The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 26

THE BOSTON GLOBE FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1993 Fenway residents stand by Scondras But explanation of his actions sought Fire rages jtf location of $rmer hotel in South End i 0 x. if 4 tr By Jordana Hart and Patricia Nealon GLOBE STAFF A stubborn six-alarm fire raged fffr hours inside a long-abandoned hotel in the South End yesterday, as firefighters perched atop 110-foot ladders trained hoses on the building, shooting water through flame-filled windows and onto the burning roof. No injuries were reported in the 4:25 p.m. blaze at the intersection of Washington Street and Massachusetts Avenue, which caused an estimated $250,000 in damage. Some officials feared the block-long, waterlogged building would collapse.

A number of area residents said they often saw homeless people going in and out of the five-floor, stone building through a Massachusetts Avenue entrance that was supposed to be boarded up. They also reported at least three fires in the building in the past three weeks. Fire Lt Richard Powers said it was impossible to say for certain that the building was empty at the Pablo (left) and Chantel Cordero, both 10, hold Zizn after their family was evacuated from their home adjoining the fire scene. Scondras did not respond to several requests for an interview yesterday. Aides said he was traveling to Washington to take part in a gay pride parade.

Though they promised he would make himself available, he had not done so by last evening. He maintained earlier this month that his problems were largely due to his trusting nature, which sometimes causes him to befriend near-strangers and leads him into awk- ward situations. "I have a lot of friends and they have friends," he said of the assault "I can be a good person for people having problems to talk to, because I usually know where they can get help." In remarks to the Herald, Scondras explained that he was taking codeine for pain from a broken leg and had been "stressed out" in recent weeks. A woman on Ipswich Street said she believed Scondras was naive. "I never understood" the assault, said Angela Richards, 30.

"You don't just let people you don't know into your house. It made me wonder about his judgment I don't know who I'm voting for. I don't even know who's running." According to sources, Scondras made the 911 calls to seek help for a 17-year-old boy, but they did not elaborate on the type of help he was seeking. He asked to speak with several public officials on the emergency line, including Mayor Flynn. Vincent Loporchio, spokesman for the Boston Police Department, said yesterday that several media outlets have requested access to the 911 taped conversation and that those requests are being reviewed by the department's attorneys.

At Boston Billiards Club, where Scondras recently announced he was running for reelection, several mid-afternoon regulars said they had not heard about the phone calls, but ex- Officer saves toddler wandering into street time of the fire, which began on the third floor. He said the cause was unknown, but considered suspicious. Officials evacuated the block of brownstones on each side of the building as a precaution. Powers said firefighters were prohibited from entering the building, which has Inspectional Services signs on it indicating it is unsafe. development near Central Square.

Pasquarello, an 11-year-veteran of the department, decided to drive through the familiar neighborhood of his old beat to see if he could spot the child. Turning onto Columbia Street, Pasquarello spotted a toddler fitting the radioed description wearing brown pants and a yellow shirt covered with chocolate ice cream stains. "I thought he was going to get hit by a car," Pasquarello said. "Nobody would have seen him because he's only a foot and a half high." Pasquarello sped up, then swung Jit', GLOBE STAFF PHOTO JOHN TLUMACKI The building once housed a hotel called the Alexandria, but in recent years was best known as the original site of Skippy White's records. Maurice Mitchner, of the mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services, said the building's owner, Russ Britt, had been contacted several times to secure the premises.

his unmarked car across one lane and grabbed the tyke just as the boy darted toward oncoming traffic. Passersby probably did not realize Pasquarello was a police officer, he said. "Here I am grabbing the kid, and I'm in an unmarked car and you could see my gun because I didn't have a coat on. People were just looking at me," he said. But no one reported Pasquarello for child-napping, and he returned a weeping Anton safely to his mother, Ellis Stephanie, who had been frantically combing back yards.

if s. ByJudyRakowsky GLOBE STAFF CAMBRIDGE Two-year-old Anton Stephanie decided to head to the playground on his own, and he might not have survived the trip if a policeman had not caught him as he was about to walk into oncoming traffic. Officer Frank Pasquarello, the department's spokesman, was returning from lunch Wednesday afternoon when he heard a call on thef scanner for a missing 2-year-old by 'the Columbia Terrace housing bTtr 2 brain-damaged by lead AUCTION MAY 23 By Adrian Walker GLOBE STAFF Despite revelations that City Councilor David Scondras placed seven anguished phone calls to a 911 line last month the latest bizarre incident to involve him recently -residents of his Fenway district interviewed yesterday said they con-tined to support him, at least for now. Sources yesterday confirmed a report in the Boston Herald that the councilor made several late-night phone calls to police one night last month. The same week as the phone calls, which were made in a 40-min-ute period on the morning of March 29, Scondras has said he was assaulted in his home at knifepoint by Kenneth Black, a homeless unemployed mover who had sought Scondras' counsel several times to discuss his sexuality and other personal problems.

Scondras was also stung by the public revelation two days after the alleged knife incident that his longtime lover has tested positive for the HIV virus that causes AIDS. Despite his seemingly erratic behavior, some constituents said Scondras, the city's only openly gay city councilor, should be judged on the basis of his entire term in office. Scondras, who is up for reelection this year, has not faced significant opposition in several elections. But the calls also drew concern that his recent behavior had been irresponsible. "I think he's a good councilor, from what I know," said Sam Richardson, 25.

"I think it's pretty irresponsible for a public official to make frivolous phone calls to 911 when someone with a real problem could be trying to get through. But I can't say I wouldn't vote for him because of just that one thing." -J 1 Anist't Conception Services, Broker w1 GLOBE RLE PHOTO DAVID SCONDRAS Made several 911 calls pressed both alarm and concern about Scondras' recent behavior. I "I find it all really sad," said Howard Eddington. "I think people will still support him, but I would like to hear more of an explanation of what happened. He hasn't said anything about why he made the calls." Scondras, a political economist and former social worker, has been, a member of the council since 1984.

Its most liberal member, he has sponsored legislation to provide equal rights to homosexuals as well as a recent bill extending health insurance to the companions of gay city employees. He has frequently been mentioned as a potential congresr sional candidate. I Following reports of the assault and his companion's HrV status, several political observers said they did not believe Scondras would be seriously damaged. His constituents echoed those sentiments yesterday, although some also called for a fuller accounting of his recent "I find this whole thing sad, but I think people will continue to support him," said Susan Vitale, 32. "I think if he has problems he should get help with them, but I would like to hear his side.

I don't think you can make judgments from a newspaper story." nearly of $1,170,000 for Jonathan, now 11, who was described in court documents as being mildly to moderately mentally retarded as a result of ingesting lead paint, and $520,830 to Joseph, now 10. "Both children have learning deficits and intellectual impairment," said attorney Howard Ross, who represented Jonathan in the case. "This is one of the largest lead paint awards in the commonwealth." Ross said that the family moved into the apartment in November 1983 and that a bank officer had been in the unit before and had seen paint peeling from the ceiling. Prior to the Taylors moving in, the bank had scraped the exterior of the building and lead paint chips permeated the soil, Ross said. "Lead i a silent killer of brain cells in children while they go about the business of doing what children do, putting things in their mouths, playing in house dust, playing in dirt in this case the side yard and playing on the floor when flaking lead paint gets into ordinary house dust," Ross told the jury in his opening statement.

"Thanks," said Barry Taylor through tears to his attorney. Plymouth Home National Bank was taken over by Bank of New England, which failed and was taken over by the FDIC, which was named as a defendant in the case. The suit, initially filed in state court, was removed to federal court by the FDIC. The initial complaint did not secify any amount of damuges, Ross said. That was left up to the good conscience of the jury." Peter Hermes, an attorney who represented the defendants, said the record of the trial will be reviewed to consider an ap)cal.

TAKE ACTION If you have a problem in your neighborhood, the Globe wants to help get it solved. Call us and give a brief description of the problem. We'll select topics with the broadest community interest and write about them. Anonymity of callers will be preserved if requested. 617-929-3379 are awarded By Matthew Brelis GLOBE STAFF A federal court jury yesterday awarded nearly $1.7 million to two young boys who have permanent brain damage from ingesting lead paint Attorneys said the verdict was one of the largest awards regarding lead paint liability in state history.

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