Retailers Association.

The package store industry, which could face more competition under the bill, has battled against changes in the past. In 2008, grocery stores took the idea to voters in a ballot referendum that failed.

Massachusetts has some of the toughest laws in the nation surrounding alcohol sales that date back to Prohibition, Hurst said.

“I understand the position of the package stores. They don’t want to see alcohol in grocery stores,” he said. “They want to keep what is essentially a monopoly.”

But the Retailers’ Association wants to see the law loosened up, and called it a “common sense expansion,” Hurst said. Alcohol licenses are overseen by the state’s Alcohol Beverage Control Commission, which is under the oversight of state Treasurer Steven Grossman. Under the law, no one person or entity can have more than three “off-premise” licenses – meaning the alcohol is not consumed where it is sold, according to the Treasurer’s office.

“It would be a great thing for consumers,” Hurst said. “It brings people into your store, and creates impulse buys. If you are getting steaks for the night, then you pick up a bottle of wine as an impulse. It is a sales driver.”

More than a third of all retail purchases are impulse buys, according to Hurst.

Committee co-chairman Rep. Theodore Speliotis said that after the ballot initiative failed, other bills have come up asking lawmakers to increase the number of permits allowed. Speliotis said he has been reluctant to make any changes because “if the public voted no, you have to respect that.”

Speliotis (D-Danvers) said he expects his committee to look at the issue very seriously this week, He said he worries about the effect on the small grocery store owners and independently-owned package stores if more than three alcohol permits are allowed for any one chain. The large chains, if they sold alcohol, could put their smaller counterparts out of business, he said. In his district, a small grocery store, McKinnon’s Market, recently received a license from Danvers town officials to sell beer and wine.

“We have a vibrant and extensive network of small, independently owned package stores that could be potentially hurt by having every major supermarket now sell alcohol,” Speliotis said. “The bottom line is you want to make it as fair as possible to the consumers without destroying any one industry.”

The bill’s other House supporters include Reps. Steven Walsh (D-Lynn), John Rogers (D-Norwood), Paul McMurtry (D-Dedham), Sean Garballey (D-Arlington) and Lowell Democrats Kevin Murphy and David Nangle.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1336903

READ MORE - Chains renew effort to sell beer, wine in supermarkets, stores

FBI retirees fight to free John Connolly

FBI retirees fight to free John Connolly
By Richard A. Serrano / Tribune Washington Bureau  |   Tuesday, May 10, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Coverage

Photo by AP (File)

WASHINGTON — One hundred retired FBI agents, many long past their crime-fighting days, are rallying this spring in an effort to exonerate a disgraced former agent from Boston who ran one of the bureau’s most controversial informant operations.

They call themselves the Former FBI Agents for Justice for John. Among them are two retired FBI deputy directors and another who became associate attorney general in Washington.

Twice-convicted Agent John J. Connolly Jr. discredited the FBI. A son of South Boston, he turned the leaders of the Irish criminal underworld into government informants on their Italian-American counterparts, and then was convicted of tipping them off to imminent arrest as well as taking payoffs from them even as they continued to kill people.

Next month, he will leave federal prison after nine years in custody. But he goes straight to Florida to begin a 40-year sentence for precipitating a gangland slaying in Miami.

Richard Baker, a leader of the retirees, believes his former colleague is innocent and points out that for a 70-year-old man, 40 years is a "death sentence."

"I have no problem doing this," Baker said, defending the agents’ support of a man who dishonored the FBI they spent their lifetimes building up. "John was wrongly convicted. And he’ll be dead after just two years in that Florida system. He’ll be shanked or killed once they figure out he was an FBI agent."

Connolly has always maintained that his superiors at the bureau told him to protect gangsters James "Whitey" Bulger and Stephen "the Rifleman" Flemmi of the infamous Winter Hill gang despite their crime rampage because they were useful informants against their rivals in the Italian-American mob in New England. Bulger vanished in 1995 and remains on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List.

But Justice Department officials, state prosecutors and relatives of victims have a starkly different view.

"John Connolly wore a badge," said Michael Von Zamft, who prosecuted Connolly in Florida. "He was an FBI agent, and he swore to uphold the law. And yet he became one of the criminals and, maybe worse, he was hiding behind that badge."

Von Zamft also was critical of the former agents’ support for Connolly.

"I don’t know why 100 agents are rallying around him. The man’s been convicted by two juries. Not one, but two," he said.

The former agents, including former FBI deputy directors Weldon L. Kennedy and Bruce J. Gebhardt, have made no headway with Washington in trying to get the federal conviction overturned. They have now turned their focus to Florida, where Connolly is being transferred June 28.

Connolly was charged with first-degree murder in the killing of World Jai Alai President John Callahan in 1982. Connolly had warned Bulger and Flemmi that Callahan was likely to implicate them in a previous murder. John Martorano, working for Bulger and Flemmi, killed Callahan and stuffed his body in the trunk of a Cadillac and left it at Miami International Airport.

Connolly’s supporters have made an issue of the disparity in the prison terms for Connolly and the hit man, Martorano, who confessed to killing 20 people and served 12 years.

Today, Martorano hangs out in Boston’s Back Bay, and in the mornings at a bar called Daisy Buchanan’s.

"I’m not biased either way," the killer said about the disparity in sentences. "Whatever happens, happens."

In March, a three-member panel of state appellate judges ruled against Connolly without issuing a written opinion, and Connolly is now appealing to the Florida Supreme Court.

"We need to get a good opinion out of that Florida appeals court," said Willie Reagan, who served as an undercover agent infiltrating the mob in New England. "If they refuse, we’re essentially dead in the water."

From his cell in Butner, N.C., Connolly wrote a series of emails to the Los Angeles Times. "It’s the worst cover-up in the modern annals of the Justice Department," he wrote.

Connolly, who was the basis for the role played by the actor Matt Damon in "The Departed," the Oscar-winning film about law enforcement corruption loosely based on Connolly’s story, said he had been "deliberately framed" by perjured testimony from mobsters he was investigating and FBI superiors who were on the take.

As for the slaying in Florida three decades ago, Connolly dismissed it as a "time-lapsed murder I had nothing to do with."

Frank Keating, an FBI agent who rose to associate attorney general and governor of Oklahoma, is bothered that Connolly remains in prison while Martorano walks free after killing 20 people, including a friend of Keating’s wife’s parents.

"John Connolly scraped his knees and there’s no excuse for his behavior," Keating said. "But a killer of other human beings walking around in order to get a dirty FBI agent? That’s just mind-boggling. Do you catch a minnow with a shark? I’d rather go after the shark."

___

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1336902

READ MORE - FBI retirees fight to free John Connolly

Redistricting Hearing 5/14 @The Lee School

Redistricting Hearing 5/14 @The Lee School

READ MORE - Redistricting Hearing 5/14 @The Lee School

MAY 2011 THANGZ-2-DO!! brought to you by: Vernon "VCR" Robinson

MAY 2011 THANGZ-2-DO!!

brought to you by: Vernon "VCR" Robinson
join VCR on Facebook

Welcome to "Thangz-2-Do!!", the monthly e-newsletter providing information of cultural arts (poetry, theatre, comedy, etc.), as well as several other info to keep people in the loop that includes a link for Black History facts (http://www.yenoba.com), R.I.P. for those that passed away and a B-Day shout-out to those born in May. We have also attached a file that include out-of-Massachusetts events for those who plan on traveling outside the state.

Also, please come out to Boston's longest-running open mic gathering, commonly known as VerBaLizAtiOn every second and fourth Tuesday at the Hibernian Hall. We will have another Poetry Community Forum on May 10th, as well as special guest poet/musician/storyteller/author MWALIM on May 24th.

Lastly, I wanna wish a Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful and supportive mothers out there. Although my mother have joined the ancestors last year, she is still with me in spirit! For those whose mothers are still present physically, please take a moment to hug her...not just for Mother's Day but everyday, if possible!!

Please continue sending prayers to the families of murdered victims in Boston & Haiti and send some to Japan as well!!

Enjoy the list and have a blessed day!!

Peace,

VCR

R.I.P.
- CASSELL KELLEY JR.
(cousin of VCR)

- GERARD SMITH
(bassist of art rock band TV On The Radio)

- ZOILA LEE
(mother of friend M. Clemencia Lee)

- the father of VCR's friend Janeen St. Louis


MAY B-DAY WISHES

Pelaiah Auset, Musau Dibinga, Alkia Powell, Takiyah Roberson, Christopher Johnson, Fisiwe Zwana Freeman, Wanda Atkins, Dania Diallo, Nahdra Ra Bey, Tantra Zawadi, Stephanie Marson-Lee, Sabrina Gilbert, Barrington Edwards, Kena Sage, Lisa Boyd, Ghislaine Jean-Mahone, Nyjah Wyche, A.M.B., Marquita Niles, Allyssa Jones, Lisa Hendricks, Crystal Smith, Bridgit Brown, Kwatice Ezell and Hazael


POETRY/OPEN MIC EVENTS

Every Sunday Night
LIZARD LOUNGE SUNDAY NIGHT POETRY JAM
w/The Jeff Robinson Trio
@ The Lizard Lounge
1667 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge
(between Harvard Sq. & Porter Sq.)
Doors at 7:30pm - $5.00 cover
21+ w/ID required
May 15th - Neiel Israel
May 29th - Regie Gibson & Neon Juju
For info visit www.poetryjam.org

Every 2nd & 4th Tuesday

VerBaLizAtiOn
@ Roxbury Center for Arts at Hibernian Hall
184 Dudley St., Roxbury/Dudley Sq.
(across from the fire dept. and barber shop)
7:00pm start / doors and open mic sign-up at 6:30pm
Free 2 The Public - All ages welcomed
(parental discretion suggested)
Hosted by VCR

"Poetry Community Forum 2": May 10th
Mwalim: May 24th

4 info contact VCR at 617-480-7663 or bloodskinland@yahoo.com


Wednesday, May 25th 2011

POETIC ESCAPE
@ Blue Wave Bar & Lounge
343 Congress St., Boston
Doors at 8:30pm / $5.00 before 9:30pm
Proper dress required - no baseball caps or Timbs allowed
Hosted by Eli & Nuri
Music by DJ Razor Kutz (of Simply Sweet Entertainment)
spinning the best of Neo-Soul, R&B, Old School and Hip-Hop
For more info to feature or to sign-up in advance for the open mic,
E-mail poeticescape3@gmail.com or call 617-549-2700

Every Thursday Night

ART IS LIFE ITSELF
@ The Haley House Bakery & Café
12 Dade St., Roxbury/Dudley Sq.
(off Washington St . – next to Tropical Foods)
7:00pm – 10:00pm / No cover charge
Hosted by Nina LaNegra & Fulani Haynes


THEATRE

Sunday, May 1st 2011 - Sunday, May 22nd 2011

New Repertory Theatre presents

"PASSING STRANGE"
This 2008 Tony Award-winning modern Broadway musical, whose title was born from the illustrious Moor's lines in Shakespeare's Othello, takes audiences on a pilgrimage led by a Narrator who shares his life through song. This soulful journey follows a young man from a comfortable, suburban neighborhood in Los Angeles, to the coffeehouses of an Amsterdam paradise, and finally to the riotous art houses of West Berlin, as he searches for his artistic and personal voice - what he calls "the real." Experience one man's personal story through this uniquely passionate musical.
Starring Cheryl Singleton, Cliff Odle, Kami Rushell Smith,
Cheo Bourne, De'Lon Grant, Eve Kagan and Maurice E. Parent
@ Arsenal Center for the Arts - Charles Mosesian Theatre
321 Arsenal St., Watertown MA
Sundays at 2:00pm
(7pm show & "Pay What You Can" 2pm show on Sun., May 1st)
7:30pm shows on Mon., May 2nd & Wed., May 11th
Thursdays at 7:30pm (2:00pm show on Thurs., May 5th)
Fridays at 8:00pm / Saturdays at 3:00pm & 8:00pm
(no 3:00pm show on Sat., May 7th)
For tickets and more info visit www.newrep.org


Sunday, May 1st 2011

“TREEMONISHA”

Mssng Lnks, Roxbury Center for Arts and Opera Boston are teaming up to present Scott Joplin’s “Treemonisha”, the first opera written by an African-American composer. Completed in 1910 by the “King of Ragtime”, “Treemonisha” was not fully staged for sixty years. In Joplin ’s play, set in Arkansas during the Jim Crow era of the 1880s, the feminist heroine "Treemonisha" leads the townspeople to reject the local conjurers’ superstitions in favor of hard work and learning, a message that remains timely today. The musical styles speak directly to modern audiences -

from heartfelt arias to rousing ragtime choruses. This is the first time “Treemonisha” will be staged in Boston

@ Roxbury Center for Arts at Hibernian Hall
184 Dudley St. – 3rd floor, Roxbury/Dudley Sq.

(next to fire department & barber shop)

3:00pm showtime

For more info visit http://madison-park.org/about-us/events/treemonisha-roxbury-center-arts

Friday, May 6th 2011
"AND STILL WE RISE"
An authentic documentary theatre humanizing the lives, the struggles
and the triumphs of those touched by incarceration.
Starring Vanity Reyes
@ The Great Hall - Codman Square Health Center
6 Norfolk St., Dorchester
(on the corner of Norfolk, Washington & Talbot)
7:00pm - 9:00pm




LECTURES

Sunday, May 1st 2011

Akhet Tours Inc. (in conjunction with the Upper Nile Research Society)
presents it's first annual
NUBIA SUMMIT
Museum Tour and Lecture All Afternoon!!
@ The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA)
465 Huntington Ave., Boston MA
and @ The Reggie Lewis Track & Field Center
1234 Columbus Ave., Roxbury
(across from Roxbury Community College)

Trip includes: a walk-through of the Nubian & Egyptian exhibits,
lectures on the history of Nubia & the Egyptian/Nubian relationship,
and food & beverages available during the lectures
Museum tour at 12:00pm / Lecture at 4:00pm
Museum and lecture: $40.00 adults / $30.00 students/elders
$15.00 children 13 & under
Lecture only: $20.00 adults / $15.00 students/elders
FREE for children 13 & under

With lectures by: Dr. Leonard Jeffries
(historian, author, lecturer and professor of Africana Studies & Political Science at the City University of New York)

Anthony T. Browder
(author, "symbologist", publisher, cultural historian, educational consultant, artist and lecturer)

Mfundishi Jhutyms
(Kemet warrior priest, ourstorian, spiritual healer, professor of Afrikana Studies, author, lecturer and motivational speaker)

Vending opportunities available - call Bro. Ray at 347-745-0500
For more info visit www.akhettours.com or www.unrs.org
or e-mail at akhettours@aol.com
Also call 917-834-5100 or 718-926-7045


COMMUNITY EVENTS
Saturday, May 7th 2011
BloodSkinLand Productions presents
AFRO-CINEMA
An afternoon of important films being shown followed by
a discussion about the film.
@ Mattapan Branch Library
1350 Blue Hill Ave., Mattapan MA
12:00pm noon SHARP! / Free admission / all age event
(parental discretion suggested for adult language)
Featured film: "GOOD HAIR"
Comedian Chris Rock visits beauty salons and hairstyling battles, scientific laboratories and Indian temples to explore the way hairstyles impact the activities, pocketbooks, sexual relationships, and self-esteem of the black community in this exposé of comic proportions that only he could pull off. A raucous adventure prompted by Rock’s daughter approaching him and asking, "Daddy, how come I don’t have good hair?”, GOOD HAIR shows Chris Rock engaging in frank, funny conversations with hair-care professionals, beauty shop and barbershop patrons, and celebrities including Ice-T, Nia Long, Paul Mooney, Raven Symoné, Dr. Maya Angelou, Salt-N-Pepa, Eve and Reverend Al Sharpton – all while he struggles with the task of figuring out how to respond to his daughter's question.
For more info contact VCR at 617-480-7663
or bloodskinland@yahoo.com



Sunday, May 8th 2011

The Louis D. Brown Peace Boston Institute presents
THE 15TH ANNUAL MOTHER’S DAY WALK FOR PEACE
Take a Stand Against the Violence That Plagues our Lives
and our Community!

The Walk for Peace is a fundraiser supporting the programs and services of the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute. Every year, thousands of people from across the state gather to take a stand for peace and to support families stricken by violence.

@ Townfield Park , Dorchester/Fields Corner
Registration begins at 7:00am
Walk begins at 8:30am - ends at 10:30am with a closing ceremony.
Walkers are invited to walk all or just part of the 3.6 mile route. There is no registration fee and no fundraising minimum, but walkers and volunteers are encouraged to raise as much.
This is an all-family event.
For more information, contact Jennifer Saphier Whitman at 617-416-0013
Email at motherswalk@ldbpeaceinstitute.org

or visit http://www.ldbpeaceinstitute.org/



Saturday, May 14th 2011

THE ROXBURY-HARLEM BOOK FAIR

@ The Reggie Lewis Athletic Center

Roxbury Community College

1350 Tremont St., Roxbury

(across from RCC - on the corner of Malcolm X Blvd.)

12:00pm - 5:00pm / Free admission

Authors, vendors, booksellers, poets, publishers, entertainment,

activities for children and youth writers workshops, African art and

jewelry will be on display.

Featuring Charles Yancey

(Boston City Councilor & honorary Chairman of RHBF)

and Nicole Robert Jones

(of Imani Corporation & author of "Define Your Own Way: Empowering

Young African-American Women")

For more info contact 617-442-4413 or highfort@juno.com



Saturday, May 21st 2011

The Black Community Information Center, Inc.

& Roxbury Community College presents

THE 24TH ANNUAL MALCOLM X MEMORIAL

& AWARDS BREAKFAST

Theme: "New Vision...One Nation...Afrikan People"

@ Roxbury Community College

Student Center Dining Room - 2nd floor

1234 Columbus Ave., Roxbury

(very last building of RCC)

8:00pm - 10:30pm / $35.00 donation

With special guest speaker DR. PENIAL JOSEPH

(professor of African-American Studies at Tufts University,

author, historian and activist)

Vendors welcomed - call for table fee

For more info contact 617-427-2522 or visit www.blackinfonow.org



Sunday, May 22nd 2011

D.A.T. & P.A.C.E. presents

"SALUTE TO BLACK WARRIORS"

The “Salute to Black Warriors” share, preserves, enlighten, entertain and celebrate the history and achievement of past and present pioneers and leaders within our communities. It is a community-oriented performance incorporating the talents of youth and adult alike.

@ Roxbury Center for Arts at Hibernian Hall

184 Dudley St., Roxbury/Dudley Sq.

(next to fire department & barber shop)

4:00pm - 7:00pm

Adult Tickets - $10.00 in advance / $15.00 at the door

Youth Tickets - $5.00 in advance / $10.00 at the door

(all children under 10yrs of age admits FREE)
Special performance by Michael "Warrior Griot" Bonds(poet/author/activist/spoken word artist)

Various youth performances by Defensive Arts Training,

One Luv Dance Co., I Know I Can Athletics, and Swagga Inc.

In addition to awards and recognition of unsung warriors in our community.
For more information please call 617-784-0080 or 617-513-4114

Or visit www.paceachievement.org

Proceeds from this event will benefit the Community and Cultural Empowerment Youth Program - Pan African Cultural Education Inc.




PARTIES/SOCIAL NETWORKING

Every Friday Night

Soul Cafe presents

GROWN & CLASSY FRIDAY

Voted "Best Old School Night" in the city

@ The Blue Wave

343 Congress St., Boston

9:00pm - 2:00am

$5.00 before 10pm / $10.00 until 11pm w/RSVP

Proper dress required

Each night with a different DJ each week

For info and RSVP contact stephenanglin_firstfridays@msn.com



Every Friday & Saturday Night

BARE YOUR SOUL WEEKENDS

We are excited to now offer enhanced entertainment for the discriminating mature professional that seeks to shake off the worries of a long week. We will now feature some of the areas best DJs and dancing weekly. Bare Your Soul will be a compilation of music to make you move!
That may be R&B, Neo Soul, Funk, Latin, Carribean, Throwbacks & Deep Soulful House!!

@ Darryl's Corner Bar & Kitchen
604 Columbus Ave., Boston/South End

(diagonally across from NY Pizza)
11:00pm - 2:00am
$10.00 admission / Proper dress required

Darryls is an chic quaint restaurant, bar and lounge with great quality food and people. Darryl's will continue having a full range of live bands and dinner in the early evening.



Every Saturday Night

SoulKore Productions presents

ELECTRIC SATURDAYS

@ Dockside Rivers Edge

270 Medford St., Malden MA

(corner of Commercial St. - across from Comcast)

9:00pm - 12:00am midnight / FREE admission

Early dinner served until 11:00pm

Music by DJ Nomadik

(spinnning dance classics from the 70's, 80's & 90's)

For more info contact info@soulkore.com



Saturday, May 7th 2011

Fam IV Life presents

ROLLS REUNION

@ Russell Auditorium

70 Talbot Ave., Dorchester

(across from Franklin Field)

9:30pm - 2:00am

$20.00 limited advanced tickets (no refunds/no exchange)

21+ event w/proper ID required

No hats, hoodies or athletic gear

Featuring the best of Rolls Club DJs

DJ Moe Dee, DJ Nyce, DJ Junior Rodigan,

DJ Dru Nyce, DJ Wade and DJ Dex!!

(spinning the best of R&B, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Old Skool)

Tickets available at these locations:

- Mattapan's Finest Barbers (663 Warren St., Grove Hall)

- Lawson's Beauty Supply (1979 Columbus Ave., Egleston Sq.)

- Silver Slipper Restaurant (2387 Washington St., Dudley Sq.)

- Kung Fu Video & DVD: 2nd fl. inside Jewelry Exchange

(356 Washington St., Downtown Boston)

- Threadz (614 Blue Hill Ave. - across from Franklin Park)

- Golden Eye Hair Studio (425 Washington St., Four Corners)

For more info go to "Fam IV Life Entertainment" on Facebook

Or contact famIVlife@gmail.com, www.famIVlifeblogspot.com,

or follow us on Twitter @famIVlife or call 617-888-8519



Saturday, May 7th 2011

AfroDesiaCity Events & All-Out Entertainment presents

A NIGHT OF AFFECTION

Mix & Mingle!!

Come experince an exquisite and posh atmosphere that gives patrons a magnificent view of the Charles River and Boston's skyline.

@ Dante Lounge / Royal Sonesta

40 Edwin H. Land Blvd., Cambridge MA

(across from Cambridge Galleria Mall)

10:00pm - 2:00am

Grown & Sexxy - mature college ID required / 21+ To Drink

Music by DJ Kobe along w/Celebrity DJ Obi

(playing Top 40, Afro-House, Hip-Hop, Reggae and African Rhythms)

Valet/garage parking available in hotel!

Free parking behind Dante Lounge along 5 Cambridge Prky.
For VIP tables, guest-list and more information,

contact AfroDesiaCity Events at 617-297-8179

Or All-Out Entertainment at 617-648-6756

Saturday, May 14th 2011

30+ Event presents

"I WANT TO GET TO KNOW YOU!"

A monthly meet-up for a diverse and progressive group of professional men and women seeking to socialize, mix and mingle with like-minded peers. After a long drawn out winter, everyone is now ready to come out of hibernation and see old friends, as well as making new ones in time for the summer!

@ The Foundation Room at House of Blues

15 Lansdowne St., Boston

(across from Fenway Park)

9:30pm - 2:00am
Featuring a live band playing Jazz and R&B

With special guest vocalist Lisa Bello

Music by DJ Reggie Beas

(spinning R&B, Neo-Soul, Chicago House and Old School Classics)




COMEDY NIGHTS

Every Monday Night

SoulKore Productions presents

EXPRESS YOURSELF!

New Open Mic Nite

@ 270 Medford St., Malden MA

6:30pm - 10:00pm / Free 2 enter

Come early for open mic sign-up

All forms of entertainment welcomed

Open mic slots are limited (5 minutes each)

Hosted by Bigg Nez / Music by DJ Nomadik

For more info contact info@soulkore.com



Every Wednesday Night

BLACK COMEDY EXPLOSION

@ Slade's Bar & Grill

958 Tremont St., Boston/South End

9:00pm showtime / $15.00 admission

Hosted by Jonathon Gates

For more information contact Jonathon Gates

617-590-8334 or jgates1963@aol.com





CULTURE/PERFORMANCES

Every First & Third Thursdays

The Roxbury Center for the Arts at Hibernian Hall presents

CAFE TATANT

An Upscale Venue for Jazz, R&B and Sweet Soul Music

Come early for socializing and enjoy fine dining, dancing and the most

evocative talent around as the grand ballroom is transformed into a

relaxed listening lounge & supper club

@ Hibernian Hall

184 Dudley St., Roxbury/Dudley Sq.

(next to fire dept. and barber shop)

Drinks at 6:00pm / Dinner served at 7:00pm / Show starts at 7:30pm

Cash bar available

Dinner & show: $39.00 / $69.00 for couples

Show only: $19.00

Tickets can be purchased online at www.madison-park.org/cafetatant

Parking behind Hibernian Hall off Zeigler St.

Additional free parking available at Peking House on Harrison Ave.

For more info visit www.madison-park.org/cafe-tatant
Thursday, May 19th 2011
AfroDesiaCity, Stevie Newbury Events
& UtopiaBostonRadio.Com presents
FUTURISTIC SOUL - HIP SOUL FUSION
Featuring a live performance by NYC Project's Oveous Maximus
With special guest DJ Bruno
@ The Brewery Complex / Bella Luna Milky Way Restaurant & Lounge
284 Amory St., Jamaica Plain
Doors open at 9:00pm / showtime at 10:00pm
$10.00 admission / 21+ Mature Crowd / Fashionably Trendy / Free Parking
Also featuring performances by
Pelaiah Auset, R.A.Y. & Members, April Stanford
Live art showcase by the School of the Museum of Fine Arts
Advanced tickets at the House of Culture (Columbus Ave. - next to NY Pizza)
For more info contact 617-297-8179 or afrodesiacity@gmail.com

READ MORE - MAY 2011 THANGZ-2-DO!! brought to you by: Vernon "VCR" Robinson

Blackstonian supports Ayanna Pressley for re-election to Boston City Council

Blackstonian supports Ayanna Pressley for re-election to Boston City Council

Since her Historic win to become the 1st Black Woman elected as an At-Large Boston City Councilor, Ayanna Pressley has been very busy working on issues of importance to our community. Her work around Women's and Girl's issues has been important, working to ensure safe, healthy families free of abuse and neglect.  Recently, Councilor Pressley revealed her own personal experience in an effort to shed light on the problem of Sexual Assault on College campuses, which resulted in a recent hearing on the matter.  Time and time again, Pressley has shown that she is smart, courageous and committed. It is the opinion of the Blackstonian that Pressley is the strongest new voice to emerge on the Council in over a decade.

The Blackstonian is pleased to support Ayanna Pressley in her campaign to be re-elected Boston City Councilor At-Large.

(photo from Ayanna Pressley campaign. All rights reserved)

Ayanna Pressley Website

Get involved with the Ayanna Pressley for Boston City Council campaign

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READ MORE - Blackstonian supports Ayanna Pressley for re-election to Boston City Council

Blackstonian supports Setti for Senate

Blackstonian supports Setti for Senate

Blackstonian is pleased to hear of Newton Mayor Setti Warren's decision to run for US Senate.

Setti is the 1st Black Mayor of Newton and the son of Boston icon, the late Dr. Joseph Warren.

Setti is a sharp, honest candidate who I think is perfect to balance the responsibilities of a US Senate seat. I believe he can navigate through issues of race, class and gender. As the Mayor of Newton, he recently traveled to Roxbury to visit Blackstonian Family Salih Rowe ate Facing Love IV.  This gesture showed not only commitment but the ability to move in either suburban or inner city circles.

The Blackstonian is pleased to support the candidacy of Setti Warren for US Senate.

(photo from Setti Warren campaign all rights reserved)

Setti Warren Website

Get Involved with the Setti for Senate Campaign

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READ MORE - Blackstonian supports Setti for Senate

Setti Warren logs onto race Newton mayor latest pol to announce candidacy on YouTube

Setti Warren logs onto race
Newton mayor latest pol to announce candidacy on YouTube
By Dave Wedge  |   Tuesday, May 10, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Politics

Photo by Brooks Canaday

Newton Mayor Setti Warren jumped into the race against U.S. Sen. Scott Brown yesterday, joining a growing cast of Web-savvy politicians — including President Obama and Mitt Romney — to use YouTube to beam their announcement out unfiltered.

“You’re controlling the message, which is one of the hardest things to do,” said Democratic strategist Michael Shea. “The worst thing is if you have a big announcement and the only thing people are talking about is that your campaign manager parked in an illegal spot or something. It’s no mess, no fuss. Bang, here it is.”

Obama made his re-election announcement on YouTube while Romney used the video Web site to launch his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Yesterday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich announced on Facebook and Twitter his plans for a presidential exploratory committee while former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty also used Facebook to announce his bid for the 2012 GOP nomination.

“It’s a good strategy mainly because you avoid tough questions on the day of your announcement,” said Republican strategist Rob Gray. “The danger is it gets less coverage, and that really depends on what else is going on in the media that day.”

And because of technological improvements, the cost of making an announcement via social media or YouTube is attractive.

“The technology is more accessible and cheaper than it used to be,” Gray said. “You can do it for a few bucks, when it would have cost thousands, if not tens of thousands, to record an announcement 10 or 20 years ago.”

In Warren’s five-minute video, he touts his upbringing by a Korean War veteran father who “grew up on the most dangerous block in Harlem” and talks about how his parents attended college in North Carolina where they “risked their lives desegregating lunch counters and movie theaters.” In the video’s most poignant moment, he talks about his 26-year-old sister’s death from asthma.

He also uses the video to hit Brown for voting along party lines 87 percent of the time, supporting Bush-era tax breaks and backing unemployment cuts. He also criticized Brown for voting against “the very same programs that helped lift him as a troubled teen out of poverty.”

Brown spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said: “Scott Brown was elected to do a job, and he’s focused on cutting spending and getting our economy moving again. There will be plenty of time for campaigning later.”

Warren, who was slated to make a live announcement this morning at a Newton American Legion Hall, joins a Democratic field that already includes City Year founder Alan Khazei, Democratic activist Bob Massie and attorney Marisa DeFranco.

Warren’s campaign spokesman, Chuck Gilboy, said the 40-year-old, first-term mayor chose YouTube to launch his Senate bid because, “We wanted to have a powerful message for the Web site.

“People are getting his message and his story and his vision. We thought that was a good way to communicate on our first day here,” Gilboy said.

The state GOP immediately bashed Warren for running for Senate less than two years into his first term. “The city of Newton faces very serious financial challenges right now, and Setti Warren’s constituents deserve a full-time mayor,” Mass GOP chair Jennifer Nassour said.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1336840

READ MORE - Setti Warren logs onto race Newton mayor latest pol to announce candidacy on YouTube

Star witness a ‘high roller’ Cognos regional manager says strategy meetings held at casinos

Star witness a ‘high roller’
Cognos regional manager says strategy meetings held at casinos
By Laurel J. Sweet  |   Tuesday, May 10, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Politics

Photo by Matt Stone

Salesmen for the global software firm at the center of ex-House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi’s corruption trial held strategy meetings at glitzy casinos on behalf of a company that boasted former Big Apple Mayor Rudy Giuliani as an advocate, a former executive testified yesterday.

Christopher Quinter, who was a regional manager for Cognos — now part of IBM — told jurors he once saw sales rep Joseph P. Lally Jr., the government’s star witness against DiMasi, casually slap $10,000 down on a roulette wheel during a business trip to Foxwoods.

“He was a high roller,” said Quinter on his second day of intense cross-examination by attorneys for DiMasi’s co-defendants, accountant Richard Vitale and lobbyist Richard “Dickie” McDonough.

And that wasn’t all Quinter had to say about Lally, his go-to guy on multimillion-dollar state contracts for Cognos that DiMasi is accused of pocketing $65,000 in bribes to push through. During testimony not heard by jurors, Quinter said he warned the U.S. Attorney’s Office during his pre-trial preparation that Lally “was a bull-(expletive).”

Lally pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy and fraud charges in exchange for his testimony against DiMasi, Vitale and McDonough and the word of prosecutors to recommend he serve no more than three years in prison. Already a lightning rod of controversy, it’s unclear when he’ll be put on the witness stand.

DiMasi’s defense team will get their crack at Quinter today. Also yesterday, during questioning by Vitale’s lawyer Martin Weinberg, Quinter said former South Carolina Gov. James “Jim” Hodges and Giuliani worked for Cognos in advisory capacities.

“You wanted a deep Rolodex. You wouldn’t want to hire anybody who didn’t know anyone. You always needed an audience with the key decision-maker. It was the norm in the industry,” Quinter said of Cognos’ attraction to A-list advance men.

Giuliani, a potential 2012 GOP presidential candidate, declined comment. Hodges, who now runs a business and government-relations consulting firm, confirmed for the Herald he was on “a modest retainer” for a couple years, well after leaving office in 2003.

“They had a very good product,” he said of Cognos. “The folks I dealt with were very straight up.”

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1336808

READ MORE - Star witness a ‘high roller’ Cognos regional manager says strategy meetings held at casinos

Quincy developer pleads not guilty to rape, drug rap

Quincy developer pleads not guilty to rape, drug rap
By Laura Crimaldi and O’Ryan Johnson  |   Tuesday, May 10, 2011  |  http://www.bostonherald.com  |  Local Coverage

Photo by Matt Stone

An elderly Quincy developer posted $150,000 cash bail and sped away from the courthouse yesterday after he pleaded not guilty to sordid charges of raping a teenager and trafficking cocaine.

William O’Connell, 71, dodged reporters’ questions after he was led out of a back door of Quincy District Court.

He is charged with two counts of aggravated statutory rape, two counts of soliciting sex for a fee and one count of cocaine trafficking.

“The charges speak for themselves,” said Andrew DiCarlo Berman, the special prosecutor appointed by Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey. “They’re some of the most serious charges that I think can be lodged against a defendant, and it’s something that we take very seriously.”

The alleged offenses took place in the spring and summer of 2009 and on various dates until March, Berman said. The alleged victim is not a prostitute, the prosecutor said. He noted the aggravated statutory rape statute applies to victims who are 14 to 16 years old.

O’Connell’s spokesman, George Regan, issued a statement last night, but refused to answer questions.

“This is going to be resolved in a judicial process,” he said. “At first blush, this may not be what it appears to be.”

Following the hearing, a court officer escorted a handcuffed O’Connell into the clerk’s office to take care of administrative matters after Judge Mark Coven told the defense he was not going treat the developer differently than any other defendant.

“I’m going to treat him the same way we treat every other person,” Coven said.

Coven impounded a police report, and details of the accusations against O’Connell were not revealed during his arraignment. Berman said he requested the report be impounded to protect the alleged victim’s identity.

O’Connell and his brother, Peter, are major Quincy developers who started their business with $450 in 1958 and went on to build many of the city’s landmark developments. They’re perhaps best known for Marina Bay, a massive, upscale condo-and-retail complex whose residents over the years have ranged from New England Patriots [team stats] star Tom Brady [stats] to television newscaster Chet Curtis.

“They helped build Quincy,” said Peter Forman, president and CEO of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce.

Forman said the family is “very much part of the community. They’re very much liked and respected.”

Yesterday, O’Connell was ordered to stay away from the alleged victim and witnesses, surrender his passport, have no unsupervised contact with anyone younger than 16 and not leave the state without permission.

It’s not the first time O’Connell has faced a judge. In 2003, he was sentenced to six months probation on charges of negligent motor boat homicide after an accident resulted in the death of his best friend.

The current investigation is ongoing, Berman said.

Berman also is prosecuting O’Connell’s nephew, Robert, who is free on $500,000 bail on an attempted murder charge. He is accused of shooting Milton firefighter Joseph A. Fasano.

Jerry Kronenberg contributed to this report.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1336837

READ MORE - Quincy developer pleads not guilty to rape, drug rap