THE PRINT EDITION
THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021
VOLUME XIX- ISSUE 74
BPDA Approves L Street Station
by Rick Winterson
T
he Boston Planning and Development Agency (the BPDA) granted approval for a mixed-use redevelopment of the original Edison Power Plant site. Everyone now residing in South Boston is familiar with the power plant’s massive structure and stacks, which tower over the intersection of L/Summer and First Streets and are painted in
HAVE YOU HEARD?
shades of brown and pink. The site’s first groundbreaking took place 122 years ago in 1898. After a century of supplying electric power (coal-fired for decades), including occasional peak load shaving most recently, the Edison complex was mothballed 15 years ago, is still inaccessible to the public, and will need some environmental remediation. The approved redevelopment project is formally called “L Street Station”; it’s specifically located at the address “776 Summer Street”, and extends from the corner of Summer and First to the truck access road into and out of Conley Terminal. The real estate development partnership behind this project consists of Hilco Redevelopment Partners and Redgate Capital Partners. Redgate’s lengthy project track record includes many successful multifamily and mixed-use projects in Greater Boston. Hilco is particularly noted for transforming sites at the end of their useful life into striking Continued on Page 2
After-School Special
By Ginger DeShaney Boys & Girls Club Program Provides Some Normalcy
T
he kids in the Edgerley Family South Boston Boys & Girls Club after-school program are part of something special … especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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“We’re in this thing together. We’re a team; we’re a club,” said Michael Letchfield, Program Director at the Club and the manager of the afterschool program. “The kids think, ‘It was a difficult year but my Club was behind me and I was part of something.’ “The members really appreciate what they are getting,” Michael Continued on Page 4
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SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM
Continued from Page 1
776 Summer Street
community developments that are both economically and environmentally strong. This team has strategically partnered with each other to turn the Edison site into a unique development. L Street Station will be a mixeduse project totaling 1.7 million square feet. Half that area will be devoted to commercial uses and/or research and development. That’s a good fit with demand in South Boston and all around Boston and Vicinity, especially for lab space and life sciences facilities. Housing has been reduced to approximately onethird of the total project because of feedback from nearby residents. The rest of the area will become a mix of hotel space/retail shops/cultural/civic uses. Certain public approvals altering deed restrictions along the Reserved Channel remain to be granted. Some good news for South Boston will be the community benefits that are part of the package the BPDA approved. There are many of these benefits, and altogether they deserve a separate article, but for now here’s a condensed list: About $10 million for MBTA service to City Point and traffic mitigation investments as the project progresses, new jobs (2,500 during construction; 1,500 permanent), funding for five key workforce development internships and college scholarships, large grants for upgrading M Street Park and Christopher Lee playground along with a nearby basketball/tennis court as well, small business support, some free public parking, affordable housing, and
A plot drawing of the proposed L Street Station “Site Plan and Program” at 776 Summer Street. public parks covering six acres (240,000 square feet) of open green space. This last item will open the site to the South Boston community for the first time in more than a century. The six acres of open, green space amounts to 38% of the total area, a full three-eighths of the 15-acre site to be developed. On Friday, South Boston Online was granted an informative interview with two Hilco executives – Melissa Schrock, Senior Vice President (SVP) of Mixed-Use Development with Hilco Redevelopment Partners, and Gary Epstein, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer (EVP/ CMO) for Hilco Global. The timetable for L Street Station will begin late this year with clearing the site, will extend over a decade or so, and will
A landscaped walkway in the L Street Station redevelopment.
likely be completed near Boston’s 400th Anniversary year of 2030 (John Winthrop established Boston, his “City on a Hill”, in 1630). The exact pace of the whole project will be market-driven, according to EVP/CMO Gary Epstein. SVP Melissa Schrock mentioned that the total project will eventually require an investment of somewhere around a billion dollars ($1,000,000,000). SVP Schrock then described Hilco’s uniquely specialized approach to projects such as L Street Station. It certainly is not “demolition”; she called it “deconstruction”. Hilco clears a site delicately, using a careful touch to preserve what’s there. Schrock is an architect herself, and talked enthusiastically about plans for L Street Station using words like
“authentic” and “incredible potential” to emphasize how the old Edison site appears to her. Her description spoke of “celebrating” the old site’s life, and “transforming” it into an “Integrated” part of the South Boston community. We’ll end with a quick thank-you to Ryan Ferguson of InkHouse (Waltham) for making the arrangements needed to generate this article.
(A NOTE TO OUR READERS: As the L Street Station project proceeds, pay special attention to how one of the four turbine halls will be carefully “deconstructed”, “remediated”, and given renewed useful life as a large, open farmer’s market.)
A farmer’s market in an L Street Station turbine hall, demonstrating the deconstruction/remediation that can be performed.
SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021
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A New Mayor for Boston – Part Two
by Rick Winterson
I
n our last issue, South Boston Online addressed the issue of electing a new Mayor of Boston. Martin J. Walsh, our current Mayor, has accepted the Cabinet level position of Secretary of Labor reporting to President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. in Washington, D.C. Biden was inaugurated yesterday, Wednesday the 20th; Walsh must be confirmed by Congress, which is almost certain to occur. He could then assume his Cabinet job as soon as mid-February. We are publishing a second article about replacing Mayor Walsh, because (obviously) the Mayor holds a highly important position in Boston, a worldclass city. The City of Boston is a bustling, growth-oriented, harbor city sited on the Atlantic Ocean, and like every other city on the Earth, we are plagued by the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. We firmly believe that the vote you cast for our next Mayor is just as important as any vote you might cast for President in the future. Eleven (11) possible candidates have declared they’re running, or have at least shown some interest. That would mean four primary and general elections for Mayor in 2021, all held while the pandemic might still be a major threat. Boston’s City Council and the Commonwealth’s legislature should act to prevent this as soon as possible. We mentioned six key areas of responsibility the new Mayor
of Boston must manage. We’ll enlarge upon these duties. Four of them have existed for a while, and so they’re “historic”. The first is Public Safety, which goes back to 1630 when Boston was founded. Police, firefighting, and modern day EMT services are all parts of Public Safety. In addition, Mayor Walsh just approved a major new program to make Boston’s Police Department more effective and responsive. Our new Mayor will have to put this program into practice. A second major “historic” responsibility involves the City of Boston’s infrastructure. To give a few examples, you are aware of the importance of maintaining a clean harbor as Boston’s ocean freight traffic grows, you know that Boston faces severe road traffic and bridge repair problems, and you should keep in mind that Boston’s public transport (mainly the “T”) needs substantial upgrades, both for better day-to-day operations and as capital improvements. The third and fourth key “historic” responsibilities are education and our economy. We’ll simply state that many of Boston’s public schools, some founded by Horace Mann back in the 1800s, badly need scholastic improvement – significant (!) improvement. Because of the pandemic, the future of the City’s libraries is also uncertain right now. As for the economy, Boston must keep its own finances in order and deficit-free, while maintaining the City’s openness to expansion,
new enterprises (especially small businesses), construction of l a b s/of f ic e s/re sidenc e s/ high-tech industry, and so on. We also listed two “new” areas of Mayoral responsibility. One of these is the pandemic, which will require immunization and recovery programs at least until 2022. At present, the vaccination program is predicted to last until midsummer; it could take longer, now that a more contagious coronavirus has surfaced in Boston. Please take care of yourself. The other “new” problem is urban flooding caused by global warming and sea level rises that result from this warming. South Boston Online will have much to say about
this second “new” responsibility of the Mayor in future issues. Clearly, the City’s jobs, challenges, and responsibilities require that we elect the most effective Mayor of Boston possible. Mayor Walsh was a very good Mayor; he’ll be a hard act to follow. The selection of the next Mayor of Boston is up to you, the voter. Just you, no one else! So please, for the future of the City of Boston, take the time to look carefully at every single one of the candidates for Mayor. Select the best one, and be sure to cast your vote for that candidate. Once again, who becomes the next Mayor of Boston is really up to you, the voter – entirely up to you.
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Maximum Asset Limits 80% AMI 100% AMI $75,000 $100,000 Does not include retirement. Does include Real Estate For more on income + asset eligibility, please visit: http://www.bostonplans.org/housing/income,-asset,-andprice-limits Applications are available during the application period from: Monday, January 25, 2021 – Wednesday, February 3, 2021 To request and complete the application online, please visit: www.340WestSecondLottery.com To have a hard copy of the application sent to your mailing address, please call: 781-992-5303
After careful consideration and an abundance of caution, the City of Boston has decided to cancel the inperson application distribution period. If you cannot complete the application online, please call us at 781992-5303, to request that we mail you one and to ask us for any guidance you might need to complete the application. Fully completed + signed applications must be submitted online or postmarked no later than Wednesday, February 10, 2021 Mailed to: Maloney Properties, Inc., Attention: 340 West Second Lottery 27 Mica Lane, Wellesley MA 02481 ● Selection by lottery. Asset, Use & Resale Restrictions apply. ● Preference for Boston Residents. ● Preference for Households With at least One Person Per Bedroom. ● Preference for First-Time Homebuyers. For more information, language assistance, or to make a request for reasonable accommodations, please call Maloney Properties, Inc. at 781-992-5303 US Relay 711 | Email: 340WestSecond@maloneyproperties.com
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SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM
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After School Special added. “It’s a special deal. The kids feel like partners in this.” Part of the mission of the Club’s after-school program -especially now -- is to offer a respite. “We try to provide some normalcy for the kids in this crazy world,” said Anne Gordon, the Club’s Arts Director and Summer Camp Director in addition to her work with the after-school program. Because there are fewer kids in the program due to the pandemic, she said staff members have more opportunities to get to know the kids and their families. “We get a lot closer to the smaller groups of kids,” she said, noting that is one positive thing to come out of this. “We provide some normalcy for our members in a traumatic time in their lives,” Michael echoed. The pandemic has upended kids’ lives, keeping them from seeing their friends and other caring adults. “We provide relief from that. Our kids are coming to the building where their friends are, where there are staff who care about them. We keep groups of friends together even through this horrible time.” Sean, a fifth-grader at the Condon School, has missed only two days of the after-school program. His favorite part of the program? “Getting out of the house during COVID,” he said. “It’s great!” The 45 kids in the program range in age from 9 years old to high schoolers and are divided into four groups (or homebases) with two staff leaders (there are an additional two staffers for the program). The program runs from 2:30 to 6:45 p.m. The Club serves the kids an evening meal and offers weekend meals to take home. In the era of COVID-19, the groups follow a schedule. The members get the opportunity to do enrichment activities, such as music and performing arts, which exposes them to different activities. There is access to the gym. While in their homebases, the staff and members focus on what interests them.
M i c h a e l ’s homeba se consists of teens and preteens, and they like to cook; they also discuss health and relationship topics. Anne’s homebase, with younger kids, has done knitting, sewing, and jewelry making, and will be doing some pottery. “It’s based on what their interests are; they can ask for anything we have,” Anne said. “Knitting has been great. It’s a very relaxing hobby. It’s the perfect COV ID activit y.” Sean, for one, loves knitting. “It’s relaxing,” he said. “Before, we would knit on Tuesdays and now we can knit whenever we want.” Before COVID, many more kids participated in the program and there were no homebases. There were places to do homework. Kids would hang out in the Teen Center before all the kids arrived from their schools. Club members rotated between the gym, art room, performing arts room, etc. without limits on the number of participants. There was less structure and more f lexibility. “Now, all the kids have a schedule,” Michael said. “It gives them more structure.” The staff find games that allow members to be active and socially distanced. Tennis is great for that, as is soccer, Michael said. When Anne put out word to the community that the old, plastic rackets the Club had weren’t doing the job, the neighborhood donated 40 rackets. Now, she
said, “we play almost every day.” In the performing arts realm, Anne’s group has created smallscale scenery in boxes based on movies. Michael’s group is doing stop-motion. A group of pre-teens has regular band practice. Some of the music and performing arts work is showcased on YouTube. There are six seniors in the program and staff make sure they are working on and submitting their college applications, Michael said. “With smaller groups, we can sit with them for an hour every week.” Health and safety are top of mind in the program. After a group visits a room, there are 15 minutes before the next group can come in so staff can clean and disinfect the space. Staff also clean the bathrooms after every use. “We are being extra cautious,” Anne said. Kids fill out health screening forms every day before going into the Club. They get masks from the staff. There are blue dots denoting safe distancing and kids wash and sanitize their hands regularly. “We teach them how to take care of themselves,” Anne said. “There’s a whole other level to this; we are keeping them safe mentally and physically.” Michael said the Club is doing what it can to “get them through this and still thrive. With smaller groups, there are more opportunities for them and more chances to discover new things.” Anne finds that the members in the after-school program are “more thoughtful of other people. There’s
more kindness toward other people. “For kids who are home all day for school, this is a nice opportunity to get out and hang out with other kids,” Anne added. A nd t he pa rent s a re t ha nk f u l for t he support. When kids were selected and registered for the program, Michael and the staff talked to parents and “opened up so many channels. Every parent has my number,” he said, noting they might reach out to him if their child is stressed or would like him to talk to their child. “They can trust us,” he said. “I’m proud of our program,” Michael said. “We’ve done an amazing job. The staff are doing more than usual and no one complains. If we hadn’t been able to figure this out, who knows where these kids would be?” Throughout the pandemic, “the kids, in general, have been able to develop a lot of resiliency,” Anne said. “The kids are grounded. They are getting more special attention. We are able to give them more support.”
SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021
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SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM
Joan Aylward – Artist, Founder of “ChalkBOS”
by Rick Winterson
L
ately, we have been reporting on small businesses, a major source of South Boston’s jobs and wealth. Joan Aylward has demonstrated her expertise in small business on two levels: creating varied works of art like restaurant chalkboard messages, window decorations, and (more recently), both residential and store murals. To be as successful as Joan requires many strengths – artistic talent, imagination, and constant practice, along with those two classic business virtues – hard work and risk-taking. She calls her business “ChalkBOS”; it’s been successful after five years of effort. For as long as she can remember, Joa n ha s been
interested in art. As far back as grade school, when Joan was living in Milton, her mother arranged for her to attend small neighborhood art classes. Pam Hoss, the art teacher at Milton High School, encouraged her to study art. So Joan went to Massachusetts College of Art and Design, known by everybody (except the faculty) as “MassArt”. Among other things, she became acquainted with photography in the Mass A rt dark room. After holding down jobs at a photo studio, a Crate & Barrel off ice, and the Kane Gallery, which specialized in original New England scenes, she got married and had a son, Stephen. “I became a full-time Mom”, Joan told us during her interview at South Boston Online. While at home, she taught herself calligraphy. Out of this, Joan developed beautifully formed styles of handwriting; she learned to create formal letters, such as wedding invitations. Joan also worked on the wait staffs of many well-known restaurants in and around South Boston, including Sam’s on our Waterfront. While she was there, Joan kept her hand in by doing Sam’s chalkboard menus and drink offerings – using the elegant style of her self-taught calligraphy and drawing copies of eye-catching liquor labels. One night, the General Manager and the Chef from Lincoln on West Broadway dropped in at Sam’s. After they saw her work, they asked her to come to Lincoln on her day off to design and compose their own drink boards (which Joan did). Well, as you know, Sam’s is gone now to make way for development on Fan Pier. This happened in 2015. At that point, Joan took a deep breath (Or two! Or three!), and then decided she would now work for herself full-time. So, she began selling and executing her chalkboard talents in local restaurants and
ChalkBOS Founder Joan Aylward. bars. Joan found that liquor distributors could really help her business, when she began doing unique boards that described special, one-of-a-kind cocktails. From 2016 to 2018, distributors spread the word all over Boston about her unique works of art and how they helped increase business at restaurant bars. We said “all over Boston”, but that’s not all. Joan has worked on Nantucket, in Maine, and eventually in Washington, D.C. When the owner of Citizens Pub in the Fenway expanded his Tasty Burger franchise into the nation’s
Capital, he sent Joan there to design art for the openings. Her design talents have led to Holiday windows (30 of them), as well as murals like “Heart/Boston” and “The Point/Boston” on Marshall Street and Lancaster Street. She is now painting interior murals in private residences. Keep an eye on Joan Ay lw a rd a nd C h a l k BOS , her thriving small business. Contact her at Cha lk BOS in B o s ton, 617.5 4 3. 2 63 0 or jay l w a rd19@ g m a i l .c om . While you’re at it, take a look at her art also: @chalk_bos.
Joan Aylward at some of her window artwork along East Broadway.
SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021
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The Dunn Family of South Boston by Rick Winterson
T
he Dunn family, now five in number, has lived in South Boston for the last eight years, since the spring of 2013. They reside in a lovely three-decker (so, in what else?, you are entitled to ask) along Eighth Street in the Bayview neighborhood. They are a beautiful, strong family, who nowadays view South Boston as their hometown, just as Benjamin V. “BENNY” Drohan first did – once upon a time a hundred years ago in “Southie Is My Home Town”. Both Charlie and Abby Dunn are originally from North Carolina – Charlotte and China Grove, respectively. Charlotte, located in south central North Carolina, is the largest city in that state at nearly a million people; China Grove is a small town about 30 miles to the northeast of Charlotte and has a population of only 4,000 or so. Charlie and Abby obtained their degrees at the University of North Carolina in Durham, N.C. Many of their family members still live in North Carolina. The Dunns have three daughters, who also interviewed with South Boston Online. The oldest, named “Brooklyn”, is in the 4th grade. She has a strong interest in writing (which naturally impressed the writer of this article). Brooklyn is interested in
The Dunn family (from left) – young Charley Grace, Abby (upper), Ezri (lower), Brooklyn, and Charlie. animals, especially horses. Next in line is “Ezri”, who is named for Ezra, the last of the Old Testament prophets. Ezri is the feminine form of that name. She likes reading, although she confesses that virtual schooling by iPad can get tiresome at times. “Charley Grace” is the youngest Dunn family girl. At 4, Charley Grace is not yet old enough for school, so she somewhat shyly (but with a winsome smile) expressed her
undying love for her Barbie Dolls. T he Du nns a re a f i ne , c ohe s i v e f a m i l y. Charlie Dunn is the Founder and Pastor of the Hub Church of Southie (abbreviated HCS), now located in the Aloft Hotel on D Street, across from the Convention and Exhibition Center. That’s the reason the Dunn family is here; they arrived here in April of 2013 to establish a Christian church in South
Boston. Abby herself serves in many church roles – the HCS musical leader of their church’s small band, in charge of children’s worship, and so on. Outside of HCS, she teaches piano to nine children. Pastor Charlie conducts independent research so he can recommend books, sermons, and religious literature to other churches across the U.S.A. At this moment, there are approximately 75 congregants, including children, in the Hub Church of Southie. And of course, most HCS services are handled via ZOOM these days. Toward the end of this interview, we talked over the Dunns’ family values and their family activities. The Dunn family use this time of quarantine to reflect upon what really matters to them. Each of them takes part in “HighLow”, during which they speak about the ups and downs of their days. This brings the virtue of “acceptance” and the blessing of “hope” into their lives. They enjoy finding times and places where they see God at work. The family plays sports like soccer and basketball when our weather allows that. This interview closed with Charlie saying he loves the neighborhood feel of South Boston, where he can bring “the Good News of Christ on a constant basis”. Abby joined in by stating, “Southie is now home. We are blessed to live here.” And Brooklyn,
Gate of Heaven and St. Brigid Parishes Update 6:00PM Sunday Mass Suspended SAFETY CHANGES
Capacity for all Masses at 25% Due to the extremely low attendance at the 6:00PM Sunday Mass at St. Brigid Church the past few months, we are suspending that specific Mass for January and February. Those attending Mass have steadily dropped as the pandemic continues getting worse and is expected to increase over the next two months. We understand that many are not attending in person at this time due to COVID concerns and many are choosing to stay safe by watching online: https://www.gateofheavenstbrigid.org We understand and support your choice. When it is safe again and people begin to return to Mass in person we will resume the 6:00PM Mass on Sunday evenings. As we move into January and February - we will continue to evaluate the concerns of Medical Professionals for in-person worship. The restrictions on numbers are constantly changing -and are now at 25% capacity. Please watch our website, Facebook and emails for any updates and schedule changes as we face the next two months of increased infection. Your safety and health is our priority!
Holy Communion Distribution: - CHANGE
We will continue distributing Holy Communion at the end of Mass., as was done in the Spring. The priest will conclude the Mass with a final blessing and then Holy Communion will be distributed following the final blessing. We would ask that after you receive Holy Communion that you exit the Church and not return to your seat. Hopefully we can get back to some normalcy after the Pandemic surge is over.
Thank you for your cooperation!
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SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM
Thank You, Boston By Mayor Martin J. Walsh
O
n January 12, I held my final State of the City, which was broadcast live from Boston’s newest civic treasure, the completely rebuilt Roxbury branch of the Boston Public Library in Nubian Square. 2020 was a tough year. 2021 is a year for healing as we keep each other safe; get through this final stretch of the pandemic; and build a recovery that moves all our neighborhoods forward. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, we have lost 1,077 Bostonians to COVID-19. They are loved and missed and their families are in my heart. COVID has affected all of us and it has hit some harder than others. Black, Latino, and immigrant communities faced the biggest impacts. Inequities in health, housing, and work opportunities caused more illness and job loss in these communities. Older Bostonians and those
with disabilities face the highest risk and the most isolation. Most students have been out of classrooms since March, and families have struggled with childcare. While 2020 was a year of struggle, it was also a year that brought out the best in our city. We saw nurses, doctors, and medical staff gearing up and going into battle to save lives and provide comfort. We saw EMTs on the frontlines of a pandemic, helping over 4,000 COVID19 patients. Firefighters brought recovery coaches to calls, to help those struggling with addiction. Police officers took 800 guns off the street, keeping us safe no matter the risk. Essential workers and City employees answered the call, day after day. Residents stepped up to help each other in a thousand different ways. The heroes are all around us. As a City, we came together. We built a field hospital in five days. We created a Health Inequities Task Force to address health disparities across race and ethnicity. We’ve provided over six
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million meals to children, families, veterans, and seniors. We got 40,000 laptops to students. We got permanent rental vouchers to over 1,000 families with children at risk of homelessness. And, we created the Boston Resiliency Fund, providing over $30 million to help 250,000 households in need. And in 2020, despite the pandemic, we approved $8.5 billion of new investment in our city, creating a potential 35,000 new jobs. In 2021, we will continue that work. One of our next priorities is getting students safely back into Boston Public Schools. We will also continue to support small businesses, renters and homeowners, and those in recovery; push even further towards meeting our climate goals; and invest in Boston’s parks and civic spaces that give our residents more opportunities to come together, safely. We also need to address all the ways systemic racism hurts people in our city. The urgency of this work has never been more clear. Last summer, George Floyd’s murder sparked a long-overdue reckoning with racism. I thank Black Bostonians for the way you made your voices heard. And I thank everyone who joined the movement — Black, white, Latino, Asian, and indigenous peoples standing together. I’m asking all of us to accept this responsibility as our own and commit to fighting racism. It’s our deepest moral obligation – and
it’s our greatest opportunity for growth. We have tough days ahead of us. But we’ve been knocked down before, and we always get back up. In 2021, Boston will rise up again. We will leave no one behind, and our city will be stronger than ever. As you might know, Presidentelect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have nominated me to be Labor Secretary in their administration. I have accepted this honor. If confirmed by the US Senate, I’m not going to Washington alone. I’m bringing Boston with me. This city is not just my hometown, it’s my heart. I believe in Boston. This is the city that welcomed my immigrant parents. This is the city that picked me up when I needed a second chance. This is the city where I fought side by side with you for marriage equality, immigrant rights, addiction treatment, criminal justice reform, education funding, and good middle-class jobs. Every minute of every day in this job, I spent listening to you, learning from you, working with you and working for you. I will never forget it, and I will forever be grateful. We may be hurting now, but the state of our city is resilient; the state of our city is united; the state of our city is hopeful; and the state of our city is deep-down Boston strong. Boston, thank you.
SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021
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SBCA Evacuation Day Essay and Poster Competitions
ZONING HEARING
Poster competition Grades 3-5
The Zoning Commission of the City of Boston hereby gives notice,
The poster competition is open to all students that attend schools in South Boston. This year’s theme is the significance of Colonel Henry Knox and the Noble Train of Artillery. Poster should be original compositions, in any medium at least 8 1/2 x 11” but preferably larger.
Prizes are as follows:
in accordance with Chapter 665 of the Acts of 1956, as amended, that a virtual public hearing will be held on February 10, 2021, at 9:00 A.M., in connection with a petition for approval of Map Amendment Application No. 730 and the Master Plan for Planned Development
First prize$100 Second prize $75 Third prize $25
Area No. 128, 776 Summer Street, South Boston, filed by the Boston Redevelopment Authority d/b/a the Boston Planning & Development Agency.
Essay competition Grades 6-8
What is the significance of Dorchester Heights ? Please focus on the history and importance to the South Boston community. Essays should be at least 500 words
Prizes are as follows:
Said map amendment would amend “Map 4A/4B, Harborpark District: Fort Point Waterfront and Dorchester Bay/Neponset River Waterfront,” and “Map 4B/4C, Harborpark District: Fort Point Waterfront and
First place $100 Second prize $75 Third prize $25
Dorchester Bay/Neponset River Waterfront,” by adding the designation “D,” indicating a Planned Development Area overlay district to the existing zoning of approximately 15.2 acres of developed and formerly
Essay Competition Grade 9-12
What role did the smallpox epidemic play in the Evacuation of Boston in March 1776 and the War of Independence till surrender at Yorktown. How did the epidemic effect General Washington and British Troops. Essays should be at least 1000 words. Prizes are as follows: First prize $150 Second prize $100 Third prize $50
industrial land along the Reserved Channel in South Boston located at 776 Summer Street and bounded on the west by Summer Street, on the south by East 1st Street, on the east by a land parcel owned by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (“MBTA”), and on the north by the Reserved Channel and the Thomas J. Butler Dedicated Freight Corridor. The Master Plan proposes the construction of multiple new buildings and the rehabilitation of certain existing buildings that comprise the Proposed Project. Such buildings are collectively expected to include: approximately 860,000
Virtual Public Meeting
square feet of office/research and development space; approximately 115,000 square feet of hotel space with up to 240 keyed hotel rooms; approximately 80,000 square feet of retail space; approximately
Hook Wharf Hotel/ Harborwalk Expansion
610,000 square feet of residential space in up to 636 dwelling units; approximately 15,000 square feet of civic/cultural space; and a total of approximately 1,214 parking spaces in a combination of below-grade, at-grade, above-grade, and surface spaces. In addition, the Proposed Project will create new public open spaces, new roadways, and new
Thursday, February 4
Zoom Link: bit.ly/3qmR1tq
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Toll Free: (833) 568 - 8864
access driveways. The Master Plan will be divided into (i) six (6) new
Meeting ID: 160 946 7082
blocks lettered A through F, (ii) a block comprised of the existing 1898 Turbine Hall, (iii) a block comprised of Turbine Hall1, Turbine Hall 2,
Project Description: The Hook Wharf Project includes construction of a single building totaling approximately 275,000 square feet, comprised of a 357 key hotel, retail/ restaurant space dedicated to James Hook & Co., new public open space, Harborwalk, and other public realm amenities.
and Turbine Hall 3 (collectively, the “Edison Turbine Halls”), and (iv) a block on which the Admin Building, an existing 5 ,000 square foot, one story brick structure, is currently located. This meeting will only be held virtually and not in person. You can participate in this meeting by going to http://bit.ly/3aAUXlK. A copy of the petition may be obtained from the Zoning Commission electronically, and you may also submit written comments or questions
mail to: Ebony DaRosa Boston Planning & Development Agency One City Hall Square, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02201 phone: 617.918.4419 email: ebony.darosa@boston.gov
BostonPlans.org
to jeffrey.hampton@boston.gov.
@BostonPlans
Teresa Polhemus, Executive Director/Secretary
For the Commission Jeffrey M. Hampton Executive Secretary
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021
SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM
Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. South Boston Catholic Academy News
We can change the world together! The students of South Boston Cat holic Ac ademy celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday. K1 students celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by ref lecting on how they could make the world a better place after reading stories about him. Students first created an earth by using blue and green ink. Next, they were asked what they could do to make the world a better place. They wrote their responses on a hand. Some of these responses included “Make people feel better”, “Be nice and kind”, “Wear my mask to help stop the Coronavirus” a nd “Say Thank You.” In celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, our Art Teacher, Ms. Valerie Szmurlo, read the book “Martin’s Big Words” by Doreen Rappaport, in Art Class and created a guided portrait of Dr. King Jr. Students were able to talk about the importance of treating people with respect no matter what they look like and how Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. changed our world for the better. In K0 Art Class, we read
the book “Have I Ever Told You?” by Shani M. King and talked about how to be kind and how to respect everyone. Students then traced their hands so their thumb and pointer finger made a heart. They were encouraged to color the hands however they wanted using patterns. To honor the tremendous lifetime of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., our Music Teacher, Ms. Eleanor Tynan, helped students in 2nd grade Music learn a song about his “I have a dream speech”. After learning the song, students used words from the speech to compose a musical rhythm! What creative rhythms they came up with, too! Teachers, also, read several wonderful books about Dr. King, in their classrooms, books such as: Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King by Jean Marzollo; Meet Martin Luther King, Jr. by Johnny Ray Moore; “If you Lived at the Time of Martin Luther King” by Ellen Levine and “Martin’s Big Words…The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” by Doreen Rappaport to their students.
Grade 1 students learned about MLK leading peaceful protests. In class, students discussed many inspirational quotes by Dr. King, Jr. some of which are: “Love is the key to the problems of the world.” “The time is always right to do what is right;” “Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that;” and “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” Thank you and God Bless you, Dr. King for making the world a better place for everyone!
New applicants are welcomed to email Mrs. Jamie Brown at j.brown@sbcatholicacademy.org to learn more about South Boston Catholic Academy.
“Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that”. “I have a dream” “Everyone can be great” Equal rights Peace Freedom Kindness “Love is the key to the problems of the world.”
SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021
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