Council Votes Support For 'Jeffrey Curley' Bill

Two years after the kidnapping and murder of 10 year- old Jeffrey Curley, the Cambridge City Council joined cities across Massachusetts in voicing support for House Bill No. 4063, the "Jeffrey Curley Bill."

In a unanimous vote at its meeting last night, the council voted to post "My Eight Rules of Safety" in the parks and schools of Cambridge to teach children personal safety skills.

The Jeffrey Curley Bill, recommended for consideration by the whole House by the Joint Committee on Public Safety earlier this year, would require these "rules" to be posted in schools and parks across the state.

On Oct. 1, 1997, Curley was abducted from his East Cambridge neighborhood by his neighbor, Salvatore Sicari and Charles Jaynes of Brockton, who lured him into their car with the promise of a new bicycle.

The two men later killed Curley and dumped his body in a river in Maine. Sicari was convicted of first-degree murder and Jaynes of second-degree murder in separate trials in 1998.

"It's really easy to turn the other way and pretend it doesn't happen here," said City Councillor Michael A. Sullivan.

State Rep.Alice K. Wolf, D-Cambridge, and State Sen. Bruce E. Tarr, R-Gloucester, argued for the motion before the council.

"A proactive approach to avoid the senseless tragedy we all read about, and hear about and fear for is necessary because there isn't awareness," Tarr said.

"The children of Cambridge can be given an inoculation against peril through awareness [if the Eight Rules become] a part of the formal and informal education of the children of Cambridge," he added.

In addition, Dan Moniz, the bill's most active civilian advocate, and Robert Curley, Jeffrey's father, testified before the council.

"This is my way to bring a positive outlook to the Curleys' tragedy," Moniz said. "We all know that predators and pedophiles lurk where kids play. If they see that kids are aware, it is our hope that they will keep going."

The bill's House sponsor is Rep. Bradford R. Hill, R-Ipswich, but Moniz has been leading the effort to build up grass-roots support for the measure.

Every council member present spoke strongly in favor of Cambridge's "going on record in support of the measure."

"We are going to see that these rules are given to every family and every school child in Cambridge," said Mayor Francis H. Duehay '55.

In other business, toward the end of the meeting, 15 of the 29 residents of 62-64 1/2 Prospect Street strode into the council chamber behind Dan Bouchard, Tenant Organizer for Eviction Free Zone (EFZ).

These residents said that, after their landlord of more than 10 years died last year, the new owners served them all with 30-day eviction notices.

Tenants said many of the evicted are disabled or on fixed income, leaving them without meaningful recourse should they lose their home.

"I'll be out on the sidewalk," said Tawney A. Wray. "Even though I've been approved for a Section 8 disabilities voucher, [the Cambridge Housing Authority] will not move me up on the list. I'm not eligible for emergency housing, but I need affordable housing because I'm on a fixed income."

The tenants petitioned for the council to purchase the building and give it to a non-profit organization so that the apartments would still be available to low-income tenants.

Council members came down hard on Beth Rubenstein, assistant city manager for community development, for her report on finding a new grocer to replace the recently closed Barsamian's on Mass. Ave.

Many local grocers like Barsamian's, Stop and Shop, Purity Supreme and Sage's have gone under in recent years due, among other things, to a lack of parking space that limited their business, council members said.

"The local grocery stores are disappearing," Sullivan said. "You can't live here and not be able to eat. This is particularly hard-hitting for those on the lower end of the economic spectrum who don't have automobiles."

Central Square resident Alberta Miller said that with the closure of the former Purity Supreme store in her neighborhood, she now has to walk 30 minutes to Market Basket in Somerville or pay much higher prices to shop at the closer Star Market.

"If you live at 2 Mount Auburn Street, it's a hike [to get groceries without a car]," said Councillor Kenneth E. Reeves '72. "We need to help the residents of Riverside and Mid-Cambridge before [the Barsamian's lot] is rented out to another furniture store."