Saturday, October 14, 2023
It is hard to believe it had been 53 years. By and large, we locked steps all the way. Shortly after you became the City's Purchasing Agent for Mayor White, thanks to you, I was recruited to serve on the City’s Fair Housing Committee. Later, I was appointed to the Boston Employment Commission by Mayor Flynn. Then Mayor Menino appointed me to chair the Living Wage Commission. On a more technical basis, I also served as a trustee of the Ground Water Trust. You probably had something to do with my recent appointment by Mayor Wu to the Air Pollution Control Board.
Auntie Kay used to tease me about learning real estate development by volunteering for South Cove Facilities Foundation. It all started because Bob Kenny, before leaving the BRA, promised to give you the Pine Street Inn (on Pine Street) to be converted to a Chinese nursing home (subsequently Parcel 7 in Bay Village and then settling on the Shawmut Street site in the South End). Then you and I visited President Bill Bulger in his office, getting him to promise creating the 705 Program to build Tremont Village as public housing (after Uncle Bill’s phone call to his army buddy, of course). Then we served together on the CCBA Negotiation Team dealing with T-NEMC, resulting in 50 Herald Street being donated to the community to provide affordable housing. Soon after, we got $3.8 millions of direct linkage from Joe Fallon to Waterford Place; the City's deeding the original Josiah Quincy School to CCBA; the BRA designating 87 Tyler Street site to AACA and KKCS; etc. etc. The center piece was One Lincoln’s millions of grant dollars to the Chinese community, through the Chinese Investment Group and Chinatown Charitable Trust. Even recently, you still reminded me of our driving to New York City years back, with Auntie Kay and Anne, to meet with Ambassador Dunn to convince him to release the $160,000 grant for Kwong Kow Chinese School from Taiwan. We assured the ambassador that Kwong Kow was (and still is) a legitimate, transparent public charity having IRS tax exemption recognition.
Uncle Frank: At the funeral for Anne, Mrs. Angela Menino assured me that Tommy would be looking after her up there. I am quite sure you and Auntie Kay, Anne, Mary Soohoo, and Tommy are having a good reunion up there now. I wonder who is picking up Chinese food though?
So long, Uncle Frank. Till we meet again, when it is my turn to pass through St. Peter's Gate!
Paul
