SBOL_05_28_2020

THE PRINT EDITION

THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020

VOLUME XIX- ISSUE 74

Mayor Walsh Announces Distribution of 10,000 Community Care Kits Throughout The City Of Boston

M

ayor Martin J. Walsh announced the Office of Neighborhood Services (ONS) this weekend will distribute the first half of the 20,000 care kits assembled over the course of this week to various community outreach partners, meal sites, and testing sites in Boston, building on the Mayor’s commitment of making critical resources available to residents. Each kit contains a mask, hand sanitizer, gloves, antibacterial wipes, soap, and a booklet with information from the City on COVID-19 facts and resources.

The City of Boston is dedicated to providing access to these basic necessities to our most vulnerable population during this pandemic, and keeping residents informed while giving them the tools needed to adhere to the safety guidelines outlined by the Boston Public Health Commission.

“We’re proud to make available

these community care kits in areas that need them the most - places that our Health Inequities Task Force has identified as having the greatest need right now,” said Mayor Walsh.

“By making these resources and information available, it’s our hope that we are further informing people on how they can protect themselves, their families and their communities, and letting them know that the City of Boston is here to help them.”

Providing residents with the tools they need to stay safe during this time was one of the recommendations of the Mayor’s Health Inequities Task Force, which has been working to provide guidance to the City of Boston on addressing current inequities in data analysis, testing sites, and health care services for blacks, Latinos, Asians and immigrants, and advocating for an equitable reopening and recovery for all of Boston’s communities.

Over the course of this week,

the care kits were assembled by a team of 130 volunteers from 25 City departments, who supported the Office of Neighborhood Services (ONS) in preparing for the distribution. The care kits are being made available in part through community partners,

who play an integral role in providing residents with the resources needed to keep people safe during this public health crisis. Many communitybased organizations are working to ensure that our most at-risk groups, Continued on Page 2

Barbara Kelly, BCYF Condon, Allison Baker, Kickoff 4 Kids, and Haley Dillon Mayor’s South Boston liaison are gearing up for the distribution of Care kits. Please call 311 for more distribution infomation.

Now may be the time to lower your car payment.

Apply Online or by Phone.

Most loans can close online.

60 days no payments is available.+

* APR=Annual Percentage Rate. APR includes a .25% discount for automatic payments or direct deposit. 2.49% APR is for terms up to 48 months. Monthly payment is $21.91 per $1,000.00 borrowed. 2.74% APR without automatic payments or direct deposit.

Monthly payment without automatic payments or direct deposit is $22.02 per $1,000.00 borrowed. Other rates and terms are available. Up to 105% financing based on the NADA retail value. Qualification restrictions apply. Rate, term and approval based on credit worthiness. Rates are subject to change without notice. + Payments may be deferred up to 60 days. Interest will accrue during deferral period.

2

THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020 SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM

Continued from Page 1

Mayor Walsh

who have been disproportionately affected by illness and economic harm, are sufficiently supported.

“Thank you to the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services (ONS) for this generous donation to the Cape Verdean Association of Boston,” said President of the Cape Verdean Association of Boston Paulo A. De Barros. “This is going to allow the Cape Verdean Association to continue to support the needs of our community by donating personal protective equipment and supplies needed during this difficult time.

This work is important as we work to stop the spread in our communities.”

Mayor Walsh and the City of Boston are prioritizing the health of all residents while meeting the needs of everyone impacted by COVID-19. As the State’s Phase 1 of Reopening Massachusetts is implemented, keeping residents safe and informed is key in further lowering our positive test rate and avoiding a spike in hospital resource use from COVID-19 cases in Boston.

“These kits provide simple supplies and important information to help educate our residents on how to keep them and their families safe.

As we move forward to our new normal, it’s important that we help residents prepare,” said Chief of Civic Engagement and Neighborhood Services Director Jerome Smith.

Mayor Walsh and the Boston Public Health Commission have made clear that residents are still safer at home and the basic safety precautions of washing your hands, wearing a face covering and social distancing remain key to recovery.

The Office of Neighborhood

Services is proud to provide our most vulnerable residents with the resources needed to follow these guidelines.

For additional questions or programs, please visit our website or

call 3-1-1, Boston’s 24-hour constituent hotline. Text BOSCOVID to 888777 to receive text alerts on a regular basis, available in 11 languages.

Sully’s Reopens!

A Red Poppy For more than a century, the symmetry and achingly bright red of the poppy has symbolized the sacrifice made by American military personnel who perished in combat – a custom that began in 1918, just after World War I. Poppies typically grow best in freshly dug soil, including around graves hastily dug all over Europe during Yes, the iconic Sullivan’s on Castle Island is open once again, despite the continued closure of the surrounding parking lot and parking along Day Boulevard, as well as the ongoing presence of COVID-19 across the land. Just read the posted (outside) menu, with its six new, mouth-watering seafood dinners (yes, dinners!). That makes it far easier to obey the safety guidelines at Sully’s, while you are standing on the spiffy place markers for walk-in orders. We purposely used the word “iconic” to describe Sully’s. You could argue that word also applies to Seapoint, L Street Diner, Café Porto Bello, Sal’s, Mirisola’s, Rondo’s, Lucky’s, The Barking Crab, Amrhein’s, or the soonto-be-departing Mul’s Diner. But it certainly applies to Sully’s.

World War I – “The War to end all Wars.”

SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020

3

Officials Provide Guidance at South Boston Beaches

W

ith the region experiencing e l e v a t e d temperatures, local, state, and federal officials are providing guidance for visitors at South Boston Beaches, including Carson Beach and M Street Beach, starting this week beach users are able to engage in transitory and non-transitory/ non-contact activities, including swimming and sunbathing, but must continue to adhere to social distancing and other Department of Public Health (DPH) guidelines.

“South Boston beaches are part of a network of natural resources that provide residents with critical access to the outdoors,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides. “However, it is vital that while enjoying time outdoors we must all continue to be diligent during the COVID-19 public health emergency, and following the Commonwealth’s health and safety guidelines for beach visitors will help keep you, your loved ones, and others around you safe.”

“As the weather continues to get nicer, it will be tempting to let our guard down and relax the good practices of social distancing and wearing a face covering that so many people have been taking seriously,” said Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “I’m asking everyone to keep up these important precautions this week and beyond when visiting our beaches, or any place for that matter, because we cannot afford any setbacks, and we want to continue doing everything we can to keep people safe from COVID-19.”

Furthermore, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) asks the public to refrain from visiting area beaches if crowds are forming, particularly during high visitation days and times, like weekends. While visiting beaches, users should also expect limited amenities that would normally be made available this time of year, including comfort stations, visitor centers, parking availability, and trash receptacles.

“DCR beaches are among the most popular destinations within the state parks system, and while they remain open and available for the public to use, it is incredibly important that we all practice

social distancing, avoid crowds, and wear facial masks or coverings when social distancing cannot be achieved,” said Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Jim Montgomery. “Furthermore, we ask that all visitors be respectful of local parking rules, posted signage, and other policies to ensure a fun, safe experience.”

“Following our successful efforts to clean up Boston Harbor, our beaches in South Boston have become enormously popular with the general public over the last decade,” said Congressman Stephen Lynch (D-Mass). “However, in order to safely proceed with the gradual reopening of our economy, it remains important that people follow the guidelines from the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) when they visit these popular South Boston beaches. We must remain diligent and be respectful of each other’s personal space. We need to continue to protect each other, otherwise we will risk a resurgence, wider spread of the disease and more deaths. Massachusetts residents have put their faith in their elected officials and expert health officials to make the right decisions to protect their health and safety, and I commend Governor Baker and Mayor Walsh for their swift and decisive actions throughout this pandemic. Now as we begin to reopen public spaces, we must put our trust in each other as friends and neighbors to adhere to the guidelines, and I hope everyone is able to enjoy the good weather and the beaches in a safe, respectful manner.”

This week the Baker-Polito Administration issued guidance for both beach managers and visitors. This guidance includes: Parking lots, people entering

the beach, or other factors should be managed, if necessary, to limit beach capacity to accommodate adequate social distancing based on an assessment by the beach manager; Beach visitors are required to maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet or more at all times and visitors should maintain at least 12 ft minimum distance between toweling/beach blanket areas; and, Organized ball games should not be allowed activities, including, but not limited to, volleyball, Kan Jam, spikeball, football, soccer, Kadima, and bocce.

“We know residents are eager to head to beaches as the weather warms up. But we cannot stress enough how important it is to remember we’re not back to normal yet,” said State Senator

Nick Collins (D-Boston). “The bottom line is that if you are heading to the beaches and parks, it is not business as usual. So it is imperative that everyone be aware of and follow DCR’s guidelines so that everyone who wants to can safely enjoy being outdoors while mitigating unnecessary exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“As our state beaches and parks remain open to the public, it is crucial that visitors follow the advice and guidance of public health professionals and the Department of Conservation and Recreation,” said State Representative David Biele (D-Boston). “In addition to following the rules of the road and local parking requirements, this will allow all visitors to enjoy our beaches safely.”

When visiting the state parks system and other public places,DCR also offers general guidance for visitors to follow: If a park is crowded, please consider leaving the area and either visiting a different location or returning at a later date or time (typically state parks are less busy during the week and/or early in the morning).

Follow posted rules, such as “carry in, carry out” trash policies and posted parking restrictions; Stay within solitary or small groups, and avoid gatherings of ten or more people; Practice social distancing of at least six feet between individuals; Wear a facial mask or covering in public; Participate in only non-contact recreational activities; Practice healthy personal hygiene, such as handwashing for at least 20 seconds; and, Stay home if ill, over 70, and/or part of a vulnerable population.

4

THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020 SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM

South Boston’s Memorials

by Rick Winterson

M

onday, May 25, wa s Memoria l Day in 2020.

The Coronavirus/COV ID-19 pandemic eliminated most of the usual observances, including canceled parades and various gatherings and assemblies by veterans’ organizations.

Yes, there was a flyover and Governor Baker led a ceremony on Boston Common, but it wasn’t the same. And the gray overcast that greeted us Monday morning only added to the dull atmosphere.

But remembering is important.

The origin of Memorial Day is obscure, and was (perhaps) first celebrated by freed slaves in South Carolina in 1865. Waterloo, New York, was a key stop on the so-called “Underground Railroad” during the Civil War. A year after the Civil War had ended, the women of Waterloo began a custom called Decoration Day – green plants and decorative cut flowers were placed on the graves of Civil War soldiers in the month of May. Later, this became the Memorial Day holiday that we now know and observe nationally.

This week, maybe it would be fitting if all of us visited South Boston’s Memorials to those who died in combat, as we gradually reopen South Boston. Visit them on foot,

The Monument on the Heights commemorates the War for Independence/Evacuation Day.

In Medal of Honor Park, the first Vietnam Memorial in America – still a stirring sight. if you are able to do so. Begin with the bronze statue of the Civil War’s Rear Admiral Farragut (“Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”) at Day Boulevard and East Broadway.

His 1864 naval victory in Mobile Bay made him a national hero.

In no particular order, visit the iconic Fort Independence on Castle Island, a structure that has essentially paralleled all of America’s 400-year history, and is now a massive memorial. Stop by the mournful statue of the Korean War soldier on the Island; read the 20 names of that war’s casualties on the granite marker slab. Visit the World War II Memorial just to the west of Pleasure Bay and the causeway, emplaced there by the members of our own Fitzgerald Post. The 216 names engraved on it are worth more than a casual glance. Immediately across Day Boulevard sits the USS Kearsarge anchor, which was recently funded for a complete renovation.

The USS Kearsarge was launched during the Spanish-American War and also saw duty in World War I. It’s something of a walk, but the nation’s first Vietnam Memorial is located in Medal of Honor/M Street Park. It was dedicated in 1983; the 25 names of South Boston

casualties on it are still fresh in the memories of many South Boston residents. South Boston’s newest Memorial is located in our Seaport District. The Fallen Heroes Beacon of Honor, a 50-foot obelisk, is sited at the north end of Seaport Common; it is five-sided, in honor of the five branches of U.S. military service.

The 272 names list those from Massachusetts who have fallen in the Global War on Terrorism since 9-11.

Finally, visit the Monument on Dorchester Heights at sunset, if you can. The tower commemorates Evacuation Day, the British evacuation of Boston on March 17, 1776. This is where it all started. It was George Washington’s very first

victory in America’s Revolutionary War – our War for Independence.

The Monument looks to the west from the highest natural point in the City of Boston. Sunset views from there are striking, to say the least. Bring the family, your dog, and a picnic supper.

South Boston truly values its veterans, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Our memorials testify to this. The only addition we need to make is a Memorial to the 103 South Boston heroes who died in combat during World War I. Please keep that fitting, much-overdue project in mind as we progress towards the City of Boston’s 400th Anniversary in 2030.

The USS Kearsarge anchor (Spanish/American War, WWI) silhouetted by Old Harbor.

SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020

The WWII Memorial, engraved with the 216 names of those South Boston lost.

The massive sally port into Fort Independence (active from the 1630s until WWII).

5

A tribute to the 20 South Bostonians who gave their lives in Korea.

The bronze statue of Admiral Farragut (Civil War) at East Broadway.

The Fallen Heroes obelisk on Seaport Common’s Sea of Flags.

6

THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020 SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM

Gate of Heaven & St. Brigid of Kildare Parishes & St. Augustine Chapel “Functioning as a Parish Community amidst the Corona Virus – A Slow Transition Back to Normal” Important Message – Please Read First Cardinal Sean continues to dispense all Catholics from the Sunday Mass obligation. This will be in place for the foreseeable future. Catholics are not obliged to go to Sunday Mass due to current pandemic and the continued risks. The Cardinal strongly encourages people in vulnerable populations, especially the elderly and those with complicating physical conditions to continue to watch via Live stream on our website or on Catholic TV. LIVE STREAMING on our Parish Website will continue!

When will our Parish Masses resume?

Pentecost Sunday – “The Birthday of the Church” Saturday Afternoon Mass, May 30th 4:00 p.m. at Gate of Heaven Church – Also Live-Stream Sunday Morning Mass, May 31st 8:00 a.m. at St. Brigid Church and 10:00AM at Gate of Heaven Church - Also Live-Stream Daily Mass Monday June 1st – Friday June 5th 9:00 a.m. Mass at Gate of Heaven Upper Church - Also Live-Stream

Parishioner Requirements to attend Mass All those attending Mass – MUST wear a mask. Parishioners are encouraged to bring their own hand sanitizer with them. Missalettes and Holy Water cannot be used. Social distancing is required – must have 6 feet between each other, including when processing up to receive communion.

Congregation singing will not be allowed. Communion will be distributed in the hand only.

40% occupancy in each church must be adhered to.

Attending Mass while COVID-19 is still active in our community will be noticeably different.

The following are requirements we all must follow: Stay at home if you feel sick.

Strict social distancing will be required.

Tape will be placed in the aisles to promote the 6-foot requirement.

Collections are not allowed, and the passing of the collection basket will be suspended. Collection baskets will be situated at the doors of the Church. Online Giving is encouraged.

Congregants who are not coming forward to receive Holy Communion or a blessing should still get out of their pews as others approach, so that no one will have to climb over anyone else.

Parishioners may well decide not to receive Holy Communion if they feel the risk is too high, and that decision will be honored and respected.

Single file and one-way traffic flow will need to be followed when Communion is distributed.

At least every other pew will be roped off.

Holy Water Fonts will be empty.

Choir will not be allowed.

There will be no social gatherings either before or after Mass.

Signage will be required to display requirements of social distancing, masks and sanitizing.

The Church will need to be sanitized after every Mass – this will require parishioners to volunteer to assist with this protocol.

Participants at Mass would be encouraged to leave the church within a couple of minutes of the end ofthe Mass so as to allow for time for cleaning the church before the next Mass. Row by row exiting, directed by the trained volunteers, is encouraged. All members of the congregation need to wear masks, with a few exceptions: Children under the age of two should not wear masks. Parents should judge for children between the ages of two and five whether they should wear a mask. All people who claim an exemption because of health can forego wearing a mask.

The priest and others with him while in the sanctuary do not need to wear masks as long as strict social distancing is maintained.

Remember: Stay at Home Advisory still in Effect in Massachusetts and people over the age of 65 and people who have underlying health conditions – who are at high risk for COVID-19 – should continue to stay home except for essential errands. All residents are REQUIRED to cover their face when they cannot maintain six feet of social distance in public. Refrain from visiting nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, or other residential care settings. All residents are advised to wash their hands frequently for at least 20 seconds with soapy water. All residents are advised to be vigilant, monitor for symptoms and stay home if you feel sick. Use remote modes of communication like phone or video chat or LIVE-Steam instead of visiting friends or family who are high risk for COVID-19.

WE ECOURAGE ALL PARISHIONERS TO BE PRUDENT –DURING FIRST PHASE OF RE-OPENING

SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020

7

BOOK REVIEW: “Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11” (author - Mitchell Zuckoff )

by Rick Winterson

Y

ou might be looking for summertime reading right now, either because summer in South Boston begins informally after Memorial Day, or because you have some hours to fill while COVID-19 related Social Distancing is still in force. “Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11”, by Mitchell Zuckoff, is recommended. After Memorial Day last Monday, you are perhaps looking for a book that excites memories at once both tragic and

highly significant. If that’s the case, then “Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11” is once again (strongly) recommended.

This work is not light reading.

Instead, “Fall and Rise” flows. You are absorbed grippingly into Zuckoff’s narrative of the facts, which he skillfully unfolds in front of you as if 9/11 were just last month, or yesterday – or perhaps as if it is happening right outside your window as you read “Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11”. And it is indeed factual! You quickly become aware of a narrative that is utterly truthful, a narrative that lets you encounter the

The 9/11 Garden of Remembrance, engraved with 206 names, in the Public Garden.

complete facts of 9/11 with absolute belief in what you are reading.

The story of 9/11 is a story of four hijacked passenger airplanes that end up at three destinations, from New York’s two World Trade Center Towers, to the Pentagon, to the rural countryside of Pennsylvania. Heroic rescue missions follow. At 2,977 deaths, 9/11 was the worst foreign enemy onslaught America has ever endured – measurably worse than even Pearl Harbor. Experience how skillfully Zuckoff brings you from one locale to another, while never losing continuity or a sense of the time

involved in 9/11 and its aftermath.

Mitchell Zuckoff is the Redstone Professor of Narrative Studies at Boston University. Perhaps more familiarly, he was a member of the Boston Globe’s Spotlight Team and covered 9/11 for the Globe on the day that tragedy occurred. He is the recipient of several awards; he resides locally. “Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11” is available through the Boston Public Library.

Boston’s 9/11 losses are memorialized in the Garden of Remembrance near the southwestern corner of the Boston Public Garden.

“Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11”, by Mitchell Zuckoff (2019, 589 pp.)

8

THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020 SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM

“Live from the Living Room Challenge”

Boston Parks Score Again #9 in Trust for Public Land rankings

Boston Children’s Museum has launched a fun new online activity for kids called the “Live from the Living Room Challenge.” Kids from around the world are invited to share a <1 minute video of their best joke, a funny story, or a harmless prank. Maybe it could be teaching your pet a trick, or maybe you can win a staring contest with your friend or parent. The goal is to make someone laugh and give kids an opportunity to strengthen their creative instincts.

The Museum will promote the campaign on its social media, web channels, and through select partners. Kids are asked to share their video on social media with the tag #LiveFromTheLivingRoomChallenge.

“Kids are inherently creative, and sometimes just need a challenge to tap into it. Now is a great time to be positive and lift people’s spirits while also activating kids’ creative instincts,” said Peter Broderick, Vice President at the Museum.

The challenge will last through June 30, and the Museum will award $25 Amazon gift cards to the ten best submissions.

The challenge is among the many online play and learning activities the Museum is making available on its websitewww.

BostonChildrensMuseum.org

The Law Office of

Paul J. Gannon PC General Practice of Law

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

Boston has landed near the top of the 2020 ParkScore list compiled by The Trust for Public Land ranking how much access citizens have to parks and park amenities. The annual report uses mapping technology and demographic data to determine how well the largest cities in the United States are meeting the need for parks.

Boston’s ninth place score was higher than Chicago, New York City, St. Louis, Seattle, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and San Diego on a list of 100 cities and moved up from 13th place in 2019. With the majority of Boston residents living within close proximity to a park, the city’s highest score was in the category of access where Boston earned 100 out of 100. The city›s high percentage of city area dedicated to parks (17%) and strong playground access score also boosted the city’s ParkScore rating.

ParkScore ratings are based equally on three factors: park access, which measures the percentage of residents living within a 10-minute walk of a park (approximately ½-mile); park size, which is based on a city’s median park size and the percentage of total city area dedicated to parks; and services and investment, which combines the number of playgrounds per 10,000 city residents and per capita park spending.

ParkScore uses advanced GIS (geographic information system) computer mapping technology to create digital maps evaluating park accessibility, making it the most realistic assessment system available.

Instead of simply measuring distance to a local park, ParkScore’s GIS technology takes into account the location of park entrances and physical obstacles to access. In addition to the at-a-glance park bench summary rating, ParkScore features an in-depth website, parkscore.tpl. org, that local leaders can use as a roadmap to guide park improvement efforts.

SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2020

9

The 2020 SH/SB: An Early Summer Progress Report As of Memorial Day on Monday, Boston’s beaches opened for the summer, although COVID-19 public safety rules must still be followed. Here’s an update on just how much Save the Harbor/Save the Bay has accomplished over the past 18 months.

By Rick Winterson

“SH/SB” in our headline above stands for “Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay”, an organization that was founded 34 years ago in 1986.

SH/SB is a privately formed, nonprofit agency largely composed of volunteers. For more than three decades, it has been a key driving force behind transforming Boston’s waterfront and beaches to the north and south from extremely dirty shores to the cleanest in the world.

As you’ll see below, SH/SB has (very successfully) made huge, positive differences in Boston Harbor itself and on beaches from Nantasket to Nahant. Actually, South Boston Online thinks SH/SB should adopt a slogan that reads, “From Coast to Coast – Nantasket to Nahant – Save the Harbor/Save the Bay!” For your information, SH/SB has roots right here in South Boston.

Its most recent fundraiser was the 2020 Tenth Annual Shamrock “Splash” at the Curley Community

The miles-long sweep of South Boston’s Carson Beach.

Center, on the Center’s M Street side beach. At 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 8, 200+ splashers (many in costume) took part in a Polar Plunge that raised over $50,000 (275 plungers and $50,460 - to be exact).

South Boston Online reported on this on Page 11 of our March 19 issue. Also, SH/SB is headquartered here in Southie – on the Fish Pier just off Northern Avenue at the Seaport’s mini-park. And many of the SH/SB’s social and fundraising events are held at popular Southie spots, like the Harpoon Brewery.

We recently received the SH/SB “2019 Better Beaches Program Report”. That includes significant accomplishments from last year, which we’ll summarize.

During 2019, more than a million people visited the 23 beaches and waterfront parks included in

The magnificent causeway sea wall from Castle Island to the Sugar Bowl.

SH/SB’s areas of responsibility – all the way from Nahant to Nantasket, as we said. Thirtyseven (37) organizations received over $200,000 from the “2019 Better Beaches Program”. To date, just over $1 million ($1,000,000) has been invested in some 233 events that have included festivals, movie nights, beach parties, fitness boot camps, sailing and kayaking sessions, speaker series, the worldfamous international sand sculpting contest (Revere Beach) and many various summer-long programs.

In addition to the 2019 and 2020 Shamrock “Splashes”, SH/ SB grants for local activities here in South Boston have included the South Boston Leadership Initiative (youth fitness), The MOMS Club of South Boston (family fun day), the Neighborhood House

(the Ollie Palooza), the City Point Neighborhood Association (bandstand concerts, art on Pleasure Bay), and the Laboure Center (beach/cruise events).

Obviously, getting past the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic is first and foremost in everyone’s mind right now, but our beaches were officially opened on Memorial Day. Enjoy them, but keep your “Social Distance”, wear a face covering when you are near other folks, and most of all, be patient.

Full beach, summer, and harbor activities, courtesy of SH/SB, will return soon. To quote SH/ SB’s Bruce Berman, “If you love your beach and care about your community, you simply can’t gather in groups on our beaches until the COVID-19 crisis has passed.”

We agree with Bruce!

The grassy park by the sailing clubs overlooks Old Harbor/Dorchester Bay.

SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2020 THE PRINT EDITION

The State of Real Estate Besides following all the measures that the CDC urges all individuals to follow, Rooney Real Estate will be adding the following practices : • Our staff and agents will work from home as much as possible • Online virtual tours of each of our listings to limit showings • Personal / Private showings, not conducting open houses • We will provide sanitizers at all showings • Sales and rental contracts will be signed electronically

. . . . s N g O n i t O s i S L G s N e I l a M S O ting it! / s li C l y ll a ia fic 9-1000 Rent hout of

y 17-26 y wit t 6 r a : e T p IS o L M r E April &y to get exposure onUyRouPrRpOoPERTY CAN MAKE TH wa OW YO H N A great O DETAIILS R O F L CAL

Take advantage of a low interest rate today!

Rooney Real Estate, LLC. 617.269.1000 | www.Rooney-RE.com Jackie Rooney | jackie@rooney-re.com