South Boston Today February 24 2022

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February 24, 2022: Vol.10 Issue 8

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hat exactly is an NFT? NFT stands for nonfungible token. An asset that is non-fungible cannot be arbitrarily swapped with another — it is one of a kind.

This stands in contrast to a fungible asset that can be swapped for another indiscriminately What is an example of NFT? Each NFT represents a real-world object like music, a video, an ingame item, or a virtual baseball trading card. These digital assets are bought and sold online, typically with cryptocurrency. Things like physical money or bitcoin are “fungible,” meaning they can be exchanged for one another. Non

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February 24, 2022

EDITORIAL

BPD Showed True Professionalism At South Bay Shopping Center

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f ever there was a situation where the skill and professionalism of the Boston Police Department was on public display, it was regarding what happened at the South Bay Shopping Center on Sunday, February 13th. Many of you have read the accounts of the major disturbance that took place there, where a group of teenagers, none of whom have Boston addresses, were allegedly threatening and even terrorizing shoppers with what looked like real handguns. As it turned out, the firearms were fakes, but so realistic looking, that only hands-on up-close inspection would reveal that they were not – thus, the reason for the fear, confusion and panic that filled the shoppers on scene.

911 calls were instantly made by the scared shoppers, and fearing the worse, the Boston Police responded immediately and in force. Using the tactics that they have been trained in, they surrounded the area, put the crowd at ease and made sure that everyone was safe and then moved in to capture the suspects. This turned into a running foot chase through the stores. They were able to catch the suspects, arrest them, confiscate the nonlethal guns and made sure all was secure at the plaza so that everyone could go back to their shopping and jobs in safety.

The term ‘nonlethal guns’ is the key. When police arrived, they were under the assumption that the firearms

were the real thing. The fact that the officers disarmed and captured the teens without causing injury or firing a shot themselves, even though they believed at first that they were facing lethal weapons, they diffused the situation and kept everyone safe. This could have escalated into something so much worse. But thanks to the experience, training and true professionalism by members of what is considered, one of the finest police forces in the nation, it did not, and no one was injured.

Regarding the teens and others who brandish these fake, but very realistic looking firearms in an effort to impress or scare people: not a good idea.

If you point one of these things at a police officer or even a civilian who happens to have a license to carry a firearm, you run the very possible risk of being shot in self defense.

Americans have the sacred right to keep and bear arms guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States thanks to the wisdom and fore-

sight of our Founding Fathers.

With that right also comes the right to self defense. Using a fake, but real looking gun to threaten others or commit a crime could cause devastating results for all involved. Well done to those BPD officers who responded to the South Bay Shopping Center and prevented what could have been a terrible tragedy.

“America chose a limited government to protect our rights, not to grant them” - Senator Marco Rubio (R) FL

Boston Urban Forest Plan Virtual Open House March 14

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esidents interested in the future of trees in Boston are invited to join the Boston Parks and Recreation Department for a virtual conversation about the progress of the Urban Forest Plan on Monday, March 14, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. To join the discussion, follow the event link at boston.gov/

Publisher

urban-forest-plan.

Boston’s first ever Urban Forest Plan will help prioritize, preserve, and grow the tree canopy throughout Boston for decades to come. In Boston, all residents depend on the many benefits provided by the trees in our urban forest. The issues being addressed include policy, funding, workforce development, design, climate resilience, and

John Ciccone

more. The goal is to create a strategic plan based on science and defined by the needs and desires of the community to ensure that the urban forest will be better managed both today and in the future.

This project is a part of Healthy Places, a collaboration between the Heat Resilience Study, Urban Forest Plan, and Open Space and Recreation Plan. Healthy Places looks at

cooling the city, expanding the urban forest, and improving the park system. For more information on any of these projects, please visit boston. gov/healthy-places.

Interpretation and translation services are available for the March 14 Open House at no cost. Please contact program manager Maggie Owens if you cannot attend this meeting, have any questions

or comments, or if you need interpretation services, translated materials, or disability accommodations by emailing maggie.owens@boston.gov or calling (617) 961-3025 by February 28, 2022.

To stay up to date with news, events, and improvements in Boston parks, call (617) 635-4505, visit Boston. gov/Parks, join our email list at bit.ly/Get-Parks-Emails, and follow our social channels @ bostonparksdept on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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Information Center The

Just A Few Causes Of The Growing Voter Anger

SOUTH BOSTON TODAY John Ciccone

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efore we get in to other topics, just a comment about the vote taken at the Massachusetts State House recently that will, if it becomes law, allow illegal immigrants to get driver’s licenses: My question is ‘What the hell is wrong with you politicians? What about the word ‘illegal’ don’t you get? Are you Democrats so desperate for new voters that you will overlook illegal activity to try to increase your numbers? And by your actions, is it any wonder why every poll in the country now says your party is going to get swamped in a gigantic Red wave come November?

The reasoning by some who voted for this is that ‘oh well, they are here anyway, so we’ll give them driver’s licenses to make the roads safer. That way, they’ll register and insure their cars’. That’s bs and they know it and quoting doctored data from other states that have tried this convinces no one.

And if they so easily overlook illegal activity because, well, they are here anyway, what would the politicians’ reaction be if citizens just all decided to stop paying their taxes? Would they just brush that off too? Not a chance They would have strokes.

They can try to defend their actions with every phony excuse they can think up, but most people know exactly what’s going on. Far too many elected officials in this liberal state are terrified by the pressure they get from the illegal immigrant activists. It matters not that the majority of Massachusetts citizens are opposed to giving licenses to illegals. The activists make more noise and to the state house way of thinking, voters will probably forget what they’ve done by the time the next election comes around.

And the other main reason is and by now everyone is well aware of this scheme too, with a valid driver’s license as ID in hand, it will make it

Note: talk back to John Ciccone by email at jciccone@southbostontoday.com

a heck of a lot easier for noncitizens to register to vote in elections before the Massachusetts Democrats make it also no longer a requirement to be a citizen to cast a ballot. Anyone who doesn’t think this is on their agenda isn’t paying attention. At this point, the public nationwide is so fed up and disgusted with what the Democrat party has been doing to our country, that some of what were once solidly Blue states will be turning bright Red. And because the feelings are running so strong, the Red wave just might start washing into Massachusetts. When even the City of San Francisco saw voter anger and backlash take out it’s liberal school board members last week by huge margins, you really can’t rule out with any degree of confidence, that it just might happen here.

Moving on to another group and cause so many leftist politicians either hold near and dear to their hearts or are just plain too terrified to cross – Black Lives Matter or BLM. In addition to being involved in riots where massive looting and burning take place and court houses and police stations are attacked, they proudly shout their Communist affiliations and chant anti- cop treasures like ‘What do we want? Dead cops. When do we want them? Right now,” and the classic – “Pigs in a blanket, fry them like bacon”. Reports have shown they’ve also spent millions donated to them by easily extorted companies on mansions for their leaders. Just last week, one of their leaders tried to assassinate an elected official and was immediately given support and bail money from BLM coffers. These are people who don’t even try to hide their racism, in fact they flaunt it. And yet, schools in certain cities, Boston among them, allow BLM anti-American and anti-police literature to be posted and distributed to young stu-

dents. The NFL proudly displays their banners on their football fields and public libraries; like the one right here in Southie display BLM placards in their windows. The way I see it, these woke companies, elected officials and sports leagues do this for one of two reasons - cowardice or they agree with the warped ideology and hate being spewed by radicals. This too is leading to the buildup of anger among so many Americans and their willingness to clean house in coming elections.

And finally for this week, the latest data shows that during the last year and a half, Americans have pulled more than 2 million children out of

big city public school systems around the country. Among the reasons expressed are Covid restrictions and mandates, attempted indoctrination of students, safety concerns and an overall lowering of educational standards. This is a mass movement as parents are placing them instead in private and religious schools. Many are also turning to home schooling.

The trend shows no sign of subsiding. As long as these public schools continue to act like the children belong to the state and not the parents, the movement will continue to grow.

Leaders of the Teachers’ Unions may want to think about that.

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SOUTHBOSTONTODAY • www.southbostontoday.com

February 24, 2022

Window Into The State House

Window Into The State House provides our readers a synopsis of important issues of interest, past and current, that are being proposed, debated or acted upon by the Massachusetts Legislature. Many issues that are not related to local city government services are acted upon and have a direct impact on daily life. They are tax policy, transportation infrastructure, judicial appointments, social services and health, as well as higher education.

We will excerpt reports from the gavel-to-gavel coverage of House and Senate sessions by news sources focused on this important aspect of our lives.

These sources include a look ahead at the coming week in state government and summaries and analyses of the past week, re-caps of a range of state government activity, as well as links to other news.

Little excitement around State House reopening...

Nobody really knew what to expect yesterday when the State House finally threw its doors open to the public after two years.

Overcast skies and some rain in the afternoon accentuated muted fanfare that was certainly welcomed by legislative leaders and building officials who planned for the worst and hoped for the best. Both the House and the Senate held lightly attended sessions yesterday, with just a handful of people in each public viewing gallery. Gov. Charlie Baker and his top budget advisor also testified in person before the Joint Committee on Revenue, which was a free ticket but had no takers from the public. As of 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, 154 people had walked through the metal detector at the Ashburton Park entrance of the State House.

That includes people without official identification to enter the building -- i.e. members of the public -- as well as cleaning staff and a few interns. School vacation week and a light legislative agenda no doubt factored into turnout.

But even still, a number of small groups of curious tourists wandered into the building, some with a tour guide, others pacing the historic halls on their own. After a brief moment of excitement when the building first opened -- where media seemed to outnumber people looking to get in -- the day moved along like any other over the past two years.

Rep. Donald Wong, a pandemicera regular on Beacon Hill, said “a lot of people who come to Boston, this is one of the first places they want to see and it’s a great building.” “It’s still a little quiet, but I think it’s slowly going to grow,” he told MASSterList and the State House News Service after the Monday morning House session.

Baker finds some resistance to tax changes On Reopening Day at the State House, Gov. Charlie Baker made an in-person plea for his $700 million package of tax cuts. The governor appeared with his top budget advisor to testify before the Joint Committee on Revenue in support of the package that he proposed in tandem with his fiscal 2023 budget, the last he will file as governor. While Baker assured lawmakers that the state could afford the tax cuts for renters, seniors and low-income families, some Democrats pushed back on proposed changes to the estate tax and short-term capital gains rate.

Redistricting bumps cost of elections in Massachusetts by 11 percent Costs for the 2022 statewide election rose about 11 percent more than originally anticipated as a result of the decennial redistricting process.

MassLive’s Alison Kuznitz reports the Office of State Auditor Suzanne Bump informed Secretary of State William Galvin that municipalities will need about $2.08 million to cover extra polling hours during the September state primary and the November general election.

Proposed name changes for sites across the U.S. include many in Massachusetts A list of replacement names for hundreds of geographic features that include the word “squaw” across the United States include a handful in Massachusetts. U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland formally declared the word derogatory in November.

Associated Press’ Susan Montoya Bryan has more details on the list and three virtual meetings the agency is planning with tribes in March.

Sites in Massachusetts that appear on the list include Squawkeag in Franklin County, Squaw Rock in Nor-

folk County, Squaw Swamp in Plymouth County, Squaw Island Marshes in Barnstable County, Squaw Peak in Berkshire County, Squawbetty Hill in Bristol County, and Squaw Island in Barnstable County.

Early ed commissioner to step down in March The head of the state’s Early Education and Care Department is stepping down in March. WBUR’s Carrie Jung reports Samantha Aigner-Treworgy first stepped into the role of EEC commissioner in 2019 and did not specify a reason for her departure. An interim commissioner is expected to ne named when the EEC board next meets on March 8.

Standard General purchases Boston 25 News Boston 25 News is about to have some new owners. New York-based Standard General L.P. is slated to acquire the station. Annie Probert for the Boston Globe reports the station’s current owners, Cox Media Group, purchased Boston 25 in 2014 and is selling the station as part of a larger deal that is expected to close in the second half of this year.

Boston Uber riders among the worst Are we really surprised that Uber riders in Boston are ranked among the worst in the United States?

Puget Sound Business Journal’s Alex Halverson reports the ridesharing company released new data ranking cities by the quality of their passengers. New York (obviously) took the top spot for the worst followed by Seattle, Washington D.C., and then Boston.

Allen endorses Tanisha Sullivan’s secretary of state bid Harvard Professor Danielle Allen is endorsing NAACP Boston Branch President Tanisha Sullivan in her campaign form secretary of state. State House News Ser-

vice’s Matt Murphy reports Allen’s endorsement comes about a week after she dropped out of the gubernatorial race.

Wu crossed 100-day mark in office Boston Mayor Michelle Wu passed 100 days in office and it’s time to look back on her performance so far. GBH News’ Politics Editor Peter Kadzis breaks down the most pressing issue the mayor is facing and complications brought on by the pandemic.

INFORMAL PROBATE PUBLICATION NOTICE Docket No. SU21P2462EA Commonwealth Of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Estate of: Mark Steven DePinto Date of Death: October 7, 2021 Suffolk Division To all persons interested in the above captioned estate, by Petition of Petitioner Ann Slauenwhite of Norwood MA A Will has been admitted to informal probate.

Ann Slauenwhite of Norwood MA has been informally appointed as the Personal Representative of the estate to serve without surety on the bond.

The estate is being administered under informal procedure by the Personal Representative under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code without supervision by the Court. Inventory and accounts are not required to be filed with the Court, but interested parties are entitled to notice regarding the administration from the Personal Representative and can petition the Court in any matter relating to the estate, including distribution of assets and expenses of administration. Interested parties are entitled to petition the Court to institute formal proceedings and to obtain orders terminating or restricting the powers of Personal Representatives appointed under informal procedure. A copy of the Petition and Will, if any, can be obtained from the Petitioner February 24, 2022

February 24, 2022

SOUTHBOSTONTODAY • www.southbostontoday.com

SENATOR COLLINS TO CHAIR NEW COMMITTEE Massachusetts Senate Democrats finalize Committee Assignments

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enator Nick Collins has been appointed as Chair of the Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures, and State Assets.

The Joint Committee on Bonding,

Capital Expenditures, and State Assets is tasked with considering and reviewing all proposed bills concerning the Commonwealth’s lands and buildings, as well as legislation that provides for

Chairman Lynch and Chairwoman Maloney Denounce Russia’s Unlawful Invasion of Ukraine

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ashington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Stephen F. Lynch, Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, and U.S. Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairwoman

of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, released the following statements after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion against Ukraine: “Vladimir Putin will have blood

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the giving, loaning, or pledging of the Commonwealth’s credit.

“I am honored to be appointed

by Senate President Spilka to this tremendously important Chairmanship role,” Said Senator Collins, “I am looking forward to ensuring our State resources are leveraged appropriately and with the best value for taxpayers.”

These changes to committee assignments will go into effect immediately, with Senator Collins set to Chair the next Committee hearing.

on his hands for his war of choice against Ukraine,” Chairman Lynch said. “This is an unjustified, unprovoked attack against the free and sovereign nation of Ukraine and an affront to international peace and stability. Russia’s actions require condemnation in the strongest possible terms, and I support President Biden’s efforts to unite the NATO alliance against this naked use of military force against a civilian population. The free world must stand united and send a clear message to Vladimir Putin that his belligerence will not be tolerated and will only further isolate Russia from the international community.”

“I am horrified by Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, which

endangers the lives of innocent civilians, disregards international law, and could create a major humanitarian crisis in Europe,” Chairwoman Maloney said. “To be clear, Putin personally provoked this war despite numerous opportunities to seek a diplomatic solution and avoid conflict. He bears full responsibility for the bloody consequences about to unfold. Thanks to President Biden’s leadership, the response to Russia’s aggression from the United States and our allies will be swift and severe. The Oversight Committee condemns Russia’s blatant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and their right to self-defense.”

Jackpot! George H.W. Bush and CVW-7 Complete Their Cyclic Flight Ops

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tory by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Ryan Colosanti, USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) Public Affairs USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7 completed cyclic flight operations for the first time since each command completed their last deployments, Feb 20. They are at sea to train and complete Tailored Ship’s Training Availability/Final Evaluation Problem (TSTA/FEP).

It was the first time George H.W. Bush and CVW-7 conducted cyclic flight ops together as Team Jackpot.

“What a great day for Team Jackpot,” said Capt. Robert Aguilar, George H.W. Bush commanding officer. “Today we displayed the full spectrum of warfighting capabilities of our combined team.”

When at sea together, Team Jackpot will maintain a focus on developing a high performing team that integrates to deliver combat power to Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10 and the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group.

Additionally, George H.W. Bush will continue to support east coast carrier qualifications during underway periods while CVW-7 is training elsewhere.

“The George H.W. Bush team has been extremely welcoming as we integrate into a single lethal warfighting weapons system,” said Capt. Thomas Bodine, commander, CVW-7. “Iron sharpens iron and training with the Bush and CSG-10 teams ensures that our collective swords will be able to meet and defeat any challenger.”

George H.W. Bush provides the

national command authority flexible, tailorable warfighting capability as the flagship of a carrier strike group that maintains maritime stability and security in order to ensure access, deter aggression and defend U.S., allied, and partner interests.

CVW-7 is the offensive air and strike component of Carrier Strike Group TEN (CSG-10) and the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group. The squadrons of

CVW-7 are Strike Fighter Squadron 143 “Pukin’ Dogs,” Strike Fighter Squadron 103 “Jolly Rogers,” Strike Fighter Squadron 86 “Sidewinders,” Strike Fighter Squadron 136 “Knighthawks,” Electronic Attack Squadron 140 “Patriots,” Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 121 “Bluetails,” Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron “Nightdippers,” and Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 46 “Grandmasters.”

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SOUTHBOSTONTODAY • www.southbostontoday.com

“Battle for Boston” The Late Brian R. Mahoney (First Printed 2-10-2011)

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ecently, while watching the History Channel series on the American Revolution, the episode of the evacuation of Boston was aired. The narrator summed up the event by intoning, “Thus the British woke up, surprised at the cannons positioned on the hill and evacuated the city without a shot being fired.”

South Boston Today, in parts, is proud to print the most complete and accurate account of this event ever produced. We are honored to remember and print for the first time in over 200 years, the names of the very first casualties in the history of the American Armed Forces. We are determined to do our duty and correct the historical record of Gen. Washington and the American Nations first victory.

For most of its history, South Boston has always been identified as an Irish community. Growing up, I remember people jokingly calling it, “Ireland’s 33rd County”.

During most of its 200 plus year history, it has had a predominately Irish population. Those of us, who have grown up or live here, however, know that its merchants, athletes, scholars and leaders have always been drawn from every ethnicity under the sun. That same wide-ranging mix was present during the fortification of the “Heights” and is with us today.

The Battle for Boston is one of the most misunderstood and least appreciated acts of our American Revolution. Our story should probably start at the Battle of Bunker Hill in Charlestown. To paraphrase the British Commanding General Howe, “Many more victories like this and our army will be destroyed.”

The strategic importance of the Hills or Heights surrounding Boston had long been apparent before that bloody engagement. The arrogance and contempt the British held for their “Yankee Doodle” cousins, however, caused the British to underestimate the necessity of the prompt securing and fortifying of these Hills and Heights. Even after the Battle, South Boston (Dorchester Neck), was primarily grazing land for cattle and was sparsely populated by approximately 12 families.

Though they still didn’t occupy, the British became more aggressive and warlike toward the small South Boston population. A series of raids by the British over the next 8 months led to the capture of at least six rebel soldiers and the burning of houses and barns.

Among the properties burned was the Wiswell Estate near “Bush Tree Hill (M Street Park), the Jones Estate at K and First Streets and Blake Estates near Farragut Road and the Foster property between F and D Streets.

Combined with harassing fire from

British held Castle William (Castle Island), South Boston was soon evacuated and left empty by the people. If it had remained that way, it is conceivable that our National Anthem today would be “God Save the Queen”.

Fate and destiny, however, had other plans for South Boston and America, Destiny’s Child in this tale was a Boston bookseller named Henry Knox.

Knox, friend and advisor to General Washington, was commissioned a Colonel of Artillery in November of 1775. At the same time, the “Green Mountain Boys,” commanded by Ethan Allen, (and accompanied by a Massachusetts Colonel named Benedict Arnold) captured Fort Ticonderoga and its cannon. Located in Upstate New York, Ticonderoga is an Indian name meaning, “Between Two Lakes”.

It is situated between Lake George and Lake Champlain up by the Canadian border. Washington needed its cannon for his plan and this was Knox’s mission. A mission, in the dead of winter, Knox was determined to accomplish.

So began one of the epic journeys in military history. With snow, sleet and howling winds, from Lake Champlain, over the Allegheny and Berkshire Mountains, through Great Barrington and Western Massachusetts, Col. Knox was able to transport these cannon, by oxen, through the roadless wilderness. Knox later wrote that the cannons had to be dragged up and over, “Mountains from which we might have seen all the kingdoms of the Earth.” Imagine driving those oxen through the icy wilderness

February 24, 2022

wearing those heavy, soggy, frozen, woolen, revolutionary uniforms. 1775 was one of the coldest up to that time.

Toward the end of January 1776, Colonel Henry Knox was able to write to General Washington from Framingham that, “A noble train of artillery,” consisting of 59 pieces was ready to be turned over to the American Army at Cambridge. In late February, some 35 cannon were brought from Cambridge to Roxbury. Then, when March began, the cannon were brought from Roxbury to the area we now call Andrew Square.

Today, South Boston rises towards the middle and eastern end with large tracts of flat land on north and south coasts on the West End. Back then, the ocean on the south came up to almost Eighth Street. Moakley Park did not exist. It was water. On the north “A” Street met the Ft. Point Channel and the ocean came almost up to Second Street. Farragut Road was the shore between the ocean and Castle Island. The land itself had steep rises and deep gullies and had five points prominent above all others.

The first point is what we know today as the Dorchester Heights. Then it was actually two high points called the “Twin Hills”. Just behind Perkins Square, a long, sloping, rocky hill began its climb, reaching its high point around Dorchester Street and Emerson Street. This hill reached as far as the City parking lot on West Broadway and it was known as “Leek’s Hill”. M Street Park, before it was flattened, was known as “Bush Tree Hill” and towered over the Harbor looking directly toward the British warships anchorage. At the extreme easternmost point, the land rose to about 40 feet above the ocean at what today is Farragut & Broadway. At that time, it was called “Dorchester Point”. Finally, all the way to the west at what is now “B” & West 3rd Street stood a hill probably topping at 125 feet known alternately as “Foster’s Hill” or “Nook Hill”.

These five hills or heights were the reason and the final destination of Knox’s miraculous journey. The difficulties of this journey are wonderfully depicted in the oil paintings adorning the walls of the former South Boston Savings Bank, now Bank of America.

Stop in the bank and check them out.

Part II will be printed next week.

Take care till next week.

February 24, 2022

SOUTHBOSTONTODAY • www.southbostontoday.com

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South Boston Citizens‘ Association Kickoff Breakfast will be held Saturday, February 26th, At The Seapoint Restaurant

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BCA President Tom McGrath and Executive Board are pleased to announce that on Saturday, February 26th,2022, at the Kick-off Breakfast, The Henry Knox Award Presentation will take place at the Seapoint Restaurant, 367 East 8th Street, at 10AM. Family, Friends and Neighbors are respectfully invited to attend this wonderful event. A 15.00 donation is requested at door to help off-set costs. This year’s event will once again feature great music of Bob Fowkes and Curragh’s Fancy.

The event Chairman will be Senator Nick Collins who will continue to lead the fight to preserve the historical importance of Evacuation Day while serving in the Massachusetts State Senate. “As president of the Association, it is an honor for me to appoint Nick to kickoff the festivities. Nick’s commitment and involvement with the SBCA and our community has been a tremendous asset to me and the Executive Board.”

Said McGrath.

The awards are presented to everyday volunteers in the community who seek no recognition, who are considered “Unsung Heroes”, kicks off the month-long celebration for one of the most important events in American history.

The first recipient is no stranger to the South Boston community and giving back is, Marissa Walsh, owner of DEJA Brew. She has dedicated many volunteer hours to the community of South Boston throughout her young adult life

and before. Like her parents John and Cathe she has picked up the trait of giving back. She has dedicated so much to the betterment of all in the community, starting at a young age as a volunteer cheerleading coach in the South Boston Pop Warner Program. As a product of catholic schools, (St. Brigid School and Mount Saint Joseph Academy) and raised by a family who believed in her and her abilities, she naturally gravitated to the course of giving back to her community as a leader and shining example of how volunteerism comes full circle.

She is a mom and a business woman and through her business, DEJA Brew, she is extremely generous, going above and beyond providing food or hot coffee on a cold day to the first responders in the neighborhood, as well as city employees working in the neighborhood.

Come the high holiday seasons, Marissa can be seen volunteering an enormous amount of her time and skill of preparing and delivering the Thanksgiving, Christmas meals and the Senior Salute meals to our seniors of this great community. Marissa is the daughter of John and Cathe Walsh and She has two sisters Erin and Mari.

Our second Knox recognition award goes to Greg Lally.

He is a lifelong resident of South Boston and he is currently employed by the City of Boston BCYF division at the Tynan Elementary School as the Athletic Director. During his free time, he can be seen organizing different youth events

throughout the year. Greg is also a longtime volunteer for Gate of Heaven CYO basketball program out of the PAL gym working with instructional and house league program as well as the travel team program. Greg comes highly recommended by both his own peers and the adults who are familiar with his commitment to the community.

Greg was awarded the Catholic Youth of the year in 2010.

Greg is the son of Kevin, no stranger to the community, and Kathy Lally. He attended Gate of Heaven and Catholic Memorial High School.

Next up is Kenny Morrell and Sandy Alemian. When Covid-19 happened, Kenny wanted to do something to help out. Kenny and Sandy opened up their home every Friday night and started playing the piano and singing live on Facebook for a few friends. Kenny put out a virtual tip jar to raise money for the South Boston Special kids and Young Adults an organization close to his heart.

It was a tremendous response with over 6000 viewers that watched the first show and The Stuck in the House Tour was created. Kenny has always donated his time to many South Boston Fundraisers teaming up with other musicians who make this community so great!

And the final Knox Awardee is Gerry Vierbickas, who has given so much time and energy to the Community .He has been the chair of the S.B. Boys and Girls Club Luncheon for over 20 years. He has been on the Board for 38 years, and Chairman

fortwo terms. Now retired from his career it should be noted that Gerry has been very active in the South Boston Community throughout his life having been on other Boards.

Here are some that were researched; The S.B. Community Health Center, S.B. Main Streets, Saint Peter School Board for twelve years (five years as President), seven years as President of the S.B.Residents’ Group, Fan Pier Citizens Advisory Committee, Community Leaders Group (Established by the late District 2 Councilor Jim Kelly), City of Boston Residency Task Force (by Mayor Flynn), an Executive VicePresident of the Association ofArchitects Engineers and Draftsman.

Tom McGrath, President of the SBCA, said “It is an honor to recognize these individuals who dedicate their time and energy to the South Boston Community. I hope the community will join me and others on Saturday the 26th to honor these men and women.”

Tickets are available at the door for 15.00. Doors open at 9:30AM. Tommy McGrath

8

SOUTHBOSTONTODAY • www.southbostontoday.com

February 24, 2022

The

Wine Guy

Winetech

A

s we continue to see all the new products and services emerging from the Internet of Things, you should know that some of those products and capabilities are contributing to the production of Red Blends that are more and more impressive. While winemaking will hopefully, always be an art, technological innovations in the process are allowing for better and better blends to be “produced” before they’re even mixed. Programs can now tell makers how long to age for maximum flavor and structure, how much barrel and/or stainless age time to use and how long it should be in the bottle before offering, to name just a few of the aspects that are now,”by the numbers”.

All these innovations mean that, in a lot of cases, higher quality is costing less; one more reason to embrace technology!

22 Pirates 2018 Red Blend, Clos La Chance, California, is a great example. Clos La Chance is a win-

ery that started very small. Co-owners Bill and Brenda Murphy decided to plant a few rows of Chardonnay in their Saratoga backyard, both for landscaping purposes and to realize their dreams of being small-scale vintners. Before long their grapes and wine were in huge demand and as they say, the rest is history. Their 22 Pirates Red Blend was created to employ the outstanding Rhone Varietals being produced by premier wine growers throughout California and it really delivers. The wine has a dark black, violet color with aromas and flavors of ripe blackberry, va-

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nilla bean, white chocolate and fresh mint with a round, vibrant, fruity medium body and a tingling, compelling, medium-long cinnamonsugar finish with well-integrated, medium tannins and light oak. A lip smacking Rhone varietal blend from Monterey; you may need more than one bottle!

Francis Ford Coppola hasn’t made any big moves lately, but never mind. He’s still making big things; they just come in liquid form! His Director’s Cut 2016 Cinema Red Blend, Sonoma, is a delicious example-Cinema is a limited-production proprietary blend from Coppola. It’s comprised of fruit from select sub-appellations of Sonoma including Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley and Knights Valley. The outstanding 2013 vintage offered ample high-quality fruit. It’s a spicy, full-bodied red, layered with dark berry fruit components and an edge of earthiness.

Hornos Special Reserve Red 2014 Vina San Pedro is a worthy entry from Chile, a country which continues to offer more and more value and quality every year. Wine Spectator scored this 92 points saying “Powerful yet taut, with plenty of savory notes to the dried cherry and berry flavors, lingering with bittersweet chocolate details. Roasted hints fill the elegant finish, which offers plenty of spice. Cabernet Sau-

vignon, Syrah and Malbec. Drink now through 2020.” and Wine Enthusiast Magazine also scored this 92 saying “Concentrated aromas of tarry berry fruits, herbs, eucalyptus, olive and briar patch are as Chilean as Pablo Neruda. This Cabernet-led blend is chewy, full and nicely textured. Spicy, mildly herbal flavors of blackberry, plum and cassis finish spicy, with integrated but noticeable oak. Drink this powerful wine through 2023.” They’re absolutely on the mark.

Locations E Red Blend, Dave Phinney, Spain. I saved the best for last. Dave Phinney of Orin Swift fame has branched out beyond California to produce a line of international wines that show off his expertise blending different varietals as well as his uncanny ability to make wines that taste twice as good as the cost. The E5 is sourced from Spain, from multi-vintages and it exhibits remarkable complexity and drinkability. This one’s a blend of Grenache,Tempranillo, Monastrell and Carignan and it is unequivocally mouth-watering and delicious, with a core of ripe black fruit and supple tannins. The price is beautiful, too.

In the end - and to highjack and morph a phrase from the ‘raw’ politico James Carville - it’s in the taste, stupid!

Talk To The Wine Guy at jdris888@gmail.com

February 24, 2022

9

SOUTHBOSTONTODAY • www.southbostontoday.com

Virtual Public Meeting

Rescheduled: Seaport Circle

SouthieSZN Program Kicks In On Thursday March 3

A

s we all know, St. Patrick’s Day is a huge celebration in South Boston!

The South Boston Chamber of Commerce and the South Boston Neighborhood Development Corporation are pleased to announce SouthieSZN (hint SZN = Season), a March promotion to encourage shopping, dining, and pampering to support local South Boston businesses.

Many businesses will be promoting special items or discounts related to St. Patrick’s Day on Thursdays, March 3, March 10, and March 17 starting at 5 p.m. each day. This year’s SouthieSNZ promotion will also include a raffle for a St. Patrick’s Day basket filled with gift cards from participating South Boston businesses with a total value of $340.

It’s easy to enter: Shop at any participating business and

spend $17 or more on Thursdays, March 3,10, and 17 and you will be eligible to enter into the raffle while supporting your local businesses! To increase your chances of winning, you can enter multiple times, as long as you spend $17 or more at any of the participating businesses. The Grand Prize drawing will be held on Friday, March 18.

Visit https://www.southbostonchamber.org/southieszn for a list of participating businesses and any additional hours. Participating businesses will have a green shamrock poster in their windows.

Follow the Chamber on social media for details of upcoming events, specials, and promotions.

Instagram: SouthBosChamber Facebook: SouthBostonChamberofCommerce Twitter: SouthBosChamber

Tuesday, March 1 6:00 - 7:30 PM

Zoom Link: bit.ly/SeaportCir Toll Free: (833) 568 - 8864 Meeting ID: 160 655 5506

Project Proponent: Lincoln Property Company Project Description: The Project will construct a 13-story laboratory/research & development and office building located on Parcel H totaling approximately 587,000 GFA, a two-story job training/non-profit center on an adjacent parcel totaling approximately 16,000 GFA, and an elevated walkway that connects these two buildings and surrounding properties. Additionally, the Project will include commitments to improve the Silver Line Way station as well as other significant public realm improvements.

Ready to Register?

Scan this QR Code with your smart phone

mail to: Tyler Ross Boston Planning & Development Agency One City Hall Square, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02201 phone: 857.334.8952 email: tyler.c.ross@boston.gov

Close of Comment Period: 3/3/2022

@BostonPlans

BostonPlans.org

Teresa Polhemus, Executive Director/Secretary

Virtual Public Meeting

South Boston Seaport Strategic Transit Plan Thursday, March 3

Zoom Link: bit.ly/3oS8zzg

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Toll Free: (833) 568 - 8864 Meeting ID: 161 702 1522

Project Proponent: Boston Planning & Development Agency/Boston Transportation Department

MCM Properties mcmproperties.com

Project Description: Join us for the release of the Draft South Boston Seaport Strategic Transit Plan at a Virtual Public Meeting, Thursday, March 3, at 6 pm. We began this discussion in spring 2019 with the goal of improving the operations, capacity, and connectivity of the transit network serving the South Boston Seaport. Over this time we have released short, mid, and long-term strategies on the project website at bit.ly/SeaportTransit.

At the Virtual Public Meeting you can review the recommendations of the draft Plan, which are centered around the strategies, as well as ask questions and provide feedback. Whether you are an employer, resident, transit rider, pedestrian or bicyclist – or several of these at once – you can help frame a new future for travel in the South Boston Seaport by participating in this Plan.

Visit the website to watch five videos that summarize the Project Context, Past Public Meetings, Ongoing Work in the South Boston Seaport, and the Short, Mid and LongTerm Evaluations. mail to:

phone: email:

Jim Fitzgerald Boston Planning & Development Agency One City Hall Square, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02201 617.918.4327 SouthBostonSeaportTransit@boston.gov BostonPlans.org

@BostonPlans

Teresa Polhemus, Executive Director/Secretary

10

NFT’s CONTINUED from front page

fungible tokens (NFTs), thanks to their ability to assign value to everything from art to music to a simple selfie, have taken the world by storm Is it hard to sell NFTs? It depends. If you are serious about making money by creating and selling NFT arts, plus if you are a good graphic designer with marketing skills, then it will be not hard.

Here is a success story - Created by the renowned artist who goes by the pseudonym Pak, The Merge was sold on NFT marketplace Nifty Gateway between December 2-4 2021. It fetched a record sum of USD 91.8 million — the most expensive NFT ever sold that is an artwork. Instead of a single owner, The Merge is held by 28,983 collectors.

Can you make money creating NFTs? Yes, you can. This is the second option to making money with NFT. Selling NFTs isn’t just for creators. Some entrepreneurs and investors utilize NFTs like stocks and profit by buying and selling them.

How do I buy and sell on NFT? How To Buy an NFT on OpenSea, for example: 1.Step 1: Get a wallet and fund it. You need a digital wallet with funds to buy NFTs. 2.Step 2: Browse the OpenSea NFT collections. First, you need to find the NFT you want to acquire.

3.Step 3: Found Something You Want? Buy Now or Make an Offer.

4.Step 4: The Actual Purchase.

As with any other business, it requires work and intelligence.

Merely listing NFTs without having a prior audience or online presence and expecting these to sell is short-sighted.

To realistically make money selling NFT art, one must do the following: 1.Create an original and unique piece of art (easy) that people want to buy (hard) 2.Build an engaged audience online and promote this NFT to the audience 3.Continue this process to become profitable due to gas fees. a.With gas fees* ranging from

SOUTHBOSTONTODAY • www.southbostontoday.com

$80–130, you have to keep this cost in mind when determining what price you should sell your artwork at *Gas fees are payments that users have to make to compensate for the computation energy required to process transactions on the Ethereum blockchain. This is very much like the processing fees credit cards may charge for transferring money to various accounts or for paying bills.

Again, anything that can be converted into a digital form can be an NFT. Everything from your drawings, photos, videos, GIF, music, in-game items, selfies, and even a tweet can be turned into an NFT, which can then be traded online using cryptocurrency. But what makes NFTs unique from other digital forms is that it is backed by Blockchain technology.

For the uninitiated, Blockchain is a distributed ledger where all transactions are recorded. It is like your bank passbook, except all your transactions are transparent and can be seen by anyone and cannot be changed or modified once recorded.

NFTs are gaining massive popularity now because they are becoming an increasingly popular way to showcase and sell your digital artwork. Billions of dollars have been spent on NFTs since its inception—which date backs to 2015, and Terra Nulius was the first NFT on Ethereum Blockchain, although this project was merely an idea which only allowed to customize a short message which was then recorded on blockchain. Then came Curio Cards, CryptoPunks and CryptoCats in 2017, before NFTS slowly moved into public awareness, then expanding into mainstream adoption in early 2021.

How is an NFT different from cryptocurrency?

NFTs and cryptocurrencies are very different from each other.

While both are built on Blockchain, that is where the similarity ends. Cryptocurrency is a currency and is fungible, meaning that it is interchangeable. For instance, if you hold one crypto token, say one Ethereum, the

next Ethereum that you hold will also be of the same value.

But NFTs are non-fungible, that means the value of one NFT is not equal to another. Every art is different from other, making it non fungible, and unique.

Anyone who holds a cryptocurrency wallet can buy an NFT. That is the only prerequisite to purchase an NFT. You don’t need any KYC documents to purchase an art. All you need is a cryptocurrency wallet powered by Metamask, and an NFT marketplace where you can buy and sell NFTs. KYC means Know Your Customer and sometimes Know Your Client. KYC or KYC check is the mandatory process of identifying and verifying the client’s identity when opening an account and periodically over time.

Some of the largest NFT marketplaces are: OpenSea.io: Touted as the largest NFT marketplace, you can find digital art, there are collectibles including game items, domain names, even digital representations of physical assets at OpenSea. Essentially, the platform is like an eBay for NFTs with millions of digital assets organised into hundreds of categories.

Rarible: Quite similar to OpenSea, Rarible is also one of the largest NFT marketplace that enables artists and creators to issue and sell NFTs. Foundation: This is a unique NFT marketplace where artists must receive “upvotes” from fellow creators to post their art. Artists list NFTs for auction at a reserve price, and once the first bid is placed, a 24-hour auction countdown begins.

If a bid is placed within the last 15 minutes, the auction extends for

February 24, 2022

another 15 minutes.

What are the risks associated with buying NFTs? NFTs, like any other entity, have a dark side to it too. In the recent past, several incidents of NFT scams have been reported including: emergence of fake marketplaces, unverified sellers often impersonating real artists and selling copies of their artworks for half prices.

Recently, pop culture icon Ozzy Osbourne’s NFT collection CryptoBatz went live. People complained about a potential phishing link shared by the artist that was draining their crypto wallets. At least 1,330 people had visited the fake NFT project. An Ethereum wallet address linked to the scammers had received a series of incoming transactions totaling 14.6 ETH ($40,895) on January 20.

In another incident, an NFT collector, Todd Kramer, based out of New York said that his collection of sixteen Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFTs worth $2.28 million (Rs 16.94 crore approx.) was “hacked”. The owner of the NFTs Todd Kramer said that NFT marketplace OpenSea had “frozen” the assets for him including one Clonex, seven Mutant Ape Yacht Club, and eight BAYC NFTs currently valued at around 615 Ether.

Another risk associated with NFTs that cannot be swept under the rug is the unquestionably negative impact on the environment. In order to validate transactions, crypto mining is done, which requires high powered computers that run at a very high capacity, affecting the environment ultimately.

February 24, 2022

SOUTHBOSTONTODAY • www.southbostontoday.com

South Boston Catholic Academy News

Happy 100 Days of School!

O

n Thursday, February 17, 2022, the students and teachers at South Boston Catholic Academy had a great day Celebrating our 100 Day of School, especially the students in K2, 1st, and 2nd Grades, as you can see from

the photos! “1A had an exciting 100th day of school. We came to school wearing a hat or shirt decorated with 100 items.

Wow, what creative ideas everyone had! We pulled together our daily activities such as; tallying 100

days of school, putting 100 days of weather on bar graphs, grouping our tens and ones finally into a group of 100, making different combinations of 100 cents, as well as some writing activities. What a fun day of learning!” “The children in 1B class did a 100th Day project using M&M’s. They used hundreds of M&Ms. But they couldn’t eat them!! They had to sort the M&Ms by color and then count them using tally marks. Some people counted by fives and some people counted by tens. They had to check to make sure everyone agreed with the sums

11 so they could answer questions.

When the project was done, those M&M’s were thrown away. Subsequently, each child got a small bag of M&M’s to take home!!”

“The students in 1C also had a fun, exciting, and creative day of learning and celebrating their 100th day of school. They put a ton of thought and effort into designing their hats/ shirts, just as all the other students did on their class projects! Happy 100th Day Everyone! Families are welcome to email Mrs. Jamie Brown at j.brown@sbcatholicacademy.org for more information about SBCA.

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SOUTHBOSTONTODAY • www.southbostontoday.com

February 24, 2022

This week, Danny shared his thoughts on a lack of interest in the Winter Olympics:

S

o, the Winter Olympics are over. How about that? I think I watched one period of men’s hockey, five minutes of downhill snowboarding, and another five minutes of curling.

And then I forgot all about the rest of it.

I can’t be the only one who says they really didn’t care about anything that went down in these Olympics in China, can I? And my reasoning isn’t necessarily because I was “boycotting” the games — like I’m sure some were — because of where they were held. It’s just because, well, I simply had no interest in these Winter Games.

What would’ve had my attention is if men’s hockey showcased NHL talent. I would’ve been all in on that, like I usually am. Many others would’ve been too. Instead, we were left with teams filled with rosters that nobody was familiar with.

And full disclosure, I gave it a shot. I watched USA vs Canada.

But it was like watching a men’s league game. Everything was sloppy. The puck was just bouncing all over the place. It hurt my eyes, to be honest. And that was

it for me. I never went back to watch another game.

I also think I’m mentally exhausted from everyone’s political views and obvious virtue signaling. Everything in sports seems to be connected to politics these days, and I’m sick and tired of it. So much so, that it’s started to drive me away from any sport or athlete that continues to shove politics down our throats. Can’t we just watch a damn game anymore?

And the most political thing mixed with sports leagues and pro athletes today is COVID-19. For many places, you can’t even get into an arena if you aren’t caught up with all your vaccines. Wisely enough though, here in Boston, the TD Garden just lifted their “vaccine requirement” for entry.

The entire city of Boston lifted its vaccine mandate last week.

They tried to use statistics to justify the change of heart. But the cold hard truth is, the vaccine mandate was wrong and irrational from the beginning. By now, deep down inside, everyone knows that. But one of the hardest things to do as a human is admit you were wrong, especially about something of this magnitude.

It’s something the NBA is currently trying to figure out when it comes to the mostly-politicized Kyrie Irving fiasco in Brooklyn.

Irving is not vaccinated. New York has a vaccine mandate, so he isn’t allowed to play in the Brooklyn Nets’ home games. He only plays in their games on the road.

But staying consistent with the irrational nature of failed COVID-19 policies and mandates, players from visiting teams — even if they’re not vaccinated like Irving — can still play in games at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the very same Barclays Center that Irving isn’t allowed to play in. So, by that logic, what you’re telling us is, the non-vaccinated Irving is more of a threat to spread COVID-19 than nonvaccinated players from visiting teams. Got it. The logic behind it all so stupid that it’s laugh-outloud funny.

This has been happening all season, by the way. And just now, this month, is NBA commissioner Adam Silver and mayor of New York City Eric Adams trying to figure out why this bizarre COVID policy is in place. Let me tell you why: politics.

It’s hijacked our favorite sports.

And maybe they don’t know it, but it’s the media that’s helping turn many sports-related topics into a political argument. Have you followed your favorite sports reporter on Twitter lately? Man, it’s exhausting. I’m not following you to see your take on mask mandates. But if I was, perhaps you could report logically on it, and maybe explain why NBA players are sweating and breathing all over each other on the court, and then when they go to the bench, they have to put a mask on. I mean, what the hell is that about?

Then you have media on the other side of the political spectrum yelling at us and telling us we should boycott the China Olympics because of where they’re held. Here’s an idea guys; how about you just stop trying to tell everyone what to do and let us enjoy the games.

Let’s remove all of the mandates. Let’s separate sports and politics. Let’s get back to normal.

And who knows, maybe we’ll start to enjoy the Olympics again.

Follow Danny on Instagram @ DannyPicard.

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February 24, 2022

SPORTS TODAY MLB DELAYS Tweet START OF of the SPRING Week TRAINING DUE TO LOCKOUT

M

WHATTOWATCH NHL THURSDAY, FEB. 24 Boston at Seattle 10 P.M. NESN/ESPN+ SATURDAY, FEB. 26 Boston at San Jose 10 P.M. NESN/ESPN+ MONDAY, FEB. 28 Boston at Los Angeles 10:30 P.M. NESN/NHLN NBA THURSDAY, FEB. 24 Boston at Brooklyn 7:30 P.M. TNT SATURDAY, FEB. 26 Boston at Detroit 12 P.M. NBCSB SUNDAY, FEB. 27 Boston at Indiana 5 P.M. NBCSB GOLF THURS, FEB. 24 - SUN, FEB. 27 The Honda Classic 3 P.M. GOLFC/NBC

SBT Staff

ajor League Baseball announced over the weekend that spring training games won’t begin until March 5, at the earliest, thanks to the ongoing lockout.

By now, we’re used to seeing spring training workouts underway.

Instead, it’s all quiet down in Fort Myers. The Boston Red Sox’ first spring training game was originally scheduled to be this Saturday, Feb. 26 against the Atlanta Braves. The Red Sox’ first home spring training game was scheduled to take place the very next day, this Sunday, Feb. 27 at JetBlue Park against the New York Yankees.

Now, the Red Sox’ first scheduled spring training game is Saturday, March 5 against the Minnesota

Twins at JetBlue Park. Whether or not that game will actually be played remains to be seen.

MLB released a statement over the weekend explaining its obvious decision to delay the start of spring training.

“We regret that, without a collective bargaining agreement in place, we must postpone the start of spring training games,” the statement said.

“All 30 clubs are unified in their strong desire to bring players back to the field and fans back to the stands.

“The clubs have adopted a uniform policy that provides an option for full refunds for fans who have purchased tickets from the clubs to any Spring Training games that are not taking place. We are committed to reaching an agreement that is fair

to each side. On Monday, members of the owners’ bargaining committee will join an in-person meeting with the Players Association and remain every day next week to negotiate and work hard toward starting the season on time.”

The lockout officially began on Dec. 2. Major League Baseball tried to justify the lockout by saying it gave both sides the best chance to agree to a new collective bargaining agreement now, rather than risk a players’ strike in the middle of the season. The league is attempting to use the same reasoning for wiping out the first week of spring training games.

The Players’ Association disagrees with all of the owners’ reasoning.

“MLB announced [Friday] that it

TATUM PLAYS IN THIRD NBA ALL-STAR GAME

B

13

SOUTHBOSTONTODAY • www.southbostontoday.com

SBT Staff

oston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum was back in the NBA All-Star Game for third consecutive year, over the weekend in Cleveland.

Like last year, Tatum, was named a starter in the game. Unlike last year, Tatum did not finish in double digits in scoring.

Tatum was part of a losing effort,

as his Team Durant lost to Team LeBron, 163-160, thanks to LeBron James’ game-winning shot in his hometown. Tatum scored just eight points in 20 minutes as a starter, finishing 4-of-10 from the field, and missing all four of his threepoint attempts. Tatum also had four rebounds and five assists.

Steph Curry was named MVP. He finished with a game-high 50 points

in 36 minutes as a starter for Team LeBron. Curry was 17-of-30 from the field, and 16-of-27 from threepoint range.

Last year, Tatum was also a starter for Team Durant, but he had a much better offensive game. In 17 minutes last year, Tatum scored 21 points to go with seven assists, four rebounds, and four steals. He was 9-of-16 from the field in that game,

‘must’ postpone the start of spring training games. This is false,” the MLBPA said in a statement Friday.

“Nothing requires the league to delay the start of spring training, much like nothing required the league’s decision to implement the lockout in the first place. Despite these decisions by the league, players remain committed to the negotiating process.”

Negotiations and meetings between MLB and the MLBPA have resumed this week. In order for Opening Day to take place as scheduled on March 31, Major League Baseball has set a date of Feb. 28 by which a new CBA deal must be completed.

The Red Sox are scheduled to open their regular season at home against the Tampa Bay Rays on March 31.

and 3-of-9 from three.

In his first year in the All-Star Game two years ago, Tatum came off the bench for Team LeBron, finishing with six points, one rebound, and three assists in 14 minutes.

Now, Tatum’s Celtics return to action with a three-game road trip, beginning in Brooklyn on Thursday night. The C’s return home on Tuesday night, March 1, when they host the Atlanta Hawks at the TD Garden.