City councilor’s avoidance
I am a children’s advocate and educate others about improving children’s welfare. There is much evidence that early unrecognized developmental experiences that do not satisfy children’s needs can later contribute to personal and social problems including violence when they become adults.
At-large Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley is Chair of the Council’s Healthy Women, Families, & Communities Committee which is concerned with all public health matters including promoting efforts to reduce violence.
On 4/7/17 I emailed Luv Villar, the scheduler of Pressley’s office, saying I had an idea for the Council concerning the welfare of children that I would like to discuss with Councilor Pressley. I asked her to let me know when I could have a brief telephone call with the Councilor. After checking with Pressley, Villar later told me I would be called on Saturday, June 24. While waiting for that date, on 5/31 I asked Villar by email to let me know where Pressley will be appearing at neighborhood events in the near future. I received no response.
On 6/22 I wanted to confirm that I would receive the call on 6/24 and sent Villar an email stating I had left her three telephone messages with no return calls. I asked for a call the next day. There was no response. I called the office 6/23 and spoke to policy director Eric White. He said Villar was out of the office that day.
Later on 6/23 Villar called me and said the Councilor’s “schedule is packed” and she would not talk to me tomorrow. I said I wanted only five minutes. That did not matter. I asked for the first available five minute time to talk to the Councilor. Villar refused to set a time. I noticed that she called on the office telephone. Apparently, White’s statement that she was out that day was false. I asked when she would have a rescheduled date. She said she would call me by 6/29 with a new date for the telephone call with Pressley. Villar did not call me.
I called the offices of other at-large City Councilors and asked how long I would have to wait to receive a five minute telephone call from each councilor. Responses were no longer than a few days.
In July I called Jessica Taubner, Pressley’s chief of staff. She said she would contact me with a response to my request to receive the Councilor’s call. She did not. I called her, and she would not confirm a call date.
On August 10 I sent an email to Villar requesting a response about a call with the councilor. I received no response.
I made other attempts at communicating with Pressley’s office. To summarize, I tried in vain for over four months to share information with Pressley that would serve the interest of public health and her Council Committee. In at least fifteen instances, I received no response from her office, broken promises, and at least one false statement. Boston residents deserve better.
Ronald Goldman
Jamaica Plain Gazette
Appreciation
The nuns who taught us at Mission, the School Sisters of Notre Dame, recently celebrated their 184th Anniversary of dedicated service. I wish to publicly thank the local businesses that donated to the beautiful Mission Hill autumn raffle gift basket. The Mission Pub, Laughing Monk Cafe, Mike’s Donuts, Milkweed Bistro, Penguin Pizza, New England Baptist Hospital, Grub Sandwich shop, and Mission Hill Main Streets gave items to help make the gathering a wonderful event.
Teresa and Stephen Clune
Mission Hill residents