Media
CASH FOR HOMES
Weekly Dig
August 16, 2010
The Boston City Council will try to solve a state-funding puzzle Tuesday, August 17th, when they hold a hearing on the lack of available cash for Boston’s state-sponsored affordable housing developments, where frustrated tenants say half-assed support has left them hanging for years.
City Councilor Felix Arroyo, who filed the order for Tuesday’s public hearing, is troubled by the vacancies. “In this economy, we can’t afford to have vacant units, for what is very often, for most families, the last step before living on the streets,” he said.
http://www.weeklydig.com/news-opinions/news-us/201008/cash-homes
ARROYO IS MAKING EAST BOSTON HIS BUSINESS
East Boston Times
August 4, 2010
At-Large Councilor Felix Arroyo toured Eastie’s business district with colleague Councilor Sal LaMattina and East Boston Main Streets Director Clark Moulaison last Wednesday.
During the tour, Arroyo visited several businesses throughout Maverick Square to get a sense of the needs of the business community here.
“Over 70 percent of the businesses in this country are small businesses,” said Arroyo. “They are the backbone of our communities. I’m very concerned with small business development because they help define a neighborhood.”
http://www.eastietimes.com/2010/08/04/arroyo-is-making-east-boston-his-business/
FOR ARROYO, AN EYE ON 2011 AND A CAUTIOUS LOOK BACK AT 2007
Dorchester Reporter
July 22, 2010
Seven months into his first term, City Councillor At-Large Felix Arroyo’s re-election campaign is hitting back at coverage of him and the City Council’s boycott of Arizona, saying he is “under attack from the right wing media.” The boycott came in response to Arizona’s controversial immigration law.
http://www.dotnews.com/2010/reporter-s-notebook-arroyo-eye-2011-and-cautious-look-back-2007
VOTE ON REPLACING MCAS SLATED FOR WEDNESDAY
West Roxbury and Roslindale Transcript
July 20, 2010
Felix Arroyo, At-Large City Councilor and life-long Boston resident, is a product of the BPS. He said that he is not opposed to a nationalized set of standards, but switching the MCAS in place of the Common Core Standards should not be “the only solution.”
“We should look at what a child needs to be successful in life,” Arroyo said.
“Standardized testing does not arm students,” he said, “with key tools they will need in college such as time management or how to write a research paper.”
http://www.wickedlocal.com/roslindale/news/x700417293/Vote-on-replacing-MCAS-slated-for-Wednesday
A TOUR OF BUSINESS CONCERNS
South End News
July 19, 2010
Nodding his head, Felix Arroyo, City Councilor At-Large, took it all in. Don Quixote was Arroyo’s first stop in the South End Monday morning. In the neighborhood to visit small businesses, Arroyo joined Washington Gateway Main Streets’ (WGMS) executive director Nick Fedor and board president Guy D. Busa Jr., on a walk to three local shops: Don Quixote, Seiyo and Bark Place.
http://www.mysouthend.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc3=&id=108194&pf=1
ARROYO CHECKS UP ON ALLSTON AND BRIGHTON BUSINESSES
Allston-Brighton TAB
July 15, 2010
Boston City Councilor Felix Arroyo visited small businesses in Allston-Brighton on Monday as part of his citywide tour.
He began his tour by a meeting with Katie Reed, executive director of the Allston Village Main Streets, and Bob Webber, executive director of the Allston Board of Trade. They talked about the issues encountered within the business district, the main one being public cleanliness.
FELIX ARROYO PRAISED FOR CONVICTION
Boston Herald
July 14, 2010
City Councilor Felix G. Arroyo boldly claimed the mantle of left-wing leadership yesterday and drew praise as he responded to critics of his Arizona boycott even as other councilors are trying to keep low profiles amid a backlash.
“I do believe in it,” Arroyo told the Herald yesterday.
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1267789
OFFICIALS FOCUS ON SAVING JOBS
Dorchester Reporter
July 8, 2010
In his speech to colleagues that was also directed at the group of union members in the audience, City Councillor At-Large Felix Arroyo said he had pressed for more jobs to be saved, but added he would vote for the budget.
“I made the decision today to use my vote as a way to get more jobs,” as well as pass a proposal to expand the Boston Public Library’s board of trustees and give them fundraising powers, he told the Reporter after the vote.
http://www.dotnews.com/2010/officials-focus-saving-jobs-0
BOSTON BUDGET CUTS JOBS, STIRS EMOTIONS
Metro
June 30, 2010
On Wednesday morning, Boston City Councilor Felix Arroyo wasn’t sure if he’d vote for Boston’s fiscal year 2011 budget.
“I was personally conflicted,” Arroyo said. “If I thought voting ‘no’ would get more jobs I would vote ‘no’ but that’s not what it means.”
http://www.metro.us/us/article/2010/07/01/05/4712-82/index.xml
KITCHEN TABLES, BORROWED SUITS
Jamaica Plain Gazette
June 25, 2010
On the night of June 1, Kelly called Tobin, asking for an immediate, private meeting with him; citywide Councilor Felix Arroyo, a JP resident; and South Boston Councilor Bill Linehan. All three councilors are supporters of the firefighters union, and Kelly wanted them to come to a union hall and talk.
http://www.jamaicaplaingazette.com/node/4213
A DIRTY DEAL FOR BPS JANITORS
Boston Herald
June 25, 2010
Those 41 doomed custodians will save the city about $2.5 million. When Councilor Felix G. Arroyo asked if BPS had a “strategy” for losing those 41 custodians, the answer he got back was pretty blunt. “Those buildings just won’t be as clean,” he was told.
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1263878&format=text
STAY OF EXECUTION FOR BPL BRANCHES: TRUSTEE CHAIRMAN SIGNALS FUNDING SOLUTION
Dorchester Reporter
June 24, 2010
The Monday meeting came after Arroyo publicly pressed the Boston Public Library president, Amy Ryan, to convene a special meeting to consider the offer of state funds from lawmakers.
“What I heard today was not enough,” Arroyo said. “That’s just not good enough.”
http://www.dotnews.com/2010/stay-execution-bpl-branches-trustee-chairman-signals-funding-solution
A NEW ARROYO BLAZES OWN PATH ON COUNCIL
The Boston Globe
June 22, 2010
Felix G. Arroyo beamed with a boyish grin, blushing as older colleagues heaped praise on the youngest elected official in the room, a 31-year-old freshman with just five months on the Boston City Council.
The council had just secured its most significant victory in recent memory, settling a seemingly intractable contract standoff between the mayor and the firefighters’ union. Arroyo used his know-how as a former union organizer to help push both sides back to the table.
LIBRARY CLOSINGS TEMPORARILY AVERTED
The Boston Globe
June 22, 2010
Other voices of dissent came from members of the City Council, which must approve the mayor’s budget.
“I want you to know that what I heard today was not enough,’’ Councilor at Large Felix G. Arroyo said of the city’s plan to delay closing the branches.
BRIGHTON’S ANOTHER COURSE TO COLLEGE GRADUATES 37 BOSTON STUDENTS
Allston-Brighton TAB
June 17, 2010
ACC graduated 37 students on June 14 at Boston University’s Morse Auditorium. Headmaster Lisa Gilbert and Keynote Speaker and Boston City Councilor Felix G. Arroyo touched on the struggles many of the students have gone through to graduate from the pilot school.
KIDS IN THE HALL
The Weekly Dig
June 16, 2010
Last week, about 150 teenagers—who, presumably, could have been doing way cooler things—came to City Hall for a hearing hosted by freshman Boston City Councilor Felix Arroyo, the chair of the Committee on Labor, Youth Affairs and Human Rights. There, the kids got to share their thoughts on what’s wrong with the way they’re growing up—and how to fix it.
http://www.weeklydig.com/news-opinions/news-us/201006/kids-hall
PREVENTING CYCLE OF BROKEN KIDS TO ADULTS
Metro
June 14, 2010
Also last week, City Councilor Felix Arroyo invited city youths to speak out about their concerns.
“Our first problem is that kids are growing up around violence and if you grow up around violence that’s all you’re going to know,” said one teen, presenting the ideas of his peers during the youth conference.
http://www.metro.us/us/article/2010/06/14/07/1332-82/index.xml
BOSTON POLS BAIL ON BANK OF AMERICA
Boston Phoenix
June 14, 2010
In this time of political stridency, where everything is either red or blue, Boston City Councilors have found a potential purple issue that everyone can stand behind, be they radical lefties or Fox News worshippers. The city pols even have a surefire slogan to reel in widespread support: “Invest Boston money in banks that invest in Boston.”
“No one can deny that,” says Councilor-At-Large Felix G. Arroyo, who, along with Councilor-At-Large Stephen Murphy, is drafting “community reinvestment agreement” legislation. “If your bank doesn’t lend to people here, then they shouldn’t be able to make money off of our money.”
http://thephoenix.com/Boston/news/103439-boston-pols-bail-on-bank-of-america/#ixzz0rKlmSO64
LESSONS TO HEED FROM THE FIREFIGHTER TALKS
Boston Globe
June 11, 2010
Certainly the presence of Councilors Felix Arroyo, Sal LaMattina, and Michael Ross at Tuesday’s negotiating session helped change the acrimonious relationship between the bargaining parties.
“The dynamics of the negotiations were far more congenial and productive because both parties needed to demonstrate a good faith effort to resolve the dispute,’’ said John Dunlap, the city’s director of labor relations.
BPL BRASSS PRESSED TO HALT CLOSINGS
Dorchester Reporter
June 10, 2010
Arroyo last week had pressed Boston Public Library President Amy Ryan to re-convene a meeting of the BPL’s trustees after state lawmakers attended a City Council hearing on the BPL budget and noted they were getting a noncommittal response when offering state aid to keep libraries open.
http://www.dotnews.com/2010/bpl-brass-pressed-halt-closings
POLS FLOCKED TO DOT AVE. FOR SUNDAY’S PARADE
Dorchester Reporter
June 9, 2010
Gov. Deval Patrick— as an incumbent —received the pole position, marching with a dozen volunteers, while Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray pushed his two girls, Helen and Katerine, along in a stroller. With them were state Senator Jack Hart (D-South Boston), Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry (D-Dorchester) and City Councillors At-Large Ayanna Pressley and Felix Arroyo. City Councillor At-Large John Connolly, who also had his children in tow, marched as well.
http://www.dotnews.com/2010/pols-flocked-dot-ave-sunday-s-parade
IT’S A DEAL: COMPROMISE REACHED IN FIREFIGHTER CONTRACT DEAL
Dorchester Reporter
June 9, 2010
Under pressure from City Council members, the Dorchester-based firefighters union and the Menino administration appeared to end years of bitter deliberations this week, coming to an agreement on a much-debated contract.
“This is a good contract,” said City Councillor At-Large Felix Arroyo, a staunch union advocate who sat in on talks between the two sides, as did Ross and Councillor Sal LaMattina.
http://www.dotnews.com/2010/it-s-deal-compromise-reached-firefighter-contract
COUNCILLOR PRESSES FOR TRUSTEES’ MEETING TO HALT BPL CLOSURES
Dorchester Reporter
June 4, 2010
City Councillor At-Large Felix Arroyo pressed Boston Public Library President Amy Ryan on the board of trustees holding a meeting sometime next week after state lawmakers attended last night’s City Council hearing on the BPL budget and noted they were getting a noncommittal response when offering state aid to keep libraries open.
http://www.dotnews.com/2010/councillor-presses-trustees-meeting-halt-bpl-closures
YOUTH VIOLENCE SPURS ACTION, FRUSTRATION
JP Gazette
May 28, 2010
It is a pattern that local elected officials have struggled to break. Three of them recently spoke to the Gazette about their frustration. At-large City Councilor Felix Arroyo, a JP resident, is hoping that his forthcoming “youth agenda” will help target some root causes.
Arroyo already intended to release his “youth agenda” next week, which will cover such areas as employment and mentoring services. The actual policies, however, will come from young people themselves—including youths from JP’s Hyde Square Task Force and Teen Empowerment—at a special City Council hearing and brainstorming session on June 9.
http://www.jamaicaplaingazette.com/node/4152
COUNCILOR ARROYO: BOSTON SHOULD ONLY USE BANKS THAT INVEST IN BOSTON
West Roxbury Transcript
May 24, 2010
Boston City Councilor At-Large Felix G. Arroyo is leading a City Council hearing tomorrow pushing that Boston only use banks that invest in Boston.
ARROYO – INVEST IN BANKS THAT INVEST IN BOSTON
Fenway News
May 24, 2010
Boston City Councilor At-Large Felix G. Arroyo will be holding a Boston City Council hearing on Tuesday, May 25th at 5:00 p.m. to discuss the city of Boston’s current Request for Proposal for banking services.
http://www.fenwaynews.org/?s=arroyo&x=0&y=0&=Go
THE COLLECTIVE POWER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT VS. BIG BANKS
Richard Alarcón
May 24, 2010
True reform of our banking and financial systems will take pressure and action at every level and across the nation…And this week, Boston City Councilor Felix Arroyo is hosting a Council hearing to examine how the Boston City Council can hold big banks accountable in their city.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-alarcon/financial-reform-the-coll_b_587871.html
WHAT WE LEARN ABOUT BOSTON IN HARLEM’S CHILDREN’S ZONE
WBUR
May 21, 2010
Boston public radio station, WBUR, explores Boston-based participants’ experiences at the Harlem Children’s Zone Practitioners Institute – and their thoughts on what it would take to create a similar neighborhood in Boston.
http://www.promiseneighborhoodsinstitute.org/blog/2010/05/21/
BOSTON COUNCILORS OK RESOLUTION TO BOYCOTT ARIZONA
Associated Press
May 6, 2010
The Boston City Council approved a resolution Wednesday that urges the city to curtail economic ties with Arizona by pulling investments, ending city contracts and halting purchasing agreements to protest the state’s recently passed immigration law.
The resolution, passed by a voice vote, also asks city employees not to travel to Arizona for city business.
“We’re asking that the people’s money, the people of the city of Boston … that their money (not) be used to support something like this,” said Councilor Felix G. Arroyo, who co-wrote the resolution with City Council President Michael Ross.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9FGUJ980.htm
BOSTON COUNCILORS TAKE AIM AT ARIZONA IMMIGRATION LAW
WBUR
May 3, 2010
Councilors Michael Ross and Felix Arroyo plan to present a resolution Tuesday that would seek to identify and possibly sever any investments the city has with Arizona and Arizona-based companies.
Arroyo said it’s important to take a stand against the law, even if no financial ties are found.
“As a Latino myself, if I were in Arizona, based on the law they just passed, I could be stopped and asked to prove my citizenship,” he said. “I was born in the city of Boston. Does that mean I have to walk around with my birth certificate in my back pocket?”
http://www.wbur.org/2010/05/03/boston-arizona
2 BOSTON COUNCILORS WANT CITY TO BOYCOTT ARIZONA
The Boston Herald
May 3, 2010
Councilors Michael Ross and Felix G. Arroyo said today that they are crafting a resolution asking city officials to find out what investments the city has with Arizona and Arizona-based companies, and pull that money immediately. The resolution would ask city employees not travel to Arizona for conferences or other city business.
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1252103
LIBRARIES SPARED FROM CLOSURE
Jamaica Plain Gazette
April 16, 2010
All three Jamaica Plain-area branch libraries will remain open after the Boston Public Library (BPL) board of trustees decided to close four other branches in other neighborhoods instead in a hotly controversial April 9 vote. Massive public outcry at a JP community meeting beforehand appears to have been influential in saving the local branches.
Tobin and at-large City Councilor Felix Arroyo, a JP resident, are among the councilors who have vowed to vote against the city budget if it includes any branch closures.
http://www.jamaicaplaingazette.com/node/4064
MENINO’S BUDGET PUTS COUNCILLORS ON THE SPOT
Dorchester Reporter
April 15, 2010
City Councillors At-Large Felix Arroyo and Ayanna Pressley, and West Roxbury’s Councillor John Tobin are among the elected officials who have vowed to fight to keep all the branches open when the city council gets the proposed budget next week. “We will do everything we can to ensure this nightmare does not become real,” Arroyo said. Tobin, whose mother made him write reports on books he took out of the Lower Mills branch, agreed. “We’re talking about the very fabric of our city – kids and families.”
http://www.dotnews.com/2010/budget-puts-councillors-spot-menino
ALLSTON-BRIGHTON POLITICIANS ON THE SAME PAGE WHEN IT COMES TO SAVING BOSTON LIBRARIES
Allston-Brighton TAB
April 12, 2010
State Rep. Kevin Honan, City Councilor Felix Arroyo and District City Councilor Mark Ciommo spoke against the branch closings to the Allston-Brighton TAB after a BPL Board of Trustees meeting was held last Friday. All three disagreed over President Amy Ryan’s decision to go with the option that would close the Faneuil, Lower Mills, Orient Heights and Washington Village libraries, but leave hours at the other branches the same.
TRUSTEES VOTE YES ON LIBRARY CLOSINGS
The Boston Globe
April 10, 2010
The mood oscillated from anger to resignation yesterday as nearly two dozen speakers stood before the trustees of the Boston Public Library and implored them not to close a single branch in the face of budget cuts.
“Today is not the end of the process,’’ said Councilor at Large Felix G. Arroyo. “We will do everything we can to make sure this nightmare does not become real.”
BOSTON LIBRARY TRUSTEES APPROVE CLOSING BRIGHTON’S FANEUIL BRANCH LIBRARY
Allston-Brighton TAB
April 9, 2010
City Councilor at-Large Felix Arroyo spoke before the trustees voted, stating he cannot support “any option” that involves library closures.
“Today is not the end,” he said to those in attendance. “There is a long process involved.”
WBUR LIBRARY TRUSTEES VOTE TO CLOSE 4 BRANCHES
WBUR
April 9, 2010
“The strength and the ferocity of the people who came to the meetings will attest it is not over,” City Councilor John McGrath said.
Added Councilor Felix Arroyo, “I do not see this as fait accompli.”
After the long and emotional meeting, the trustees said they voted for the cuts reluctantly because they are required to balance their budget.
http://www.wbur.org/2010/04/09/library-closes-four
GERRY MCCARTHY EASTER EGG HUNT EGGS-TRA SPECIAL IN BRIGHTON
Allston-Brighton TAB
April 9, 2010
More than 200 children and their parents attended the day before Easter to take part in the hunt and raffle with prizes of 100 stuffed bunnies, Easter baskets and other items donated by CVS Pharmacy. State Rep. Kevin Honan, City Councilor at-Large Felix Arroyo and City Councilor Mark Ciommo were also in attendance.
ANGER BOILS OVER AT BPL BOARD OF TRUSTEES VOTE
South End News
April 9, 2010
While the Board of Trustees, specifically Rudman and La Camera, stated their displeasure in the lack of city and state officials present at the meeting, a handful of elected officials did attend and make public comments, including At-Large City Councilors Ayanna Pressley and Felix Arroyo, District 6 City Councilor John Tobin, and 12th Suffolk State Representative Linda Dorcena Forry.
“I could not support any of the options you are voting on,” Arroyo said before telling the audience that the decision made at the event was not the end, and that the City would continue to fight for every library to stay open.
http://www.mysouthend.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=news&sc3=&id=104425
BRIGHTON-ALLSTON IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION HAS A BUSY NIGHT
Allston-Brighton TAB
April 9, 2010
It was a busy night for the Brighton-Allston Improvement Association, as it approved requests for three food and drink establishments and passed all but one residential construction project. City Councilor At-Large Felix Arroyo paid a visit to the meeting along with fire station technicians who announced plans to improve the radio signals in Allston-Brighton.
BOSTON RESIDENTS RALLY TO FIGHT BRANCH LIBRARY CLOSINGS
Allston-Brighton TAB
April 8, 2010
City Councilor At-Large Felix Arroyo was on hand to add his voice to those speaking out against closures. Arroyo was among the nine city councilors last week who signed a letter informing Ryan they can’t support any closings until every avenue is explored.
“You cannot possibly plan for the future of our library system in two months,” he said. “And we should invest more in our system, not less.”
ANGER, QUERIES MARK MEETINGS AT BRANCHES
Dorchester Reporter
April 8, 2010
Boston City Councilors At-Large Felix Arroyo and Ayanna Pressley attended Saturday’s meeting and spoke on the value of keeping the BPL system intact.
Arroyo lamented the fact that there has not been “enough time for an engagement process” with the community, because it was only in February that the city announced it would put the issue of closing individual library branches to vote in April.
http://www.dotnews.com/2010/anger-queries-mark-meetings-branches
CITIES STRAINING FOR CENSUS RETURNS
The Boston Globe
April 7, 2010
“It’s much harder in urban areas than in suburban areas’’ to get people involved, said Boston Councilor Felix G. Arroyo, chairman of the Special Committee on the 2010 Census. “That’s why we’re campaigning for the census like it was a candidate. We need to get Boston residents to vote for the census.’’
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/04/07/urban_areas_slower_to_answer_census/
ALLSTON-BRIGHTON FIGHTING TO SAVE THE FANEUIL BRANCH LIBRARY
Allston-Brighton TAB
April 7, 2010
Arroyo urged the board members to involve the public in decisions and take more time to make a decision instead of announcing on Friday what branches may be closed or have hours cut. He said library patrons would prefer to have their libraries open for fewer hours or days.
“We need more time so people can be a part of that process. It takes longer to make these very difficult decisions,” he said.
CITY COUNCILLORS: CLOSING LIBRARIES SHOULD BE “LAST OPTION”
Dorchester Reporter
April 5, 2010
Closing branch libraries should be the city’s “last option” and should follow an extensive review of Boston Public Library finances and “lengthy” public debate, nine city councillors wrote in a letter to Boston Public Library President Amy Ryan.
The nine members of the 13-member council who signed the letter, dated April 2, included: President Michael Ross, City Councillors At Large Felix Arroyo, John Connolly and Ayanna Pressley, and Councillors Sal LaMattina (District 1), Charles Yancey (District 4), John Tobin (District 6), Chuck Turner (District 7), and Mark Ciommo (District 9).
http://www.dotnews.com/2010/city-councillors-closing-libraries-should-be-last-option
BPL PRESIDENT TAKES QUESTIONS FROM COMMUNITY REPORTERS
Dorchester Reporter
April 2, 2010
Q: Something that City Councillor City Felix Arroyo said, and I think one or two other councillors too – we’re going through a two month process here. Or a couple-months process. And he’s saying people should be able to debate this over a longer term. And from his perspective the city can dip into its reserves, patch it up for a year and not so much put off the long term planning, but just kind of have more time for people to process the potential closure of branches and everything you guys have been suggesting.
http://www.dotnews.com/2010/bpl-president-takes-questions-community-reporters
YOUTH RALLY FOR SUMMER JOBS FUNDING
South End News
March 29, 2010
Rallying chants of “I matter!” and “Support Boston’s youth!” echoed through City Hall as over 200 youth advocates gathered in support of youth summer job programs Tuesday afternoon, March 23. Despite high winds and rain, members and representatives of various city programs filled the Hall’s atrium with signs in hand.
For now, Arroyo cited Tuesday’s rally and hearing as a “big first step,” and plans to continue advocating for the Council’s support on this issue.
http://www.mysouthend.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=news&sc3=&id=103969
WILL YOU COUNT IN 2010?
South End News
March 24, 2010
Minorities have traditionally been underserved by the Census for a variety of reasons, and should that trend continue, Massachusetts, and specifically Boston, could face harsh repercussions come budgeting time through 2020. According to At-Large City Councilor Felix Arroyo, fear of the government can play a role in new immigrants not filling out the Census.
“New immigrants are harder to reach by mail,” he said. “Also it depends on what countries the immigrants are coming from. Some are coming from countries where they’re really running away from their government, so their perception of government is not the same as mine. It’s also sort of a lack of understanding of what’s at stake by filling this out.
http://www.mysouthend.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=news&sc3=&id=103783
BOSTON TEACHERS, STUDENTS AND PARENTS PROTEST SCHOOL BUDGET CUTS
West Roxbury Transcript
March 25, 2010
City Councilor At-Large Felix Arroyo was on hand to lend his support to those speaking out against the cuts. He said the city is at a “tipping point.”
“The workers who have the most impact with our young people are saying, ‘You can’t keep cutting us. We can’t affect those on the front lines with our students,” he said, adding there needs to be a more exhausted process to find the money, and the issue lies primarily with major reductions in state funding.
COUNCILOR ARROYO ON THE LIBRARY SITUATION
Roslindale Transcript, South End News
March 23, 2010
As Chair of the Boston City Council Committee for Labor, Youth Affairs, and Human Rights, I want to make sure that all our youth have an equal opportunity to succeed in our city. Consistent with that goal is making sure that all youth-and all Bostonians for that matter-have easy access to a library in their neighborhood. That is why I clearly stated at the March 11th Boston City Council Post Audit and Oversight Committee meeting that it is premature to consider closing Boston Public Library branches. Until there is a better understanding of why the library finances are in its current deficit state and a full review of all potential unnecessary expenses and potential revenue options is considered, no branch libraries should be closed.
http://www.mysouthend.com/index.php?ch=opinion&sc=letters&sc2=news&sc3=&id=103738
THOUSANDS SAY ‘NO’ TO BRANCH LIBRARY CLOSURES
JP Gazette
March 19, 2010
At-large City Councilor Felix Arroyo, a JP resident, made similar points in remarks at a March 11 City Council hearing on the BPL budget, according to a transcript provided to the Gazette by his office. He said BPL needs to make every other cost-cutting measure—“symbolic, trivial or large”—before closing any branches.
Many local elected officials have relied on the branch libraries in their own lives. Arroyo told the Gazette that he would not have finished his master’s degree without the help and refuge of the Connolly Branch.
http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/node/3994
BAY STATE STONEWALL DEMOCRATS PROTEST EXCLUSIONARY ST. PATTY’S DAY PARADE WITH PARTY OF THEIR OWN
Bay Windows
March 15, 2010
Over 60 people, including several state legislators, schlepped through the pouring rain Sunday night, March 14, to raise awareness about LGBT issues and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at 28 Degrees on Appleton St in Boston’s South End.
The Thursday before the parade, State Representative Carl Sciortino and At-Large Boston City Councilor Felix Arroyo contacted South Ender Jeff Ross to ask if there was an LGBT-friendly event they could attend instead of the parade.
http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=103475
SUPPORTERS NOT READY TO CLOSE BOOK ON LIBRARIES
The Boston Globe
March 14, 2010
The Friends of the Boston Public Library staged a read-in yesterday at a branch in Roxbury and announced a plan to try to avert library closings by asking voters next year to approve a tax increase to fund the city’s libraries.
Councilors Chuck Turner and Felix G. Arroyo urged those gathered to organize their friends and neighbors.
“This is our time, this is our moment,’’ Arroyo said. “Please join me in saying ‘Not one!’ Not Charlestown, not Egleston Square, not the North End, not one.’’
BOSTON SCENES
Bay State Banner
March 11, 2010
The Delta Sigma Alumni sorority met last month with City Councilor Felix Arroyo at Mother Caroline Academy as part of the Delta Sigma Barber and Beauty Shop “Get Out The Census” Tour. The group toured the surrounding neighborhood’s barber and beauty shops to answer questions about the upcoming census.
http://www.baystatebanner.com/Boston-Scenes61-2010-03-11
CONSENSUS ON THE CENSUS
The Weekly Dig
March 10, 2010
Boston kicked off the new millennium with a hiccup. The 2000 census missed significant portions of Hispanic, Black, Native American, Asian and Pacific Island populations. To avoid another miscount, the Boston City Council has created a taskforce led by Councilor-at-Large Felix Arroyo.
http://www.weeklydig.com/news-opinions/news-us/201003/consensus-census
COUNCILOR ARROYO: CITY YOUTH SUMMER JOB PROGRAMS NEED TO BE FULLY FUNDED
Allston-Brighton TAB, West Roxbury Transcript
March 9, 2010
Working together with youth organizations, leading advocates and residents such as you, we can help make sure the city funds as many summer jobs as possible for our youth. But I cannot do this alone. I plan to hold the Boston City Council hearing on youth summer jobs on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 23. I hope that many of you can attend and have your voice be heard on this important issue. Even if you cannot attend, you can still be an important advocate for youth summer jobs.
BUS STOP CHANGES ARE COMING SOON
Jamaica Plain Gazette
February 19, 2010
Changes to local bus stops—including the addition of shelters and the elimination of some stops—could be coming as soon as this summer as part of the Route 39 improvement program, MBTA officials announced at a Feb. 3 meeting at the Curley K-8 School.
“You know, what was impressive about that meeting was, when it got to the public comments, there weren’t strong complaints about the plan and there weren’t strong complaints about the process. Quite the opposite,” said City Councilor Felix Arroyo in a Gazette interview. “That’s not a normal occurrence when it comes to the MBTA and Jamaica Plain.”
http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/node/3924
IF THIS DESK COULD TALK
Boston Globe
January 29, 2010
Politics can be a funny business, full of delectable little ironies that can make even the most jaded partisan smile. Take this story from freshly minted City Councilor Felix G. Arroyo, who this week showed off his new office at City Hall.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/01/if_this_desk_co.html?s_campaign=8315
CITY COUNCIL HONORS LOCAL HERO, STREETWORKER WILL HARVEY
South End News
January 29, 2010
At-Large City Councilor Felix G. Arroyo and Council President Mike Ross headed a meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 27, to honor William Harvey, a Boston outreach worker shot in the line of duty last August. Then, at the City Council meeting that followed, the two councilors filed an order for a hearing that will examine the dangers faced by city employees who aren’t public safety officers-like police or fire personnel-but still work in high-risk environments. The hearing will also focus on how said employees are compensated for injuries sustained on the job.
“We ask people like Will Harvey to put themselves at risk everyday in their job,” said Arroyo. “They have been critical in combating youth violence, and we need to celebrate them as often as we can because the work they do is important and dangerous.”
http://www.mysouthend.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=news&sc3=&id=101741
A LETTER TO HIS NEW CONSTITUENTS FROM COUNCILOR FELIX G. ARROYO
Allston Brighton TAB, Beacon Hill Times, Boston Bulletin, Charlestown Bridge, Jamaica Plain Gazette, Roslindale Transcript, South End News, West Roxbury Transcript
January 28, 2010
“I am also proud to announce that Council President Michael P. Ross has asked me to chair both the Council’s Committee on Labor, Youth Affairs & Human Rights and the Council’s Special Committee on the 2010 Census. He also asked me to serve as Vice Chair of the Council’s Committee on Environment and Health.”
http://www.mysouthend.com/index.php?ch=opinion&sc=letters&sc2=news&sc3=&id=101679
SHOT STREET WORKER GETS HIS DAY AT CITY HALL
WBUR
January 28, 2010
“Will was shot while doing his job as a street worker,” Arroyo said. “For a bullet that was not meant for him. It was meant for someone else but it still got him.”
In response to our story on Will Harvey earlier this month, his union, SEIU Local 888 , and its new president, Bruce Boccardy, stepped in. And so too did new City Councilor Felix Arroyo, who sponsored a resolution honoring William Harvey.
http://www.wbur.org/2010/01/28/street-worker
PROTECTION IS A PRIORITY AT TRANSGENDER EQUALITY LOBBY DAY
Bay Windows
January 25, 2010
One of the most inspiring quotes came from Boston City Councilor at Large Felix G. Arroyo, “I am proud to live in and represent a City that protects, by ordinance, gender identity. The Transgender Civil Rights Bill (H.1728/S1687) would add gender identity to our hate crimes and non-discrimination statutes in Massachusetts. I see this bill as a necessary complement to our existing law.” This quote reminded me that fights like this one have been won before, and it’s just a mater of time until transgender equality will be a reality throughout Massachusetts.
http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=101521
ARROYO AND PRESSLEY READY TO FULFILL THEIR PROMISE
South End News
January 19, 2010
“[The swearing in] made me really start thinking about all the people who have been working for years in the city before me,” Arroyo said. “There’s a lot of work that came before this, and I’m grateful for that.”
http://www.mysouthend.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=news&sc3=&id=101316
LOCAL AND CULTURALLY RELEVANT EVENT
Bay State Banner
January 7, 2010
New At-Large City Councilors Ayanna Pressley and Felix Arroyo are all smiles after swearing-in ceremonies at Faneuil Hall on Monday.
http://www.baystatebanner.com/Boston-Scenes61-2010-01-07
MICHAEL ROSS SETS SIGHTS ON TERM LIMITS
Boston Herald
January 5, 2010
Newly re-elected City Council President Michael Ross announced yesterday he is creating a special charter committee to look into setting term limits for the mayor and councilors and revamping the succession rules.
Attending their first meeting as at-large councilors were Ayanna Pressley, the city’s first black female councilor, and Felix G. Arroyo, whose father, Felix D. Arroyo, served on the council from 2003-08.
“When I was on stage taking the oath, I started thinking about all the people who made this possible … for a young man who went to Boston public schools and public university to be a member of the City Council,” he said. “My father is clearly one of those people.”
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1223170
CITY COUNCIL EMBRACES A GREATER DIVERSITY
The Boston Globe
January 5, 2010
The swearing-in of Felix G. Arroyo and Ayanna Pressley means that four of the 13 seats are now held by people of color. Although the council is not a mirror image of the city, the composition is a far cry from a few decades ago, when diversity meant both Irish and Italian men.
“Your election really says a lot about the direction Boston is going,’’ Mayor Thomas M. Menino said in brief remarks to the council. “Diversity is part of what makes Boston great.’’
ARROYO: YOUTH JOBS COME FIRST
Jamaica Plain Gazette
December 4, 2009
City Councilor-elect Felix Arroyo told the Gazette he will make summer jobs for youths his top priority when he takes office in January—and he is already “starting to build a coalition” to secure them.
Arroyo, a Jamaica Plain resident, also revealed one of the secrets to his electoral success: advice and support from his father-in-law, who happens to be a former mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“I only have one term guaranteed to me,” Arroyo said, explaining that he will put maximum effort into those two years as an at-large (citywide) city councilor. That starts with a focus on inner-city youths.
“What I’m asking for is more summer jobs, and at the very least, level-funding” of jobs programs, Arroyo said. Most city councilors support the idea, but the trick is making it a priority in what is shaping up to be an even tighter budget, he said.
http://www.jamaicaplaingazette.com/node/3792
THANKS BANNER
Bay State Banner
December 3, 2009
I just so appreciate the Banner and use the articles frequently as “current events” reading in my Social Issues and Law and Justice classes at Dorchester Academy.
I also cut them out and display them on the bulletin board outside my classroom. I believe that the range of information and ideas you cover reflect a much deeper understanding of what is real and what actually matters than most other media with which I come in contact.
The recent articles by Yawu Miller have been especially useful and inspired me to teach a unit on the recent local elections. My classes wrote letters to Felix Arroyo and Ayanna Pressley congratulating them on their wins and expressing some of their concerns. We were able to invite Felix Arroyo to come speak to us and despite his very busy schedule right now, he feels that youth are a priority and he will meet with us.
Thank you for all your good work.
Andrea Doremus Cuetara
Social Studies teacher
Dorchester Academy
http://www.baystatebanner.com/Letters-to-the-Editor56-2009-12-03
BLACK AND LATINO VOTERS KEY TO MAYOR MENINO’S ELECTION
Bay State Banner
November 12, 2009
At the top of the ballot, John Connolly topped the ballot in West Roxbury and came in second in South Boston and Charlestown, while picking up votes in Jamaica Plain, which has a base of Latino and progressive white voters.
Felix G. Arroyo, on the other hand, dominated in the Latino and black neighborhoods, but still came in fourth in West Roxbury and Charlestown.
http://www.baystatebanner.com/local12-2009-11-12
MENINO WINS A FIFTH TERM: ARROYO TO JOIN CITY COUNCIL
Jamaica Plain Gazette
November 6, 2009
JP resident Felix G. Arroyo was another big winner on Election Night. He will be an at-large city councilor after earning more than 45,000 votes—almost as many as Flaherty pulled in the mayoral race.
“Jamaica Plain did it! They put me over the top!” Arroyo told the Gazette at his victory party at James’s Gate in JP. “I’m a proud JP kid.”
http://www.jamaicaplaingazette.com/node/3743
For City Council: Murphy, Connolly, Arroyo, and Pressley
The Boston Globe
October 30, 2009
Several promising minority candidates are among the newcomers in the race, a boon for a city looking for fresh political talent in the black and Hispanic communities. Felix G. Arroyo, the 30-year-old son of a former city councilor, brings the passion and energy of a labor and community organizer to the race… [H]e deeply understands the concerns of the city’s young people, many of whom he has coached or mentored at his kitchen table. And Arroyo is poised to play an immediate role in raising the quality and offerings of the city’s erratic community center programs. He deserves one of the open seats.
EDITORIAL: OUR AT-LARGE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL ENDORSEMENTS
The Allston-Brighton TAB
October 30, 2009
We feel that Arroyo has the skills to make him effective in helping to bring needed improvements to Boston Public Schools and that he is someone who would be empathic to what residents in the city are going through to survive during these deeply troubling economic times.
ARROYO, CONNOLLY, KENNEALLY AND MURPHY FOR BOSTON CITY COUNCIL
West Roxbury and Roslindale Transcript
Thursday, October 29
Felix G. Arroyo knows the inner workings of City Hall from his time working for a city councilor. Arroyo knows who to talk with and how to get things done in City Hall for neighborhoods outside of the Parkway. We know he will continue to help some of the more urban neighborhoods if elected.
SOUTH END NEWS MUNICIPAL ENDORSEMENTS
South End News
Wednesday, October 28
Arroyo: He speaks firsthand of the repercussions of youth violence and the importance of role models. Arroyo had positive role models in his parents and Robert Lewis Jr. while growing up as a South End Baseball player, and has acted as one with his efforts in coaching young men in Jamaica Plain. He has served as an aide on the Council before, shown the ability to organize for those whose voices aren’t heard with his work at SEIU Local 615, and stresses the importance of auditing where and to whom the dollars the city spends go. Given the challenges the city currently faces, he will be an asset in that regard.
http://www.mysouthend.com/index.php?ch=opinion&sc=editorial&sc2=news&sc3=&id=98273
POLITICS IS PERSONAL FOR JP CANDIDATE ARROYO
Jamaica Plain Gazette
October 23, 2009
Felix G. Arroyo, the Jamaica Plain resident running for an at-large Boston City Council seat, likes to talk about politics in the form of personal stories. As a former union organizer for some of the city’s most thankless jobs, and as a son of a popular former city councilor, he’s got a lot of them.
So here’s a story about him. Meeting with the Gazette for an interview earlier this month, he led the way to a restaurant where he had never been before, the Galway House, and ordered up a plate of honey fried chicken.
An unfamiliar environment and eat-with-your-hands food must be high on any political campaign’s danger list. But Arroyo fit in immediately, joking happily with the server and mixing frequent laughter with serious tales of Boston’s inequalities. He seemed comfortable with himself, with strangers and even with being grilled by a reporter.
http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/node/3709
AT-LARGE CANDIDATES FOR GREEN AT PARKS FORUM
Jamaica Plain Gazette
October 23, 2009
For parks funding, Arroyo called for the Parks Department to get a grant-writer, and for large institutions to pay for their organized use of city parks. He wants more set-aside programming in parks for young children. He would post maintenance and permitted-use schedules online and in the parks. Citing Boston as a rare example of a tree-filled city, he said a priority should be “making sure we don’t cut down trees needlessly.”
http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/node/3712
AT-LARGE COUNCIL CANDIDATES TACKLE YOUTH ISSUES
Jamaica Plain Gazette
October 22, 2009
Most of the eight finalists contending for four citywide At Large City Council seats appeared at two local forums Oct. 8, with four council hopefuls appearing at an event where few of the over 200 city residents gathered could have any direct effect on their fates Nov. 3.
Candidates Felix Arroyo, Tomas Gonzalez, Tito Jackson and incumbent Steve Murphy attended a youth forum co-sponsored by the local Hyde Square Task Force and other groups at Boston English High School at 144 McBride Street in the late afternoon. Incumbent John Connolly, Jackson, Andrew Kenneally and Ayanna Pressley attended the Ward 10 Democratic Committee forum in the evening.
Arroyo also reportedly made an appearance at the end of the Ward 10 forum.
http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/node/3692
FOR CITY COUNCIL
Bay State Banner
October 22, 2009
Fortunately, Arroyo, Pressley and Jackson all have close ties to Boston’s black community, and all have work experience that makes them well qualified to serve in office. Arroyo worked as an aide to city councilor Chuck Turner for almost five years. He was the political director for SEIU Local 615, a labor union, and was field director of Northeast Action, a public issue agency.
http://www.baystatebanner.com/Editorial51-2009-10-22
FOR CITY COUNCIL
Boston Phoenix
October 22, 2009
Arroyo has emerged as a savvy advocate in his own right, through his work as a City Hall legislative aide and as a labor organizer.
Arroyo exhibits a gritty grasp of such issues as education, housing, and public safety. And he knows how City Hall works.
Arroyo also has an intriguing idea: he wants to use community-organizing techniques to drive change throughout the city. If his campaign is any indication, that just might be possible.
http://thephoenix.com/Boston/News/91621-For-city-council/
STAFF EDIT: School Daze
BU Daily Free Press
October 8, 2009
Stephen Murphy and Felix Arroyo are on a more pragmatic track. Murphy’s plans are simple, to the point and completely doable, involving alternative energy initiatives like wind and solar power. He also wants to invest more into efficient CFL light bulbs. Arroyo favors more comprehensive bike routes and home weatherization training. These steps are significantly smaller in scale than Connolly’s, but their effects would be greater thanks to their accessibility. Everyone can afford a CFL light bulb – but no one can afford to singlehandedly make Boston the greenest city in the world.
http://www.dailyfreepress.com/staff-edit-it-s-easier-being-green-1.1945091
STAFF EDIT: School Daze
BU Daily Free Press
October 1, 2009
Candidate Felix Arroyo is right to be for charters but against their expansion. These are schools that cannot facilitate the majority of Boston’s students, who end up at public schools.
http://www.dailyfreepress.com/staff-edit-school-daze-1.1934955
Final four? The City Council preliminary is seldom a preview of the finish. But this time, it just might be
Boston Phoenix
September 30, 2009
Although most had expected Arroyo to do well in the preliminary, thanks to his name recognition, the size of his lead over other challengers surprised some experts.
“Name recognition was huge for him,” says an advisor to another at-large candidate. “But I was impressed by the strength of his relationships with the communities throughout the city.”
While Arroyo was expected to do well in heavily progressive and minority areas, where his father has a large following, he was also able to get votes in traditionally white parts of the city. He got nine percent in Charlestown, six percent in South Boston, and 10 percent in West Roxbury. And he crushed even his African-American opponents in some of Boston’s predominantly black voting wards.
Political observers — even some of his opponents — credit Arroyo with getting into the race early, and locking up supporters and endorsements in a systematic fashion.
http://thephoenix.com/Boston/News/90647-Final-four/?page=2#TOPCONTENT
City council candidates discuss education plans
BU Daily Free Press
September 29, 2009
The Boston Teacher’s Union has endorsed Connolly, City Councilor-at-Large Stephen Murphy and challenger Felix Arroyo. Union President Richard Stutman said the union chose to endorse these candidates because they are pro-public education.
Arroyo said he supports existing charter schools, but is against their expansion. He said a lack of available resources for teachers is one of the most important issues facing BPS.
He said his wife, who is a BPS teacher, once spent $5,000 of her own money to furnish her empty classroom.
“It’s the City Council’s job and authority to follow the money,” he said.
http://www.dailyfreepress.com/city-council-candidates-discuss-education-plans-1.1930635
Arroyo wins big in City Council race
Jamaica Plain Gazette
September 25, 2009
Jamaica Plain resident Felix Arroyo was a big winner in the at-large (citywide) Boston City Council race. He earned more than 25,000 votes, putting him in third place behind the two incumbents—John Connolly and Steve Murphy—and far ahead of the rest of the field.
“It says that our message of collaborative politics is resonating, that there’s an appreciation for a people’s campaign,” Arroyo said of the results in a Gazette interview. Informal reports say he easily topped the JP vote.
http://www.jamaicaplaingazette.com/node/3652
Diversity highlights at-large race
Boston Herald
September 21, 2009
Peter Gelzinis
And both men [Mel King and Ray Flynn], old friends and rivals who engaged in a campaign that not only changed the city more than two decades ago, but helped to narrow the barriers between neighborhoods, have come together to support the at-large candidacy of Felix G. Arroyo.
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1198800&srvc=news&position=3.
Politics aside
Boston Globe
August 14, 2009
Adrian Walker
When candidates mount their first political campaign, their days tend to follow a familiar routine.
That tends to consist of begging people for money, accosting voters at T stops, knocking on doors, and asking for more money. The schedule may also accommodate ward committees, editorial boards, and meetings with activists.
Against all logic, Felix G. Arroyo, who is running for an at-large seat on the Boston City Council, spent much of Wednesday night with a group of people who won’t be able to vote anytime soon. He was coaching his baseball team, the Jamaica Plain Angels, who were competing for a city championship, in a league for kids in their late teens.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/08/14/politics_aside/
Hundreds Protest Hyatt Firings, Speakers Call for Boycott of the Hotel Chain
Open Media Boston
September 18, 2009
BOSTON/Downtown Crossing – Over 500 people – primarily members of several local unions – picketed outside the Hyatt Regency Hotel at One Lafayette Place on Thursday at a protest organized by UNITE HERE Local 26 to demand the reinstatement of 100 Boston-area Hyatt hotel employees that were summarily fired on August 31st and replaced with workers from Georgia-based outsourcing company, Hospitality Staffing Solutions. Many of the workers had been with Hyatt for over 20 years.
http://www.openmediaboston.org/node/917
Endorsement Corner: Arroyo says he leads in union endorsements
Dorchester Reporter
September 10, 2009
He says he has the most union endorsements, and his name isn’t Connolly, Murphy, or Kenneally. City Council at-Large candidate Felix Arroyo, son of the former city councillor, is touting his 24 endorsements from various unions around Boston, including the Boston Teachers Union, healthcare workers union SEIU 1199, firefighters’ union Local 718, and the Greater Boston Labor Council.
Arroyo served for four years as political director for SEIU Local 615 and is currently a member of United Auto Workers Local 376.
“Labor is with Felix because he is one of us. He has been a labor organizer, is a union member, and grew up in a union home,” Chris Stockbridge, a member of AFSCME Council 93 and Dorchester resident, said in a statement.
Campaign cash key as at-large race heats up
Bay State Banner
August 6, 2009
The hot days of July and August are just the calm before the storm. Come September, Boston voters will be deluged with political activity, mailings, visibilities and direct appeals from candidates for office.
But behind the appearance of political inactivity is a fierce competition for the one thing no campaign can run without: contributions.
Leading the pack of the 13 newcomers vying for the four at-large seats on Boston’s City Council is organizer Felix G. Arroyo, who has collected $73,472 since last October, according to a Banner analysis of reports filed with the state’s Office of Campaign and Political Finance.
http://www.baystatebanner.com/local11-2009-08-06
At-Large City Council candidate Felix G. Arroyo
South End News
August 5, 2009
The son of a former Boston City Councilor, Felix G. Arroyo has name recognition, but also faces the challenge of showing voters that he is his own politician. Arroyo was born in the South End, raised in Hyde Park, and now resides in Jamaica Plain. He currently holds the position of Field Director at Northeast Action, where he is working on helping to drum up support for universal health care. He previously served as the political director for SEIU Local 615, which represents over 16,000 janitors, security guards, and other property service workers, for four years from 2004 to 2008. Arroyo got his start with the City Council working in District 7 Councilor Chuck Turner’s office from 2000 to 2004. The product of Boston Public Schools, Arroyo graduated from UMass Boston and proceeded on to earn his master’s in Community Economic Development at Southern New Hampshire University.
http://www.mysouthend.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=news&sc3=&id=94657
Andrea Cabral endorses Felix Arroyo
Universal Hub
August 5, 2009
At-large City Council candidate Felix Arroyo says he’s won the endorsement of Suffolk County Sheriff Andrea Cabral.
Arroyo said he’s also picked up endorsements from the Greater Boston Labor Council, Painters District Council 35 and the Gay and Lesbian Labor Activist Network.
http://www.universalhub.com/node/26791
Arroyo Jr.: “La prioridad son las esculas publicas”
TuBoston.com
July 31, 2009
La juventud y educación son dos asuntos que apasionan a Félix Arroyo Jr., candidato a concejal at-large (principal) de Boston. Pero los objetivos del político de 30 años van más allá de su programa de campaña: forman parte de su historia de vida. Como hijo, hermano y esposo de maestras de escuelas públicas, Arroyo Jr. asegura conocer de primera mano los problemas que afectan al sistema escolar, y de ahí, también, su determinación a lograr cambios positivos en esa área. “La juventud de Boston merece una educación de alto nivel, que los valore y que los prepare para el futuro”, apunta el candidato en entrevista con El Planeta, al manifestarse preocupado de que las escuelas públicas no cuentan recursos suficientes para servir a la gran cantidad de estudiantes que tienen a su cargo.
http://www.tuboston.com/article-2465-arroyo-jr-ldla-prioridad-son-las-escuelas-publicasrd.html
Boston’s at-large candidates speak in West Roxbury
West Roxbury Transcript
July 2, 2009
West Roxbury – Felix G. Arroyo, Andrew Kenneally, and Ayanna Pressley — three Boston City Council at-large candidates expected to be finalists, if not elected to the council — spoke at last Thursday’s Ward 20 Democratic Committee at the West Roxbury Pub.
“We’re just trying to get the message out to everybody,” said John Cushing, chairman of the Ward 20 Democratic Committee. That message was about three of the many candidates running for Boston City Council at-large positions this fall.
State Rep. Allen picks her four for Boston City Council At-Large
Dorchester Reporter Lit Drop
June 25, 2009
Endorsements are coming in fast and early for City Council At-Large candidates.
In a brief sit-down with the Reporter on the transportation bill and the fiscal 2010 budget passed last week (and written up in the latest issue of the Reporter) Rep. Willie Mae Allen, a Mattapan Democrat, said she had picked the four (out of the fifteen running) that she wants sitting in the four available seats: incumbent John Connolly, and newcomers Ayanna Pressley, a former aide to U.S. Sen. John Kerry, Ego Ezedi, executive director of the Roxbury YMCA, and Felix Arroyo, a former City Hall aide.
http://www.dotnews.com/litdrop/2009/state-rep-allen-picks-her-four-boston-city-council-large
Why I am running for Boston City Council
Blue Mass Group
June 22, 2009
I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and let you know why I am running for the Boston City Council at Large. I also would like to invite you to my campaign kick off which is on Tuesday, June 23rd from 6-8pm at SEIU Local 615 (26 West Street in Downtown Boston). Dinner will be provided and while donations are accepted they are not required. This event is family friendly.
I am running for the Boston City Council at Large because I want to work with you to build a better Boston. As a community organizer, I believe in “collaborative politics” – bringing people together so that everyone’s voice is heard. By working together to improve our communities and our city, we can and we will build a better Boston.
As a lifelong Bostonian and graduate of the Boston Public Schools, I am grateful for the many opportunities that the city has given me and my family. I am also grateful for the experiences that I have had throughout my life and I feel that I am ready and able to serve you as one of your at large Boston City Councilors.
http://www.bluemassgroup.com/diary/16044/why-i-am-running-for-boston-city-council
Early to rise: With a familiar name and a citywide organization, Felix G. Arroyo’s at-large City Council campaign is off to a fast start
Bay State Banner
April 15, 2009
When Boston voters head to the polls for preliminary citywide balloting in September, they will likely be faced with 12 candidates for the four at-large seats on the City Council.
To avoid becoming lost in such a packed field, council hopeful Felix G. Arroyo is banking on an early start, a large team of volunteers and a collaborative approach to politics for a competitive advantage in the race.
“Our theme is, ‘Let’s build a better Boston,’” he said, nursing a coffee while waiting for volunteers to show up for a canvassing of Jamaica Plain last Saturday morning. “We chose it because it’s inclusive. It’s about all of us.”
http://www.baystatebanner.com/local14-2009-04-16
Candidates Join, Skip Gay-Banning Parade
Jamaica Plain Gazette
April 3, 2009
The South Boston St. Patrick’s Day parade’s ban on openly gay and anti-war marchers has colored this year’s city elections, as some candidates for mayor joined in while others boycotted it.
Incumbent Mayor Thomas Menino has boycotted the parade for years. Candidate Kevin McCrea also boycotted it.
But Michael Flaherty and Sam Yoon, both city councilors and mayoral candidates, joined in the parade.
Felix G. Arroyo, a local candidate for Boston City Council, also openly boycotted the March 15 parade, drawing his first public endorsement—from JP state Rep. Liz Malia.
http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/node/3340
3rd Suffolk races gets another gay, Arroyo skips St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Bay Windows
March 20, 2009
While the decision of whether or not to march in South Boston’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which excludes the participation of LGBT organizations, has proved politically sticky for mayoral candidates like Michael Flaherty and Sam Yoon, At-Large City Council candidate Felix Arroyo had no qualms about skipping out on the marching.
It’s a savvy move, considering the coming at-large free-for-all, in which a host of candidates will be grabbing for the LGBT vote and thus trying to burnish their LGBT bona fides in order to distinguish themselves from the pack. We’d say this is a pretty good calling card for a first-time candidate. That’s not to say that we doubt Arroyo’s sincerity in boycotting the parade, as a firm belief in LGBT equality seems to run in Arroyo’s family: his father, Felix Arroyo Senior, was a staunch and beloved ally of the community during his two terms on the Boston City Council.
http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=columnists&sc=pressing_the_flesh&id=88699
Walsh steps out for Arroyo; Speaks in support of Council Run
Dorchester Reporter
January 15, 2009
Dorchester state Rep. Marty Walsh, while stopping short of a full-on endorsement, lent his oratorical skills to at-Large City Council candidate Felix G. Arroyo at a $100-a-ticket political fundraiser on Saturday.
The event at Mojitos nightclub in Downtown Crossing pulled in a number of political heavy-hitters in support of Arroyo the younger, revealing some of the connections he and his father – former Councillor at-Large Felix D. Arroyo – have cultivated over the years.
Former Sen. Jarrett Barrios emceed the event, also serving as the co-chair of Arroyo’s campaign; Rep. Liz Malia talked up Arroyo’s dedication to his community, and the influential Rev. Gregory Groover from Charles Street A.M.E. Church – the Boston Police Chaplain, School Committee Chair, and vice-president of the Boston Ministerial Alliance – said the opening prayer.
http://www.dotnews.com/2009/walsh-steps-out-arroyo-speaks-support-council-run
Felix G. Arroyo seeks Boston City Council seat
Allston Brighton-Tab
December 10, 2008
BOSTON – Like many people, Felix G. Arroyo was inspired by the national election. That inspiration was the impetus for his desire to run as an at-large City Councilor.
“The way voters wanted to participate. In Boston, you saw how people were excited,” said Arroyo. “If that’s where politics is going and there’s a commitment to involving people in decisions. Everyone has a stake in what decisions are made by government.”
http://www.wickedlocal.com/allston/news/x1720689049/Felix-G-Arroyo-seeks-Boston-City-Council-seat
Barrios Joins Arroyo Team
Jamaica Plain Gazette
November 21, 2008
The 2008 election season is over. The 2009 election season has just begun.
Four candidates—Felix G. Arroyo, Doug Bennett, Marty Hogan and Jean-Claude Sanon—are already running for citywide, or “at-large,” Boston City Council seats in next year’s municipal election.
Jarrett Barrios, a popular former state senator who recently moved to Jamaica Plain, is the co-chair of Arroyo’s campaign, the Gazette has learned.
http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/node/3150
Felix G. Arroyo Begins Citywide Council Run
Jamaica Plain Gazette
November 7, 2008
Jamaica Plain resident Felix G. Arroyo, son of former Boston City Councilor at-large Felix D. Arroyo, and current vice-chair of the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council, officially began his bid for a citywide City Council seat on Election Night.
Over 70 volunteers fanned out to polling places across the city on Nov. 4, handing out flyers that said “Thank you for voting. In 2009, please consider Felix G. Arroyo—Boston City Council at-large.”
Interviewed by the Gazette shortly after the polls closed, Arroyo said his campaign is, thematically, “building off the theme of the [2008 presidential] election.”
“We are seeing records of participation at the national level and we want to
see that have an impact at the local level. That’s what we are about,” he said.
Arroyo said he wants local government to be more open, accountable and participatory.
http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/node/3117
Arroyo’s son seeks seat on Counci
Boston Globe
November 6, 2008
Felix G. Arroyo, the 29-year-old son of former Boston City Councilor Felix D. Arroyo, has launched a campaign for an at-large City Council seat.
Arroyo is a former union organizer and City Council staff member making his first bid for public office. He would be the second Latino member in the council’s history, the first being his father, who lost a reelection bid in 2007 after five years in office.
“I think it’s important that the legislative body of the city of Boston be reflective of the folks who live in this city, but that goes beyond race,” the younger Arroyo said.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/11/06/arroyos_son_seeks_seat_on_council/
Felix G. Arroyo Mobilizes Over 70 Volunteers in Campaign for 2009 Boston City Council
Tu Boston
November 5, 2008
Boston, MA – On a historic Election Day, Boston residents exiting the polls across over 100 precincts were greeted yesterday by a message from Felix G. Arroyo, candidate for Boston City Councilor at Large. It was a simple message: “Thank you for voting!” With exactly one year to go before Election Day, 2009, Felix G. Arroyo mobilized an impressive number of campaign volunteers who greeted and thanked people, while inviting voters to stay engaged in the democratic process.
“Election Day is a celebration of what our county is all about,” stated Felix G. Arroyo. “It is a day of renewal, when we all come out to reaffirm our faith in America. It’s great that people are taking an enthusiastic stake in this Presidential election. I want to let everyone know that it’s just as important to stay engaged and participate in local elections, because it’s local decisions that often have the most direct impact in our communities.”
