Human Services on September 24, 2026

0:47 GOOD MORNING.

0:48 FOR THE RECORD MY NAME IS ERIN

0:50 MURPHY AT LARGE CITY

0:52 COUNCILOR AND I AM THE CHAIR

0:53 OF THE BOSTON CITY

0:54 COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON HUMAN

0:57 SERVICES.

0:57 TODAY IS SEPTEMBER 24TH AND THE

0:59 EXACT TIME IS 10:04 A.M..

1:03 THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED.

1:05 IT IS ALSO BEING LIVE

1:07 STREAMED@BOSTON.GOV BACKSLASH

1:09 CITY COUNCIL DASH TV AND

1:12 BROADCAST ON ITS FINITY CHANNEL

1:13 EIGHT, RCN CHANNEL 82 AND FIOS

1:17 CHANNEL 964.

1:19 WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO

1:20 THE COMMITTEE EMAIL.

1:22 AT SEEK DHS AT BOSTON KNOCK UP

1:26 AND WILL BE MADE PART OF THE

1:27 RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO ALL

1:28 COUNCILORS.

1:30 PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN

1:32 AT THE END OF THIS HEARING.

1:34 INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED ON

1:35 IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY

1:36 SIGNED UP AND WILL HAVE TWO

1:38 MINUTES TO TESTIFY.

1:39 IF YOU'RE HERE IN PERSON AND

1:41 INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING, YOU

1:43 CAN SIGN IN AT THE SIGN IN

1:45 SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE

1:47 CHAMBER.

1:48 IF YOU ARE LISTENING IN AND YOU

1:51 WANT TO TESTIFY VIRTUALLY, YOU

1:53 CAN EMAIL OUR CENTRAL STAFF

1:55 LIAISON MEGAN KAVANAGH AT M E G

1:59 H A N DOT CAV AND A G

2:04 H@BOSTON.GOV FOR THE LINK AND

2:05 YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE

2:07 LIST.

2:09 TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET

2:12 1335.

2:12 ORDER FOR A HEARING TO DISCUSS

2:14 THE STATUS OF THE BLACKSTONE

2:16 POOL AND AN INDEPENDENT

2:18 ENGINEERING STUDY ON REPAIRS.

2:21 THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY

2:23 COUNCILORS ED FLYNN, JOHN

2:25 FITZGERALD AND MINYARD CULPEPER

2:27 AND WAS REFERRED TO THE

2:28 COMMITTEE ON JULY 8TH 2026.

2:33 TODAY I AM JOINED BY MY

2:35 COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL

2:37 COUNCILOR FLYNN AND.

2:41 HOPEFULLY MORE COLLEAGUES WILL

2:42 SHOW UP.

2:43 I KNOW THAT WE.

2:44 HAD INVITED THE ADMINISTRATION

2:48 OBVIOUSLY TO BE HERE TO DISCUSS

2:49 THIS IMPORTANT MATTER BACK AT

2:52 THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH ON

2:54 NOVEMBER 2ND, BRIAN FORD,

2:57 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

2:58 OF FACILITIES MANAGEMENT FOR

2:59 BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS, MARY

3:01 SKIPPER, SUPERINTENDENT OF THE

3:02 BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND MARTA

3:05 RIVERA, THE COMMISSIONER,

3:06 BOSTON CENTERS FOR YOUTH AND

3:08 FAMILY WAS SENT BACK ON

3:10 SEPTEMBER 2ND INVITES.

3:13 UM UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS NO

3:14 ONE HERE FROM THE

3:16 ADMINISTRATION YET.

3:17 MAYBE THEY WILL SHOW UP

3:18 HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE AS THE

3:20 MEETING GOES ON.

3:21 BUT WHILE WE WAIT FOR OUR

3:23 COMMUNITY PANEL I'M GOING TO

3:25 HAND IT OFF TO THE LEAD SPONSOR

3:29 COUNCILOR FLYNN.

3:32 THANK YOU COUNCILOR MURPHY FOR

3:34 SHARING THIS IMPORTANT HEARING

3:36 .

3:36 THANK YOU TO COUNCILOR CULPEPER

3:39 ,COUNCILOR FITZGERALD FOR

3:40 JOINING ME AS CO-SPONSORS ON

3:43 THIS HEARING ORDER AND AS

3:44 FELLOW SOUTH END CITY

3:47 COUNCILORS AS WELL.

3:51 LET ME JUST GIVE A LITTLE BIT

3:53 OF HISTORY OF THE BLACKSTONE

3:55 SCHOOL AND WHERE IT'S LOCATED.

3:58 IF I MAY, THE BLACKSTONE SCHOOL

4:02 IS LOCATED ALMOST IN THE HEART

4:04 OF THE SOUTH END.

4:06 IT'S LOCATED NEXT DIAGONAL TO

4:10 THE CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY CROSS

4:12 CHURCH ACROSS THE STREET UM

4:16 BASICALLY FROM RUTH BARCLAY

4:19 APARTMENTS WHICH IS THE OLD

4:22 CATHEDRAL APARTMENTS.

4:23 IT'S ALSO ACROSS THE STREET AS

4:26 WELL FROM VILLA VICTORIA WHICH

4:30 IS PREDOMINANTLY A PUERTO RICAN

4:34 UM AND IN ASIAN COMMUNITY UM

4:38 THE RUTH BERKELEY APARTMENTS

4:41 VHA APARTMENTS IS PREDOMINANTLY

4:45 UM BLACK AND LATINO.

4:48 ALSO UP THE ROAD A BIT IS

4:49 CASTLE SQUARE WHICH IS ANOTHER

4:52 LOW INCOME RESIDENTIAL

4:55 COMMUNITY THAT'S PREDOMINANTLY

4:59 A ASIAN COMMUNITY.

5:00 IT'S WALKING DISTANCE TO

5:03 ROXBURY ROXBURY AS WELL AND IN

5:07 WALKING DISTANCE TO CHINATOWN.

5:09 I HIGHLIGHTED THE DEMOGRAPHICS

5:12 IN AND AROUND THE BLACKSTONE

5:14 SCHOOL BLACKSTONE POOL BECAUSE

5:17 I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT I DO

5:19 THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO

5:21 ACKNOWLEDGE AND KNOW WHERE IT'S

5:22 AT.

5:23 IT'S SURROUNDED BY COMMUNITIES

5:25 OF COLOR.

5:28 AND I FELT THAT'S IMPORTANT TO

5:30 BRING THAT UP BECAUSE IT'S ONE

5:32 OF THE ONLY PUBLIC SWIMMING

5:36 POOLS THAT HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR

5:38 AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME IN

5:40 THE HEART OF THE BLACK

5:43 COMMUNITY IN BOSTON.

5:45 HISTORICALLY, THE HEART OF THE

5:46 BLACK COMMUNITY IN BOSTON WAS

5:48 ALWAYS THE SOUTH END IN

5:49 ROXBURY.

5:52 WE ALSO KNOW THAT WHEN.

5:56 PEOPLE DROWNED TRAGICALLY

5:58 DROWNED MANY OF THEM OR A HIGH

6:01 PERCENTAGE OF OF THEM ARE

6:02 PEOPLE OF COLOR.

6:06 MANY PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ACCESS

6:09 TO SWIMMING LESSONS.

6:12 THAT'S WHY I BELIEVE THIS IS A

6:14 CRITICAL ISSUE FOR BLACKSTONE

6:17 STUDENTS FOR SOUTH AND IN

6:21 ROXBURY RESIDENTS FOR LOW

6:23 INCOME RESIDENTS I BELIEVE THIS

6:27 IS A RACIAL JUSTICE ISSUE TO

6:30 HAVE A VACANT SWIMMING POOL IN

6:34 THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITIES

6:36 OF COLOR AND TO LEAVE IT

6:38 UNFIXED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD

6:40 OF TIME IS SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE.

6:48 I KNOW OUR COLLEAGUES FROM THE

6:51 BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

6:53 AND THE BOSTON CENTER OF YOUTH

6:55 AND FAMILIES WERE INVITED TODAY

6:59 TO THIS IMPORTANT HEARING.

7:04 I DO WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL, BUT

7:05 I AM DISAPPOINTED IN THE

7:08 ADMINISTRATION'S DECISION NOT

7:09 TO SEND ANYONE TO TODAY'S

7:12 HEARING DUE TO A SCHEDULING

7:15 CONFLICT.

7:17 FOR TRANSPARENCY, THIS PUBLIC

7:21 HEARING WAS NOTICED WHICH MEANS

7:24 IT WAS POSTED ON WEDNESDAY

7:27 SEPTEMBER 2ND AT 125.

7:30 INVITATIONS WENT OUT

7:31 IMMEDIATELY TO CITY OFFICIALS

7:34 INVITING THEM ON HOW WE CAN

7:36 WORK TOGETHER, HOW WE CAN

7:38 COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY, HOW WE

7:41 CAN FIX A SWIMMING POOL IN THE

7:44 HEART OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.

7:47 THEIR IMPORTANCE IS CRITICAL.

7:52 SEVERAL DAYS AGO ON FRIDAY.

7:58 BP'S.

8:01 WAS NOTIFIED APPARENTLY OR THE

8:04 RED SOX WERE NOTIFIED

8:06 APPARENTLY THAT THERE WOULD BE

8:08 A PUBLIC EVENT AT THE SAME

8:11 SCHOOL WE'RE TRYING TO FIX

8:12 WHERE THE BOSTON RED SOX WOULD

8:14 COME TO THE BLACKSTONE SCHOOL

8:16 FOR SOME INFRASTRUCTURE WORK

8:19 AND AND FOR A CELEBRATION.

8:24 THE BLACKSTONE COMMUNITY WANTED

8:28 ME AT THE EVENT BECAUSE I SPENT

8:31 A LOT OF TIME AT THE BLACKSTONE

8:32 SCHOOL.

8:33 I HAVE A WONDERFUL RELATIONSHIP

8:34 WITH THEM, BUT I HAD TO TELL

8:38 THEM I COULDN'T BE THERE

8:39 BECAUSE I'M SHARING THIS

8:41 IMPORTANT MEETING AND THEY SAID

8:44 ,WELL ED, YOU'VE HAD THIS

8:46 MEETING SCHEDULED FOR THE

8:47 LONGEST PERIOD OF TIME.

8:49 WHY WOULD THE CITY OF BOSTON,

8:51 UM, SCHEDULE A MEETING ON THE

8:54 BLACKSTONE SCHOOL AT THE SAME

8:56 TIME?

8:58 WHY WHY WOULD WHY WOULD THE

9:00 CITY OF BOSTON SCHEDULE A AN

9:02 EVENT WITH THE BOSTON RED SOX

9:04 AT THE SAME TIME AS YOU ARE AS

9:06 YOU ARE HEARING?

9:11 THIS FRUSTRATION ALL AROUND ON

9:13 THIS DECISION?

9:16 BUT WHO GETS HURT IS THE

9:18 RESIDENTS OF THE SOUTH END.

9:21 THEY DON'T DESERVE THIS.

9:25 IF THE ADMINISTRATION HAD

9:27 PRIORITIZED A RED SOX EVENT AT

9:29 THE BLACKSTONE SCHOOL THE VERY

9:31 SAME SCHOOL AND POOL WE ARE

9:33 HERE TODAY TO DISCUSS, THEY

9:36 SHOULD HAVE MADE TIME TO SHOW

9:37 UP AND ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT

9:40 THE CLOSURE AND THE IMPACT IT'S

9:42 HAVING ON THE COMMUNITY.

9:46 IT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN

9:47 SCHEDULED FOR THIS STATE FOR

9:49 THIS TIME KNOWING THAT THIS IS

9:51 ALREADY SCHEDULED.

9:53 IT'S DISRESPECTFUL.

9:54 THEY CAN BE DISRESPECTFUL TO

9:57 ME BUT THEY SHOULDN'T BE

9:58 DISRESPECTFUL TO COMMUNITIES

10:00 OF COLOR.

10:01 I'VE HEARD FROM RESIDENTS IN

10:02 THE SOUTH END IN ROXBURY WERE

10:05 PLANNING TO TESTIFY TO EXPRESS

10:06 THEIR FRUSTRATION REGARDING THE

10:09 CLOSURE OF THE POOL OVER THE

10:12 OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS SO

10:15 MANY RESIDENTS HAVE REACHED OUT

10:18 TO ME AND SAID AND SAID LET'S

10:20 WORK TOGETHER SO WE CAN REOPEN

10:22 THIS.

10:22 MAYBE IT TAKES AN INDEPENDENT

10:27 ENGINEERING STUDY TO GET IT

10:28 DONE.

10:31 WE ALSO KNOW THAT.

10:35 WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE

10:36 BLACKSTONE COMMUNITY CENTER IN

10:37 THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL POOL,

10:40 AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, HAS

10:42 HISTORICALLY SERVED COMMUNITIES

10:43 OF COLOR IN THE SOUTH END IN

10:44 ROXBURY COURTING THE RESIDENTS

10:47 OF VILLA VICTORIA, BHP GROUP

10:51 PARK AND RUTH BARCLAY

10:52 APARTMENTS.

10:53 IT'S BEEN CLOSED INDEFINITELY

10:55 DUE TO STRUCTURAL ISSUES.

10:59 A DETERIORATED POOL SHELL DRAIN

11:01 LINE FAILURE AND GROUNDWATER

11:03 INTRUSION OF THE 18 POOLS

11:06 OPERATED BY BCF NINE WILL CLOSE

11:09 THE SUMMER OF 2025,

11:12 SIGNIFICANTLY LIMITING ACCESS

11:13 TO SWIM LESSONS IN RECREATIONAL

11:16 WATER ACTIVITIES WHICH ARE

11:18 VITAL FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY,

11:19 HEALTH, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND

11:23 THE SUMMER OF 2026.

11:25 16 OF THE 18 POOLS HAVE SINCE

11:27 REOPENED WITH THE EXCEPTION

11:30 OF THE BLACKSTONE POOL AND THE

11:31 MIRA MIRABELLA POOL AS WELL.

11:36 WHEREAS THE JUSTICE FOR THE

11:38 RESIDENTS OF THE SOUTH END IN

11:40 ROXBURY AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS

11:43 A RACIAL JUSTICE ISSUE.

11:45 THE CITY OF BOSTON'S FY 27 531

11:49 CAPITAL PLAN INCLUDES $500,000

11:52 FOR THE BLACKSTONE SCHOOL

11:54 STUDY, WHICH WILL DETERMINE THE

11:55 SCOPE OF MAJOR RENOVATIONS AT

11:58 THE SCHOOL AND POOL.

12:00 A COMPLETE RENOVATION WILL TAKE

12:02 YEARS TO COMPLETE.

12:03 DOES THAT MEAN.

12:07 THAT THERE WILL NOT BE A POOL

12:09 OPENED AT THE BLACKSTONE?

12:11 FROM WHAT I AM TOLD, THE ONLY

12:13 WAY A POOL CAN OPEN AT THE

12:16 BLACKSTONE IS IF A NEW SCHOOL

12:19 IS BUILT.

12:21 I'M NOT CONFIDENT A NEW SCHOOL

12:23 IS GOING TO BE BUILT THERE.

12:25 I'M ASKING FOR AN INDEPENDENT

12:27 STUDY.

12:30 IN HOW WE'RE ABLE TO GET THE

12:33 RESOURCES TO FIX THE CURRENT

12:35 BLACKSTONE SWIMMING POOL.

12:38 I DON'T THINK WE CAN WAIT.

12:41 I THINK IT'S A PUBLIC SAFETY

12:42 ISSUE.

12:43 I THINK IT'S A PUBLIC HEALTH

12:45 ISSUE.

12:46 I ALSO BELIEVE IT'S A RACIAL

12:49 JUSTICE ISSUE.

12:52 THIS POOL CLOSURE CONTINUES TO

12:55 WORSEN DISPARITIES IN EXPOSURE

12:57 TO HOTTER SUMMERS AND DENIES

12:59 ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR

13:02 COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND

13:04 IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS.

13:08 IN JUNE 2026, THE CITY

13:10 COUNCIL HELD A HEARING ON THE

13:12 OVERALL CONDITION OF THE BCF

13:14 POOLS.

13:15 WE HAVE INFORMED THE BODY THAT

13:18 REOPENING THE BLACKSTONE WOULD

13:21 REQUIRE A FULL EXCAVATION TO

13:24 UNDERSTAND THE FULL SCOPE

13:25 OF DAMAGE AND MAJOR RENOVATIONS

13:28 TO BCBS BLACKSTONE.

13:33 AND CLOSING.

13:35 I WOULD HAVE APPRECIATED THE

13:36 CITY ADMINISTRATION BP'S TO

13:40 HAVE PRIORITIZED A PUBLIC

13:42 HEARING ON THE STATUS OF THE

13:44 BLACKSTONE SWIMMING POOL FOR MY

13:47 CONSTITUENTS, MANY OF THEM

13:51 COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, MANY

13:53 OF THEM AFRICAN AMERICAN,

13:55 HISPANIC, ASIAN LIVING IN THE

13:59 SOUTH END, LIVING IN ROXBURY.

14:03 THIS IS ABOUT SOCIAL, ECONOMIC

14:05 AND RACIAL JUSTICE.

14:08 IT'S CRITICAL WE PROVIDE THIS

14:10 IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY FOR

14:12 COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN

14:13 NEIGHBORS IN PUBLIC HOUSING TO

14:16 BE HEARD AND RESPECTED ON THE

14:20 CLOSURE OF THE POOL, LET ME ASK

14:24 IF THIS WAS IN ANOTHER

14:25 NEIGHBORHOOD, A WEALTHIER

14:27 NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD THIS HAVE

14:31 BEEN ALLOWED TO TAKE PLACE FOR

14:32 AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME?

14:36 BUT BECAUSE IT'S SURROUNDED BY

14:37 ROUTE BERKELEY DEVELOPMENT IT'S

14:40 SURROUNDED BY VILLA VICTORIA

14:43 CASTLE SQUARE IS UP THE ROAD UM

14:45 NOT A FAR A SHORT WALKING

14:48 DISTANCE TO ROXBURY.

14:49 DOES THAT MEAN THAT THEIR VOICE

14:52 IS LESS IMPORTANT?

14:56 DOES THAT MEAN THAT THEY'RE

14:57 INSIGNIFICANT?

14:59 THOSE ARE THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE

15:01 WE WANT SWIMMING SO WE CAN

15:03 PROVIDE THEM VERTICAL SWIMMING

15:05 LESSONS AND EXERCISE IN LIVING

15:09 A PHYSICAL LIVING A GOOD HEALTH

15:11 HEALTHY LIFESTYLE?

15:13 I ALSO KNOW SENIORS WANT TO USE

15:15 THE SWIMMING POOL AS WELL AT

15:17 NIGHTTIME THEY SAY TO ME AND WE

15:20 WE LOVE SWIMMING BECAUSE IT'S

15:23 GOOD FOR OUR BODIES.

15:24 IT DOESN'T HAVE THE PUNISHMENT

15:27 UM ON OUR JOINTS AND MUSCLES IN

15:29 A SWIMMING POOL AND IN ED WHEN

15:32 CAN WE OPEN UP THE BLACKSTONE

15:33 SWIMMING POOL?

15:35 I JUST CAN'T IGNORE MY

15:37 CONSTITUENTS AND SAY THERE'S

15:38 NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT.

15:40 THAT'S NOT HOW I WAS BORN.

15:42 THAT'S NOT HOW I WAS RAISED.

15:43 THAT'S NOT WHAT I DO ON THE

15:45 CITY COUNCIL.

15:46 I FIGHT FOR MY CONSTITUENTS

15:49 REGARDLESS OF WHO GETS MAD AT

15:51 HIM.

15:54 AS YOU PROBABLY CAN TELL, I AM

15:56 DISAPPOINTED.

15:59 THAT THERE IS NO ONE FROM THE

16:01 CITY ADMINISTRATION HERE.

16:04 TO WORK WITH ME, TO WORK WITH

16:05 THE COUNCIL TO SEE HOW WE'RE

16:07 GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH

16:11 THAT.

16:11 MADAM CHAIR, I DO KNOW THAT

16:14 RESIDENTS OF THE SOUTH END

16:16 INCLUDING NEIGHBORHOOD

16:17 NEIGHBORHOODS, CIVIC LEADERS,

16:20 UM RESPECTED CIVIC LEADERS

16:22 INCLUDING JONATHAN THAT'S HERE

16:23 RIGHT NOW.

16:24 OTHERS OTHERS ON THE ZOOM

16:27 SCREEN.

16:27 UM, I DO WANT TO TESTIFY.

16:29 I DO WANT TO ENGAGE IN THE

16:32 CONVERSATION, DO WANT TO BE

16:33 HEARD BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE

16:35 HEARD BECAUSE THEY ALSO WANT TO

16:38 ADVOCATE FOR THEIR NEIGHBORS.

16:40 THEY KNOW THE HISTORY OF THE

16:42 SOUTH AND WHERE THE SWIMMING

16:43 POOL IS LOCATED.

16:45 AND THEY ALSO THINK THAT IT'S A

16:47 IT'S A IT'S A RACIAL JUSTICE

16:49 ISSUE.

16:50 HOW COULD IT NOT BE A RACIAL

16:51 JUSTICE ISSUE IF YOU'RE

16:53 SURROUNDED BY A PUBLIC HOUSING

16:56 DEVELOPMENT, YOU'RE SURROUNDED

17:00 BY VILLA VICTORIA.

17:01 RIGHT NEXT TO VILLA VICTORIA IS

17:02 WEST ADAMS STREET WHICH IS A UM

17:06 VHA DEVELOPMENT FOR SENIORS AND

17:08 PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.

17:10 DID THEY DESERVE TO HAVE A

17:11 SWIMMING POOL?

17:12 THAT'S THE QUESTION TO THE TO

17:13 THOSE RESIDENTS DESERVE TO HAVE

17:15 A SWIMMING POOL AND IF WE SAY

17:17 YES LET'S GET IT DONE IF WE SAY

17:19 NO THEY DON'T DESERVE TO HAVE A

17:20 SWIMMING POOL THEN OKAY THEN

17:21 THEY DON'T DESERVE TO HAVE A

17:23 SWIMMING POOL BUT I'M NOT

17:24 ACCEPTING THAT ANSWER FROM

17:25 ANYBODY.

17:26 I'M GOING TO DO EVERYTHING I

17:27 CAN TO GET THIS SWIMMING POOL

17:29 OPENED AND I'M NOT GIVING UP.

17:32 UM I'M GOING TO STOP THERE,

17:33 MADAM CHAIR, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU

17:35 HAVE, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY TO

17:38 INTRODUCE OUR, UM, PANEL.

17:40 THANK YOU.

17:41 AND THANK YOU FOR SETTING

17:44 THE STAGE AND ALWAYS

17:45 ADVOCATING.

17:46 FOR THE RESIDENTS.

17:48 SO THANK YOU, JONATHAN ELS.

17:49 YOU'RE HERE IN PERSON,

17:50 PRESIDENT OF THE WASHINGTON

17:51 HARRIS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

17:53 I DO KNOW THAT STEVE FOX AND I

17:55 BELIEVE REPRESENTATIVE JOHN

17:57 MORAN, WE'RE HAVING A FEW ZOOM

17:58 ISSUES.

17:59 WE'RE TRYING TO GET THEM IN ON

18:00 ZOOM BUT AND ALSO COUNCIL FLYNN

18:02 I KNOW AFTER YOU SPEAK JONATHAN

18:04 ,IN OUR PANEL YOU HAVE LETTERS

18:06 ALSO FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT

18:08 WILL MAKE SURE WE HAVE TIME TO

18:09 UPLIFT THEIR VOICES.

18:11 SO JONATHAN, WELCOME.

18:12 THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND IF

18:14 UM YOU PROBABLY HEARD OR SEE

18:16 THAT UNFORTUNATELY A

18:19 CELEBRATION WAS SCHEDULED BY BP

18:23 AND THE ADMINISTRATION AFTER

18:25 THIS THESE INVITES WENT OUT AT

18:26 THE SAME TIME.

18:28 UM SO WE ARE GOING RIGHT TO.

18:31 YOU AND THE COMMUNITY TO HEAR

18:34 DIRECTLY SO.

18:35 YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.

18:36 THANK YOU.

18:37 OKAY.

18:38 THANK YOU, COUNCILOR MURPHY.

18:40 UH THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLYNN

18:42 FOR ELEVATING THIS EXTREMELY

18:45 IMPORTANT NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUE.

18:49 THE CITY OF BOSTON.

18:50 UH, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW

18:52 ME, MY NAME IS JONATHAN ALVES.

18:54 I AM A 12 YEAR RESIDENT OF THE

18:57 SOUTH END, 15 YEAR RESIDENT

18:58 OF THE CITY OF BOSTON,

19:01 CURRENTLY SERVE AS THE

19:02 PRESIDENT OF THE WASHINGTON

19:04 HARRISON NEIGHBORHOOD

19:05 ASSOCIATION WHICH WAS FORMERLY

19:07 THE BLACKSTONE SQUARE

19:10 NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND

19:11 EAST BERKELEY WE COMBINED

19:12 EARLIER THIS YEAR.

19:14 I REPRESENT THE LARGEST

19:16 GEOGRAPHICAL NEIGHBORHOOD

19:17 ASSOCIATION IN THE SOUTH BEND,

19:18 WHICH HAPPENS TO INCLUDE THE

19:21 BLACKSTONE COMMUNITY CENTER AND

19:23 POOL.

19:24 I AM A FATHER OF A TWO YEAR OLD

19:27 DAUGHTER.

19:28 UH I'M AN ACTIVE COMMUNITY

19:29 MEMBER VOLUNTEER UH, ALTHOUGH I

19:32 WORK IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, MY

19:33 PASSION IS MY COMMUNITY UH,

19:38 WHICH IS WHY I ALSO FELT IT

19:39 REALLY IMPORTANT TO BE HERE

19:40 TODAY IN PERSON EVEN THOUGH

19:42 IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO DO.

19:45 UH, FIRST THING I WANT TO SAY

19:47 IS I DON'T WANT THIS TO BE THE

19:48 FOCUS BUT I DO WANT TO GET ON

19:49 RECORD SAYING IT.

19:50 I AM PRETTY DISAPPOINTED WHEN I

19:54 LOOK AROUND THE CHAMBER TODAY

19:55 AND I DON'T SEE ANY CITY

19:58 REPRESENTATIVES.

19:59 I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER CITY

20:02 COUNCILORS MANY WHO I KNOW

20:04 PERSONALLY UH I DON'T SEE

20:06 ANYBODY FROM THE SCHOOL SYSTEM

20:08 HERE FOR LEADERSHIP.

20:11 UH, AND I THINK THAT'S PRETTY

20:13 DISAPPOINTING BECAUSE THIS IS

20:15 THIS IS AN IMPORTANT EQUITY

20:18 ISSUE.

20:18 THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR

20:20 THE OVERALL CITY OF BOSTON.

20:23 I DO WANT TO SAY THAT, YOU

20:24 KNOW, IT'S WORTH ACKNOWLEDGING

20:25 THAT THERE HAS BEEN A LOT

20:27 OF WORK DONE BY THE CITY TO

20:29 OPEN A LOT OF POOLS THAT WERE

20:30 HISTORICALLY CLOSED.

20:31 SO THAT SHOULDN'T GO WITHOUT

20:33 MENTION.

20:34 BUT I DO THINK THAT IT'S

20:36 EXTREMELY UNFORTUNATE AND

20:38 FRUSTRATING THAT SINCE I'VE

20:40 BEEN IN THE SOUTH AND AGAIN FOR

20:41 MORE THAN 12 YEARS, THE

20:45 BLACKSTONE COMMUNITY CENTER

20:46 POOL HAS NOT BEEN OPENED AND I

20:48 THINK IT GOES BACK FURTHER THAN

20:49 THAT.

20:50 SO THE QUESTION WE ASK

20:51 OURSELVES IS WHAT IS A

20:52 REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME TO

20:56 DEDICATE RESOURCES TO AND

20:59 BUDGET TO FIXING SOMETHING

21:01 THAT'S SO IMPORTANT IN A

21:03 COMMUNITY THAT IS EXTREMELY

21:04 DIVERSE?

21:05 AS COUNCILOR FLYNN NOTED, UH,

21:08 THERE ARE MULTIPLE BOSTON

21:10 PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS THAT

21:12 SURROUND THE SCHOOL.

21:14 UH THERE ARE ALSO MIXED INCOME

21:16 USE HOUSEHOLDS THROUGHOUT THE

21:17 SOUTH END.

21:18 UH, THIS IS A POOL THAT CAN

21:21 SERVE REALLY EVERYBODY NOT JUST

21:23 ME AND MY DAUGHTER BUT, UH,

21:25 OTHER FAMILIES AND THERE'S ALSO

21:27 MANY FAMILIES THAT HAVE ALREADY

21:28 HAD KIDS THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH

21:29 THE SYSTEM UH, THAT REMEMBER

21:31 BACK 20 YEARS AGO USING THE

21:33 POOL WHERE THEY LEARNED TO SWIM

21:34 AND THEY WROTE LETTERS IN

21:36 ADVOCATING TODAY I PERSONALLY

21:39 SPOKE TO 50 RESIDENTS ABOUT

21:42 THIS AND I KNOW THAT MANY

21:45 ORGANIZATIONS, NONPROFITS AND

21:48 INDIVIDUALS HAVE SENT IN

21:49 LETTERS HIGHLIGHTING THE

21:51 IMPORTANCE OF GETTING A STUDY

21:53 AND FUNDING DONE FOR THIS

21:55 SCHOOL.

21:56 NOW PERHAPS IT'S A BIGGER ISSUE

21:57 ,BUT I THINK THAT WE CAN STILL

21:59 FOCUS ON BIGGER ISSUES WHILE

22:00 SOLVING IMMEDIATE NEEDS.

22:01 AND ONE OF THOSE IMMEDIATE

22:02 NEEDS IS MAKING THE POOL

22:04 ACCESSIBLE.

22:05 ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I

22:06 WOULD POSE TO THE CITY

22:08 OF BOSTON WHEN THEY THOUGHT

22:09 ABOUT PRIORITIZING POOL FIXES

22:12 AND AGAIN, THEY'VE DONE A GOOD

22:13 JOB FIXING A LOT OF POOLS

22:14 ACROSS THE CITY.

22:14 WE CAN'T TAKE THAT AWAY, BUT

22:17 SOME OF THE POOLS THAT WERE

22:18 PRIORITIZED WERE SEASONAL,

22:20 MEANING OUTDOOR USE ONLY THE

22:23 BLACKSTONE COMMUNITY CENTER

22:24 POOL IS SEASONAL INDEPENDENT.

22:27 IT'S AN INDOOR POOL WHICH MEANS

22:30 IT CAN BE USED ALL YEAR ROUND.

22:34 SO THE QUESTION I WOULD SAY IS

22:36 WHAT'S THE THOUGHT PROCESS

22:37 BEHIND THE POOL PRIORITIZATION?

22:42 UH WHY WOULD A POOL THAT IS

22:44 SEASONAL INDEPENDENT NOT

22:46 NECESSARILY BE AT THE TOP

22:47 OF THE LIST AND ESPECIALLY ONE

22:49 THAT'S BEEN CLOSED FOR MORE

22:50 THAN A DECADE?

22:53 I THINK COUNCILOR FLYNN ALLUDED

22:54 TO IT EARLIER BUT YOU KNOW,

22:57 LEARNING HOW TO SWIM IS IS A

22:58 PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE AT ITS CORE

23:02 .

23:03 UH, OUTSIDE OF THE RECREATIONAL

23:05 USES AND BENEFITS THAT HAVING A

23:09 COMMUNITY ACTIVE COMMUNITY

23:10 CENTER CENTERED AROUND A POOL

23:11 CAN BRING, I THINK WE KNOW WE

23:14 ALL KNOW THAT DROWNING REMAINS

23:16 PREVENTABLE.

23:18 UH, WE KNOW THAT ACCESS TO

23:20 SWIMMING LESSONS CAN SAVE

23:22 LIVES.

23:22 AND IF YOU LOOK AT EVEN THE

23:24 NATIONAL DATA, YOU KNOW

23:27 APPROXIMATELY 65% OF AFRICAN

23:29 AMERICAN CHILDREN AND 45%

23:32 OF LATIN CHILDREN, UH, HAVE

23:34 LITTLE TO NO SWIMMING ABILITY.

23:36 AND I KNOW WE COULD LOOK AT THE

23:37 ACTUAL NUMBERS IN THE SOUTH

23:38 END, BUT THAT'S PRETTY

23:40 ASTONISHING IF YOU THINK ABOUT

23:42 IT, NOT EVERYBODY IS PRIVILEGED

23:43 AND HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO

23:47 TO, UH, A PAY MEMBERSHIP POOL.

23:49 UH, NOT EVERYBODY HAS THE

23:51 OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO HAVE ACCESS

23:54 TO PEOPLE THAT CAN TEACH THEM

23:55 TO SWIM.

23:56 THIS IS WHERE AS A SOCIETY THIS

23:59 IS WHERE AS A CITY WHO SPEAKS

24:01 TO CARE ABOUT EVERYBODY HAS TO

24:03 STEP UP AND FILL THAT GAP

24:05 BECAUSE CHILDREN AND KIDS AND

24:07 ELDERS AND THIS IS THE

24:09 EQUALIZER.

24:09 THIS IS WHAT GIVES UH EVERYBODY

24:13 A CHANCE AND THIS IS WHAT CAN

24:15 PREVENT DEATHS.

24:19 WE KNOW THAT THE SOUTH END IS

24:20 EXTREMELY DIVERSE LIKE MANY

24:21 NEIGHBORHOODS IN BOSTON,

24:23 ARGUABLY ONE OF THE MOST

24:24 DIVERSE NEIGHBORHOODS.

24:29 WE KNOW THAT LOW INCOME

24:30 FAMILIES FACE PARTICULAR

24:32 BARRIERS.

24:35 AND WE KNOW THOSE BARRIERS ARE

24:37 DIRECTLY CORRELATED TO THINGS

24:38 LIKE HAVING ACCESS TO SWIMMING

24:40 AND LEARNING HOW TO SWIM.

24:41 I MEAN, IF YOU WALK DOWN

24:42 WASHINGTON STREET IN THE SOUTH

24:43 END AND YOU TALK TO KIDS FROM

24:45 THE VALEDICTORIAN, TALK TO KIDS

24:46 FROM HOUSING, YOU KNOW, I CAN

24:51 RECALL OVER THE SUMMER JUST

24:52 TALKING ABOUT EVEN GOING TO THE

24:54 BEACH WITH A FEW KIDS AND NONE

24:55 OF THOSE KIDS THAT HAVE EVEN

24:55 BEEN TO THE BEACH BECAUSE THEY

24:56 DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM.

24:57 THEY TOLD ME THAT PERSONALLY

24:58 AND I WAS YOU KNOW, INITIALLY A

25:00 LITTLE SHOCKED BUT THEN I

25:01 WASN'T SURPRISED WHEN I WHEN I

25:02 LOOKED INTO THE DATA AND I

25:04 THOUGHT ABOUT IT FOR A SECOND.

25:05 A LOT OF THESE FAMILIES

25:06 ESPECIALLY THE LOWER INCOME

25:08 ONES, THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS

25:09 AND THE ABILITY TO GET TO OTHER

25:11 LOCATIONS IN THE CITY SO

25:12 EASILY, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE

25:13 YOUNGER AND THEIR PARENTS ARE

25:14 WORKING MULTIPLE JOBS AND

25:15 THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE

25:16 ENDS MEET.

25:17 THIS POOL UH, THIS COMMUNITY

25:20 CENTER SERVES A WIDE ARRAY

25:25 OF FOLKS, UH, AND IT MAKES

25:26 THINGS REALLY ACCESSIBLE BUT IT

25:28 HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO BE

25:30 LEVERAGED.

25:32 SO I CAN TELL YOU, UH,

25:34 REPRESENTING WASHINGTON

25:35 HARRISON NEIGHBORHOOD

25:36 ASSOCIATION, UH, REPRESENTING

25:38 MANY RESIDENTS THAT I SPOKE

25:39 WITH THAT WE ARE COMMITTED THAT

25:42 I AM COMMITTED ON WORKING WITH

25:44 COUNCILOR FLYNN AND

25:44 COUNCILOR MURPHY, THE CITY

25:47 OF BOSTON, THE MAYOR AND

25:48 WHOEVER ELSE WE NEED TO TO GET

25:50 THIS PRIORITIZED, TO GET THIS

25:51 FUNDED, TO GET THIS BUDGETED.

25:53 WE HAVE A LOT OF SMART PEOPLE

25:54 IN THE CITY WITH A LOT

25:56 OF RESOURCES.

25:56 WE CAN DO IT.

25:59 SO UH, I WOULD JUST CONCLUDE BY

26:00 SAYING I APPRECIATE THE

26:02 OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.

26:04 UH, I TRUST THAT THIS WILL NOT

26:06 BE THE FINAL CONVERSATION.

26:08 I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE CITY TO

26:10 PAY ATTENTION TO THE MANY

26:11 LETTERS THAT I SAW COME IN THIS

26:12 MORNING FROM WELL-RESPECTED

26:15 RESIDENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS IN

26:16 THE SOUTH END.

26:18 I KNOW.

26:18 THAT WE CAN DO BETTER AND

26:21 LET'S DO BETTER.

26:22 LET'S REOPEN THIS POOL.

26:24 THANK YOU.

26:27 THANK YOU JOHN.

26:35 THANK YOU THANK YOU MEGAN THANK

26:37 YOU FOR BEING HERE AND YOU SAID

26:41 IT AND NOTICED IT IS.

26:42 ALWAYS DISCOURAGING WHEN THE

26:44 CHAMBER.

26:45 IS EMPTY NOT JUST WITH

26:46 COLLEAGUES BUT THE

26:47 ADMINISTRATION.

26:49 UM IT.

26:50 HAPPENS UNFORTUNATELY.

26:51 OFTENTIMES WHEN COUNCIL FLYNN I

26:52 FILE.

26:53 HEARING ORDERS THERE DOESN'T

26:54 SEEM.

26:55 TO BE A POLITICAL WILL

26:56 SOMETIMES WHEN WE'RE

26:56 ADVOCATING.

26:57 FOR COMMUNITIES THAT MAY NOT,

27:00 UM, BE HIGH ON THE PRIORITY.

27:02 FOR.

27:03 WHATEVER POLITICAL REASON.

27:04 BUT I APPRECIATE YOU ALWAYS.

27:07 ADVOCATING NOT JUST FOR

27:09 YOURSELF, YOUR FAMILY BUT YOUR.

27:10 COMMUNITY AND.

27:11 YOU UNDERSTAND WHICH IS SO

27:14 IMPORTANT IS AND AS AN AT LARGE

27:15 CITY COUNCILOR IT'S WHAT I.

27:19 SEE EVERY DAY IS.

27:20 WHAT WE DO IN.

27:21 HYDE PARK MATTERS.

27:23 TO ROXBURY.

27:23 WHAT WE DO IN THE SOUTH THEN

27:24 MATTERS TO THE CHINATOWN.

27:26 WHEREVER WE'RE INVESTING OUR

27:28 TIME AND OUR ENERGY AND OUR.

27:29 RESOURCES.

27:30 IT RIPPLES OUT.

27:31 TO THE REST OF THE CITY WHEN

27:33 WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW,

27:35 COASTAL FLOODING.

27:36 PEOPLE IN WEST ROXBURY HAVE TO

27:38 BE PART OF THAT CONVERSATION

27:39 TOO.

27:39 AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

27:42 STUDENTS CLOSE TO 600.

27:43 STUDENTS AT THE BLACKSTONE,

27:44 MANY OF THEM MINORITIES LIVING

27:46 RIGHT THERE IN THAT

27:47 NEIGHBORHOOD, THEY WOULD HAVE

27:49 THAT POOL OPEN DURING THE DAY.

27:50 SWIMMING LESSONS, STUDENTS SO.

27:51 THEY WOULD BE LEARNING.

27:53 HOW TO SWIM.

27:53 YOU KNOW, WITHOUT PARENTS.

27:55 HAVING TO FIND TIME ON THE.

27:56 WEEKENDS OR IN THE EVENINGS.

27:58 SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE

28:00 STUDENTS OF THE BLACKSTONE.

28:01 THEY DESERVE.

28:02 YOU KNOW, I GREW UP LEARNING

28:05 HOW.

28:05 TO SWIM.

28:06 AT THE MURPHY COMMUNITY

28:07 SCHOOL IN DORCHESTER, RIGHT,

28:08 THAT I.

28:09 GREW UP IN COMMUNITY CENTERS

28:11 AND WE KNOW THAT.

28:13 ACCESS TO SWIMMING LESSONS NOT

28:15 JUST SAVES LIVES.

28:16 IT'S ACCESS TO YOU KNOW, OUR

28:18 COMMUNITY CENTERS MATTERS.

28:21 SO THE BLACKSTONE IN THAT

28:23 COMMUNITY DESERVES WHAT EVERY

28:24 OTHER SCHOOL IN YOU MENTIONED

28:26 CHARLESTOWN I WAS THERE

28:27 ADVOCATING FOR CHARLESTOWN.

28:28 BUT IF WE'RE RE RENOVATING AN

28:31 OUTDOOR.

28:32 POOL BUT THEN NOT MAKING SURE

28:33 WE'RE FINDING.

28:34 RESOURCES TO OPEN A YEAR ROUND.

28:36 POOL LIKE WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE

28:38 THAT WHAT'S GOOD FOR ONE

28:39 NEIGHBORHOOD HAS TO BE GOOD FOR

28:41 ANOTHER.

28:41 SO THAT'S IMPORTANT.

28:43 I DO TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS.

28:44 UM, ONE IS THE ZOOM IS NOT

28:48 WORKING COMPLETELY PROPERLY.

28:50 I KNOW THAT REPRESENTATIVE

28:52 MORAN.

28:52 AND STEVE.

28:53 FOX IS ON THERE AND SOMEBODY

28:54 ELSE WE CAN'T SEE THEIR NAME.

28:56 ETHAN IS WORKING HARD TO GET A

28:57 FIX.

28:57 WE MAY.

28:58 SWITCH THEM OVER TO GOOGLE.

28:59 MEET IN ONE MINUTE.

29:00 BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, UM, I DO

29:02 WANT TO.

29:03 ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE BEEN

29:04 JOINED BY COUNCILOR FITZGERALD.

29:05 SO COUNCIL CHARLES.

29:06 YOU HAVE THE.

29:07 THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHAIR.

29:09 UH, AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK

29:11 UH THE BOTH OF YOU ESPECIALLY

29:13 COUNCILOR FLYNN, UH, AND

29:15 CULPEPER FOR BRINGING THIS

29:16 FORWARD AS WELL, UH, TALKING

29:18 ABOUT THE NEED FOR A SWIMMING

29:20 POOL IN THE SOUTH END I KNOW

29:22 RIGHT NOW, UH, EVEN AT THE

29:23 MURPHY SCHOOL, THE POOL IN

29:24 DORCHESTER IS OUT AND WE'VE

29:26 GOTTEN A LOT OF FEEDBACK ABOUT

29:27 THAT AND SORT OF THE THE UPTAKE

29:29 ON THE SWIM TEAM AND THE

29:31 ACTIVITIES THAT OCCUR THERE AND

29:32 THE THINGS THAT WE CAN OFFER

29:34 OUR KIDS.

29:35 UM, UH AND WHAT IS BEING UH

29:38 IMPACTED BY NOT BEING THERE AND

29:39 SO TO THINK THAT THAT HAS

29:41 HAPPENED OVER A LENGTHY AMOUNT

29:45 OF TIME AT THE BLACKSTONE, UM,

29:47 AND WHAT PEOPLE ARE BEING

29:48 DEPRIVED OF THERE UM, I JUST

29:50 WANT TO SAY APPRECIATE TO

29:51 MR ALVES FOR BEING HERE TODAY.

29:53 UM, UH, IN REPRESENTING UH THE

29:55 COMMUNITY UM AND I KNOW THAT HE

29:57 CARES VERY DEEPLY ABOUT WHAT

29:58 THAT COULD PROVIDE AND I WOULD

29:59 LIKE TO THANK UH,

30:01 REPRESENTATIVE MORAN AND STEVE

30:02 FOX FOR ALSO UH, BEING HERE

30:04 TODAY.

30:05 UH, TO CHIME IN BUT UH, WE ARE

30:06 IN SUPPORT OF, UH, GETTING THE

30:08 INVESTMENT THAT THIS PLACE

30:09 NEEDS UH, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

30:10 SO THAT.

30:11 UH.

30:11 THE BEAUTY THAT COMES WITH

30:12 THE.

30:12 SWIMMING POOL AND ALL THE GOOD

30:13 THINGS.

30:14 UH, ALL THOSE AMENITIES WILL

30:15 CAN BE OFFERED TO THE SOUTH

30:16 BEND COMMUNITY.

30:17 UH THANK YOU JIM.

30:18 THANK YOU.

30:19 UM, BEFORE WE TAKE A BREAK.

30:22 TO SEE IF THAT'S GOING TO WORK,

30:25 I DO JUST WANT TO.

30:26 SHARE SOME DATA ON.

30:28 PAST CAPITAL BUDGET.

30:34 PROMISES AND JUST STATE THAT

30:36 BACK LAST.

30:36 YEAR, COUNCILOR FLYNN IN 2025

30:39 FILE DOCKET.

30:40 1438 WHICH WAS AN ORDER FOR A

30:42 HEARING REGARDING THE.

30:43 STATUS AND.

30:44 THE.

30:44 FUTURE OF THE BLACKSTONE POOL.

30:46 AND I BELIEVE THAT.

30:47 IF WE WENT BACK.

30:48 EVERY.

30:48 YEAR EVERY YEAR YOU DO.

30:49 FILE THIS HEARING TO GET SOME

30:51 ANSWERS.

30:52 SO THE CITY HAS NOT.

30:53 PUBLISHED A REOPENING DATE, A

30:55 CURRENT ITEMIZED REPAIR

30:57 ESTIMATE OR A PUBLICLY

30:58 AVAILABLE ENGINEERING

30:59 ASSESSMENT ESTABLISHING THE.

31:01 FULL SCOPE OF THE WORK.

31:03 .

31:03 THE POOL WAS.

31:04 OPERATING IN MAY OF 2019 AND

31:06 WAS LISTED AMONG THE.

31:07 CLOSED FACILITIES BY THE.

31:09 SUMMER OF.

31:10 2022 UH IN 2019 AND A WAYS

31:13 AND MEANS HEARING

31:14 COUNCIL OF FLYNN ASKED ABOUT

31:16 THE.

31:16 BLACKSTONE POOL AND WHETHER.

31:17 THERE WERE ANY ISSUES, THE

31:19 ADMIN RESPONDED.

31:20 THAT THE POOL WAS FUNCTIONING.

31:21 AND THAT THEY WERE NOT AWARE

31:23 OF ANY ISSUES IN 2021 AT A WAYS

31:25 AND MEANS HEARING,

31:26 COUNCILOR FLYNN REQUESTED AN

31:27 UPDATE ON RENOVATION PLANS AT

31:29 THE.

31:29 BLACKSTONE COMMUNITY CENTER.

31:31 THE ADMINISTRATION RESPONDED.

31:33 THE BCA BLACKSTONE COMMUNITY

31:35 CENTER IS HOUSED WITHIN THE

31:38 BLACKSTONE.

31:38 SCHOOL.

31:39 SO ANY AND ALL FACILITY

31:40 UPGRADES AND IMPROVEMENTS AS

31:42 WELL AS DAY TO DAY CUSTODIAL

31:44 WORK ARE PERFORMED AND FUNDED

31:46 BY DPS FACILITIES MANAGEMENT,

31:48 NOT BCA.

31:50 WE HAVE COLLABORATED ON JOINT

31:51 FUNDING IN THE PAST IN THE GYM

31:53 AND THE POOL AREAS, BUT WE ARE

31:55 UNAWARE OF ANY SPECIFIC

31:57 RENOVATION PLANS.

31:58 I DO HAVE YOU HAVE.

32:00 THAT OFTEN HAVE BEEN ANSWER

32:04 WHEN ASKED ABOUT.

32:06 OTHER POOLS THAT THERE WAS.

32:10 AN ABILITY I.

32:10 WOULD SAY TO HIDE.

32:11 BEHIND IS THIS.

32:12 ISSUE IS THIS.

32:14 A PROPERTY MANAGEMENT ISSUE

32:15 ?

32:16 I KNOW THAT BACK.

32:16 WHERE I HAVE IS NOW UNDER.

32:18 PUBLIC FACILITIES AND I THINK

32:19 MANAGED BETTER UNDER THAT

32:22 UMBRELLA THAT BCA AND DPS.

32:24 CAN'T JUST.

32:25 PASS THE BUCK.

32:26 BACK AND FORTH BECAUSE.

32:27 AT THE END OF THE DAY RESIDENTS

32:30 ,STUDENTS.

32:31 AND YOU KNOW.

32:32 US EVEN.

32:33 COUNCILORS IT DOESN'T MATTER

32:35 WHO THE BILL.

32:36 GOES TO, IT MATTERS THAT THE

32:37 CITY.

32:38 IS WORKING TO GET IT OPEN.

32:40 SO WE HAVE BEEN JOINED.

32:42 SO I WILL GO AND READ MORE

32:43 OF SOME OF.

32:43 THE DISINVESTMENT PROMISES.

32:48 ORIGINALLY $20 MILLION THAT NOW

32:50 LOOK LIKE MAYBE.

32:52 200,000 WILL BE SPENT.

32:53 ON A STUDY SO.

32:54 I DO I'LL GO OVER THOSE AFTER

32:56 BUT WE HAVE BEEN JOINED ON ZOOM

32:59 BY STEVE FOX.

33:00 WHO IS THE CHAIR OF THE SOUTH

33:02 END FORUM.

33:02 AND ALSO.

33:04 BY REPRESENTATIVE.

33:05 JOHN MORAN.

33:06 SO UM REPRESENTATIVE WOULD YOU

33:07 LIKE TO.

33:08 GO FIRST?

33:08 THANK YOU.

33:09 BOTH FOR BEING HERE AND

33:10 SORRY.

33:10 FOR SOME OF THE TECHNICAL

33:11 DIFFICULTIES.

33:13 YEAH.

33:14 GOOD MORNING.

33:15 UM.

33:16 UH.

33:16 HOPEFULLY YOU CAN HEAR ME OKAY.

33:18 YEAH.

33:18 VERY VERY GOOD.

33:19 MORNING JOHN.

33:20 WE CAN HEAR YOU.

33:20 IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU STEVE AS

33:22 WELL.

33:22 GOOD TO SEE YOU.

33:23 AND I KNOW UM UH, JOHN FOR NOW

33:25 DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF KIND

33:28 OF REPRESENTING UH, SOME OF THE

33:29 NEIGHBORHOOD VIEWS UH, BUT

33:31 SITTING ME UH, RIGHT BEHIND

33:34 ME YOU CAN SEE ME IS UH, PHOTO

33:36 UH DONE BY ALLEN BRIAN CRIME,

33:38 UH, FAMOUS SOUTH END PAINTER

33:40 AND I GUESS JUST WANTED TALK UH

33:44 ,AND JUST KIND OF EMPHASIZE

33:45 RE-EMPHASIZE THAT I'M PROUD TO

33:47 REPRESENT A VERY DIVERSE

33:49 DISTRICT IN OF DISTRICT NINE

33:51 AND INCLUDES FOLKS IN LOWER

33:54 ROXBURY AND INCLUDES, UH, FOLKS

33:56 IN THE SOUTH AND AND THESE KIDS

33:58 ,UH, REALLY DESERVE A PLACE TO

34:01 TO SWIM TO UH, YOU KNOW, FOR

34:04 THEIR MENTAL HEALTH AS WELL AS

34:05 THEIR PHYSICAL HAVE A MENTAL

34:07 HEALTH PART IS A PART THAT

34:08 MAYBE I BRING AS A MEMBER

34:11 OF THE MENTAL HEALTH AND

34:11 SUBSTANCE USE AND

34:13 RECOVERY COMMITTEE THAT IT'S

34:14 REALLY IMPORTANT PHYSICAL

34:15 EXERCISE IS REALLY IMPORTANT

34:17 AND UH I DO FEEL VERY HEAVY

34:22 HEART WHEN I THINK ABOUT SOME

34:24 OF THE RESOURCES THAT HALF

34:27 OF MY CONSTITUENTS GET AS BY

34:29 VIRTUE OF BEING FAIRLY AFFLUENT

34:31 AND HAVE MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES

34:34 TO GO TO SPECIAL PROGRAMS.

34:36 UH, BUT YET THERE'S THIS

34:39 IMPORTANT 50% OF MY DISTRICT

34:43 WITH CHILDREN THAT DON'T HAVE

34:44 THE MEANS TO JOIN SPECIAL CLUBS

34:47 OR GO TO OTHER PLACES.

34:49 AND SO I JUST SIMPLY WANT TO

34:50 SAY THAT, UH, THIS IS A REALLY

34:52 IMPORTANT, UH, IMPORTANT TOOL

34:56 IN OUR TOOLBOX FOR THESE KIDS

35:00 AND IT IS YOU KNOW, HAVING

35:02 VISITED IT A COUPLE YEARS AGO,

35:05 IT'S JUST A SAD STATE

35:06 OF AFFAIRS.

35:07 WE CAN'T GET IT BACK UP AND

35:09 RUNNING AND UM, I I WOULD

35:11 ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO AT THE

35:13 STATE LEVEL TO HELP WE'RE

35:15 WILLING TO DO BUT.

35:16 I REALLY WOULD LOVE TO SEE A.

35:17 FOCUS ON AND I JUST WANT TO

35:18 THANK UM.

35:19 BOTH UH.

35:21 COUNCILOR MURPHY AND

35:22 COUNCILOR PLAN FOR HOLDING THIS

35:23 IMPORTANT HEARING ABOUT THIS

35:24 REALLY IMPORTANT TOPIC AND, UH

35:26 .

35:27 WE REALLY, UH.

35:28 I JUST WANT TO REALLY, UH,

35:31 EMPHASIZE THAT I APPRECIATE THE

35:33 FACT THAT.

35:34 WE NEED TO FIGHT.

35:35 FOR THOSE THAT HAVE LAST IN MY

35:38 SUFFOLK DISTRICT NINE DISTRICT.

35:40 SO THANKS VERY MUCH.

35:41 THANK YOU.

35:42 JOHN.

35:44 REPRESENTATIVE.

35:46 STEVE, YOU CAN GO NEXT.

35:50 GOOD.

35:51 GOOD MORNING ALL.

35:52 CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY.

35:53 YES.

35:54 GREAT.

35:55 THANKS.

35:56 UH.

35:56 COUNCILOR MURPHY,

35:57 COUNCILOR FLYNN, THANK YOU VERY

35:59 MUCH FOR FOR HOLDING THIS

36:01 HEARING.

36:01 UM, REP MORAN, GOOD TO SEE YOU.

36:03 THANK YOU FOR YOUR FOR.

36:04 YOUR GOOD WORDS.

36:05 JONATHAN ALVES.

36:06 UM, GREAT JOB IN TERMS

36:08 OF LAYING OUT, UH, YOU KNOW,

36:10 SOME OF THE PRINCIPLES INVOLVED

36:12 IN.

36:12 WHY WE'RE.

36:13 CONCERNED ABOUT THIS.

36:15 UM.

36:15 THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW ME KNOW

36:17 THAT.

36:17 UH, UM THAT THAT I COME FROM A

36:19 SOUTH FORUM PERSPECTIVE WHICH.

36:21 TRIES TO.

36:22 BRING TOGETHER ALL.

36:23 THE ORGANIZATIONS.

36:24 AT THE SOUTH END BOTH.

36:25 NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.

36:27 AS WELL AS NONPROFITS AS WELL

36:28 AS OUR BUSINESSES.

36:30 AND SO I CAN SAY TO YOU THAT

36:32 ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I CAN

36:34 REPRESENT HERE.

36:35 THAT HAS NOT ALREADY BEEN

36:37 SPOKEN WELL BY JOHN OR JONATHAN

36:41 IS THE WHOLE IDEA OF THE SOUTH

36:44 AND AS A PUBLIC FACILITY.

36:48 DESERT UM, IF THAT'S THE RIGHT

36:50 TERM.

36:51 UH, LET'S KEEP IN MIND THAT

36:54 WE'VE NOW HAD A CLOSED SOUTH

36:56 END LIBRARY.

36:58 FOR OVER THREE YEARS.

37:00 WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET A

37:01 LIBRARY.

37:02 BACK FOR AT.

37:02 LEAST ANOTHER 18.

37:04 MONTHS TO TWO YEARS.

37:05 SO WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT FACILITY

37:08 .

37:08 THERE IS NO.

37:10 OTHER PUBLIC FACILITY.

37:12 IN THE SOUTH.

37:13 UM WHERE COMMUNITIES CAN MEET.

37:16 WHERE UM.

37:17 THERE CAN BE RECREATION.

37:19 WHERE THERE CAN BE KIDS WHO CAN

37:21 GATHER WHERE.

37:22 SENIORS CAN.

37:23 COME TOGETHER.

37:24 SO WHILE THIS HEARING.

37:26 IS FOCUSED.

37:27 ON THE POOL AND THAT'S.

37:29 A REALLY CRITICAL ASPECT.

37:31 UM, JUST A SIDE NOTE HERE.

37:33 UH, JONATHAN SAID HE'S.

37:34 BEEN HERE FOR A DOZEN YEARS.

37:36 I'VE BEEN IN THE SOUTH END FOR

37:38 A LITTLE LONGER.

37:40 UH, SO LET'S SAY.

37:41 THREE DECADES AND THE.

37:44 SAME EXPERIENCE IN TERMS OF THE

37:46 POOL.

37:46 I RECALL ONE SHORT PERIOD.

37:48 OF TIME WHEN IT WAS.

37:49 REOPENED UH, ALMOST THREE

37:51 DECADES AGO AND THEN IT CLOSED.

37:53 DOWN QUICKLY.

37:54 AND NEVER REOPENED.

37:56 UM, SO WE'VE.

37:57 BEEN WITHOUT THAT.

37:58 POOL IN THE.

37:59 BLACKSTONE UH, COMMUNITY CENTER

38:01 FOR QUITE.

38:02 A LONG TIME.

38:03 BUT THE LARGER ISSUE WHICH I

38:05 THINK.

38:06 ALL OF US ARE AWARE OF.

38:07 IS THAT THE BLACKSTONE.

38:08 COMMUNITY CENTER ITSELF.

38:10 WHICH IS THE OLD BLACKSTONE

38:13 SCHOOL.

38:14 IS IN DESPERATE.

38:16 DESPERATE NEED OF A RENOVATION.

38:18 AND EVERY YEAR NEIGHBORHOOD

38:21 ASSOCIATIONS PUT IT ON THE

38:23 AGENDA.

38:24 AS A PRIORITY FOR.

38:25 FUNDING BY THE CITY COUNCIL ON

38:27 THE CAPITAL BUDGET.

38:28 AND EVERY YEAR.

38:29 IT GETS IGNORED.

38:32 SO I REALLY.

38:33 WANT TO.

38:33 SAY THAT FROM A SOUTH END.

38:37 FACILITY PERSPECTIVE.

38:40 WE NEED TO MAKE THIS A.

38:42 REAL PRIORITY NOT JUST BECAUSE

38:44 OF THE POOL WHICH I THINK IS

38:46 CRUCIAL BUT ALSO BECAUSE THE.

38:49 THE COMMUNITY CENTER THAT

38:51 HOUSES.

38:51 THAT POOL.

38:52 IS NOT GOING TO.

38:53 BE ABLE TO HOUSE A BRAND.

38:55 NEW POOL.

38:56 UNLESS WE DO SOME MAJOR

38:57 STRUCTURAL RENOVATIONS ON THAT

38:59 COMMUNITY CENTER.

39:00 I WILL TELL YOU THE.

39:01 LAST TIME I HELD A MEETING AT

39:03 THAT COMMUNITY CENTER, WE HAD

39:04 TO LEAVE.

39:05 HALFWAY THROUGH THE MEETING

39:07 BECAUSE THE HEAT COULD.

39:08 NOT BE TURNED.

39:09 DOWN AND WE WERE AND.

39:11 PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY SWEATING

39:12 IN THE MEETING.

39:13 UM, THAT'S THE LEVEL OF.

39:15 INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEMS THAT WE

39:17 SEE AT THE BLACKSTONE COMMUNITY

39:19 CENTER.

39:20 SO I WANT TO EMPHASIZE.

39:22 HOW IMPORTANT.

39:23 IT IS TO THE SOUTH END THAT WE

39:24 GET TREATED FAIRLY IN.

39:27 TERMS OF FACILITIES.

39:29 WE HAVE ONLY FIRE STATIONS WHAT

39:32 POLICE STATION AND SCHOOLS.

39:35 AND NO OTHER COMMUNITY.

39:39 FACILITIES THAT ACTUALLY SERVE

39:41 .

39:42 THE 3030.

39:43 2000 RESIDENTS.

39:45 OF THE SOUTH END.

39:47 SO I REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE

39:48 HOW IMPORTANT IT.

39:49 IS AS.

39:50 A MATTER OF BASIC.

39:51 FAIRNESS THAT THE SOUTH END BE

39:53 TREATED WELL IN TERMS.

39:55 OF GETTING.

39:55 THIS FIXED, I REALLY APPRECIATE

39:57 IT.

39:58 UH, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY

39:59 QUESTIONS.

40:00 UM.

40:00 THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE.

40:03 OPPORTUNITY TO, UH TO SPEAK

40:04 TO YOU ALL.

40:04 THANKS SO MUCH.

40:07 THANK YOU.

40:08 BOTH OF YOU.

40:08 UM.

40:09 WE DO HAVE ONE OTHER PERSON.

40:11 FOR PUBLIC.

40:12 TESTIMONY SEPARATE.

40:13 FROM PANELIST.

40:14 SO BEFORE WE GO.

40:15 TO THAT, IF ANY OF MY.

40:16 COLLEAGUES WOULD LIKE TO ASK

40:17 ANY QUESTIONS DIRECTLY TO THIS.

40:19 COMMUNITY PANEL.

40:20 COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOU HAVE THE

40:21 FLOOR.

40:21 YOU KNOW.

40:22 I KNOW YOU.

40:22 ALSO HAVE SOME LETTERS THAT.

40:24 WERE MENTIONED.

40:25 JONATHAN.

40:25 THANK YOU.

40:26 I THINK YOU SAW THEM COME IN

40:28 TO OF.

40:28 YOU KNOW.

40:30 COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WE

40:31 WANT TO GET SOME OF THEIR

40:32 POINTS ON THE RECORD SO IF

40:34 COUNCIL FLYNN IF YOU'D LIKE TO.

40:37 YEAH I.

40:38 BEFORE I ASK QUESTIONS I WANT

40:39 TO SAY THANK YOU TO UM STEVE

40:41 FOX TO UM TO REPRESENTATIVE

40:46 JOHN AND TO INTO JONATHAN AS

40:48 WELL THREE THREE INDIVIDUALS

40:52 THAT CONSTANTLY ADVOCATE FOR

40:56 THE SOUTH END AND ROXBURY

40:59 RESIDENTS BUT.

41:01 YOU KNOW, HAVE TREMENDOUS

41:03 RESPECT FOR YOU AND FOR YOUR

41:06 ADVOCACY ESPECIALLY YOUR

41:07 ADVOCACY FOR.

41:09 COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.

41:11 THEY'RE PART OF OUR

41:13 NEIGHBORHOOD.

41:14 THEY CONTRIBUTE GREATLY TO OUR

41:16 CITY AND THEY'RE WHAT THEY'RE

41:19 ASKING FOR IS A LITTLE BIT

41:21 OF RESPECT.

41:22 THEY'RE ASKING FOR A LITTLE BIT

41:23 OF JUSTICE AND THEY'RE ASKING

41:26 FOR THE SAME DECENCY IN AS

41:31 STEVE FOX MENTIONED, THE SAME

41:33 BASIC.

41:33 CITY SERVICES THAT OTHER

41:35 NEIGHBORHOODS RECEIVE.

41:37 IS THAT IS THAT REALLY A LOT TO

41:39 ASK FOR?

41:41 UM, I DON'T THINK SO.

41:43 BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU

41:45 TO STEVE AND TO AND TO JONATHAN

41:47 AND AND TO JOHN UM, FOR ALWAYS

41:50 BEING THERE FOR FOR THE SOUTH

41:52 END RESIDENTS.

41:53 UM.

41:55 LET ME LET ME.

41:57 ASK LET ME START WITH STEVE

41:58 FOX.

42:01 UM AND THEN AND THEN I'LL GIVE

42:02 AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MY OTHER

42:03 COLLEAGUES.

42:04 STEVE I RECEIVED A LOT

42:05 OF LETTERS AND JONATHAN ELVES

42:07 UM, HIGHLIGHTED IT TO JONATHAN

42:09 SAID HE HE RECEIVED HE TALKED

42:11 ABOUT 50 PEOPLE ALL ABOUT THIS

42:13 ISSUE ADVOCATING FOR FOR IT TO

42:16 BE OPEN.

42:17 I RECEIVED A LETTER HERE FROM

42:18 VANESSA CALDERON,

42:21 WELL-RESPECTED LEADER IN OUR

42:22 COMMUNITY.

42:23 UM, I RECEIVED LETTERS FROM THE

42:25 SOUTH END UM SOCCER PROGRAM,

42:28 THE FRIENDS OF THE BLACKSTONE

42:30 SCHOOL AS WELL.

42:33 UM BUT STEVE, WE.

42:34 SPOKE EARLIER ABOUT HOW

42:36 CRITICAL IT IS FOR SWIMMING

42:38 LESSONS FOR CHILDREN ALL

42:40 CHILDREN TO RECEIVE SWIMMING

42:41 LESSONS, ESPECIALLY.

42:42 CHILDREN OF COLOR THAT MIGHT

42:44 NOT HAVE ACCESS THIS IT'S VERY

42:47 CHALLENGING, STEVE, FOR SOUTH

42:49 BEND RESIDENTS TO GET TO

42:51 ANOTHER SWIMMING POOL TO GET

42:53 SWIMMING SWIMMING LESSONS AND.

42:57 WE REALLY HAVEN'T DEVELOPED A

42:58 PLAN TO ENSURE SOUTH END

43:01 RESIDENTS HAVE THAT OPTION.

43:03 THAT'S HOW CRITICAL A SWIMMING

43:05 POOL IS.

43:06 SO I GUESS MY MY QUESTION TO.

43:08 YOU STEVE.

43:09 IS.

43:11 UM WHAT WHAT CAN WE.

43:12 DO AS AS A NEIGHBORHOOD TO STAY

43:15 ACTIVE, TO STAY ENGAGED, TO

43:18 CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR SOUTH

43:21 END RESIDENTS TO SHORE.

43:23 TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE TREATED

43:25 WITH RESPECT?

43:27 WELL THANKS COUNCILOR.

43:29 UM, I.

43:30 THINK THAT THE SOUTH.

43:31 END HAS ENDED UP.

43:33 UM, TRYING TO UM, FIND.

43:36 SOLUTIONS OF NECESSITY.

43:39 UM UM AS A RESULT.

43:40 OF THE LACK OF UH THE

43:42 FACILITIES.

43:42 FOR.

43:43 EXAMPLE ON ON THIS ISSUE.

43:45 IN TERMS OF POOLS.

43:47 UM AND.

43:48 I WANT TO BE SURE THAT

43:49 EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT IT'S

43:50 NOT JUST SWIMMING, IT'S.

43:51 ALSO CREATING A.

43:52 GATHERING SPOT FOR YOUNG KIDS

43:55 TO BE.

43:55 ABLE.

43:56 TO COME TOGETHER NOT ONLY AND

43:58 LEARN.

43:58 SWIMMING, BUT.

43:59 TO BE ABLE.

44:00 TO ENGAGE AND FIND A PLACE

44:02 WHERE THEY CAN.

44:03 FEEL COMFORTABLE, SAFE AND CAN

44:05 ENGAGE.

44:05 IN A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT

44:06 ACTIVITIES.

44:08 BEFORE THE SWIMMING.

44:09 UM AND AFTER THE SWIMMING.

44:11 SO UH, KEEP IN MIND THAT THAT

44:13 WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FIXING THIS

44:15 POOL WE'RE NOT JUST.

44:16 TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE SITTING IN

44:18 THE POOL AND LEARNING SWIMMING

44:19 .

44:19 THERE'S A BUNCH.

44:20 OF ACTIVITIES ADJACENT TO THAT.

44:22 THAT ARE IMPORTANT.

44:23 UM, SO WHAT WE'VE.

44:24 DONE IS.

44:25 WE'VE REACHED.

44:25 OUT TO PLACES LIKE THE Y AND

44:28 UM, YOU KNOW, WE USED TWO YEARS

44:30 AGO UM, AND THIS IS.

44:32 WE'RE GOING BACK QUITE A WAYS.

44:34 WE ACTUALLY WENT TO THE

44:35 SHERATON IN THAT DAY.

44:37 AND ASKED IF WE COULD

44:38 POSSIBLY CUT A DEAL FOR SOUTH

44:40 BEND RESIDENTS RESIDENT KIDS,

44:42 UH, TO BE ABLE TO USE THE POOL

44:44 THERE.

44:45 UM, WE WEREN'T.

44:46 ABLE TO CUT A DEAL, BUT.

44:47 THAT'S THE.

44:48 KIND OF THING THAT WE'VE

44:49 BEEN FORCED TO DO OVER.

44:50 TIME IN ORDER TO TRY TO SERVE

44:52 OUR COMMUNITY AS NEIGHBORHOOD

44:54 PEOPLE.

44:55 UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE.

44:57 WHY OF.

44:57 COURSE HAS BEEN.

44:58 TREMENDOUSLY RESPONSIVE AND.

44:59 THAT'S OVER BY NORTHEASTERN AND

45:00 THAT'S GREAT AND THEY'RE

45:02 TERRIFIC BUT THERE'S NOTHING

45:03 THAT REALLY.

45:05 IS AS UM AS FAIR.

45:08 AS HAVING A FACILITY.

45:10 WHERE KIDS CAN FEEL LIKE THEY

45:11 CAN GO AND LEARN AND BE.

45:13 TOGETHER AND FEEL SAFE.

45:15 UM, SO.

45:17 I THINK I THINK IN RESPONSE TO

45:19 YOUR QUESTION, COUNSELOR.

45:21 UH, WE'VE.

45:21 WE'VE BASICALLY BEEN TRYING

45:24 EVERYTHING WE CAN.

45:26 TO TRY.

45:27 TO IDENTIFY.

45:28 POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS.

45:29 WHILE WE DON'T HAVE.

45:31 OUR OWN SOLUTION.

45:32 SO THAT'S WHY IT'S REALLY.

45:33 IMPORTANT THAT.

45:34 THIS BE TREATED AS PRIORITY

45:36 SO THAT WE UH THAT WE AREN'T,

45:38 UH, ALWAYS COMING HAT IN HAND.

45:40 THANKS.

45:41 AND THANK YOU, STEVE AND.

45:43 I.

45:44 I APPRECIATE.

45:45 THOSE COMMENTS AND RESPECT.

45:46 THE WORK.

45:47 YOU HAVE DONE.

45:48 AND STEVE, YOU MENTIONED YOU

45:50 HIGHLIGHTED THE SWIMMING BUT

45:52 ALSO THE BUILDING.

45:53 THE STRUCTURE ITSELF.

45:55 I WAS THERE RECENTLY WITH I

45:57 BELIEVE WITH JOHN MORAN WE WERE

45:58 THERE FOR UH A YOUTH EVENT AS

46:03 IT RELATES TO PAINTING OF A

46:05 MURAL.

46:06 UM UM IT WAS IT WAS A.

46:07 BEAUTIFUL MURAL.

46:08 DONE BY UM YOUNG PEOPLE,

46:10 YOUNG TEENS UM FROM MANY FROM

46:13 THE VILLAGE VICTORIA AREA AND

46:14 THEY DID A WONDERFUL JOB.

46:17 UM BUT YOU ARE EXACTLY RIGHT.

46:19 THE THE BUILDING ITSELF IS IS

46:22 IN DESPERATE NEED

46:23 OF INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS

46:24 .

46:24 UM, SO I WANT TO ASK UM, REP

46:28 MORAN JOHN, YOU YOU SPEND A LOT

46:32 OF TIME IN THAT AREA WITH THOSE

46:35 WITH THE YOUTH.

46:36 UM, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO IN

46:39 TERMS OF ADVOCATING FOR NOT

46:42 JUST A POOL BUT ALSO FOR, UM,

46:46 INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS TO

46:47 THE TO THE FACILITY ITSELF?

46:50 UM, THE PLAYGROUND THE THE

46:53 OUTSIDE THE COURTYARD IT'S

46:54 CONNECTED TO THE SCHOOL I WAS

46:57 THERE FOR OPENING I THINK YOU

46:58 WERE THERE AS WELL FOR OPENING

46:59 DAY.

47:00 FOR SCHOOL.

47:00 UM, WE GO TO THAT PANCAKE

47:02 BREAKFAST ALL THE TIME BUT.

47:05 THEY HAVE.

47:05 THEY HAVE THE EXCELLENT

47:08 PRINCIPAL, UM, MICHELLE BECK.

47:10 SHE'S DOING A WONDERFUL JOB.

47:12 BUT WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO?

47:14 UM, REP MORAN AND I KNOW YOU'VE

47:16 YOU'VE DONE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT

47:17 OF WORK IN THIS FIELD, BUT I

47:18 JUST WANT TO ASK WHAT YOUR

47:20 THOUGHTS ARE.

47:21 YEAH.

47:22 NO THANKS, COUNSELOR.

47:23 I GUESS ONE THING THAT COMES

47:24 TO MIND IS THAT TO YOUR POINT,

47:25 WE HAVE AN AMAZING NEW WELL,

47:27 SHE'S BEEN THERE, UM, TWO YEARS

47:29 OR THREE YEARS.

47:30 UH, COURTNEY SHUKMAN SHE'S

47:31 SHE'S A PHENOMENAL UH, SHE'S

47:35 SHE'S A SUPER HUMAN IN MY IN MY

47:36 BOOK, UM, IN WHAT SHE'S DOING

47:38 WITH THAT SCHOOL AND IF YOU GO

47:40 THROUGH THE SCHOOL FOR THE

47:41 EVENTS THAT WE GO TO WHETHER IT

47:42 BE THE UH.

47:43 THE BOOK.

47:44 READING THING WE GO TO A

47:45 COUNSELOR AND AND JONATHAN, I

47:47 KNOW YOU GO TO THOSE TWO FOR

47:48 THE PANCAKE BREAKFAST UH, OR

47:50 OTHER THINGS IF YOU KNOW IF

47:53 THERE'S SOME DEFINITE SPIRIT

47:54 AND THEN THEN WE HAVE THE

47:56 FRIENDS OF THE BLACKSTONE WHO.

47:57 DO IT DO A YEOMAN'S JOB.

47:59 YEAH.

48:01 OF OF TRYING TO BRING

48:02 RESOURCES TO THE SCHOOL.

48:04 SO I GUESS I WOULD SAY THAT

48:06 WHEN I LOOK AT THE HURLEY

48:07 SCHOOL I SAY, WELL WHY ARE

48:11 THERE SO MANY RESOURCES AT

48:12 HURLEY?

48:13 AND SO THEY RAISE $100,000 A

48:14 YEAR FOR THE SCHOOL ITSELF.

48:16 UH, AND WHY WHY SO I GUESS IT'S

48:19 A LONG WAY OF SAYING I THINK WE

48:21 CAN SOMEHOW BOLSTER THE.

48:22 FRIENDS OF BLACKSTONE AND

48:24 ADVERTISE.

48:24 THE MORE.

48:25 I KNOW THAT THEY'RE AT ONE

48:27 POINT LAST YEAR WE INVITED THEM

48:28 TO THE SOUTH BEND FORUM.

48:29 THEY WERE GOING TO COME I THINK

48:31 IF WE COULD JUST BOLSTER THEM

48:32 AND AND BOOST BOOST THEM

48:34 ECONOMICALLY AND JUST

48:36 SPIRITUALLY TO KIND OF GET THEM

48:37 GOING.

48:37 AND I THINK.

48:39 THE NEXT STEP IS FOR THEM TO

48:41 ALSO FOCUSED ON THE ON THE POOL

48:43 ITSELF.

48:43 I THINK THEY COULD BE A HUGE

48:44 ASSET OR A NUMBER OF WONDERFUL

48:46 PEOPLE ON THAT ORGANIZATION.

48:47 BUT I WENT TO A FUNDRAISER FOR

48:49 THEM AND I'M JUST GONNA BE

48:50 HONEST THE THE THE GOAL WAS

48:51 LIKE $5,000 FOR THE HURLEY THE

48:54 SCHOOL IS $100,000.

48:55 BUT I DO HAVE A STORY.

48:57 THAT I LISTEN I LISTEN TO THE

48:59 ELDERS.

49:00 UM UH.

49:01 PEOPLE OLDER.

49:02 THAN ME I SHOULD SAY AT THIS

49:03 POINT THAT BUT BUT.

49:05 THEY LISTEN.

49:06 TO FOLKS AND THEY SAY THAT

49:09 HURLEY SCHOOL WAS ONCE SIMILAR

49:12 TO BLACKSTONE IN TERMS OF.

49:14 NEEDING MORE RESOURCES.

49:16 AND SO IF WE.

49:18 IF WE SORT OF.

49:19 LOOK AT IT AS WE DID IT.

49:21 WITH HURLEY, WE PUT IN A PARENT

49:22 TEACHER ORGANIZATION, WE.

49:23 PUT IN THE RESOURCES.

49:24 THERE'S SO MUCH FOCUS SO KNOW I

49:27 DON'T WANT TO CO-MINGLE THE.

49:28 SCHOOL WITH THE.

49:29 DCF CENTER.

49:30 BUT I DO THINK THEY'RE SOMEWHAT

49:31 RELATED AND I.

49:32 THINK A.

49:33 TACTICAL THING WE CAN DO.

49:35 IS PUT SOME ENERGY AND SUPPORT

49:37 BEHIND THE FRIENDS OF BLACK.

49:40 .

49:41 THANK YOU.

49:41 THANK YOU JOHN.

49:43 UM I DO WANT TO ASK UM A.

49:47 QUICK QUESTION TO MY.

49:48 TO MY FRIEND JONATHAN AS WELL.

49:51 JONATHAN WHAT YOU WHAT YOU.

49:54 HIGHLIGHTED AT THE BEGINNING

49:55 REALLY RESONATED WITH ME IS YOU

49:58 SAID YOU KNOW, MANY PEOPLE MANY

50:02 FAMILIES AND THE BLACKS IN THE

50:04 SOUTH AND DON'T HAVE THE

50:06 ABILITY.

50:07 TO TAKE THEIR.

50:08 KIDS TO PRIVATE SWIMMING

50:09 LESSONS AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS

50:13 IT'S THE JOB OF GOVERNMENT TO

50:15 STEP IN TO PROVIDE THAT

50:18 CRITICAL SUPPORT.

50:18 I BELIEVE I WAS FORTUNATE

50:21 ENOUGH MY WIFE AND I WERE

50:22 FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SEND OUR

50:23 KIDS TO PRIVATE SWIMMING

50:25 LESSONS.

50:26 UM, I THINK THAT'S WHY IT'S

50:29 CRITICAL THAT EVERY KID

50:30 REGARDLESS OF IF YOU HAVE ANY

50:33 MONEY YOU SHOULD GET SWIMMING

50:35 LESSONS.

50:36 YOU SHOULD HAVE A SAFE PLACE

50:37 TO, UH, SWIM IN A BCI FACILITY.

50:42 UM, AND I KNOW THE IMPORTANT

50:44 WORK YOU ARE DOING.

50:45 JONATHAN.

50:46 WHAT CAN WE DO?

50:47 WHAT CAN YOU DO.

50:49 AS A COMMUNITY LEADER.

50:50 TO ENSURE THAT WE STAY ENGAGED?

50:53 WE STAY.

50:54 ON TOP OF THIS ISSUE.

50:55 BUT WE ALSO.

50:57 EDUCATE MORE PEOPLE ABOUT

50:58 WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THIS

51:00 FACILITY.

51:00 AND I KNOW YOU CONTINUE TO DO

51:02 THAT BUT JUST WANT TO SEE WHAT

51:03 YOU HAVE THOUGHTS ARE.

51:05 UH I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION.

51:07 UM I'LL JUST MAKE A COMMENT

51:09 THEN I'LL OFFER SOME IDEAS.

51:11 UH, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

51:14 MANY FAMILIES IN THE SOUTH AND

51:15 ROXBURY DO NOT HAVE THE MEANS

51:18 TO ACCESS PRIVATE SWIM LESSONS

51:21 OR PRIVATE FACILITIES.

51:23 UM, YOU KNOW, THIS REALLY

51:24 SPEAKS PERSONALLY TO ME.

51:26 UH, MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT I AM

51:28 THE, YOU KNOW, SON OF AN

51:30 IMMIGRANT FATHER WHO WAS ONE

51:31 OF NINE WHO CAME OVER AND FROM

51:34 PORTUGAL IN THE 1960S.

51:37 MY GRANDPARENTS TOOK NINE KIDS

51:38 OVER HERE.

51:39 UH, THEY WERE ILLITERATE.

51:40 MY FATHER HAD A FOURTH GRADE

51:42 EDUCATION AND YOU KNOW, THEY

51:44 WORKED TRADITIONAL JOBS FROM

51:46 FIRST GEN PEOPLE.

51:47 RIGHT.

51:48 UH, JUST TRYING TO MAKE THEIR

51:50 WAY.

51:52 MY FATHER HAD THREE SONS.

51:53 I'M THE OLDEST OF THREE.

51:55 UH, AND HE DID HIS BEST TO

51:57 CREATE OPPORTUNITY FOR US.

51:59 UH, WE DIDN'T HAVE PRIVATE

52:01 LESSONS, BUT WE HAD ACCESS

52:03 WHERE I GREW UP IN CENTRAL MASS

52:05 TO SOME SWIMMING PLACES AND WE

52:06 WOULD GO THERE AND HE DIDN'T

52:08 EVEN REALLY KNOW HOW TO SWIM

52:09 BUT YOU KNOW, CONNECTED WITH

52:11 SOME PEOPLE.

52:11 AND NOW HE HAS THREE SONS WHO

52:14 TO LIVE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON,

52:17 UH, WORK IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR

52:19 AND A YOUNGER BROTHER WHO RUNS

52:20 PLANNING FOR THE CITY

52:21 OF ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA.

52:22 SO IT'S A IN SOME WAYS A

52:24 SUCCESS STORY FOR IMMIGRATION

52:26 AND OPPORTUNITY REALLY AND YOU

52:29 KNOW, EVEN HIS PARENTS, UH,

52:33 ALWAYS SAID THAT, YOU KNOW,

52:35 COMING FROM A DICTATORSHIP ERA

52:37 PORTUGAL THERE'S VERY LITTLE

52:38 OPPORTUNITIES THAT EDUCATION UH

52:42 ,IS THE EQUALIZER AND THAT HAS

52:45 ALWAYS STUCK WITH ME BECAUSE

52:48 YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU

52:49 GIVE KIDS A FAIR SHOT AND A

52:52 CHANCE WHAT THEY CAN DO

52:54 REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEIR

52:55 BACKGROUND IS.

52:56 NOBODY NOBODY CHOOSES TO BE

52:57 BORN.

52:58 YOU'RE BORN INTO WHAT YOU'RE

52:59 BORN INTO.

53:01 BUT IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE AND

53:02 YOU HAVE A FOUNDATION YOU KNOW

53:06 YOU CAN YOU CAN BE SUCCESSFUL

53:07 AND I'M LIVING PROOF OF THAT

53:08 AND MY BROTHERS ARE PROOF

53:09 OF THAT.

53:11 SO THE POOL, THE COMMUNITY

53:13 CENTER THIS IS ABOUT EQUAL

53:15 OPPORTUNITY.

53:16 THIS IS ABOUT GIVING KIDS A

53:17 CHANCE, UH, TO MAKE IT AND DO

53:20 GOOD THINGS.

53:21 UH, AS A COMMUNITY LEADER, WHAT

53:24 I WOULD SAY WE CAN DO, UH, A

53:27 MORE FOCUSED JOB AROUND IS

53:31 USING OUR NEW PLATFORM AS A

53:33 COMBINED NEIGHBORHOOD

53:34 ASSOCIATION THAT HAS A LARGE

53:35 FOOTPRINT TO KEEP THIS ISSUE

53:37 FRONT AND CENTER TO MAKE SURE

53:40 THAT WE HAVE A CONTINUED, UH,

53:42 ELECTED REPRESENTATION ON OUR

53:44 CALLS, WHICH WE HISTORICALLY

53:46 HAVE.

53:46 SO I THINK, YOU KNOW,

53:47 COUNCILOR FITZGERALD, UH, FLYNN

53:49 MURPHY, REP MORAN, STEVE FOX

53:51 AND THE FORUM FOR BEING THERE,

53:54 UH, HELPING TO USE OUR PLATFORM

53:56 TO ELEVATE THE ORGANIZATIONS

53:57 LIKE THE FRIENDS OF BLACKSTONE

53:59 SCHOOL BECAUSE I DO THINK THEY

54:00 ARE CONNECTED AS REP MORAN SAID

54:01 .

54:02 AND STEVE SAID, UH, THE OTHER

54:04 THING THAT UH, HAS UH SURPRISED

54:08 ME AND MAYBE IT SHOULDN'T HAVE

54:09 BUT UH, MANY OF US ARE WELL

54:11 AWARE OF THE PRIVATE SCHOOL

54:13 THAT OPENED IN THE SOUTH END

54:15 UNDER THE THE CROFT AND THE

54:16 ISSUES THAT HAPPENED THERE AND

54:17 NOW THE NEW SCHOOL SOUTH AND

54:18 VILLAGE ACADEMY UH, WHO JUST

54:21 GOT SOME ZONING APPROVAL TO

54:23 REMAIN UH THE PLACE ON 1511

54:25 WASHINGTON I WOULD LIKE TO SAY

54:27 THAT UH THAT ORGANIZATION WHEN

54:30 THE SCHOOL IS IN FINANCIAL

54:30 TROUBLE TO RESTART RALLIED A

54:32 LOT OF PARENTS.

54:34 YEAH AND A LOT OF MONEY TO KEEP

54:37 IT GOING AND TO STAY AND WHAT

54:41 POTENTIALLY STARTED OFF AS A

54:42 LITTLE BIT OF A ROCKY

54:43 RELATIONSHIP I THINK IS

54:44 ACTUALLY STARTED TO UM STARTED

54:49 TO IMPROVE.

54:50 MANY OF THE LETTERS THAT CAME

54:51 IN TODAY WERE FROM PARENTS AND

54:53 ADMINISTRATION FROM THE SOUTH

54:55 BEND VILLAGE ACADEMY.

54:56 YOU KNOW THEY HAVE KIDS TO

54:58 THEIR RESIDENTS NOW MAYBE THEIR

55:01 BACKGROUNDS ARE DIFFERENT THAN

55:01 SOME OF THE OTHER KIDS BUT THEY

55:03 HAVE RESOURCES AND UH, I'VE

55:07 COMMUNICATED WITH THEIR HEAD

55:08 OF SCHOOL AND THEY'RE COMMITTED

55:09 TO THIS TO SO I THINK LEANING

55:12 ON THE SOUTH BEND VILLAGE

55:13 ACADEMY AND THE NETWORK THAT

55:15 THEY HAVE WHETHER IT'S UH

55:19 FUNDING OR UH EXPERTISE COULD

55:23 BE SOMETHING THAT THAT WE COULD

55:25 WE COULD LEVERAGE UM BECAUSE

55:27 I'VE BEEN PRETTY IMPRESSED WITH

55:29 THE RALLYING THAT THAT THEY DID

55:31 WITH A PRETTY SHORT NOTICE UH,

55:34 TO PUT ATTENTION ON THIS UM,

55:36 AND I THINK THAT SPEAKS TO TO

55:38 THE FACT OF EQUALITY.

55:39 I MEAN, MAYBE THOSE KIDS HAVE

55:42 PRIVATE SCHOOLS THAT THEY CAN

55:43 GO TO.

55:43 MAYBE THEY DON'T BUT THEY

55:45 RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF UH

55:47 OF THE OPPORTUNITY.

55:50 SO JUST TO SUMMARIZE, I THINK

55:53 WHAT I CAN DO IS CONTINUE TO

55:55 USE MY PLATFORM IN CONJUNCTION

55:57 WITH THE SOUTH END FORUM TO

56:00 ELEVATE UH, THE FRIENDS GROUPS.

56:03 I THINK THAT WE CAN UH,

56:06 LEVERAGE OUR CONNECTIONS WITH

56:08 PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS LIKE THIS

56:10 OR I THINK THEY'RE NONPROFIT

56:11 NOW BUT SOUTHERN VILLAGE

56:12 ACADEMY AND TAP INTO SOME

56:14 OF THOSE RESOURCES BECAUSE I

56:16 THINK THE MONEY IS THERE.

56:17 I THINK THE TALENT IS THERE.

56:19 WE JUST NEED TO KEEP THE UH,

56:21 FOOT ON THE GAS AND KEEP THIS

56:23 ISSUE FRONT AND CENTER AND GET

56:24 THIS DONE.

56:24 I KNOW THAT WE CAN DO IT.

56:26 SO THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SAY.

56:27 WELL WELL THANK.

56:28 YOU JONATHAN AND I'M GOING

56:29 TO PASS IT ALONG TO MY OTHER

56:31 COLLEAGUES TO SEE IF THEY HAVE

56:33 OR IF THAT'S UP TO THE CHAIR TO

56:34 SEE IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS.

56:35 BUT I DO WANT TO LET STEVE KNOW

56:38 AND JONATHAN KNOW AND UH, THE

56:40 REPRESENTATIVE NO UM LATER

56:42 LATER IN THIS HEARING I WILL

56:44 READ INTO THE RECORD UM, A

56:46 LETTER FROM VANESSA CALLED THE

56:48 RHONE WHO'S THE, UH, PRESIDENT

56:51 OF IBA.

56:52 I'M GOING TO READ INTO THE

56:53 RECORD A LETTER OF SUPPORT AS

56:56 WELL FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL AS

57:01 YOU MENTIONED, JONATHAN AT THE

57:02 SOUTH END VILLAGE ACADEMY,

57:05 CHRISTINA LOPEZ AND I'M GOING

57:07 TO BE SPEAKING WITH HER LATER

57:08 THIS AFTERNOON.

57:09 I ALSO HAVE A LETTER I'M GOING

57:11 TO READ INTO THE RECORD FROM

57:13 THE FRIENDS OF THE BLACKSTONE

57:15 SCHOOL AS WELL.

57:17 UM, AND FROM THE PRESIDENT

57:20 OF THE SOCCER UNITY PROJECT.

57:23 UM I HAVE OTHER LETTERS BUT IN

57:26 THE INTEREST OF TIME I'M ONLY

57:27 GOING TO READ THESE FOR LATER

57:29 ON IN THE HEARING.

57:30 BUT I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU

57:31 THREE KNOW THAT, UH, I AGREE

57:33 WITH YOU.

57:33 THERE'S A LOT OF SUPPORT IN

57:35 THIS COMMUNITY FOR US GOING

57:37 FORWARD AND WHAT I'M GOING TO

57:39 DO JUST SO YOU THREE KNOW, IS

57:43 WE'LL CONTINUE HAVING THIS

57:45 MEETING.

57:46 UM, BUT AT SOME POINT, UM,

57:49 MAYBE MAYBE IN NOVEMBER I THINK

57:52 WE HAVE TO RECONVENE WITH THE

57:54 CITY COUNCIL MEETING AGAIN WITH

57:56 PUBLIC WITH PUBLIC SCHOOLS

57:58 THERE, UH, WITH THE SUPPORT

58:00 OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, WITH THE

58:02 SUPPORT OF CITY OFFICIALS, UM,

58:05 SUPPORT OF YOURSELF AS WELL.

58:06 HAVE ANOTHER MEETING WHERE WE

58:08 CAN DISCUSS THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE

58:12 AND HOW WE MOVE FORWARD.

58:14 AND I THINK PART OF HOW WE MOVE

58:16 FORWARD IS EFFECTIVELY

58:19 COMMUNICATING, BEING RESPECTFUL

58:20 TO EACH OTHER AND ENSURING THAT

58:23 THERE'S MONEY IN THE BUDGET SO

58:24 WE CAN MOVE FORWARD TO TO FIX

58:27 THE POOL.

58:28 I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE

58:31 IF WE'RE COMMITTED TO DOING TO

58:32 FIXING THE POOL WE CAN GET IT

58:34 DONE.

58:35 I'M CONFIDENT OF THAT.

58:37 BUT IF WE DON'T WANT TO GET IT

58:38 DONE AND WE WANT TO GIVE

58:39 EXCUSES OF WHY WE CAN'T UH GET

58:42 IT DONE THEN THAT'S THAT'S

58:43 ANOTHER AVENUE THAT PEOPLE CAN

58:45 TAKE BUT THAT'S NOT THE AVENUE

58:46 I'M GOING TO TAKE.

58:48 UM BUT I'M GOING TO DO

58:49 EVERYTHING I POSSIBLY CAN TO

58:51 GET THIS POOL REOPENED AND I

58:54 WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO

58:55 JONATHAN.

58:56 I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO

58:57 STEVE AND I WANT TO SAY THANK

58:59 YOU TO JOHN AS WELL FOR, UH,

59:01 BEING STRONG LEADERS AND

59:04 TREMENDOUS ADVOCATES FOR THE

59:05 SOUTH END.

59:06 UM, I'M GOING TO GIVE UM GIVE

59:08 IT BACK TO THE CHAIR.

59:09 THANK YOU.

59:11 COUNCILOR FLYNN.

59:12 I DID JUST ALSO WANT TO

59:15 REITERATE AS THE CHAIR OF THE

59:18 COMMITTEE WHICH WILL HOLD

59:19 HEARINGS ON.

59:21 POOLS AND COMMUNITY.

59:22 CENTERS ACROSS THE CITY THAT

59:24 I'M ALSO COMMITTED BECAUSE

59:25 SEEING AS THOUGH THE

59:26 ADMINISTRATION CHOSE TO.

59:28 SCHEDULE AFTER THIS WAS ALREADY

59:29 NOTICED AND THEY WERE INVITED A

59:31 CELEBRATION.

59:32 THAT WE WILL.

59:33 KEEP THIS IN COMMITTEE AND

59:35 RESCHEDULE A HEARING AND.

59:36 IF YOU ARE OKAY WITH IT AND I

59:38 KNOW COUNCIL.

59:38 FITZGERALD YOU ARE ALSO A LEAD

59:40 SPONSOR HAVING THIS NEXT

59:42 MEETING IN THE COMMUNITY WE CAN

59:44 HAVE IT EITHER AT THE

59:45 BLACKSTONE SCHOOL I KNOW LAST

59:47 YEAR WE.

59:48 GOT A WELL ATTENDED MEETING.

59:49 WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.

59:51 YOU KNOW, THE MASS AND CASS.

59:53 ISSUES THERE.

59:54 SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT

59:55 THAT WE HAVE IT IN THE EVENING

59:56 IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE SO

59:58 MANY PEOPLE LIKE YOU MENTIONED

59:59 ARE AT WORK AND NOT ABLE TO BE

1:00:01 HERE.

1:00:01 AND I THINK.

1:00:02 THAT TO GET.

1:00:04 THE ATTENTION OF MANY WHO SEEM

1:00:06 TO THINK THAT THIS MAY NOT BE

1:00:08 WORTH THEIR POLITICAL CAPITAL

1:00:10 TO ADVOCATE FOR THIS RESOURCE

1:00:12 THAT'S SO NEEDED IN THIS

1:00:13 COMMUNITY THAT.

1:00:15 IF WE SHOW THAT PEOPLE WILL

1:00:16 SHOW UP.

1:00:16 AND THAT'S SOMETHING YOU ALL DO

1:00:19 SO WELL AND JUST QUICKLY WANT

1:00:22 TO MENTION LAST I THINK IT WAS

1:00:24 JUST LAST YEAR WHEN.

1:00:24 WE WERE.

1:00:25 CELEBRATING THE NEIGHBORHOOD

1:00:27 GROUPS KIND.

1:00:28 OF FORMING TOGETHER.

1:00:28 YOU INDIVIDUALLY.

1:00:30 DO GREAT WORK BUT ALSO.

1:00:31 KNOW THAT WHEN YOU COME

1:00:32 TOGETHER MORE CAN GET DONE.

1:00:34 I THINK I'VE QUICKLY TOLD THIS

1:00:36 STORY UM.

1:00:37 HOW BACK WHEN MY.

1:00:39 GRANDMOTHER AND.

1:00:40 GRANDFATHER UM STARTED THE HILL

1:00:43 NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.

1:00:44 BACK IN THE.

1:00:45 60S AND KNEW THAT THAT LANDFILL

1:00:48 IN DUMP THERE WHICH IS NOW THE

1:00:50 MURPHY SCHOOL AND PLAYGROUNDS

1:00:52 YOU KNOW, BASEBALL YESTERDAY

1:00:53 THERE WAS JUST.

1:00:54 THE RIBBON CUTTING FOR THE

1:00:56 UPGRADES THAT THE STATE FUNDED

1:00:57 FOR THE PLAYGROUND THERE WE

1:00:59 HAVE BASEBALL FIELDS BUT IT'S

1:01:01 THE COMMUNITY CENTER IN THE

1:01:02 SCHOOL WHICH WAS GOING TO BE

1:01:04 IGNORED AND THEY WERE NEVER

1:01:05 GOING TO BUILD A SCHOOL IN A

1:01:07 COMMUNITY CENTER IN THAT

1:01:08 NEIGHBORHOOD.

1:01:09 AND MY GRANDFATHER REALIZED

1:01:11 THAT HE.

1:01:11 NEEDED TO WORK.

1:01:12 WITH OTHER PEOPLE.

1:01:13 SO HE CREATED WHICH IS STILL

1:01:15 AROUND DUNA, WHICH WAS THE

1:01:16 DORCHESTER UNITED NEIGHBORHOOD

1:01:18 ASSOCIATION, YOU KNOW, BRINGING

1:01:20 TOGETHER.

1:01:21 COMMUNITY PEOPLE AND REALLY

1:01:22 GETTING CITY HALL TO LISTEN.

1:01:24 AND IT'S SOMETHING I KNOW YOU

1:01:25 IN THE SOUTH END DO YOU SPEND

1:01:28 AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF TIME?

1:01:30 NO, DON'T I KNOW WE'RE HERE TO

1:01:31 TALK ABOUT THE BLACKSTONE IN

1:01:32 THE POOL, BUT I THINK.

1:01:34 FOR ME AS AN AT-LARGE

1:01:37 COUNCILOR LIKE I.

1:01:38 WANT IT TO BE ON THE RECORD.

1:01:40 THAT THE COUNCILORS WHO ARE.

1:01:42 HERE WHO REPRESENT.

1:01:43 THE SOUTH END BUT ALL OF YOU

1:01:44 WHO SHOW.

1:01:46 UP EVERY DAY, YOU HAVE A.

1:01:47 LOT GOING ON IN THE SALT THEN

1:01:49 RIGHT WITH.

1:01:49 THE RECOVERY.

1:01:50 ISSUES WITH THE MASS AND CAST

1:01:52 ISSUE AND THOUSANDS OF HOURS

1:01:54 ARE SPENT MONTHLY I BET JUST

1:01:56 TRYING TO MAKE YOUR COMMUNITY

1:01:58 BETTER AND THE CITY SHOULD NOT

1:02:00 TURN THEIR BACK ON SOMETHING

1:02:01 LIKE A SCHOOL AND A POOL LIKE

1:02:04 THAT TO ME EVEN THOUGH IT COSTS

1:02:06 MONEY IT IT WOULD BE SUCH A

1:02:08 POSITIVE IMPACT.

1:02:09 I DO BEFORE I PASS IT BACK.

1:02:12 TO COUNCILOR FITZGERALD.

1:02:13 MISS WANT TO STATE.

1:02:14 SOME OF THAT CAPITAL FUNDING?

1:02:16 AS YOU KNOW OUR CAPITAL.

1:02:18 FUNDING COMES OUT FOR.

1:02:19 FIVE YEAR INCREMENTS.

1:02:20 SO WHEN IT WAS THE.

1:02:22 2428 PUBLISHED PLAN, THERE WAS

1:02:26 A $2.

1:02:27 MILLION.

1:02:27 POOL PROJECT SHOWN.

1:02:28 FOR THE BLACKSTONE AND THE 25

1:02:32 FY 29.

1:02:33 CAPITAL BUDGET.

1:02:34 THERE WAS A.

1:02:34 2 MILLION AUTHORIZED WITH

1:02:36 500,000 EXISTING IN 1.5

1:02:39 MILLION.

1:02:39 ADDED IN.

1:02:40 THE 2630 CAPITAL.

1:02:43 PLAN PUBLISHED FOR THE

1:02:44 BLACKSTONE POOL.

1:02:45 IT'S A 2 MILLION AUTHORIZED.

1:02:47 THE REVISED TABLE SHOWED ZERO

1:02:49 PLANNED.

1:02:50 ON THE 2526 YEARS.

1:02:52 IN BOTH PROJECTS STILL TO BE

1:02:55 SCHEDULED WITH NO ACTUAL

1:02:57 SPENDING AT THAT POINT.

1:02:59 AND WHEN.

1:02:59 YOU LOOK AT THE 27.

1:03:01 THROUGH 31 FDI.

1:03:03 CAPITAL PLAN, THERE WAS NO.

1:03:05 BLACKSTONE POOL PROJECT.

1:03:06 THAT APPEARS.

1:03:08 AT.

1:03:08 ALL IN THE PROFILE.

1:03:09 SO THE MISSION AND THE STUDY

1:03:11 WE'RE.

1:03:12 NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED BUT

1:03:13 IT DOES NOT SHOW UP IN THE THE

1:03:15 .

1:03:16 CAPITAL BUDGET FOR THE NEXT

1:03:17 FIVE YEARS.

1:03:18 SO WE NEED TO GET IT IN THE

1:03:20 BUDGET WE NEED TO ADVOCATE.

1:03:22 WE NEED TO.

1:03:23 YOU KNOW, TRACK DOWN THE.

1:03:24 MONEY AND.

1:03:26 MAKE SURE THAT THIS COMMUNITY.

1:03:28 GETS WHAT THEY DESERVE.

1:03:29 UM THAT BEING SAID I WILL PASS.

1:03:31 IT OFF TO

1:03:32 COUNCIL FITZGERALD.

1:03:33 AND THEN.

1:03:34 COULD I.

1:03:36 MADAM CHAIR I JUST WANT TO

1:03:37 HIGHLIGHT THAT, UH, REVEREND

1:03:39 COLE PEPPER UM, DID HAVE AN

1:03:41 EMERGENCY.

1:03:42 HE WOULD HAVE BEEN HERE.

1:03:44 HE'S DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB

1:03:46 ADVOCATING AND SUPPORTING THE

1:03:47 RESIDENTS OF THE SOUTH END IN

1:03:49 ROXBURY.

1:03:49 BUT I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT

1:03:52 HE IS NOT HERE BECAUSE OF AN

1:03:54 EMERGENCY.

1:03:55 UM, WITH WITH WITH THE, UH, A

1:03:58 LOVED ONE IN HIS, UM, COMMUNITY

1:04:00 PARISH.

1:04:01 UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO PASS

1:04:03 THAT ON.

1:04:03 THANK YOU.

1:04:03 THANK YOU FOR THAT.

1:04:04 AND I.

1:04:05 OFTEN REFERRED TO HIM AS.

1:04:06 REVEREND CULPEPER, NOT

1:04:08 COUNCILOR CULPEPER.

1:04:08 AND HE DID MENTION.

1:04:10 YESTERDAY AT THE

1:04:11 COUNCIL MEETING THAT HE HAD TO

1:04:12 UM NOT HAVE TO BUT WAS GOING TO

1:04:14 BE AT A FUNERAL MASS AND I

1:04:16 THINK UM SENDING OUR PRAYERS

1:04:18 TO.

1:04:18 CULPEPER AND KNOW THAT HE IS A.

1:04:20 STRONG ADVOCATE.

1:04:21 SO THANK YOU FOR THAT

1:04:22 COUNCILOR.

1:04:22 FOR SURE.

1:04:23 THANK YOU CHAIR I DON'T HAVE

1:04:24 ANY QUESTIONS BUT I DO JUST

1:04:26 WANT TO UH, THROW MY SUPPORT

1:04:27 BEHIND THE SOUTH BEND COMMUNITY

1:04:29 AS I ALWAYS HAVE AND ALWAYS

1:04:30 WILL.

1:04:31 UM, WE'VE GOT THREE GREAT FOLKS

1:04:32 UP HERE, UH, REPRESENTING

1:04:33 COMMUNITY.

1:04:34 I WANT TO THANK AGAIN, UH, OUR

1:04:35 STATE REPRESENTATIVE JOHN MORAN

1:04:37 FOR TAKING THE TIME OUT OF WHAT

1:04:39 I KNOW WHAT ELECTED OFFICIALS

1:04:40 BUSY SCHEDULE CAN BE TO COME

1:04:41 AND TALK ABOUT A POOL.

1:04:43 UH, BUT KNOWING THE IMPORTANCE

1:04:45 OF THAT, UH, AND STEVE FOR

1:04:47 ALWAYS BEING INVOLVED AND

1:04:48 OBVIOUSLY JOHN FOR THE GREAT

1:04:49 WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE AND IN

1:04:51 GATHERING THE COMMUNITY

1:04:52 TOGETHER TO BE A STRONGER

1:04:53 VOICE.

1:04:53 SO UH, JUST TO I SAY YOU GUYS

1:04:55 DONE A GREAT JOB.

1:04:55 YOU'RE PUTTING THE WORK IN THAT

1:04:57 WORK SHOULD BE SUPPORTED.

1:04:58 WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU.

1:04:59 UM, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO

1:05:01 FIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE

1:05:02 YOUTH IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL

1:05:04 AS ADULTS, ELDERS AND ANYONE

1:05:05 ELSE WHO USES A POOL.

1:05:06 UH, HAS ACCESS.

1:05:07 TO THAT AMENITY.

1:05:08 THANK YOU.

1:05:10 COUNCIL I JUST WANT TO CHECK

1:05:11 IS ANYONE.

1:05:13 ON OKAY, SO.

1:05:14 WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER

1:05:15 PUBLIC.

1:05:16 TESTIMONY.

1:05:17 IF ANYONE WANTED TO HAVE ANY

1:05:18 CLOSING.

1:05:18 STATEMENTS I'LL START WITH THE

1:05:20 PANELIST.

1:05:20 YOU CAN.

1:05:22 OKAY.

1:05:23 UM.

1:05:24 UM, REP MORAN, DO YOU HAVE

1:05:26 ANY.

1:05:26 CLOSING STATEMENTS?

1:05:27 OKAY.

1:05:29 UH, COUNSELOR.

1:05:30 NO, I'M I'M SORRY TO THANK

1:05:31 YOU.

1:05:31 AND I JUST WANT TO THANK

1:05:32 EVERYBODY AGAIN FOR, UM FOR

1:05:34 MAKING SOME TIME TODAY AND I DO

1:05:36 THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA

1:05:37 TO DO AN ONSITE, UH, AN

1:05:39 ADDITIONAL ON SITE HEARING.

1:05:40 UM, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR TAKING

1:05:42 THE TIME.

1:05:43 I KNOW YOU GOT A BIG CITY TO,

1:05:45 UH, YOU KNOW, RUN AS AN AT

1:05:47 LARGE COUNCILOR.

1:05:47 YOU'VE GOT AN ENTIRE CITY.

1:05:49 SO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE

1:05:50 TIME FOCUSING ON THE SOUTH END

1:05:52 AS WELL.

1:05:53 OF COURSE.

1:05:53 NO THANK YOU.

1:05:53 UM.

1:05:54 STEVE, DO YOU HAVE TO CLOSE?

1:05:57 UH, NOT REALLY A CLOSING

1:05:58 STATEMENT.

1:05:58 JUST ONE ADDITIONAL, UM, PIECE

1:06:01 OF THIS PUZZLE.

1:06:02 UM, THAT, UM THAT I WANTED TO

1:06:05 MENTION WHEN WE LOST THE

1:06:07 HARRIET TUBMAN HOUSE AT 566

1:06:09 COLUMBUS AVENUE.

1:06:11 WE LOST ONE OF THE GATHERING

1:06:13 SPOTS WHERE KIDS AND SENIORS

1:06:15 AND OTHERS GATHERED.

1:06:17 NOW THE USES HAS DONE A GREAT

1:06:19 JOB, UH, AT THEIR NEW RUTLAND

1:06:20 STREET FACILITY, UH, TO MAKING

1:06:23 UP FOR WHAT WE LOST, UM, AT THE

1:06:26 AT THE 566 COLUMBUS LOCATION.

1:06:29 BUT, UM, I WANT TO BE CLEAR

1:06:31 THAT UH THAT BUILDING WHICH IS

1:06:34 NOW, YOU KNOW, GREAT HOUSING,

1:06:35 UH, IN THE SOUTH END, UM, WAS

1:06:39 REALLY A GATHERING SPOT AND THE

1:06:41 BLACKSTONE COMMUNITY CENTER AND

1:06:43 THAT POOL, YOU KNOW, UM, SHOULD

1:06:46 HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FILL THE GAP

1:06:48 BUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE

1:06:50 PROBLEMS AND A CLOSED POOL HAVE

1:06:52 NOT ALLOWED US TO BE ABLE TO

1:06:54 FILL THE GAP.

1:06:56 SO IN ADDITION TO THE LACK

1:06:58 OF PUBLIC FACILITIES, WE ALSO

1:07:00 HAVE THE LACK OF PRIVATE

1:07:02 FACILITIES WITHIN THE SOUTH END

1:07:04 THAT'S PUTTING AN EVEN BIGGER

1:07:05 SQUEEZE ON US IN THE SOUTH END

1:07:07 IN TERMS OF OUR FACILITY

1:07:09 DESERT.

1:07:09 SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT

1:07:11 THAT WAS CLEAR AS WELL.

1:07:12 THANKS VERY MUCH.

1:07:13 REALLY APPRECIATE THIS CHAIR.

1:07:15 THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR

1:07:16 GETTING THAT.

1:07:17 ON THE RECORD.

1:07:18 IT'S IMPORTANT.

1:07:20 TO KNOW WHAT.

1:07:21 OTHER RESOURCES AND JONATHAN

1:07:22 .

1:07:22 YOU MENTIONED WHEN.

1:07:23 OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS AND

1:07:25 OFTENTIMES WE'RE.

1:07:26 ADVOCATING AND AS.

1:07:27 AN AT.

1:07:28 LARGE COUNCIL I DO ADVOCATE FOR

1:07:29 ALL THE NEIGHBORHOODS BUT FOR

1:07:30 SAY A COMMUNITY.

1:07:31 CENTER OR A POOL.

1:07:32 WHEN WE DO HAVE OTHERS MAYBE

1:07:35 IT'S A Y OR ANOTHER BCF BUT IN

1:07:38 THE SOUTH END IT REALLY IS.

1:07:39 YOU CALLED IT A DESERT,

1:07:40 RIGHT?

1:07:40 WE TALK.

1:07:41 ABOUT FOOD DESERTS WHEN WE

1:07:42 DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW,

1:07:43 APPROPRIATE FOOD MARKETS AROUND

1:07:45 BUT THERE IS A INFRASTRUCTURE.

1:07:48 DESERT IN THE SOUTH END AND

1:07:49 IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DO

1:07:51 SOMETHING ABOUT THAT FOR THE

1:07:52 COMMUNITY.

1:07:53 SO UM.

1:07:54 JONATHAN, IF YOU'D.

1:07:55 LIKE TO.

1:07:56 CLOSE OUT OR.

1:07:57 SHARE I'LL BE BRIEF.

1:07:59 UM I JUST WANT TO THANK

1:08:01 COUNCILOR FLYNN, CHAIR MURPHY,

1:08:03 UH, REP FITZGERALD,

1:08:06 REPRESENTATIVE JOHN MORAN,

1:08:08 STEVE FOX FROM THE SOUTH END

1:08:09 FORUM, UH, FOR MAKING THIS A

1:08:12 PRIORITY, UH, FOR BEING HERE

1:08:14 TODAY TO ADVOCATE UM, I BELIEVE

1:08:19 THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON

1:08:20 THIS AND I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN

1:08:24 ACHIEVE A DESIRABLE OUTCOME.

1:08:27 I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH

1:08:28 TALENT, RESOURCES AND ENERGY TO

1:08:30 DO IT.

1:08:31 UH, SO I'M COMMITTED TO WORKING

1:08:34 WITH EACH ONE OF YOU TO DO

1:08:35 THAT.

1:08:36 UM, I WANT TO THANK ALL THE

1:08:38 PEOPLE THAT I SPOKE TO, UH,

1:08:40 SOME FAIRLY LAST MINUTE THAT

1:08:43 WROTE IN LETTERS AND UH,

1:08:46 OFFERED TESTIMONY UM,

1:08:49 SPECIFICALLY UH EBA AND VANESSA

1:08:51 CALLE THEIR OWN.

1:08:52 WHO'S THE DIRECTOR OVER THERE?

1:08:54 UM, I WANT TO THANK THE SOUTH

1:08:56 END VILLAGE ACADEMY CHRISTINA

1:08:57 LOPEZ FOR NOT ONLY PERSONALLY

1:08:59 WRITING A TESTIMONY AS A SOUTH

1:09:01 END PARENT BUT ALSO ON BEHALF

1:09:02 OF THE SCHOOL AND PUTTING THIS

1:09:04 INFORMATION IN THEIR

1:09:05 NEWSLETTER.

1:09:06 UH, DAVID RUSSELL OF THE

1:09:08 BLACKSTONE UM SCHOOL FRIENDS

1:09:10 GROUP AS WELL AS THE

1:09:12 ADMINISTRATION OF BLACKSTONE

1:09:13 SCHOOL UH AND SEVERAL HURLEY

1:09:15 SCHOOL PARENTS THAT I TALKED TO

1:09:17 THAT ALSO SENT LETTERS AND UM I

1:09:20 APPRECIATE EACH OF YOU DOING

1:09:21 THAT ESPECIALLY ON A LITTLE BIT

1:09:23 OF A TIME CONSTRAINT BUT IT

1:09:24 MATTERS AND IT'S ON THE RECORD.

1:09:27 UM, I ALSO JUST WANT TO THANK

1:09:29 THE PEOPLE THAT I KNOW COULDN'T

1:09:30 BE HERE TODAY.

1:09:31 A LOT OF THE FOLKS FROM UH,

1:09:34 CERTAIN COMMUNITIES,

1:09:35 MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES THAT

1:09:36 UH THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT BUT

1:09:38 YOU KNOW, THEY'RE WORKING RIGHT

1:09:39 NOW.

1:09:39 THEY DON'T HAVE THE THE LUXURY

1:09:42 THAT THAT SOME OF US DO AND

1:09:44 FLEXIBILITY IN OUR SCHEDULE TO

1:09:46 TO TESTIFY AND BE HERE.

1:09:47 BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THEY'RE

1:09:49 BEHIND THIS AND I WANT TO MAKE

1:09:50 SURE THEIR VOICES ARE

1:09:51 AMPLIFIED.

1:09:52 UM WE'RE HERE FOR THEM AS WELL.

1:09:54 AND I THINK THE IN-PERSON

1:09:56 MEETING I THINK IN NOVEMBER

1:09:57 WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA.

1:10:00 UM, YOU HAVE MY COMMITMENT TO

1:10:01 RALLY AS MUCH SUPPORT FOR THAT

1:10:03 MEETING AS POSSIBLE SO WE CAN

1:10:05 HAVE A A BIG, BIG FOCUS.

1:10:07 UH, I KNOW THAT THE

1:10:10 ADMINISTRATION CAN DO BETTER ON

1:10:11 THIS.

1:10:12 UM, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW,

1:10:15 IF WE KEEP THE FOCUS ON THIS

1:10:18 ISSUE AND WE GET THE FOCUS ON

1:10:20 THIS COMMUNITY, WE WILL BE

1:10:22 SUCCESSFUL.

1:10:23 SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND

1:10:25 APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO

1:10:26 TESTIFY.

1:10:27 THANK YOU.

1:10:27 AND I WILL WORK WITH.

1:10:29 COUNCILOR FLYNN AND ALL OF YOU

1:10:31 TO SET THE BEST DATE AND

1:10:33 LOCATION FOR THAT DEFINITELY

1:10:35 BEFORE THE.

1:10:35 YEAR OUT.

1:10:36 SO COUNCIL FLYNN.

1:10:37 IS NOW GOING TO.

1:10:38 READ THOSE LETTERS THAT HE.

1:10:40 MENTIONED EARLIER.

1:10:43 TO HIGHLIGHT SOME IMPORTANT

1:10:44 CONCERNS.

1:10:45 YEAH RIGHT.

1:10:46 WE GENERALLY DON'T HIGHLIGHT OR

1:10:49 READ INTO THE RECORD LETTERS

1:10:51 LETTERS OF SUPPORT BUT I I DO

1:10:54 WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO

1:10:56 DO THAT BECAUSE THEY ARE THEY

1:10:58 ARE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.

1:10:59 THEY ARE.

1:11:00 COMMUNITY PARTNERS THE

1:11:02 WELL-RESPECTED IN THE COMMUNITY

1:11:03 .

1:11:04 AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT

1:11:05 THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD.

1:11:07 UM, SO I, I DO WANT TO READ

1:11:09 INTO THE RECORD A COUPLE

1:11:12 OF LETTERS I LIKE JONATHAN

1:11:14 MENTIONED I HAVE RECEIVED I

1:11:16 DON'T KNOW, 2020 LETTERS, 30

1:11:19 LETTERS UH, BUT I'M ONLY GOING

1:11:21 TO READ IN A FEW OF THEM 3 OR 4

1:11:23 OF THEM MAYBE THIS THIS LETTER

1:11:27 IS FROM VANESSA CALDERON ROSADO

1:11:29 PHD.

1:11:31 UM AND SHE'S OBVIOUSLY

1:11:33 ASSOCIATED UM SHE'S THE LEAD AT

1:11:35 THE LEADERSHIP OF OF EBA WHICH

1:11:37 IS THE ORGANIZING MANAGEMENT

1:11:41 OF VILLA VICTORIA AND SOCIAL

1:11:44 SERVICES ON BEHALF OF EBA, OUR

1:11:48 BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN OUR

1:11:50 COMMUNITY OF RESIDENTS AT VILLA

1:11:51 VICTORIA, I AM WRITING TO URGE

1:11:53 THE CITY OF BOSTON AND THE

1:11:55 BOSTON CITY COUNCIL TO

1:11:57 PRIORITIZE THE REPAIR AND

1:11:59 REOPENING OF THE POOL AT THE

1:12:00 BLACKSTONE COMMUNITY CENTER IN

1:12:02 THE SOUTH END FOR MORE THAN A

1:12:04 DECADE THIS IMPORTANT COMMUNITY

1:12:05 ASSET HAS REMAINED CLOSED,

1:12:08 DEPRIVING NEIGHBORHOOD

1:12:09 RESIDENTS OF A VITAL

1:12:11 RECREATIONAL, EDUCATIONAL AND

1:12:13 PUBLIC HEALTH RESOURCE.

1:12:15 THE PROLONGED CLOSURE OF THE

1:12:17 BLACKSTONE POOL HAS HAD A

1:12:19 SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE IMPACT ON

1:12:21 THE SOUTH END COMMUNITY,

1:12:22 PARTICULARLY ON CHILDREN,

1:12:24 FAMILIES, OLDER ADULTS, LOW

1:12:27 INCOME RESIDENTS WHO DEPEND ON

1:12:28 PUBLIC FACILITIES FOR

1:12:31 RECREATION AND WELLNESS.

1:12:33 SWIMMING IS NOT SIMPLY A

1:12:35 LEISURELY ACTIVITY IT IS A

1:12:37 LIFESAVING SKILL, AN EFFECTIVE

1:12:39 FORM OF EXERCISE AND AN

1:12:41 IMPORTANT OUTLET FOR YOUTH

1:12:43 ENGAGEMENT.

1:12:44 THE ABSENCE OF A LOCAL PUBLIC

1:12:45 POOL HAS HAS LIMITED

1:12:48 OPPORTUNITIES FOR SWIMMING

1:12:49 LESSONS, WATER SAFETY,

1:12:50 EDUCATION, PHYSICAL FITNESS AND

1:12:53 STRUCTURED YOUTH PROGRAM FOR

1:12:55 MANY FAMILIES IN THE SOUTH END

1:12:57 INCLUDING FAMILIES IN THE

1:12:58 VILLAGE VICTORIA TRAVELING TO

1:13:00 PAUSE IN OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS

1:13:02 CAN BE DIFFICULT DUE TO

1:13:04 TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES, WORK

1:13:05 SCHEDULES, CHILDCARE

1:13:07 RESPONSIBILITIES.

1:13:08 AS A RESULT, MANY YOUNG PEOPLE

1:13:10 HAVE LOST ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE

1:13:12 WATER ACTIVITIES ENTIRELY.

1:13:15 THIS HAS CONTRIBUTED TO

1:13:17 INEQUITIES IN RECREATIONAL

1:13:19 OPPORTUNITIES AND AS DEPRIVED

1:13:21 GENERATIONS OF NEIGHBORHOOD

1:13:23 CHILDREN HAVE THE CHANCE TO

1:13:25 LEARN HOW TO SWIM CONFIDENTLY

1:13:26 AND SAFELY, THE CLOSURE HAS

1:13:29 ALSO DIMINISHED AN IMPORTANT

1:13:31 GATHERING PLACE THAT ONCE

1:13:33 HELPED STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY

1:13:35 CONNECTIONS, COMMUNITY CENTERS

1:13:37 AND FACILITIES PLAY A CRITICAL

1:13:40 ROLE IN FOSTERING SOCIAL

1:13:42 INTERACTION, SUPPORTING HEALTHY

1:13:44 LIFESTYLES AND PROVIDING SAFE

1:13:46 ENVIRONMENTS FOR RESIDENTS

1:13:47 OF ALL AGES.

1:13:48 THE LOSS OF THE BLACKSTONE POOL

1:13:50 HAS LEFT A NOTICEABLE GAP IN

1:13:52 THE SERVICES AND RESOURCES

1:13:54 AVAILABLE TO SOUTH END

1:13:55 RESIDENTS.

1:13:58 REOPENING THE POOL WOULD

1:13:59 PROVIDE SUBSTANTIAL BENEFITS

1:14:01 FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE

1:14:02 CITY AS A WHOLE.

1:14:03 IT WOULD EXPAND ACCESS TO

1:14:04 PHYSICAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND

1:14:06 HELP ADDRESS HEALTH, SOCIAL AND

1:14:09 RECREATIONAL DISPARITIES.

1:14:11 SWIMMING IS PARTICULARLY

1:14:12 VALUABLE BECAUSE IT IS

1:14:14 ACCESSIBLE ACROSS AGE GROUPS

1:14:15 AND ABILITIES, OFFERING LOW

1:14:18 IMPACT EXERCISE FOR SENIORS,

1:14:20 REHABILITATION OPPORTUNITIES

1:14:22 FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH INJURIES

1:14:24 IN HEALTHY RECREATION FOR

1:14:26 CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.

1:14:28 FURTHERMORE, A RESTORED

1:14:29 BLACKSTONE POOL COULD SERVE AS

1:14:31 A HUB FOR SWIM LESSONS,

1:14:33 LIFEGUARD TRAINING, YOUTH

1:14:35 EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS AND

1:14:37 COMMUNITY EVENTS.

1:14:37 IT WOULD CREATE OPPORTUNITIES

1:14:40 TO TEACH CRITICAL WATER SAFETY

1:14:42 SKILLS, HELP REDUCE THE RISK

1:14:44 OF DROWNING AND PROMOTING LIFE

1:14:45 LONG HEALTH AND WELLNESS.

1:14:48 INVESTMENT IN THE BLACKSTONE

1:14:49 COMMUNITY POOL IS AN INVESTMENT

1:14:52 IN EQUITY, HEALTH CARE, YOUTH

1:14:55 DEVELOPMENT AND NEIGHBORHOOD

1:14:57 VITALITY.

1:14:57 I'M GOING TO REPEAT THAT

1:14:58 SENTENCE AGAIN INVESTMENT IN

1:15:00 THE BLACKSTONE COMMUNITY CENTER

1:15:02 POOL IS AN INVESTMENT IN EQUITY

1:15:04 ,PUBLIC HEALTH, YOUTH

1:15:06 DEVELOPMENT AND NEIGHBORHOOD

1:15:08 VITALITY.

1:15:09 THE SOUTH END DESERVES ACCESS

1:15:11 TO THE SAME QUALITY RECREATION

1:15:13 FACILITIES AVAILABLE ELSEWHERE

1:15:15 IN BOSTON, AND RESIDENTS SHOULD

1:15:17 NOT HAVE TO WAIT ANY LONGER FOR

1:15:19 THE RETURN OF THIS ESSENTIAL

1:15:20 RESOURCE.

1:15:23 I RESPECTFULLY ASK THE BOSTON

1:15:24 CITY COUNCIL TO WORK WITH THE

1:15:26 MAYOR'S OFFICE, THE BOSTON

1:15:27 CENTER FOR YOUTH AND FAMILIES,

1:15:29 COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND

1:15:31 LOCAL RESIDENTS TO SECURE THE

1:15:32 FUNDING AND SUPPORT NECESSARY

1:15:35 TO REPAIR AND REOPEN THE

1:15:36 BLACKSTONE COMMUNITY POOL AS

1:15:38 SOON AS POSSIBLE.

1:15:39 THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO

1:15:41 THIS SUPPORT MATTER AND FOR

1:15:42 YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE TO THE

1:15:44 PEOPLE OF BOSTON.

1:15:45 SINCERELY, VANESSA CALDERON

1:15:48 ROSATO, PHD.

1:15:56 MADAM CHAIR, WITH YOUR

1:15:58 PERMISSION, MAY I CONTINUE

1:15:58 PLEASE?

1:15:59 OKAY.

1:16:01 THIS LETTER THAT I'M ABOUT

1:16:03 TO READ INTO THE RECORD IS A

1:16:04 LETTER FROM CHRISTINA LOPEZ,

1:16:06 THE FOUNDING HEAD OF SCHOOL

1:16:07 SOUTH END VILLAGE ACADEMY.

1:16:11 DEAR MEMBERS OF THE BOSTON CITY

1:16:14 COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON HUMAN

1:16:14 SERVICES I AM WRITING IN

1:16:17 SUPPORT OF EFFORTS TO REPAIR

1:16:19 AND REOPEN THE POOL AT THE

1:16:20 BLACKSTONE COMMUNITY CENTER.

1:16:22 AS A LIFELONG SHELTON RESIDENT

1:16:25 AND PARENT, I HAVE APPRECIATED

1:16:26 THE BLACKSTONE COMMUNITY CENTER

1:16:28 AS AN IMPORTANT RESOURCE FOR

1:16:31 FAMILIES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

1:16:32 WHILE MY FAMILY DID NOT USE THE

1:16:34 POOL ITSELF, I FONDLY REMEMBER

1:16:37 GATHERING AT THE BLACKSTONE

1:16:38 COMMUNITY CENTER PRE-PANDEMIC

1:16:40 WITH OTHER YOUNG FAMILIES AND

1:16:42 BEING SO GRATEFUL THAT THIS

1:16:45 RESOURCE WAS IN OUR BACKYARD A

1:16:47 PLACE THAT PROVIDES

1:16:48 OPPORTUNITIES, PROGRAMING AND

1:16:50 GATHERING SPACE FOR SOUTH END

1:16:51 CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.

1:16:54 IT HAS BEEN WONDERFUL THAT

1:16:56 PROGRAMING HAD PICKED UP.

1:16:58 MARCO HAD DONE A WONDERFUL JOB

1:17:00 BUT OPENING THE POOL WOULD BE

1:17:02 CRITICAL AND ENSURING THE

1:17:03 COMMUNITY CENTER FUNCTIONS AT

1:17:05 THE LEVEL THAT OTHER

1:17:07 NEIGHBORHOODS DO.

1:17:08 AS A SCHOOL TEACHER, I KNOW

1:17:10 THAT COMMUNITY OF FAMILIES WITH

1:17:12 YOUNG CHILDREN THAT WE SERVE

1:17:14 WOULD SEE THIS COMMUNITY

1:17:16 IMPROVEMENT AS IMPACTFUL IN

1:17:19 DETERMINING THEIR DECISION TO

1:17:20 REMAIN IN THE CITY AND IN THIS

1:17:22 NEIGHBORHOOD.

1:17:23 FAMILIES OF SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN

1:17:25 IN THE SOUTH END LOVE TO

1:17:26 CONNECT BEYOND THEIR SCHOOL

1:17:28 COMMUNITIES.

1:17:28 IT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY

1:17:30 THE SOUTH END IS SO SPECIAL.

1:17:32 THE POOL WOULD BE A PLACE FOR

1:17:33 ALL CHILDREN TO CONNECT AND

1:17:35 GROW TOGETHER.

1:17:36 IT COULD PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES

1:17:38 FOR SWIMMING IN WATER SAFETY,

1:17:41 EDUCATION, ATHLETICS, PHYSICAL

1:17:43 ACTIVITY ENRICHMENT AND SIMPLY

1:17:46 ENJOYING A COMMUNITY RESOURCE

1:17:47 TOGETHER.

1:17:49 ADDITIONALLY, WITH THE

1:17:50 NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE

1:17:52 OF LIFEGUARDS IT WILL PROVIDE A

1:17:53 KEY LOCATION FOR TRAINING IN

1:17:55 JOBS FOR YOUNG ADULTS.

1:17:57 BLACKSTONE IS ALREADY AN

1:17:59 IMPORTANT INSTITUTION IN THE

1:18:01 SOUTH END.

1:18:03 REOPENING THE POOL WILL EXPAND

1:18:04 WHAT THIS COMMUNITY RESOURCE

1:18:06 CAN OFFER TO CHILDREN AND

1:18:08 FAMILIES AND WOULD BRING AN

1:18:10 EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD ASSET

1:18:12 BACK INTO USE AND CONFIRM THE

1:18:15 SOUTH END AS A DESIRABLE AND

1:18:17 SUPPORTIVE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR

1:18:18 FAMILIES TO RAISE THEIR

1:18:19 CHILDREN.

1:18:21 I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY

1:18:22 COUNCIL IS CONSIDERING THE

1:18:23 STATUS OF THE POOL AND AN

1:18:26 INDEPENDENT ENGINEERING STUDY

1:18:27 TO DETERMINE THE REPAIRS NEEDED

1:18:29 FOR REOPENING.

1:18:31 I HOPE THE CITY WILL CONTINUE

1:18:32 TO PURSUE A PATH TOWARD

1:18:35 RESTORING THE POOL AS A

1:18:36 FUNCTIONING PUBLIC RESOURCE AS

1:18:38 A PARENT, A SOUTH END RESIDENT,

1:18:40 A SCHOOL TEACHER, I WOULD BE

1:18:43 GRATEFUL TO SEE THE BLACKSTONE

1:18:45 POOL OPEN AGAIN FOR THE

1:18:46 CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OF OUR

1:18:48 NEIGHBORHOOD.

1:18:48 THANK YOU FOR YOUR

1:18:50 CONSIDERATION AND FEEL WORK ON

1:18:51 BEHALF OF THE SOUTH END

1:18:52 COMMUNITY.

1:18:53 SINCERELY, CHRISTINA LOPEZ THE

1:18:55 FOUNDING HEAD OF SCHOOL THE

1:18:57 SOUTH END VILLAGE.

1:19:04 MADAM CHAIR, THIS

1:19:07 WELL-RESPECTED GROUP IS THE

1:19:09 FRIENDS OF THE BLACKSTONE

1:19:11 SCHOOL.

1:19:16 VOICE YOUR SUPPORT TO HELP

1:19:17 REOPEN THE BLACKSTONE COMMUNITY

1:19:19 POOL TO THE FRIENDS OF THE

1:19:20 BLACKSTONE COMMUNITY.

1:19:23 THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR HAS BROUGHT

1:19:26 US INCREDIBLE ENERGY BACK TO

1:19:27 BLACKSTONE ELEMENTARY.

1:19:29 WE'RE REACHING OUT WITH AN

1:19:30 IMPORTANT REQUEST YOUR HELP

1:19:32 ADVOCATING FOR THE REPAIR

1:19:33 OF THE BLACKSTONE COMMUNITY

1:19:35 POOL, WHICH HAS SAT UNUSABLE

1:19:37 FOR TEN YEARS WITH WHAT WE'VE

1:19:40 JUST LEARNED THAT A HEARING ON

1:19:41 REOPENING THE POOL WILL BE HELD

1:19:43 SEPTEMBER 24TH AT 10 A.M. WITH

1:19:46 AN OPTION FOR VIRTUAL TESTIMONY

1:19:48 .

1:19:48 FRIENDS OF BLACKSTONE PRESIDENT

1:19:51 DAVID RAZZAQ HAS GRACIOUSLY

1:19:53 WRITTEN A LETTER HIGHLIGHTING

1:19:54 THE BENEFITS OF REOPENING THE

1:19:56 POOL, AND WE INVITE YOU TO DO

1:19:58 THE SAME.

1:19:59 RENOVATING THE POOL WILL BE A

1:20:01 VALUABLE ASSET TO BOTH THE BCU

1:20:04 BLACKSTONE COMMUNITY CENTER,

1:20:05 THE BLACKSTONE SCHOOL OFFERING

1:20:07 CHILDREN A SAFE, SUPERVISED

1:20:09 SPACE TO LEARN A LIFESAVING

1:20:11 SKILL WHILE BUILDING CONFIDENCE

1:20:13 AND DISCIPLINE THAT'S BEEN THE

1:20:15 FRIENDS OF THE BLACKSTONE

1:20:17 SCHOOL.

1:20:22 THIS IS A LETTER FROM CAROLINE

1:20:25 AT THE SOCCER UNITY PROJECT

1:20:28 CAROLYN K PASCALE.

1:20:37 DEAR CITY COUNCILORS, ELECTED

1:20:39 OFFICIALS, CITY OFFICIALS I AM

1:20:40 WRITING AS A LONGTIME SOUTH END

1:20:43 RESIDENT MOTHER, COMMUNITY

1:20:44 MEMBER, YOUTH PROGRAM DIRECTOR

1:20:47 TO STRONGLY ADVOCATE FOR THE

1:20:48 REPAIR AND REOPENING OF THE

1:20:50 BLACKSTONE POOL IN THE

1:20:52 RENOVATION AND REINVESTMENT IN

1:20:54 THE BCI OF BLACKSTONE COMMUNITY

1:20:56 CENTER.

1:20:59 BLACKSTONE HAS LONG BEEN AN

1:21:01 IMPORTANT PLACE OF CONNECTION,

1:21:02 RECREATION AND OPPORTUNITY FOR

1:21:05 SOUTH END AND LOWER ROXBURY

1:21:07 FAMILIES.

1:21:08 YET FOR YEARS THIS COMMUNITY

1:21:09 HAS EXPERIENCED A LACK

1:21:11 OF INVESTMENT IN THIS CRITICAL

1:21:13 PUBLIC RESOURCE.

1:21:14 OUR NEIGHBORHOOD DESERVES THE

1:21:16 SAME LEVEL OF INVESTMENT IN ITS

1:21:18 COMMUNITY CENTER AND PULL THAT

1:21:20 OUT OF THE COMMUNITIES HAVE

1:21:21 RECEIVED.

1:21:23 THIS IS DEEPLY PERSONAL FOR ME.

1:21:26 MY CHILDREN ARE NOW ADULTS BUT

1:21:27 THEY WERE RAISED GOING TO THE

1:21:29 BLACKSTONE.

1:21:30 THEY LEARN TO SWIM THERE, PLAY

1:21:32 THERE, MADE FRIENDS,

1:21:34 CREATED MEMORIES THAT REMAIN

1:21:36 WITH THEM TODAY AS A PARENT

1:21:39 HAVING A SAFE, ACCESSIBLE,

1:21:41 AFFORDABLE PLACE FOR MY

1:21:42 CHILDREN TO PLAY LEARN BUILD

1:21:45 RELATIONSHIPS WAS INCREDIBLY

1:21:46 IMPORTANT.

1:21:47 BLACKSTONE ALSO BROUGHT

1:21:49 NEIGHBORS TOGETHER AND

1:21:51 CREATED CONNECTIONS ACROSS

1:21:52 BACKGROUNDS SOMETHING THE

1:21:54 NEIGHBORHOOD AND CITY NEED.

1:21:58 I MET PEOPLE AND FORMED

1:22:00 FRIENDSHIPS WITH FAMILIES I MAY

1:22:01 NEVER HAVE ENCOUNTERED WITHOUT

1:22:03 THIS SHARED COMMUNITY SPACE

1:22:05 THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST

1:22:06 IMPORTANT ROLES OF A COMMUNITY

1:22:07 CENTER, CREATING OPPORTUNITIES

1:22:09 FOR PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT

1:22:11 BACKGROUNDS AND GENERATIONS TO

1:22:13 CONNECT AND BUILD A SENSE

1:22:15 OF BELONGING.

1:22:16 THE NEED FOR THESE SPACES IS

1:22:18 ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IN THE

1:22:19 SOUTH END IN ALL OF ROXBURY.

1:22:21 WHILE THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS SEEN

1:22:23 SIGNIFICANT HOUSING

1:22:24 DEVELOPMENT, RISING MARKET RATE

1:22:27 HOUSING, THAT DOES NOT MEAN

1:22:29 THAT THE NEEDS OF LONGTIME

1:22:30 RESIDENTS AND FAMILIES HAVE

1:22:32 DISAPPEARED.

1:22:33 THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS THE FOURTH

1:22:35 HIGHEST RATE OF HOUSING

1:22:36 DEVELOPMENT.

1:22:38 THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS CANNOT

1:22:39 AFFORD PRIVATE GEMS, SWIM CLUBS

1:22:43 OR OTHER RECREATIONAL

1:22:44 FACILITIES.

1:22:45 PUBLIC SPACES LIKE BLACKSTONE

1:22:47 PROVIDE HEALTHY, ACCESSIBLE

1:22:49 OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYONE.

1:22:51 THE CITY HAS ALSO MADE A

1:22:53 COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT

1:22:54 BOSTON YOUTH HAVE OPPORTUNITIES

1:22:56 TO LEARN TO SWIM.

1:22:57 MAYOR WAS SPOKEN ABOUT MAKING

1:22:59 SWIMMING ACCESSIBLE TO ALL

1:23:02 YOUTH AND EXPANDING

1:23:03 PARTNERSHIPS WITH ORGANIZATIONS

1:23:05 SUCH AS THE YMCA BOYS AND GIRLS

1:23:07 CLUB, BLACKSTONE AND THE YOUNG

1:23:09 PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY SHOULD

1:23:11 BE PART OF THAT VISION NOT LEFT

1:23:13 OUT OF IT.

1:23:14 I AM ASKING THE CITY TO

1:23:16 PRIORITIZE THE REPAIR AND

1:23:19 REOPENING OF THE BLACKSTONE

1:23:19 POOL.

1:23:22 COMMIT TO A MEANINGFUL

1:23:23 RENOVATION OF THE BCI

1:23:25 OF BLACKSTONE COMMUNITY CENTER

1:23:27 INCLUDE BLACKSTONE RESIDENTS

1:23:29 AND PLANNING FOR THE FACILITY'S

1:23:31 FUTURE.

1:23:31 EXPLORE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE

1:23:34 YMCA BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AND

1:23:35 OTHER YOUTH SERVING

1:23:37 ORGANIZATIONS TO EXPAND

1:23:38 SWIMMING AND YOUTH PROGRAMING.

1:23:41 PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY WITH A

1:23:42 CLEAR PLAN AND TIMELINE FOR

1:23:45 THESE INVESTMENTS.

1:23:46 MY CHILDREN GREW UP IN THE

1:23:48 BLACKSTONE.

1:23:48 THEY LEARNED TO SWIM THERE,

1:23:49 PLAY THE AIR, MADE FRIENDS

1:23:51 THERE AND EXPERIENCED THE KIND

1:23:53 OF COMMUNITY CONNECTION THAT

1:23:54 CANNOT BE REPLACED.

1:23:56 I KNOW OUR FAMILY IS NOT ALONE

1:23:58 IN FEELING THIS WAY.

1:24:00 BLACKSTONE IS MORE THAN A

1:24:01 BUILDING IN A POOL.

1:24:02 IT IS A COMMUNITY RESOURCE THAT

1:24:04 HAS HELPED GENERATIONS

1:24:06 OF FAMILIES CONNECT, GROW AND

1:24:08 THRIVE.

1:24:09 OUR NEIGHBORHOOD DESERVES TO

1:24:11 HAVE THAT RESOURCE FULLY

1:24:13 RESTORED AND INVESTED IN FOR

1:24:15 THE NEXT GENERATION.

1:24:16 THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THE

1:24:18 COMMUNITY FOR MAKING THE REPAIR

1:24:20 ,REOPENING AND RENOVATION

1:24:23 OF BLACKSTONE A PRIORITY.

1:24:24 THAT'S FROM CAROLINE.

1:24:26 FOR SCOTTO, THE SOUTH END

1:24:28 RESIDENT.

1:24:31 THANK YOU COUNCILOR FLYNN.

1:24:33 DO YOU HAVE ANY.

1:24:34 CLOSING STATEMENTS.

1:24:35 BEFORE I.

1:24:36 CLOSE OUT THIS?

1:24:40 PUBLIC TESTIMONY?

1:24:42 YEAH I THINK THERE IS.

1:24:43 AND DO WE HAVE ANY.

1:24:45 THERE'S NO PUBLIC TESTIMONY SO

1:24:48 WE WILL GO TO COUNCIL.

1:24:49 FLYNN'S CLOSING STATEMENT.

1:24:51 THANK YOU COUNCILOR MURPHY FOR

1:24:54 SHARING THIS IMPORTANT HEARING

1:24:56 AND THANK YOU TO JONATHAN ALICE

1:24:57 FOR BEING HERE FOR STEVE FOX AS

1:25:02 WELL FOR REP JOHN MORAN, ALL

1:25:05 THREE PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE WELL

1:25:07 RESPECTED IN THE SOUTH END BUT

1:25:10 FIGHT FOR THE COMMUNITY.

1:25:11 I THINK THIS IS A RACIAL

1:25:13 JUSTICE ISSUE.

1:25:15 WE KNOW WHERE THE BLACKSTONE

1:25:16 SCHOOL AND POOL IS LOCATED.

1:25:18 IT'S LOCATED IN AN AREA WHERE

1:25:22 IT'S ALMOST SANDWICHED BETWEEN

1:25:24 BHP BERKELEY WHICH IS THE OLD

1:25:27 CATHEDRAL PUBLIC HOUSING

1:25:28 DEVELOPMENT.

1:25:29 IT'S RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET

1:25:30 FROM VILLA VICTORIA,

1:25:32 PREDOMINANTLY A GROUP IN LOW

1:25:33 INCOME AREA A LARGE PUERTO

1:25:35 RICAN LARGE ASIAN COMMUNITY

1:25:38 ACROSS ACROSS AND THAT IS ON

1:25:40 WEST ADAMS STREET IS A LARGE

1:25:43 DEVELOPMENT MOSTLY PERSONS WITH

1:25:45 DISABILITIES AND SENIORS PEOPLE

1:25:47 OF COLOR.

1:25:48 CASTLE SQUARE IS UP THE ROAD.

1:25:51 A LARGE ASIAN COMMUNITY JUST A

1:25:55 COUPLE BLOCKS AWAY.

1:25:56 ALSO IS CHINATOWN A LARGE

1:25:58 IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY.

1:26:01 LOWER ROXBURY IS NOT FAR FROM

1:26:03 THE BLACKSTONE AND THAT'S A

1:26:05 THAT'S PREDOMINANTLY A OR A

1:26:07 LARGE A LARGE AFRICAN-AMERICAN

1:26:09 COMMUNITY.

1:26:11 I BRING THAT FORWARD BECAUSE

1:26:13 MANY PEOPLE JUST SIMPLY DON'T

1:26:16 HAVE THE ABILITY TO PAY FOR

1:26:18 PRIVATE SWIMMING LESSONS.

1:26:20 MANY PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THE

1:26:22 ABILITY TO JOIN A YOUTH CLUB

1:26:24 FOR THEIR KIDS, BUT HAVING A

1:26:28 BCI FACILITY THAT'S UPGRADED A

1:26:31 NEW A NEW WORKING POOL, A NEW

1:26:34 BUILDING WITH AN OPPORTUNITY

1:26:37 FOR YOUTH AND FAMILIES TO COME

1:26:39 TOGETHER TO ENJOY, ENJOY THE

1:26:42 SPACE AND SPEND TIME WITH EACH

1:26:44 OTHER.

1:26:44 THAT'S WHAT A COMMUNITY IS ALL

1:26:46 ABOUT.

1:26:47 THAT'S HOW YOU LEARN ABOUT OUR

1:26:50 DIFFERENCES.

1:26:51 THAT'S HOW YOU MAKE FRIENDS.

1:26:55 YOU LEARN ABOUT PEOPLE'S

1:26:57 BACKGROUNDS AND HERITAGE AND

1:26:59 CULTURE AND IN ABOUT THEIR

1:27:01 STRUGGLES BY COMPETING IN

1:27:03 SPORTS AND PLAYING AND READING

1:27:06 TOGETHER OR SITTING IN A

1:27:08 PAINTING PROJECT AND IN

1:27:11 ACTIVITIES FOR YOUTH AND

1:27:12 FAMILIES.

1:27:14 THAT'S WHAT THE SOUTH END IS

1:27:15 ALL ABOUT.

1:27:17 THERE'S PROBABLY NOT THERE'S

1:27:18 PROBABLY A A NEIGHBORHOOD

1:27:22 THAT'S NOT MORE ENGAGED AND

1:27:26 DEDICATED THAN THE SOUTH END.

1:27:28 THEY'RE COMMITTED, THEY'RE

1:27:30 COMPASSIONATE.

1:27:30 WHAT I RESPECT ABOUT THEM IS

1:27:34 IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT THE NEXT

1:27:35 GENERATION.

1:27:37 THIS POOL MIGHT NOT BENEFIT

1:27:39 THEM PERSONALLY BUT IT WILL

1:27:42 BENEFIT THE NEXT GENERATION

1:27:44 OF SOUTH SOUTH AND RESIDENTS.

1:27:46 THAT'S WHAT I RESPECT IS THAT

1:27:48 IT'S NOT ABOUT THEM.

1:27:49 IT'S ABOUT HELPING OTHERS IN

1:27:51 NEED.

1:27:53 AND THAT'S WHAT I LEARNED FROM

1:27:54 THE SOUTH END COMMUNITY IS YOU

1:27:57 DON'T GIVE UP ON A PROJECT, YOU

1:27:59 DON'T GIVE UP ON PEOPLE.

1:28:00 YOU CONTINUE ADVOCATING AND

1:28:03 FIGHTING FOR THEM AND YOU NEVER

1:28:04 TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER.

1:28:06 THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

1:28:07 THANK YOU.

1:28:08 THANK YOU, COUNCILOR FLYNN.

1:28:11 BEFORE I ADJOURN THIS MEETING.

1:28:12 ,I DO JUST WANT TO.

1:28:14 REITERATE THAT I AM.

1:28:16 COMMITTED TO.

1:28:16 WORKING WITH THE LEAD

1:28:17 SPONSORS COUNCILOR FLYNN

1:28:19 FITZGERALD AND CULPEPER.

1:28:21 AND THE ADVOCATES JONATHAN.

1:28:22 AND OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY.

1:28:24 TO MAKE SURE WE SET.

1:28:25 A.

1:28:25 GOOD TIME, A GOOD.

1:28:26 DATE AND LOCATION TO CONTINUE

1:28:29 THIS CONVERSATION.

1:28:30 THE ADMINISTRATION WILL.

1:28:33 BE UM.

1:28:34 INVITED TO ATTEND AND HOPEFULLY

1:28:36 AT THAT.

1:28:37 TIME THEY WILL SHOW UP.

1:28:40 WE HAVE BEEN JOINED BY

1:28:43 COUNCILOR EARL.

1:28:43 I WILL GIVE HIM AS SOON.

1:28:45 AS HE SETTLES IN AN OPPORTUNITY

1:28:48 .

1:28:48 HE MADE IT.

1:28:48 JUST IN TIME.

1:28:49 I ALMOST BANGED THE GAVEL.

1:28:53 IT'S A FAR.

1:28:54 AWAY FROM MATTAPAN.

1:28:56 DORCHESTER IS.

1:28:58 YEAH.

1:28:59 THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK

1:29:00 YOU.

1:29:01 THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU

1:29:02 TO, UM, COUNCILOR FLYNN, UM,

1:29:05 FOR PUTTING THIS FORWARD AND

1:29:06 ALWAYS BEING A FIERCE ADVOCATE

1:29:09 FOR HIS COMMUNITY AND MAKING

1:29:10 SURE THAT ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS

1:29:12 ARE GETTING, UH, THE SAME TYPE

1:29:14 OF LEVEL OF SERVICE ACROSS THE

1:29:15 BOARD WHEN IT COMES TO CITY

1:29:17 SERVICES AND CITY FACILITIES.

1:29:19 SO JUST WANTED TO COME, UM, AND

1:29:21 SHOW MY SUPPORT.

1:29:22 UM, SORRY THAT I WAS LATE.

1:29:23 THERE WAS A FUNERAL, UH, FOR

1:29:25 VICTORIA WILLIAMS, THE CHAIR

1:29:27 OF WARD 12.

1:29:28 SO I JUST WANT TO, UH,

1:29:30 RECOGNIZE HER, UM, AND HER

1:29:32 SERVICE AND LIFT UP HER FAMILY.

1:29:34 UM, SO AGAIN, UM, JUST WANTED

1:29:37 TO BE HERE.

1:29:38 SHOWS HER SUPPORT AND AGAIN,

1:29:40 SORRY THAT I WAS LATE.

1:29:41 NO WORRIES.

1:29:42 DID YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING

1:29:43 ABOUT.

1:29:44 I JUST SO YOU DO KNOW THE

1:29:46 ADMINISTRATION DID NOT.

1:29:47 SHOW UP?

1:29:48 WE DID HAVE REPRESENTATIVE

1:29:49 MORAN, STEVE FOX AND JONATHAN

1:29:51 ALVES ARE HERE FROM THE

1:29:52 COMMUNITY.

1:29:53 PANELIST AND I.

1:29:54 ALSO HAVE.

1:29:54 COMMITTED TO HOLDING.

1:29:56 KEEPING IT IN.

1:29:57 COMMITTEE AND HOLDING.

1:29:58 A MEETING IN COMMUNITY IN.

1:29:59 THE.

1:30:00 NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS TRYING TO

1:30:01 PICK A GOOD DATE WITH THE

1:30:02 COMMUNITY.

1:30:02 BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW.

1:30:04 OFTENTIMES THOSE WHO WANT THEIR

1:30:06 VOICES HEARD ARE AT WORK.

1:30:08 AND MAYBE NOT ABLE TO GET HERE.

1:30:10 SO I THINK WE.

1:30:11 ALSO NEED TO SEND.

1:30:12 A MESSAGE THAT AND THE

1:30:14 LETTERS.

1:30:14 THAT CAME.

1:30:15 IN COUNCIL FLYNN HAD MANY.

1:30:17 THAT HE READ.

1:30:17 AND JONATHAN YOU MENTIONED THAT

1:30:19 WE KNOW THAT.

1:30:20 THE STRONG SOUTH BEND

1:30:22 COMMUNITY.

1:30:22 WANTS TO BE HEARD.

1:30:23 SO ALLOWING THEM IN IN A PUBLIC

1:30:25 SETTING I THINK IS AN IMPORTANT

1:30:27 NEXT STEP TO SEND THAT

1:30:28 POLITICAL WILL OUT THERE TO OUR

1:30:30 COLLEAGUES.

1:30:30 HOPEFULLY THEY'LL RALLY WITH

1:30:32 US.

1:30:32 ABSOLUTELY.

1:30:33 AND ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO

1:30:35 UH, DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS

1:30:37 UM PLEASE DO START THINKING

1:30:39 ABOUT THAT AS WELL.

1:30:40 UH, IT'S ONE THING TO GET THE

1:30:41 FACILITIES UP AND RUNNING.

1:30:42 UH, AND THIS IS ANOTHER THING

1:30:44 TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STAFFING

1:30:45 IS THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE

1:30:47 FACILITIES ARE OPEN AND

1:30:49 ACCESSIBLE NOT ONLY DURING THE

1:30:50 WEEK BUT ALSO ON THE WEEKENDS.

1:30:52 SO UM I THINK WE HAVE TO

1:30:54 ABSOLUTELY THINK ABOUT THIS IN

1:30:55 TWO PHASES.

1:30:56 UM, AND AS THE BUDGET SEASON

1:30:58 APPROACHES I CAN'T BELIEVE IN

1:30:59 THREE MORE MONTHS IT WILL BE

1:31:01 YOU KNOW, UH, JANUARY DECEMBER

1:31:04 ALREADY.

1:31:05 UH, SO I THINK IT'S THINGS THAT

1:31:06 WE HAVE TO KEEP IN FRONT OF OUR

1:31:07 MIND.

1:31:08 AWESOME.

1:31:09 THANK YOU COUNCIL AS WELL

1:31:10 AND I WILL NOW ADJOURN DOCKET

1:31:14 1335.

1:31:15 THANK YOU.