Sbol 01 11 2018

THE PRINT EDITION

THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018

VOLUME XIX- ISSUE 47

Cold? They’re Not Cold!

Students Go Where the Robots Live: the MIT Museum

By Richard Campbell

S

outh Boston Online made a journey across the river to Cambridge to give the science geek nation a glimpse at the MIT Museum’s current exhibits with the hopes of curing cabin fever. From engineering, and big data, to robotics, early modern photography, the holograms, this is a pretty cheap way (10 bucks) to explore vast worlds of science.

First stop was the main exhibit on Gestural Engineering. What is that? I thought you’d never ask!

They are more or less engineer projects that evoke emotions through movement. This quirky kind of kinetic sculptures by Arthur Ganson are Tim Burton like mechanical machines that appear to have minds of their own.

You can start and stop the actions of the sculptures by pressing on the foot pedals connected to the

displays. Some of them look like factory made contraptions from the 19th century, others look like modern sculpture.

The artist/ engineer is quoted as saying: “With all these pieces you don’t have to know anything. Everything you feel about them is true for you.”

They explore motion, and create an unusual sensory experiencekind of like a house of games.

Next stop was the Robots and Beyond display. As most people from this area know, MIT more or less cornered the robot market for years, pioneering in AI-artificial intelligence and cybernetics, with the first computer lab back in the technology stone age of 1959. When you first enter the gallery you are greeted by the giant imposing Tallchief, (named after the ballet dancer Maria Tallchief), a robot that incorporates motions and torque. Built by Sarcos Inc. for NASA it was lent to MIT to

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By Richard Campbell Murphy Rink was loaded with young hockey players learning fundamentals on Monday night. The Ivaska Mite Clinic provided plenty of opportunity for these kids to stay warm by continually moving.

Coaches had them going through skating drills, testing their agility, their ability to make turns, move into defensive positions, and skate with speed in different directions. The newly remodeled rink looked great, and a cadre of families were hanging out enjoying the practice.

SBO hopes to capture a few games of the older players in coming issues.

See photo coverage on page 10

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018

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Compassion, Dignity and Hope in Boston

By Mayor Martin J. Walsh Too many of us are tied to the opioid crisis, whether we are struggling ourselves, or we see and experience the struggle right alongside our coworkers, friends, and family. This is an epidemic and no one -- no matter where you live, your education, your job, your income -- is immune. That’s why it’s so important that we rally together as a city to support each other and rebuild the Long Island Bridge.

Long Island once played a prominent role in Boston’s recovery landscape and it will once again. This year we will launch the process of rebuilding Long Island Bridge in order to create, on the Island, the comprehensive, longterm addiction recovery campus that our city and region have never had before.

You don’t overcome addiction by sticking to the same routine and living out each day in the same environment.

Yes, increasing detox beds is important and is a start, but that is the first of many steps. Addiction recovery requires sustained, supported, evidence-based treatment and care, from a range of providers and allies working in sync.

We have a unique opportunity to build the Island into a premier recovery continuum campus where individuals can grow stable in their recovery. We

will provide a continuum of care -- from harm reduction, to detox, to residential treatment, to transitional housing and ongoing peer support. The Island provides an environment to establish this programming and structure. We need to give those suffering -- wherever they are on their journey to recovery -- the opportunity to rebuild a life.

This means offering them mentorship, job training, housing resources, access to doctors and therapists, and more.

In 2014, for the safety of our most vulnerable residents, we were forced to close the 63-year-old bridge before it crumbled into Boston Harbor. In the months that followed, we quickly built a new shelter in Boston and we found new sites for the public and nonprofit programs that were housed on the Island. While they no doubt intersect at times, homelessness and the opioid crisis are different issues. As matters of public health and public policy, each requires its own comprehensive response. So while we’ve decided the homeless need to move into shelter programs integrated in our communities, the “escape” of Long Island is beneficial for those with substance abuse disorders and in recovery.

Our region needs more residential treatment beds for those coming out of detox and supportive housing for those coming out of treatment. Too many

people relapse because a solid next step is not there for them in time. And too much provider energy is devoted to the struggle to help clients find their next placement. We need more treatment beds and more transitional housing.

And we need to weave together more seamlessly the “continuum of care” -- from detox, to residential treatment, to sober housing and social supports -- that it takes to reclaim your life.

That’s the purpose of the new campus we envision. It will increase and balance capacity across each phase of treatment at a scale not possible in a neighborhood setting. It will provide a peaceful place for long-term treatment, supports, and transitions, especially helpful for those who need time away from familiar places and faces. And it will also act as a clearinghouse for available placements along the continuum, across the region. In short, it will be the hub that Greater Boston’s recovery universe has long lacked.

The positive impact of a recovery campus will reverberate through our region. It will take those suffering from substance disorders off the streets, not only of Boston but also of Quincy and all our neighboring cities and towns.

More important, it will help them return to their families and communities more whole and better equipped to continue rebuilding their lives.

Planning, permitting, and building a new bridge will take time -- four years at a minimum. But we are determined. We have funding in our capital budget, we expect to have $30 million available from our Parking Meter Fund, and we will work creatively and collaboratively to meet any additional costs. In the meantime, we’ll plan the campus by working even more closely with the devoted providers, nonprofits, and public agencies who are engaged in the fight against addiction.

As I said before, nobody is immune from this epidemic. Addiction can so easily come from simply medicating ourselves or our family after wisdom teeth are taken out, a broken bone from a game of softball, a slip on the ice walking into work -everyone is vulnerable. Everyone needs to show compassion for those facing addiction. Everyone deserves dignity and hope. Let our city be the one to give it to them and stand with them as they rebuild the life they deserve.

Closure of Harborlights

Rep. Nick Collins recently signed a letter with House and Senate colleagues requesting that Attorney General Healey investigate Kindred Healthcare and their proposed closing of nursing and rehabilitation facilities across the Commonwealth. On December 1, 2017, Kindred notified the DPH, as well as staff and patients at their 6 facilities across Massachusetts that they intend to close all the facilities by the end of the first quarter in 2018.

After working with the DPH, Rep. Collins arranged an emergency hearing scheduled at the Curley Center in December. Residents turned out to voice their opposition to the closure, and give accounts of the negative impacts it would have on their families. However, attempts to get more information from Kindred on the financial health of these facilities and the reasons for closure have been largely stymied.

Two days after the hearing, articles came out in the Boston Globe and State House News calling into question whether state funds allotted in 2016 to supplement “direct care” workers

and wages have been appropriately spent by the healthcare operators.

One question the Legislators want answered is this: were these state funds used to compensate Kindred’s CEO and upper management while they planned the closure and sale of their nursing facilities in Massachusetts as a way to increase profitability?

“Our communities have had generations of family members treated at these facilities” said Rep. Collins. “The services they provide are critical for healthy neighborhoods and families, and we will not stand by while those services are taken away just to gain a profit. Kindred must be forthcoming with this information and provide our community with truthful answers so that we can move forward appropriately, hopefully by finding another operator for the facility.”

The letter was signed by the four State Senators and four State Representatives who have Kindred facilities in their districts. The bicameral group of legislators now awaits a response from the Attorney General’s office.

SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018

by Rick Winterson All of the neighborhoods in the more residential areas of South Boston have civic organizations that look out for key issues and the well-being of their residents, as well as fostering social, “good neighbor” activities in their areas. There are seven of these civic organizations; they generally meet monthly.

It is January of 2018. South Boston Online plans on covering certain of these civic meetings early in the year, and then reporting on those issues that might have interest for all of South Boston during 2018. The CPNA (City Point Neighborhood Association) met last night – Tuesday, January 09. Two key issues, both dealing with zoning, were prime topics of discussion.

The first issue involved the actual application to City Point of the so-called South Boston Interim Planning Overlay District (“IPOD”). Simply stated, the IPOD is a revised zoning plan that allows more residential

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CPNA Meeting – Zoning

The building at L and East Broadway (address: 749 East Broadway). Note the billboard’s wall space, with brackets showing, that actually overlooks L Street. development without the constant There are three forces at need to ask for variances (i.e., work here: The desires of current exceptions) because of the original residents to “quiet enjoyment” zoning restrictions.

As one of their neighborhoods as they attendee put it, the IPOD now stand, the rights of individual makes most of the open areas in property owners to do as they South Boston “buildable”. The wish with what they own, and CPNA was mostly concerned about the incessant demand from maintaining the neighborhood developers (and the City of Boston characteristics of City Point. itself ) for additional housing.

The CPNA’s second zoning

Guest speakers at the CPNA meeting – William “Buddy” Christopher (ISD), Lara Merida (BPDA), Mark McGonagle (BPDA).

ISD Chief Buddy Christopher (standing, rear) explains the permitting of an 18’x18’ illuminated billboard site at L and East Broadway.

issue relates to a specific variance.

In general, the City of Boston bans billboards, although exceptions are made through formal requests for variances. This specific variance is for an 18’x18’ illuminated billboard looking out on L Street from the side of the building at 749 East Broadway. It appears that the approval of this variance was properly handled, but the process was excessively murky due to a one-year delay in construction coupled with a new City administration as of 2014.

This is not to lay blame anywhere, but just to point out that the last thing L and Broadway needs is a huge billboard.

We plan to cover the Andrew Square Civic Association meeting next, which will present information about the March 18 Parade routing. Other civic organizations are welcome to contact us to cover key issues that will arise at their upcoming meetings.

Please let us hear from you.

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SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM

Curing Cabin Fever: Big City Culture on a Budget clined to believe that seniors should attend all museums for free, but at Harvard Art Museums they only save a paltry $2.00. A lot of senior’s bank roll these organizations.

By Richard Campbell One of the things we try to do at South Boston Online is search out free events for citizens of the town to attend. Boston is blessed with some of the best cultural organizations in the world, though the price tag for attendance has gone up over the years. While the effort to make culture available freely to students is appreciated, it has not gone unnoticed that in the past decade options for the budget challenged have shrunk considerably. For students of the Boston Public Schools, there are numerous free programs. So BPS students: why suffer from cabin fever when you can visit one of these great organizations for free!

The Museum of Fine Arts, which was founded as a museum for the people, has become prohibitive for many of the cities’ working poor despite its big piggy bank. The MFA budget was flush by about a million this year, and it maintains a 585 million-dollar endowment. The total net worth of the MFA increased by 67 million in 2017. Where the museum is free on Wednesday evenings between 4:00pm to 10:00pm, and only four other free days a Year, the shortage of free time boggles the mind. The MFA passes that used to be obtainable for “free” at the Boston Public Library are now $10.00.

Why so stingy to the general public of Boston? Part of the answer may be the number of free programs for local students.

While patrons appreciative that many colleges sign on to obtain free passes for their students and faculty, and that Blue Star military families have free access- there does seem to be a solid rationale to extend the free hours for those on a tight budget to one full day a week. The MFA shines with its free access to Boston Public Schools. The MFA educational

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. program called Visual Thinking Strategies incorporates art oriented pedagogy with visits to the MFA by various public schools for a nominal fee. Besides this programming, the MFA has a group called Teen Arts Council that is specifically targeted at getting Boston city teens jobs and volunteer work at the MFA, as well as annually showing of Boston city school students art work. It is a surprise to this writer how few students participate in these programs.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is charitable with $5.00 admission for all college students, free to anyone named Isabella, as well as children under 17, Blue Star Families and for people on their birthdays- but have no general public free day scheduled. Both the MFA and the Gardner are saved

by Bank of America’s offer to cover admissions by bank card holders.

The museum’s EBT card benefit allows those card holders admission for $2.00, which is quite reasonable. Consider that in 2015 the Gardner Museum revenue was $23

million, and that the museum’s net assets are 269 million. Educationally the Gardner Museum gets fine scores, as it also partners with schools in Boston. The admission fee for student tours is $6.00 per student, with $25.00 fee for the group processing, and schools need only register three weeks before their visit.

The Institute of Contemporary Art: ICA Seaport we’ve covered extensively in South Boston Online, including routine notices that the ICA has free Thursday night admission between 5:00pm -9:00pm, and is also free to the public on Martin Luther King Day. Students under 17 years old are admitted free all year around, and on the final Saturdays students attending the museum with two adults will see their chaperones admitted for free. In the revenue category the ICA’s total for 2017 was approximately 15.5 million, with total expenses being about 14 million, this puts the ICA in the rather “poor” category compared with other museums around Boston. One might forgive their limited free hours given the small size of the museum, as they are struggling to bring visitors to the new Seaport.

The Harvard Art Museums offers free admission to Massachusetts residents rather skimpily between 10 am and noon on Saturdays. Massachusetts school teachers, and interestingly for families in the SNAP program can attend free- revealing that the brain trust recognized that the poor should be able to access their art museums. Also, active duty military can go for free-another group that should have free access to all museums in our city. I am in-

The Boston Symphony has perhaps the most elite policy does provide the opportunity to see rehearsals at a discounted price from $18.00 to $36.00 on select Thursdays at 10:30, one wonders with the size of symphony hall that the open rehearsals could not be offered for free to people. But consider that the Boston Symphony ended its fiscal 2016 year in a 2 million-dollar deficit, having 94.7 million in expenses, and collecting 92.7 million in revenues. The BSO offers free visits for students and teachers from the Boston Public Schools to attend select rehearsal performances, subject to availability. For students with great classical interest, the High School Card will admit them to actual symphony concerts for $10.00, with a limit of one ticket per concert series.

We cannot forget the great annual free performances held in the city by the Pops made possible by generous donors. When one considers the BSO give over 300 performances (many in other parts of the world), multiple levels of training, it is understandable money might be tight.

When one considers dance and theater, the pickings are even slimmer.

This writer could not find any free / discounted tickets to The Boston Ballet, except for students enrolled in the Boston Ballet School.

However, in the area of instruction Boston Ballet’s City Dance provides free instruction for third grade students of the Boston Public Schools.

Boston Ballet Staff goes to schools to offer introductory dance workshops for a nominal fee. The levels of training and associated costs for dedicated programs are quite complex, but needless to say, the Boston Ballet offers large, multi-tiered school year programs. The company is considered premier in the dance world, and has widened its horizons to modern dance. It might be the most underappreciated arts organization in the city.

The Huntington Theatre Company offers student matinees at the discounted price of $15.00, and free to chaperones of groups. Presently engaged in the beginning of a massive rebuild of its main theater, its Calderwood Pavilion spaces are one of the most successful affordable theater venues in town. Students 25 and under can receive discounted @20.00 tickets. Given that many of

SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018

Curing Cabin Fever...

Coninued from page 4 the seats at the Huntington go for $85.00 to $95.00 this is a substantial discount. It is possible on first look Fridays and Wednesday matinees to obtain @25.00 high up in the main theater, but the Huntington approach is to offer ten dollars off to a host of groups and leave it at that.

Some of the shows at the Calderwood in matinee are a bargain, as the seating is closer than the main stage.

Theater is pricy, and unforgivably so for large productions. In all fairness, theatre is very expensive to produce.

The individual “discounts” and “add on” rates at the Museum of Science don’t really put them in the best light, but luckily for children the school programs are quite reasonable. The Field Trip Teacher Partner Program offers free admission to teachers at schools, and in September, October, January, the admission price is $5.00 for students. Most people want to add on either the planetarium or the IMAX which means another $4.00. I have found it is pretty hard to get out of the MOS for less than $35.00 as an adult. This seems a bit egregious to

me, given what other museums charge and what they offer.

Demographics lead me to suspect that museums rely very heavily upon senior attendance and donations; as convincing the general audience of younger people has become an onerous cultural burden. For example, of the over 1 million visitors to the MFA, only 96,000 are listed as being youthful visitors. I mention the budgets in passing for these arts organizations as a demonstration of their equity, but also to show how some organizations do an awful lot with relatively small budgets. If you were to compare any of these nationally recognized arts organization to national sports teams for what they give back to the community, it would be immediately apparent which group serves the community best. But clearly, the winners of the big cultural organizations sweepstakes are the BPS students. So there are no excuses: get out of the house and attend a museum, or go see a concert!

Harvard Art Museum designed by Renzo Piano.

Emerson Majestic Theatre the home of Emerson Arts.

Best Wishes for a Happy, Safe and Healthy New Year from your friends at City of Boston Credit Union Boston City Hall | Canton | Dorchester | South Boston | West Roxbury (617) 635-4545 | cityofbostoncu.com

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MIT Museum coninued from page 1 and torque. Built by Sarcos Inc. for NASA it was lent to MIT to design spacesuits in 2003 that would allow increased mobility.

You can see all the details of this seven-foot robot’s working parts and its incredible complexity.

The robotic dinosaur “Troody” modeled after the dinosaur Troodon Formosus from the Cretaceous period, is a walking dinosaur built by Peter Dilworth at MIT. It has a see through body that has a complex control system that allows it to navigate terrain.

The LEGO Mindstorms NXT looks very much like what you’d get in a toy store, but is a real programmable robot that has its own programming environment.

Middle school and high school students can book a workshop that includes a guided tour of the gallery and the opportunity to test out the NXT programming environment.

Even more engrossing is the Marvin Minsky arm, an early project of the MIT AI Lab. It reminded me immediately of the primitive robot in the movie Hugo. It was such inventions that lead to breakthroughs in cybernetics- or the study of intelligent behavior of machines to perform goals, programmed by computers and with video cameras.

These machines could build things like build houses with children’s blocks. By today’s standards such feats might seem rather primitive next to robots in current day factories and labs- but realize this ground breaking work was done in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.

Once we zoom ahead in time and find ourselves in 1994 in front of Robo Tuna, the future is well, practically now. This large swimming mechanical tuna lead to the ability to design AUV’s or autonomous underwater vehicles.

There was a video of actor Alan Alda swimming around with the Robo Tuna that is quite clever. The idea was beginning to form that one could in fact teach machines to think like humans, (true AI) rather than merely replicate motions or perform functions. In 1993 the former director of MIT’s AI Lab, Rodney Brooks (also one

of iRobot’s founders) invented the super sophisticated robot Cog. Cog not only had arms and legs and a torso, but eyes that could see via cameras, and a built in hearing device. I was disappointed that KISMET which followed Cog, which was supposed to be a robot that could understand and respond to emotions, was locked motionless.

Created by MIT professor Cynthia Breazeal, a protégé of Brooks, it seems to have a cuddly side we don’t normally associate with robots- kind of the way Steven Spielberg thinks about these things.

After all the robots you might find stepping back in time to photography in the 1930’s a little underwhelming, but the processes involved in the images of Hungarian born artist Gyorgy Kepes set a lot in motion much of modern architecture and design.

His photograms, or photography made without a camera by placing objects on sensitive paper and illuminating them, have an austere abstract quality. He not only worked in photography, but also in architecture, stage design, film, and was an influential member in the famous new art school of Chicago, as well as a professor at the School of Architecture and Planning at MIT. Some of his photography is playful, some of it is a little disturbing. The people he worked with are like a who’s who of twentieth century scientists, artists, thinkers and designers. When you google his name you will only see 389,000 results- you get the picture. Speaking of which, for a limited time the Hologram room is still open, where you can see some of the early holograms and the

complex process for creating them.

When one starts looking closely at the MIT Museum it seems like a pretty down to earth place, but as you dig deeper, the science starts to grow in magnitude. Nothing demonstrates the difficulty of explaining the enormity of the technological world we live in better than the Big Data Exhibit. Basically, a host of world data, and its ramifications for mankind can be explored. Perhaps you don’t want to know how much of our world is controlled by technology, or you might find it fascinating. Consider the weirdest idea of all: the display Strange Visions are sculptures of human faces created from DNA that the artist Heather Dewey Hagborg plucked from random chewing gum and objects she found. It’s supposed to cue us up to the idea that having genetic control might not be the most wonderful idea.

Certainly scared me! In the realm of visual complexity, the globes

that were created in what I termed the glow room were much more soothing, and the flight patterns graphic really had a cool neural feel to it. The rest of the Big Data presentation involved searching out world maps for things like the underground fiber optic cables that run around the globe, or how scientists can use sewer systems to monitor biological and chemical properties in different locals.

I have covered the high points of the current exhibits, and like any museum they change with the seasons… but wait there’s more!

There’s a gift shop in the museum with all sorts of games and quirky devices, and down the street from the MIT Museum towards central square is the MIT bookstore, which has heavily discounted original books from MIT press. All this and more is conveniently located right outside of Central Square on Mass Ave. So, students, if you haven’t been to the MIT Museum, get your geek on and start the New Year right! For more information,

Gestural Engineering Sculpture

SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018

Tall Chief Robot and Gestural Engineering Wheel Motion.

Photography and Design by Gyorgy Kepes

Dinosaur Robot Provides Window into workings.

Computer operated Robo Tuna Robot on display.

Mindstorm Programmable Robot.

KISMET Robot: Too Cute for words.

Room of Glowing Data Globes.

Big Data Display of Flight patterns over the US.

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South Boston Catholic Academy Grade 4 News Students in Grade 4A at South Boston Catholic Academy listened to J. K. Rowling’s detailed and graphic description of Diagon Alley. Students then took what they heard and used it to draw what they imagined Diagon Alley would look like.

The 4B students participated in a genre study of Biography. By reading many examples of highquality biographies and sharing features and formats, the fourth graders developed and shared their own definition of the genre. On this day, Reilly and Sebastian reviewed another group’s definition of the biography genre by placing a star next to the good ideas and writing a check mark next to the parts they included in their own definition.

Through constructing their own understanding of the genre, 4B developed a deep understanding of what a biography is.

We look forward to highlighting our student learning during Catholic Schools Week, where students will present their Utopian Society projects as well as participate in our annual Science Showcase on January 31, 2018. Our Open House will also be held on January 31, from 9-1.

For additional information about South Boston Catholic Academy, please visit their website at www. sbcatholicacademy.org or call 617-268-2326. If you cannot make our Open House, but would like a tour, please join us on “Tour Tuesdays” every Tuesday at 9AM.

SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018

Traffic Advisory New England International Auto Show and the Boston RV and Camping Expo at BCEC to Impact Local Traffic on January 11-15; Local Parking Limited The New England International Auto Show will be taking place from Thursday, January 11th through Monday, January 15th along with the Boston RV & Camping Expo (January 12th-15th) at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC).

These are large regional events, and most attendees are expected to drive.

Traffic in the area is expected to be heaviest between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Saturday-Monday.

Attendees, as well as local employees working in and around the South Boston Waterfront, are urged to make alternative plans for their commute that day. Use of public transit is strongly encouraged.

If you must drive, please allow additional time for your commute.

Parking in the South Lot of the BCEC is expected to fill quickly for this event.

Additional parking will be offered at off-site lots in the South Boston Waterfront area.

Signs will direct attendees to off-site parking. Shuttles to the BCEC will be provided for those parking off-site.

Police details will be in place to help direct traffic and pedestrians.

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Holiday Helpers

Holiday Helper 2017 was amazing! We are so grateful for the support from individuals and organizations and their enthusiasm for helping families in need during the holidays. This year we were able to sponsor over 300 families as well as provide toys, coats, clothes, gift cards and dinners.

We were also honored to be selected as the nonprofit featured at The Well Coffee House for the month of December! Throughout the month a portion of their proceeds went towards our Holiday Helper program while also spreading the word about what we do here at the Ollie.

Thank you to our Ollie staff who make all of this possible by working late, coming in early, dropping off gifts, shopping on their own time and really just caring so much about our community. We also have to give a shout out to Sal Russo and Richard Ames for van driving and gift carrying throughout all the craziness. This was a very special holiday season so thank you to everyone who was a part of it.

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SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM

The Snowstorm: A Commentary

by Rick Winterson The recent snowstorm was quite a storm – no doubt about that. It combined three serious and forceful conditions at more or less exactly the same time.

The intensity of the snowfall was remarkable – up to three inches of fall per hour on Thursday afternoon, which created essentially whiteout conditions.

This continued into Friday morning before sunrise.

In addition, temperatures took a dive, beginning (oddly enough) as the storm was ending and culminating on Sunday morning with a record of -5 degrees (F) below zero, even though the sun had just risen. Because of the stiff north wind, wind-chill factors dove to -15 degrees (F) below zero – a treacherous level.

Furthermore, the high tides,

about an hour after midnight on Thursday evening and driven by the northeasterly winds, caused Seaport Boulevard flooding and closure of the Blue Line’s Aquarium Station. Water main bursts over the weekend only worsened the situation, although the big one on Congress Street was not caused by the weather.

Despite the severity of the weather overall, it would be useful to look at all of the parts of last weekend’s weather pattern by themselves – to “pick them apart”, in other words.

By itself, the actual snowfall was not that serious. The weather reports we checked varied a little, but the consensus was that 13 inches of fairly fluffy snow fell on the City of Boston. This snowfall was not only rapid – causing whiteout conditions – but also, the snow was blown into drifts by the northeast wind.

Even so, the streets were mostly clear by Friday’s daytime hours, and as of this writing, South Boston’s “reserved parking space” doctrine has run past its 48-hour time limit. Traffic flows fairly well.

The benchmarks for truly massive snowfalls in Boston are the Storm of ’78 and the late January/February total in 2015. Boston received nearly 30 inches of heavy snow in ’78; most will recall the snowfall record of some 100+ inches set in the winter of 2014/2015.

The City of Boston crews did a good job of removing last weekend’s 13 inches of snow. However, 13 inches really wasn’t all that much. And as an aside, the schools and the library closed; the package stores stayed open. Go figure.

The next factor was the record low, frigid weather that followed the snowstorm closely. This was due to some high-jinks by the Circumpolar

current, global warming (believe it or not), and last weekend’s northeaster.

This may become more common in the future, so listen for it in future winter storm forecasts.

Warning systems for schoolchildren and Boston’s visitors from elsewhere may become necessary, similar to Montreal.

Finally, we come to the tidal flooding during last week’s storm, which set a new record also. But this record was about an inch higher than the previous record set in the Blizzard of ‘78 – just 40 years ago. Why wasn’t the baseline for construction of the Seaport area set a foot (12 inches) higher, based upon the ’78 actual experience? Now, the City has begun talking about needing seawalls to protect the investment in the Seaport, all of which is located in South Boston.

SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018

CALENDAR Thursday, January 11, 2018 Fort Point Theatre Channel’s 10th Anniversary Party and Exhibit: 5:00-8:00 pm Midway Artists Studios 15 Channel Center Street Boston, The 23 co-artistic directors of Fort Point Theatre Channel invite you to join us in celebrating FPTC’s 10th anniversary. Enjoy free music, dance, spoken words, and visual art, plus food and drink donated by local merchants.

Free Thursdays at the ICA: 5:00pm to 9:00 PM, Free admission to all the galleries of Institute of Contemporary Art 100 Northern Avenue, Seaport, Boston. Featuring Steve McQueen’s “Ashes” and “Nicholas Nixon, Persistence of Vision” Soaring Wings: Boston Debut of the Shanghai Dance Theatre: 8:00pm - 10:00pm Soaring Wings: Journey of the Crested Ibis: Boston Debut of the Shanghai Dance Theatre. Boch Center Shubert Theatre 265 Tremont Street. Admission $30.- $100.

Friday, January 12, 2018 Collection Conservation Talk: Courtyard Sarcophagus. 2:00 pm Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Holly Salmon, Gardner Museum Objects Conservator, will discuss the restoration of the Roman sarcophagus in the Courtyard. Admission $15.00 Buenas Empanada Pop-Up at GrandTen with Live Music 7:00pm – 11:00 pm. GrandTen Distilling Indie rock band The Big Lonesome, plays between 7pm-11pm Add complimentary empanadas while they last! FREE. Lyric Stage Company: ‘Road Show’ 8:00 pm Tony-winning playwright John Weidman and musical mastermind Stephen Sondheim created this Obie and Drama Desk Award-winning musical- a roadshow that travels the world. Lyric Stage Company of Boston New England International Auto Show goes until 01/15 The annual monster auto show returns…Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Seaport, Boston Admission $15.00

Saturday, January 13, 2018 Compagnie Hervé Koubi 8:00 pm The company of French-Algerian and African male dancers performs the breathtaking Ce que le jour doit à la nuit (What the Day Owes the Night) on Friday, and Saturday’s program features the Boston premiere of Les nuits barbares ou les premiers matins du monde. The Institute of Contemporary Art/ Seaport, Boston Admission: $58 Reserved seating, La Serenissima: Views of Venice 9:00am to 6:00pm goes until 03/11 Views of Venice will feature paintings, prints, and photography of Venice from the 19th Century to today. Childs Gallery 169 Newbury St. Boston FREE Russ Gershon Trio 8:00pm - 10:00pm, Third Life Studio 33 Union Square Somerville, Russ Gershon - the bandleader and arranger behind the”little big band” Admission $15.00

Sunday, January 14, 2018 Baking School: Essential Breads, Pastries, Cookies & More with Chef Cleo: 2:00pm - 4:00pm, Boston Public Market, 100 Hanover Street, Boston. In each class, participants will create enough of each baked good to enjoy at the end of class and bring home extras to share- also included wine tasting of New England wines. Admission: $60.00 Shakespeare in Love: Speak Easy Stage Company: 3:00pm to 5:00 pm. Based on the Academy Award-winning film, tells the story of young Will Shakespeare, who is suffering a severe case of writer’s block as the deadline fast approaches to deliver his new play, Romeo and Ethel, The Pirate’s Daughter. Admission: $57.00 - $67.00.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018

SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM

CITATION

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING ON SITE CLEAN-UP ACTIVITIES On-Terminal Areas 900 East First Street, South Boston MassDEP RTN 3-00257 Former Owner: Coastal Oil of New England (CONE) Current Owner: Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) Wednesday January 24, 2018 As part of the Public Involvement Process for the site at 900 East First Street, Massport will host a public information meeting about the remediation and assessment activities for this site. The site is tracked by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) under Release Tracking Number (RTN) 3-00257. The purpose of this meeting is to provide information on the continued cleanup of the site pursuant to the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP).

The meeting will be held in the Senior Lunch Room of the Curley Community Center located at 1663 Columbia Road, South Boston, on Wednesday, January 24, 2018 at 7:00 PM. Please use the M Street entrance.

Copies of the assessment and remediation documents are available for review at the South Boston Public Library and MassDEP, Northeast Regional Office, 205B Lowell Street, Wilmington, MA 01876 or on-line at http://public.dep.state.ma.us/wsc_viewer/.

Interested parties may also submit written questions or concerns to James Stolecki at Massport’s Environmental Management Unit Office, One Harborside Drive, East Boston, MA 02128 or by e-mail at jstolecki@massport.com.

Public Meeting

Public Meeting

Fan Pier

OLD COLONY PHASE THREE

THURSDAY, JANUARY 18

MONDAY, JANUARY 22

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

50 ROWES WHARF

Norman B. Leventhal Room Boston, MA 02110

6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

125 MERCER STREET Tierney Learning Center South Boston, MA 02127

PROJECT PROPONENT: Fan Pier Development, LLC

PROJECT PROPONENT: Beacon Communities Services and BHA LLC

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The BPDA will be hosting a Public Meeting to discuss the Notice of Project Change and Second Amendment to the Development Plan for the Fan Pier Development, Planned Development Area No. 54 submitted by Fan Pier Development, LLC to the Boston Planning & Development Agency on December 18th, 2017.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Notice of Project Change is for Phase Three of the redevelopment of the Old Colony Housing Development located between Dorchester Road and Mercer Streets in South Boston. The Proponent proposes to demolish the eight existing residential buildings comprised of 250 units and replace them with approximately 301 residential units in four sustainably-designed four-story buildings with direct-entry apartments on the first level. Phases One and Two, which include 285 units and a community learning center, were reviewed pursuant to Article 80 and are fully constructed and re-occupied by Old Colony residents. The Master Plan contemplated future phases in order to complete the redevelopment of the Old Colony community.

mail to:

phone: email :

AISLING KERR Boston Planning & Development Agency One City Hall Square, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02201 617.918.4212 Aisling.Kerr@Boston.gov

mail to:

CLOSE OF COMMENT PERIOD: 2/5/2018

phone: email :

BostonPlans.org

@BostonPlans

Teresa Polhemus, Executive Director/Secretary

LANCE CAMPBELL

Boston Planning & Development Agency One City Hall Square, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02201 617.918.4311 lance.campbell@boston.gov

CLOSE OF COMMENT PERIOD: 2/2/2018

BostonPlans.org

@BostonPlans

Teresa Polhemus, Executive Director/Secretary

SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018

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Your Roving Reporter in England

by Rick Winterson

Y

our Roving Reporter took a trip to see his grandchildren in England during the “first to the seventh Days of Christmas”. The trip began with the traditional English Boxing Day dinner and celebration on December 26.

Boxing Day originated as a way to reward servants who worked serving their masters on Christmas Day itself. These servants got December 26 off, which they spent with their own families. They were each given a “box” for their families that contained money, warm clothes, or even gourmet food.

In the 1800s, English merchants would often do something similar for their business employees.

The English weather, notably milder than here in Boston, was actually springlike. A day’s walk was a pleasure, especially inside some of England’s very well preserved forests and green areas. The village where the grandchildren live is called Garrard’s Cross – a picturesque place 30 kilometers northwest of London towards Oxford.

They are all doing well – Emma (23), Michael (22), Elle (21), Eve (20) – and actually, are no longer children.

The Wallace Museum in London – note classic Victorian interior Two trips were notable: A trip to London was first on the list, of course. The Christmas decorations were all still in place. A long aimless, post-Christmas walk through Piccadilly was followed by dinner in London’s Chinatown.

The transit and rail systems in and around London are a pleasure to use – no need to drive into London, at 12 million (12,000,000) people, one of the world’s largest metropolises.

The Wallace Museum was a London stop to remember. Two

The facade of the Banberry Mall

hundred years ago, it was a private collection having as many as 12 Rembrandts (experts disagree on how many were actually painted by the Master). Two that are definitely authentic are the wellknown portraits of himself and his son, “Titus”, which show his genius at its absolute best. In addition, the Wallace Museum contains Gainsboroughs, armor/weaponry displays, and an unmatched classic Victorian décor. And admission is blessedly free, although

contributions are requested.

This writer had never been to Banbury Cross, the site of that old Mother Goose rhyme, “Ride a Cock Horse”. That was the second trip he took. Banbury is a perfectly preserved Medieval village with a church dating back to 1278. Modern shopping malls are carefully incorporated with raftered old pubs, where original “fish, chips, an’ mushy” can be ordered. The old Oxford Canal still exists at its periphery.

Here’s a tip: the writer’s tickets to London were obtained from a cut rate organization called “OneTravel”. Their service was good; the ticket price was perhaps as much as $800 lower than the list prices for Holiday travel to London (and back). Just make sure that your travel plans are completely firm before you order – the ticket price is NOT refundable.

Also, expect the usual “airport experience”, with crowds, security points, baggage checking, passport controls, terrible food, long waiting times, etc. etc., etc. This writer went through three of the world’s major airports on his trip, and there was just no avoiding that 21st Century “airport experience”.

Otherwise, it was a great trip.

SOUTHBOSTONONLINE.COM THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018 THE PRINT EDITION