THE PRINT EDITION
THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020
VOLUME XIX- ISSUE 74
Funding Approved to Upgrade Anchor Memorial by Rick Winterson For nearly a century, the mounted a nchor memoria l where Day Boulevard turns toward Castle Island has, well, “anchored ” the southeastern corner of Marine Park, across the boulevard from Pleasure Bay and the causeway to Head Island, a.k.a. the Sugar Bowl. The base (or pedestal or plinth) that provides a mounting for the anchor has become badly weathered and worn; large pieces have fallen away. In addition, t he plaque t hat long adorned the memorial disappeared many years ago. After some extensive records research, the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council (the SBAWVC or simply the AWVC) commanded by Dave Falvey has confirmed that the anchor
belonged to the USS Kearsarge, the second one of five naval ships to carry the name of “Kearsarge”. This USS Kearsarge was active in naval combat missions from 1898 until 1920, which means that it and its crew served in both the Spanish-American War and World War I – “The War to End All Wars”. Clearly, this makes it part of South Boston’s history, as well as being a visible reminder of the high regard in which South Boston holds its veterans. The photo accompanying this article show the need for some landscaping around the anchor and its pedestal (sometimes referred to as a “plinth”). Most important, the pedestal needs to be replaced, and also needs to have carved lettering or a durable new plaque Continued on Page 2
Got Lunch? Got Milk?
BPD Sgt. Steve McNeil (Southie’s Station 6) with Officers Jacqueline and Ayesha control traffic at the drive-in free milk event.
by Rick Winterson You k now somet hing? The current scene around here could be viewed as an MMA/ UFC match t hat features “Boston Strong” versus COVID19. And you know something else? The non-stop, ongoing kindness shown in the spirit of “Boston Strong” just won four more rounds from COVID-19.
There’s little or no question that we are in a war at this moment – a war between us and organisms called “Coronavirus” – organisms that don’t even know what they are doing to us. The two best things we can do right now are to take care of ourselves and to help others, those who have u n for t u nately f a l len victim to Coronavirus and the Continued on Page 4
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THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020 SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM
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USS Kearsarge that explains the meaning of the memorial. To this end, in September of last year the SBAW VC submitted a proposal for funding at $120,000 to the City of Boston’s Community Preservation Committee. By law, this Committee administers funds available through the Community Preservation Act (the CPA – a piece of property tax surcharge legislation passed by Boston voters in 2016). The CPA a llocates its funds to projects aimed at four important needs within the City of Boston: affordable housing, public recreation, open space, and historic preservation. Clearly, the anchor in Marine Park falls within that last category, so in a recent meeting, the Community Preservation Committee approved $75,000 (a sum recommended by the Mayor’s off ice) for renewing the memorial. The project will clear its other required approvals beginning sometime this week;
The anchor from the USS Kearsarge at the corner of Marine Park is silhouetted by the waters of Old Harbor/Dorchester Bay. the DCR (Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation) is involved since it administers Marine Park. You’ll be interested to know that Suffolk’s Professor Bob A llison, President of the South Boston Historical Society, has determined what
wording was on the Memorial’s original plaque. Bob Shore, who designed our World War II Memorial at Old Harbor Beach, has expressed an interest in this memorial as well. The timing for project completion is roughly estimated to be late in 2021. This project is part of the SBAW VC’s efforts to add other concerns of South Boston’s many veterans to the SBAWVC’s long-
time, basic Parade mission, as suggested to Commander Dave Falvey by Kevin Conroy. During this phone interview, Dave also mentioned Andy Walsh and his interest in remembering veterans. And each of the five naval vessels that carried the name “Kearsarge” have interesting histories of their own, starting with the first such vessel – a three-masted sloop in the Civil War. Look them all up.
Reopening: A Brief Editorial Request Early this week, Governor Baker announced that reopening the Commonwealth from shutdowns caused by COVID-19 could begin as early as next Monday, May 18. However, starting the reopening process may not actually begin exactly on the 18th; many details need to be Sheila & Brian Butler Sheila was first diagnosed with Crohn’s disease when she was 16, and has since endured 17 surgeries and countless treatments. Through it all, her incredible spirit and relentless optimism have been a huge inspiration to all of us, but especially her husband Brian and their daughters Hannah and Haleigh. Together, this powerhouse family and their friends make up Team Butler, one of Take Steps’ top 25 teams nationally! “I wish everyone knew that people fighting IBD have to deal with so much more than being sick, especially since we often don’t look sick! There’s a huge impact on our families, our day to day lives, and our mental health. Take Steps is so important to me and my family because the critical funds raised lead directly to better research – and someday, cures – for this horrible disease. Brian, Haleigh, and Hannah are my support network, and the only way that I get through it some days. I hope that with Take Steps, we can help build that same support network for other people who need it. We’re all in this together.”
During this challenging time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the future of IBD care and cures relies more than ever on our community and inspiring Take Steps leaders like Team Butler. The Foundation is investing in cures for tomorrow while supporting patients today – including a special resource section of our website, updated daily, for Crohn’s and colitis patients and caregivers to help them navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, these diseases don’t take a break – but neither do we. We know that these are challenging and uncertain times for so many people, but any gift that you’re able to make in honor of Sheila and Team Butler now will go twice as far to fund critical patient support services and research programs, thanks to a generous matching gift (up to $1M, through May 15). Thank you for helping us celebrate Sheila’s incredible perseverance & continuing to fight for a cure! CLICK HERE to donate to Team Butler today.
sorted out and planned for first. South Boston Online’s request to you, and to us all, is very brief, very simple: Please Be Patient! The Governor proposed that “Reopening” should consist of four phases, “Start”, “Cautious”, “Vigilant”, and “New Normal”, whatever that means. He used many words like “careful” and “uncomfortable” in his presentation. We have been afflicted with COVID-19 for more than two months now – March, April, half of May. Getting back totally to normal by July 4 would be an extremely good result, in our opinion. Please remember that the Coronavirus is still very much a mystery – at this time, we have no fail-safe treatment, no antidote, and no vaccine for COVID-19. We must all cooperate in safely reopening Massachusetts and the City of Boston. Your continued patience will be an essential part of this. Thanks in advance.
SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020
Rep. Biele Votes for Legislation to Ensure Fiscal Health of the Ccommomwealth of Massachusetts
During last week’s historic first remote voting formal session, State Representative David Biele joined his colleagues in the House of Representatives in passing legislation to aut horiz e necessa r y state borrowing during the COVID19 public health emergency. The legislation, An Act to Facilitate the Delay of the Income Tax Filing Deadline, authorizes the State Treasurer to borrow in anticipation of tax receipts by the end of Fiscal Year 2020 and to repay those sums by June 30, 2021. This action is necessary due
to the delay in tax revenue as a result of the extended deadlines of income tax filings and payments to July 15, 2020. The deadline for filing state tax returns was extended in response to the COVID19 public health emergency. “At the beginning of this public health emergency, the Legislature took swift action to move the state’s tax filing deadline, providing flexibility and support to residents of the Commonwealth during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rep. Biele. “This legislation ensures that the state will continue to provide services that residents rely on every day while protecting the financial health of our state.” The session, which included remote voting, was the first held following the passage of Emergency Rules enabling Members to vote and debate safely in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill will now go to the Senate.
Two Friendly Reminders Just a week ago, South Boston Online received a reminder notice from the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture. This notice stated that the City’s Opportunity Fund will address “the current needs of artists whose creative practices are being adversely impacted by COVID-19”. The Opportunity Fund is now being called the Boston Artist Relief Fund. Our first reminder to you is that the deadline for applying to this Fund is very nearly here – it falls on Friday, May 15, 2020. Through a partnership with the Boston Center for the Arts, you may also donate to the Boston Artist Relief Fund. This is our second reminder to you - the deadline to donate is the end of this month – May 31, 2020. Please help Boston’s many talented, creative resident artists. Any questions? If so, please contact the Boston Artist Relief Fund:
arts@boston.gov or 617-635-4445.
Thank you.
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Councilor Flynn To Host Kids Town Hall Friday At 6:00 p.m.
Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn announced that he will be hosting a Kids Town Hall this Friday, May 15th at 6:00PM on Zoom. District 2 children ages 5-12 are encouraged to join and ask Councilor Flynn any questions about his work as an elected official on the Boston City Council, followed by a 10 minute Kids Yoga session with Instructor Julia. Children may sign up with the help of their parents on the Google Form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf_GYlCzt-doPx6kuXPdv8fI68E4Z8HWH5hhxzb2lRJKuYPQ/viewform “During these uncertain times, it’s critical that we continue to engage our neighborhood children with informative conversations and fun activities like Kids Yoga,” said Councilor Flynn. “I’m happy to host this discussion with the youth of our communities and answer any questions they may have about their city and local government.” For more information, please contact Councilor Flynn’s office at 617-635-3203 and Ed.Flynn@Boston.gov.
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THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020 SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM
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Got Milk plague called COVID-19. South Boston Online wants to describe a couple of hea rt wa rming events t hat occurred la st week, but first we want to put all of this into perspective. Putting this into perspective means f irst recognizing the immensely fine job done by a couple of recent fundraising events. The first was the “5X5” fundraiser put on by local Channel Five TV – “Five days with Channel Five”, or 5X5. This raised $3 million ($3,000,000) for the Greater Boston Food Bank, the GBFB, thus providing many millions – yes, millions! – of meals for otherwise empty kitchens in Greater Boston. The second event wa s the Boston Resiliency Fund, led by Mayor Wa lsh and the Boston Resiliency Fund Steering Committee. We knew the Resiliency Fund had been highly successful; this was confirmed by a media advisory from the Mayor’s Press Office on Saturday: … “The Boston Resiliency Fund has raised $30.7 million ($30,700,000) from 5,755 donors since launching in March.” Here’s a list of where the first $16 million has gone - $8 million to families for “basics” like groceries, diapers, baby food, and sanitary supplies; $2
Last Thursday, B.C. High’s parking lot hosted an 8,600 gallon milk giveaway event. million for at-home learning, mostly chromebooks; and $6 million for healthcare, especially neig hborhood C OV I D -19 testing. The importance of continued testing can’t be stated too strongly – we must (!) know where “the enemy” is lurking before we can defeat it. Those t wo e vent s set a great perspective for the next t wo good works: On Friday, South Boston Online received a media advisory from the Seaport’s Alexandra Sullivan of 44 Communications. Since Wednesday, May 6, three restaurants located within WS Development’s Seaport megaproject have stepped up and are providing meals to the medical
3F (“Farmers Feeding Families”) members at lunch, after giving away 8,600 gallons of milk.
staff at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) – Better Bagels at 83A Seaport Boulevard, Cardullo’s Gourmet Shoppe at 99, and Tuscan Kitchen at 64. Kim Wilson at Cardullo’s said, “We are so grateful to MGH for their sacrif ice, courage, c om m it ment, a nd ser v ic e to our local community …” Last Thursday, the Dairy Farmers of America took over the parking lot at B.C. High (now closed due to COVID-19, of course). The 3F, “Farmers Feeding Families” from the Dairy Farmers of America, had organized a giveaway of milk – a giveaway of 8,600 gallons in gallon bottles from Hood’s, milk that was now in surplus because
so many schools and restaurants were shut sown. Loyal cows kept on giving their milk, even so! After driving or walking up to B.C. High, you got two gallons of milk, arranged by the “3F” Dairy Farmers of America, Vanguard Renewables, and State Rep. Shawn Dooley (9th Norfolk District), and then placed in your trunk by the National Guard. As for some figures, 8,600 gallons of milk weighs over 70,000 pounds, which equals more than 35 tons (!) of milk. Bot h of t he se e vent s – the mea ls from Seaport and the free milk – were certainly heart warming. Boston St rong w i l l w in.
Just drive up. The National Guard will give you two gallons of Hood’s milk.
SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020
Tuscan Kitchen at 64 Seaport Boulevard.
Cardullo’s Gourmet Shop at 99 Seaport Boulevard.
Better Bagels at 83A Seaport Boulevard.
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THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020 SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM
USS Constitution CPOA Donates $1K to Boston Food Bank USS Constitution’s Chief Pet t y Of f ic er A ssociat ion (CPOA) donated $1,000 to t he Greater Boston Food Bank to support those in the community who are struggling du r i n g t he C or on a v i r u s (C OV I D 19) p a nd e m ic . “The USS Constitution chiefs mess is honored to be part of the Boston community,” said USS Constitution Command Senior Chief Jans Valdespou. “We are proud to make this small donation based on our principles of unity, service and navigation.” T he crew of US S Constitution regularly supports the Greater Boston Food Bank, and in 2019, the crew supported 15 events, contributing 350 hours of volunteer support. “During these dif f icult times, we continue to be unified with our community, providing assistance needed to overcome adversity,” added Valdespou. “We lean on each other for support guided by our core values of honor, courage and commitment. We proudly make this contribution in support of those who have been impacted by this invisible enemy. Together we will come out victorious.” The CPOA is a voluntary, non-federa l orga niz ation consisting of Navy chief petty officers focused on organizing
socia l e vent s, c om mu n it y outreach and promoting the va lues of the chiefs mess. USS Constitution closed in March due to the Coronavirus; however, the ship’s crew has given 48 virtual tours aboard Old Ironsides, which have received more than 1 million views. The vir tua l tours a re ava ilable at w w w.facebook. c om /u s s c on s t it u t i on o f f i c i a l . During each virtual tour, the ship’s active-duty Sailors ta ke viewers t hrough t he ship, to include several areas normally closed to the public, and provide an opportunity for
viewers to ask live questions. At this time, no Sailors assigned to USS Constitution have tested positive for COVID19, and USS Constitution is following all preventative guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Department of the Defense and Nav y le adersh ip. USS Constitution, is the world ’s oldest commissioned warship af loat, and played a crucial role in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812, actively defending sea lanes from 1797 to 1855. During normal operations,
the active-duty Sailors stationed aboa rd USS C on st it ut ion provide free tours and offer public visitation to more than 600,000 people a year as they support the ship’s mission of promoting the Navy’s history and maritime heritage and raising awareness of the importance of a sustained naval presence. USS C onst it ut ion wa s undefeated in battle and destroyed or captured 33 opponents. The ship earned the nickname of Old Ironsides during the war of 1812 when British cannonballs were seen bouncing off the ship’s wooden hull. T he USS Constitution Museum serves as the memory and educational voice of USS Constitution by collecting, preser ving, and interpreting the stories of “Old Ironsides” and those associated with her. The Mu seu m has a lso temporarily closed in response to the coronavirus publ ic he a lt h emergenc y. To serve students and the public who are working remotely, t he Museum is providing c ompl i ment a r y access to additional content on its digital platforms. For more information, visit w w w.u s s c m . o r g .
SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020
South Boston Coffee Shop, Deja Brew Continues to Serve Local Essential Workers During These Unprecedented Times
The employees at City of Boston Credit Union branch in South Boston have worked with two local businesses to direct food that was generously offered to them as essential workers to those at two local organizations working to support people facing food insecurity. Deja Brew, a South Boston coffee shop, has continued to serve local essential workers during these unprecedented times and when they reached out to the staff at the City of Boston Credit Union to provide a meal - the staff decided to pay it forward. Instead of accepting this generousity themselves, they worked with Deja Brew to donate the meals instead to the workers at South Boston Neighborhood House and Fourth Presbyterian Church.
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THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020 SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (“RFQ”) CHINA TRADE CENTER BASEMENT WATERPROOFING PROJECT
The Boston Redevelopment Authority (“BRA”) d/b/a Boston Planning & Development Agency (“BPDA”), by its Chief Procurement Officer (“CPO”), requests the qualifications of an experienced, qualified, and professional architect/engineer design team (hereinafter, the “Designer”) to produce the design and provide construction administration services for the China Trade Center Basement Waterproofing Project (hereinafter the “Design Services”), in conformance with M.G.L. c. 7C, §§ 44 – 58, as may be amended. The BPDA is seeking Design Services from a Designer with prior experience in basement waterproofing and structural concrete slab design and includes minor plumbing and electrical modifications. The anticipated duration of the Design Services is from July 1, 2020 through January 31, 2021. There shall be a fee negotiation between the top ranked finalist and the BPDA to set a mutually agreed upon design fee. The BPDA may require the top ranked finalist with whom a fee is being negotiated to submit a fee proposal and include with it such information as the BPDA requires to provide current cost and pricing data on the basis of which the designer’s fee proposal may be evaluated. For previous studies done, please refer to the RFQ. RFQ Availability: Available starting at 9:00 A.M. on May 13, 2020 through download from the BPDA’s website: http://www.bostonplans.org/work-with-us/procurement Click on the link China Trade Center Basement Waterproofing Project. The RFQ will also be available from the Office of the Secretary, Boston Planning & Development Agency, One City Hall Square, Room 910, Boston, MA 02201-1007. Pre-Submission Respondent Conference: all interested designers are invited to attend a virtual presubmission conference on May 15, 2020 at 10: 00 A.M. Attendance at the pre-submission conference is optional. Please email the BPDA Procurement office at BPDA.CPO@boston.gov and include Peter Sun at peter.s.sun@boston.gov to participate in the pre-submission conference. Further notice regarding the virtual pre-submission conference will be emailed to all plan holders at a later date. Submission Deadline: All responses to this RFQ must be returned no later than 12:00 P.M. (noon) on May 29, 2020, to: Teresa Polhemus, Secretary, Boston Planning & Development Agency, One City Hall Square, Room 910, Boston, MA 02201-1007. Absolutely no responses will be accepted after the due date and time. Contract Award: After evaluating and ranking the finalists in order of qualifications and documenting the rationale for rankings, a contract will be awarded to the top-ranked finalist. The BPDA reserves the right to reject any or all responses and to waive any minor informalities. The award of the resulting contract is subject to approval by the BPDA Board and is contingent on the availability of funds.
Brian Connolly, Director of Finance/Chief Procurement Officer
Councilors Flynn, Flaherty & O’Malley to Hold Hearing Friday on Impact of Delivery Commission Fees for Restaurants During COVID-19 City Councilors Ed Flynn, Michael Flaherty, and Matt O’Malley will hold a hearing this Friday, May 15th at 12:30pm to discuss how commission fees from third-party delivery companies have been affecting Boston’s restaurant industry during this pandemic. As local restaurants have become dependent on delivery for their sales, many are concerned about the high commission fees paid to third party delivery companies. This hearing aims to discuss how we can help our local restaurants during this pandemic, including the possibility of placing a cap on delivery commission fees during this time. The hearing will be chaired by Councilor Julia Mejia, chair of the Committee on Small Business and Workforce Development, and will be held virtually via Zoom. The hearing will be livestreamed on the Boston City Council TV webpage here. Public testimonies can be sent to ccc.sbwd@boston.gov. For more information, please contact Councilor Flynn’s office at 617-
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635-3203, Ed.Flynn@Boston.gov, Councilor Flaherty’s office at 617635-4205, Michael.Flaherty@Boston.gov, or Councilor O’Malley’s office 617-635-4220, Matthew.Omalley@Boston.gov.
SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2020
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The Boston Resiliency Fund Just a brief update on the Boston Resiliency Fund, which (as you read this) is now nearing $30 million ($30,000,000) in total funds raised. Late last week, Mayor Walsh himself donated $500,000 from his Campaign Fund. Numerous others have made very substantial donations as well; the immense generosity shown by Boston’s residents, businesses and organizations continues. The announced priorities of the Boston Resiliency Fund include providing food for Boston’s children, families, and seniors; using technology in Boston Public Schools to help with remote learning; and supporting first responders, front-line employees, and healthcare workers in their public health tasks. Various new priorities, such as extensive antibody testing programs, will develop as new needs caused by the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic evolve and change.
SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, MAY 14, 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
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