SBOL_10_22_2020

THE PRINT EDITION

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020

VOLUME XIX- ISSUE 74

Unsafe Streets Are Public Health Emergency Councilor Flynn Recommends Updated Safe Streets 12 Point Plan

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or several months during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a significant drop in the number of commuters driving through our neighborhoods, as well as less congestion and traffic due to stay at home advisories and work from home policies. Although these developments provided benefits in terms of less pollution, we unfortunately saw reports regarding an increased number of fatal and serious crashes in Massachusetts, and also locally on our streets in Boston. Many residents contacted my office to report incidents where drivers treated open roads like a race track and a license to speed in our communities.

In just the last couple of weeks in South Boston, we’ve seen tragic and serious crashes in Andrew Square, as well as vehicles driving off the road

HAVE YOU HEARD?

It’s Said, “They Happen in Threes”.

and into businesses like McGoo’s Pizzeria at Perkins Square, into a house at L & 3rd St, a two-car crash at Old colony Ave & Dorchester St, and another vehicle crashed into a fence at this same intersection.

Many neighbors, parents with their children in strollers, our seniors and persons with disabilities have contacted me to report speeding cars flying by them while crossing on L St, crossing East Broadway at Medal of Honor Park, or on Dorchester St. & West 4th St by Marian Manor.

We also have a problem on East Broadway of what safety advocates, like Walk Boston, refer to as “double threats”; where the first car will let the pedestrian pass, but the vehicle behind will speed around and pose serious danger to people in the crosswalk.

My fellow South Boston elected officials and I remain in constant contact with Mayor

A triad of October single-vehicle automobile accidents has just been completed. In addition to this month’s first two crashes at McGoo’s in Perkins Square and a home near L and Third, on Wednesday morning, at 11 a.m. October 21, an auto crashed into the storefront at DeKay Insurance on East Broadway between I and K. No report has been filed as yet. As a first guess, it looked like the driver of the car was attempting to exit a parking place quickly. The car was mistakenly left in “Reverse” and when accelerated, it then backed up over the sidewalk and into the storefront instead.

Continued on page 2

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020 SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM

Continued from Page 1

Safe Streets Walsh, Boston Police Dept. (C-6) Captain Boyle, Chief of Streets Chris Osgood, and Boston Transportation Department Commissioner Greg Rooney. Prior to the pandemic, city officials also met with concerned residents, Councilor Flaherty and I for office hours during the winter.

However, as a result of the increased danger to my constituents and the people of District 2 including our seniors, persons with disabilities, children, parents and residents just out for a walk - I am advocating for our unsafe roads to now be declared a Public Health Emergency. I am also recommending an updated Safe Streets 12 Point Plan.

To make our streets safer, I continue to advocate for a combination of infrastructure improvements to our built environment, slower speeds in our residential neighborhoods, and enforcement. These policy recommendations are based on my previous 12 Point Plan, hearings I’ve held each year at the Boston City Council, safety walks with advocacy and civic groups, and feedback from the people of South Boston. I will continue to work closely with my fellow elected officials, the Boston Transportation Department and Boston Police on this critical issue for the people of South Boston.

1. A complete study of all high traffic, commuter-heavy roads throughout South Boston.

2.

Reduction of the speed limit to 20 MPH throughout all of South Boston.

3. Substantial speed humps (permanent asphalt or large temporary ones to move for plows) and raised crosswalks high enough to force cars to slow down along high traffic and heavy commuter used roads like L St, near parks and recreation centers where children and seniors gather.

4. 4-way stop signs along L St and relevant locations, 3-way stops along one-way streets throughout the neighborhood. An all way stop on East First St & Pappas Way (BTD currently working on this location).

5. Additional Speed Feedback Signs on high traffic roads throughout South Boston, like what BTD has recently installed on Farragut Road, L St, East Broadway, Dorchester St, East First St, and Old Colony Ave. 6. Rapid Flash Beacons with pedestrian islands like we have on Summer Street; Blinking

Pedestrian Crossing signs at high traffic areas like BTD installed at Stop & Shop on East Broadway or near CVS at West Broadway.

7. Eliminate the use of concurrent phasing traffic signals in high traffic areas, where cars and pedestrians simultaneously have the right of way signals to proceed.

Implement Exclusive Pedestrian Phasing signals in the South Boston Waterfront and other locations with heavy pedestrian foot traffic, along with longer pedestrian signal times to cross in our neighborhood.

8. Road Diets and one lane of traffic on Preble St (from Andrew Square to the Rotary), on East Broadway (from Perkins Square to L St) and appropriate locations to prevent the risk of “double threats” when a car will let a pedestrian cross and a second vehicle will try to go around and pass them, and potentially hit the people in the crosswalk.

9. Curb extensions and bumping

out sidewalks at crosswalks on Farragut Road, school zones and elsewhere to shorten crosswalks, make stop signs visible and narrow streets to encourage slower speeds.

10. Increased “Operation Crosswalk” patrols from Boston Police in order to reduce speeding.

Increased fines for driving the wrong way on a one-way street, and delivery trucks over the weight limit.

11. More delineators, or signs, in crosswalks at high traffic areas reminding drivers to stop for pedestrians; paint in the roads advising drivers to slow, yield and stop.

12. Additional Uber/Lyft pick up & drop off pilot zones in the South Boston Waterfront. Reviewing potential areas for additional loading zones with designated time and space for delivery trucks.

To improve pedestrian safety in South Boston, we all need to continue to work together to slow down traffic and increase awareness for others on our roads. Drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists alike must always show common courtesy, respect and concern for one another. We all can do our part to be better and I respectfully ask, once again, for all of us to take it upon ourselves to make our streets safer. It will take all of us as a community to implement traffic calming policies to help try and realize Vision Zero - the goal of no serious or fatal crashes in the City of Boston.

For more information, please contact Councilor Flynn’s office at 617635-3203 and Ed.Flynn@Boston.gov.

About Voting This Year: Do You Know … ?

- Do you know that the 2020 General Election includes seven (7) races for elective office, up to President of the U.S.? And also includes two (2) ballot questions about motor vehicle data and ranked choice voting (both proposed by initiative petition).

- Do you know the various deadlines important in the 2020 Election?

Saturday, October 24, 8 p.m. – Last day to register to vote Now through Friday, October 30 – Early voting period (check locations and hours) Wednesday, October 28 – Last day to request a vote-by-mail ballot Monday, November 2, 12 noon – Deadline to apply in-person for absentee ballot Tuesday, November 3, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. – ELECTION DAY (last day to return vote-by-mail ballot, or the day to vote in person at your polling location) - Do you know that you can easily register to vote online? And that you can look up your voter registration status on the state’s website?

- Do you know that ANY registered Boston voter can vote at ANY early voting location? (early voting locations are located across the City – check locations and hours)

SO PLEASE VOTE THIS YEAR! Voting is more convenient than ever before.

SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020

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Walk Away from Methadone Mile Brianne Fitzgerald RN, NP, MPH

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ecently, Boston.com printed a piece on what is needed to address the opioid crisis and its impact on Boston neighborhoods. It is not an opioid crisis; it is a drug/using and dealing problem that has been allowed to fester since Long Island closed. Methadone clinics, wet shelters, de facto safe injection areas, and the Atkinson St tent (recently moved from the corner of Mass Ave and Melena Cass Blvd), as well as drug dealing, assaults, and theft, are active round the clock. The presence and sounds of ambulances and police cruisers are not there to enforce public order, rather to manage the status quo.

There are no drug-free zones in any of the shelters or on the streets of Boston. Harm reduction enables and even supports drug use among those least capable of managing such substances. Walking Methadone Mile this week, I noted seven separate groups of people injecting right out on the sidewalk. At one point, an unmarked

police vehicle pulled up and honked, signaling those injecting that it was time to move on. I asked five individuals if they would like to go to treatment, that I could facilitate a detox admission that day. Four simply declined, and the one who agreed said that he was already going to treatment. His idea of treatment was to detox from Xanax and remain on 105 mgs of methadone.

The methadone clinic mandated that if he wished to continue methadone, he must go to treatment. How is it that clinics can require treatment, yet so many “woke” people see section 35 as equivalent to imprisoning people?

The boston.com piece hammers home the idea that housing is critical.

The presence of people on the Mile is less the problem than a lack of housing, so says the article. Four of those five individuals I spoke to were not interested in even the first baby steps toward stability. Residential treatment is a powerful incentive for those without homes, and yet ambivalence about addressing the significant issues of drug use are common and challenging to

most. Victor Frankel’s Man’s Search for Meaning, an his account of time spent in the concentration camps of Nazi Germany, addresses the meaning of and one’s responsibility to life. He says, “he who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” He affirms that ability to choose your attitude is the ultimate freedom. The world that we are all living in today seems uncharted and even fearsome. Those who work with people suffering from drug addiction are often daunted. Is

it worth it, one might wonder? I say yes, and I say read Frankel’s book. It is a quick read and energized me. We cannot treat our way out of the mess of addiction with suboxone, harm reduction, housing, or even 12 steps.

We need a sense of community, and we need compassion. Those out on Methadone Mile who suffer need hope and conscious action to step away from its hopelessness. Walk into treatment and stay there no matter what. It takes time, lots of time, but will get better.

LOCATIONS AND SCHEDULES SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17 – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30 Registered Boston voters can vote at any early voting location in the City, including City Hall. Pick a time and place that is best for you.

Los votantes registrados en Boston pueden votar en cualquier centro de votación adelantada en la ciudad, incluyendo en la Alcaldía de Boston. Elija la hora y el lugar que sea más conveniente para usted.

DROPBOXES FOR VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOTS AVAILABLE UNTIL NOVEMBER 3 (WILL BE NDER 24HR SURVEILLANCE) for more information visit: boston.gov/early-voting

OCT 19-23 & OCT 26-30 MON, WED, FRI, 9AM – 5PM & TUE & THRS, 9AM - 8PM Boston City Hall, One City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201 SAT & SUN, OCT. 17 & 18, 11AM – 7PM BCYF Paris Street Gymnasium 112 Paris Street, East Boston, MA 02128 BCYF Quincy 885 Washington Street, Chinatown, MA 02111 District Hall 75 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA 02210 (Seaport) Richard J. Murphy K-8 School Cafeteria 1 Worrell Street, Dorchester, MA 02122 Thelma Burns Building 575 Warren Street, Roxbury, MA 02121 Another Course to College Cafeteria 612 Metropolitan Avenue, Hyde Park, MA 02136 BCYF Roche Gymnasium 1716 Centre Street, West Roxbury, MA 02132 Dewitt Center 122 Dewitt Drive, Roxbury, MA 02120 Fenway Park (Gate A) 4 Jersey Street, Fenway, MA 02215 Jackson Mann School Auditorium 500 Cambridge Street, Allston MA 02135

TUESDAY OCTOBER 20 12PM - 8PM BCYF Paris Street Gymnasium 112 Paris Street, East Boston, MA 02128 BCYF Tobin (Lower Level) 1481 Tremont Street, Roxbury, MA 02120 THURSDAY OCTOBER 22 12PM - 8PM BCYF Shelburne Gymnasium 2730 Washington Street, Roxbury, MA 02119 Strand Theatre 543 Columbia Road, Dorchester, MA 02125 TUESDAY OCTOBER 27 12 PM - 8PM St. George Orthodox Church of Boston 55 Emmonsdale Road, West Roxbury, MA 02132 BCYF Hyde Park 1179 River Street, Hyde Park, MA 02136 THURSDAY OCTOBER 29 12PM - 8PM Florian Hall 55 Hallet Street, Dorchester, MA 02122 Boys and Girls Club Mattapan Teen Center 10 Hazelton Street, Mattapan, MA 02126 In order to vote early or on Election Day, you must register to vote by October 24. Check your voter status at boston.gov/election Para poder votar por adelantado o el día de las elecciones, debe registrarse para votar antes del 24 de octubre. Consulte su estatus como votante en boston.gov/election

SAT & SUN, OCT. 24 & 25, 11AM – 7PM Harvard/Kent Elementary School Gymnasium 50 Bunker Hill Street, Charlestown, MA 02129 James F. Condon School Cafeteria 200 D Street, South Boston, MA 02127 BCYF Perkins Gymnasium 155 Talbot Avenue, Dorchester, MA 02124 Mildred Avenue K-8 School Gymnasium 5 Mildred Avenue, Mattapan, MA 02126 Saint Nectarios Greek Church Banquet Hall 39 Belgrade Avenue, Roslindale, MA 02131 Margarita Muñiz Academy Gymnasium 20 Child Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 BCYF Shelburne Gymnasium 2730 Washington Street, Roxbury, MA 02119 The Salvation Army Kroc Center 650 Dudley Street, Dorchester, MA 02125 Boston Public Library - Central Branch (McKim Building) 700 Boylston Street, Back Bay, MA 02116 Honan Allston Branch Library (Community Room) 300 North Harvard Street, Allston, MA 02134 If you miss the early voting period, you can still vote on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3.

Si decide no votar por adelantado, todavía puede ir a votar en persona el día de las elecciones, que es el martes, 3 de noviembre.

Learn more at boston.gov/early-voting Call 311 • election@boston.gov #VoteEarlyBoston Llamar 311 • election@boston.gov

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020 SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM

Layers of Love

Organization Finds Perfect Recipe for Helping Families in Need

Daniella Place

By Ginger DeShaney

T

he Lasagna Mamas and Papas of Lasagna Love are spreading that message in South Boston and the rest of the country.

Several local women are giving back to the community in the best way they can during the Covid-19 crisis by making and delivering lasagnas to families who need a little bit of help.

Daniella Place of South Boston was feeling helpless during the pandemic and was looking for a way to help out in her community when she came across a Facebook post by a college friend, Rhiannon Menn, promoting Lasagna Love.

According to its website, Rhiannon founded Lasagna Love at the beginning of the pandemic, almost by accident. Rhiannon, who is also the founder of Good to Mama, was looking for a way to help moms in her community, so she and her toddler started making and delivering meals to families in their neighborhood who were struggling.

“Our mission is not only to help address the incredible rise in food insecurity among families, but also to provide a simple act of love and kindness during a time full of uncertainty and stress,” the website states.

For Daniella, Lasagna Love is a very hands-on way to get involved and connect with people in the community. She started by making lasagnas and delivering them and is now a Lasagna Love Regional Leader

in the Metro Boston area, matching families in need with volunteer lasagna makers. She estimates dozens of families a week around the Boston Metro area are receiving lasagnas.

There are many ways to volunteer for Lasagna Love and it all starts with the website: https://www.lasagnalove. org/. To sign up to be a lasagna maker, you indicate how many lasagnas you’d like to make and the delivery area you prefer. The beauty of this organization is its flexibility. You can sign up to make one or two lasagnas a week; you can make one or two lasagnas a month. You can commit to just one lasagna. There’s no pressure and no stress. The lasagna makers usually also donate the ingredients.

When a lasagna maker is matched with a recipient family, it’s up to the volunteer to contact the family to schedule the delivery, which follows Covid-19 safety protocols and can be contactless.

And everything is confidential.

If you’re not much of a cook and want to help, you can sponsor a Lasagna Mama or Papa and donate ingredients; donate money to the general organization; help match cooks and recipient families; nominate a recipient family; or spread the word in search of volunteers.

If you are interested in receiving a lasagna, visit https:// w w w. l a s a g n a l o v e . o r g /.

Kya Perry saw a post on Facebook about the organization and signed up to receive a lasagna. She is now a Lasagna Mama, making the dish for other families. She holds Facebook fundraisers to help with the ingredient costs and gets donations from people wanting to help.

“It seems like a small gesture, but to that [recipient] family it makes a huge difference,” said Kya, who lives in Roxbury but is formerly from Southie.

“We’re all struggling now with Covid.

Some parents are stressed out, out of work, homeschooling, and can’t find the time. It’s a huge help to moms.”

“It’s nice to have a home-cooked meal for a night,” said Daniella, Partner Operations Manager on the

Google Flights team. “It takes the burden off of that family for a night.”

Gina Tremaglio read about the organization on a South End Facebook group. “I’m an ItalianAmerican; lasagna is important to my life,” she said. “I jumped at the idea.”

She went to the website, read the rules, and filled out the form to be a volunteer. Within a short time she was invited to the private Facebook group, which is a source of positivity, tips, and ingredient sales. Soon after, she made and delivered her first lasagna.

Gina is doing one lasagna a month right now. She figures in the winter months, she may do two a month. “I love the flexibility,” she said.

Like the others, Gina was looking for a way to help. “During Covid, people are feeling disconnected and kind of helpless,” she said. “When everyone is so uncertain, what can I do to help? The problem is so big.

“There’s a feeling of being out of control. We can’t control the virus,” Gina, a teacher, continued. “This program made me feel … that I can make a difference in someone else’s life.”

Cooking is an act of love, Gina said. “By making lasagna -- a comfort food -- and bringing it to others, you are connected to them. Just to know there’s a person out there who took the time to cook you something adds positivity to that person’s life.

“Someone is making you a home-cooked lasagna. It shows that you are loved and cared for.”

Kelley Jones read about Lasagna Love on the Southie Community Bulletin Board Facebook page.

During the pandemic she hasn’t been able to do volunteer work, which is very important to her. So she was thrilled to find this opportunity.

Before Covid, Kelley’s volunteering centered around cancer awareness, food banks, veterans groups, and teen mentorship, most of which were in-person activities.

“Not being able to volunteer during Covid has been hard,” she said. But she can volunteer from home for Lasagna Love and still be connected.

This program is also a great

Kya Perry cooking in the kitchen way to get kids involved. “It’s a volunteer opportunity you can do with your kids,” Daniella said, noting that kids can help cook or make cards for the recipient family. “It’s something you can do at home and share the importance of giving back with your kids.”

Having never made a lasagna, Lasagna Love provided Kelley with a recipe. Because she can give a little more, she usually also provides a loaf of bread or some flowers, but noted only the lasagna is required.

The response from the recipient families has been amazing, all the women agree. “We understand it’s hard to ask for help sometimes,” Kelley said.

“We never expect anything in return, but the response has been amazing.”

Some volunteers have thank you cards waiting for them when they drop off the meal. Others get texts of photos showing kids enjoying the meal. Each volunteer said the families are just so appreciative. “ I t ’s something amazing to do during these stressful times,” Kelley said.

“Food is l o v e .”

Gina Tremaglio with a completed lasagna.

SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020

The Pats So Far: The Basics (and Some Excuses)

by Rick Winterson

O

ne way to look at the Patriots so far is to look at their first four games as a group. Much of this exercise is already well-chewed public knowledge. But it will form a basis, and we can all use a repeat of the basics in football now and then. The Pats were sporting a 2W-2L record going into last weekend. Not bad, not good, unless you give them a great deal of credit for “staying alive” right to the end of the two (very) hard-fought games against the Seahawks and the Chiefs. Which we certainly do here at South Boston Online.

In addition, if there’s one significant set of figures that jump out of the Patriot’s box scores from the first four games, it’s their offensive run yardage. Now, the ability to run the football is a “basic”. Even if a team is “basically” a passing team (these days, most

of them are), just the threat of a run is enough to spread a defense and thus make it weaker – i.e., “more holes”. And think about the long runs the Patriots have made – they’re a football throwback, of course, but they are still just as exciting as a completed pass.

That brings us to Game Five against the Broncos – surely one of the most unusual football games ever played. It resembled rugby, its ancestor, more than anything. Of the 30 total points scored, 24 came from eight field goals (six for the Broncos; two for the Pats). Even the lone touchdown was scored by digging in, pushing forward, and fish-tailing, similar to a rugby scrum. The play was a QB Sneak that seemed to last for an eternity.

The football was finally pushed over the goal line by Cam Newton’s quickly extended hand that broke the plane by inches (10 or so).

The Pats stopped all Bronco attempts at a touchdown, but their

six (yes, 6!) field goal attempts were put in dead center by Denver’s Brandon McManus, Sunday’s only star player. Two of these came from more than 50 yards out; the total of 18 points scored was enough to give the Pats their third loss of the year. But overall, by allowing no Bronco touchdowns to be scored, the Patriots’ defense actually played fairly well. Please remember that a total of just 18 points usually means a loss.

If there’s an urgent “basic” need on the Patriots offensive squad right now, it’s pass reception, both by wide receivers and tight ends. And that’s really a “basic”. And the offensive line, with all of its changes, badly needs “basic” stability. All game long, QB Newton had very few seconds in collapsing pockets to effectively begin a play; two of his passes were blocked, one resulting in an interception.

Please pardon us for one final

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bit of excuse-making. The actual, final scheduled game that resulted in Sunday’s Bronco win had been deferred twice, and was finally played in what was originally a bye week for the Pats. Not only that, COVID-19 intrusions meant that only two practices could be held after the loss to the Chiefs (Cam Newton only practiced once).

Now, all football teams field two 11-man teams, plus numerous substitutions, during every game played. These are the largest team numbers in pro sports – a drastic lack of practice and some injuries, especially to the offensive/ defensive lines, will always result in less-then-expected performances.

Enough excuses. There are 11 games left in the Patriots’ very tough 2020 regular season – the 49ers will be coming to town next Sunday at 4:25 p.m., and then the Pats go to Buffalo on the 1st. GO PATS!

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020 SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM

Hidden Gem Publico Shines with Global Flavors Tuesday and Wednesday. Patrons choose an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert, and the dishes that do well here may end up on the main menu. A recent 3 for $38 menu offered the following options:

Chef Joel Howard

By Ginger DeShaney Publico Street Bistro and Garden is a hidden gem in South Boston’s busy restaurant scene.

Located off the beaten path at 11 Dorchester St., the eclectic eatery attracts all ages: families with kids, young adults in their 20s, people in their 80s, and everyone in between. Open for almost four years, Publico has been quietly and steadily building a stellar reputation and a burgeoning clientele.

The cool atmosphere, friendly staff, global menu, and creative executive chef attract the diverse crowd.

“We cater to everyone,” said Theo Bougas, managing partner, who noted that’s where the name Publico comes from: for the public good.

According to Publico’s website: “Imagine yourself walking through a local public market, enjoying culturally unique street foods, socializing and immersing yourself in new or familiar surroundings. We believe, for the public good, everyone should have the chance to experience this magic.”

“Our goal is to capture tastes from around the world,” Theo said, noting the dishes combine elements and flavors from Europe, and South and North America.

Executive chef Joel Howard, a 26-year-old wunderkind, is the master behind the menu. He has a lot of freedom with the food.

From charred octopus and pan-seared whole branzino to fish tacos and burgers, there’s something for everyone on his menu.

Joel tests new food ideas on his 3 for $38 menu, which is offered every

Appetizer: Gnudi; creamy burrata; tuna crudo tacos.

Main course: NY Strip; panseared sea scallops; dry-aged beef burger; grilled king oyster mushroom.

Dessert: Coffee & Donuts; wild Maine blueberry tart.

“The 3 for $38 has really taken off,” said Joel.

Yucca fries, the burger, and the bolognese (pork and beef ragu, handmade tagliatelle, caciocavallo cheese, truffle) are popular menu items with customers. Joel also does a daily bread pudding special.

Brunch is also very popular, with a new menu item, the English muffin sliders, flying out of the kitchen. And the pumpernickel bagel is “out of this world,” said Joel, who runs a 90 percent scratch kitchen and buys the freshest, local product he can find.

The bar boasts seasonal cocktails and Publico sells more cocktails than beer and wine. Cocktails have names such as Build-A-Bear, Man with No Name, and Quaran-Tini.

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Theo and Joel have been happy to have great weather for continued outdoor seating. There are several picnic tables (each with its own heater) and a long table with high chairs. Theo secured blankets for the outdoor diners for when it gets colder.

There is also an atrium in the middle of the restaurant with a retractable roof, various seating options, and fire pits. In the winter, the atrium is transformed into a ski lodge complete with food and drink to match.

The indoor dining room features funky murals and light fixtures.

The restaurant has big support from the locals and gets people coming in from outside the city.

“We see a lot of the same faces,” Joel said. “We’re consistently busy.”

ht t p s : //g i n g-phot o s . smu g mu g.c om /SBO -P ubl ic o/

SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020

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Milk Bottle Renovations Completed

by Rick Winterson

I

n our August 6 issue (page four), South Boston Online reported on the refurbishment of the Hood Milk Bottle that serves as a landmark in the front of the Children’s Museum at 308 Congress Street in South Boston’s Fort Point District. Ground had been broken for this project by HP Hood and the Children’s Museum on Wednesday morning, July 29. It’s a pleasure to report that the Milk Bottle’s renovation project was completed last week, 77 days after July 29 – well ahead of the yearend schedule originally planned.

A celebration ceremony that spoke of the gratitude for such a “betterthan-prompt” finish was held at the Children’s Museum last Wednesday morning, October 14.

The ceremony featured brief remarks by the same officials who spoke at groundbreaking on July 26: Carole Charnow, the President and CEO of the Museum, and Sarah Barow, the Director of Communications at HP Hood. They expressed their gratitude in particular to the project’s general contractor, Sout h C oa st Improvement Company, and to their architect/ consu lta nt, Scott Wink ler, for the project’s successful completion. Then, the spic-and-

span Milk Bottle was unveiled – “Going, Going, Gone”!

HP Hood has been a Children’s Museum partner for 43 years, since 1977, and in that same year, after purchasing and renovating the original Milk Bottle, barged it over Boston Harbor and up the Fort Point Channel to its present site at the Museum. The Milk Bottle was rebuilt in 2007 and rededicated by then Mayor of Boston Thomas Menino. Ever since then, it has been a meeting place and a beloved landmark outside Boston’s Children’s Museum.

It often appears on lists of “The Quirkiest Landmarks” in the country.

And what were the refreshments served after the ceremony? Why, Hoodsies for all, of course!

It is appropriate to “look back” several years to put the Hood Milk Bottle in its proper context. The Children’s Museum, first located in Jamaica Plain, is 107 years young. Its mission of educating and entertaining children has never changed. HP Hood was founded in 1846, 174 years ago. The Milk Bottle itself was the creation of an ice cream maker in Taunton named Arthur Gagner. The Milk Bottle was his highly visible refreshment stand on Route 44, where he served his home-made ice cream. It was

Museum CEO Carole Charnow remarks on the Bottle.

The renovation crew by the new Milk Bottle. also one of America’s very first drive-in places to get something all ready to eat – “fast food”, in other words. The Bottle is 40 feet tall and weighs over seven tons. If filled with milk, it could hold 58,620 gallons of the white liquid – That’s a lot of cows!

S out h B oston On l i ne i nqu i red about Su l l iva n’s returning next summer, to

operate the fast-food concession run out of the Milk Bottle, which Sully’s had done in 2018 and 2019.

We will be negotiated when the COVID19 p a nd e m ic mo d er at e s .

That would give Sully’s two locations in South Boston – on its southeast corner at Castle Island, and its northwest corner in South Boston’s Fort Point.

Hood’s Sarah Barow thanks all involved with the Bottle.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020 SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM

South Boston Catholic Academy News A Big Thank You to all our Firefighters!

South Boston Catholic Academy students practiced Fire Safety Week with their first fire drill of the year.

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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

Dr. Civian, our Principal, was very impressed with how efficient and cooperative South Boston Catholic Academy’s students were. Students continued to learn about Fire Safety throughout the week and even got the chance to thank South Boston’s Local Firefighters. K2 students made cards to say thank you to our firefighters for keeping us safe. A few students were kind enough to hand-deliver their cards to the South Boston Fire Station.

We are so thankful for our local heroes and for our incredible students who continue to support our community!

9

SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020

Commerce Center to Host New Bluebikes Station A 19-dock station added at 645 Summer Street, and 10 bicycles added to the Bluebikes fleet. (‘Oxford’), a leading global real estate investor, developer and manager, and Pappas Enterprises announced that 645 Summer Street will become part of the Bluebikes, Metro Boston’s public bike share system.

The new station will include a 19-dock station and 10 bicycles.

The popular bike sharing model offers members access to more than 3,500 bikes located at over 330 stations across 8 communities in metro Boston including Arlington, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Everett, Newton, Somerville, and Watertown (Chelsea and Revere Stations are launching later this year). The addition is sponsored

by Oxford and Pappas Enterprises as part of their commitment to supporting greater connectivity across the South Boston community. They are exploring a second station in the neighborhood with the City of Boston.

“Pappas Commerce Center sits in a critical location along the evolving waterfront surrounded by job growth and great residential neighborhoods. This area continues to grow and flourish and Oxford and Pappas are pleased to bring

Bluebikes to the neighborhood to be proactive about mobility solutions and support access to healthy, convenient and a f ford able t ra nspor t at ion,” said Brian Barriero, Vice President of Operations (US Region) for Oxford Properties.

“A leading recommendation of The South Boston Seaport Strategic Transit Plan is to expand biking connections in the community,” said a Pappas E nt e r pr i s e s s p ok e s p e r s on .

“Adding a new Bluebike station in this highly-travelled corridor addresses an important community concern and we are pleased to offer this new option.”

Oxford Properties, the global real estate subsidiary of the Ontario Municipal Employee Retirement

System (OMERS), and Pappas Enterprises, a fourth-generation family business that has developed commercial and industrial real estate in Boston for over sixty years, jointly own the 42.3-acre business park known as Pappas Commerce Center, which includes 645 Summer Street, in Boston’s Seaport District. Pappas Commerce Center consists of nine buildings and

approximately 750,000 square feet of space currently serving industrial, logistics, and research uses. Oxford and Pappas highly value community-focused business operations. Together, they will continue to make significant and thoughtful contributions to tenants and local communities in this important area of the city.

Virtual Public Meeting

80 West Broadway Wednesday, November 4 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Zoom Link: bit.ly/37ebPwY Toll Free: (833) 568 - 8864 Meeting ID: 161 027 7029

Project Proponent: 80 West Broadway, LLC

Project Description: 80 West Broadway, LLC proposes to redevelop an approximately 21,770 square foot property located at 80-110 West Broadway in South Boston. The project site currently contains a four-story, mixed-use building occupied at its ground level by Amrheins Restaurant, a one-story addition at 84-88A West Broadway, and a surface parking lot for 44 vehicles.

The proposed project consists of retaining the four-story building, which will continue to include ground-floor bar/restaurant space for Amrheins, with six residential units above, and to construct on the remainder of the project site an eight-story, approximately 123,400 square feet of gross floor area, mixed-use building with ground-floor retail space and research and development/office space above. The proposed project will also include approximately 25 below-grade parking spaces. mail to: John Campbell Boston Planning & Development Agency One City Hall Square, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02201 phone: 617.918.4282 email: john.campbell@boston.gov

Close of Comment Period: 11.20.2020

BostonPlans.org

@BostonPlans

Teresa Polhemus, Executive Director/Secretary

SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2020 THE PRINT EDITION

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