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From YouTube: BCNIF Grant Ceremony
Description
The Boston College Neighborhood Improvement Fund was established in 2013 as "a way to enhance the public realm and for which public sources of financing may be unavailable or inadequate" in the Allston-Brighton neighborhoods. This year, more than $1,000,000 was given to agencies and projects that seek to provide improvements in transportation, infrastructure, and public art in the community. Attendees, including the BPDA's Jonathan Greeley and representatives from Boston College, also paid tribute to outgoing Boston City Councilor Mark Ciommo, honoring his service and representation of the Allston-Brighton community in City Hall for over a decade.
A
A
My
name
is
Tom
kitty
I'm,
the
vice
president
of
government
relations
and
community
affairs
at
Boston,
College
and
I
would
like
to
before
I
start
the
official
program
just
recognized
a
couple
of
people
who
really
worked
very
hard
to
pull
us
all
together
and
that
is
Jean
Levesque
and
Martine
friskiness
from
the
president's
office.
Can
we
have
a
round
of
applause
for
them?.
A
So
I'd
like
to
welcome
everyone
to
Boston
College
for
this
combined
neighborhood
Improvement
Fund
and
Community
Fund
grants
ceremony
with
father
Leahy
and
John
Grilli,
who
is
standing
in
for
our
mayor,
who
unfortunately
had
to
attend
a
close
personal
friend
of
his
his
mother,
Bill
Kennedy,
who
is
from
Dorchester
his
mom
passed
away
and
the
this
morning
is
the
funeral
and
the
mayor
called
me
last
night
to
apologize.
But
we
all
understand
that,
and
so
John
is,
as
father
Leahy
said
to
me,
has
been
elevated
this
morning,
big
shoes.
A
We
are
happy.
We
were
very
pleased
with
the
turn
up
this
morning.
We
have
so
many
great
partners
that
work
with
us
in
the
city,
from
the
BP
DA
to
elected
officials.
Our
task
force,
that's
here
and
all
of
our
grant
recipients.
For
this
ceremony,
I'd
like
to
recognize
a
couple
of
our
elected
officials
who
are
attending
the
representative,
Kevin
Honan
who's,
the
chairman
of
housing,
who
served
this
district
for
a
very
long
long
time.
I,
don't
know
I,
don't
want
to
say
how
long,
but
he
is
and
he's
a
Boston
College
graduate
Kevin.
A
Next
person
and
we're
going
to
recognize
him
officially
later,
but
city
councilor,
maxi,
Omo,
mark
and
I
go
back
a
long
long
time
to
the
brian
Honan
for
district
attorney
race,
where
we
became
very,
very
close
friends
and
mark
after
Ryan
passed
away.
He
made
the
decision
to
run
for
City
Council
and
he
has
represented
this
district
so
well
and
we're
so
very
proud
of
him.
A
A
In
thirty
nine
thousand
nine
hundred
and
twenty
nine
dollars
from
the
2019
fall
cycle
of
the
community
fund
and
I
just
want
to
say,
if
I
didn't
say,
the
double
total
dollar
amount.
Jean
would
call
me
aside.
I
would
like
to
now
introduce
a
person
that
I've
had
the
pleasure
in
the
honor
of
working
with
for
the
last
19
years,
the
president
of
Boston
College,
father,
William,
P
way.
He.
B
That's
the
ways
in
which
we
help
make
our
community
better.
You
can
look
out
the
window
and
see
the
landscape,
the
beautiful
snow
that
makes
everything,
look
full
of
hope
and
brightness
and,
as
we
approach,
Christmas
I
hope.
All
of
us
can
appreciate
for
a
moment
how
we
have
been
blessed
and
certainly
Boston
College
feels
it's
had
wonderful
partnerships
with
groups
here
and
we
would
say
through
you,
we
have
been
able
to
help
make
our
community
better
and
it's
through
the
gifts
of
you
and
your
engagement
that
all
that
comes
to
pass.
B
So
this
morning
we
can
gather
and
recognize
certain
groups
who
do
a
lot
of
good.
We
can
help
them
even
more
and
that's
why
I
think
today
is
so
special
that
we
have
you.
We
can
come
together
and
be
part
of
making
Boston
College,
Austin
Brighton
even
better,
and
the
city
of
Boston
is
our
home,
and
so
we're
in
this
all
together.
I'm
grateful
that
you're
here
and
I'm
very
pleased
that
all
of
us
at
Boston
College
can
continue
working
with
you.
A
C
Thanks
everybody
thanks
Tom
thanks
father
Leahy,
thanks
to
represent
upon
demand,
counselor
or
CMO
counselor
Shalom.
It's
been
a
pleasure
working
with
you
for
the
last
several
years.
You're
gonna
be
missed,
but
I
imagine
you've
got
some
great
things
waiting
for
you
in
retirement,
so
looking
forward
to
working
with
your
father,
I
want
to
congratulate
grant
awardees
on
behalf
of
the
mayor.
Mayor.
Walsh,
obviously
couldn't
be
here
today,
but
sends
his
regards
to
everybody
here.
I
want
to
thank
all
I
want
to
congratulate
all
the
grant
awardees
today.
C
A
lot
of
consideration
and
care
goes
into
the
selection
of
these
awards
for
each
funding
round,
and
you
should
be
very
proud.
You
all
represent
projects.
That'll
have
a
big
impact
on
the
quality
of
life
here
in
Austin
and
Brighton,
and
thank
you
for
helping
strengthen
the
strength
in
this
great
diverse
community.
I
would
like
to
thank
DC
for
being
a
wonderful
partner
for
the
city
of
Boston
and
especially
Austin
writing
a
great
university
like
this
one
lifts
up
the
local
community
and
that's
what
be
exactly
what
BC
does
time
and
time
again.
C
These
grants
are
another
example
of
how
they're,
supporting
both
students
and
residents
and
that
kind
of
partnership
really
matters
to
the
city.
Miss
Tom
said
these
grants
will
go
to
a
grow
to
towards
a
variety
of
projects
and
Austin
Brighton,
from
supporting
our
seniors
to
renovating,
apart
to
creating
more
bike,
sharing
options,
youth
sports,
public
art
and
much
much
more
and
there's
a
strong
legacy
of
doing
this.
These
are
all
aspects
of
a
healthy,
thriving
neighborhood.
C
These
are
all
opportunities
our
residents
deserve
across
the
city,
but
especially
here
as
a
city,
we
greatly
value
the
relationship
with
Boston
College,
the
mayors
and
alum.
As
you
all
know,
and
so
this
is
a
relationship
he
takes
very
personally
so
once
again
on
behalf
of
the
mayor,
I'd
like
to
say,
thank
you
very
much,
congratulations
and
have
a
wonderful,
happy
holiday
season.
A
B
A
The
last
one
is
the
bus
and
Parks
and
Recreation
Department,
and
this
is
for
the
McKinney
playground,
a
project
that
started
with
an
idea
of
improvement
almost
four
years
ago
and
through
the
work
of
a
lot
of
people
in
this
room.
This
has
really
come,
became
a
reality
and
so
I'd
like
to
call
on
Commissioner
Ryan
woods,
Kathy
Baker
Eclipse,
to
receive
a
check
for
750,000.
D
Good
morning,
thank
you
Tom
and
thank
you
for
hosting
this
festive
event.
In
this
beautiful
setting,
we
have
been
handing
out
grants
through
the
Boston
College,
also
fighting
Community
Fund
for
26
years
in
close
to
two
million
dollars.
The
benefits
have
been
spread
out
across
the
community
during
that
time.
So
thank
you.
Bc
and
the
city
of
Boston,
like.
D
To
acknowledge,
okay,
the
community
fund
members
bill
Mills
and
Mulligan
Jerry
Quinn
and
Shelly
Bianca,
who
volunteer
their
time
and
thoughtfully.
Consider
each
and
every
application
during
the
two
funding
cycles,
we're
fortunate
to
have
them
on
board
and
also
thanks
to
Maria
and
Kathryn
at
the
neighborhood
center
for
their
excellent
coordination
and
aunt
Elora
as
well.
So
on
behalf
of
father
of
the
mayor,
we're
pleased
to
award
thirty
nine
thousand
two
hundred
and
twenty
nine
dollars
to
14
wonderful
projects.
As
your
organization's
Kyle,
please
come
forward
to
receive
your
award
and
have
your
picture
taken.
D
B
D
D
D
D
Next
is
the
Baldwin
early-learning
pilot
Academy
min
gen
Taylor
$3,000
for
the
student
enrichment
programs.
This
will
support
the
swimming
program
field
day,
family
fun,
nights
for
students
and
families
providing
parents
the
opportunity
to
get
to
know
the
school
teachers
staff
while
enjoying
times
with
the
kids.
A
D
D
D
D
Thousand
dollars
for
the
reflection
garden
program,
the
grant
will
create
an
indoor
reflection
garden
to
help
calm
students
who
need
to
step
away
from
the
stimulus
and
anxiety
of
the
classroom.
The
garden
will
create
a
quiet
place
with
soft
light
stress,
toys,
seating
plants
and
fish
tanks.
Among
other
measures.
D
D
C
B
That's
Tom
mentioned
earlier:
mark
co-moh
has
decided
he's
going
to
move
on
to
other
activities
and
I
would
say.
First
of
all,
he
looks
a
little
young
to
me
to
say
retirement,
so
I'm
saying
just
moving
on
to
other
things
and
in
the
judgement
community
at
Boston
College.
We
say
that
you
enter
into
the
wisdom
community
at
age.
80
so
I
would
say.
Mark
has
a
long
way
to
go
before
he's
in
the
wisdom
community.
B
So
this
is
a
little
summary
of
things
that
mark
has
done
over
the
years
and
in
particular,
I'd
like
to
say,
dedication
marks.
His
life
he's
represented
our
community
as
the
district
9
city
councilor
for
12
years,
he's
been
a
resident
of
Austin
Brighton,
all
his
life
and
in
his
activities,
through
such
things
as
being
a
teacher
involved
here
at
the
Jackson
man
community
center,
but
I
would
say
it's
his
life
as
a
human
being
and
a
neighbor
that
most
stands
out
in
my
experience
here.
B
Any
kind
of
issue
that
might
arise
in
this
community
would
elicit
the
engagement
and
interest
of
mark
seola
and
so
we're
here
today
in
a
particular
setting
but
I
think
we're
also
representative
of
the
thousands
of
individuals
whose
lives
he
has
touched,
and
so
we
offer
to
mark
co-moh
this
citation
this
acknowledgement
of
his
role
in
our
community
and
the
last
line.
I
think
is
so
very
important.
B
E
E
No,
but
all
kidding
aside,
this
has
been
the
greatest
honor
of
my
life
to
be
able
to
represent
the
neighborhood.
I
grew
up
in
the
neighborhood
that
produced
great
leaders
before
me.
Great
mentors
and
role
models
and
helped
me
become
Who.
I
am
and
I
just
try
to
replicate
that
to
young
people
that
I've
employed
over
the
years,
young
people
I
come
in
contact
with,
and
also
my
my
seniors
that
I
work
for
at
the
Senior
Center
for
14
years
before
being
elected
I've
had
a
very
wonderful
life.
E
Take
that
life
from
George,
Bailey
and
I
just
want
to
thank
Tom
for
his
longtime
friendship.
Even
though
he's
from
Austin
and
like
my
my
is
Alaric
also
my
work,
wife,
representative,
Kevin
hone,
and
it's
been
just
a
remarkable
career
for
me
and
I-
really
appreciate
the
partnership
with
father
Leahy
and
everybody
from
Boston
cause.
I
think
we
strengthen
that
partnership
all
over
these
years.
I
think
we've
worked
to
address
all
of
those
quality
of
life
issues
and
we've
done
it
in
a
civil
way
and
as
I
leave
today.