RICHMOND — A 10-year-old boy from the Berkshires visited the United Nations on Jan. 30 to learn about “A Season of Nonviolence.â€
The season, from Jan. 30 to April 4, is a national 64-day educational, media and grassroots campaign dedicated to demonstrating nonviolence as a way to heal, transform and empower lives and communities. Inspired by the 50th anniversary and 30th memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the international event honors their vision for an empowered, nonviolent world.
Topaz Ross Kelso attends elementary School in Richmond where his favorite subjects are reading, math and science. He is also a singer, who performs solo and with his father (Mark Kelso) and has recently appeared on the Arts and Entertainment channel. He said his interest in nonviolence was sparked through his family. His mother has been attending a spiritual caucus at the U.N. and invited him along to this event.
After taking the train to New York City, Topaz and his mother, Arti, walked to the U.N. building. About 500 youths were in attendance. The Agape International Choir, from Los Angeles, opened the event with music. The Susan Wagner High School presented a conflict resolution and action project for schools. During the presentation, two children presented conflicting views, and others stood up and suggested solutions, quoting words from Gandhi and King. The examples were designed to show how people can courageously intervene to develop social sensitivity.
“Having a conflict resolution connects student to student,†said Arti Roots Kelso. “In conflicts, both the perpetrator and the victim often feel alone and uncared for. Through resolution, these students can become part of the solution rather than the problem.â€
The Rev. Dr. Michael Beckwith delivered the keynote address on “A Season of Nonviolence.†Both Roots Kelso and Topaz described the speech as “inspiring.â€
“He spoke of how every little step towards nonviolent solutions is backed by multitudes, all of those who have come before and worked for peace. Consider the lineage of Gandhi and King, and we never need to feel alone,†Roots Kelso said.
The address was followed by a Gandhi-King multimedia tribute, “Bombay to Birmingham,†and a World Peace Flag Ceremony, with youths displaying flags to represent the national community.
Students were invited to sign a ‘Stand Up and Lead, Pledge of Service’ before leaving the event. The pledge asked them to seek to increase their knowledge and practice of nonviolence in their communities. The Youth Peace Network also invited students to join a Web site, youth@worldpeace.org that connects people from around the world to create new ideas for positive change in the world.
Topaz signed the pledge and said he was invited to be an intern with Pathways to Peace.
“When the youth of the world feel they have a voice in the system, they know they matter, because they can participate,†said Michael Johnson, a Pathways to Peace leader. “The more youth who get the message about nonviolence, the more people who will be inspired to create positive change and live more peacefully into adulthood.â€
Topaz, asked what he might like to do when he grows up, said, “Maybe be a scientist and work in a little lab. I don’t want any high-risk jobs like photographing sharks and diving into caves or underground rivers.â€
Right now, he said, his goals are to start his own album, practice clarinet and join the beginners’ band at Richmond School.
Information about the Season for Nonviolence: www.season-for-nonviolence.net . To learn more about Topaz Roots Kelso and his music: www.muddyangel.com .
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Two Men Found Guilty of Marijuana Trafficking
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On Monday, May 6, Yebin Mai, 32 of Staten Island, NY and Dem Wu, age 52 of Staten Island, NY, were found guilty by jury of their peers in Berkshire Superior Court.
Yebin Mai was found guilty of two charges: Marijuana Trafficking in 100 pounds or more but less than 2,000 pounds and Witness Intimidation. Dem Wu was found guilty of Marijuana Trafficking in 100 pounds or more but less than 2,000 pounds.
According to a report, on July 30, 2020, State Police responded to a request for assistance from the Eversource Electric Company. The emergency dispatcher stated that two Eversource linemen were attempting to fix an electrical problem when they had a confrontation with individuals at 72 Jackson Road, Savoy. The residence belonged to Bin Huang after he purchased it in 2017 for $200,000 cash.
When state troopers arrived, the linemen stated that they responded to a report from a resident at 72 Jackson Road, Savoy claiming that power was fluctuating. When the linemen arrived at the house, they observed severely damaged wires and insulators leading from the roadside poles to the residence. When the Eversource linemen approached the house a man came out to meet them. The man, later identified as Yebin Mai, spoke limited English; therefore, communication between the Eversource linemen and resident became difficult. The linemen tried to explain that they would need to turn the power off to conduct a safety check of the electric meter and surrounding electrical connections. Mai became agitated. He handed the linemen an envelope filled with money later determined to be $600. The linemen attempted to return the envelope multiple times, but Mai would not take it. The linemen decided to leave the property. They called the police and waited for them to arrive, stated a report.
A trooper and Eversource supervisor arrived on the road at the end of 72 Jackson Road's driveway. A short time later, Mai drove down the driveway and attempted to leave in a pick-up truck with New York plates. There were two other passengers in the truck, including Dem Wu.
The trooper instructed Mai to stop and turn off the truck which he obeyed. All the individuals returned to the residence so the linemen could complete their inspection.
In a police report, the following items were observed at and around the house:
4 separate electrical meters in poorly constructed boxes on the side of the house
Some melted wires and metal around the meter boxes (believed to be due to an excessive amount of energy being drawn through the wires)
Evidence of a small fire around one of the meter boxes
A smell of fresh grown marijuana (which grew once power was cut to the house and fans in the residence stopped running)
The sound of multiple fans inside the residence with no visible air ventilation system on the outside of the house
Windows with curtains drawn and boarded shut
A backyard covered in debris from a renovation, green planning pots, and large florescent light fixtures
Ring door cameras
A small path in the woods that ended in a pile of used potting soil and roots and stalks of freshly harvested marijuana plants
Additionally, Eversource reported that the monthly electric bill for 72 Jackson Road was approximately $10,000 per month, much higher than the average homeowner's bill.
The individuals on the property were questioned and ultimately allowed to leave. On July 31, 2020, Massachusetts State Police, including the State Police Detective Unit assigned to the District Attorney's Office, and a member of the DEA arrived at 72 Jackson Road to execute a search warrant.
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