The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 22

22 THE ROSTON GLOBE MONDAY, JULY 4, 1988 MeDgEifooirthioodls CAMBRIDGE March against drugs is set Two-part Jollow-up planned A project of hands Carpenters, plumbers rebuild church space as transitional shelter for homeless families By David Arnold Globe Staff mmM the CAMBRIDGE They said 1 --aifSf K. A IA1 Ts silence was overpowering. For the last 10 days In June, about 30 volunteers had spent most of their waking hours amid the clamor of buzz saws, hammers and welding torches to convert a dilapidated dwelling at 41 Columbia St. Into the city's newest transitional house for homeless families. On Friday.

July 1, some of the volunteers sat In a sun-flooded room that smelled of freshly cut flowers and drying plaster as they talked about a union between church and state that bordered, they mused, on miraculous. A Job estimated at $25,000 and targeted for completion In 6 months had been finished for free in less than two weeks. Union and nonunion hands had worked side by side. At least two dozen local merchants had donated furnishings, architects had donated plans, engineers had donated calculations. The shelter Is a partnership be- mr Glolie pho(oYuiihl Kim Michael Neely of Jamaica Plain fishes at Jamaica Pond.

Angle of repose MBTA renovation to enter blue period I Starts and Stops tween the city's Department of Human Services, which provided the planning and some guidance through municipal and state paperwork, and St. Paul AME Church, which provided the property and sense of mission. "No budget, no money. We stepped way out on faith with this one." said Rev. Richard Richardson, who worked closely with Le-roy Attles pastor of St.

Paul. The demand to work fast was unexpectedly tied to the countdown of fiscal year 1988, the last day of which was Thursday, June 30. An average of 16 families are temporarily without shelter at any one time. St. Paul had already planned to convert another church-owned dwelling into housing for the homeless.

But the Department of Public Welfare, which was going to foot much of the bill for the church's $150,000 project, could not guarantee funding this year in light of the state's revenue shortfall. Two weeks ago. the state, St. Paul and the Cambridge Department of Human Services struck a deal: If the project could begin with two families living in a ren; ovated, up-to-code facility by the close of fiscal year 1988, then funding for the project would be. carried into the next year.

41 Columbia St. Is a duplex that had served as an administrative office for St. Paul. In this way. the state could guarantee funds for St.

Paul's plan to renovate a larger building nearby Into a six-family shelter. "I'm not sure any of us really believed 12 days ago that we could pull It off," said Lindsay Lee, resources coordinator for the city's Department of Emergency Services, her hair still touched with blotches of white paint. When he heard the deal. Philip Mangano. director of emergency services, thought: "My God.

how are we going to get it all done?" "Little did I know at the time that It was a prayer," he said. With the help of Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy 2d, the proponents found volunteer help from the Local 40 Carpenter's Union and Robert Pann a Cambridge plumbing company. Sterritt Lumber Co.

provided the wood. Ox-Line Paints dropped off the primer. Pill Inc. a hardware store came up with the smoke detectors. Christ Church offered manpower, the Dell brought lunches.

Kennedy Studios donated framed artwork for the walls, and. prior to two families taking up residence Thursday night, Le Jardin even supplied cut flowers Just to name a few of the participating local merchants and churches. "I was astonished how people respond when you actually reach out," Lee said. "They're all out there. They're Just waiting to be asked." By Eleena M.

de Lisser Contributing Reporter The Greater Boston Ministers' Association, joining the nationwide war against drugs, has an attack plan It hopes will clean up Boston's drug-Infested neighborhoods and stop drug violence. The group, along with other religious and antidrug organizations including Drop A Dime Save The Children Committee and the Black Community Coalition, is cosponsoring a march against drugs July 16 at Franklin Field. The march, beginning at 1 p.m., will cover a 3'2-mile route starting at the corner of Blue Hill and Talbot avenues and ending at Blackstone Park, where a rally will be held. Although the march is almost two weeks away, organizers and sponsors are looking beyond July 16. developing plans that will be more than symbolic gestures.

Rev. E.W. Jackson president of the Greater Boston Ministers' Association, said reinforcing the march's message will be a two-part follow-up. A community covenant that "denounces drugs and violence" will be distributed to the marchers. Jackson said.

"It affirms the value of peace, unity, family and community building." he said. The second part of the follow-up will be to get churches and antidrug organizations to establish a presence In areas where drug abuse has been a problem. Including Orchard Park, Bromley Heath, and the Lenox Street and Franklin Hill projects. Jackson said the city should build drug-treatment programs and counseling centers In neighborhoods besieged by drug abuse. "The abandoned and boarded up buildings In these drug Infested communities could be put to good use as treatment centers." Jackson said.

"Establishing these facilities would manifest a consistent antidrug message and presence In the community." Jackson said he sent a letter to Mayor Flynn asking him to declare July 16 a day of amnesty for people who wish to turn In drugs or weapons without "fear of prosecution." Jackson said people would be able to turn drugs or weapons in; to ministers who would turn them over to police. Efforts to reach Mayor Flynn or spokesmen for the administration were unsuccessful. Drop A Dime a cltywlde anonymous drug-tip agency, started In July 1983 as a result of an antidrug march. Georgette Watson, the organization's president, said she hoped the march would provide more community unity. "I think that marches and ongoing awareness need to be, but there needs to be a time when we stop marching and push for positive action to be taken against drug dealing." Watson said.

"Something has to be done, and It has to be done In a collective manner from the people who are suffering under the drug trade." Nathaniel Askla. executive director of First a drug rehabilitation program and one of the march's sensors, said local activists and leaders need to Increase participation in combatting drug abuse, explaining, "people In the community need to see some action on the part of the organizers. "Our plan has to be one to eradicate the problem of drugs and crime In our community and not to have another meeting to discuss the fact that the problem exists In the community. We know that. What will be the plan of action to remove It Is our next step." be running the maximum number of trains possible while maintaining safe distance, or headway, between them.

After that, the only way to Increase Blue Line capacity Is to make Its trains longer hence the logic of extending platforms. The may also be thinking about pre- MBTA scoreboard Percentage of trains on North Station commuter rati lines running on time (within 5 minutes of schedule). Your odds of getting a seat on the subway In the morning Increased slightly last week. With the shift to the summer schedule, eight of 31 trains serving the Red Line during rush hour have six cars, up from four with six cars In the spring. On the Orange Line, the schedule Increased from 10 six-car trains out of 20 to 13.

By fall, after the completion of the year-overdue delivery of 58 new cars, the Red Line expects to run 29 six-car trains at rush hours. Road work ahead: The Fellsway East In Melrose and Lynn Fells Parkway In Melrose and Saugus will undergo resurfacing and other maintenance, causing 'lane restrictions and backups, between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. weekdays for the next 8 to 10 weeks, the Metropolitan District Commission said. Work will begin at East Border Road in Melrose, the entrance to the Middlesex Fells Reservation, and will move east to Main Street In Sau-gu, Because of a designer's error, the MBTA will have to spend $430,000 re placing the blacktop bus area at Ruggles station, which has begun prematurely sprouting bumps and moguls, with a smoother concrete bus area.

Francis M. Keville. MBTA construction director, said the firm that designed the year-old Orange Line station. PRC Harris, has acknowledged It made a mistake In choosing asphalt for the heavily traveled bus area and has agreed to cover some of the cost of the tougher surface. The will add four late-night trains from South Station tonight for people coming Into town to watch the fireworks and party: 1 1:15 p.m.

toStoughton. 1 1:20 p.m. to Forge Park, or Franklin. 11:25 p.m. to Ncedham Heights and 11:30 p.m.

toAttlcboro. By Peter J. I lowe Globe Staff The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Is taking the first steps toward bringing six-car trains to the Blue Line by the mid-1990s. MBTA General Manager James F. O'Lcary said the MBTA Is putting the final touches on a request for proposals, expected to go out within 60 days, to consultants Interested In designing a massive modernization of the Blue Line's 12 stations.

It will Include extending the platforms to accommodate six-car. Instead of four-car, trains. Essentially, the work Is Identical to that performed on 10 downtown Red Line and Orange Line stations over the past three years to spiff them up and enable the MBTA to operate six-car trains on those lines. Most likely, the Blue Line work will require the same nighttime bus shuttles. The price tag: $40 million to $50 million.

The Blue Line, which runs 6.2 miles from the Wonderland dog track In Revere through East Boston to Bowdoln Square downtown, has by far the lowest rider-ship of the four subway and trolley lines, with 40,000 daily riders Just one-third of ridershlp on the Orange Line, which Is In third place behind the Green Line, at 220.000. and the Red Line, at 182.000. O'Lcary said, though, that. "We continue to receive signs that Blue Line rider-ship Is growing" to the level six-car trains will be needed. MBTA officials plan to add two more four-car trains to the Blue Line during rush hours In the fall as an alternative for drivers when a four-year bottleneck Is Imposed on Route 1 south In Charlestown because of the construction of the new $250 million Route 1 Interstate 93 interchange.

Once those two extra trains are In operation. O'Lcary said, the Blue Line will May May 28 Line 14-27 June 10 Fltchburg 94.5 95.2 Haverhill 93.1 95.5 Ipswich 93.0 92.0 96.8 9H.4 Rock port 91.1 98.4' May 2M-Junc 10 llumon these lines reflect ruh hours only- Midday and weekend on-tlmtr perlormanre not Included Ixi hunt ol coiDtlruiilon rrlalrd bn diversions. Source: Massachusetts Bay Tranorta(lon Authority Globe st. ill chart paring for a Blue Line extension to the northeast up the RockportIpswlch rail line, which the $38 million commuter rail station under construction In Lynn was expressly designed to accommodate. Construction on the station renovations Is not likely to begin for at least a year or maybe two.

0'leary said, with the project to be completed and six-car trains on the rails in 1993 or 1994. f- Avenue building and program managers, environmental and right-of-way officials across the artery at High Street. Twomey said the artery-tunnel project will occupy virtually all available office space at South Station, with Amtrak leasing a small office. few details on the fire that broke out at 1 a.m. yesterday.

No one was Injured. Police could not confirm If the fire had been set. as were the others. The most recent arson fire happened Just after 1 a.m. Friday, when a couple and their two children were asleep.

The family barely escaped the fire, which 50 firefighters battled for three hours. The fires, which began in early May. started with grass or abandoned buildings, but the latest fires have been In occupied homes. Fire Investigators say the Friday arson case follows a pattern set by the other fires, because It came late at night and was set from the rear of the building. (AP) Man discharges gun, robs a) re in N.II.

NASHUA. il. A man who fired several shots In a Zayre department store made off with an undetermined amount of cash from the store's safe, police said yesterday. The roblxry hapicned Saturday night, when the roblx-r produced a gun. demanded money from the sale, then ran out of the building alter getting It.

No one was hurt, police said. The roblxT was dcscrllxd as 45 to 50 years old with black, graying hair: alxmt 5 feet 11 Inches tall: and weighing alxmt 150 pounds. He was wearing blue (cans and a blue denim jacket. (AP) Picket line quiet at Electric Boat GROTON, Conn. About 50 strikers picketed In front of the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics yesterday In the third day of the strike.

The shipyard where 10.000 blue collar workers began a strike Friday remained quiet yesterday, but large numbers of strikers were expected to man the picket lines when the gates reopened tomorrow. Officials of the Metal Trades Council, an umbrella group representing the 10 striking unions, and Electric Boat officials, could not be reached for comment yesterday. As of Saturday, no talks had Ix-cn scheduled In what was expected to be a long strike. A striker. Dencll Legg.

32. of Groton. was arrested late Saturday night after he was stopped In front of the shipyard and a weapon was found In his car. Sanford said. Company officials said work would continue on seven Trident and eight fast-attack submarines currently under production using about salaried workers and union members who cross the picket line, (UI'I) Tunnel-artery staff gelling new digs 1 I EPA acting too late, on park, critics say SPRINGFIELD.

Vt. Residents of a Springfield trailer park that was built on a toxic waste site say the federal government's recent efforts to clean it up are little more than a publicity stunt. Christine Chapman, a former resident of Springfield Mobile Estates, said the US Environmental Protection Agency's action last month was about two years late, In June, the EPA announced plans to rckxate all the remaining residents and clean up the former dumpslte at a cost of about $12.5 million, using money from the state, the town of Springfield and area Industries that dumped the chemicals. Between 1946 and 1968. up to 2.5 million gallons of hazardous chemicals Including paints, acid and cancer causing PCBs were dimijx-d on the 27-acre site.

But Chapman said Springfield town officials and a group known as the Potentially Responsible Parties had already put together an $800,000 trust fund toward the first phase of moving the residents out and cleaning up the site. (AP) WML Mkttitei AP nhiil" Boat sinks in N.I I. alter lake collision LACONIA. N.H. An accident Involving two boats on Lake Wlnnesquani damaged one boat and sunk another, but no one was Injured.

Marine Patrol officials said yesterday. The accident happened late Saturday night when a boat oxrated by Scot I Tlicurar, 28. of Portsmouth collided with one driven by Norman Harris. 46, of l.acnnla. Both lxals were traveling north but officials could not say how fast the Ixats were traveling or why they collided.

Harris' Ixtat suffered some damage, but Theurar's Iniat sank. Theunir and a passenger In his Ixial were able to swim to safely, (AP) llth fire The third harbor tunnel Central Artery project office is scheduled to move to 100.000 square feet of new office space at South Station tomorrow, officials said. William V. Twomey, Department of Public Works director of the $4.3 billion, 10-year program, said the project's 200 engineers, planners and other staff will occupy four floors of space Inside the renovated railroad station. "The move will Improve our coordination tremendously." Twomey said, noting that the project has Ix-cn working out of two offices at 470 Atlantic Ave.

and 99 High with engineers at the Atlantic i strikes Jcl'I'i son HERO'S NOT WELCOME Fred Jackson, a native of Scotland who won decorations in the Vietnam War and now faces deportation, poses with his wife, Charlene, and their 3-month-old daughter, Chandra. Jackson has been convicted of 21 felonies he says grew out of post-traumatic stress disorder: he spent six years in a Florida prison for armed robbery. The 39-year-old Jackson, who won Silver and Bronze stars and two Purple Hearts during a stint in Vietnam that began in 1968. after he volunteered despite his status as a foreign national, hopes an immigration judge considers his service record as well as his criminal one at a deportation hearing July 21. JEFFERSON, N.H.

The stale fire marshal and local authorities yesterday investigated the 14th fire In a row In the community, which has Ixrn terrorized by a series of suspicious fires. Pojlcc had -f.