Haitian justice authorities are making plans for a new criminal trial against a U.S.

After presiding over Sunday’s annual Haitian Unity Parade on Blue Hill Avenue, Mayor Martin Walsh made good on a campaign promise on Monday evening, appearing before a large gathering of Haitian community members for a wide-ranging discussion about community’s wants and needs.

More than 250 people— many of them elderly— greeted Mayor Walsh at Kay Pam Adult Day Health on Livingstone Street as he talked about City Hall’s approach to tackling affordable housing, improving education, and new immigrants’ integration into the community through the Office of New Bostonians.

Walsh listened to remarks from members of the community about issues facing the city’s burgeoning Haitian population and then took a handful of pre-submitted questions.

“We need to make sure young people have good, strong, quality education so these young people can have the same opportunities that Linda had, that I had,” Walsh said later, referring to State Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry, who is married to the Reporter’s publisher and editor, Bill Forry. Sen. Forry introduced Walsh at the event, calling him “no stranger to our community.”

Mayor Martin Walsh will meet with Haitian community members this evening at an assembly planned at Sant Belvi, the Haitian Adult Day Care Center on Frontenac Street in Dorchester. The gathering will take place from 6-9 p.m.

Haiti’s newest hotel is a destination in its own right.

The Marriott Port-au-Prince Hotel— the result of a philanthropic collaboration between Marriott International, Digicel Group and The Clinton Foundation — opened its doors in March. The 175-room Marriott is the first of its brand in the country and aims to bring sustainability to the people of Haiti by employing primarily Haitians and enlisting local businesses for goods and services whenever possible.

Located just 7 miles from the Toussaint L’Ouverture International Airport, the Marriott Port-au-Prince offers guests easy access to the city’s commercial district as well as a wide variety of outdoor activities like hiking and swimming. It boasts the popular La Sirene Bar and Restaurant, with a variety of traditional Haitian items in addition to popular international dishes. It also features five elegant meeting rooms for corporate and social events of any size.

A Boston-based philanthropic effort that was launched in the immediate aftermath of the January 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti will transition into a new institute over the next two years, according to leaders with the Boston Foundation, which hosts the initiative. The Haiti Fund, which has distributed more than $2.1 million in grants— most of them to existing, Haitian-led organizations in rural Haiti— will be phased out over the next two years as its board pivots into a new, permanent organization that will be called the Haiti Development Institute.

“We are looking to give Haiti an independent institute that will serve local communities throughout the country while also supporting in long run the public sector by pushing issues and hopefully changing public policies,” explained Pierre Noel, who is the executive director of the Haiti Fund at the Boston Foundation. Noel, who will serve as grand marshal of this weekend’s Haitian Unity Parade in Mattapan and Dorchester, will relocate to Haiti next year to finalize the establishment of the institute.

There has been a change in leadership at the Boston office of the Haitian government. Marjorie Alexandre Brunache, who served as consul since 2011, has been re-assigned. Marie Weslyne Nicolas is presently serving as the interim consul until a new permanent consul is assigned to the post.

Brunache ended her duties in the last week in February, according to Nicolas, who worked in the office under Brunache. A new appointment will come from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Haiti, said Nicolas.
“Everything is the same” at the Back Bay offices, where Haitian nationals often frequent to apply for visas, update passports and conduct other official business.

PORT-AU-PRINCE— The wife of Haitian President Michel Martelly registered to run for the Senate in her first attempt at elected office.

Haitian-Americans United, Inc. (H.A.U.) will host a series events organized in celebration of the 2015 Haitian Heritage Month in Massachusetts. H.A.U.

NASSAU, Bahamas— The Bahamas says 178 Haitian migrants have been detained by local authorities over the last several days.

In a Sunday statement, Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell said the archipelago off Florida's east coast has been "dealing with a deluge of illegal migrants who have breached our borders over the past week.''