Dogs in Public Areas Must be Leashed

by Rick Winterson

An early arrival at the Medal of Honor Park (a.k.a. M Street Park) was revealing. There were around a dozen dogs there; many were on a leash. But in order to give them all a chance to run, the leashes frequently were taken off, balls were thrown for the dogs to retrieve, and a few ran and played down in the adjacent Lee Ballpark below. In general, the law requiring that dogs in public areas must be leashed was ignored, at least part of the time, by almost everyone with a dog.

A few minutes after 6 p.m., Council President Ed Flynn opened a community meeting that he had called for. The issue to be discussed was “Off-Leash Dogs”; this was precipitated by a four-year-old girl who had been bitten by a dog in April. Also present were City Councilors-at- large Erin Murphy and Michael Flaherty, Parks Commissioner Ryan Wood, Animal Control Director Alexis Trzcinski, and BPD Station C-6 Captain Joseph Boyle. More than a hundred were at the meeting; perhaps onethird of them were dog owners.

Councilor Flynn opened the proceedings by commenting on the number of calls his office had received after the dogbite incident. He emphatically confirmed that the leash law still applies and that dogs out in any public area or space must be leashed. He said he was aware that many dog owners would disagree with him, but that public safety was his first priority. (Some muttered objections from the assembled dog owners ensued.) He also pointed out that there are three dog parks in South Boston – on A Street, on MWRA land

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Julie’s Annual “Angel Award” Recipent

Julie’s annual “Angel Award”, which was conferred upon Patricia Finn posthumously. A born-and-raised South Boston resident, as well as a dedicated friend and supporter of Julie’s, Pat passed from us just over a month ago

by Rick Winterson

Julie’s Family Learning Program held its 2023 Spring Luncheon. An upbeat crowd of approximately 200 staff, students, and supporting guests convened at the Venezia Restaurant.

Right from the beginning of this event, it was clear that everyone was there to enjoy themselves, while being brought up to date about Julie’s. Honored guests in attendance were Bob

Monahan, Julie’s past Executive Director, and Sr. Louise Kearns, SND, a Julie’s co-founder (along with Sr. Jean Sullivan, SND). Julie’s was founded in 1974 in the D Street Project; next year, Julie’s celebrates its

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by Day Boulevard, and across First Street nearby. Several other Boston neighborhoods have no dog parks at all.

Councilor Flaherty followed with his own comments. He said he’s a dog owner himself, and then followed up by saying that owners must show a “spirit of cooperation” by keeping their dogs on a leash. Councilor Murphy spoke about how the pandemic and the empty parks that resulted could have led to dogs running free more frequently these days. Animal Control Director Trzcinski stated her agreement with the leash law. Parks Commissioner Wood mentioned in his remarks that an experiment with unleashed dogs on Boston Common failed and was terminated. Questions from the meeting attendees followed. More dog parks were asked for, including making one by fencing off an area in M Street Park. Parks Commissioner Ryan, who had mentioned a problem with dog park odors, said fencing off would not be acceptable. His reply and later remarks spoke of gravel surfaces and special drainage being required, along with a price tag of $350,000 and at least an 18-month horizon for a true dog park to be installed anywhere in Boston. Other suggestions involved putting aside hours when dogs could run free in park areas and open spaces. The fact that the dog park on First Street had become outright offensive from dog wastes was mentioned more than once. One dog owner tried to stress that the owners were part of the community, but he perhaps misunderstood that the meeting’s issue was dog leashing, not owning a dog. Non-owners spoke loudly about how freely roaming dogs bothered them. Councilor Flynn closed the meeting by saying he’d work with dog owners on another dog park, but reaffirmed that the leash law must be obeyed from here on. This won’t be the end of the off-leash controversy.

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Three of the students who had been in Julie’s educational and workplace skills program also spoke. They were Tez Lennard, an Adult Basic Education (ABE) graduate, Mahammed Sajjad, and Kikilanualawa Benson. Both Mahammad and Kiki have completed Boston College’s renowned B.C. PULSE Program for Service Learning. All three presentations were wellspoken, enthusiastic, and filled with gratitude toward Julie’s.

50th Anniversary of continuous service to South Boston.

Sharon Asiaf, Julie’s Board Chair, and Michelle Persson Reilly, Julie’s current Executive Director, opened the program. Sharon thanked everyone for coming and welcomed the guests of Julie’s. She then handled the Awards. Michelle followed her and spoke about the obstacles that Julie’s has overcome recently – not least the pandemic. Just a few years ago, in 2019, Julie’s took on training and educating young adults who felt the need for additional qualifications, an added mission now going quite well. Currently, Julie’s is engaged in educating about 150 students, as well as 20 mother-child couples.

We’ll close with what was perhaps the high point of the Luncheon. That was Julie’s annual “Angel Award”, which was conferred upon Patricia Finn posthumously. A born-andraised South Boston resident, as well as a dedicated friend and supporter of Julie’s, Pat passed from us just over a month ago. Her daughter, Theresa Finn Dever, attended Julie’s Spring Luncheon. Afterward, she sent a note of thanks that we’ll quote:

“My Mom, Patricia Finn, received a surprise posthumous Angel Award at the Julie’s Family Learning Program Luncheon today. Pat was a life-long resident of South Boston (who had only recently moved to the North Shore to be near some of her children and grandchildren). She was the mother of six children and a strong supporter of Julie’s. She, along with my Dad John Finn, who pre-deceased her, instilled in their children the importance of supporting and helping others in the community. My Dad has been President of the Gate of Heaven St. Vincent de Paul Society. My Mom, Pat, was like an unofficial social worker always connecting those in need with services and assistance. She had City Hall and all the local politicians on speed dial. She loved Julie’s and until she passed away on March 22, 2023, she had planned to attend this luncheon. The Finn family was touched and honored by this Award in her memory. Thank you, Theresa Finn Dever.”