South Boston Today April 28 2022

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April 28, 2022: Vol.10 Issue 17

SERVING SOUTH BOSTONIANS AROUND THE GLOBE

The Inaccessibility Of Quality Daycare Impacts Us All

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hen the Covid-19 pandemic removed the safety net of schooling and employee-paid childcare for working families, the damage has been long-lasting and unending. Without a stable form of childcare as part of the business infrastructure, the world stopped working for the vast majority of working parents around the world. One third of the U.S. workforce, or an estimated 50 million workers, has a child under 14 in their household.

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April 28, 2022

EDITORIAL

Pop Warner Football – We Will Miss You

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he South Boston Community has always been recognized as a town that has the amazing ability to field some of the best, if not THE best, youth sports teams in the country. In addition to the sheer talent and natural ability of the young athletes that have always resided here, and still do to this day, our town has been able to pull it all off on what is compared to more affluent neighborhoods – a shoe string.

Whether it was youth hockey, basketball, Little League and Babe Ruth baseball, girls’ softball and even lacrosse and soccer, this neighborhood would always come together, including local businesses and raise the funds to field not only the most talented teams but also the best coached, best dressed and best equipped teams.

Whenever a Southie team in any sport takes the field, the court or the rink, it is impressive in every way.

And such is or was the case with South Boston Pop Warner Football and its pre-

cision cheerleading squads.

So, when it was announced recently that Southie Pop Warner would be disbanded, the news hit hard.

It goes without saying that our Pop Warner league’s revival after many years of being on hiatus was the result of the hard work, organizing talents, the boundless energy and unquestioned love of community and the will to provide local kids the opportunity to play an excellent sport. The organizers, the coaches, the supportive parents and so many volunteers made what was a monumental task of putting such a prestigious league together all possible. Joined by our elected officials and generous business owners and so many others dedicated to giving our local kids a chance to play this popular sport, failure was not an option. There would be Pop Warner football in South Boston because the town was determined to make it happen.

But unfortunately, times change. One reason given

for the disbanding of the league is that there just aren’t enough kids that age to form full teams in the designated age groups.

True, there are fewer kids of age who reside here but there are enough to fill the rosters if the interest is there. Another contributing factor we’re told by some parents is the horror stories related to the sport of football regarding serious in-

juries that can happen. It’s a tough sport. Though the new equipment and protection issued to every young player today makes the game much safer, parental concern is understandable.

But, whatever the reasons that caused the end of South Boston Pop Warner, this community owes a debt of gratitude to the dedicated hard working adults – the organizers, the coaches, the parent’s

and all the many others who gave it their all to make our local league one of the finest in the land. And let’s not forget the kids/the players themselves and the cheerleaders, who practiced hard and worked hard to be more than competitive and who, each and every time they took the field, represented their home town in a dignified way, played their hearts out and made us all proud.

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Information Center The

“Climate Czar” John Kerry Is At It Again

SOUTH BOSTON TODAY John Ciccone

‘C

limate Czar’ John Kerry is back in the news again and he’s not happy. In fact, he’s very disappointed in Americans because he feels not enough of us are taking him seriously when he scolds us about the ominous doom that will destroy the planet. His latest prediction is that we have just eight years to head off ‘Climate Change’ before it devours the Earth. The frustrated and frazzled partisan demands to know why Americans are so unwilling to hand over billions more of our tax dollars to the United Nations to combat what used to be called ‘Global Warming’. Global Warming was the name they used until brutally cold winters, something that has been happening in cycles for thousands of years, caused the cancellation of so many of Al Gore’s climate lectures because of frozen pipes. But when ice breakers had to be pulled out of the ice filled waters surrounding Antarctica by other ice breakers, causing skeptics to go into laughing hysterics, the name change from Global Warming to Climate Change seemed the smart thing to do if they were to be able to sell it to the public.

Kerry’s predictions; along with Leonardo DiCaprio’s prediction of ten years and of course, the prediction of that other brilliant thinker, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez who gives us 12 years, don’t really match up well with Al Gore’s numbers. Gore said the earth had only ten years as well. But that was 25 years ago. It’s been pointed out many times that we are being given these predictions of doom and gloom about future climate changes by many of the same people who can’t accurately predict if it will rain next Tuesday.

But getting back to Kerry, it’s a mystery as to why he is surprised that when he tells us we should all be sacrificing and doing our part to save the planet from the pollution

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WE are causing, virtually no one is listening to him.

When Kerry says we should all be riding bikes and skateboards and taking the bus or buying electric vehicles and stop consuming fossil fuels and then you check into what is public record now about his own personal lifestyle, you realize well, to put it nicely, the guy’s a fraud. As of this writing, John Kerry’s so called ‘carbon footprint’ from his use of fossil fuels dwarfs, many times over, what the average American has. He owns the following: 6 homes, 2 yachts, 12 cars and one private jet. When asked specifically why the rest of America should ride bikes while he flies around in personal fossil fuel spewing jet, his response was, and I’m quoting him word for word: “As far as I’m concerned, it’s the only choice for someone like me”. So, what he demands from the rest of humanity, he will not do himself. Because flying around in his personal, private, gas guzzling, pollution spewing jet is the only choice for someone like him. Because you see, he’s John Kerry and much too important to fly commercial or on scheduled military flights.

To be clear, most people would have no problem with this guy or anyone else that is fortunate enough to own mansions, yachts, a fleet of cars and even a jet. It’s no one else’s concern how a person spends their money as long as he or she didn’t steal it or somehow managed to use tax dollars. What people do have a problem with is the hypocrisy.

The ‘Rules for thee but not for me’ mantra is what really ticks people off. But to be fair, Kerry isn’t the only one who preaches one thing and does another or feels that he should be held to a different standard than the average American. Barak Obama also has a penchant for scaremongering about ‘Climate Change’. He’s

another one who warns of rising sea levels that will soon flood and destroy coastal cities worldwide.

But how worried could he be when he fairly recently purchased his new ocean front mansion on Martha’s Vineyard? How concerned about fossil fuel/mass energy consumption could Barbara Streisand, another climate scold, be when she has this strange fetish of keeping a huge, cavernous, empty barn on her property freezing cold with air conditioning 24/7 in California? Then there are all the other Hollywood climate warriors who, by their lifestyles, each burn 20 times more fossil fuels than

the average American family but say you should feel guilty if you drive an SUV. It’s actions by hypocrites like those mentioned above that cause a growing number of Americans to dismiss the rantings of the Climate fear mongers.

As for me, do I believe the Climate is changing? Of course, I do. The climate is constantly changing and has been for millions of years, long before humans started driving cars and will probably continue for millions more.

But do I or millions of others listen to or even care about what John Kerry and the rest of the self proclaimed ‘elites’ say? Not a bit.

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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.

Who knew Gov. Charlie Baker would turn out to be such a train guy? Baker famously bought up all the third rail in the country in 2015 after one of the worst winters in history proved the MBTA was no match for mountains of snow.

The state is on track to open commuter rail service to the South Coast by the end of 2023. And now Baker could leave office having laid the foundation for East-West rail (or West-East rail depending on your perspective) Baker emerged from a meeting with U.S. Reps. Richard Neal and Jim McGovern and much of the western Mass. State House delegation yesterday having reached what he called an “agreement on a path forward” for East-West rail, which would expanded service from Worcester to Springfield to Pittsfield.

Baker said Amtrak would be the preferred service provider, with its interest in expanding in the Northeast, its access to the existing track and available resources to contribute. “This is a huge step forward here today,” Neal said during a

press conference at Springfield’s Union Station, calling the meeting among the parties “historic.”

The leaders said they would seek through a $9.7 billion transportation bond bill already filed by Baker to create a new Western Massachusetts rail authority to oversee the development of the project, which does not yet have a timeline. Neal and Baker also said they would seek to leverage federal support through the new infrastructure law signed by President Biden to cover its hefty price tag. “I think we have a real opportunity,” Baker said.

Harvard confronts slave history Harvard University has published a detailed accounting of the college’s ties to slavery, including the ownership of more than 70 people by university presidents, faculty and staff who performed labor on campus and the reliance on donors who built their wealth from a system of slavery. The Globe’s Mike Damiano writes that the Cambridge institution will spend $100 million to extend educational opportunities to students from communities descended from

enslaved people and continue to pursue scholarship on the impact of slavery worldwide.

More money, more problems It’s easy to assume that budgeting is easier when there’s ample cash to go around. But as the House debates a nearly $50 billion state budget this week at a moment when the state is flush with tax revenue and federal stimulus money, the Globe’s Matt Stout writes about the tension that has been percolating between those who see this as a time to invest and those who want to give the money back through tax breaks. Right now in the House, the invest-it crowd is winning, but people like Gov. Charlie Baker believe there’s a way to do both.

Debit or credit? Healey says the either/or at Fenway is Ok Attorney General Maura Healey gave the Red Sox the all clear to proceed with their new cashless vendor system at Fenway Park after the shift away from greenbacks at the old ballyard

April 28, 2022

raised some eyebrows. State law prohibits businesses from refusing to accept cash, but the Sox are allowing fans to use their cash to preload a Mastercard debit card at the stadium. “I don’t think this a big deal,” Healey said at an event Tuesday, according to the Globe’s Diti Kohli, after a day earlier indicating she was looking into it.

“As long as there are systems that allow for the use of cash through these cards, that’s going to — we think — work out.”

Maine doesn’t want our trash anymore A new law signed by Maine Gov. Janet Mills will send Massachusetts waste haulers in search of a new place to dispose of tons of construction debris and other refuse exported every year to out-of-state landfills. The EagleTribune’s Christian Wade reports that the ban in Massachusetts on disposal of most constructions and demolition debris has made places like the Juniper Ridge landfill in Alton, Maine a popular dumping ground. But not anymore after Maine lawmakers got tied of other states sending their trash to Vacationland. The action has the potential to increase costs of waste disposal here in Massachusetts if much of the 2 million tons continued on page 6

SENATOR COLLINS DELIVERS RESOLUTIONS TO U.S. NAVY Effort would see the U.S.S. Massachusetts Commissioned at the Flynn Cruiseport in Boston

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his week, Senator Nick Collins delivered Resolutions passed by the Mas-

sachusetts Senate and House of Representatives to the Office of the Secretary of the United States Navy. Both Resolutions call for the commissioning of the U.S.S. Massachusetts, to be held at the Raymond L. Flynn Cruiseport in Boston. The Senate Resolution was sponsored by Senator Collins, with Representative David Biele sponsoring the House equivalent.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts holds a proud tradition of military service, particularly to our Country’s Navy, dating back to the Revolutionary War. The submarine U.S.S. Massachusetts (soon to be

the latest Virginia-class nuclear submarine in the U.S. Navy’s fleet), would be the second vessel in the Navy’s history to carry the name of the Commonwealth, and the first in 75 years, with the battleship of the same name having been decommissioned in 1947.

“We are honored to have the support of the State Legislature and the City of Boston. Building and sustaining community for the sailors and families of submarine Massachusetts with the people of Massachusetts begins with the Navy selecting our State as the commissioning site - we look forward to

that,” said retired Capt. Dinis Pimentel, Chair of the U.S.S. Massachusetts Commissioning Committee.

“This would be a great honor with historical significance and economic impact as well as a proper way to reaffirm the Commonwealth’s commitment to supporting and honoring those who serve in the United States Armed Forces,” said Senator Collins, “It was a privilege to be able to deliver these Resolutions so that the United States Navy leadership knows that the Massachusetts Legislature supports the U.S.S. Massachusetts commissioning here in Boston.”

April 28, 2022

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BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS STATEMENT ON MISSION HILL K-8 SCHOOL CLOSURE RECOMMENDATION

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oston Public Schools (BPS) Superintendent Brenda Cassellius tonight is making a recommendation to the Boston School Committee that Mission Hill K-8 School permanently close at the end of this academic year. The recommendation follows the conclusion of a report - commissioned by the Superintendent and undertaken by the Boston law firm Hinckley Allen - that outlined systematic and pervasive accounts of student on student sexual and physical misconduct that began as far back as 2014.

The report concludes these serious incidents were not addressed appropriately by school personnel and confirm multiple systematic reporting failures by school employees.

Some of the cases outlined in the investigation have been reported by

the press in recent years. The full report (redacted to protect the identities of victims) is now available on the BPS website.

The following is a statement that can be attributed to the Boston Public Schools: “ Ensuring the safety, health and wellbeing of all students is the most important obligation a school district has. Based on the persistent pattern of abuse confirmed in this independent report, the only viable option is to close the school and support students in their transition to other schools in the district. This action indicates how seriously the Superintendent takes this responsibility. BPS’ immediate priority is to work with each Mission Hill family to determine where their child will continue their education.”

On Background: • 200 students currently assigned to Mission Hill will need updated school assignments for SY 22-23.

• BPS has put a transition team in place who will work with each family to ensure a smooth transition to a new school community for the next school year.

• BPS expects there to be approximately 400 available seats in grades K-8 at schools located within a 1.5 mile radius of the Mission Hill school. Many of these seats are in schools with the highest School Quality Framework ratings.

• Mission Hill families will receive access to a special enrollment period to find a new school placement.

• Cases outlined in this report have been previously reported by multiple media outlets.

• Staff directly related to these cases are either no longer employed by the district or are on leave pending further investigation of their individual actions, which may result in disciplinary action. Other Mission Hill staff, not involved in these incidents, will be supported in finding positions at other schools in the district.

• Over the coming days, Mission Hill families are invited to several community meetings, where a transition team will share more about the enrollment process and help families choose a school that best meets their needs, including high-quality schools in Jamaica Plain.

Fuel Assistance Benefit Levels Increased for Utility-heated Homes

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BCD Urges Community Residents to Apply for Home Heating Aid NOW as funds available, deadline approaches An increase in home heating benefits for utility-heated homes translates to as much as $1,525 to homeowners and renters. The Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development announcement brings additional relief to thousands of households that are struggling to meet basic needs as inflation continues to spike.

“Cold nights will be here for a while, and too many families are behind on their heating bills as they got slammed with higher costs across the board in recent months: food, rent, medication, transportation, you name it,” said ABCD President/CEO John J. Drew.

ABCD—Action for Boston Community Development—urges Boston-area and Mystic Valley residents to apply immediately for fuel assistance in order to keep their homes warm and to prevent shutoffs of gas and electric services.

Each year the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities considers

a requested moratorium to prevent shutoffs and terminations of gas and electricity. This year the moratorium was extended to April 1st.

There is still time to apply for fuel assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), although the window is closing: the application deadline is May 13, 2022.

Once approved, low-income households can receive not only heating assistance but discounts on fuel, help with past-due bills, and access to energy efficiency programs and services that include insulation, weatherization, and the repair or replacement of heating systems as well as inefficient appliances including refrigerators, air conditioners, dehumidifiers or front loading washing machines.

“Right now, 75 percent of the almost 20,000 households receiving ABCD Fuel Assistance have used up their benefits and have nowhere to turn,” Drew said, adding that because of the astronomical price of oil – reaching a high of $6 a gallon in some areas – many fuel clients do not have the money left in their fuel

assistance accounts to pay for the minimum delivery of 100 gallons.

Fuel aid recipients may have $200 or $300 left in their accounts but that won’t pay for a minimum delivery of 100 gallons costing $500 or $600. The federal LIHEAP program requires that fuel vendors be paid directly by the organization administering the fuel assistance program.

Eligible households most in need and that receive deliverable fuel such as oil or propane can currently receive up to $2,100 in fuel assistance benefits this year through LIHEAP, an increase from last year intended to help combat the rise in energy costs. But no one anticipated the current sky-rocketing costs that continued on page 6

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Day Care continued from front page

In a national panel survey

by Northeastern University, for Econofact, of 2,500 working parents, they found that nearly 20% of working parents had to leave work or reduce their work hours solely due to a lack of childcare. Only 30% of all working parents had any form of back-up childcare, and there were significant disparities between low and highincome households.

Of those who lost a job or reduced hours due to childcare, 40% of parents said that the factors for deciding who would be responsible for taking care of the children came down to which parent worked more hours or had a less flexible schedule.

Nearly one third said that deciding who would take care of the kids came down to “who was better at it.” In comparison, less than one quarter cited income as a factor in their decision — suggesting that gender roles still loom large in household decision-making.

Today, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation is set to release a report that outlines the detrimental impacts the childcare shortage is having on the state’s economy. Among the eye-popping stats: Inadequate childcare cost businesses in Massachusetts an estimated $97 million a month last summer and fall, or more than $1 billion a year — largely because of employees who have left jobs to care for their kids, and the disruption that turnover caused.

From March 2020 through October 2021, 1,200 childcare providers had permanently closed in Massachusetts, according to the report; even when factoring in 725 newly opened programs, the state still had 6,200 fewer childcare openings last fall than it did before the pandemic.

MCM Properties

Employers know firsthand that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on parents scrambling for childcare. Now, the bosses have an actual price tag, to put the economic damage in precise financial terms.

Quoted by the Boston Globe report, Eileen McAnneny, president of the business-backed organization, stated, “We know there’s a workforce problem for Massachusetts, and I think there’s an early education problem. It’s really important that we realize the interconnectedness of them. By recognizing this and trying to solve it in this way, it better positions Massachusetts for economic recovery.”

JD Chesloff, president of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, said the report validates the business community’s call for investing in childcare as a workforce development strategy.

“It feels like we’re at a time where the public sector and private sector are aligned to doing something about this,” Chesloff said. “The timing is really good, as the Legislature is debating this stuff, to really understand the economic impact.”

The Massachusetts House leadership proposed increasing funding by $70 million, to raise the rates for subsidized childcare providers, in its budget plan for the fiscal year that begins in July, including $10 million for slots for parents who work in childcare themselves. The House also supports changing the funding formula to reimburse childcare providers based on enrollment numbers, instead of daily attendance, at a cost of about $8 million a year, Chesloff said.

But the House decided not to include money for the Commonwealth Cares for Children program, which makes grants available to all childcare provid-

ers, regardless of whether they receive other public subsidies.

Governor Charlie Baker had asked the Legislature to replenish these so-called “C3” stabilization grants by spending $450 million to extend the program for another year. The Legislature has not yet granted Baker’s request, although the Senate still has to draw up its budget proposal for the new year.

Massachusetts has the most expensive childcare costs of any state in the US — an average of roughly $21,000 per slot, for infants, and $15,000 for toddlers — so employers recognized this was an issue even before the pandemic.

According to the Globe report, Eastern Bank chief executive Bob Rivers said the pandemic drove home the problem for executives. He began building a coalition to address the issue in 2019 but gained far more traction among other companies after the pandemic hit. By the time Eastern Bank’s foundation launched the Massachusetts Business Coalition for Early Childhood Education in February 2021, more than 70 employers were on board.

And it’s not just about public policy. Rivers said he hopes the new report will help spur private-sector employers to improve their childcare benefits.

He cited one company, Brockton-based bank HarborOne, as an example of an employer stepping up; in late 2020 the bank began offering up to $600 a month to help bank employees work through a time when many schools were not fully open, only recently scaling back to an annual maximum of $2,000 a year, per family. “Businesses are starting to learn from each other,” Rivers said. “We can’t just look to government to solve all this entirely.”

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April 28, 2022

Fuel Assistance continued from page 5

are putting our most vulnerable families at risk.

We’re not talking about staying warm to stay comfortable; this is about health and safety; keeping the heat on means saving the lives of vulnerable elders, babies, and others.

At the current price per gallon, it costs about $1,500 to fill an oil tank.

APPLY NOW! Boston-area residents can apply by calling ABCD Fuel Assistance at 617-357-6012.

Those living in the Mystic Valley region can call 781-322-6284. Help with applications is also available at all ABCD neighborhood centers. A new online system for first-time fuel assistance applicants can be accessed at toapply.org/ MassLIHEAP. Go to bostonabcd. org/heat for detailed information, including a listing of neighborhood centers with contact information.

To keep struggling families and elders from falling through the cracks, help with fuel costs is also available to those slightly above poverty level. For instance, the 2022 annual income level for a family of four is $78,751 or $40,951 for an individual.

Window continued from page 4

of annually exported trash from Massachusetts needs to be hauled longer distances.

Could the comeback be on for Dianne Wilkerson?

Fourteen years after she resigned from the Senate while facing charges for bribery, Dianne Wilkerson has pulled nomination signature papers to run for her old Second Suffolk District seat, according to multiple reports confirmed by the Secretary of State’s office. Wilkerson’s case is one of Beacon Hill lore after she was caught on camera by the feds stuffing cash into her sweater, but recently the first Black woman elected to the Senate has returned to being active in the community since serving her time and there have been rumblings of a political comeback. Whether she follows through on a run remains a question mark, but if she does she would join a race that already includes Reps. Liz Miranda and Nika Elugardo and Rev. Miniard Culpepper.

April 28, 2022

Harbor Safaris Highlight Earth Day Celebration Weekend

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n Saturday, April 23, 2022, nearly 1,000 kids and families from across the city and around the region celebrated Earth Day weekend and the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act on Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s annual free Marine Mammal Safaris, including 90 people from South Boston.

One highlight of the trip was an appearance by one of South Boston’s resident harbor seals, affectionately called Sammy, who spends the winter between the Fish Pier and Castle Island.

“Nothing brings more life to our beaches and oceans than free events and programs like these marine mammal safaris,” said Metropolitan Beaches Commissioner Rep. David Biele of South Boston, who was particularly proud of South Boston resident Sammy the Seal. “They are especially important for kids and families. Thanks to Save the Harbor/Save the Bay for making it happen and I look forward to more events along our beaches and our coast this year.”

The three free trips were nar-

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rated by Save the Harbor’s Executive Director Chris Mancini and their Harbor Historian David Coffin, and live streamed on YouTube. They departed on Massachusetts Bay Lines 100-foot twin hulled catamaran the MV Freedom from the Rowes Wharf Ferry Terminal adjacent to the Boston Harbor Hotel, and searched for harbor seals and harbor porpoise from Castle Island and Logan Airport to the USS Constitution in Charlestown.

Mancini was delighted with the turnout, which was the largest ever after a two-year hiatus. He reminded people that the Boston Harbor cleanup wasn’t for the seals and porpoise, though of course they appreciate it. “We cleaned up Boston Harbor for all the region’s residents,” said Mancini. “It was nice to see seals so close to the city, but it was really terrific to see so many people back on our spectacular Harbor.

It’s shaping up to be a great year on Boston Harbor.”

Save the Harbor’s Deputy Director Kristen Barry shared that sentiment as well, reminding

Nearly 1,000 people joined Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay on Boston Harbor on Saturday for three free Marine Mammal Safaris to celebrate clean water and Earth Day Weekend, including 90 from South Boston

participants to follow @savetheharbor on social media, and to join the group this summer for free “Share the Harbor” and “All Access Boston Harbor” cruises each week to the Boston Harbor Islands, and free events on the region’s public beaches from Nahant to Nanatasket.

Barry said that Save the Harbor’s Marine Mammal Safaris are possible thanks to the generosity of Massachusetts Bay Lines, The Cronin Group, the Coca-Cola Foundation, the National Grid Foundation, and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.

She also thanked the Champions of their Youth Environmental Education Programs, Bay State Cruise Company, Liberty Mutual Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Eastern Salt Company, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, and JetBlue.

Save the Harbor’s Youth Programs are also supported by Leaders Alexandria, the Boston Bruins Foundation, Boston

Save The Harbor’s Director of Strategy & Communications Bruce Berman spotted South Boston’s resident Sammy the Seal chasing bait and enjoying the sunshine just off South Boston

Properties - Atlantic Wharf, the Boston Foundation, Camp Harbor View Foundation, Cell Signaling Technology, City of Boston Department of Youth Engagement and Employment, the Comcast Foundation, Constellation Generation, Hood Park, HYM Investment Group, Income Research and Management Charitable Trust, John Hancock Financial Services, Leader Bank Pavilion/ Live Nation, Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, National Development, P & G Gillette, Pembroke Real Estate, Lawrence J. and Anne Rubenstein Charitable Foundation, William E. Schrafft & Bertha E. Schrafft Charitable Trust, Clinton H. & Wilma T. Shattuck Charitable Trust, the Vertex Foundation.

The group also thanked Sponsors and Friends, BoatUS Foundation, the Boston Consulting Group, Copeland Family Foundation, East Boston Savings Bank Foundation, Lovett Woodsum Foundation, Mass Humanities, Mass Marine Trades Education Trust, New England Biolabs Foundation, Pabis Foundation, RMR Real Estate Services, Rockland Trust, Ms. Wallace M. Leonard Foundation, and the YMCA of Greater Boston.

To join Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s mailing list and receive invitations to upcoming free events and programs on Boston Harbor, the waterfront, our region’s public beaches and in the harbor islands, email info@ savetheharbor.org.

Save the Harbor’s Executive Director Chris Mancini (left) and their Harbor Historian David Coffin (right) narrated the trips, which were live streamed on YouTube.

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The

Wine Guy

N

This and That

o particular theme this week, just a few reds that I believe will drink well into the warmer weather and a couple of whites that are good to have on hand, too.

Painted Wolf The Den, Pinotage, 2019, South Africa, ($16.99), is medium to full bodied with ripe boysenberry and mulberry notes, savory spice, milk chocolate and toasty wood flavors, all leading to a nicely poised finish. I think Pinotage is the best wine in the world to pair with Mexican dishes like fajitas or that glorious confection of chicken, chocolate, cumin seeds, smoky

REAL ACCESS!

ancho chillies, pumpkin and sesame seeds – Mole Poblano. It’s also very good with other regional specialties, like Carolina pulled pork or smoky Texas B.B.Q beef rib. The wine also works with fused Asian cuisine.

Locations New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 750ML, ( $19.99), The base of this blend is composed of fruit from vineyards in the heart of the Wairau Valley, with its traditional passionfruit and crisp grassy flavors. This component is complemented by the second wave of plantings in the ever expanding Awatere Valley, which is noted for the minerality and elegant characteristics the fruit gains from the region’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean. For the balance of this wine, fruit from the southern valley of Waihopai, where the gravel soils, and later, cooler ripening climate produce Sauvignon Blanc characteristics that provide the final layer of complexity. In the glass, the wine opens with an intense bouquet of gooseberries, feijoas, and ripe tropical fruits. The bright entry of fresh cut grass and preserved lemon lead to passion fruit pot de creme, with a long finish of fresh herbs and clean minerality.

Emilio Moro Ribera Del Duero, Tempranillo, 2018, ($22.99). This is good value- a wine with a score above 90 points and a price below

$25.00. This grape is one that makes a red wine that’s consumed all year round and one that, while lighter than French or Italian reds, is easy to drink in warm weather. Tempra-

April 28, 2022

nillo is the great red grape of Spain, producing a variety of wine styles in regions around the country. Tempranillo wine typically features medium acidity, medium tannins and dark red color. Young, unoaked versions will be pleasantly fruity, with flavors of red fruits and jam. More complex versions, aged in oak – often American oak – will have vanilla, toast and meaty notes, like this one.

In Spain’s famed Rioja region, Tempranillo is blended with Garnacha (Grenache). In Navarra, near the French border, Tempranillo may be mixed with the Bordeaux grapes Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, producing complex and robust reds.

Borrasca Prosecco Rosè, Prosecco, Italy, NV, ($17.99). Beverage Dynamics #1 summer pick comes from the coveted Borrasca brand.

Bubbly fun in a bottle with tropical and strawberry notes. This is a great summer sparkler, always good with summer salads and especially refreshing when served with oysters or scallops in the shell. The winemakers at Borrasca double-ferment this wine in stainless steel barrels, which allows it to develop a strong, natural effervescence. Though it’s an NV, (non-vintage), it drinks more like a declared wine.

Talk To The Wine Guy at jd701562@gmail.com

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April 28, 2022

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SOUTHBOSTONTODAY • www.southbostontoday.com

Educational Achievers: South Boston Residents Recognized at BC High Senior Awards Ceremony

On Thursday, April 14, in front of the student body, faculty, staff and parents, Boston College High School held its annual Senior Awards Ceremony to celebrate the accomplishments of the members of the class of 2022. Students were recognized for their leadership in various co-curricular activities and their academic excellence.

The following South Boston residents were recognized during the ceremony: • Joshua Pascarelli-Healy, CGSO • Connor Strickland, Marci Kearney Senior English Award

Colm Kennedy of South Boston brought his appropriately attired twins Caitlyn and Hannah, 5 ½, to the Boston Parks and Recreation Department’s Fairy House Building Workshop at Franklin Park’s Schoolmaster Hill on April 21. The whimsical annual event encourages youngsters to create miniature homes for fairies, sprites, and other fantastical woodland creatures using natural materials gathered by the artists of the Mayor’s Mural Crew.

Photo: Jon Seamans

Virtual Public Meeting

Parcel 6A NPC Public Meeting Monday, May 2

Zoom Link: bit.ly/3v3oP3L

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Toll Free: (833) 568 - 8864 Meeting ID: 160 684 6137

Project Description: The BPDA is hosting a Virtual Public Meeting for Parcel 6A Project located on the Massport Marine Terminal. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the Notice of Project Change and Project updates recently received by the BPDA.

mail to: Daniel Polanco Boston Planning & Development Agency One City Hall Square, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02201 phone: 617.304.8109 email: dan.polanco@boston.gov

Close of Comment Period: 5/6/2022

BostonPlans.org

@BostonPlans

Teresa Polhemus, Executive Director/Secretary

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SOUTHBOSTONTODAY • www.southbostontoday.com

April 28, 2022

WW ll Veteran Ottavio Cerullo Honored on his 101st Birthday

I

t has been stated and repeated countless times over the generations and still rings true in 2022: “South Boston always honors its veterans”. And that was confirmed last weekend in a big way when tribute to a true American hero - Ottavio Cerullo who just turned 101 years old.

By now, just about everyone in town knows who Ottavio Cerullo is. He is a World War ll Veteran who earned 2 Purple Hearts (medals for being injured in action).

He is a resident at Compass by the Bay nursing Home in Southie and just celebrated his 101st birthday

and once again honored for his heroic military service with a party.

Ottavio’s Sister Yolanda is also a resident at Compass and will turn 100 years old in August.

Representing the South Boston Community in recognition of Ottavio’s birthday were Commander Thomas McCarthy and members of the Thomas Fitgerald Post, State Representative David Biele, Boston City Councilor Edward Flynn, Boston City Councilor AtLarge Erin Murphy, The Boston Police Department and the Boston Fire Department.

Coffee and Cake was being served

to the crowd in attendance and gifts of citations and resolutions were presented to Ottavio from the Massachusetts State House and Boston City Hall by Representative Biele and Councilor Flynn. Special TShirts were presented to him by the Fitzgerald Post, the Boston Police and Boston Fire Departments.

Ottavio was enjoying the commotion and the party and he was very appreciative of the honors being given him by so many residents; not only from Compass by the Bay but also by residents from the surrounding South Boston Community and beyond as well as the officials on

hand and the many public servants and First Responders who turned out for this wonderful occasion.

Ottavio Cerullo is a man, who just like all of America’s veterans, served his country with courage and honor.

And just as he was appreciative of the tribute being paid to him on this day; his 101st birthday, the South Boston Community was equally appreciative and proud of him, his dedication to the home land and to his exceptional military service. He is part of that Greatest Generation who answered the call during World War ll and helped keep America safe and free. God Bless Him.

April 28, 2022

SOUTHBOSTONTODAY • www.southbostontoday.com

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SOUTHBOSTONTODAY • www.southbostontoday.com

April 28, 2022

Celebrating Earth Day and State Park Service Day

O

n April 23, 2022, Congressman Stephen Lynch, State Senator Nick Collins and State Representative David Biele hosted a clean-up of Marine Park and Pleasure Bay. These two Statemanaged gems are located in the City Point section of South Boston.

The Massachusetts State Police and Major Gallagher were on hand to show support and DCR was there to help and collect filled bags of trash and equipment.

The staff of Senator Collins greeted the volunteers and

handed out the equipment needed to complete the job. Coffee was the first step! Community spirit and pride shone brightly as volunteers from all over the South Boston neighborhood came together to embark upon the much-needed clean-up. The City Point Neighborhood Association (CPNA), the MOMS Club, Ft. Point Neighborhood Association (FPNA) and Councilor Erin Murphy’s office were all represented.

The amount of trash removed from the area was astonishing, to

say the least: cigarette butts, doggie waste bags, water bottle caps, wrappers, dirty diapers, straws, etc.

There were two finds on the beach that made you shake your head, a foot long piece of tubular metal and a Hardy plank.

After a few hours of hard work, Senator Collins invited all the volunteers to lunch at the Rink Café.

The Sausage Guy out-did himself serving burgers and, of course, sausages! While people were eating, Senator Collins brought out a new Commonwealth of Massachusetts

flag. Collins noticed the old flag was tattered and what an appropriate day to retire the old and put up a new flag. Rep. Biele, Bobby Ferrara (DCR) and Tom Mannion (Murphy’s Office) and USAF assisted Collins and the new flag is flying at the Murphy Rink. The new DCR Commissioner, Stephanie Cooper was at Castle Island earlier and stopped by to see the Senator and the Representative at the rink.

She introduced herself and received a warm welcome. The day was fun and considered a success.

April 28, 2022

SOUTHBOSTONTODAY • www.southbostontoday.com

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SOUTHBOSTONTODAY • www.southbostontoday.com

South Boston Catholic Academy News

Grade 6 News O

n April 4, 2022, the 6th Graders at South Boston Catholic Academy participated in the April School

Mass at St. Brigid Church. Father Christopher Boyle, our Parochial Vicar, was the celebrant at this Mass. The 6th Graders did a

wonderful job with the Readings and in leading us with the Prayer of the Faithful.

On Wednesday, April 13, 2022, the 6th Graders did an amazing job with their drawings depicting each of The 14 Stations of the Cross.

They also took part in leading the students in K2 to 5 in praying The Stations of the Cross at St. Brigid Church. The Stations of the Cross

April 28, 2022

are a 14-step Catholic devotion that commemorates Jesus Christ’s last day on Earth as a man. “We Adore You, O Christ, And Bless You. Because By Your Holy Cross You Have Redeemed The World.”

New families are welcome to email Mrs. Jamie Brown at j.brown@sbcatholicacademy.org for more information about South Boston Catholic Academy.

April 28, 2022

SOUTHBOSTONTODAY • www.southbostontoday.com

St. Peter Academy

L

April Vacation Week

ast week was April School Vacation and St. Peter Academy was buzzing with activity! The Toddler Program, Year-Round Prekindergarten and April Vacation Camp were up and running with lots of learn-

ing and fun activities. The students and staff scavenger hunted, bowled, played cornhole, picnicked, ate ice cream and explored our awesome Boston Community! The week was filled with Earth Day activities and we learned

about how we can do our part in recycling and keeping our planet clean and safe. The weather was perfect and a great time was had by all!

St. Peter Academy is now accepting applications for the 2022-2023 school year. St. Peter Academy is an independent, community-based private school and serves students from ages 15 months through grade 6. SPA is currently accepting applications for the limited spaces available

15 in the year-round toddler program (beginning at age 15 months) and for students in Pre-K (School Year and Full Year Programs), Kindergarten and grades 1-6. Financial Aid Available. Two Scholarships will be offered this year for applicants for Grades 1 through 6. Appointments for individual virtual tours can be made by contacting Maria Blasi, at 617-268-0750 or by emailing spa@ StPeterAcademy.com.

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SOUTHBOSTONTODAY • www.southbostontoday.com

April 28, 2022

This week,

Danny reacted to the Celtics sweeping the Nets in the first round of the playoffs:

Y

ou have to love the media. They absolutely love drama. Especially if it’s drama that supports their agenda.

So, when Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets got swept by the Boston Celtics in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs earlier this week, you just knew that sports newsrooms all over the country were dancing with joy. Anything that allows them to tweet to the world, “Well, maybe he should’ve gotten vaccinated,” makes their body tingle with excitement. There’s no other hill left to die on. This is their only fight. You’re either vaccinated, or you’re dead to them.

R.I.P., Kyrie.

Not literally, of course. The unvaccinated Irving is very much still alive and well at the age of 30. He’s even had COVID. Oh the horror of it all! Irving struggled in the Nets’ series with the Celtics. He averaged 21 points per game in the four games. In Games 2 and 3, he went 0-for-8 from three-point range.

Credit the Celtics’ defense for how they took care of business against the Nets’ dynamic duo of Irving and Kevin Durant.

Also credit the Celtics fans who were clearly in Irving’s head in Games 1 and 2 at the TD Garden. For the media though, they’d like to dish out their credit to the COVID vaccine, or should I say, lack thereof. It’s been their No. 1 talking point since it even began to look like things were going South for the Nets in the series.

Don’t believe me? Go to Kyrie Irving’s page on ESPN’s website. The top two headlines in the “latest videos” section read, “Stephen A: The Nets don’t get swept if Kyrie had played more,” and, “Stephen A: Kyrie can’t be trusted to show up to work.” The only thing that surprises me about these headlines is that Stephen A. Smith hasn’t yet somehow made this about race. Though, I’m sure he’s tried. Irving made a medical decision for himself. And I’m just fine with that. While the media claims that type of logic is irrational, I claim that the most irrational thing about the COVID vaccine — especially in professional sports — has been the mandates. They just don’t make sense.

But to people like Stephen A. Smith, that doesn’t matter.

He’s made up his mind. And while he and many others in the media are acting like they’re unhappy with Irving, following a four-game sweep in the first round, they’re actually ecstatic that they can use Irving as their whipping boy on their never ending assault on those who chose not to get a vaccine that doesn’t stop the spread of COVID and also doesn’t prevent you from getting COVID. Because of the ridiculous mandates, Irving could only play in 29 games in the regular season. Did that affect the team’s chemistry heading into the playoffs? I’m sure it had something to do with it. But let’s not act like the Celtics weren’t the best defense in the NBA all season. They were. And point guard Marcus Smart was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year, an award that’s typically given to a big man.

And is Jayson Tatum now one of the best players in the league? He is. And he proved that in this series, averaging 30 points per game.

To know all that, and then decide to make the Celtics’ sweep

of the Nets all about Irving’s decision to not get vaccinated, isn’t honest NBA analysis. It’s taking pleasure in an outcome that you hoped for, so that you could use it to promote your psychotic stance that “everyone who refused the COVID vaccine is evil, and they should all pay for it until the end of time.”

It’s annoying. And to be honest, when it’s coming from a sports analyst, it’s downright lazy. Because again, the real story here is the Celtics, and how dominant they’ve been down the stretch and into the playoffs. And if it’s a COVIDrelated angle you’re looking for, the real story there is how a ridiculously irrational vaccine mandate prevented the Nets from meshing during the regular season. They don’t ever want to blame the mandates though. Just the player who “selfishly” — their words, not mine — decided not to take the jab.

Now that the mandates are gone, both Irving and the Nets will get over it. It’s time for the media to do the same.

Follow Danny on Instagram @DannyPicard.

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April 28, 2022

SPORTS TODAY CELTICS SWEEP NETS IN FIRST ROUND

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SOUTHBOSTONTODAY • www.southbostontoday.com

SBT Staff

reak out the brooms.

The Boston Celtics have swept the Brooklyn Nets in their first-round playoff series.

The C’s completed the sweep on Monday night in Brooklyn, with a 116-112 win.

It was never unrealistic for Boston to win the series and advance to the second round. But a sweep was certainly unexpected.

Brooklyn was the No. 7 seed mainly because Kyrie Irving was forced to miss most of the season after he chose not to get the CO-

WHATTOWATCH MLB THURSDAY, APRIL 28 Boston at Toronto 3 P.M. NESN FRIDAY, APRIL 29 Boston at Baltimore 7:05 P.M. NESN SATURDAY, APRIL 30 Boston at Baltimore 7:05 P.M. NESN

Tweet of the Week

SUNDAY, MAY 1 Boston at Baltimore 1:05 P.M. NESN NHL THURSDAY, APRIL 28 Buffalo at Boston 7 P.M. NESN FRIDAY, APRIL 29 Boston at Toronto 7 P.M. NESN NFL THURSDAY, APRIL 28 Round 1 NFL Draft 8 P.M. ABC/ESPN/NFLN

VID-19 vaccine. Once those vaccine mandates were lifted at the end of the season and Irving was allowed back with the team full time, the duo of him and Kevin Durant made for a somewhat unfair matchup for the No. 2 seed Celtics, on paper at least.

As the No. 2 seed, you should be rewarded with a reasonable first-round matchup. A team led by Irving and Durant didn’t seem to fit under that category. And then the series started.

Jason Tatum averaged 30 points per game in the series, which included a 39-point game in Game 3 in Brooklyn. He finished with the team high in scoring in three of the four

games, while Jaylen Brown had the team high in Game 2 with 22 points.

Perhaps the biggest story of the series though was the Celtics’ defensive effort. Durant averaged 26 points per game for the Nets, but for the most part, he looked all out of sorts, especially in the big moments. Irving averaged 21 points per game, and it was clear that he was rattled all series long, not just by Boston’s defense, but also by the Celtics’ raucous fan base at the TD Garden in Games 1 and 2.

Irving was fined $50,000 for giving fans the middle finger during Game 1 at the Garden. The fans were all over him, verbally, and Irving — who chose to opt out of his deal with the Celtics in 2019 to join the Nets —

seemingly hates all the extra attention.

Even Durant expressed some frustration with the way Irving was getting boo’d out of the Garden every time he touched the ball in Games 1 and 2.

It’s undoubtedly a disappointing finish for the Nets. But for the Celtics, this is just par for the course for how they’ve looked towards the end of the season. And now, they’re on to the second round.

The C’s will host Game 1 of their second-round playoff series, against the winner of the first-round series between the No. 3 seed Milwaukee Bucks and No. 6 seed Chicago Bulls.

All signs point towards the defendingchampion Bucks coming to Boston for that Game 1 in the second round.

LAS VEGAS TO HOST NFL DRAFT THIS WEEKEND

I

SBT Staff

t’s NFL Draft weekend, and this year, all the action is taking place in Las Vegas.

Round 1 is on Thursday night at 8 p.m. Rounds 2 and 3 are on Friday night at 7 p.m. And Rounds 3-7 are on Saturday at Noon.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, followed by the Detroit Lions

at No. 2, the Houston Texans at No. 3, the New York Jets at No. 4, and the New York Giants at No. 5.

Here in New England, all eyes are on the Patriots, who have the No. 21 overall pick on Thursday night.

The Pats have a total of nine picks in this year’s draft. They added their ninth pick in a trade with the Texans earlier this week.

New England acquired a sixth-

round pick (183 overall) and a seventh-round pick (245 overall) in exchange for one of their fifthround picks (170 overall).

After Thursday night’s first-round selection, the Patriots will have a second-round pick (54 overall) and a third-round pick (85 overall) on Friday night. On Saturday, the Pats will have a fourth-round pick (127 overall), a fifth-round pick (158 overall

from Miami), three sixth-round picks (183 overall from Houston; 200 overall from LA Rams; and 210 overall), and a seventh-round pick (245 overall from Houston).

As history shows though, it’s likely that Bill Belichick ends up swapping some picks during the draft, which could very well result in the Patriots making more than nine selections.