Boston, MA
In District 5, a stark choice for voters for Boston City Council – The Boston Globe
Neither candidate minces words when asked to highlight the chief differences that separates them from their opponents.
“I’m a progressive, Jose is more of a moderate-conservative,” Pepén told a reporter before a recent candidates forum.
Ruiz, meanwhile, asserted, “I’ve got the better resume, without a doubt; I’ve built organizations, I’ve run organizations . . . wherever I’ve gone, I’ve left it better than I found it.”
Despite wildly disparate paths to the ballot, the candidates share some similarities: both are Latino men who tend to pepper their policy stances with references to their families and upbringings.
Ruiz hails from a sizable extended family. His mother, who moved to Boston after growing up in rural Puerto Rico, is a well-known housing advocate in the city and helped found Villa Victoria, a public housing community in the South End, the neighborhood where Ruiz grew up. A father of four, Ruiz was a police officer for 29 years, but he says he is more than just a cop. He often brings up his years of experience organizing, administering, and coaching local youth sports.
“I consider myself a son of Boston,” Ruiz told a group of voters at a recent community forum. “I’m really, really comfortable wherever I’ve gone.”
Pepén has two children of his own, both under the age of 3. The son of Dominican immigrants, Pepén recalls working as a translator for his parents while growing up in the city. His father worked at laundromats and his mother cleaned dorms while he was young. His father, who was hired by the Wu administration in August to serve as an immigrant business liaison, would in his free time help immigrants learn English and become citizens. The younger Pepén worked under former councilor Tito Jackson and former congressman Joe Kennedy III, among others.
Senior class president at John D. O’Bryant School of Math & Science, Pepén credits his interest in politics in part to a single housing official who found his parents a place in Roslindale after they were forced out of public housing in Charlestown when he was a child.
While Pepén said he is grateful for Boston for what it’s done for his family, he is focused on leaving the city better “than I found it.”
“I want to do it while I’m living,” said Pepén. “I’m going to feel the repercussions.”
On the money front, Pepén’s campaign spent $23,000 in September, ending the month with a balance of just under $11,000. Ruiz’s campaign, meanwhile, spent $12,000 last month, ending with $25,000 in the bank.
September’s preliminary saw Pepén finish first with 40 percent of the 7,500-plus ballots cast in the district. Ruiz came in second with 30 percent of the vote, which proved to be enough to advance to this November’s general election. The incumbent, Arroyo, who is known as a progressive stalwart on the council, came in third in the preliminary with 18 percent and was eliminated, as was the fourth-place finisher, Jean-Claude Sanon, who garnered 10 percent of the vote.
On the issues, there are some notable distinctions between Ruiz and Pepén. Take the idea of an elected school committee in Boston.
Pepén said he supports such a notion, saying he is receptive to a full-elected school committee or a hybrid model that has some seats elected and others appointed. (Currently, the entire body is appointed by the city’s mayor.)
Ruiz, meanwhile, is more skeptical, noting that in the past an elected school committee has caused problems for the city, including the court-ordered busing of the 1970s. An elected school committee won’t guarantee diversity on that body, he said.
“Right now, you would have to convince me how that would be better than what we have today,” he said.
Ruiz, who during his lengthy law enforcement career served as a community resource officer for Mattapan, among other roles, agrees with the notion that BPD needs hundreds of more officers in the streets, and supports bringing law enforcement back into the city’s schools. Wu, he said, ran on anti-police rhetoric in her mayoral bid and police officers need to know that city leadership has their back.
”People are so afraid with police reform,” he said. He added, “They don’t know if the new leadership is going to back you up.”
Regarding police, Pepén is much more circumspect, saying transparency is paramount for BPD’s operations. He would like to see Boston police’s cadet program be used to further bolster diversity within the force’s ranks.
“I would like to see more people who look like me,” he said.
On perhaps the most pressing issue facing the city — Boston’s housing crisis — both candidates have emphasized the obvious: the city needs more residential units.
“The demand outweighs the supply as we all know,” said Ruiz.
In his pitch to voters, Pepén, meanwhile, has stressed the need to hold developers accountable and wants to ensure that affordable housing is truly affordable while also protecting the middle class from displacement.
“There’s a lot of families in my district, so I want to make sure they’re able to stay here,” he said.
Danny McDonald can be reached at daniel.mcdonald@globe.com. Follow him @Danny__McDonald.
All author appearances are in person and free unless otherwise noted. A complete list can be found at bostonglobe.com/books.
SUNDAY, JUNE 8
- Ken Bresler (“The Witch Trial Trail of Boston”) will discuss his book at 2 p.m. at Newtonville Books.
- Lynda Mullaly Hunt (“Wish in a Tree”) will read at 3 p.m. at An Unlikely Story. RSVP required.
- Brad Bolman (“Lab Dog”) is in conversation with Robin Wolfe Scheffler at 6 p.m. at Brookline Booksmith. RSVP required.
- Michelle Young (“The Art Spy”) will discuss her book at 6 p.m. at East End Books Ptown. Tickets are $5.
Boston, MA
Boston City Council unanimously approves $9 million in amendments to Wu’s proposed $4.8 billion budget for next year – The Boston Globe
The changes reallocate specific amounts of funding from certain line items to others — a power voters gave the body in 2021 — but do not change the total amount of spending in the mayor’s budget proposal.
The amended budget now goes back to Wu, who can veto some, all, or none of the council’s amendments. Then the budget returns to the council, where a two-thirds majority is needed to override a mayoral veto.
Councilor Brian Worrell, chair of the Ways and Means Committee, oversaw the council’s budget process this year as well as last year. Speaking before his colleagues on Wednesday, Worrell commended the group for working together through about 124 hours of hearings and working sessions to develop and agree upon the bundle of amendments.
“This process is not just about shifting dollars or line items on a paper,” Worrell said. . “We are reshaping systems and launching new initiatives that reflect our values.”
Many councilors on Wednesday praised Worrell for his leadership, and expressed excitement about the investments in the amendment package, which they said was a result of collaboration, compromise, and fiscal responsibility.
The councilors’ line item changes include redirecting:
- $1.6 million for city housing vouchers
- $1 million for youth jobs programs
- $700,000 to go towards mental health services
- $500,000 for college and career readiness grants
- $450,000 for legal services for Boston Public Schools families facing eviction
- $350,000 for legal support for immigrants
Wu did not say whether she intends to approve or reject the councilors’ amendments this time around.
“I’ll look to review what those are, and we have a little window to return a budget if necessary or take further action,” Wu told reporters at an unrelated event Wednesday.
The council also voted to pass Wu’s proposed $1.58 billion budget for Boston Public Schools, and gave initial approval to $463 million in spending for capital projects, despite a small handful of councilors’ concerns with both. The council has until June 25, its last scheduled meeting before the start of the new fiscal year, to give final approval to the operating and capital budgets.
Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, who has pled guilty to two out of six federal corruption charges for orchestrating a kickback scheme while in office,
on Wednesday said she will step down after the council’s last meeting of the month on June 25. It will probably be around June 28, she said, when she intends to hold a town hall to roll out the 400-plus page handover packet she’s been working on, to help ensure continuity for her constituents and issue guidance for her eventual successor.
Niki Griswold can be reached at niki.griswold@globe.com. Follow her @nikigriswold.
Tiki time
If you want to send a signal to yourself that it’s time for a bit of carefree fun, order a drink in a kitschy mug shaped like a skull or a coconut, loaded with fruit juice and rum and orchids and paper umbrellas. That will do the trick. For a drink and some sushi (and a roster of Pride events this month), Shore Leave in the South End is your destination. Others to try: pupu platter palace Wusong Road in Harvard Square and, when you find yourself on the Cape, Aplaya Kitchen + Tiki Bar, serving Filipino food in a lush garden in Chatham.
Aplaya Kitchen + Tiki Bar, 483 Main St., Chatham, 508-348-5132, www.aplayacapecod.com. Shore Leave, 11 William E. Mullins Way, South End, Boston, 617-530-1775, www.shoreleaveboston.com. Wusong Road, 112 Mt. Auburn St., Harvard Square, Cambridge, 617-528-9125, www.wusongroad.com.
Continental mental vacation
A trip to Europe would be lovely, but if it’s not in the budget (or you’ve been posting things on social media that might make customs agents vewy vewy angwy), skip the jetlag and do dinner instead. Try Salem bistro Bernadette, for well-dressed salads, mussels, roast chicken, and Frenchy desserts like Paris-Brest and vacherin. For a bit of Barcelona, Beacon Hill’s Zurito specializes in Basque-style tapas: You can have all the jamon your heart desires. Or visit Italy at Osteria Vivo in Pembroke, where you can eat wagyu carpaccio, miso arancini, cacio e pepe, and lobster and oxtail bolognese. (It’s right near Poopsie’s, famous for its South Shore-style bar pizza, if you want to take some pies home for later.)
Bernadette, 65 Washington St., Salem, 978-224-2976, www.bernadettesalem.com. Osteria Vivo, 254 Church St., Pembroke, 781-924-1315, www.osteriavivo.com. Zurito, 26 Charles St., Beacon Hill, Boston, 857-305-3177, www.zuritoboston.com.
Matthew J Lee/Globe staff
Lunch by the water
If you didn’t have a lobster roll, did you even summer? At Little Harbor Lobster Company, a waterfront seafood market in Marblehead, order up their excellent version (⅓ pound of meat, with mayo or drawn butter) and eat it overlooking the harbor. The tiny-and-mighty Mae’s Sandwich Shop serves up excellent baked goods and sandwiches to write home about, right across the street from the ocean. Try the Mae Day (roasted veggies, feta, and romesco) or the Uncle Stevie (roast beef with roasted shallots, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, and black pepper mayo), both on fresh house-made focaccia. If you’re looking to sit down in style, the Nautilus is a little taste of Nantucket in the Seaport; lunch is served on Saturday and Sunday. A little midday poke and rosé? How civilized could you be?
Little Harbor Lobster Company, 3 Beacon St., Marblehead, 781-639-1961, www.littleharborlobster.com. Mae’s Sandwich Shop, 563 Ocean St., Marshfield, 781-319-2726, www.maesmarshfield.com. The Nautilus, 300 Pier 4 Boulevard, Seaport, Boston, 857-957-0998, www.thenautilus.com.
Date night
Bring your loved one to Comfort Kitchen for a tasting tour of the spice routes — via brown butter okra with masala-spiced yogurt, jerk roast duck, goat ragu and cassava gnudi, and excellent drinks to match. Field & Vine makes the most of New England ingredients in dishes such as tautog ceviche with smoked sweet potato, crispy potato cakes with melted leeks, and Wellfleet clams with green crab curry and house-made focaccia. The latest restaurant from Xenia Greek Hospitality, Kaia focuses on the Aegean coast: Try sea urchin terrine, tuna crudo, mushroom souvlaki, or grilled whole fish. Each spot has a great — and different — date-night vibe.
Comfort Kitchen, 611 Columbia Road, Dorchester, 617-329-6910, www.comfortkitchenbos.com. Field & Vine, 9 Sanborn Court, Somerville, 617-718-2333, www.fieldandvinesomerville.com. Kaia, 370 Harrison Ave., South End, Boston, 617-514-0700, www.kaiasouthend.com.
Out with friends
It’s roof deck season at Cunard Tavern by the East Boston waterfront, and James Beard award-winning chef Tony Messina is serving up scallion pancake pizza with spicy vodka sauce and burrata, lobster poutine, crispy chicken sandwiches with kimchi pimento cheese, and more. El Tacuba keeps you and your pals in margaritas and Mexican fare (queso fundido and guac, ceviche, all manner of tacos) all summer long. Lulu Green makes plant-based brunching an art (dinnering too): Come for huevos rojos and pancakes, seitan shawarma bowls and house burgers on pretzel buns, Korean-style lettuce wraps and mushroom “short ribs,” plus chocolate chip cookies, apple pie, and all the fun drinks you want to drink. (In addition to the South Boston flagship, there’s now a branch at Time Out Market in the Fenway.)
Cunard Tavern, 24 Orleans St., East Boston, 617-567-7609, www.cunardtavern.com. El Tacuba, 35 Salem St., Medford, 617-390-0600, www.eltacuba.com. Lulu Green, 246 W. Broadway, South Boston, 617-420-4070, www.lulugreen.com.
Day trip, brought to you by dinner
Sometimes the whole day comes together around what you want to eat later. Take a Thursday off of work, book a tasting menu at Lune in Dennis Port, and head out early to enjoy the day on a gorgeous beach; after dinner, shoot back home to Boston. You visited the Cape during peak season and skipped the traffic. Nicely done. (Lune’s tasting menus are available Thursday-Saturday with 5:30 and 8 p.m. seatings; an a la carte menu is offered Wednesday and Sunday.) Or head to Duxbury and spend the afternoon at Island Creek’s delightful raw bar by the water. Play lawn games, enjoy the scene, and suck down fresh oysters, caviar, and more. You can also book a farm tour. For dinner, head to sister restaurant the Winsor House for stylish fare, and more oysters, of course. (If you want to skip the day trip, there’s now a temporary Island Creek Raw Bar in the Seaport.) Gloucester sushi chef Sang Hyun Lee recently became a champion on cooking show “Chopped.” Visit his Sushi Sang Lee for beautiful omakase menus created with seafood from nearby waters. Or, earlier in the day, get a bento box to go and eat on the beach.
Lune, 587 Main St., Dennis Port, 508-237-6597, www.lunecapecod.com. Island Creek Raw Bar, 403 Washington St., Duxbury, and 99 Autumn Lane, Seaport, Boston, 781-934-2028; the Winsor House, 390 Washington St., Duxbury, 781-934-0991; shop.islandcreekoysters.com. Sushi Sang Lee, 76 Prospect St., Rear Suite, Gloucester, 978-381-3818, www.sushisanglee.com.
Devra First can be reached at devra.first@globe.com. Follow her on Instagram @devrafirst.
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