SBOL_06_20_2024

Celtics Championship Parade Preparation

Boston Police encouraging parade attendees to celebrate safely, be prepared for hot weather

Mayor Michelle Wu, Boston public safety officials, and Celtics leadership shared preparations for Friday’s rolling rally championship parade to celebrate the Boston Celtics’ 18th NBA Championships. Beginning at 11:00 a.m., Celtics players will ride on Duck Boats, starting at TD Garden on Causeway Street, passing by City Hall Plaza and the Boston Common, and ending on Boylston Street by the Hynes Convention Center.

“We are so proud of the Celtics players on and off the basketball court and are ecstatic to host a celebration for banner number 18,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “While

we know how to host a parade in the city of champions, we are reminding everyone to celebrate responsibly, stay hydrated and mindful of the hot temperatures, and reach out to one of the many public safety officials who will be present along the route if you see something that needs attention.”

In anticipation of hot temperatures, Mayor Wu and Boston public safety officials are reminding spectators to stay hydrated and use sunscreen. Underage and public drinking of alcohol will not be tolerated. Boston Police and Boston EMS will have a large presence along the parade route. The Office of Emergency Management will have misting tents out to provide cooling relief located at City Hall Plaza and the Boston Common, along with cooling towels. Residents are encouraged to sign up for Alertboston emergency notifications

Ending the Year on a High Note

the Year Highlights

The end of the school year has been a very busy time for South Boston Catholic Academy. To start our day off, our SBCA Children’s Choir wonderfully performed “The Star Spangled Banner” for the entire school in the gym and all

the students enjoyed singing fun songs in music class, as well. The St. Vincent DePaul Food Pantry thanked the Student Council at SBCA for managing a very successful food drive to replenish the much needed food pantry for the spring months. Families had a great time getting together at the Spring Dance. The Spring

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SBCA End of

by Rick Winterson

TCatholic Charites’ NDEC Graduates Nine

he Notre Dame Education Center (NDEC) has completed their 20232024 YES Program. Last Wednesday afternoon, the NDEC faculty held Graduation Exercises in their headquarters at 250 Old Colony Boulevard. Jacqueline Chernoble, the VP of Adult Education & Workforce Development at Catholic Charities of Boston, served as the enthusiastic Mistress of Ceremonies for this joyful occasion. For your information, NDEC has recently become a part of Catholic Charities’ Laboure Center on D and West Broadway – “YES” stands for their “Youth Education Services” program.

The hall used for the Graduation was filled with families and friends of the students. Diplomas were

NDEC Students and Faculty.

conferred by Manny Reynoso (YES Program Director), Leslie Feeney (Program Manager), Adam Berndt (Program Specialist), and Elaine Fallon (Instructor). The Student Speaker, Zara Nataly Ratican, delivered some very pertinent remarks about the student experiences at NDEC. Leslie Feeney then led the all-important “turning of the tassels” on the

Virtual Public Meeting

RLFMP Resilience Planning & Feasibility

Project Proponent: The Coastal Resilience Delivery Team of the City of Boston Planning Department

Project Description: The RLFMP Flood Mitigation Planning & Feasibility Study aims to refine coastal protection options developed through CRS South Boston and advance the Master Plan sustainability and resilience vision by developing a feasible and implementable stakeholder-supported solutions that protect against current and future coastal flooding that support marine industrial uses and ship-to-shore transfer of goods. The Study, initiated by the Coastal Resilience Delivery Team of the City of Boston Planning Department in Spring 2023, is provided technical support by a consultant team led by Arcadis. The project team, working closely with stakeholders including Massport, marine-dependent businesses and other tenants, and the Boston Marine Park Business Association to complete an existing conditions analysis; risk and vulnerability assessments, alternative district-scale coastal resilience strategies and alignments, seeks to present and solicit community feedback on preferred alternatives.

Mail to: Dolores Fazio

Phone: 617.918.6209

Email: Dolores.fazio@boston.gov

@BostonPlans BostonPlans.org

Teresa Polhemus, Executive Director/Secretary

graduation caps from the right side to the left, which is an ancient tradition that signifies the completion of years of studies. Diplomas were received by Stefany Contreras Osomo, Zara Nataly Ratigan, Mia Marie Harris, Mikaela A. Rivera, Noah Marseille, Erializ Danezia Luz Robles, Gabriel Vicente Pastor,

and Kyrice Malik Taylor. A YES HiSET Completion was awarded to Mollie O’Donnell. After the ceremony, the Graduates and their guests were treated to refreshments, lively conversation, and good fellowship. Sincere congratulations are due to all of the Graduates.

Continued from Page 1 Celtics Parade

at boston.gov/alertboston.

“Congratulations to the Celtics for their long deserved 18th banner. I want to make sure that we thank our State police partners, NEMLEC partners, and other public safety partners that have helped deal with the celebration last night, who will also help us in this year’s rolling rally coming up,” said Commissioner Michael A. Cox, Boston Police Department. “Please be aware of your surroundings in general -- if you see something that looks suspicious, please say something by dialing 911. This is a championship City and I’m sure our crowds will continue to show that Boston’s the best in the world.”

While the previously declared heat emergency will have ended by Friday, first responders will be ready to help those feeling adverse effects from the heat.

“As we celebrate the Celtics and their victory, it’s important to do so responsibly,” said Boston EMS Chief James Hooley. “Remember to look out for one another, take care of each other, and make sure everyone is safe. If someone doesn’t seem okay, get help right away.”

City streets in the West End, Downtown, and Back Bay will be shut down to normal vehicular traffic for the parade route. A full list of street closures can be found here. A parking ban on impacted streets will begin at midnight on Friday morning so crews can start securing the parade route. Streets will shut down to normal traffic beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Friday.

Commuters are encouraged to work remotely if possible and avoid driving through the downtown area during the late morning and early afternoon Friday. Parade attendees and commuters are encouraged to take public transportation.

To accommodate higher-thannormal ridership, the MBTA will operate increased subway service and modified Commuter Rail schedules with additional train times before and after the parade. Riders are strongly encouraged to purchase roundtrip fares in advance. Riders can find more information on MBTA

service, parking, paying fares, and more for Friday’s championship parade at mbta.com/Celtics.

Additional MBTA staff, Transit Ambassadors, Keolis personnel, and Transit Police will be deployed throughout the system to assist with safety and wayfinding. Station platforms may become crowded, and as a safety precaution, riders are reminded to stay behind the yellow line when on platforms and not to obstruct closing doors of subway vehicles. Bikes will not

be allowed on any subway or Commuter Rail trains on Friday. Riders can call the MBTA call center at 617-222-3200 for more information. To report an emergency, riders can dial 911, call the MBTA Transit Police Department at 617-222-1212, or use the SeeSay mobile app to anonymously report an issue.

Accessible seating will be available to watch the parade on City Hall Plaza on the Cambridge Street side and outside of the Boston Public Library on Boylston Street.

“What stands out most about this group is their dedication to being team players and winning as a collective group,” said Rich Gotham, Boston Celtics Team President. “They achieved a historic feat through hard work and dedication, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to celebrate with the most incredible fans in the world this Friday in Boston.”

More information can be found on boston.gov/celtics. A map of the parade route can also be found on the webpage

BOS TON LOGAN IN TERN ATI ONAL A IRPORT 2 0 22 EN VIRONMEN TAL S TATUS & P LAN NI NG RE P O R T ( ESPR) I N FORM ATION SE SSION

Massport will host a public information session (in-person & virtual) on the 2022 Logan Environmental Status & Planning Report (2022 Logan ESPR). This hybrid information session will be in English and Spanish.

The hybrid information session will take place: Wednesday, June 26, 2024 at 6:00 P.M. Cathy Leonard-McLean Community Room at the Logan Airport Rental Car Center* 15 Transportation Way East Boston, MA 02128

To access the meeting link and for more information, please visit: www.massport.com/logan-airport/about-logan/environmental-reports/

Additional languages for the Public Information Session on the 2022 Logan ESPR will be available upon request. Requests for additional languages are due by Friday, June 21, 2024. For more information or to request translation services, contact community@massport.com.

Massport requested an extension of the public comment period for the 2022 Logan ESPR, which began on June 7, 2024, and will last for approximately 60 days until the close of public comments on August 6, 2024.

Written comments on the ESPR may be submitted by August 6, 2024 to: The Honorable Rebecca L. Tepper, Secretary Executive O ce of Energy and Environmental A airs Attn: MEPA O ce Jennifer Hughes, EEA No. 3247 100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900 Boston, MA 02114

Electronic comments may also be submitted on the MEPA Public Comments Portal at: https://eeaonline.eea.state.ma.us/EEA/PublicComment/Landing/

Please note that an electronic copy of the 2022 Logan ESPR is available on Massport’s website at: www.massport.com/massport/about-massport/project-environmental-filings/log an-airport/

Hard copies of the 2022 Logan ESPR may be obtained by emailing Brad Washburn at bwashburn@massport.com during the public comment period.

*The Rental Car Center is accessible via the MBTA Blue Line Airport Station then use of Massport’s On-Airport Shuttle bus (Bus 22, 33 or 55).

June Is Accordion Month at the Branch Library

by Rick Winterson

So far in 2024, the Friends of the South Boston Branch Library (646 East Broadway) have held six Book Sales on the third Saturday of every month. Used books from many sources, including the main Boston Public Library in Copley Square, have been available for purchase at very low prices – from 50

cents up to $1 or $2 each, including many children’s books.

At 1:30 on each of these six Saturdays, the Friends of the Library presented free musical concerts while the Book Sales were going on. The June concert last Saturday afternoon was especially fitting. Along with being known as a special “Month” for many other reasons, June is also called “National Accordion Awareness Month”. An accordionist named Damien Fish played last Saturday’s concert; he was invited to perform by Research Librarian Kathleen Clifford. Damien’s concert was filled with rhythmic accordion pieces – having a pronounced beat and being very melodic. The songs were mostly tinged with an Eastern European flavor, having variations in minor scales that gave an exotic tone. Each of Damien’s selections was

Virtual Public Meeting

295 W. 1st Street

JULY 9

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Zoom Link: bit.ly/3Xg9MSQ

Toll Free: (833) 568 - 8864

Meeting ID: 160 505 0364

Project Description:

The Proponent is proposing to construct a six (6) story mixed-use residential building (approximately 48’6” along West Second Street to 69’11” along West First Street) of approximately 226,000 gross square feet, with up to 252 residential units, public open space with active ground floor community and retail uses (at its “Yard on Second” concept), on-site and above grade garaged parking for up to 126 vehicles, bicycle storage and on-site amenities (the “Proposed Project”).

toe-tappingly rhythmic, and the audience’s reception and applause were highly enthusiastic (polka dancing, anyone?).

Here are a couple of reminders for you about soon-to-come activities at the Branch Library:

Next Saturday, June 22, at 2:30 p.m., a piano duo will present a concert called “Four Hands on One Piano”. The two pianists are Friedhelm Hildebrandt and Hue Ye. Their performance is one of the Harbor Harmonies concert

series presented during 2024 by FPAC – South Boston’s Fort Point Arts Community. Don’t miss this. It’s free, but reservations are recommended. Be sure to come to the Branch Library’s next Book Sale, on July 20 (the third Saturday) from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Friends of the Branch Library will have thousands – yes, thousands! – of books for sale at very low prices. And while you’re at the July Book Sale, check out the Library’s many activity listings, which are posted at the Branch’s front desk.

New Higher Capacity Transmission Line

Eversource’s new transmission line is proceeding down Songin Way on its route between the Andrew Square electrical substation and the substation on Dewar Street in Savin Hill. It will enable carrying higher voltage as well as increasing system reliability. Completion is expected by the fall. This connecting line will be instrumental in providing power service to projects the size of On the DOT and Dorchester Bay.

by Rick Winterson

AThe Summer Street Pilot Program Update

pproximately a year ago, the City of Boston’s BTD (Boston Transportation Department) proposed carrying out an experiment they called “The Summer Street Pilot Program”. Originally slated to begin almost at once, the Pilot Program was delayed until adjustments and approvals could be obtained – it actually began in December of 2023. Matthew Moran was named the Director of the Transit Team, who are members of the BTD group running the Pilot Program.

The Pilot Program took place on an actual, fully-used section of Summer Street that is one-and-a-half (1-1/2) miles long. It extends from East First Street to just beyond where Summer Street crosses Dorchester Avenue, very near South Station. This section is used every workday by as many as 20,000 vehicles of all kinds, including bikes, buses, trucks, motorcycles, and (mostly, of course) passenger automobiles. The Pilot Program was meant to go on for six months, so it’s essentially complete.

The Pilot Program involved creating designated lanes for buses and trucks, more

improved bicycle lanes, and safer infrastructure for pedestrians. Greater safety for all those who travel Summer Street was a prime reason for the Pilot Program. Measurements of speed, traffic, ridership, and congestion along Summer Street were made, and the Program’s Transit Team is now seeking community feedback about their work. This article is based upon the Transit Team’s recent Open House and update meeting last Tuesday.

A word about the phrase “Pilot Program”. Piloting is a well-known, experimental step in many technical measurement studies. It involves making changes in real-life situations (such as the traffic traveling along Summer Street) to see what works best. Changes can be made as needed, whenever new information and findings are discovered. Flexibility is an important key. Changes as the Summer Street Pilot Program progressed have included more traffic enforcement, better stripe painting (at the request of MassPort and the Convention Center), and added signage and signals.

At the Open House/update meeting mentioned above, Transit Team Director Matt

Moran described areas of progress and change. For example, with many lanes now “designated”, excess auto speeds of 40 miles per hour or more along Summer Street were reduced from 26% to 7%. This is important because accidents at 40 MPH cause nine times more serious injuries than those at 20 MPH. Travel times along Summer Street after the Pilot Program lanes were designated have increased by only one or two minutes. Some feedback has suggested that designated bus lanes be only used during the weekday rush hours. Other complaints included the specific delays caused by auto traffic turning left, in those parts of Summer Street that have just one lane designated for autos. There have been many comments about the bike lanes set up in the Pilot Program –most of them unfavorable. Bike traffic has indeed increased, and buses amount to 300 trips per day. But compared to total Summer Street traffic of nearly 18,000 per day, those figures don’t amount to much – just one trip in every 20 is a bike trip

We took a walk down Summer Street yesterday afternoon between East First and Dorchester Avenue to check

out current traffic on the Pilot Program’s stretch of road. We counted up vehicles while we walked over the whole distance; we purposely did this before the rush hour began. The total traffic we saw confirmed the figures assembled by the Pilot Program. There very few bikes, but several motor scooters and small motorcycles were using the designated bike lanes, especially where trucks were turning into the Conley Terminal and auto traffic had backed up. Please understand that any figures we came up with are only very rough estimates, compared to the accurate figures generated by the Pilot Program. If you get the chance, check Summer Street out for yourself sometime. And please be sure to attend the next (and perhaps the final) meeting of the Summer Street Pilot Program. They have scheduled another Open House on Monday evening, on July 8, from 5 until 8 p.m. at the Tynan School. It should be very interesting; your opinions and comments will be welcomed by Matt Moran and his Transit Team. Please plan to attend and don’t hesitate to speak up. Your input is very valuable. See you there.

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SBCA

Scholastic Book Fair was a big success. Students in the younger grades loved learning all about the life of butterflies, watching them change, growing their beautiful wings and then setting them free to enjoy their new life. We also welcomed our Mystery Readers. The children loved to see which parent/family member and/or special guests who came to read some of their favorite stories to the entry class. We thank all our Mystery Readers, including our special guest readers, Father Peter Schirripa, our Parochial Vicar, and Children’s Librarian Dani Crickman, the Children’s Librarian at the South Boston Branch

Library. The SBCA Drama Club gave an outstanding performance of their play Aladdin for their classmates, families and friends. The students in third grade read a book of their choice and did cereal box book reports. They also got to try acting as all of them recorded commercials for their cereal. The cereal boxes looked great and the commercials were creative, funny and made us all want to run out and read the books they chose! All the students thoroughly enjoyed Field Day, where they had a chance to celebrate the school year coming to an end, show some school spirit and spend a day participating in fun-filled activities. The students enjoyed their last weeks of school by going on great field

trips and having end of the year pizza parties and many awards ceremonies in their classrooms. The sixth graders did an amazing job with their Sports Research Fair. Shout out to the 6th Grade Graduations Class of 2023-2024! We want to thank everyone for another fabulous school year. We are excited to continue to offer the most innovative programs and opportunities for our students. We are fortunate to have highly qualified staff who are committed to the success of each and every student’s learning. This will not change for the next school year. We want to thank Home and School for their outstanding support and especially Benji Clause for his unwavering support

and leadership on behalf of SBCA! A shoutout to all our wonderful students, families, friends, faculty and staff for another great year! As we all know, “It takes a village!” Enjoy the time with family and friends, Principal of SBCA, Dr. Civian, Assistant Principal, Mrs. Moriarty, Director of the Early Childhood Center, Mrs. Murphy, and our SBCA Faculty and Staff! We look forward to seeing many of you at Summer Camp over the summer and look forward to another fabulous 20242025 school year ahead! New families are welcome to email our admissions team at admissions@ sbcatholicadacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

Rep. Biele Secures $400,00 to Support Treatment and Behavioral Health Programs

House budget includes $193.5 million for the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services

State Representative David Biele joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in passing the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25).

Funded at $58 billion, the House budget includes substantial investments in public health and mental health programs, funding the Department of Public Health at $1 billion and the Department of Mental Health at $1.18 billion for FY25. To combat the addiction epidemic, the House budget invests $193.5 million in the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS).

During the House’s budget

debate, Representative Biele filed and successfully advocated for the adoption of several amendments to provide funding for local substance use treatment and recovery programs as well as behavioral health programs.

“Every community in the Commonwealth has felt the impacts of addiction and substance use, which highlight the continued importance of recovery and behavioral health supportive programs” said Rep. Biele.

“These crucial investments will ensure that providers with proven track records will continue to provide to lifesaving mental health and treatment services to the most vulnerable. I am grateful to my colleagues for their support of these crucial resources.”

Collectively, Rep. Biele secured $400,000 to support programs that provide behavioral

health continuum of care and comprehensive substance abuse and narcotic use reduction services at the Gavin Foundation, the Joseph Nee Collaborative Center, and the South Boston Community Health Center.

“The Gavin Foundation is most grateful for Rep. Biele’s legislative and budgetary support for the recovery community,” said John McGahan of the Gavin Foundation.

“We are grateful to Rep. Biele for securing funds in the House budget to support recovery services and for his years of advocacy at the State House,” said Andy Ward, Executive Director of the Joseph Nee Collaborative Center.

“Rep. Biele has been a champion for South Boston Community Health Center in the House. He has secured funding in the House budget for critical Behavioral Health programs that help us to address the needs of our patients. We are

grateful for his leadership,” said William J. Halpin, CEO of the South Boston Community Health Center. The state budget is currently being reconciled by a six-member conference committee, which will produce a final compromise spending plan to send to the Governor for review and signature.

Boston Harborfest Returns for its 42nd Edition July 1 – 4

Entertainment, parades, and historic reenactments return to beloved Fourth of July festival

Boston Harborfest, one of the country’s largest Fourth of July festivals, returns to Boston Harbor and Downtown Boston for its 42nd edition July 1-4. The long-running festival, celebrating Boston’s revolutionary history and its everyday vibrancy will feature dozens of events and activities including live entertainment, historical re-enactments, integration with U.S. Navy Week, fireworks, and more. The latest event schedule is now available at www.bostonharborfest.com.

The festivities begin Monday, July 1 at 12:00 p.m. in Downtown Boston with an official Harborfest kick-off, cake-cutting, and salute. Music, re-enactors, and events will fill Boston that afternoon and the following three days, with activity centered in Downtown Crossing, Christopher Columbus Park, and on Boston Harbor.

“Boston is at its best when its residents and visitors convene for events across a backdrop of history,” said Dusty Rhodes, president of Conventures and organizer of Harborfest. “We are thrilled to team up with the City of Boston and the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District for this annual celebration of summer and our city.”

New for 2024, some Boston Harborfest events will include performances and programming from the US Navy, which is visiting Boston for Navy Week. The Navy Band will perform a pre-fireworks concert on July 2 at Christopher Columbus Park, and again on July 4 at Long Wharf as the USS Constitution sails past. Also new this year is the inclusion of three days of an outdoor

beer garden in Downtown Boston for guests 21 and older. Family-friendly events such as Chowderfest, an ice cream social, and concerts are entirely free and will fill Downtown Boston and Christopher Columbus Park on the harbor’s edge.

“The rich history and culture of Boston comes alive for Harborfest,” Downtown Boston BID President Michael Nichols says. “Downtown is the perfect backdrop for recalling the American Revolution, honoring our country’s move to freedom, and celebrating the dynamic city and country that has emerged ever since.

Residents and 4th of July visitors will love the events, the music, the art and the people-watching here and on the waterfront during Harborfest week.”

An annual tradition, Harborfest fireworks will fly over Boston Harbor at 9:15 p.m. on July 2. On Thursday, July 4, the City of Boston’s Independence Day Celebration will step off from City Hall Plaza and process through Granary Burial Ground and the Old State House for a reading of the Declaration of Independence. For more Harborfest information

and a complete list of activities, please visit www.bostonharborfest. com, and follow event updates on Harborfest’s Facebook page, @

BOSHarborfest on Twitter, @ bostonharborfest on Instagram, or follow the conversation using #BostonHarborfest.

Boston Children’s Museum Extends Dates of Hundred Acre Wood: A Winnie-the-Pooh Experience

Due to Popular Demand - Boston Children’s Museum has extended the dates for its Hundred Acre Wood: A Winnie-thePooh Experience. Boston Children’s Museum visitors can check out the Winnie-the-Pooh Costume Character Courtesy of The Paper Store on Saturday, June 22 from 10:00am–12:00pm.

Summer Hours: Monday, July 1 through Monday, September 2 Monday – Sunday from 9:00am–4:00pm.