Boston-New York Bus Lines Compete with New Dollar Fares

By Stephanie Rubenstein

CHINATOWN – Due to soaring fuel prices and a higher demand for public transportation, bus lines from Boston to New York have seen a rise in customers, according to Fumei Cheung, vice president of operations for Lucky Star bus company.

“The market for people going to New York has increased, so everyone is busy,” Cheung said of all of the bus companies.

Despite the influx of passengers, she added that there is still a level of competition between the five different bus lines that travel between the two cities.

Within the past few months, both Lucky Star and Bolt Bus, a new company, have been promoting new online ticket rates that start at one dollar, drawing in students and budget-conscious travelers.

“I used to take the Chinatown buses, but they went so fast, they were not as clean and my friends had horrible experiences on them,” said Allison Keiley, 26, who often travels between Boston and New York, where she had lived for the past four years.

Keiley made the switch to Bolt Bus, where she paid $20, compared to Fung Wah Chinatown bus company rate of $15, because of the extra legroom, cleanliness and wireless Internet offered throughout the long ride. Fung Wah declined to comment.

Other customers said that the well-known Chinatown connection between the two metropolitan cities was not an important factor and that price was their main concern for choosing bus lines.

“I’ve taken the Chinatown bus many times,” said Andrew Carothers, 23, from New York City. “It’s changed over time and has recently become more reliable. But, I’ll take whatever will get me [to New York] as cheap as possible.”

Fung Wah customer Michael Assatly, 21, from Stoughton, agreed and said that he did not worry about anything, except for going from “point A to point B at a low cost.”

Chinatown Residents Seek Out Political Education

By Stephanie Rubenstein

CHINATOWN – More residents in the Chinatown neighborhood are taking an interest in local politics, said Denny Ching, the neighborhood’s coordinator.

“People are getting more educated on their own,” Ching said. “They see that there is a goodwill if they participate [in politics].”

In the 2006 elections, Boston introduced its first fully bilingual ballot. The new ballot helped bring in elderly voters, who rarely voted before because they lacked language proficiency, according to Helen Wong, a commissioner for the Board of Election Commissioners.

“[The Chinatown] precinct always has a high [voting] turn out,” Wong said. “I think many of the organizations and candidates have been doing more work, registrations and getting people involved.”

Many non-profit organizations in the area host monthly meetings to debate candidate positions. In past elections, organizations have joined together to support voting and help educate the community through such debates.

Kim Pham, a local designer who immigrated to Boston from Vietnam 21 years ago, said she has voted in a countless number of elections.

“My husband helped me out,” Pham said. “I am excited to vote and this year I’m going to be voting in the presidential election.”

Pham lives in a Vietnamese community in Boston and she encourages them to go out and vote, she added.

“For each person that gets registered to vote, it’s like having two votes,” said James Colimon, head of public relations and community outreach for the Office of New Bostonians. “Because if one person votes, they can bring someone along with them.”

In a joint effort between the Office of New Bostonians and the Election Department, the city of Boston began the Now is the Time Campaign in August, to ease the voting process for residents with limited English language skills.

“It’s a coordinated effort between different departments and different neighborhoods to make voter registration easy and accessible for everyone in the city, but especially those new to the city and non-native English speakers,” said Nick Martin, a spokesperson for Mayor Thomas M. Menino.

The campaign partnered with various organizations to host drives and provide information for those new to the political scene.

“We want to make sure that everyone is represented,” Colimon said.

Boston Police Alert Systems Inform Public; Also Depend on their Aid

By Stephanie Rubenstein

CHINATOWN – In an effort to help inform residents of crime in their neighborhoods, web-based alert notification company has included a Google map application to their crime updates.
Citizen Observer has built the new mapping system, which will record where crimes occur.

“It’s one thing to get an email, but it is another thing to see a bunch a pins [that mark crimes] surrounding your area,” said Dan Zell, strategy director of Citizen Observer.

To receive updates, users can enter their contact information in the Citizen Observer’s database, where they will then receive emails and text messages when crimes occur.

The Boston Police Department has been using the text and email notification system for the past two years, as part of the Neighborhood Crime Watch program.

Users also have the ability to send in “crime tip” text messages, which allow them a direct real-time connection with the Boston Police Department.

“We alert the residents and have great communication with them,” said Matt Conley, police cadet for Neighborhood Crime Watch. “But, they are the ones doing a lot of the work.”

In late March, the daughter of an elderly woman in Chinatown contacted the Boston Police, after realizing her mother was a victim of a scam. A caller told her she could claim a $200,000 cash prize, if she provided specific details before receiving the money, according to a report posted by the Boston Police.

The caller spoke to the mother in Chinese, her native language, and received her social security number, as well as background information.

“You tend to believe people if they speak your language,” said Ruth Moy, Chinatown resident and founder of the Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center. “If it were in English, since many people have such limited language [skills], I don’t think they would have ever give [personal information] out.”

Overall, Chinatown is a close-knit community that tends to help out one another, said Dharmena Downey, chief operating officer of the Asian Community Development Corporation.

The Chinatown area can benefit from the Neighborhood Crime Watch program, Cadet Conley said, but due to their limited-English skills, residents may not be aware it exists.

“[We want] to make sure the message [about the program] gets out, but it’s also the community taking part,” he said.

Italian Tailor Watches the Industry, Chinatown Transform

By Stephanie Rubenstein

CHINATOWN – Customers call him a local legend, but the tailor insists the fame exists only in his own mind. Fifty-year-old sewing machines and hundreds of spools of thread in every color line the tables. His name is Nicholas Giurleo, but to everyone else in the neighborhood, he is known as "Nick the Tailor."

Giurleo learned the trade from his father, who came to the United States from Italy in 1958. Tailoring has always been a part of his life. His father established a store in the Garment District of Boston, which was later engulfed by Chinatown.

Giurleo, 67, has watched the area transform over the years, yet his business has endured.

"This used to be combat zone, a very rough area," he said. "The times have improved. It used to be like a playground for gangsters."

Giurleo said his business was never affected. His wife, Doris, said her husband has always loved going to work.

"He enjoys meeting people," she said. "He just enjoys his work."

After the death of his father 20 years ago, Giurleo took over the store. The family's tailoring business has moved around to different locations in Chinatown, but it has remained in the same spot for the past 35 years.

"Everyone around here knows me," he said. "People in the area have always accepted me. The Italians and Chinese have a lot in common in our culture. Family is a very important structure."

One of Giurleo's sons works on Lafayette Street, just a few blocks away from the store, and comes to visit during his lunch hours. The two catch up on each other's days.

"[My dad] has been working here since I was a kid," his son said. "I used to work here at this very [sewing] machine. I got $1 for every cuff I made."

The business has always been family owned, but Giurleo recalls when he used to have 10 tailors who worked for him. Now, the working stations are bare and he works alone.

"No more tailors are coming over from Europe," he said. "Ninety percent of the Italian population is educated and don't pick up trade skills. Tailoring was a poor man's trade, so with a booming economy, this is now a dying trade."

Fellow Italian tailor Jerry Pastore has noticed the trend. He said tailoring is no longer an appreciated trade, adding that people will soon have to learn the skills themselves "for their own sakes."

Designer Kim Pham, 56, who owns clothing and alternation stores in Chinatown and Copley Place, said fewer people are becoming tailors.

Pham immigrated to Boston from Vietnam 21 years ago. Her entire family knew how to sew, and her sister taught her tailoring skills.

"This job is not easy," she said. "You have to work every minute. Everything has to fit perfectly and that's difficult."

Despite long hours and the uncertain future of his business, Giurleo said he still has hope for the tailoring trade.

“I have my whole life around here and in this store,” he said. “I love it.”