MIDDLESEX COUNTY PRISON COORDINATING COMMITTEE NEWSLETTER

 

MCPCC met on June 6, 2007 in West Newton. Mary Ann Donaldson, Carol Winton, Tom Crowther, Lynne Sullivan, Dorothy Weitzman, Elizabeth Woodbridge and Marjorie Moerschner were present. This was our annual meeting.

 

Tom reported the good news about our Vox One fund raising event. There were 127 paid admissions and donations and we netted  $2044.50. In addition we received a wonderful anonymous gift of $1500. We are deeply appreciative of this very thoughtful gift.

 

In spite of the hot and muggy evening, the audience was very enthusiastic and energized by the intricate and exciting music of Vox One, and also of The Boston Jazz Voices in the opening set.

 

All of the committee members worked on this project, but we especially thank Tom and Lynne for their efforts in organizing it and mailing out information. In addition we thank Eliot Church for allowing us to use their beautiful sanctuary and Elizabeth for organizing the refreshments.

 

We received $252 from the May 5 Shaw Brothers concert at the New Song Coffeehouse in Bedford thanks to the generosity of the Coffeehouse. Several of the committee members attended that event and enjoyed it very much.

 

We decided to include $1000 of the concert profit in our budget which has been operating at a deficit. This will give us some flexibility in supporting projects that come up during the next year.

 

Several committee members attended the Criminal Justice Policy Coalition annual meeting in May.

 

We discussed the Odgren case. This is about the 1.5 year old special education student at the Lincoln-Sudbury school who killed a 14 year old schoolmate. It is an emotional case and a tragic one for the families of both boys, and for the community. the new Middlesex D.A. wants to try John Odgren, who is now 16, as do adult. MCPCC has always been opposed to juveniles being tried as adults and we reaffirm this principle in the case of John Odgren.

 

We want to remind those churches which receive our newsletter that we would be glad to speak to your outreach committees or at a coffee hour about what we do and the issues that concern us. Please call Carol Winton, Coordinator, at 617 738-1248 to schedule a date.

 

NEXT MEETING: 7:00 P.M., SEPTEMBER 12, 2007

SECOND CHURCH IN NEWTON, 60 HTGHLAND STREET WEST NEWTON