Tom Koonce (left) and his son, Thomas Andrews, circa 2018, taken at MCI Norfolk “You had one really horrible day and you paid dearly but I think you paid enough.” On Jan. 26, 54-year-old prisoner Thomas Koonce, a former US Marine who was born in Brockton, spent nine-and-a-half hours at the Massachusetts State House offering […]
SPECIAL SEQUEL: DESACRALIZED
As another historic Black Boston institution is gentrified, a congregation displaced by condos reflects on this trend and what it means BY CLAIRE SADAR AND ALYSSA MALDONADO-ESTRADA [Read the first installment of this series] City churches were designed to be walkable and serve their immediate neighborhoods, but as historically working-class or African American neighborhoods gentrify […]
THE MASS PAROLE BOARD HAS A TRANSPARENCY PROBLEM
From secret hiring practices to a revolving door of political appointees, the Mass Parole Board is a “black hole,” and “lives are at risk.” In the spring of 2021, Ms. Smith, whose name has been changed for this article, heard from a friend that there was a vacancy on the Massachusetts Parole Board. Board member […]
BATTLE: SGARS
Poisons used by Mass municipalities are killing more than just the rats they’re targeting. In practice, their controversial tactics may actually protect the rodent population. It was a sunny Friday morning in late July of this year when Jodi Sylvester, a wildlife photographer from central Massachusetts, drove into the Boston area to check in on a pair of […]
HOW THE COMMONWEALTH CONTINUES DRIFT AWAY FROM TRANSPARENCY
This is what happens when you try asking the second largest city in Mass and state officials to adhere to basic public records laws Across Massachusetts, today is actually tomorrow. Except in Worcester, where it’s already the day after tomorrow. But if that would make it the weekend, then it’s the following Monday instead, […]