WGBH Radio; The Callie Crossley Show

I'm Cally Crossley and this is the Cali Crossley Show. If terms like federal stimulus money and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act seem like abstractions today we're going to talk about them in concrete terms literally. The African meeting house is slated for an extreme makeover. Or rather an extreme restoration by way of four million federal stimulus dollars built on Beacon Hill in the early 1900s. It's the oldest existing African-American church in the nation made mostly by free black artisans. This restoration will preserve a building that's crucial to the history of the commonwealth and our country. Today we'll get a history lesson and fast forward to what this means for the city. But first with political strategist Dorothy Clark is our interpreter. We'll sort through yesterday's ballot box. And we top it off with a police sergeant and his passion for photography. Up next politics preservation and pictures. First the news. From NPR News in Washington I'm Lakshmi saying. Secretary of State

Hillary Clinton says Israelis and Palestinians are focusing a second day on the central issues dividing them. NPR's Michele Kelemen is following Clinton's trip today to Jerusalem. This is the time and these are the leaders that's how Secretary Clinton described the peace talks between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. I have sat with these two men individually and together. I have listened to them talk candidly and forcefully. They are getting down to business. She says they're beginning to grapple with the core issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Still unclear is how they will get over their first dispute. Palestinians have threatened to walk out of peace talks if Israeli settlement building resumes in the West Bank. Michele Kelemen NPR News Jerusalem. Police reportedly have arrested another person in connection with the attempted Times Square bombing in May. The Associated Press reports Muhammad Yunus is accused of providing unlicensed banking services to two people including Faisal Shazad who has

pleaded guilty to 10 terror related charges already. Police say they don't think Eunice knew the money would be used toward the attack but they're hoping the arrest will help them clamp down on the illegal flow of money that can finance terrorism. The main suspect in a corruption investigation in Ohio's largest county is in police custody. From member station WCPN Bill Rice has details. Jimmy to morra commissioner of Cuyahoga County for the last 12 years was led from his home in handcuffs in chains by FBI agents. Charges against him include bribery mail fraud and obstructing justice. Others were also arrested and charged including two county judges. Today's developments come less than a week after county auditor Frank Russo also at the top of the food chain in the alleged corruption scheme was charged in a bill of information together the actions marked the culmination of an investigation that's reportedly been under way for many years. It was made public in the summer of 2008 when the FBI raided the homes and or

offices of Rousseau and other public officials and business people. So far the investigation has netted nearly four dozen. For NPR News I'm Bill Rice in Cleveland. A Florida man is pleading guilty to bilking investors out of nearly 900 million dollars in a federal courtroom in New York today Nevin Shapiro admitted to running a Ponzi scheme involving investors in New Jersey Indiana and Florida. They thought they were supporting a grocery distribution business. Authorities say Shapiro was really lining his own pockets. SHAPIRO faces up to 17 years in jail. Sentencing is in January. On Wall Street Dow Jones industrial average up 30 points at last check at ten thousand five hundred fifty six Nasdaq gaining eight points at twenty to ninety eight. This is NPR News. The Obama administration wants to ramp up oversight of the nation's pipelines in the aftermath of the San Bruno California gas pipeline explosion last week. Transportation

Secretary Ray LaHood submitted a proposal to Congress today that also include stronger penalties for companies of violate safety rules. The blast in a suburb of San Francisco killed at least four people and destroyed nearly 40 homes. The Federal Reserve says industrial production rose two tenths of a percent last month. But as Daniel Carson tells us analysts say excluding auto production the increase was even higher easing fears about the economic recovery sliding back factory output which makes up the biggest chunk of industrial activity slowed a bit because of the drop in auto production. It spiked in July when GM kept some plants running during the summer. Otherwise industrial production grew in key categories including construction output and business investment. Bernard Baum alist chief global economist at the Economic Outlook Group. This is very popular news because it got out. But he continued to spend on capital goods that will ultimately lead to more hiring. So on the whole the U.S. economy is starting to capture its graphic manufacturing has helped drive

economic growth over the past year. Still factories are running at three quarters capacity. And economists say that won't pick up until consumer demand gets stronger and that won't happen unless the labor market improves. For NPR News I'm Daniel Carson. Firefighters in Colorado are still struggling to contain a fire that has destroyed at least two homes near Loveland. The blaze has burned nearly 700 acres. It is about 35 percent contained. I'm Lakshmi saying NPR News in Washington. Support for NPR comes from Lending Tree providing up to four loan offers from a network of lenders. Learn more at Lending Tree dot com or 800. Fine fine fine tree. Good afternoon I'm Kelly Crossley and this is the Kelly Crossley Show Dorie Clark president of Clark strategic communications is with us and we're going to dive right into the primary election results. Welcome back. Thank you Kelly. Let's ask you

what did you think was most surprising in terms of the results. Well I think there were a lot of interesting things that happened last night. I have to say my personal favorite the auditor's race that was really I think unprecedented in the sense that glowed issues the sheriff of Worcester County. And the thing that all along people have been crediting him with is oh you know he's a sheriff. You know he owns you know outside of 495 he's got this massive field organization and he had gone very negative in the last couple of weeks against his opponent Suzanne. People thought that he would have the might on the ground and it turned out not to be the case Suzanne bump pretty practically routed him. So that was a pretty dramatic development. Another interesting thing is with the 10th congressional district there was heated primaries on both Republican and Democratic sides. And so that's going to be a very feisty race coming up. Let's go back to the auditor's race which. Many people have pointed out to me that we've sort of been given short shrift and you when you were last here said Hey that's going to be a really interesting

one to watch. So now we have two women who are up in November and as we know the whole state wide race campaign thing for women in Massachusetts is never easy but we're guaranteed to get one in this case. So that's interesting in and of itself. And they're very different in their perspectives. They are it's going to be a really good race for the general election I mean I think that Mary cannot who's the Republican nominee may actually be the Republicans best chance in this electoral cycle. She's a really interesting character I mean she made her name in public life as a gadfly I guess you could say on the Mass Turnpike board and given the way that most Bay Staters feel about the turnpike whether you're a Republican or a Democrat you kind of have to root for her and say Oh I'm glad she was she was given him back so she. She also has the advantage that she is an auditor. Like literally a CPA an auditor running for state auditor which is a pretty reasonable credential to bring into the field. And what about Susan bump What do you think the strengths are that you know that she may appeal to

certain. Folks were obviously Suzanne bump put together a good field organization I mean this was a very low turnout primary much lower than four years ago and she still managed to get her base going she's been campaigning heavily for the race for over a year and she has a lot of the establishment behind her the outside outgoing auditor is with her and so she can count on his people and she's a former state representative and a former cabinet secretary in the Patrick administration. So that the Democratic insiders and the people they control will all be coming out for her. Dory since you your whole job is strategic communications I got to ask you what advantage is it to both of these candidates to have unusual names. I can't think of Mary cannot without the Z and I and Suzanne bump is interesting too so in terms of getting voters attention and it seems silly but I don't think it is. Would you agree. No it's really true I mean the big the big problem that candidates have if they have an unusual name if it is so unusual that people can't pronounce it that often

is a challenge because people then get embarrassed and they don't want to talk. Better because they look like an idiot. But you know bump clearly you know that's that'll stick in your mind and cannot and I mean you know even though it's you know Irish and it's got a bunch of vowels I mean you kind of know where she's coming from. So I actually I agree I think from a branding perspective they stick in pretty well I mean you never the worst thing is you never want to be Mary Smith through her election. Just think about the Google ranking going to slit my wrists. OK moving on to the 10th Congressional District which has gotten so much attention both inside the state and out and I dare say will be getting more. Now that Jeff Perry has secured the Republican nomination and on the Democratic side Bill William Keating beat OLeary Robert O'Leary in a very close race. What what do you think about that. Well it's one of the more interesting bellwethers I think that Massachusetts has. I mean we can watch this pretty closely over the next seven weeks because Jeff Perry unlike the vast

majority of Massachusetts Republicans is really running as a conservative I mean last night at his victory party he was saying he is going to stand up against illegal immigration. This is you know red meat to the Tea Party crowd. And that's that's been his calling card throughout the course of the campaign. I mean the Cape and Plymouth County are some of the reddest parts of Massachusetts and so you know if it's going to work anywhere it'll work there. But whether it actually can. Work as a strategy is debatable I mean Bill Keating is a formidable candidate. He's a longtime D.A. He's got very good law and order credentials including last week literally by himself stopping a purse snatcher headlines there Bill. The fact that Jeff Perry won by such a large margin on the real Republican side. Does that say anything about you said he's got the best chance about you know where he what voters are thinking about I mean if they had to make a choice in this one in this primary election it will be different in November but still that's a huge margin for him.

Yeah I think I think that the right wing base is very excited about Jeff Perry whether that translates to moderates and Democrats crossing over is debatable. I think that Perry benefited from two trends that were working in his favor in addition to the sort of Tea Party momentum. One is Scott Brown's coattails he you know literally you know got the passing of the torch. Scott Brown endorsed him. And you know that still carries a bit of a glow. The second thing is that he was running against Jo Malone. Joe Malone is someone who you know while he was a rising star of the 1990s Republican establishment. The guy's star has faded dramatically I mean I think you'd be hard for it not to when people under your watch Deal a million dollars from the state treasury. I mean Malone himself was never touched by it. Some scandal that didn't seem to bother him. No it's true I mean I think that that actually it makes Perry ultimately a very weak candidate when when it comes down to it Bill Keating who is very good as you a literal prosecutor

and a sort of metaphorical campaign prosecutor. I think frankly I think he's going to get him because as you're alluding to Jeff Perry has had major challenges his former boss from the Wrentham Police Department said that he was denied a promotion because Perry quote wasn't and I felt he wasn't entirely truthful with me that's not so good for a police officer. And most notably under his watch Perry supervised a gentleman who illegally strip searched two teenage girls. That is far more visual and a visceral of a charge then happens in politics it's not. And in a lot of ways worse than just you know people nabbing from the Treasury I mean anyone who is a parent thinks about that and says gee. So it would make voters think twice. Now you already predicted more nastiness particularly in the tenth. Do you think we'll see it. Well it's the Republicans best chance in Massachusetts I mean you know bar none. There are other Republicans running for for U.S. House this time which you know it frankly

is great. Massachusetts needs the competition because in recent years we have literally led the nation in the number of uncontested races which is just a travesty for democracy. And you know the Republicans this time have been able to summon up much better candidates than they have in the past. But you know really Jeff Perry is the only one that has a credible chance of breaking through. So I imagine there's probably going to be a lot of outside interest a lot of outside donations pouring in. And what are they going to do with all that money. Well they'll probably be trashing Bill Keating and we're Democrats too I imagine they're going to come in nationally and pour some money into the Keating campaign. Oh big big time I mean there's 39. You know most. Analysts nationally are thinking that Republicans have a very good chance of retaking the House if you know this Thirty nine seats that could be changing hands a lot of people think that Republicans will get the that margin. And if we can beat them back in Massachusetts then you know that's something the Democrats would really want to do.

OK and what about John Gomez. He won the Republican primary and he'll be facing Niki Tsongas and I'm hearing a lot of people feel that she's vulnerable. Tsongas is one of the more vulnerable members of the delegation for a couple of reasons been one is that she's the newest. So always you know sort of a political truism when you are in your early years in office you haven't solidified your base as much as you will later on you haven't solidified your coffers as much as you will later on. And you know she she's somebody who while she's a nice an impressive person very clearly rode her late husband's coattails into the seat. That being said the guy that she's running against I mean you may have seen the headlines about this. It was revealed that in about 2000. Yes Rog's alcohol DUI. There's a lot of hey you can make with that. Yeah but he rode to victory over some other you know pretty credible candidates and I think that's kind of interesting.

It definitely is interesting but I also will caution that the ideological issues they can fire up a small base in a primary in which 15 to 20 percent of the electorate is voting. I mean there's a lot of people that will overlook myriad personal sins because they are so excited by the red meat of someone's campaign rhetoric. And that may not translate more broadly when a swath a wider swath of the electorate comes out to vote in November. So to that point do you think that because we had low voter turnout we really don't know what's going to happen in November that we have no really firm trends to watch some real real bellwethers we've got to have a maybe full ones. I don't know. Yeah. I think that you know the Perry races is interesting in Massachusetts but you know broadly speaking it was it was a night where people overall statewide were pretty satisfied with incumbents. I mean out of I believe 12 legislative seats there was only one turnabout and that was that was out in Framingham where Pam Richardson lost in the primary and she lost to someone that you know she had won by

about 200 votes two years ago and now she lost by about 200 votes very tight. So statewide we're not seeing broad based voter dissatisfaction. I think that you know other states maybe you know nationwide we're seeing a little bit more. If you look to Delaware there was a surprise upset there in the Republican primary where a Tea Party candidate Christine O'Donnell came in. But you know I'm not seeing as much in Massachusetts honestly. So the new faces that have sort of shown themselves in various of the races that we have not mentioned and that seems to be a trend across the country though in other parts of the country that's it's been to some degree driven by an anti-incumbent thing. Here I don't know that that's the case but it's sort of feels like I just want a new voice not necessarily that I hate the old guy but I just think that somebody who is not fighting that maybe is fresh might bring something to the table. Yeah I think that's right and I think that that speaks to the low voter turnout that we had in Massachusetts it's not that voters are boiling mad. I mean if you're if you're part

of the you know 11 percent of registered Republicans in the state an even smaller percentage of you know self-identified conservative Republicans then maybe you are boiling mad. But for everyone else it's I think it's sort of an on you we sort of you know frustrated with Beacon Hill I'm not going to bother. And so it depresses the turnout numbers. But you know we'll certainly see more in November but I think that if people are going to be. Focusing in on races the governors race is really going to be sucking the oxygen in the next seven weeks and it is going to be dominating the air for the airwaves. And I think frankly it's going to be all everyone's talking about. So these other races are going to be except for the press obl. the tenth going to go to the background. I think so I mean you know I would I would love it if for our society people focused more attention on the Treasury you know race Grossman won the Democratic primary last night and the auditor's race we were speaking about earlier when those are critical functions in state government who's managing our pension reserves who's who's overseeing

government making sure there's no corruption. That's huge. But it's also a little bit arcane and I think that it probably will be eclipsed in terms of money in spending and also just media oxygen compared to the sexier races the 10th which is an ideological clash in which a Republican actually stands a reasonable chance. And then the governor's race of course which always takes center stage. So I predict that the Treasurer's campaign is going to become more interesting to people. You have to once again very interesting candidates on both sides. Steve Grossman won the Democratic camp a lead on the other. And they're they've they've taken some. Innovative kinds of positions so I think we're going to hear more about that. To your credit now across the country there's been some Tea Party influence that we still don't know how the race is going to turn out in New Hampshire and I only ask that because here it is. Tea Partiers claim victory for Scott Brown so that could go in many races around around the state.

But are you seeing that really here and beyond maybe the 10th is do you see that kind of influence in any race. Is that a trend here. You know I really don't know. I mean I think that Massachusetts has long been derided I guess by Republicans as an anomaly but I mean this is an instance where I think it's probably to our credit the Tea Partiers are oftentimes really pushing the extreme fringes I mean down in Delaware with Christine O'Donnell. This is a woman who won the senatorial nomination literally. Even Karl Rove called her on national television. Nutty. I think that the Tea Partiers are pushing the envelope so much that in fact they're probably going to end up harming their own aims by making it big taking positions that are so extreme the Democrats are going to be winning I mean there's already talk that the Republican Party which thought it could recapture the seat you know Biden's old seat in Delaware is going to be pulling out their money because now they're largely going to be ceding it to the Democrats. Now I predict they'll be interesting to watch because Pat Buchanan you know

soft on conservative issues said this morning that the Republican that he cheered when Christine O'Donnell won first and secondly that the Republican Party needs to become a big tent and if they don't they're going to start losing everywhere so his prediction is get on the bandwagon or forget about it. If you're trying to be a real party Well this is also demanded of me Miss Lee address the 1992 presidential convention you know when George Bush was running and called for a culture war. So. Well that's true that's true. When he when he's saying Big Ted I think you maybe mean something a little different. Now there was a governor's debate last night and oddly I don't know why I was it seemed to be more of the same in the terms of the kind of conversation and and the back and forth nasty barbs between all of the candidates with the exception of Jules Dunn who was not included more. Is that what we're going to look forward to for the next set of debates the same kind of stuff. You know I think I think unfortunately yes there are there's probably over the course of the next

seven weeks not going to be a ton of new issues brought to the fore I mean the candidates have had largely staked out their positions and are just going to keep hammering on it. I mean the only drama really yesterday related to the governor's race which was a little bit bizarre was Tim Cahill at the last minute freaking out about whether he was allowed to vote or not right whether you know that would endanger his independent candidacy if he took a Democratic ballot and had to get a special letter from the secretary of state. Mostly nothing new. Yeah I just thought that was very interesting and I wondered if you think that's going to harm him in the end. Old back and forth yesterday. Well it's I mean you know there's there's two ways that you can read it. One is that he's desperate for press and so this is actually some sort of a polaroid to just get ink and be talked about. The other which I think is probably more likely is just they didn't think about it and then all of a sudden when he was getting ready to go some staffer said hey wait a minute have you thought about blah blah blah and then they just froze in their tracks. You know it's a little it's a little bizarre and amateurish frankly. But you know whatever.

OK. Now I know you said they're going to and we know there's only 11 percent of registered Republicans in Massachusetts but and I don't know that I can remember the percentage of Democrats I'm sure you know that but the majority of people right now are independent and I raise that because I need to go back to something that Ebenezer Scrooge said to the ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Are these the things that will be. Dory or that may be only the trends that we're seeing now because people are the ones that are angry are going leaning conservative. Yeah absolutely I mean there's a lot of anti-incumbent fervor broadly speaking and you know it's not uncommon frankly I mean it is standard issue that in the off year in the you know the mid-year elections of a presidential cycle that the tide swings against the presidency and you know if the presidency is held by Democrats then oh it's going to be a banner year for Republicans. And you know that's that's just sort of a standard thing frankly it's an embedded ingrained part of the

American political response that we get excited about things and then we get disillusioned with things and we just you know lash out one way or another it's I think it's the swinging of the pendulum. And so you know are the Democrats going to take a hit this year. Without a doubt. But I think that it actually can be mitigated largely by as we were talking about the fact that some of the Tea Party candidates are so extreme I mean look at Nevada for instance one of the prize seats is of course you know can we. But it's close that's always right that's right the publicans want to pick off Harry Reid who's the Senate majority leader and it was looking fairly dire for him. But then the nominee was Sharron Angle a Tea Party favorite and she's just not getting as much traction necessarily as the more mainstream Republicans. So it is absolutely up in the air I think that television ad buys in the spending will make a big difference. We'll see. We'll see how the the ads push people because a lot of folks frankly still aren't even paying attention.

I think you're right about that. Well DURIE Clark is the president of Clark strategic communications and during. Thank you so much for joining us. Come back again soon. I know we'll see you. Thank you. Up next a look at how those stimulus dollars we always hear about are restoring a piece of history right here on Beacon Hill. Stay with us. Support for WGBH comes from you. And from Boston Private Bank and Trust Company. Committed to helping successful individuals and businesses accumulate. Preserve and grow their wealth. You can learn more at Boston. Private Bank dot com. And from new Repertory Theatre. Presenting Boston Marriage a biting comedy by David Mamet. The award winning playwright of Speed the Plow. You can find more information online at new rep dot org. And from Somerset Chrysler Jeep Dodge featuring the new Chrysler Town and

Country with safety tech technology on all models. You are invited to stop in for a test drive Route 195 in Somerset Massachusetts Somerset auto group dot com. Hi I'm any cop's food editor at Yankee Magazine and if you love learning new recipes with public broadcasting then I hope you join me for the WGBH learning tours taste of Europe get away with the one and only chef Shaka aboard the marina the newest luxury liner in the Oceana fleet will travel to London Paris Barcelona and Rome to taste and make some great dishes along the way. For booking information visit WGBH dot org slash learning tours. To protect the life of a dog who is being abused. The main character of Scott Spencer's new novel Man in the woods gets into a fight and accidentally kills another man. He suddenly wishes he could believe there was a God who would understand what went wrong and the next FRESH AIR we talk with Scott Spencer. Also how microbes in our intestines may

hold the key to fighting some diseases. Join us. Turn your unwanted vehicle into a tax deductible contribution to public radio. It's easy to do through the WGBH vehicle donation program to learn more call. Eight six six four hundred nine four to four that's eight six six four hundred WGBH. Good afternoon I'm Cally Crossley and this is the Kelly Crossley Show. The Museum of African-American History has received four million dollars in federal stimulus funds to restore the African meeting house. Joining me to talk about what this means for the city and for history is Beverly Morgan Welch executive director of the Museum of African-American history of Boston and Nantucket and cash cash. Superintendent of Boston National Historical Park and bust an African-American national historic site. Welcome to you both. Thank you. First Beverly Congratulations.

Thank you because you're smiling from ear to ear as anybody would be yeah. The four million dollar gift this year I'm sure they can hear it on the radio has a big smile. Exactly. So tell us first for people who don't know what the African meeting house is and how then the money will be used. Absolutely the African meeting house is essentially America's oldest public. Oldest church building built by free African-Americans it is documented it has a history that talks about you know starting right after the beginnings of the country. So we are talking about a community of people living on Beacon Hill who decided they're going to build their own church and gathering place for meeting and they're going to meet on all manner of issues they're going to talk about education and provide a school. They have concerts that go on there all kinds of cultural events. But most importantly and historically significantly is the abolitionist movement. This is where the New England anti-slavery society is

formed on the first floor this is where the Massachusetts Fifty fourth great speeches were made to recruit people to the Civil War so it is historically a national historic landmark. And one of the most important buildings I'd like to say of American history. I think that's correct and some of those abolitionists are names people may know. Maria Stewart Wendell Phillips Frederick Douglass these are people who spoke at the African meeting house William Lloyd Garrison. Yeah. These are people who there are these wonderful stories about Frederick Douglass arriving. And you had garrison on one side and Louis Hayden on the other walking them up to the to the podium and you Kally know this is a tiny space right. So these folks taking the great Douglas to the to the podium in order to address the audience to really rally people to the cause. All right. Cash is cash you've been here about a second you got here in January you

take over this job. So this is quite a coup under your watch then right this is a great time to be coming to Boston and also contain a partnership with. Well Beverly but I have to say you know this is coming to this point you know this polls before me that have laid the groundwork and I'm just glad to be at this juncture of it and you know again the foreman though it was quite a feat but now the other half needs to come down and some more work so we are ready to go and the image of the brains and the staff of the park. We're excited. Well. Explain to people how the Park Service is connected to the to the African meeting house because I don't think people understand that the park service not just here in Boston but around the country is in charge of a lot of the state of these sites or works with the site exactly. So American National Historic Site is considered to be a partnership park and we have congressional legislation that was enacted on October the 10th 1980. And what that does is allow us to do what we're doing here today is allow us to exchange resources whether it is a specialist whether there's monetary support or anything so

it becomes part of within the judicial boundary of the park service with that. So for me in dollars is one of many other successes that we've done. But through the congressional legislation is what makes that happen and other park relationships just in case people are thinking oh I don't know that I think of the one with Alcatraz prison Alcatraz in the Park Service they run the tours there they're involved with that site there's a partnership there in Atlanta. We talk about the Martin Luther King sites that there is a partnership there so this is a part and parcel of you know a national perspective. And Beverly when we talk about the African meeting house and its importance in Boston and the nation really put that in perspective perspective for us because. I think people know well OK it's a part of the black heritage trail here but I don't know that they understand its import. Outside of that. Right. Well when the National Park Service rangers take people out on the black heritage trail part of what they try to help them understand is that

Boston's founded in 16 30 and the first African is recorded in 16 38. So we're not talking about a history of Africans in Boston that begins that his recent tour after the civil war we're talking about people here from the very beginnings and that history lead to weaves its way through ending slavery in Massachusetts. And this starting of major African-American organizations like the Prince Hall Masons the first African Masonic Order starts here in Boston in the 1770s. We're talking about people who fought in the Revolutionary War. So they are laying the groundwork the oldest home on Beacon Hill the George Middleton home is the home of Colonel Middleton who headed the books of America. They portray old the streets of Boston during the Revolutionary War and they try and take them through this history that begins back in the early 16th hundreds and goes all the way through to the late

1800s when the African meeting house becomes a synagogue. But essentially it provides the groundwork I mean Boston history is foundational to the country. So you're talking about a group of African-Americans who are really participating in you know when they hear that Declaration of Independence they're not just thinking Oh gee that's for them they're saying OK this sounds like it's for us. And how do we turn that Declaration of Independence into an expression of the ending of slavery for all black people and they have to work on that for some time and till obviously we get to the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. So now let's talk about because people are thinking well this is great and I maybe I didn't know this but stimulus money how does this connect and how does this provide jobs because in the release Governor Patrick is very excited about receiving this 4 million dollars to come to the African meeting house but the thing that he cites is that it creates jobs.

So cashless you want to talk about that. Yeah that's what makes this doubly sweet. You know we've been able to celebrate history and celebrate history remembers too a bit. Meanwhile we've been put people back to work which was always the foundation of the Obama administration when folks like to work and so before I got here Beverly had worked with my predecessor on making sure that we had what they would call and then shovel ready projects. And this project was one of many of the park that that was shovel ready and so we were able to submit that and with some help and support from folks here in the community including the governor we were fortunate doing that and so is living out what his intent is and also at same time going to restore this great location here. I know you're going to make it handicapped assessable Beverly MORGAN Well what else are you going to be doing well. One of the wonderful things about the work that we're doing is there are a number of specialists in historic restoration and and preservation who are out of work right now. This is not a top priority

so we're talking about all the masonry work that has to be done to create that elevator stair tower to make it accessible. We're talking about the lighting that has to be replaced in the meeting house. The cast iron posts that we've had replicated that will be put back in place. The floors that came from Old West when they built a new church in 18 06. So every aspect when you walk in you're going to know that you've walked into a place that was built in 1855 and all of the work that's being done is special specialty work. So Shawmut design and construction is our constructor and we have all of these. And so one of the things that we're looking forward to is on 10 10 10 we're going to celebrate our 30th anniversary and we're going to have a big and special event at converse hall on Mont street. And I talk to Shawn again today and said you know we want everybody there from Shawn the design and construction and all of the people that

you know we're going to be working on this project. We really want them to stand up and applaud them. They have specialized skills and you know making a brick that replicates what was made in 18 0 6 is a highly unusual thing to do. The bricks are not the same size the same color they're not made isn't the same materials. So this is the kind of skill that is required when you're preserving history the way that we are. So we are. We can't wait to really connect with these skilled crafts persons who are going to be back at work and we're going to really follow them and film them and take pictures and the whole nine yards. And and really celebrate this partnership. I think that as. Cash is said a lot of the groundwork was laid by his predecessors but the idea of

partnership Parks I mean people know about you Samedi you know they understand the Grand Canyon maybe Mt. Rushmore. But first of all this is a historic park and a lot of times people don't even connect that the Adams Park for the two presidents is you know a historic part is a park it's about presents Well this is historic it's African-American. And it's also urban So part of what we want to do with this opportunity and this funding is to celebrate the partnership get more people to come and get more people to visit these parks and so it's an important part of our partnership. OK. We're speaking with Beverly MORGAN Well she's the executive director of the Museum of African-American history of Boston and then took it and cash is cash to support the superintendent of Boston National Historical Park and bussed an African-American national historic site. When does the work get started catches. Well I think it will eventually help me with that because you have the plans laid out really well here where the funds were obligated yesterday to the right for 43 something.

I like that we got an e-mail which is wonderful news so we are meeting next week with our contractors and our architects John Wayne associates and the National Park Service folks and we're going to put the plan together we have this laid out in such a way I know the superintendent is hilarious but I mean it's DAY TO DAY. You have to do that on Beacon Hill. We're on a postage stamp here with less than a five foot opening to the rear of the building. So we really have to schedule this day by day week by week so we have it laid out in that kind of detail. So from the time that we have that meeting two weeks later. So in October we're going to be doing the work. We figured out how to with the money that we've got keep the rear he didn't tell we can get the. Heating and electricals in outside and a vault so we won't have to

invade the space again. So we're going to start work and we're going to work. It's going to take a seven to 12 months but on December 6 2011 we're going to be celebrating the 200 fifth birthday of the African meeting house in grand style as they did when it opened initially. Now I know that both of you have been engaged in fund raising efforts you know to carry on this work previous to getting this this big chunk of money. So if you didn't get the stimulus money what would happen. I mean I know you'd keep keep trying to make it available to folks. I want to mention that about 4 million visitors come through Boston every year and they are on these trails they are on the the Heritage Trail there on the African American Heritage Trail. They are visiting these sites so this is very much a part of tourism and money that comes in a bus and just normally you know before we even get to. Making this an improved site so without it what could you have done.

Well the wonderful thing about this was that when we applied for stimulus funding first of all we kept in touch with we kept in touch with many of our contributors we've cultivated donors. There are many many good corporations that have supported us Liberty Mutual Bank of America State Street and so on so we've had a number of wonderful corporate and individual supporters and we've extended that over the course of time. But when we raise this project and said you know this place has been mothballed and this is the jewel in the crown of the museum. This is a national historic landmark that should not be closed should not be mothballed waiting for this important restoration. So had it frankly not been funded with stimulus money the Park Service was prepared to fund it within its regular rotation of reconstruction projects. And again that was due in large part

to Governor Patrick and Secretary Salazar saying that it's you know this is gone on too long and this is too important. And during these difficult economic times culture and historic preservation suffer people just don't you know they think well it's old anyway you know. Yeah you know it can wait well waiting. I can tell you things start to deteriorate and fall apart. Now we're where it costs much more money and we've been able to keep this at. At the same cost because the economy has been so difficult so people need jobs that's right yes. So the Park Service was prepared to go the course with us in order to be able to make certain we braised four million previously. Now we needed the second four million. So this was I think they felt as professionals This was the right thing to do for Historic Preservation. It was the right thing to do for tourism. You do not deprive American

citizens of a site that was preserved so that they as citizens and residents and as international visitors to to Boston wouldn't be able to experience this because I'm going to tell you I know that when we catch probably want to say when we took him into the building you know initially it was a project for him he said. Yeah. Yeah. So when I got there everyone was debriefing me oh you know what was going on in the park and I kept hearing about the meetin house the meetin house and so we had I'm going to go over there and you know it doesn't take long when you get around to really hear from her of the significance of the buildings and how this building and the great leaders have come through and what it means. When I left that day and I said Beverly this is no longer a project this is a purpose now and this is before we got to the pond and so we'll we talk weekly on this and I would like you to phone. What with that a bit because we know we're talking about the numbers and they're big and that's important and the folks are going to get jobs and that's important.

But emotionally cash is about you know what does it mean to from you. National Parks Service to preserve a bit of history. Well this is this Our mission is a hand in glove fit right now and you know I can think of a better project to come in on and so to me personally feel proud as the superintendent I feel proud as an African-American be part of this feel proud to be part of history being made here and that's what I feel this is been it's been history manmade and so you know badly is a reminder of what persistence and vision will do for you. And so she's been aspirations I've been here and matched up with the significances build and I'm a happy superintendent. Well I have to say that having been on the Heritage Trail and I get chills at the last moment when the decision when the Park Service Guide says it was here that they had to make the decision that they could run to the meeting else they would be ok they'd be safe from slave catchers but they were it was a difference between life and death. So that memory that that's got to be preserved and congratulations and I'm

glad for all the folks getting worked on top of it. Thank you. We've been talking with Beverly Morgan Welch executive director of the Museum of African-American history of Boston and Nantucket and cashews Kash superintendent of Boston National Historic Park and Boston African-American national historic site. To learn more about the African meeting ouse visit Afro am museum dot org. Beverly Morgan Welton cash games thank you and dad or I am a h dot org that's even easier. Up next it's a police sergeant with a penchant for photography. State. Support for WGBH comes from you and from Boston Private Bank and Trust Company providing private and commercial banking and investment management and trust services to individuals and businesses. You can learn more by visiting Boston private bank dot com. And from the New England mobile book fair in Newton for 53 years. New England's independent bookstore. The New England mobile book fair

find them online at an e-book fair dot com. That's an e-book fair dot com and from Somerset Chrysler Jeep Dodge featuring the new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee with select arraign and Quantrell lift systems. You're invited to stop in for a test drive Route 195 in Somerset Massachusetts Somerset auto group dot com. This is eighty nine point seven WGBH Boston's NPR station for trusted voices and local conversation with the world. The PBS News Hour and the callee Crossley Show explore new voices with us all day long here on the new eighty nine point seven. WGBH. If you couldn't imagine driving around town without public radio then consider supporting WGBH through our vehicle donation program. Just call eight six six four

hundred nine for two for pick up more on want to be able handle all of the paperwork and you'll support WGBH and qualify for a tax deduction. To learn more about the WGBH vehicle donation program call 8 6 6 400 9 4 2 4. Why is a nine point seven. Because the way some Kenyans run about it barefoot may be better for their bodies than running in shoes because you'll only hear Marco Werman and the world on the new eighty nine point seven. WGBH radio. 1. Good afternoon I'm Cally Crossley and this is the Calla Crossley Show. My guest Wellesley Sergeant Scott Moore has been offering a behind the scenes look at his profession by way of his photography from new cruisers to car crashes he's been capturing it all and creating an online gallery for all to see. Sergeant Whitmore welcome. Thank you for having me. I have to tell my listeners that you're in full regalia in full Sergeant regalia So you look very official. Thank you. Thank you. This is the time where I need to

be you know maybe speeding somewhere where you can help me out. Anyway I digress. So you've been a shutterbug almost all of your young adult life I'm going to say. That's correct my father was a news photographer just recently retired from WBEZ and he was there for almost 50 years so I went along with him on many many calls and I picked up a camera when I was very young he taught me how to use it and just kind of went with it from there. So your original thought was that you'd be a photographer as a career but you somehow ended up being in the police going to the police. Well I did I did go to college out in Rochester New York for photography. And about halfway through I became involved. With the local at the city Mercy Medical Services and we work very closely with the police and I was always I always had trouble just in my back in my mind and halfway through I just decided to switch and. And here I am I was very lucky to get hired right out of college in the Wellesley Police Department so it worked out quite well but up until that point I had been 100 percent sure that I was going to be a photographer.

So now you're on the force and you're working and how did you end up starting to take pictures and people began to know you as a photographer. Well unfortunately but as a kid growing up I worked for a lot of the different newspapers in town when I was very very young all through one time went to college and I had taken a lot of photos for the Wellesley Police Department having grown up in the town and everything. And it all you know I got on the job and I already had a reputation through Wellesley of you know always he's a photographer and like anything else Wellesley uses any specific skill sets that you have. And after about a year it was you know hey can you take a photo here we need some photos there. And from there it just just expanded and then I just kept the camera with me all the time and started taking pictures of officers not just at the big crime scene but back at the station or on the street doing their everyday jobs and just like I said a kind of mushroom from there. So when we say photographer in this instance we don't mean the kind that I see on the TV when they're sent out the police photographer to the crime scene we do I do a little bit of that. We do I mean that's how Definitely it started and then I just kept keeping my cameras with me and there were so

many great moments of human emotion. That you know I had seen obviously as a photographer but now being on the other side with the police I just started taking photos and then you know everyone wanted to see the pictures and then everyone wanted copies and but there's a lot of things that go on behind the scenes that necessarily I don't think anyone sees. Like what. Just you know if you go buy a car stop or what looks like a car stop for the police you know you see the officer very serious and very professional and there's kind of that barrier there where as opposed to you go to the website and you see a photo of the same officer with a child at a block party or even at our open house or just a lighter side of the office or just not something you necessarily see with the police you know it's we have sometimes we have very limited interactions with the general part of the public. And now they go to the website and they can see all of the I know that Officer I saw him laughing or smiling or you know he's not that. Robot professional. Just the facts ma'am kind of officer it's a human

being to guess it just tries to put a human face on the department and the officers and it's been working because you say you've been talking about the kind of response you get from people. You know it's funny. I just having this come up recently and officer just came up to me they were talking about it and he said that he was in you know on a different call and someone came up and said I've seen you on the website. You know I know you know and when you think about it going back to community policing and a concept that everyone's tried to grasp and get their hands around having something like this is one of those things that breaks down those barriers between the officer just riding around in the car. Now the public sees you know an officer on this website and I mean Wells is not a big department so you see a lot of the same officers and then on the street the officer may be handling something different and for a kid or a citizen or anybody to call up and say Oh hey I saw you on the website. I think that's huge I mean because right away you know the officer is a big smile on his face and they don't which photo did you see and I don't really like that photo or whatever but it just breaks down a lot of the barriers. And I think it's it's the community policing the future.

So tell me about how many pictures you take in a given month or does it vary. It definitely varies there are some nights you know we're busy and I maybe not only get out my camera. There are other nights that. You know I grab a couple of photos here and there. I would say generally I do usually. I'm shooting three or four nights out of the five shifts that I'm scheduled to work each week. And that's just you know it could be I just bail out of the car really quickly and grab a couple photos and then we're off to the next call or or even if we're at the station or whatever. But it's usually the cameras with me and the officers in Wellesley are fantastic because they totally ignore me now. You know I don't even they don't even think about it it's all second nature and that's when you get the best photograph. It certainly is I mean I have you know unfettered access to to that apartment and it's it's quite an opportunity. It's quite an opportunity now I think in your taking the pictures you have seen up close just the changes in technology. Because I wonder about the camera you began with and now the one that you're using. I started off with a Nikon F3 the mainstay of the 90s of photojournalists I guess with film both black and white in color

and now we've we've gone you know all the way to the car I use a Nikon d 300 and 10 12 megapixels at a time and it went from bring in my from my film down to the local place to process two you know three seconds in the cruiser downloaded to the laptop and there it is. Do you think about that yourself I mean that's something to which it's instant feedback. You know you know when you have the shot as opposed to I think before with the film it was kind of wait and see. And there was always that little downtime now I look and see exactly what I have and it allows me to do a little bit more I think especially with the lighting. So now you said that you had you know never thought you'd end up with a website with all of these photos on it. When did you put it up. And one of the ones that people gravitate to the most. It's you know we did a slide show every year for the department and for our open house for the public so they could see all of us and a lot of relatives would come in of officers and say oh that's a great photo of whoever and you know can I get a copy of it and it just start to get a little overwhelming so I didn't really have any web

skills or anything I just learned very quickly and I was kind of exposed to an online photo gallery. And then it just it started expanding and then the chief and the deputy chief were very enthusiastic about it and very supportive and ultimately I ended up taking over the department website. And so between the two we've been up I've been up on my website since about 2004 and then I took over on the department website about two years ago and I noticed people gravitate to. It's funny the officer may not like the photo but everybody else does like him an example. There's one particular photo of a dispatcher who had a particularly it was a very very long day. I think she was on a double but it was a very long day and she just kind of had that down moment of you know looking up at the clock and watching the computers and you could just see it on her face you could see that. How tired she was and that I know that's a very popular photo with the deputy chief. And then just the every day I think I hear a lot from relatives of I never saw my husband or wife with that look I never realized you know that their game face at

work or you know that moment of seriousness or even that moment of laughing. I see I do hear a lot of comments like that. So they see another side of the officer that they don't necessarily see at home. So here's the question I ask all artists that they hate. What's your favorite photo. You know I have there's a there's I think my favorite photo is a. Photo of Officer Ron Paul doing traffic and it's it's the photo right. I hate to hate but I mean I hate it a lot because it does show I'm very serious in everything and runs a very easygoing guy but it's just it's just you can just see it in his face I mean it's a it was a hot day it was a lot of traffic and there is like out in the middle of it doing doing traffic but there are a thousand photos a tie for second I guess who takes pictures of you because you know if you've if you're taking over the department website there ought to be some pictures of you there too for it to be accurate. There there there are a couple of people our detectives are pretty good you know. We go back and forth sometimes if they're at a scene

with a camera. There's another one of our computer guy actually detective McLaughlin is very is a very good photographer and he likes to take photos as well. We don't always gel in the same shift but he's pretty good I get submissions every now and then people e-mail me a photo like oh I saw you I grabbed this photo and stuff but you know I try to focus it really on the kind of the unsung heroes of you know the officers working every day in the town and what they do now. Has there been a young kid who's contacted you somebody who was like you who wanted to be a photographer and sort of watch from afar and was taking pictures for the high school and that you know into the newspapers. We haven't had that but I have had. Some weed we run a youth academy every year and I do get a lot of questions about the cameras and photography in general from from the youth. I just had someone email me today about what type of equipment we used and I was a younger. He had said he was going to college for the U.S. about going to college for photography so I do start to get those questions. It's quite a new experience for me not something I ever thought I'd be doing. Well you know

best answering that question well I don't know about that but it's just it's odd to be on the other side of things I guess because I always asked everyone else but well I'm going to I'm going to put it out here that you get another job. I'm surprised with the numbers of films that come through here that involve Hello Ben Affleck and the rest cops. You know they got to have some you know background with people who take the shots of the cuts and know what it looks like. So Scott would have more of that maybe yet another career for you. And if you see me driving in Wellesley you know give a girl up and just give us a wave. OK. My guest is Scott Witter Moore he's a sergeant in the Wellesley Police Department. He's also a photographer to look at his photos go to Wellesley P.D. photo dot com. Sergeant winter Moore thank you so much for joining that much. Thank you. Today Show was engineered by Allen Madison and produced by Chelsea murders and a white knuckle beat and Abby Ruzicka the Calla Crossley Show is a production of WGBH radio Boston NPR station for news and culture.