Category: Local
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…’To You’
” First they came for the Socialists … I did not speak out … and there was no one left to speak for me.” — Martin Niemoller It always closes in on you the same way. When it was about being kidnapped (back) into slavery. Or when peoples have been, are plagued by epidemic…
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Pandemic redefines ‘essential’ as workers brave coronavirus
Mario and Dave behind the counter of Downtown Wine and Spirits in Somerville. As the coronavirus spreads its respiratory distress all over the world, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has issued an advisory asking that all “non-essential” workers remain home from work in order to stymie the spread of the virus. The types of workers deemed…
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Sheltering in Place
These are weird times. The doctors postponed Mary Esther’s spine surgery until June 10 because of the situation. Her lungs are challenged normally, so it’s important that she not get exposed to the coronavirus. This strange thing has put all our lives on hold. My heart goes out to people who are homeless and have…
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Uncertainties and Impermanence
My wonderful wife, Mary Esther, and I just returned from a visit with the surgeon who will be operating on her back. It’s much more involved than we thought it would be, and we are meditating every day just to help us cope. We’re trying to keep it in the day, but we can’t help…
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Councilor asks Boston to name racism ‘a public health crisis’
Ricardo Arroyo addresses the Boston City Council. Photo by Jordan Frias Concerned about racism and inequity in Boston, freshman city councilor Ricardo Arroyo is calling for an independent office to assess how city officials can play a role in reducing racism and its impacts on communities of color.Arroyo, the chairman of the council’s Committee on…
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Berning up Boston: Sanders Supporters Rally for Progress
Bernie Sanders supporters rally for the presidential candidate in Boston on Saturday, Feb. 22. Photo by Chaim Wigder Boston was feeling the Bern last weekend as hundreds gathered on Saturday, Feb. 22 in front of the State House in Boston in support of Bernie Sanders’ campaign for president. The rally, organized by Boston Socialist Alternative…
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Spare Change Vendor Remembered
The following is a lightly edited letter from Sumner McClain about Isaac Crawford, a Spare Change News vendor who recently passed away. I met Isaac Crawford several years ago in Porter Square where he was selling Spare Change News, always with a smile. He introduced himself as “Ike,” and I shared my name, Sumner, with…
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The Split Man: A review of Marc Goldfinger’s ‘Heroin’s Harbor
Heroin’s harbor is the addict, as Marc D. Goldfinger’s collection of poems and stories, Heroin’s Harbour makes harrowingly clear. Heroin is the body of the addict that craves the drug, and it’s the mind of the addict that cooperates with the insistent body, paradoxically rationalizing any action that might provide safe harbor for a poison. Human beings are frail…
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Hearing on rent control draws supportive tenants and activists
The Joint Committee on Housing held a hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 14, on a bill before the Massachusetts Legislature that would lift the ban on rent control in Massachusetts, allowing cities and towns to decide if it’s best for their respective communities. The bill is being sponsored by Rep. Michael Connolly (D-Middlesex) and Nika Elugardo…
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Believe it when you see it: City promises money it doesn’t have
I will probably be in the minority on this but I’m not at all impressed with the Mayor of Boston’s State of the City speech Tuesday night. Especially the new rental subsidy program. First of all, this is clearly politically motivated, and if you don’t think so, well – to each their own. But look,…