WGBH Radio; The Callie Crossley Show

I'm Calen Crossley and this is the Cali Crossley Show. Today we're hitting the rewind button on this week's news from the great lady's front pages to the stories on the small screen and the reporting that never reached our radar. We're going to look at the news that was and wasn't. We'll be dropping in on community and alternative presses for a look at the big stories from the small papers where today's neighborhood news becomes tomorrow's mainstream headlines. We'll top off the hour going to wring from the serious to the sublimely ridiculous with ragtime a tour of the tabloids and a round up of this week's pop culture. Up next on the Calla Crossley Show from gumshoe reporting to gossip rags. First the news. From NPR News in Washington I'm Pam Colter.

President Obama is on a quick trip to Portugal facing questions from European allies about U.S. policies in Lisbon NPR's Ari Shapiro reports. Afghanistan is high on the summit agenda. President Obama's first official stop in Lisbon was at the blame Palace after a lunch with President on a block of ACO Silva. The men stood in an ornate hall and spoke to reporters. President Obama said one key goal for this weekend is for NATO to agree on an approach to extricate Western troops from Afghanistan over the next few years. And here in Lisbon I look forward to working with our NATO and our i staff partners as we move towards a new phase a transition to Afghan responsibility that begins in 2011. With Afghan forces taking the lead for security across Afghanistan by 2014 he said the summit is an important opportunity for the various countries with troops in Afghanistan to align their approach to withdrawal. Ari Shapiro NPR News Lisbon. The Pentagon is beefing up the effort to fight insurgents in southern Afghanistan. Senior defense officials say 14 M1-A1 Abrams tanks and a

hundred fifteen more Marines will be sent to the battle zone next month. The officials who spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity say it's a first for the U.S. although Canadian and Danish troops are already using the huge tanks in Afghanistan. Julian Assange is appealing to a Swedish court order for him to face questioning on rape allegations which could lead to an international arrest warrant for the globe trotting Wiki Leaks founder. His attorney plans to file an appeal at Stockholm district court today. Prosecutors say there are attempts to question Assad have failed. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is answering critics of the central bank six hundred billion dollar bond purchase program. NPR's Jim Zarroli reports. Bernanke he attending a banking conference in Germany also urged Congress to do more to stimulate the economy. Bernanke has come under fire recently because of the Fed's easy money policies which critics say will keep the dollar artificially low and raise inflation.

The criticism has come from some Republicans but also from countries like China Brazil and Germany. In his remarks Bernanke he defended the policies. He said they were necessary to promote job growth and reduce the risk of deflation. But he said there are limits to what central banks can do to promote growth and he said the strategy of currency undervaluation is undermining balanced and sustainable global growth. U.S. officials have complained that China has kept its currency low to promote exports. That has kept Chinese factories operating at the expense of manufacturers in other places. Jim Zarroli NPR News. Stock prices headed lower following China's move to curb inflation Beijing told banks they must hold more reserves on Wall Street the Dow down for NASDAQ up three and the S&P down 1. This is NPR. It turns out a suspicious package found your bags in the Namibian airport was designed to test airport security but officials are trying to figure out who was involved in the test. The bags were bound for Munich and German experts sent to investigate say

the case was made by an American firm. The threat came amid heightened concerns about terror threats against Germany. We're learning more about the mid air engine explosion on a Quantas Airlines jet two weeks ago. As Stuart Cohen in Sydney reports investigators now believe passengers and crew are lucky to be alive. New pictures from the investigation into the failure of the engine on the Quantas A-380 super jumbo jet show the situation was far worse than originally thought. Investigators say the crew onboard the flight was dealing with an unprecedented number of systems failures brought on by shrapnel from the exploding engine ripping through several parts of the plane. Steve prev. of the Australian aircraft engineers Association says the plane could have easily exploded. That was very lucky that fuel once or the wing didn't ignore it. The exchanges and crew on board were probably unaware of how serious the situation was on our Web site from the pictures it all signed that they very likely to be a lost Quantas is fleet of A-380 remains grounded. The company says they won't be commenting on the findings. For

NPR News I'm Stuart Cohen in Sydney. Well Fort Lauderdale Florida jury is resuming its deliberations of the drunk driving manslaughter case against former Major League Baseball player Jim Leyritz the panel got the case yesterday after a 10 day trial prosecutors say he was drunk when he ran a red light and hit a vehicle killing a 30 year old woman. I'm Pam Colter NPR News in Washington. Support for NPR comes from IBM working to help midsize businesses become the engines of a Smarter Planet. Learn more at IBM dot com slash engines. Good afternoon I'm Cally Crossley and this is the Calla Crossley Show. Today we're hitting the rewind button on the week's news with a look at the stories that went under the radar. I'm joined by Sue O'Connell beer for Bill for e and Kat powers. Sue O'Connell is the co-publisher of bay windows in the south and news Bill Forry is the

managing editor of the Dorchester Reporter. And Kat powers is one of the managing editors at Gatehouse news. Welcome to you both. All of you all thank you. Now it seems to me that the stories that we're going to talk about today touch on some ongoing themes of violence and immigration and bullying as they seem to just keep coming up so Bill I want to start with you because a Dorchester Reporter did a very thorough piece about the police finding the murder victim two days after that right on the first one tell us about that story. Well it seemed odd to us when it first broke that there was a second body found right across the street from where the initial murder happened. Last Sunday this was on the I believe the 7th. And tell us again where that was. This is on mascot Street which is in Dorchester it's very close to the magic pin line where the quadruple homicide happened not long ago. But this is a street that is fairly quiet side street. It was somewhat unusual to hear of a homicide happening there for you know forget about two. But what we saw was the second body was found at about 9:00 in the morning

on Tuesday. There was a homicide on Sunday at 1:00 in the morning in which a 17 year old named Emmanuel Lewis was was gunned down. He was taken to hospital later died. And then two days later on Tuesday morning they found the second victim whose name is nerving Shiloh 19 year old from Dorchester. It's not clear yet why this young man was and was not found. It is becoming increasingly clear that he was shot in the same incident. Police Commissioner Ed Davis on Friday last Friday told us that he does he does believe it was the same shooting incident so. He's called for an investigation internally among his command staff to figure out exactly how they may have missed him. They also would like to know why neighbors maybe didn't spot him. Yeah it's an abandoned property where in the driveway and we were out there on the scene the day after the body was found. And literally it was within 100 feet of the initial shooting so it really kind of defies logic and reason as to why this young man would not have been discovered earlier. Now one of the things you say in the piece though that this abandoned property has been a problem for the residents there been a

concern so is it possible they just try to avoid it because they're worried about this is it's suspicious behavior over there anyway and so I would see it that's a possibility I think it's you really if you walked along the sidewalk and look down the driveway you would have seen this victim. Also the neighbors who live right next door would have seen him out their window. So there's a lot of questions it's still a bit of a mystery as to why he wasn't seen earlier by anyone. But certainly for the Boston Police Department it's an issue of process and in their protocol is it a crime scene. That is a reasonable question to be asked about why when they responded not only to the first shooting but then once that first victim did pass away at the hospital they returned to the scene early morning. So they missed this young man twice evidently And that's that's a big issue that needs to be. Investigate it you know and a bigger part of this also is what happens if they arrest the perpetrator and then the defense attorney has a field day with the fact that they they missed this this for lack of a better term in this context evidence.

You know that clearly they were doing a good investigation of the scene. And for anyone you know obviously we know it in the media but for anyone who served on jury duty they probably know it as well. You know life isn't TV. It isn't CSI coming in and closing off the block and searching every building there's any number of issues that could have contributed. You know defense of what happened even though we don't know yet but any number of issues could have contributed to the police not being able to search this area find this body. And it also makes you wonder what you know what other evidence are they missing. When they go to crime scenes like this I mean we have a bright lights white spotlight on crime in the city of Boston and this still happened in one other issue that this is district B3 which includes Matt upin in Dorchester. Their homicide rate is I think about 150 percent over last year's levels they've had I think 19 victims in B3 so far this year. So it's a it's a obviously a hotspot area where there are many other investigations going on. And there's a deployment issue to be raised here with the department about some of the police officer.

We talked to rank and file say listen we're stretched very thin over here. We're not getting any overtime cars we're not getting an extra car a night that might help on the routine things so that we can pursue these matters that these more serious shooting matters aggressively. So I think that that's another issue that's coming on the horizon for BP has to deal with deployment over time. And and then of course the issue of The Protocols of the crime scene. If anybody thinks that the police department doesn't want to find victims of crime you know obviously they do. So there's a very complex issue that's happening here. Well this is what I want to Ken I want to ask you is that I wonder if you think because I know I'm going to have your paper's about address this ongoing tension between residents and police that something like this increases that this is now the 66 victim of violence in Boston this year. You know it's one of those things where you read a story and every being in the media every time I talk to police you know when there's been a crime they always say you know hey we want to use your paper we want to use the wicked local websites to reach out find people who might have seen something. Somebody and I read that story with that eye.

It was a gravel driveway and first thing I think of is well the elderly folks or the folks with young kids must have a hard time shoveling that driveway. Well then you realize that nobody's actually living there and how much does the mortgage crisis and the stuff you're hearing about Fannie Mae How much does that actually contribute to horrible tragedies like this. Well yeah I think it's I think all of that has to be taken to account. And plus you know hey everybody's under budget cuts and so here we are once again having to deal with that. And I take your point with the with the police saying they feel very stretched. But I do think that it does not help to form relationships between residents and police. No not at all I mean and it just feeds into any conspiracy theory valid or not about what the the neighborhood is thinking the police are are not doing. And it's I mean and from someone who you know grew up in an urban environment and has family who are police officers no one wins and that you know that is just a no win situation. And I again I I bet we're going to come back finding out that you know that the police on duty

the detectives on duty missed it because they were busy doing other things. That's to be it. All right Ken I want to come back to you because in a local Brookline. There is a huge controversy going on for a story that you have about the Brooklyn folks they're electing to give now. Let's get this straight. Legal immigrants wear is hard out. This is well this is how awesome the Brookline town meeting is that they're putting a strike for democracy where they want to make sure that not only do citizens of Brookline get the vote but folks who are taxpayers in Brookline get the vote. If you are legally a resident of Brookline and a citizen of England Egypt Canada China you then the proposal that they've sent it is a petition that they've sent up to our legislature. They want to make sure that you can elect the bodies that are electable in Brookline. This would include town meetings school committees

selectman library trustee Housing Authority. And the folks who do the constable's. If you're paying taxes they feel that these town meeting members and it's actually proposed by the school committee chairman they feel that you should have the vote. OK. So now again the way I've heard this because the talk radio is having a field day with this not this radio show but others that these were illegal. These were undocumented workers but these people have green cards. So that's that's different a lot. These folks are longtime residents who have you know who have lived here and paid taxes. And the issue that Rebecca stone the school committee chair is very clear about this. When she proposed this these folks are residents sending their children to schools with businesses here who are paying taxes. The feeling is that these should folks should also have a say in how the school committee decides the budget how Town Meeting votes how the select board

does their business. There's nothing more un-American than that. OK. I mean and it's got nothing to do with immigration in any shape. I think it has to do with the original idea of the Constitution which protected minorities against landowners. You know and if people who are not citizens are going to be legal citizens and I know that they're there legally here and that's all good and that's a distinction that we have to say over and over again so people don't miss the point. But at the same time if I own five or six buildings in Brookline and I'm paying a large part portion of my taxes based on real estate taxes then according to this argument I should be able to have more votes. You know just because I'm paying more taxes if the amount of taxes or that you pay taxes is supposed to be the gauge on how often or how many times you get to vote then landowners which is exactly what the Constitution was meant to prevent it should be able to vote more.

And whether or not you know we were making the distinction here. Yeah but Bill people are upset. You know this is this looks like somebody is about to get away with something or be given a benefit that should be only accrued for citizens. Right. Well because it's a home rule petition this goes to the legislature it doesn't seem likely that this legislature maybe any other is going to take this favorably. I can't see that. You know in the context of even in-state tuition and you look at the numbers that are coming back in public opinion polls or even just you know kind of the I guess the the red meat you know newspaper polls 80 90 percent against it. I just don't see that this is going to have much legs beyond Brookline and that's going to be problem will be enacted if the legislature will not even take it up probably. I have to say it it just seems like a bad time in terms of the vibe in general about immigration issues. You know it may cause strife. Yeah. It would have to be but I don't have to lean on the fire of what other immigration issues are and I think there are other ways that you can include a population into being more and more

vested into city government I mean I don't disagree with the idea that you know especially on issues of budget and taxes that the citizenry in general and people who live there should have more of a say. You know I don't always think that you have to be registered to vote in order to have a say on your town meeting or your budget. But I don't I don't think granting a right is the right way to go. Well I don't think we've heard the end of this it will be very interesting to see what happens when it gets to the legislature. OK Sue so in bay windows you get a piece that some people might be surprised by and that is very American. And the recent elections more LGBT folks move toward the Republicans. Yeah you know this is the dirty little secret in the LGBT community that anywhere in any election from 20 to 30 percent of gays and lesbians report voting Republican. And you know it's always shocking to those of us who don't vote Republican on a regular basis. But you have to remember that you know you're dealing with a very small number of people. You know I know that we're everywhere we're on every TV show and winning all the Tonys.

We really are a small number of people and it only takes a few to kind of slant that. Having said that you've got a number of people very involved like Patrick Guerrero who is now at the Gill Foundation who is the head of the Log Cabin Republicans. You've got speak of immigrants Andrew Sullivan who is a big Republican there are there's a large vocal group of gays and lesbians who are Republicans including very Cheney. Well when we come that's right that's what I came for dinner. We come back I'm going to have we're going to continue with our hyper local review of news. I'm Kelli Cross and we're looking at the news that went under the radar with Sue O'Connell and that was Sue O'Connell speaking of the South in news and bay windows Bill Forry with the Dorchester Reporter. And Kat powers of Gatehouse news will be back after this break. Stay with us. The. Support for WGBH comes from you and from Elsa Dorfman Cambridge

portrait photographer. Still clicking with the jumbo format Polaroid 20 by 24 analog camera and original Polaroid film online at Elsa Dorfman dot com. That's Elsa Dorfman dot com. 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 Harvard bookstore. Featuring Booker award winning novelist Salomon Rushdie discussing his new novel Luka and the fire of life on Monday November 20 9th. For tickets and information you can visit Harvard dot com. On the next FRESH AIR of your career as we listen back to an interview with Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane the songwriting team behind that song. Martin has a new memoir recalling his days writing for Broadway musicals. Join us. This afternoon at 2:00 an eighty nine point seven WGBH

WGBH radio and television reporter Jared Bowen on what he thinks qualifies as real news. I think that real news is things that make you think. See I appreciate and perhaps most importantly be startled in your own existence. Do you agree. Tell WGBH what real news means to you by giving your opinion at real news WGBH dot org. The informal friendliness of Celtic music. Join me Brian O'Donovan every Saturday at 3:00 for a Celtic sojourn here on eighty nine point seven. WGBH. I'm Kelli Crossley and this is the Kelly Crossley Show. If you're just tuning in we're looking at the local news that went under the radar this week. Joining me to talk between the headlines are Sue O'Connell with the South in news and bay windows Bill Forry with the Dorchester Reporter. And Kat powers of

Gatehouse news. Now before we went to break we were talking about this piece in bay windows indicating that there was a shift even if this is a small one do to the Republican Party by lesbian and gay voter I might I might also just go a little bit further and speak in a gross generalization that a lot of the Republicans except for Mary Cheney in the gay community are our white men and as many of the rights that we are barred from as a community. There are some go arounds if you have enough money you know you can get a power of attorney to visit your loved one in the hospital. Something Obama is working just just passed that you can you can do now you can get wills you can get all sorts of things. So for many of these people it's not the number one thing for them because they are able to not get rights but get protections because they have the money to do so you know we talked about Mary Cheney or mention Mary Cheney and her partner Heather Poe. They have children and live in Virginia which is possibly the most anti-gay state in the nation. But you can be sure that they've got enough protections that

they need because they have the finances to do it so I think for many of these Republicans it's gay Republicans it's definitely I can take care of myself which is sometimes a Republican motto. And you know I have other issues I'm more concerned about. Well I was deeply into the piece not just because of the fact that you just put it out there but also it seems to me to be a piece of a national shift cat where we're seeing a lot of constituencies that before didn't seem to be as interested in the Republican Party and I'm thinking about the two black folks that just get named to the Senate actually one Tea Party candidate outright Tea Party candidate and the other one is a more kind of traditional. Black Republican candidate but my point is even outside outside of Massachusetts there's there's a movement. Well you know it just I suppose that this would mean that folks are just like everybody else where they you know locally Yeah. I mean honestly just everybody seemed to vote for when

Obama came in vote for the Democrats and now there's a swing back I mean you know any tendency I think you're gay or lesbian doesn't mean that you're not going to you know be like everybody else and have kids in the schools and worry about health care and you know some of my biggest national gay Republicans I think I need to just say this. And we're glad you're on record for this issue. Can't let me to stay with you because the piece in the local West Roxbury paper noted that. Oh man oh Miley met Mally I can get it out. Crushed Jim hit again in the Boston City Council special election and I guess they were counting the votes late so he's is he the youngest now on the city council. You know I'm not sure about that is certainly one of the more inexperienced and this will be interesting for West Roxbury because. You know Hannigan was kind of seen as connected not just because of that had a good name in Boston. Even the your show I believe it is. But you know he was

there on the. He was on the board of the Y and you know kind of a member of the community and whatnot. And O'Malley while he did really really pull out the fundraiser all the stops and stops on the fund raising it it appears that you know he isn't as connected to the grassroots of the community. And it'll be interesting to see if you know West Roxbury had a lot of street cred with John Tobin who has it in for a Northeastern kind of open the seat kids you know he's been there for what seven years and so it's going to be interesting to see you know what West Roxbury gets out of this. Bill I was interested because Matt worked with Andrea coverall So he sort of cut his chops working with was Sheriff Andrea Carrboro and with Steve Grossman most recently and and all of these folks that Matt has helped over the years they really seem to be Legion were at his side very early on of course he was endorsed by John Tobin he was

endorsed by I believe by city councilor John Connolly as well early on. So he there was this momentum behind Matt immediately and it really did speak to his ability to never burn a bridge. I mean he's been in he's been in this political game now for a good 10 10 years or so even for a young guy he's been because he's 31 for goodness then you know then you know it's for a minute and he's been doing the good work of helping other people get elected. Of course he had his his own he failed twice to to win elections citywide but he never stopped working at it he was always working for somebody else's interests including a belief he'd worked a massive qual your theories on political director of mad Well he's sort of the Steve Grossman of the of the Boston city politics where he's run a number of times. He's a really good guy. He's a smart guy. He loves show tunes which make the gays love him and he's you know I think we're all really happy that he got elected in terms of getting a fresh face to the. And I mean how often does a mallee these days get elected to the city council with red hair with red hair you go.

I understand he was anxious to get on the council soon so he could tackle both the Chuck Turner. Issue as well as the possible ban a four loko by the city council so he's ready to jump right in. From what I understand he is he has the reputation of a guy who's ready to work and ready to get in and he's going to become the go to guy for JP West Roxbury in his neighborhoods. But it's going to take some time and those of the hip happening neighborhoods we should we should point out. I don't live there but they know they are cat boy we're working you today. We get local need him. This story about the Needham girls soccer team and the hazing that went on with some of the members and the subsequent. Well they get kicked out of playing the game that they wanted to play as a result of this activity. You know people are really divided about this. So many people say these are kids. People have been hazed to get over it. You know nobody die kind of thing. Yeah you know it's it's it's been a very interesting story.

You know for those in the wicked local Needham newsroom because nobody wants to talk. We have a well you know we have a couple of letters from parents who you know want it known that what happened was stupid. What happened certainly deserve some punishment but the girls involved have been there basically fighting a suspension from the school because it's assault and harassment not hazing hazing under these school policies. They would be told to stop and that would be the end of it. Assault and harassment goes on your college transcript. And if you're a senior right now out there you certainly know that that's going to be a big mark against you possibly for the rest of your life. So the parents are fighting this in part because of what's on the girl's transcript. Now there's been some debate as to what actually happened. And in part because the parents the kids and the schools aren't talking about it.

It's a little hard to figure out what happened but from what we understand there were no marks on girls necks from being dragged by leashes across the soccer field. Let me just say what what they're being accused of and they were that two freshmen girls were blindfolded and pulled dog leashes that allegedly left marks but now you're saying that's that no marks were left there some are saying. Yeah. The parents say that it was in what was happening was stupid but that no girls felt intimidated harassed or victimized that they were. You know there's been some some talk about you know what actually happened and we're still not clear because nobody's coming to us on the record. But nobody was hospitalized nobody had marks that were left. Nobody has felt victimized. We're told however nobody's come forward to tell us. And it's you know it's one of the things is that actually bullying if something stupid

happens. Yeah and nobody was actually hurt. Is that hazing. Is that making somebody effect him and then making them a party to you not getting punished for it. It's really an interesting story and it is not limited just to Needham. I'm interested because you got a piece of bay windows about these school districts that have to come up with a plan. Right. About anti-bullying. Yeah. However we frame this yeah I mean you know the bullying conversation I mean I think everything that Caton and the reporting that they've done on this is accurate I mean for me the big issue in Needham was how the parents originally reacted by getting trying to get a stay from the court to allow these girls to get to compete in the I think or the finals. Let me let me be clear. The issue was I mean you know first off it's really stupid if you're a senior you're going to pull this stuff. I speak really not in his room if you mean and if you're not on the radio when these things happen you probably don't want to do it right before you

start with the state tournament right. And every parent they've gone before the school committee they've come they've they've spoken to the newspaper and they've said listen this is not about the tournament. This is about my daughter wants to go to college. Exactly and you know Harvard UMass Bunker Hill Community College all fine institutions. They probably don't want somebody who's been accused of harassment and assault among your student body especially now when I got a choice you know that you've got some parents in the world. You know one type of parent which I think I belong to is that if I find out something is happening with kids and my kids involved as far as I'm concerned they're all guilty until we get to the bottom of it if their lips are moving they're lying and they've all done something to contribute to this and then there's the other parent who thinks that all the other kids are guilty except for their own. Yeah you know and I think that this is one of those mixes right there and again to the point about the guidelines and what you know the bullying law you know needs to guidelines need to be in place by the educators. This is you know I feel bad for these girls. I really do because I think that they got caught doing something that boys have been doing for a long time and they

probably didn't really see anything wrong with it because they're teenagers and their brains aren't completely developed. And I just think that it is a strong guidelines about what is acceptable and what isn't acceptable is really what needs to happen. Well that's why this anti bullying the anti bullying Bill asks that schools submit a plan for how they're going to go about it but right now according to your paper and baby endos only a handful have done it right the deadline is December 30 and this point between is it harassment or is it hazing and you know that's us but that's a big distinction. And you just think you know and I just I just. But with all that public schools have to do with all the unfunded mandates that they have to deal with and this is such a hot topic in the way he wants you know star athletes who are good school to have their you know their future hurt because they walk some girl across the field. You know Elise you know I mean it's it's just one of those really complicated issues where there's no right answer. All right. Well unless Bill has one. No you know what I want Bill to tell me some good news and

what he does have in the Dorchester Reporter. Does it appear as if I was really interested in the meeting between members of the Cape Verdean community and the new head of the Boston office of the US Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives. Yeah a guy Thomas who's a Who's of Cape Verdean descent himself and is new to the Boston area and made it a point in this this was not one of those crisis meetings where we just had a shooting last night we all got to get in the room in a kind of yell a yell it out. This was a this was a meant to be a constructive meeting. They put a notice in the parish bulletins at St. Peter's and at Holy Family which is in a neighborhood that's not predominantly cave area but certainly a concentration there. And he wanted to get to know people and he brought other law enforcement folks with him from Boston police ATF and Boston are trying to work out a partnership where they can be more constructive about working together to find the source of these these gun incidents and to trace guns and to get arrests made. But basically what guy Thomas wanted to say is listen I'm one of you I grew up

the same way you did. I've lost people to violence myself. Here's what you need to do. You need to pick up the phone and call me if you find a gun you think there's a gun in your kid's bedroom. Your cousin's bedroom whatever please you know. Look to me I'll be helpful you can trust me. That's a rare kind of meeting in Boston where we're not we're not just assembling because there's just been a tragedy. But he's trying to be proactive so I think we give Gibbs some props for that this week. Well also there's it's a rare meeting that the official is one who has suffered the same kind of loss. That's right. And he was connecting the Cape Verdean community has been really you know besieged from within and without. In Dorchester over the last decade with gun violence and other you know other violent acts that have really pitted Cape Verdean against Cape Verdean in many cases factions of families even and that that body toll has been horrendous. And so it's obviously a good thing that there's a person who can connect with the Cape Verdean community you can be a trusted source and who can really take an interest in plumbing the. Employing a

how do we get these some of these guns off the street. OK we got good news bad news with a couple of short stories soon. You're the bad news. Churches are leaving the South in because they just the people can't park. You know I mean it's all the congestion that now is in the south and I mean many of these churches are very very old and didn't have parking concerns didn't have the number of residents and for many years have been sort of allowed to park up the middle of Columbus for the middle of the tram up but but Harrison when they needed to have church services or double park. And I think it's been a very tolerant procedure where folks in the neighborhood have been OK with it because it only happens on Sundays or when there's an event but it's now getting to the place where these churches are so old that they can't maintain them they can take care of the boilers they can't take care of the roofs and and there's an effort from the folks within the churches to really try and raise the money but at the same time you

know they're up for sale and being sold and converted into condominiums and you know as much as I love the architecture of the churches and jails. I hate it when they get changed into something else I can't eat at Suffolk at the jail over on the right because it just remind I just feel like the building is filled with all these. These souls you know and the same as with the church they they're looking at the Caulker Baptist and the Bethel tabernacle which is already been sold and is now going to have you know gleaming countertops in the continent. And the cock about this where you know my only interaction is there was burying a friend you know and I'm there for services myself and I can't imagine it being you know a condo a condo although right although sunny Joe White would love it to be a cognac you know he was I think that's and that's the South End issue and I'm only shortening this sad story because I want to get to the good story began Gratton said but it is sad because you lose a lot of the history of the South End and so to build the last of this

story I love this you're Mr. good news. What perisher. Are you from. This is great this event. This is really cool I mean when somebody somebody called me and said hey we do a story on this I said you know this so many times we call him times in Dorchester every night there's a time for somebody. But this one is really cool because it's not only brings in the parish thing but it's it's for the community center which is a city run community center. It's really interesting the neighborhood pulling together to help the city pay for services that they're getting through a community center that's run by the city of Boston. But that's that's another story. But in any event this is the site council of the Leahy hall or a community center is putting this event on. It's a great success story of how this group of parents and neighbors have come together to support that facility that's recently been renamed in the honor of two men we lost in our community Joe Hall and Brian Lee. And they're going to it's a it's a tent one of our classic $10000 drawings in Dorchester $100 a ticket. You don't have to buy that you can come in for 25 and have and have a party anyways. But if the whole parish team of Dorchester is at the center of it that's what parish are you from. And of course that's kind of that's kind of old

school Dorchester that went in the Catholics where you know run and stuff. They still are to some degree but but obviously newcomers the neighborhood identified Dorchester differently through villages and at street corners and right down to the street sign but the parish history the culture of. You know I'm from St. Gregory's Parish it's will always be from right. So that keeping that alive in there really really is a strong constituency for that still in the neighborhood. Oh I love it. It's next Friday by the way at the Victory Road armory. Love it. OK well we'd like to end on some good news here. So that just worked out fine. I'm Kelly Crossley. We've been talking local news with Sue O'Connell the co-publisher of bay windows in the south in news Bill Forry the managing editor of the Dorchester Reporter and Kat powers managing editor at Gatehouse news. Thanks to all of you. Thank you Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you. Coming up we're taking a turn from the serious to the sublimely ridiculous with a tour of this week's tabloids. We'll be back after this break stay tuned 89 points. Support for WGBH comes from you and from safety insurance. Working

with independent agents in Massachusetts and New Hampshire to provide coverage for homes autos and business and supporting PR eyes of the world weekdays at 3:00 and 6:00 here on eighty nine point seven WGBH and from its your move in. A move management company specializing in the planning orchestrating and execution of moves for senior citizens. Downsizing from large homes to smaller spaces. More info at. It's your moving dot com. And from the Handel and Haydn Society. Harry Christophers conducts the 157 the annual performance of Handel's Messiah at Symphony Hall December 3rd through the fifth. More info at Handel and Haydn dot org. Next time on the world Argentina's military regime of the 1970s routinely stole the babies of its political prisoners. Those babies are adults now and they are being pressured to discover their true identities through a DNA test. With that comes profound moral and ethical dilemma. Children of Argentina's Dirty War. Next time on the world. Coming up at 3:00 here on eighty nine point seven

WGBH. Hi I'm Kathy Spillar from WGBH is a classical station and if you love traveling the world of NPR News and incredible music that I hope you'll join me next spring for the WGBH learning tour of Spain. Melody's Ghana will explore Madrid Barcelona and the beautiful island of my heart all enjoyed lush accommodations and lots of local music including stars and of course learn more at boarding stops learning tours. We're running out of oxygen. I only have so many people that I can treat the world but it's not an easy decision for anyone to make. Coming up at 3 o'clock on eighty nine point seven WGBH Boston NPR station for news and culture. It's rag time. A view of the week's coverage in tabloids. It's a low brow examination of the salacious to the ridiculous and everything in between. But

this being public radio we'll conduct our review with the help of some highbrow analysts a pointy head of pop culture Thomas Connelly and Rachel Reuben Thomas Connelly is a professor in the Department of English at Suffolk University. Rachel Reuben is the chair of the department of American studies at UMass Boston. Welcome you to you know again Halle. We've got a lot of music stories today from the boss and others and Bristol Palin in the middle of a controversy and Tiger back in the news so let's get started with Bruce. All right to give you a taste of what Bruce Springsteen has been doing all these years this is the title track from his newly released album The promise Dachis on the edge of town. It's classic Bruce Rachael but boy the themes are right all there are.

I mean that actually I found you know lifting because he talks about there about the different kinds of work people are doing including working in a rock n roll band. And there are very few moments in our culture where we're really willing to admit that making music is a kind of labor that people perform for other people. Right because for some reason we we tend to think that cancels out art. You know if it's works. So I appreciated that. But I'm thrilled about this re issue which is you know just to say that these are these are songs that Springsteen recorded when he was recording his album Darkness On The Edge of Town and they didn't fit it. They didn't make it onto the album then which first of all is fascinating because it's it's sort of harkens back to a different technology right when the album was relevant. Now with NPP 3 down logged people down. People tend to go more song by song. But he was sort of you know coming up with a whole an artistic whole of the album and then people's you know interest and in this

album is a way that a couple of history professors came up with this term history making to describe the way ordinary people try to make sense of the past. The actual you know they sociate history itself with schools and governments and institutions that may feel oppressive or alienating but that people are actually very actively engaged in participating in history through things like collecting and genealogy and I think that you know buying 20 year old music that is old but new at the same time is one way people are doing this. TOM Well it's just it's also a poignant march of time to look at the DVD and see how Bruce and his comrades have. Mellowed and you didn't say what I say but it's also the power of the boss is just unassailable I mean this guy is unbelievable. I don't know anybody who doesn't. I don't I say get out you get energized in so many different ways both

positively and reflectively I mean he he's a very he's a he's a lot of fun but he's also a lightly serious in a way that you can take away from an a great beat but also serious considerations of what's going on. You know it makes you in history as I think what you were saying Rachel and I also just people love him. And so as a guy I mean as a man I've always felt that if Bruce Springsteen sat next to you he would be interested in you and I just I just. He's great. Well I got to just say that he's very comfortable his own CM. Yeah. So we we got to let our listeners hear this parody and he did a bit of self. I was late at night when I got Jimmy Fallon. And in this sketch Jimmy Fallon the comedian impersonates Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen is himself. And to make this a true pop culture turducken that's what we're calling it. They're singing the song Whip My Hair by Willow Smith daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith Here we go.

With the. Whip. Will you. Tackle the Springsteen indication here. I think all right. We posted by the way listeners if you want to see the full rendition of whip your hair my hair you can see it on our website. And Kelli Cross played WGBH dot org and you can also see the original Willow Smith song though I don't know why you might want to but ok. That's it's Mike. She's cute. OK so this week Apple made all kinds of noise about the Beatles and the fact that the Beatles were now on iTunes. And as of this morning we're going to play for you one of the most popular Beatles tracks on iTunes. It changed the most popular to Blackbird later on this afternoon but nevertheless people are

doing it. Tom I want to know why was this a big deal. That's what everybody is wondering and if you go on to safari you see the fam for well a little older family as as the as the icon. But I think I take very seriously the anger that you're reading and comments on the web. This was what was going to change everything. I mean I've been able to you know OK it's one less step to download the stuff to your iPod but related to what we are talking about I'm going to go with albums. I mean these are people downloading individual songs. And also in the light of the I believe it still hasn't been settled Apple versus Apple Corps you know The Beatles recording complex versus the the company. I just wonder what Apple seems to be ever more who Brissac this year and it seems as though if we say it's important it's important you know never mind that it isn't. Yeah. Look I'm shocked a corporation hubristic. Could you be talking about.

Well you know I do think is it. It's it is. Let me as asked as Tom said people have been downloading Beatles songs and so it's not really. I think it's interesting to see you know what this will do in terms of people's conception of their important albums right I mean and those albums are you know iconic people will say the White Album you know for instance and you know what are you going to say now the white P3 Well you know the fact is that yes you know we are going to say that now people who aren't holdouts are saying that now. And so it is this sort of you know taking of of of music of older and older generations music and sort of putting it into a newer generations technology. So it might not be changing everything but it really is going to change some things that we just have to wait a little while to see how. All right switching subjects but still a musician Some may argue a person whose 15 minutes of fame has gone a long way has topping the charts in both the UK and the USA. For the first time in 40 years. Here is

Susan Boyle's international chart topping album The Gift. It's hard to believe she's Toppin both are true to Rachel. Yes it's hard to believe that you know as happy as I am for anybody to have their success except maybe if it's with a pyramid scheme or something like that. I see. This is a Christmas album right with sort of smoothed out string heavy arrangements of Christmas songs and that is going to have definitely have a huge applicability for people but a limited one. So I you know I don't at all know what this is going to mean. I do think that just a couple of songs on there I want to talk about quickly because one we've talked about on the show before and that is Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah which as you may recall is one of the top ten songs likely to make men cry. Yes that is

right really rock and roll people. And then Lou Reed song which you know there have been rumors before that he had forbidden her to use that turned out not to be true we encouraged her he directed the video. And I just feel kind of you know like the ground is moving beneath my feet because if you can't count on Lou Reed to be a jerk What can you count on. But you know that said there is a tradition going back at least as far as white Christmas of Jews writing Christmas songs so you know maybe we have to see this in that line she's going to put Lou Reed on there. Exactly see what a song about heroin does for people's Christmas spirit but there you go there you go. If you scroll through the reviews on Amazon Dot Com you get to people who are resentful that it's a Christmas album. They wanted something more. They felt they feel that Susan Boyle is limiting ourself and. I don't understand what you want from Susan Boyle that these songs aren't delivering but there's some part of her fan base that is disappointed. Also related to the disappearance of the

album yes this is the number one album but you also if you look you know try to buy it you see what songs are being downloaded the most. So it's this may be one of them. This may be the last season of albums and this may be one of the last significant albums in terms of sales because I don't see how much longer this can can go on. Of people not insisting. I just want the track I don't care about these other songs. Wow. Well and Susan Boyle is leading the way isn't it interesting. OK. There is a new public service announcement out that everybody's talking about. And it's about sexual abstinence and it features two unlikely spokespeople. Bristol Palin and Mike The Situation of the Jersey Shore reality show these are two people who made their way to the spotlight by way of sexual intercourse. Here's a clip from I know you're all about that abstinence thing you know. But I mean come on be Palin he seriously cannot going to hook up with like before you married career thrill for a free for all for all for Al.

All right well you know what I mean just in case you do get into a situation I want to make sure that you are situated because if you do get into a situation with your situation you may end up with a situation. And you may not like that situation. Trust me I'm not getting myself into another situation. I know how hard it is to be a teen parent. And for those of you who haven't seen the PSA the situation Mike goes on to SHOW Bristol Palin that he has a pocket full of condoms with just you know the one good thing I think of that PSA is it does show them it. You know it's interesting how the two of them seem really uncomfortable in this like neither one of them can stand still at all they shift their way. You know like I don't know like a third grader shy and at show and tell. But actually the thing that I really would want to want to say about this public service announcement is what upsets me about it is that you have this young woman saying I'm not going to have sex anymore until I get married because you know first of all the only thing that could

come out of that is is being a teen parent. And then you have the situation who's talking about safe sex whips out the pocket full of condoms and is really comfortable and happy in his sexuality even if it is you know. Well you know Barbara you know not to talk about his sexuality but I am going to say that this is in many ways just enact a moment of the sexual double standard for young people and as such it makes me extremely uncomfortable. What do you think also it's to me it's a very confused PSA because on the one it seems to be for abstinence and that's great but also what the situation decides he's going to do. That's great too. As long as you're properly accoutred. The awkwardness is another thing. I can't imagine anyone watching this and feeling good about anything. Bristol Palin seems like she's either medicated or wants to be medicated. He seems as though she's making his skin crawl and he's uncomfortable being in front of the camera which if you seen him on the

Jersey Shore are on Dancing With The Stars. That's not him at all that's right. So this is something designed I think to make it's a Puritan's dream. I mean. One of my friends said to me wow it's working for abstinence I don't think I ever want to think about sex again let's just off all right. Well Bristol remains in the news in a different format on a different reality show that's Dancing With The Stars on this week's Dancing With The Stars. There was a shocking elimination of R&B singer Brandy. There you go. The couple with the lowest combined total of judges scores and viewer vote. Good. Brandy and Max. The audience was shocked and sell American brands. I don't I don't know how to. Write I haven't. Happened yet. Tom when everybody is upset about is that Brandy and Max said very very high scores from the judges and from the audience as

well. Bristol's Pailin score is not so high though she's improved but yet she's been getting those votes. Well you can look at any number of pro Sarah Palin websites and read the instructions on how to bombard the channel with votes and people posting how they stayed up all night voting 300 times and so forth. I want to bring up the fact that. Bristol got nine. Brandi got tens it's not that much of a difference but that not to change the image makes me question the judges as well as the voting process. Why the Tea Party and is denying their power at the same time asserting it. That's the mystery to me. We have come so far from Harry Truman threatening a music critic with a black eye and worse for criticizing his daughter Margaret Truman. Now it seems as though it's not only 15 minutes of fame everything is somehow guaranteed toward the White House with Sarah Palin I mean her her her. Her reality show about Alaska.

I think what's striking to note though here Tom and Rachel is that people want to see some merit in this in the end even if there is voting in this voting was totally legal it's fine for them to block vote for but they want to see that the best people win. And in this case it's not happening. Rachel smiling again you know next thing you're telling me is that you know reality shows are never scripted. But seriously though. I am happy for them to sit up all night and block vote for Bristol Palin you know because that way they're not going to be out you know spitting on black congresspeople or you know organizing politically to me that's you know all very well and good. I would also say that it's not the first time either that on American Idol in the 2009 one of the contestants Chris I think it was Congress Tallon right it was her evangelical fundamentalist church organized people voting for her to win. So you know it's it's it's not that surprising to me and in the end as you said that the difference is not that

Tom said the difference between the scores is not that great. And it's not it's not going to matter. I think it's people want reality shows to be real. And when it's revealed that they're not right they're somehow disappointed which is a commentary on the power of quote reality TV unquote. All right you're well in the few seconds we have left. The very strong rumors and reports are that Bill Clinton former president is going to be in Hangover 2. Anybody knows anything about that movie it's about four guys who drink so much they can't figure out what happened to them. This seems odd. And we've been putting politicians in front of the entertainment Can you can't hammer a sense you know Nixon went on Laugh-In and said Sock it to me but Tony Morrison very famously said Bill Clinton was our first black president. So with the way these the erotic Sobrang manse movies are structured maybe can now be our first gay president. You. Already you also gave a great performance in that diner Soprano's video with

Hillary Clinton so I'm looking forward to it. OK Will be interesting. The Professor Rachel Rubin professor Thomas Connelly thank you for joining us for another edition of reg time. You can keep on top of the Calla Crossley Show at WGBH dot org slash Kelly Crossley follow us on Twitter we like those tweets or become a fan of the Calla Crossley Show on Facebook. They show was engineered by Jane pic and produced by Chelsea Mertz and a white knuckle beat and having musical. Help from our in terms of Rose and Courtney the callee Crossley Show is a production of WGBH radio Boston's NPR station or news and culture.