SBOL_08_18_2022

THE PRINT EDITION

THURSDAY AUGUST 18, 2022

VOLUME XIX- ISSUE 74

Teaching and Learning

By Carol Masshardt

T

here may be teachers who lost heart during the protracted and unpredictable COVID crisis, but John Provenzano is not one of them. In 1995 he had intended to paint a mural at the Boston Renaissance Charter Public School as an artist-in-residence and then return to what was, and is still, an accomplished life as a painter, but once there, his life changed.

“The principal said, why don’t you paint in front of the kids. I thought now why would I do that? I’m naturally shy, but then I saw the curiosity of the kids, and I fell in love,” he said. He has served as the art teacher since and has developed a philosophy creatively based and deeply respectful of his K-6 students.

“The learning is mutual,”

he explained. “I see how they look at materials, and they have a natural ability to explore. I never saw myself as a teacher because I didn’t think I could communicate well enough, but that became a strength. I say less and make room for them. During COVID, I had to learn to teach again remotely, and the kids said, “Mr. Pro, use that tab on the right.’ We taught each other.”

A study in resilience not unlike many of his students, John Provenzano has a seizure condition that began in sixth grade, and he had a seizure early in his teaching while on a school trip to Thompson’s Island. The man who imagines himself to communicate little decided to forego art the next day and explain to the kids what happened. “I thought that I would just go back to studio Continued on Page 3

Garden Update

George Benner at the Logan Way gardens.

South Boston is the home of a special and unique organization. The founder of this organization is a local resident, George Benner. George established it more than a dozen years ago in 2008, and he named it the “Round Table”. If you think you remember that the first Round Table was part of the stories about King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, you are absolutely correct.

Story on Page 4

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Free Bluebikes Access Ahead of Orange Line Shutdowns The free Bluebikes passes are part of a cross-departmental approach to expand alternative methods of travel during the shutdown

M

ayor Michelle Wu and Chief of Streets Jascha FranklinHodge announced increased access to the City’s public bike share, Bluebikes, by offering free 30-day passes during the upcoming MBTA Orange Line shutdown. These bike share passes will be available to anyone, and provide an unlimited number of 45-minute trips at no cost. Bluebikes staff will be present at key Bluebikes stations in Boston to provide guaranteed access to bikes and Bluebikes parking. Passes will be available at bluebikes.com/ join or in the Bluebikes mobile app.

T he MBTA a nnou nced last week that the Orange Line will close for a month

beginning August 19 through September 19 for repair work.

Since that announcement, City of Boston off icials have been meeting da ily wit h MBTA and State officials to support immediate planning of alternate travel methods for commuters.

“E x pa nd i n g a c c e s s to bicycles is just one way the City is working to provide alternate routes of travel during this u npr e c e d e nt e d s hut d ow n,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “Our City departments are meeting daily with the MBTA to adjust shuttle routes, set bus priority lanes, and create multilingual signage. A s an Orange Line commuter, I will continue riding the MBTA to see f irsthand how these alternate routes are work ing for our residents.”

“Bik ing can be a great a lternative for some people during the shutdown,” said

Jascha Franklin-Hodge, Chief of Streets. “Opening up and enhancing Bluebikes service is just one of the ways we’re helping residents access good alternatives to their normal transit routes.”

Bluebikes is a bikeshare program, jointly owned and ma naged by t he Cities of Boston, Cambridge, Everett, Salem and Somerville and the Town of Brookline. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is the system’s title sponsor.

R iders can f ind 400 stations and 4,000 bikes across 11 municipalities in Metro Boston.

More on how to f ind a bike and the bike share’s origins in Boston can be found here.

To ensure rider safety, the City of Boston will implement “pop-up” bike lanes separated from vehicle traffic by barrels.

Riders will find these lanes on Columbus Avenue and Stuart St reet bet ween Cla rendon Street and Church Street and on Boylston Street in the Back Bay from Da rtmouth Street to A rling ton Street.

Enc ou ra g i ng bi k i ng is one of the many ways the Cit y of Boston is preparing for the August 19 shutdown.

The City of Boston is taking a cross-depa r tmenta l approach while working closely with the MBTA, regional partners, and

commuters to support immediate pla nning a nd ongoing mon itor i n g of a lter n at ive shuttle routes and diversions.

I n a dd it ion to bi k e lanes, Boston Transportation D e p a r t me nt of f ic i a l s a re planning bus priorit y lanes in key areas. The City is also work ing on pop-up tra nsit mobility hubs at Government Center and Copley Square.

T he se loc at ions w i l l have extensive dedicated curb space a nd clea r signa ge to help commuters navigate transfers to the Green Line, bus connections, a nd ac c e s s to Bluebi ke s.

The Cit y is committed to tra nsparenc y during the s hu t d o w n .

Up d a t e s a nd more in format ion on t he Cit y’s ongoing response to the Orange Line shutdown, including information on t a k ing t he C om muter R a il, c a n be found here.

The City of Boston offers many resources to residents interested in riding bikes, including videos about using Bluebi ke s. T he se re sou rce s can be found at boston.gov/ b o s t on - b y- bi k e .

L e a r n -t o bike classes for women and gender diverse adults are also available through mid-October.

A schedule can be found at boston.gov/women-bike.

SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM Continued from Page 1

Teaching and Learning work, and I usually wouldn’t have told anyone, but when I met with them it turned out three were in on the same medication. There were in my heart, and I stayed.”

So, in COVID times, he didn’t pass the time passively but had the kids create an art project from the junk mail they found at home, and surely, it could be at the ICA or other contempora r y museum. He was the creative force behind an inclusive and original video c a lled “Reima gine,” which involved the entire school community, including parents, who a r tistic a lly connected each person to something or someone else they were interested in a nd t hereby cha nging.

“It is all about connection,” said John Provenzano with endless ideas and appreciation for the unique and wonderous qualities of each child. Of course, one could ask if this takes precious time away from his own work, and characteristically, he steers from such dichotomies.

“It makes my work better. The kids are honest in what they see and that helps me,” he said.

A private man intensely connected to others, John Provenzano was raised in South Boston by parents, Kathy, and John, who still live in the family home, he is married to Karen, and has two daughters, all of whom he clearly adores. In addition, he has the support of the current head of the school, Alexandra Buckmire, as well as past and present school leaders. “This community has the most amazing people. The school has made a commitment to art,” he said, now noting with pleasure that he teaches children of children he taught previously.

Every Boston Public School is mired in problems with t ra n spor t at ion, t ra n sit ion s, and decisions in a complex time. Teaching has been in person, remote and back again during a frightening time.

John Provenzano, who fashions himself a shy and private artist is clear and eloquent. “Yes, there was fear in these recent years, but there was joy, humor, creative leaps, and playfulness. There is nothing I would rather do.”

(Carol Masshardt can be reached at carolhardt@ comcast.net)

John Provenzano

THURSDAY AUGUST 18, 2022

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THURSDAY AUGUST 18, 2022

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A Round Table Garden Update

by Rick Winterson

F

or your information, South Boston is the home of a special and unique organization. The founder of this organization is a local resident, George Benner.

George established it more than a dozen years ago in 2008, and he named it the “Round Table”.

If you think you remember that the first Round Table was part of the stories about King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, you are absolutely correct.

In George’s case, South Boston’s Round Table is devoted to gardening – yes, gardening.

The Round Table’s gardens are located in and around the Mary Ellen McCormack Project, between Old Colony/Columbia and Dorchester Avenue. These gardens have one, single purpose: the harvesting of nourishing vegetables that are available for free to residents of Mary Ellen McCormack. The Round Table are “working” gardens that nourish many hundreds of South Boston residents.

And (of course), vegetables are the most important part of the human diet – vegetables are chock full of fiber, vitamins, and many other essential nutrients. You can certainly recall your mother and father reminding you, “Eat your vegetables!” We’ll quote Michael Pollan, the world-famous gourmet and food writer, about

A volunteer crew attends to Round Table gardens near Sterling Square. a healthy diet. Pollan says, “Eat whatever you want, but not too much, and mostly vegetables.”

The Round Table’s crops include a huge variety of vegetables. While a complete listing would be too long to read, there are “green leafies” every where that include an unusual green called amaranth.

Squashes with yellow blooms nestle next to a pumpkin patch getting ready for Halloween.

Vivid purple eggplants are now about the size of a clenched fist and have a few weeks of growth yet. Several hundred tomato plants are rapidly ripening. Redhot red peppers are ready. There are even some f lowers growing, but in the case of the marigolds, these serve to attract bees and drive away animals who do not like to odor of marigolds.

George’s Round Table

vegetable gardens have a very formal name nowadays – they’re called an ”Urban Agriculture Program”.

But the numbers in this Program are even more impressive than that name by itself. We’ve mentioned that the Round Table gardens have been planted and harvested since 2008. That’s 15 years ago, as of the end of this summer. And the gardens have really gotten big - the estimated amount of garden area being cultivated this summer amounts to nearly 25,000 (!) square feet. At this time, the Round Table actually has three gardens – along Logan Way, across from Sterling Square, and inside a fenced-in plot of ground next to the Moakley Park field house. Because of the enormous success of the Round Table’s three gardens, George and the Round Table have requested more land

for cultivation in future years.

The “green leafies” mature fast, so some of them have been harvested already – 3,500 pounds or almost two full tons. The final harvest of the Round Table’s gardens will amount to thousands upon thousands of pounds of highly nourishing vegetables of every kind imaginable. But the most heartening figures of all are the numerous volunteers. George Benner (a volunteer himself ) has brought together more than 70 volunteers, who take care of the Round Table gardens from spring planting to weeding and cultivating to the final harvesting from now through October.

It’s a remarkable, com mu nit y-oriented ef for t.

To the Round Table, we can only say “Thanks!”, and wish them 15 more years of devoted community ser vice.

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THURSDAY AUGUST 18, 2022

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A Round Table Garden Update Continued

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THURSDAY AUGUST 18, 2022

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Sports: By the Numbers (at least by some of them)

by Rick Winterson

I

t’s mid-mont h in August, just past midsummer (or “ high summer”, if you prefer).

Sports seasons are drawing to a close or just beginning, as with the Red Sox, who have played 117 games as of this writing (leaving 45 to go), and with the Patriots, who played the first of three pre-season exhibition games last Thursday. This kind of “gap” in Boston’s sports scene perhaps allows us to look both backward and forward, while examining some numbers to see what they indicate.

As you know, the Pats lost their first pre-season game to the Giants last week, by a score of 23-20. Those figures don’t say much at first glance, partly because the Pats did not really use their long-anticipated “new offense”. In fact, Mac Jones didn’t even play. Brian Hoyer played the first quarter; rookie Bailey Zappe then played three quarters and he did fairly well in the second half.

The “Points Allowed” of 23 by the

A

Pats was not too shabby on defense, especially in an exhibition game.

Just watch Friday’s pre-season game in Gillette against the Carolina Panthers. Other than that, think about only two numbers: The 17.8 “Points Allowed” by the Pats all last season, and the 20 (yes, 20) penalties called by the refs last week. Think defense - it’s too early to say much else.

We mentioned the Red Sox, who are hovering around a .500 WinLoss record – the worst among the five teams in the American League East. Oddly enough, after winning two games out of three from New York last weekend, the Sox now have a 6W-7L record against the Yankees, who lead the AL East by ten (10) games. The Sox’s records against the other AL East teams are measurably worse than that.

However, that might possibly mean that the Red Sox could still get themselves a play-off slot. To do that, they would have to win about 30 and lose only 15 games (two out of three, as they just did to New York) during the remaining 45 regular season games in

2022. Is that likely? Certainly not.

Difficult? Yes! Is it possible? Just maybe. In this case, please forgive our optimism – keep watching the Sox; see what happens to them.

Here’s a final numbers decision to be made. You’ve heard that Kevin Durant asked to be traded by the Brooklyn Nets. Well, if the Celtics sign Durant, it could mean that we have to trade either Jaylen Brown or (possibly) Jayson Tatum for him. But first look at some figures: last season, Brown averaged 23.4 points per game; Tatum averaged 26.9 ppg; Durant averaged an astonishing 29.9 (!) ppg.

Urgent Care Center Coming to the South Boston Seaport

n e xcit i ng ne w me d ic a l s e r v ic e is coming to the Seaport on September 6th. South Boston Hea lth Seaport will be reopening as South Boston He a lt h Se apor t U RGE N T CAR E at 505 Congress Street.

“We’re thrilled to be able to offer these services to people who live in, work in or visit the South Boston Seaport” said Bill Halpin, CEO of South Boston Communit y Hea lth Center.

“Everything we do is patient centered. This new urgent care center will allow patients to walk-in and receive high quality, c ompa s sionate a nd t i mely professiona l med ic a l c a re.”

T he ne w u rgent c a re center, part of South Boston Communit y Hea lt h Center

family, will be staffed with medica l providers who can see both adults and children and can treat a broad range of non-l i f e threatening conditions. Walk-in treatment will be available for everyday illness and injury - from sore throats to UTIs, allergies to earaches, sprains and strains.

The center will be open Monday - Thursday from 10:30 AM - 7:00 PM. Those wishing to make a same-day appointment will be able to do so by visiting the website at www. seaporturgentcare.org or by calling them at 617-464-7620.

South Boston Health Seaport Urgent Care will accept nearly all major insurance plans and will never turn a patient away if they are unable to afford essential

services. They offer discounts on services based on family size and family income levels.

Patients visiting this urgent care location will be able to easily access their electronic health record through MyChart and those without a primary care provider will be offered the opportunity to be connected with one. “If a patient needs help accessing primary care in the community, we can make an appointment for them at our West Broadway site before they even walk out the door” said Dr. Nisha Thakrar, Chief Medical Officer. “We want to ensure that our patients are not only getting the urgent care they need but also are able to gain access and follow-up with a primary care provider”.

But Durant is 33 years old, while Brown and Tatum are only 25 and 24. There’s no question that Durant is truly an NBA superstar, but the ppg and age numbers by themselves say that over the next ten years, it’ll be better to keep Brown and Tatum for the long term good of “Team Celtics”.

So go figure. And please remember that right now Boston has some very interesting professional sports “happenings” coming up, as our pro teams plan, begin to play, and complete their seasons.

That’s “by the numbers”, of course! So keep an eye on them.

Join the Friends of the South Boston Branch Library The Friends of the South Boston Branch Library is a volunteer organization that supports your local Branch Library. This includes assisting at the Branch’s popular book sales and with various special events. Everyone is welcome to join; the time commitment you make is completely flexible. Pick up an application at the Branch Library desk the next time you’re there.

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THURSDAY AUGUST 18, 2022

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PRC Exhibits at FPAC

by Rick Winterson

O

ne of South Boston’s key artistic resources is the Fort Point Arts Community (FPAC). It has a busy, active Gallery located on the lower floor of the FPAC building at 300 Summer Street. Right now, and until September 15, the FPAC Gallery is exhibiting a remarkably good collection of photographs by a national non-profit organization, who call themselves the Photographic Resource Center (the PRC).

The PRC, which was founded nearly 50 years ago in 1976, explores and interprets new work, concepts, and methods in photography and related media. In particular, the PRC focuses upon contemporary ideas and trends leading to the advancement of the photographic arts via striking exhibits, educational programs, and unique special events. Their exhibit

now in South Boston at FPAC is entitled “Exposure 2022”; it is the 26th Annual PRC Juried Exhibit.

For your information, a dozen exhibitors are taking part in “Exposure 2022”. Arranged alphabetically, they are McCormick Brubaker, Bryan Florentin, April Friges, Fritz Goeckner, Judyta Grudzien, Pamela Hawkes, Joni Lohr, Julie Mihaly, Jason Reblando, David Sokosh, Sue Palmer Stone, and Melanie Walker. They come from all over the country. The Juror for this exhibit was Catherine Edelman.

Admittedly, we can give you only a briefly written summary of the photographs and prints you’ll see at “Exposure 2022”. Joni Lohr’s four photos are of abandoned places. They “ask questions … who were the people who spent time in these places? Where did they go?” Her fourth photo at the lower right depicts a piano with a leg missing, in front of what looks

like a confessional booth in an old, abandoned Catholic Church.

In her own words, Lohr asks you to “honor the memory and legacy of those who went before”.

In Bryan Florentin’s series entitled “Prepared Shelves”, materials and objects are jampacked onto metal shelves so as to be dimensionally flat. Again, questions are implied by these pictures: What gives? What’s going on? Why this mix? McCormick Brubaker took several photographs of the same building near a beach, with his spectrum centering on the color blue at different times – day and night – and different distances.

The building is actually a public rest room on Cape Cod’s National Seashore.

Julie Mihaly’s somber quartet of black and white photos show nature in many guises – the “oddly cut tree” and her “Teepee at Springside” are both eye-catching and highly expressive. She states, “These images

Four “Abandoned Places” photographs by Joni Lohr.

“Blue Morning”, McCormick Brubaker, 2019.

“Prepared Shelves 1.1”, Bryan Florentin, 2021.

“Blue on Blue”, McCormick Brubaker, 2019.

are part of a series titled NOW, taken during the most isolated days of the Covid pandemic. The photos reflect how I was experiencing the world just then.” Pamela Hawkes’s brilliant work “After de Heem”, with its seemingly impressionistic qualities, reflects her “questioning and exploring the perceived reality inherent in a photograph”. Does a photograph really need to possess a physical reality? And for unusually arrayed photographs, look for humorously organized cyanotypes of moon-like objects by David Sokosh.

The FPAC Gallery is open Thursday-Friday-Saturday from 12 noon until 6 p.m., or you can call for an appointment. We emphatically recommend the PRC exhibit because no matter how long you look at these photos, the more complex and interesting they appear to become. And it’s a great family exhibit if you have a photographer in your own family (the FPAC Gallery charges no admission fee).

Artist Julie Mihaly displays four of her B&W photographs.

“After de Heem”, Hawkes, 2019.

Pamela

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THURSDAY AUGUST 18, 2022

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Barbecue Safety Tips

It’s mid-August, and South Boston Online is reminding everyone to be safe for the rest of the summer, whenever he or she cooks outdoors: Use your grill ONLY outdoors. Keep your grill well away from your home, deck, porch, and overhanging tree branches.

August is a peak month for grill accidents, whether you have a charcoal or a gas grill. Either one must be used safely at all times.

Never leave your grill by itself if it is lit.

Make sure no pets or children come near to a grill that’s in use.

There have been 40,000 grill fires, injuries, other accidents, and even a few deaths over the last 12 months.

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244-284 A Street Monday, September 12

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Project Proponent: Channelside Acquisition, LLC, an affiliate of Related Beal Project Description: The BPDA is hosting a Virtual Public Meeting for the proposed Sixth Amendment to PDA No. 69 and Development Plan for No. 69 for the 244-284 A Street project, located in the South Boston Waterfront neighborhood of Boston. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the overall Sixth Amendment to PDA No. 69 and Development Plan for PDA No. 69 and the potential impacts. The meeting will include a presentation followed by questions and comments from the public. mail to: Michael Sinatra Boston Planning & Development Agency One City Hall Square, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02201 phone: 617.918.4224 email: michael.a.sinatra@boston.gov BostonPlans.org

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THURSDAY AUGUST 18, 2022

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Mayor Wu Announces $50 Million for Affordable Housig Funding will support the creation and preservation of affordable housing in Boston Mayor Michel le Wu announced today that the City of Boston has released two Requests for Proposals (RFP), totaling $50 million for affordable housing projects. This funding is available to create and preserve rental, cooperative, and homeownership de ve lopment s in B o s ton.

“Safe and stable housing is critical for the health of our residents, families, and commu nities,” sa id Mayor Michelle Wu. “This funding will ensure significant investments go toward safe, accessible affordable housing in our neighborhoods across the city. I’m grateful to the Mayor’s Office of Housing, the Neighborhood Housing Trust, and the Communit y Preser vation Committee for their leadership and partnership with our nonprof it and forprofit community development or g a n i z a t ion s to ensure Boston is a city for everyone.”

The $50 million available represents the contributions of three different City sources whose combined resources will ensure a deeper impact for low, moderate, and middle-income Bostonia ns. Thirt y million dollars will be offered from funding sources controlled by the City of Boston’s Mayor’s Office of Housing and the Community Pr e s e r v a t ion Fu nd .

T he Neighborhood Housing Trust Fund (NHT) is contributing the remaining $20 million in revenue from commercial rea l estate e x t r a c t i on s , through the Linkage program.

There will be a virtual Applic a nt’s Conference on Wednesday, August 24, 2022, at 10:00 am. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a Letter of Intent by Friday, August 26, 2022, and a final proposal by September 30, 2022, no later than 4 pm. Interested applicants

may register for a package here.

The Mayor’s Off ice of Hou sing , t he C om mu nit y Preservation Committee, and the Neighborhood Housing Trust will prioritize development proposa ls that produce sig ni f ic a nt perc ent a ge s of housing for residents who have low incomes and those that serve homeless individuals, seniors, and residents with disabilities.

The development projects must support the City of Boston’s goals to further fair housing, efficiently use City resources and land to increase the production and preservation of mixed-income housing, and help preser ve affordable housing in at-risk expiring use developments.

“Once again, Mayor Wu is demonstrating that she gets it—she is truly a mayor for everyone. We appreciate her recognition that the provision of affordable housing is critical to the City’s vibrancy—and how she is making these new resources available,” said Amy Schectman, President & CEO of 2Life Communities. “This commitment is fantastic! We are thrilled to support this exciting effort and hope that through this significant funding, our model for aging in community can be replicated to ensure older adults in Boston can live full lives of connection and purpose in the places they treasure.”

This year’s RFPs will also enhance the City’s long-standing focus on advancing equit y in every stage of the housing creation and preservation process.

The R FPs require developers to report on how they will ensure the City of Boston’s Minorit y Business Enterprise (MBE) minorit yowned businesses are represented throughout the development a nd proper t y ma na gement process. Development teams that are certif ied minority-owned business enterprises (MBE) and owners of 25% or more of the

proposed project will receive the highest preference when award decisions are being made.

De velopment tea ms where 25% or more of soft costs go to MBE consultants that have been identified as part of the team at the time of application will also receive an advantage. Applicants must also provide information on how resident services offered in a multifamily development will help support the economic mobility of residents who will live in affordable housing units.

A l l ne w c on st r uc t ion projects funded in this latest round will be required to follow the Zero Emissions Building (ZEB) requirements outlined in the MOH Design Standards.

Developers will be required to submit a preliminary Net Zero Strategy as part of the design submission. New multi-family buildings must use electricity and on-site photovoltaics as the sole (or primary) fuel source.

“Accomplishing our vision for the Blue Hill Ave B1 parcels is highly dependent on our ability to secure funding from the Mayor’s Office of Housing,” said Dariela Villon-Maga, President and Owner, DVM Consulting.

“Without it, we would not be able to offer the level of affordability the Dorchester and Mattapan communit y truly needs. It allows us to create new, safe, energy-efficient homeownership and rental opportunities for those that need them the most.

MOH is a critical partner to affordable housing developers working to combat Boston’s housing affordability crisis.”

In addition to these City sources, the Mayor’s Off ice of Housing has at its disposal significant federal funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) that can be used for affordable housing development.

In July, the Boston City Council approved Mayor Wu’s precedent-

setting investment in affordable housing from A R PA funds, committing more than $205M to addressing specific housing issues. These investments include: $58 million for affordable housing production and financial support to homebuyers $30 million to transform publicly-owned land into green, mixed-income communities $26 million for property acquisitions to prevent displacement $20 million for greening affordable housing through deep green energy retrofits of existing buildings $19 million to create new permanent supportive housing for homeless individuals with substance use and behavioral health disorders T he majorit y of t hese AR PA funds will be released through additional competitive requests for proposals, some in combination with public la nd d i s p o s it i o n .

Some portion of these funds may be distributed through this R FP to el ig ible projec t s.

The Mayor’s Of f ice of Housing is responsible for housing people experiencing homele ssne ss, creat ing a nd preserving affordable housing, a nd ensu ring t hat renters and homeowners can obtain, maintain, and remain in safe, stable housing. The department develops and implements the City of Boston’s housing creation and homelessness prevention plans and collaborates with local and national partners to f ind new solutions and build more a f ford a ble hou si n g , particularly for those with lower incomes. For more information, please visit the MOH website.

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THURSDAY AUGUST 18, 2022

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