On Wednesday, housing and homeless rights advocates wrote an open letter to the City Council and people of Boston reprimanding Mayor Walsh’s handling of the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA). The letter coincided with Walsh’s announcement of the rebranding of the BRA, renaming it the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA). Boston activist Mel King was…
The Hard Life and Untimely Death of Michael Stearns Jr.
BOSTON, Mass.—Michael lay unconscious for nine days in his hospital bed at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. His skin and eyes turned yellow from liver failure, and on the ninth day, he died. He was 42. “Ultimately, I watched as his body slowly started to shut down over nine days, his skin became jaundiced and…
State Universities and Community Colleges Suffer Despite UMass Funding Increase
BOSTON, Mass.—Gov. Deval Patrick recently approved an increase in funding for state colleges for Fiscal Year (FY) 2015, continuing the pattern of the past few years. The UMass schools, however, receive a greater portion of the funding than do the nine other state universities. There are more students enrolled in the UMass system, and the…
Angry, Young and Poor: Our Look at the World of Traveler Kids
Victor sits alongside his girlfriend, Tab, and their friend Levi on a sidewalk in Allston. A “Born to Die” tattoo snakes up his neck, and the letters A-C-A-B decorate his knuckles. “All cops are bastards,” he explains. He wears an open, camouflage-green vest with no shirt, his skin blackened from dirt collected along the road.…
An International Twist on a Traditional Bluegrass Musician
For an Americana musician in Boston, Stash Wyslouch certainly brings an international flavor. Born in Switzerland of half Polish-half Colombian ancestry, he holds triple citizenship for the US, Poland and Colombia, all three of which he spends time in. He plays full-time in an original bluegrass/progressive bluegrass band called The Deadly Gentlemen, which tours around…
College Representatives Meet with Mayor Walsh to Discuss Student Housing Conditions
BOSTON, Mass.—On June 3, Mayor Marty Walsh met with representatives from all 22 of Boston’s colleges to discuss the safety of students living off campus. Students in Allston and Brighton, as well as other neighborhoods, often live in old, dilapidated buildings. Landlords skimp on renovations while keeping rent prices high, leaving students in pest-infested and…
‘We Are Sharing the Same Vibes’: Garv Bomjan Brings eastern Ragas Melodies to the MBTA
Garv Bomjan moved to the U.S. from Nepal three and a half years ago. A year later, he decided to take up busking at Boston T stations, which soon became his full-time job. “The satisfaction that I get, that’s why I started doing music … self pleasure. And if my pleasure gives pleasure to other…
‘Something a Camera Can’t Get’: David Andrus Draws Cambridge’s Homeless Residents
During the month of April, the Central Square branch of the Cambridge Public Library hosted a gallery of local artist David Andrus’ drawings of the homeless in Central Square. The gallery was taken down April 30. The drawings were mixed medium. For his posed portraits, Andrus used charcoal. However, his main way of working involves…
Assault: The Beating of a Homeless Man in Allston is Part of a Nationwide Trend
ALLSTON, Mass.— On January 26 at 2 a.m., two men – C. J. Parsons and Anthony Varrichione – allegedly assaulted a homeless man named Michael Hudson in front of a house on Allston St., where the two men were at a party. According to witnesses, Hudson had been asking for money After telling him to…
Turkey Plays Chicken in Harvard Square
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—Although no one knows for sure how long it’s been there, whether a couple months or more, it appears that the Harvard Square turkey is there to stay. Miraculously still alive in an area notorious for bad driving, the turkey spends its days either walking causally the wrong way down Mass Ave. or posing…
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