THE PRINT EDITION
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021
VOLUME XIX- ISSUE 74
GIRL POWER!
A Mini-Neighborhood in South Boston? by Rick Winterson
B
oston is a city of neighborhoods, it’s said. South Boston Online believes that South Boston is also made up of various, identif iable neighborhoods. This includes small, growing neighborhoods that slowly morph into new centers of activity, which we’ll call “mini-neighborhoods”. Now, Sout h Boston’s residents are accustomed to rapid neighborhood changes. You can simply walk along East and West Broadway to notice that, especially when to comes to creating additional residences in our residence-short neighborhoods. And new taverns, restaurants, and retail stores have immediately fol lowed t hese cha nging neighborhoods. Look up and down our streets; you’ll see what we mean.
HAVE YOU HEARD?
If you’d like to see a huge, record-setting, new neighborhood changing right before your eyes, take a quick look at South Boston’s Seaport District, and then take another quick look a few months (or weeks) from now. More than ten years ago, then Mayor Thomas Menino pressed the “Build” button on the Seaport, a “happeningneighborhood-to-come” that he entitled “The Innovation District”. He took advantage of the overcrowding in Kendall Square (Cambridge) as well as offering tax breaks, thus attracting companies such as Vertex. Mayor Walsh capably continued the very rapid Seaport build-out, which has attracted the likes of Amazon and many other global firms over the last seven years. But this article is about South Boston’s slowly growing miniContinued on Page 4
Girls Group Visiting DLuxe Nail Bar. (Photos courtesy of Caitlyn DeCarlo)
Ollie Group Focuses on Skill Building, Leadership
about leadership,” said the 14-yearold South Boston resident. ”If you don’t know it, it won’t happen.”
By Ginger DeShaney
Girls Group is an SBNH program for girls ages 10-16 to learn new skills, build social skills, gain leadership skills, and improve interpersonal skills while making lasting friendships. Callie is a member of the Girls Group Ambassadors. These leaders help pick out activities, events, and places to go for the
C
allie Eastman knows something about leadership. Through South Boston Neighborhood House’s Girls Group, she’s had training. “It’s very important to learn
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Continued from Page 1 Neighborhood neighborhoods, particularly the mini-neig hborhood around the intersections of Dorchester Street and First. Did we mean to use the plural “intersections”? Yes! You see, for one block at the north end of Dorchester Street, there are two overlapping First Streets (Yes, two!). In addition, West Third and West Second Streets at Dorchester Street are offset a block away from East Third and East Second Streets, which is complicated by Emerson Street inserting itself at a shallow angle into this mini-neighborhood. This mini-neighborhood is centered around an eye-catching trompe-l’oeil mural on the brick façade where East Second Street meets Dorchester Street. Check out this mural – up close and across Dorchester Street. It’s directly across from Publico, an elegant dining and drinking establishment with a novel and (very) attractive interior indoor/outdoor theme.
The busy interior of My Diner between 1st and 2nd. Publico occupies its own corner at modernized, an ell of residences My Diner can also be entered via Dorchester and West First Streets. their ramp in front of the Distillery with energy efficient designs has Are you confused by all those on East Second. The views of been added to it. Remember that intersecting streets? So are we. artists’ studios are also small, the surrounding neighborhood But to continue, there are and portions of the Boston independent businesses themselves. some small businesses along one Perhaps more small businesses, skyline from inside My Diner are leg of West First Street, including impressive. On the other side of a vital feature of many South Murphy’s Jewelry and Ottavio’s our proposed mini-neighborhood, Boston neighborhoods, might Barber Shop – both of whom are open up in the mini-neighborhood you’ll find an architectural transplants from Broadway. A real firm next to two more murals. we are describing here. estate firm and beauty shop (by The South Boston Post Office The Distillery, a major South appointment only) are also nearby. Boston art colony, anchors this is only a block away. And the area Walking for a block along East mini-neighborhood on its eastern has some parking to spare. Why First will bring you to the street couldn’t this mini-neighborhood end, along H Street between entrance of My Diner, which was East First and East Second. Not morph into a really active, bustling once located on A Street. It offers only has the Distillery itself been Southie neighborhood of its own? breakfasts and lunches until 2 p.m.
Publico: Elegance at Dorchester St. and West First.
A striking block of residences with 1st Street on both (!) sides
Ottavio’s spiffy new barber shop on West First.
A trompe l’oeil mural at Dot St. and E. 2nd – what’s real; what’s painted?
SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021
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Groundhog Day, 2021 by Rick Winterson
F
ebruary is a cold, wintry month that we can do without. And that’s the reason we’ve made it our shortest month. Even with only 28 days (and yes, occasionally 29 of them, but not this year), it’s still very long. The month of February is like a large, icy wall we must climb a day at a time until springtime finally arrives. To compensate for this in a small way, February is also a month chock full of holidays, celebrations, and all kinds of observances, many of them religious (praying for spring, no doubt). The list of these February observances in 2021 is long: the Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day, Presidents’ Day (for both Lincoln and Washington), Ash Wednesday, Mardi Gras (a.k.a. “Carnivale” elsewhere in the world), and so on. But the very first of these observances is Groundhog Day, which always occurs on February 2; it took place on Tuesday of this week. The Groundhog Day observance sets the tone for the entire month of February,
as well as beginning our longing for warmer weather to come. If it’s sunny on the 2nd, causing the groundhog to see its shadow, then spring won’t arrive until the middle of March (sigh!). If the groundhog does not (!) see its shadow, spring will arrive soon – very soon. To quote, when no groundhog shadow is visible, “Spring is just around the corner.” We don’t have to tell you about Monday and Tuesday’s storm. We don’t care whether Punxsutawney Phil awoke from hibernation in Pennsylvania and saw his fat, sleepy shadow (or not!). Around here, nothing whatever – deer, turkeys, raccoons, opossums, red-tailed hawks, the occasional fox, Southie’s human beings, and certainly not groundhogs (!) – saw any shadows on Tuesday morning. So, South Boston can look for spring soon. Maybe as soon as Valentine’s Day ten days from now? And South Boston Online has to admit that The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club in Pennsylvania has done a really superb job of preserving an ancient tradition. In their formal clothes, wing collars with bow ties, and stovepipe
Webinar on Feb. 4th, “Boston Veterans and the COVID Response: Where Do We Go From Here?”
B
oston City Councilor Ed Flynn, Boston’s Veterans Services, and the Boston VA will be hosting a webinar to update veterans and their families on the current state of our COVID-19 response as it relates to veterans. The webinar will be on Thursday, February 4th, at 6pm via Zoom, ”Boston Veterans and the COVID Response: Where Do We Go From Here?” The webinar will include Boston Vetera ns Ser vices Commissioner Robert Santiago, Dr. Kalpana Gupta, Chief of Infectious Diseases at the Boston V.A., Dr. Marcie Salow, Chief of Pharmacy at the Boston V.A., and Councilor Ed Flynn, U.S. Navy veteran. The webinar will provide an update on Boston’s response to the COVID-19
pandemic for veterans and military families, including the vaccine rollout, and other programs available for veterans. The webinar will be next Thursday, February 4th, at 6pm, and you can register for the webinar here. “Thank you to Commissioner Santiago, Dr. Gupta, and Dr. Salow for partnering on this important webinar,” said Councilor Flynn. “The response and resources for our veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic is ever evolving, and it’s critical that we provide the latest updates so that our veterans can be informed about the services available to them that keep them healthy and safe.” For more information, plea se contact Ed.Flynn@ Boston.gov or 617-635-3203.
hats, they have celebrated Groundhog Day for the last 135 years. It’s now a traditional event all across America. Groundhogs are known by a number of other names: “woodchuck” is probably the most common of these, but their other names include “marmot”, “groundpig”, and “whistlepig”. Groundhogs hibernate in the winter, of course, and are considered something of a wild delicacy, if they are caught in the fall while they are fattening up for their long winter’s nap. They live mostly in flat areas (good for burrowing their dens underground) from New England, to the U.S. plains areas, and up into northwestern Canada. The tradition of looking for hibernating animals that awaken in February goes back a long way. In Medieval England, farmers anxious for good planting weather looked for hedgehogs to come out of hibernation. This was associated with the early Christian event on February 2 called Candlemas, when clergy blessed holy
candles and returned these to their congregations. Since hedgehogs aren’t found in America, the pioneer settlers from Elizabethan England, especially the settlers in Appalachia, substituted the groundhog in their New World observances. Certain rural communities in the U.S. still combine Groundhog Day with Valentine’s Day, and then they celebrate both at once in mid-February. Enough said! Happy Groundhog Day, and here’s to an early spring. We could use it, masks and all.
Notice of Community Update Green Stratus Corp Notice is hereby given that Green Stratus Corp will hold a virtual meeting on February 22, 2021 at 6:30 PM relative to its proposal to site a Cannabis Establishment at 558-560 Dorchester Avenue in South Boston. This meeting will be held in accordance with the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission’s Administrative Order Allowing Virtual Web-Based Community Outreach Meetings. A copy of the presentation will be made available at least 24 hours prior to the meeting by visiting GreenStratusCorp.squarespace.com. Interested members of the community will have the opportunity to ask questions and receive answers from company representatives about the proposed facility and operations. Questions can be submitted in advance by emailing haley.dillon@boston.gov or asked during the meeting.
Event Link: http://bit.ly/558dotave Event number: 179 244 5094 Event password: 558d
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Continued from Page 1
Girl Power program. “These are girls I can rely on to be an example for the younger girls,” said Caitlyn DeCarlo, Education and Career Development Counselor at the Ollie. Activities and topics for Girls Group include arts & crafts, cooking, yoga, being safe on social media, healthy relationships, and so much more. “I want them to feel confident and ready for everything that comes to them,” said Caitlyn. “They learn here. We offer resources. I want them feeling successful and confident.” Several girls shared their thoughts about Girls Group during a recent Zoom call with South Boston Online.
What kind of things have you learned? Stella Dearden (13): At the Ollie’s GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Math, & Science) program, Stella and Callie did experiments. “We attempted different things. We learned science and math,” Stella said. ** Brooke Eastman (10): “I learned how to pick stuff to do and pick a strategy.” Added Caitlyn, “That’s part of decision-making: Weigh the pros and cons and make smart choices.” ** Maeve Houlihan (11): “I learned what not to post on social media, decision-making, and strategies I could use.” ** Callie: In the GEMS program, “I learned different science experiments and the process of engineering.” What activities do you like to do at Girls Group? ** Stella: “I like cook night and craft night. I like doing these things.” ** Brooke: “I like going on hikes. I like doing crafts.” ** Maeve: “I like doing crafts.” ** Callie: “I like cook night and crafts night.” Almost 60 girls are involved in Girls Group, Caitlyn said. Between 30-40 girls come during any given week. Because of COVID-19, the Girls Group sessions are capped at 10 girls (as
opposed to 15-20 pre-COVID). Caitlyn gives parents a monthly schedule and they sign up for sessions weekly. There’s usually a waiting list for each session. The girls fill out pre-screening forms before entering the building. Masks are required and the girls stay separated as much as they can. There’s a limit to the number of girls at each table and there’s lots of handwashing. Caitlyn wipes everything down to be extra safe, and they clean up after every session. The group meets Monday through Thursday from 6-8 p.m. at the H Street location. The older girls (13-16 years old) meet on Monday and Thursday; the younger girls (10-12 years old) meet on Tuesday and Thursday. Yoga class on Thursdays is open to both groups. The age group breakdowns are new during COVID, Caitlyn said. Programming was created so the different age levels get similar experiences. The girls also meet on Saturdays for field trips (such as hiking, which is easier to do with restrictions). Sometimes the Ollie’s boys group, Boyz II Men, joins Girls Group for field trips. “I’d love to have more girls join, even if it’s only for one or two events,” said Caitlyn. “You can be a part of the Ollie and you can always come back.” To join, parents fill out a membership card and Caitlyn adds each parent to the parent group chat. “It’s an opportunity to make a connection to the Ollie,” Caitlyn said. “Some come back to work with us in the summer. We are always a place they can turn to.” All the girls have Caitlyn’s contact info and they will reach out if they need something. “They can turn to me for support,” she said. Caitlyn is a movement teacher at Josiah Quincy Elementary School and while she loves her job, the Ollie and Girls Group “is where my heart is.
There’s something about giving back to the community that gave to you.” Caitlyn grew up and still lives in Southie. She was part of the Ollie as a girl but was too shy to join Girls Group. “I probably would have been more outgoing had I joined,” she said. “I was a book nerd.” Stella, for one, knows that Caitlyn would have benefited from Girls Group: “I don’t know if I was shy before, but if you are shy, it can help you.” Caitlyn loves to see the girls gain lasting friendships from the group. Callie believes she has made lifelong friends through Girls Group. “I know people from being from South Boston, but I got really close to the girls at the Ollie.” Maeve said she’s always been friends with the girls, but “when you walk together to Girls Group and do different things, I got closer to my friends.” Girls Group also exposes the girls to things they may have never tried.
What new skills have you learned in Girls Group? Brooke: “I learned how to make decisions for myself. You have to learn to make decisions because not everyone can make them for you.” ** Maeve: “I learn how to cook; I learn safety rules; I learn how to make my
own decisions; I learn how not to touch the stove.” ** Stella: “I like trying new things.” What do your parents think about Girls Group? Stella: “My parents really like it. We can socialize. It gives you something more to do, especially in the winter.” ** Brooke and Callie’s parents like it, too. “It gets me out of the house,” said Brooke. “When we’ve been home all day, we can go to Girls Group after online school,” Callie said. ** Maeve: “My parents like it because all my friends are there. I can spend time with friends and I’m learning new things when I go.” What else would you like to share about Girls Group? ** Stella: “It’s really fun. I enjoy it.” ** Brooke: “It’s really fun.” ** Callie: “I look forward to it every week.” Liana Flood, 14, popped in at the end of the Zoom call. Liana doesn’t go to school around here, so being a part of the group helps connect her to the neighborhood. Girls Group “builds connections with kids and the community,” she said.
SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021
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SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM
The Hatch Shell Lights Up by Rick Winterson
T
here’s a month-long light (and sound) show now taking place in the Hatch Memorial Shell, that unique Boston landmark which sits on the Esplanade – the green walking area spread along the Boston side of the Charles River Basin. The show is called “Hatched: Breaking through the Silence”. It celebrates 20 years of partnership between the Esplanade Association and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The show first opened on Friday evening, January 22; it will continue through Sunday evening, February 21. You have two-anda-half weeks left to see it before it closes. “Hatched: Breaking through the Silence” is a short, extravagant light display that’s 15 minutes long. It repeats itself every 20 minutes, from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. and will take place seven evenings a week until its closing date on Sunday, February 21. It features brilliantly colored lighting changes, silhouettes of musical instruments, and
visuals of hands enthusiastically c lappi ng. T he mu sic accompanying “Hatched” was composed by Maria Finkelmeier, who is best known for her contemporary and classical music. As far as we know at South Boston Online, the light show is a “First” in the long, illustrious history of the Hatch Memorial Shell. The Shell is of course specifically designed for large, outdoor musical concerts. Its beautifully finished, seashell-like shape projects music all the way upriver to the Harvard Bridge at Mass Avenue. The Boston
Pops played their first concert in the Shell 91 years ago on July 4, 1929. It was conducted by the immortal Arthur Fiedler. “Hatched: Breaking through the Silence” is something the whole family can enjoy, so make your plans to see it – your kids included. Don’t drive there – parking is virtually non-existent. Take the Red Line inbound from Broadway or Andrew and get off at Charles Street Station. Cross Storrow Drive using the overhead pedestrian ramp; the Hatch Shell is a six or seven minute walk away. Watch the “Hatched” light
show more than once, but please remember that each showing lasts for only 15 minutes, and then repeats itself. You would probably like to combine your brief viewings of “Hatched” with some other activity, like a picturesque winter walk along the Charles River (dress warmly!). Or you might consider supper at The King and I (Thai cuisine), Panificio (a bistro), or other fine dining spot along Charles Street, which is a short walk back from the Shell. But enjoy! “Hatched: Brea k ing t hrough t he Si le nc e ” is me mor a ble .
SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021
Hearing Filed to Discuss Services for Women Veterans
B
oston City Councilors Ed Flynn and Lydia Edwards are filing a hearing order at this week’s Council meeting to discuss services for women veterans. The hearing aims to start a discussion on how veteran organizations and V.A. hospitals can offer the gender-specific services for our women veterans. Women comprise nearly 20% of ser v ing m i lit a r y personnel and 10% of the veteran population, ma k ing up an important part of our milita r y. However, despite their contributions, women veterans often don’t receive enough support. For example, the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) hospitals do not have medical facilities that provide the necessar y and adequate maternity care for women veterans. Moreover, 25% of women veterans experience Military Sexual Trauma (MST) during military service, and they are more likely to struggle with childcare, homelessness, and mental health challenges. As VA hospitals are struggling to provide gender specific medical care for our women veterans, the recently passed Deborah Sampson Act in Congress seek to address this issue by requiring the VA to offer primary care for female veterans at all medical centers and clinics, and provide access
to counseling to women who suffered service-related sexual trauma as well as those who are at risk of becoming homeless. “Women service members and women veterans are an indispensable pa r t of our military,” said Councilor Flynn. “ It is important that we recognize their sacrifice to our country, as well as realize the challenges that women veterans face. It is critical that our women veterans receive the care and services they need for their health and wellbeing. T ha n k you to C ou nci lor Edwards for her partnership on this, and I look forward to having this discussion.” “My mother served in the Air Force and I travelled the world with her,” said Councilor Edwards. “Our definitions of who is a war hero and who serves our country are evolving. How we acknowledge all veterans for their service and care for them afterward has to be as inclusive as possible. We need to make sure our country fights for women veterans like they fought for our country. I’m excited to have this conversation and thank Councilor Flynn for his continued leadership on veterans issues.”
For more information, plea se contact Councilor Flynn’s office at 617-635-3203 and Ed.Flynn@Boston.gov.
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ZONING HEARING The Zoning Commission of the City of Boston hereby gives notice, 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 Area No. 128, 776 Summer Street, South Boston, filed by the Boston Redevelopment Authority d/b/a the Boston Planning & Development Agency. 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 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 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 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 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 access driveways. The Master Plan will be divided into (i) six (6) new 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, 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 to jeffrey.hampton@boston.gov.
For the Commission Jeffrey M. Hampton Executive Secretary
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SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM
South Boston Catholic Academy News Grade 4A News
From our Grade 4A Teacher, Ms. Caitlin Gibbs…The students in 4A have adapted so well to all of the changes they have had to face this year, and we are all happy that we have the opportunity to be together every day! In science, we have been talking about minerals and rocks. To help our understanding of the rock cycle, we did a fun hands-on project where starbursts represented rocks and we used heat and pressure to change the starbursts into metamorphic, sedimentary, and igneous rocks! The students have been enjoying reading Shiloh during reading class and making connections between it and the book, Because of Winn-Dixie that we read earlier this year! In social studies, students worked hard on identifying the states in the Northeast and some of its special landforms! We have also been working hard on our multiplication skills in math. We are looking forward to the rest of the school year learning, laughing, and growing together.
SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021
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A COVID-19 Vaccination by Rick Winterson
T
his is a write-up of one chapter in a very important activity now taking place in South Boston – the vaccinations that will eventually protect all of us against the ravages of COVID19. This vaccination took place at the South Boston Community Health Center (the SBCHC); it was quick, simple, effective, and well organized. South Boston Online is publishing an account of this procedure to encourage you to take part yourself in the nationwide COV I D -19 i m mu n i z at ion s. The writer has been a patient at the SBCHC for more than 20 years. His Primary Care Physician is employed there. He was able to register for the Phase Two COVID-19 vaccination by telephone during January. Last week, as the beginning of Phase Two approached (on Monday, February 1), he received a phone call from the SBCHC to set up
an appointment for Tuesday afternoon, February 2, at 1 p.m. Right at 1 p.m. last Tuesday, the 2nd, he arrived at SBCHC’s rear door at F and Silver Streets. The first stop was to check in at a table just inside the SBCHC’s rear door on Silver Street. Name and date of birth were checked and a completed registration form was issued. Next, a vaccination card and information sheets were given out at a counter that lets into the clinical
The Health Center will set up your booster shot for you on your way out.
area, where the vaccination is actually given. From there, the writer just followed the blue arrows on the f loor. Once the writer was seated in the actual vaccination area, the nurse administering the vaccination showed up in a couple of minutes. After that, it was just a matter of rolling up a shirt sleeve and receiving the vaccine (in the left arm, if you choose). A very fine needle mounted on a small hypodermic was used; it took only a few seconds. Now, South Boston Online is certainly aware that many people really dislike needles, but
we assure you this vaccination needle was so tiny that it almost could not be felt at all. He was given an appointment for his second vaccination in an even 28 days, on Tuesday, March 2. That’s the interval recommended for the Moderna vaccine, which is the brand available at the SBCHC. The Moderna vaccine uses a technology known as “Messenger RNA” (mRNA); you’ll receive an info sheet on this vaccine. Please fix this in your mind: The entire procedure described above took just 15 minutes from start to finish. Yes, only 15 minutes! The SBCHC staff are to be complimented on both their courtesy and their efficiency. As we said, we are publishing this to persuade you to get yourself vaccinated. There are some who claim that COVID-19 vaccinations don’t work, or are even some kind of government plot. Simply stated, those people are wrong – completely and totally wrong! So please get vaccinated. Protect your fa mily, friends, neig hbors, working colleagues, and yourself.
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021
Virtual Public Meeting
69 A Street Tuesday, February 16 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Zoom Link: bit.ly/2Nu9DcC Toll Free: (833) 568 - 8864 Meeting ID: 160 670 1122
CIEE, a/k/a the Council on International Education Exchange
hosted by Compass on the Bay
Project Description: The NPC II Project will re-purpose the approved building envelope, and so remains entirely consistent with exterior appearance of the Approved Project. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant impacts on CIEE’s operations, substantially reducing its workforce. To address these implications and fulfill its commitment to economic development, job creation and community benefits, CIEE is partnering with the established life-science venture of Genesis and Phase 3 Real Estate Partners. The NPC II Project would enable CIEE to repurpose the Approved Project with a similar commercial use and resulting employment opportunities. The NPC II Project is also consistent with the public review and input for the Approved Project, which reduced the size and scale of the Original Approved Project. To emphasize, the NPC II Project will not result in any expansion to the building envelope, or reduction in set-back dimensions, open space, on-site parking/loading or overall site improvements.
phone: email:
Michael Sinatra Boston Planning & Development Agency One City Hall Square, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02201 617.918.4280 michael.a.sinatra@boston.gov
Hearts, Hugs & Hope: A Virtual Alzheimer’s Support Group Offered by Compass on the Bay February 24, 2020, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Project Proponent:
mail to:
SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM
Close of Comment Period: 2.26.2021
1380 Columbia Road, South Boston Dealing with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia isn’t easy, so it is helpful to share your concerns and personal experiences with others who completely understand what you’re going through. You will also learn about proven strategies to help you better care for your family member. This month’s group will feature Veronica Martinez, LICSW, who will present, “Self Care for the Caregiver.” Call 617-268-5450 or email Program Director Kristi Faby at kfaby@compassonthebay.com for more information and
BostonPlans.org
@BostonPlans
to register for the Zoom meeting.
Teresa Polhemus, Executive Director/Secretary
The Law Office of
Paul J. Gannon PC General Practice of Law
Criminal Defense Personal Injury Motor Vehicle Accidents Establishment of Corporations, LLCs Wills & Estate Planning Real Estate Litigation Probate No Charge for Initial Consultation
82 West Broadway South Boston, MA (617)269-1993 pgannon@paulgannonlaw.com
Virtual Public Meeting
Hook Wharf Hotel/ Harborwalk Expansion Thursday, February 4
Zoom Link: bit.ly/3qmR1tq
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Toll Free: (833) 568 - 8864 Meeting ID: 160 946 7082
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.
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
@BostonPlans
Teresa Polhemus, Executive Director/Secretary
SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021
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Hearing Filed on the Impact of CORI on Access to Employment & Opportunities
ity Councilors Ed Flynn and Michael Flaherty filed a hearing order at this week’s Council meeting to discuss how criminal offender record information (CORI) affects employment, housing, and other opportunities. Criminal records often harm access to resources and opportunities for those with prior convictions. Despite progress made on CORI reform in recent years, there is still room for improvement. This hearing intends to discuss how CORI impacts a person’s ability in seeking employment and other resources, the effectiveness of existing CORI reforms, and how we can further expand opportunities for people with CORI. This is a refiled hearing order from last year, and a hearing was held last August. The negative effects of criminal conviction are magnified for our communities of color, who not only face higher conviction rates than whites, but tend to fare worse, at baseline, on employment outcomes and related measures of wellbeing. Having a criminal record often impedes access for past offenders for employment, housing, and other opportunities, and there are CORI reforms at the
state level that attempt to expand opportunities for those with CORI. In 2010, Governor Deval Patrick signed the Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) Reform into law, which barred employers from asking early-stage applicants questions about their criminal history (known as “ban the box”), and in 2018, the Massachusetts legislature expanded the 2010 CORI Reform law, reducing the period for required disclosure of misdemeanor convictions from five years to three years, among others. However, despite these reforms, research shows that that banning the box still often failed to reduce employer discrimination related to criminal records, and that there should also be focus on alternative measures to improve reentry prospects for former convicts and policies that decrease the likelihood of conviction in the first place. “As a former probation officer, I witnessed firsthand the impact that CORI can have on a person’s ability to access opportunities that would help put them on the right path,” said Councilor Flynn. “People with records are often unable to obtain employment, housing, or other essential resources, preventing them from fully reentering society. In
our discussion about racial equity and reforms to the criminal justice system, we should also be talking about how we can ensure that people with records are given a fair chance in getting jobs and other opportunities. I look forward to working with advocates and my colleagues on this important issue.” “I have seen first hand how CORIs impede a person’s attempt to fully participate in their communities and ultimately avoid recidivism, which is why I’ve made CORI reform a priority throughout my time on the Council”, said Councilor Flaherty. “During my time as Council president, I created a special committee on CORI reform
and have since continued my efforts and advocacy by connecting people to employers and opportunities that are CORI friendly, such as Operation Exit. As we have broader discussions about the need for structural change in our Commonwealth and City, reforming the CORI system is one of many systems that needs to be urgently reformed to ensure that people have fair and equal access to opportunity.” Contact Councilor Flynn’s office at 617-635-3203 and Ed.Flynn@Boston.gov or Councilor Flaherty’s office at 617-635-4205 and Michael.Flaherty@boston.gov.
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