SBOL_10_27_2022

Redistricting Vote Postponed

Yesterday, City Councilor Liz Breadon (the Redistrict ing Chair) put off a vote on the final City Council District “Map” until next Wednesday

by Rick Winterson

Recently, South Boston Online published an article that reported on redistricting the City of Boston, as required by law every ten years.

Basically, a controversy has arisen about the proposed new District “Maps”. There presently are five of these “Maps”. Two of those “Maps” best reflect the controversy that has arisen in 2022 redistricting – a “Unity Map” by Councilors Arroyo and Breadon (the Redistricting Chair) that changes district borders very sharply, and a more balanced

“Coalition Map” put together by District 3 City Councilor Frank Baker and his staff. The “Unity Map” features a much different east-west district border pattern; the “Coalition Map” is based on the existing north-south border orientation.

Locally, the so-called “Unity Map” slices South Boston into badly split neighborhoods. The Anne Lynch/Old Colony and the West Broadway/D Street housing developments are cut in half; the Ninth Street project is also fragmented. The north border on Dorchester’s District 3 is moved all the way to D Street inside South Boston’s current District 2 territory, and the southern end of District 3 – Cedar Grove/ Neponset – is moved sharply to the west, enclosing it in District 4. District 2 City Councilor (and City Council President) Ed Flynn called an Emergency

Bulb Planting in Moakley Park

by Rick Winterson

a certain amount

mid-

April, before seeing flowering bulb plants display their spring colors. Bulb planting certainly requires the virtue of patience. Furthermore, there are certain specific depths that are required by various bulbs, depending upon the size of these bulbs. Multiply by “Three” to determine planting depth for each bulb.

Page 6

Anna White plants bulbs by the Connolly sculpture.

Continued from Page 1

Redistricting

Meeting last week to discuss the effect of redistricting on South Boston. One resolution was that local residents contact all the City Council members with your own redistricting opinions. And please get yourself a copy of the “Coalition Map” presented by District 3 City Councilor Frank Baker. Take a good, long look at it. Simply stated, Baker’s “Map” works! It mostly preserves both South Boston and Dorchester neighborhoods, while neatly balancing their populations. District 2 will end up with a 78,017 population; District 3 will have 71,611. Both figures are acceptable population targets for redistricting

AN UPDATE:

We recognize that redistricting is important, because the South Boston Seaport has brought in thousands of new neighbors since the last redistricting in 2012-2013.

Redistricting, which involves moving entire precincts from one district to another, is primarily to keep the population in each district about the same.

In addition, there are two other key redistricting factors: balancing ethnic voter populations so there’s no “packing” or “cracking”, and preserving long-established neighborhoods. Federal consultants on the Voting Rights Act believe the currently existing Districts have acceptable population mixes, so that leaves neighborhood preservation as the remaining issue, once the population factors are ironed out.

South Boston neighborhoods (overall) are certainly worth preserving. In addition, cutting up housing developments where many people of color reside should not be allowed – this actually damages fair, balanced population mixes. A letter from seven of South Boston’s civic/ neighborhood associations that have jointly sent a letter

to the City Council asking that the “Unity Map” proposal not be permitted to happen.

NEXT:

We understand that on Tuesday, a group of five other South Boston associations filed a formal public meeting legal complaint against the Council. This is in regard to three recent meetings on redistricting, which includes the South Boston Emergency Meeting mentioned above – meetings where a City Council quorum (7 members) was present. This may not be legal.

Yesterday, City Councilor Liz Breadon (the Redistricting

Chair) put off a vote on the final City Council District “Map” until next Wednesday during the Council’s noontime meeting. she said the unexpected legal complaint was the reason for the rather suddenly called delay. Specifically, Breadon said, “It would be best for the Council to prepare a response to the complaint prior to voting on this matter.”

However, we have not seen this final “Map” yet, so we cannot determine whether it violates South Boston borders and neighborhoods, as did the City Council’s original “Unity Map”. Stay tuned!

Letter to the Members of the Boston City Council

Members of the Boston City Council –

We are reaching out, in unity, to oppose any redistricting map that further separates the South Boston neighborhood. Currently the Maryellen McCormack Housing Development and a portion of Andrew Square’s Polish Triangle is part of District 3.

Proposed maps eliminate our BHA neighbors in Anne Lynch Homes at Old Colony - West 9th Street senior housing - West Broadway public housing, as well as the Andrew Square neighborhood. They divide the South Boston community. An interconnected, compassionate and caring community that works together to lift each other up.

The optics of this decision would also set us back to the ills of the 1970’s as the majority of residents in these housing developments are people of color. We consider our diverse demographics to be a strength, a source of pride and something redistricting should highlight

and maintain. The BHA and Andrew Square residents are part of the fabric of our community, and separating us would be a huge injustice for us all.

On behalf of our community, in particular our residents in public housing, we ask that you do not divide us.

Respectfully, Andrew Square Civic Association

Cityside Neighborhood Association

City Point Neighborhood Association Fort Point Neighborhood Association

Gate of Heaven Neighborhood Association St. Vincent’s Lower End Neighborhood Association West Broadway Neighborhood Association

cc: Mayor Wu

Redistricting

Phase I 776

by Rick Winterson

Yesterday evening, Redgate/Hilco presented (via ZOOM) more plans for Phase I of their landmark project on Summer Street at East First, bordering the Reserved Channel and the road into Conley Terminal. This site, of course, is the old, mothballed Edison Plant, which still looms large over L Street. Their plans for the entire site, beginning with Phase I, are ambitious to say the very least.

As for timing, the so-called “Deconstruction” effort will last until the middle of 2023. The formal groundbreaking will take place in the fall of next year. “Deconstruction” is a word that Redgate/Hilco uses

to describe their approach when building on an existing plant site like the Edison. They take great care to recover materials of construction for re-use; they also preserve entire buildings such as the old Edison turbine halls.

“Demolition” is nothing like this.

Much of the presentation was about fitting the 776 Project onto Summer Street in a way that (if anything) lifts up that whole neighborhood – maintaining traffic flow, opening up some great views, and providing significant open space for public use. The presenters didn’t forget about South Boston’s winters, either – their visuals of public space included pictures of ice skating. And they plan to use two of the strikingly

VOTE EARLY BOSTON

Saturday, October 22 - Friday, November 4, 2022 WEEK 2

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, - SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30 | 11 A.M. - 7 P.M.

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 Community Center Gymnasium 155 Talbot Avenue, Dorchester, MA 02124

Mildred Avenue K-8 School Gymnasium

5 Mildred Avenue, Mattapan, MA 02126

BCYF Roche Community Center Gymnasium 1716 Centre Street, West Roxbury, MA 02132 Fenway Park (Gate A)

4 Jersey Street, Fenway, MA 02215

BCYF Shelburne Community Center Gymnasium

2730 Washington Street, Roxbury, MA 02119

The Salvation Army Kroc Center 650 Dudley Street, Dorchester, MA 02125 Honan-Allston Branch Library (Community Room)

300 North Harvard Street, Allston, MA 02134

designed turbine halls as integral parts of the whole project. It was a very interesting (and eye-catching) presentation.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1 | 12 - 8 P.M. Saint Nectarios Greek Church (Banquet Hall) 39 Belgrade Avenue, Roslindale, MA 02131 BCYF Hyde Park Community Center 1179 River Street, Hyde Park, MA 02136

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3 | 12 - 8 P.M. St. George Orthodox Church of Boston 55 Emmonsdale Road, West Roxbury, MA 02132 The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston 25 Harbor Shore Drive, Boston, MA 02210

BOSTON CITY HALL | WEEK 2

Monday, October 31 | 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesday, November 1 | 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. Wednesday, November 2 | 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Thursday, November 3 | 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. Friday, November 4 | 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

boston.gov/ballot-dropboxes

By Carol Masshardt

Pathways, housed in a simple building on Columbus Ave. has a powerful mission and an Executive Director devoted to the goal of helping women, and others historically underrepresented, gain a foothold in the trades. Mary Vogel, an attorney with a Georgetown degree, knows not only the laws and regulations of construction process and safety, but has been deeply committed to equity and inclusion throughout her career.

“I wanted to be a social worker, and actually started to go that route, but it was really community organizing as an agent of social change that was my interest, and that’s what the labor movement is,” she said. So, with law school behind her, she did legal aid work in the 80’s and then on to representing the North American Trade Union, and a list of impressive and collaborative efforts in worker safety, including serving as General Counsel to the Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute and

Women in the Trades: Part 2

BuildingExecutive Director of the Asbestos Victims Special Fund Trust. Her accomplishments and the regard she earned could have led her anyplace, but Boston and the trades was a natural fit.

From Wisconsin, where she spent early years, to CT., to DC., to western, Ma. and suburbs of Boston and finally Boston for the past three years, her knowledge dedication, vigor and patience is the right match for a complex environment of the “trades” that can be both progressive and tradition bound.

Building Pathways, with diverse funding, is designed to work for everyone who may be interested in careers in the trades. The people who enter the program get enormous support in pre-apprentice workshops, but also more intensive involvement as the small but energized staff of six work to achieve job placement and sustained employment in union-based trades.

“It is a comprehensive approach. There are pre-apprentice workshops, but also outreach to high school programs, and “Tradeswomen Tuesday” when woman already working in the field share their

Mary Voge

experience, and it doesn’t end with just a job, but a job with a union that pays well and offers benefits that make sense,” she said.

There are usually layers to successful programs, and Building Pathways is a perfect example. The involvement is broad and include policy processes that define and protect workers environments, contractors who need a ready pool of capable workpeople, and a labor force that is motivated and diverse, and the political underpinnings of contracts. Despite it all, Building Pathways isn’t daunted by challenges and seems ready to engage and build the next workforce one person and policy at a time.

“Jobs in the trades tend to start at 6 or 7 AM and go until 3PM,” said Mary Vogel, “and there is teamwork and all kinds of factors in this, but it is tough for parents. We helped someone find early AM daycare and know that these are things that can be barriers to the kind of success everyone deserves.”

The tasks and goals of the six employees at Building Pathways isn’t easy, and diversity in the trades in a still a work in progress. Many women, among other underrepresented groups, are steered toward other work lives for which they may be less suited and satisfied.

“If ‘you can’t see it, you can’t be it’ as the adage goes,” explained Vogel. “In Boston it is better but in outlying areas you may not see woman tradespeople. But the climate is changing, as it has to,

toward a culture shift where everyone is welcomed. As the workforce changes and people retire, it is the time to have women front and center, and then to make sure that the right supports are in place, so they stay in the industry.”

Imagine the building activity in Boston alone and the opportunities to those who want a “hands on” job that changes every day and requires good thinking and teamwork without being tethered to an office. With wages and benefits that are respectable and varying routes to higher education, it is a path that can be appealing for women who think beyond the usual options.

“It’s my passion for the rest of my career,” said Mary Vogel. “It’s always been about worker’s rights, inclusivity, and safe workplaces where people are paid fairly and look to good retirements.”

If the seven- hundred who attended a recent conference of “Women in the Trades,” along with Secretary of Commerce Marty Walsh and leaders in all the trades and industries are any signal, it seems that surely this goal is within sight. The doors are open and waiting for those who want to be part of building Boston for the next decade, and you may just catch a beautiful sunrise over this ever-developing city.

If interested in learning more about the programs at Building Pathways, you are invited to contact mary@buildingpathwaysMA. org or at 617-238-5292.

U.S. Marine Band Comes to Symphony Hall

by Rick Winterson

Forthe first time in several years, “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band is on tour, returning first to New England. Last week, they performed a free concert at Symphony Hall in Boston. Quoting the Marine Band Director Colonel Jason K. Fettig, he said, “We are incredibly excited to resume our national tour. Musicians of the Band are more eager than ever to share their musical talents with audiences – live and in-person on this Northeast tour.” Col. Fettig himself is a New England native (Manchester, N.H.). Organizers from the Massachusetts Bay Council Navy League of the United States helped bring the Band here for this revived community event. The two-plus hour Concert passed quickly and very enjoyably. Classic band marches were combined with sonorous pieces of original music. This writer was extremely impressed with how well the Marine Band performed complex

compositions without any stringed instruments – just band instruments. An intense emotional moment occurred when the Band rendered Mussorgsky’s dramatic “The Great Gate of Kiev”.

Kiev (spelled Kyiv nowadays) is the capital city of Ukraine – many in the audience actually shed tears for what is happening there now. A singalong of “God Bless America”, “Stars and Stripes Forever” by Sousa, and a musical salute concluded the Concert. Director Col. Fettig deserves much credit, along with his Assistant Director, 1st Lt. Darren Yin. Concert Moderator MGySgt. Kevin Bennear made the introductions and sang baritone – our local media personalities should have such a voice!

Talented local guests performed with the Marine Band; they were delightful added attractions. Keith Lockhart from the Boston Pops conducted “To Lenny! To Lenny!”, composed by John Williams, Conductor Emeritus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and commemorating Leonard Bernstein, who studied at Boston University for many years and died 50 years ago. Then, the highly

Senate Passes Step Therapy Bill

as opposed to the ones they require.

This legislation seeks to ensure that health care providers have the power to determine the most effective treatment plan for their patients without interference from the patient’s medical insurance provider. As a result, patients can start rounds of necessary medication without having to undergo multiple “steps” on cheaper prescriptions.

skilled Middlesex County Volunteer Fifes & Drums marched into Symphony Hall en masse, while rendering the fife-and-drum classic “Ruffles and Choons”. They received an immediate standing ovation for their effort (“choon” is the colonial pronunciation of “tune” – a popular song).

The United States Marine Band is firmly embedded in American history –it is our nation’s oldest, longest serving, still-active professional music group. Authorized by an Act of Congress and founded 224 years ago in 1798, the Band became known as “The President’s Own” while performing for

President Thomas Jefferson, a talented musician himself. Since then, it has performed for every U.S. President. President Benjamin Harrison granted permission to renowned Marine Band leader John Philip Sousa to tour the country in in 1891, 131 years ago. The Marine Band’s current 2022 tour will cover nearly 3,000 miles, performing in 27 Northeastern cities and 10 states (the six New England states, plus New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware).

Its is a fitting reminder of the upcoming Veterans’ Month of November.

Bill Aims to Improve Patient Access to Necessary Medica tion Options

SenatorCollins and his colleagues in the Massachusetts State

Senate enacted H. 4929, An Act Relative to Step Therapy and Patient Safety unanimously.

The goal of the bill is to limit the practice of “step therapy” within the Commonwealth, which has been criticized for steering patients towards cheaper medication options,

“This marks an important step today in guaranteeing those seeking medical treatment throughout the Commonwealth will have fewer barriers to accessing the best treatment available to them.” Said Senator Collins. “I am sure the positive effects of this legislation will be felt throughout the state, and the First Suffolk District particularly so. I represent a diverse district with a wide range of needs, and we will continue working to ensure that the health and wellbeing of our constituents continues to improve.”

Continued from Page 1

Planting Bulbs

Any self-respecting garden trowel has mystical markings on it that help the gardener determine when she/he has dug deeply enough. This is not only a kind of ritual, it’s also a way to keep the buried bulbs – at least a few of them –from being eaten by those little devils we know as “squirrels” or “chipmunks”.

And finally, planting bulbs requires (yes, requires!) that you fall to your knees. Now what else could that be, if it isn’t a ritual?

Just over thirty volunteers assembled last Saturday morning at 9 a.m., to do a couple of hours of hard work in Moakley Park. This effort included a bulb planting ritual of course; the volunteers also cleaned up the trash in and around Moakley. It’s important to note this cleanup is a community service they perform at Moakley each and every month.

Many of the volunteers last Saturday were from Boston Harbor NOW. South Boston Online has written articles about the Boston Harbor NOW organization in the past, so we spoke briefly with Rebecca about them on Saturday. They are currently located

in Charlestown; Kathy Abbott is their President and CEO. The work they do has contributed greatly to Boston Harbor’s progress in becoming perhaps the cleanest harbor in the nation – a harbor that’s used by everyone.

City Councilor-at-Large Ruthzee Louijeune volunteered on Saturday, as did Anna White, City Hall’s South Boston Liaison. Allison, a Project Manager from Parks & Recreation joined in as well. Jenn led the way in divvying up the bulbs to be planted. Six of the volunteers came over from Boston University (BU) and are members of the Omega Phi Alpha sorority on that campus. The six sorority sisters planted a number of bulbs around the plot of

vegetable gardens set aside for George Benner’s Roundtable organization in the MaryEllen McCormack housing project. The two most popular volunteers were undoubtedly young, blonde Lottie (who was amazed at all the trash that was collected), and Teddy, a four-footed pit bull/boxer mix. Some of the figures that describe last Saturday’s efforts are impressive. More than 30 volunteers planted a thousand bulbs (yes, 1,000!). The bulbs were divided more or less equally among tulips, daffodils, and allium. And allium not only produces a long lasting, truly vivid violet bloom, it’s also the source of that indispensable spice we call “garlic”. Six or seven white bags

of trash picked up all around the Park weighed a collective and estimated 40 pounds. That is quite a pile of waste. The areas that received bulbs included the memorials and statues, the street side of the Roundtable gardens, and the large, raised planter at the entrance to Saunders Stadium – a nice touch around the stones commemorating veteran/firefighter Thomas Burke, Olympian/author James Michael Connolly, statesman Joseph Moakley, and Paul Saunders himself. And the volunteers were a cheerful lot. A Dunkin’ breakfast was served to them behind the Moakley Field House, and then they assembled for group photos before dispersing at mid-day. Just wait ‘til next Spring.

A BIG Welcome to our new K2C Teacher!

Mr. Evan Bourque is

a new and excited member of the South Boston Catholic Academy family. He received his BA in Early Education and Care In Inclusive settings from the University of Massachusetts Boston. Mr. Bourque is a welcoming and accepting teacher who will provide a safe and fun environment. He along with his Assistant, Mrs. Lois Picard, are a wonderful team! In his free time you can find Mr. Bourque hanging out with family and friends and working at Fenway Park for the Kids crew. From Mr. Bourque…“My experience

in K2C has been wonderful. Every day the students make me more and more happy with being

a part of this wonderful school and community. The students in K2C are so creative, positive,

and special! “I look forward to the rest of this year to learn and grow with the students in K2C.

Tierney Learning Center Staff Honored with Latino Excellece Award

Three staff members of the Tierney Learning Center, Sandra Gomez, Milagros Pena, and Jose Sotz, were recognized with this year’s Latino Excellence Award.

Nominated by State Representative David Biele, the staff of the Tierney Center received the award from the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus as part of Hispanic Heritage Month to recognize and commemorate the outstanding contributions of Latino individuals in their communities.

Located in the Anne M. Lynch Homes at Old Colony, the Tierney Learning Center opened its doors in 2012 to serve the surrounding residents and community. In staffing the Tierney Learning Center, Sandra, Milagros , and Jose

provide a wide range of services, including but not limited to: after-school programming for youth (ages 6-12), teen programming, information and referral services, technology/ training assistance, trauma informed youth therapy, art services, and food distribution.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sandra, Milagros, and Jose pivoted and provided virtual programming, delivered personal protection equipment, facilitated food distribution, coordinated vaccination clinics, and provided onsite support to residents and families in need.

“Sandra Gomez, Milagros Pena, and Jose Sotz are the backbone of the Tierney Learning Center,” said Rep. Biele. “Their unwavering dedication and commitment to the residents and families throughout the Anne

Lynch Homes at Old Colony have made a tremendous difference in our community and I’m grateful for everything they do.”

Earlier this month, Sandra, Milagros, and Jose were honored

with the Latino Excellence Award at a ceremony with Speaker of the House Ronald Mariano, alongside forty other Latino Excellence Award recipients from across the Commonwealth.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston & Elected Officials Address Community Needs

Club leadership and elected officials met at the Edgerley Family South Boston Club to discuss and prioritize con stituent needs ahead of new calendar year

Robert Lewis Jr., Nicholas President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston (BGCB), and Club leadership met with local elected officials at Edgerley Family South Boston Club this past Friday to share the organization’s priorities for the year ahead and discuss the community’s needs. BGCB plans to implement a brand-new strategic plan that will provide its members with new enriching opportunities and will allow its members to realize their full potential as Boston’s next generation of leaders.

The Edgerley Family South Boston Club is located at 230 W Sixth St, Boston, MA 02127. To learn more about Boys and Girls Clubs of

Boston, go to: https://www.bgcb.org/

Since its founding in 1893, Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston (BGCB) has been helping young people, especially those who need us most, build strong character and realize their full potential as responsible citizens

and leaders. BGCB does this by providing a safe haven filled with hope and opportunity, ongoing relationships with caring adults, and life-enhancing programs in six core program areas. The organization serves more than 8,000 individuals in 9 Clubs and

through its YouthConnect program in partnership with the Boston Police Department. BGCB is an affiliate of Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. For more information, visit BGCB on the web at bgcb.org.

From L-R: Edgerley Family South Boston Club Executive Director Harry Duvall, Representative David Biele (former Club Advisory Board member), Senior Director of Business Development and Special Events Ellen Morrissey, Gerry Vierbickas (alum and advisory board member – over 30 years), Nicholas President and CEO of BGCB Robert Lewis Jr., Zach Fletchner (co-chair advisory board), Club staff Tim Bothwell (Club alum), Senator Nick Collins (Club alum), Council President Ed Flynn

ZONING HEARING

The Zoning Commission of the City of Boston hereby gives notice, in accordance with Chapter 665 of the Acts of 1956, as amended, that a virtual public hearing will be held on November 9, 2022, at 9:30 A.M., in connection with the 6th Amendment to Master Plan for Planned Development Area No. 69, The 100 Acres (“6th Amendment”) and the Development Plan for 244-284 A Street within Planned Development Area No. 69, The 100 Acres (“Development Plan”), filed by the Boston Redevelopment Authority d/b/a the Boston Planning & Development Agency.

Said Development Plan and 6th Amendment would allow for the construction of a mixed-use development including laboratory and research, ground floor commercial/retail space, civic use, 340 residential units (including 68 Inclusionary Development Policy units) and 415 garage parking spaces.

This meeting will only be held virtually and not in person. You can participate in this meeting by going to https://bit.ly/BZC_November2022. Copies of the petitions, the proposed 6th Amendment and proposed Development Plan and a map of the area involved may be obtained from the Zoning Commission electronically, and you may also submit written comments or questions to zoningcommission@boston.gov

Interpreting services are available to communicate information at this hearing. If you require interpreting services, please contact the following: zoningcommission@boston.gov or 617-918-4308. The meeting is scheduled for November 9, 2022. Please request interpreting services no later than November 4, 2022.

For the Commission Jeffrey M. Hampton Executive Secretary

A New Business Heritage Market

The Heritage Market, a new South Boston small business at L and Fifth, opened just last week. This was something of a surprise to us at South Boston Online, because we had been informed at first that residences would be constructed at L and fifth, with future commercial zoning on the ground floor. When we inquired, we were told that Cumberland Farms had staffing shortages and were consolidating. However, Heritage Market seems to be well-staffed. In any case, welcome to South Boston, Heritage!

Virtual Public Meeting

330 C Street

Public Meeting

Wednesday, November 9 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Project Description:

Zoom Link: bit.ly/3TpENzy

Toll Free: (833) 568 - 8864

Meeting ID: 161 292 9539

The proposed project consists of a new six-story 74-room hotel, with a ground-floor restaurant, situated at 330 C Street in South Boston. The lot size is approximately 8,202 square feet and is currently occupied by a vacant single-story concrete block building which formerly housed a repair garage.

mail to: Stephen Harvey

Boston Planning & Development Agency

One City Hall Square, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02201 phone: 617.918.4418 email: stephen.j.harvey@boston.gov

Close of Comment Period: 11/18/2022