>> alberto: good morning and welcome to "urban update" i'm alberto vassallo. plans for restraightallizing the city of lichb and bc high welcomes 7th and 8th grade boys to the skrez witness experience. and we are paid a visit what positive message. in last november's election, three dozen latinos were elected across massachusetts. the highest number since the first were elected three decades ago. and next year at least 46 elected latinos will serve in massachusetts.

made its voice sound loudest as latino candidates won big, taking six of 11 council seats and six of nine on the school board. we are here to talk about this eyebrow raising trends this massachusetts, four of the six in chelsea, luis tejada of district 2, enio lopez, of district 4. yamir rodriguez of district 7 and judist garcia of district 5. and welcome to "urban update." >> thank you. >> alberto: with four of you here, i want to go around the yourself? very briefly, enio? >> i was born in guatemala and came to chelsea about 33 years ago. and i worked hard, me and my wife have two kids.

in the kpi of chelsea for a hill. -- city of chelsea for a while. >> alberto: and we'll get back to that. a little her about you? >> i was burn in kol onlyia, south america, and came here at about 11. did the whole university, bap lore of science, a father of three, and you know, i wanted to do something to improve the city. >> alberto: guatemala and kol onlyia so far. -- colombia so far. >> i'm from puerto rico, i recently graduated from salem state, and my sports management degree and i do everything in chelsea, i work there, volunteer there, run two basketball programs and a big youth guy and that made me want to become a city council.

>> my name is judith and i grew up in chelsea, my mother was a factory worker there. she has been working in a local factory for over 26 years and my experiences, seeing the expenses of my mother as a worker there, graduated as an urban planner from college. >> alberto: what made you run for office, the moment that said i will do this? >> when i went to college and studied many improvements that can happen in cities i returned to our city and i realized that we have so many problems that we have not imaboved quality of life, that we have not got the change or opportunities for our young population, our women, do do not have a voice. i decided to run because i brief we can provide that voice, we need to include them, and women, the most importantly we need to population.

scripted this think better, guatemala and cubans, in the house, too, and he can what-- ecuador. >> i have been involved with youth all my life, working at the boys and girls club and school department. the youth are not represented in the city that much. a lot of need, and are asking for and this one is lessening to them. i'm hoping to be that voice, and across. >> alberto: i like it, different rents for running. >> i have been a real estate procedure for almost 20 years and beinging the manager of century 21 and one of the big things, as a home ownner the city, it is almost like every year a new tax, or you don't sweep your sidewalk a $75 tag.

homeowners we flt like, is city hall running ahuck? and we have very, very positive people at city hall. and about you are in the part of solution. i want to be part of the solution and i threw my hat in the ring to see what i could do to create a situation where the residents of the city and city hall merge. >> alberto: i'm interested in your story. you see like a mild mannered hard working man whether came here 33 years ago and started a family in chelsea and now you run for city council and you win? >> yes, actually, i have been involved in the community in a couple of sessions, and i got involved with the streets, to repaint the graffiti and all

and i saw that the necessity that the ladown owes not involved-- latonies, not involved in anything at all. >> alberto: i want to put up a statistic and deaths your reaction on. what is happening in the u.s. every 30 seconds, a latino turns 18 and becomes another eligible voter and this will continue for the next 21 years. this bodes well for your political careers. are more people getting involved in cities like chelsea on a local level? >> there has been a problem. when its comes to local elections the participation is very low. this statistic is telling you there are latinos, and also mill lennials, how do we get them to vote in elections that are so important, like local elections, candidates that make decisions that affect us all.

door-to-door? >> yes, with help from my father. me and my dad going around and talking to people and just, seeing what they want and seeing having them see my face. >> alberto: that did you learn that you didn't know before? >> people want to participate. i door knocked on a couple of thousands houses and every door they opened they were very open and wanted to talk about the issues. and what was going on and they felt there was no one there to say, hey. al whal were you thinking when you had a thumbs up, how happy were you at that moment? >> i was so happy. that hispanics got elected and especially from guatemala, we didn't know anything about english at all.

>> alberto: on facebook page, i saw it. puerto rico, and chelsea, and good luck. >> thank you! >> alberto: from chelsea more north to lynn and a task force to help revitalize that city on

>> alberto: the massachusetts law institute is one of the nation's leading non-profit statewide poverty and law centers. the governor announced a task force to help revitalize the city of lynn. our next guest is involved, georgia katsoulomitis is a that i tiff of lynn and the executive corrector of the reform institute and part of a team of partners led by the city of lynn

strategy to benefit all residents. we are here to talk about the current state of lynn and she hopes it will help low income communities rather than displace them. a big part of it, right? >> it is a big part of it. what we have seen is when a community redevelops, an urban community, it displaces low income residents and communities of color and we want to make sure when lynn does a redevelopment, which is very exciting, particularly the water front redevelopment, we want to make sure that low income people share in the future prosperity of the city. it is all about equitable development and fairness. >> alberto: that is why you guys are at the table with the city of lynn. >> absolutely. >> alberto: and you will look out for folks who are often times, they don't have a place at the table until it is too late, right? >> that's right.

partnership that is part of the working city's challenge, which is a competition put on by the federal reserve that is focusing on revitallizing gateway cities. across sector of partnership and collaboration that is being led by the city of lynn by kennedy and thrt shore community college and we are one of multiple partners. and these partners have come together to think through what we want if see lynn become. the future of the city, how do we make sure everybody shares in the good fortunes of lynn, going forward. we want to make sure all residents have affordable housing, and they have proper educational opportunities and that there is economic opportunity in the city and good jobs, so there is a very exciting process and now for the next six month we will work on a propasal and submitting an

>> alberto: there is a process. you grew up in lynn, right? >> yes. >> alberto: you are aware of huge demographic shift. i hear spanish and... >> that's makes it an exciting place. the diversity of the city is one of the great assets. we can talk about the city's challenges, and its does have a high right of poverty, 21%, and there 1% of children this lynn are growing up in poverty and there are challenges but i think lynn has a lot of untapped resources and great assets and i believe the imgrant communities immigrant city. my parents were immigrants to lynn. i think that makes its a really exciting city and i think we have, it is very important to maintain the diversity and inclusiveness of the city and make sure that everybody in the

the revitalization of the community. >> alberto: massachusetts law reform institute, what do you do, not just in lynn, but across the state >> a statewide anti-poverty organization, and we focus on systems change and we look at the root causes of poverty. and part of it is proceed motoring establish it for low income people, so they have access to basic human needs and the other piece of it is how do you help to move people out of poverty. it's a great organization, and i have been executive director for five years. a great his for, we have been around for 50 years and it's difficult work but it is really exciting work and working with the community like lynn which has so many such a vital community and such a great paimp that have been formed and great ideas, i think this is such an exciting project.

>> alberto: you are excited? >> i'm really excited. this is a real opportunities when professional work and what you deeply care about. >> alberto: and we have bc high coming up. >> exactly. we are really excited the governor appointsed a task force, the best way to promote equitable development that community is to lead the change and not follow it. >> alberto: i will put up screen, so folks that want more information, you have a website and a facebook and twitter and you are using social media. >> yes we are, you can't fight poverty without using social media these day >> alberto: you are right on top of things. i wish you all the best in that beautiful city. happy new year to you, too. and when we come pack, boston college high school, my high school preparing young men for

>> alberto: boston college high school, pc high, has a 152 year history in boston. for many of us who graduated and i'm a proud member of the class of 85 and bc high taught us to be a man for others. bc's arrupe division opens for 7th and 8th graders. at the will host an information night starting at 6 pm for prospective families, evening is designed to provide students and parents with nor insights into the great bc high experience. to tell us more about the night

we invited the vice principal bob hamblet and delano franklin. welcome to "urban update." a pleasure. so glad that you are here. i know it and give me your elevated pitch of what bc high means for you? >> a great school, a wonderful combination of rigorous academic program and focus on building character and helping boys to become, people looking out for the other people around them in the community. the smaller communities that they are in and greater communities in the future. >> alberto: when i go to bc high and we have photos that show all the different aspects, it is a great school for sports. the bib team here now, and i remember they were pretty good at that and in the classroom. i think the two areaers that

spiritual part, and that is a big part, when i was there, i also arts and cultural as well. a well rounded school? >> we built a brand new arts building to add music into the program and to have new art rooms into it and a great drama program in the 7th and 8th grade in high school and that is a very big part of the program. >> alberto: and staff and students and we have a students here. how are you? >> good. a junior. three years in the journey. >> five years now. so you started in 7th and 8th. tell me about it, you know bc high pretty well? starting in 7th grade i was coming from chelsea, and i departments know many people going there but now five years later, it's a jesuit high school

i spend many of my waking hours and one of my favorite places to be. >> alberto: you have been there longer than most. that has been the overwhelming trait, the spiritual part, the education? >> i suppose something that is common in everything is the passion that you see this people. regardless of what people are interested in, people are passionate about things and they know what they are doing. >> alberto: we knew every kid by the town they came from. stef kelly from quincy, and and what are you from? >> i'm from chelsea. >> alberto: so they know you are from chelsea. and you commute every day? >> yes. >> alberto: that is a question, you have kids from everywhere, the commuting is parts of the process some

and 1100 of them come by public transportation, the "t", commuter rail, buses from suburbs can on the commuter rail, and when they are twelve that is a real education. you get to know about the city of boston. >> alberto: i want to remind folks this wednesday, and we'll put up the information, a great information night, tell me about what is going on there? >> a different experience for the parents and students, they come in here and speakers and a students panel that the students and parents can ask questions and students will also go off and get experiences of doing things in some of our science room and making a space in the gym to know some of the kids that are there now, and parents will get to ask questions of teaches and administrators in the second panel, that they get to be part of. a nice experience for both. >> alberto: and i will come back to you, your classmates, how do

that you have, from 7th grade and some that came in later, will you know these guys ten or 2020 years from now? >> that is one of the best parts of bc high. the friends i made freshman year, they will be some of my best friends for life. >> alberto: i will tell that h you that that will happen. grad you said that. -- glad you said that. i went to go back to the future, 0985. do you know these guys? >> mr. hughes, oyr principal, he hired me a number of years ago, he was the social studies department. >> alberto: i don't put their first names for a reason. i can't call them by that. he is will hughes and these guys very important in the religion department. mr. mccoup and mr. skipper?

mine and we coached together a great school. >> alberto: do they look like that any more? >> no, he looked a little different. he was my teacher last year. >> alberto: i saw them recently, and i see them on facebook, too. a big shoutout. bc high is not just students, but the teachers, those are the guys. i look forward to you seeing you later on, and doing another bc high catholic education experience. good luck on wednesday. >> thank you very much. >> alberto: keep up the grades. >> a term for detention. jus, justice on the ground. >> alberto: thank you for the memory lane and good luck. another journey from a man from roxbury, now inspires others through yoga.

>> alberto: mike massey was born and raised in roxbury and he found focus in the spot of football when he was ten, and he did this to dodge the influx of crime and drugs that claimed his neighborhood as a child. he is now a full time yoga instructor that helps others in his neighborhood with his yoga sessions and with his positive and inspiring message. help us welcome back, and say back, because he was camera operator in channel 7 back in the day. nice to have you back. >> slept. glad to be here. >> alberto: tell me about your

crowing a instructor. charles was asking me that. >> i tell this to a lot of young fellows that i mentor. i suffered a serious injury playing semi professional football with the boston bandits, football was my life, protecting me when i was in danger. and i lost this ability to do something that was a part of my life, i was depressed. and my wife said you have to get out of bed. she started to do yoga on my own, and i started to correct her. and she pushed me to get my certification and here i am. >> alberto: a picture is worth a thousand words. i don't know how you do that mike. if you get children to do that i will pay you cash. >> thousands of deep breaths and thousands of hours to practice, in today's society with the youngsters you can click a button on google and find

>> alberto: this is in roslindale? most airfares and evenings. >> alberto: i heard this is free on saturday mornings >> at the esplanade, we start in july right after the 4th of july, we do it free every saturday, come one, come all. >> alberto: this is really you? >> that is me. on my journey he learned confidence and we have confidences we take hits and sometimes it waivers but it will get you through anything. >> alberto: yoga is not just for the body but the mind and spirit. and that what is you tell young cats from the neighborhood >> they need to know how to decompress, you need to know how to let go, and that save lives in our community. >> alberto: what do people say to you when they haven't seen

i'm a yoga instructor now? >> they usually laugh. it is unheard of from a guy from my neck of the woods i lost lifetime friends and family members, i'm supposed to live a certain life because of where i come from. people say you are too happy, and i say who sets a stipulation of how happy we can be, because i ran a certain crowds i'm supposed to be limited to that. yoga is a way to find friday medom. most of us are looking for an exterior answer for freedom when the answer is here. >> alberto: i want to see if we can hook you up, man, your dream job, and i would love to see you on the sidelines, to work with the patriots as yoga instructor for the team. >> i wake up thinking about working with any football guys, me being a football guy. we are taught and praised for

awards for being aes arive and some can't turn it off when we get home. so i want to be able to save the people who have dealing with this aggression and getting paid for them and teach them now separate the two. i would love to work with the yes. >> alberto: before we go, give a shoutout to your old neighborhood, the streets, a now. talking about yoga? >> to the whole roxbury area, dorchester, mattapan on the boston bandits, a lot of brothers there, rip, and i want to let you know i'm still, i vice president made it yet but working on making it and this is a very big step and i thank you for this opportunities. >> alberto: mike, we wish you a lot of luck. you had luck on channel 7 with the camera, and mike, thank you so much mike. no problem. all right, that is it for this

a special moment for a shutout to another member of the class member of bc high, chuck stray vin a stru inspiration for the way they dealt with an unexpected health crisis, and their great positive vibes have been admirible. it looks like they have come through it, and thank you chuck and thank you for reminding us on how to stay strong in the tough tirms. for all of us at ush have a great sunday everyone! realtime closed captioning provided by u.s. captioning. not getting your best sleep? could be you've got the wrong bed. enter sleep number... she likes the bed soft. he's more hardcore. you can both adjust the bed for the best sleep of your life. find the lowest prices of the season, going on now.

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