Dorchester Reporter 24-12web.pdf · 2018. 2. 19. · Charles Yancey’s resume in-cludes a brief tenure as City Council president and his founding of an annual book fair. Now the

By Meena RaMakRishnanspecial to the RepoRteR

With one notable exception, Dorchester’s three beaches fared well in the first yearly “Water Quality Report Card” released last month to assess and compare beach conditions around the region.

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, an environ-mental advocacy group, announced the results, ranking public beaches

from Nahant to Nan-tasket at a meeting on May 30 at the Exchange Conference Center on Boston’s Fish Pier.

Savin Hill and Malibu Beaches measured up to clean beach standards, but Tenean Beach has repeatedly been counted as one of two polluted beaches in the region, failing more than 20 percent of the tests taken this year.

By Gintautas DuMciusnews eDitoR

Uphams Corner, a neighborhood struggling with vacant storefronts, is receiving another influx of cash, this time from a national consor-tium of foundations, banks and federal agen-cies aimed at making the historic Strand Theatre more viable.

The $480,000 grant comes as city officials undertake a planning initiative focused on the Fairmount corridor anchored in Uphams Corner and after a $6.7 million capital invest-ment in the Strand.

ArtPlace, which in-volves 11 foundations, the National Endow-

ment for the Arts and 7 other federal agen-cies and six banks, is providing the one-year grant, which is aimed at underwriting Strand shows, art installations and open-air markets.

The Dudley Street Neighborhood Initia-tive will be among the organizations pitching in to help engage local residents in the grant’s goals for the neighbor-hood. Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation (DBEDC) will also be involved.

“I think there’s an opportunity for Uphams Corner to make a name for itself as an arts destination,” said Chris

“The News and Values Around the Neighborhood”

(Continued on page 17)

Volume29Issue24 Thursday,June14,2012 50¢


Dorchester Reporter


All contents copyright © 2012 Boston

Neighborhood News, Inc.

P.S. Gourmet Coffee owner Jim Fallon, second from left, is shown with em-ployees Katelyn Keeley, left, Lauren Karski and Adams Corner store manager Debbie Shaughnessy, far right. Photo by Bill Forry

The region’s transpor-tation future will be the focus of a forum tomor-row night at All Saints Church. The discussion, hosted by the Dorchester Speakers Forum, will feature two former state Secretaries of Transpor-tation, Fred Salvucci and Jeffrey Mullan, plus transportation veteran Shirley DeLibero.

The panel will be mod-erated by Rick Dimino, president of A Better City. The forum comes amid controversy over proposed MBTA fare hikes and service cuts and new legislative ef-forts to reform the state’s transit finances moving forward.

The program is free and open to the public at Peabody Hall in All Saints Church, 209 Ash-mont St. Doors open at 7.

By Bill FoRRyManaGinG eDitoR

It took just over a year for the owner of P.S. Gourmet, the popular South Boston coffee shop, to get his second location outfitted and ready for business in Adams Corner.

There’s still a lot to be said for being fashion-ably late.

The café opened just before Dot Day and in

a matter of days the store’s signature yellow coffee cups have become the latest craze in the neighborhood, especially among the under-30 set. It’s a demographic that store owner Jim Fallon, who has run the flagship location in Southie since the mid-1980s, is bank-ing on.

Fallon had long con-sidered branching out from his original Perkins

Square (thus the P.S.) lo-cation. He eyed a spot in the Morrissey Boulevard strip mall that replaced the old Burger King. But when friend and customer Kenny Blasi told Fallon that he had a space available next to his popular restaurant, Fallon’s interest was piqued.

“Adams Corner is like the twin to our South

New cafe in Adams Cornerin sync with iced coffee craze

Grant targets Uphams Corner,Strand as artsdestinations

Boston Collegiate Charter School baseball coach Matt Underhill gives the Hurricanes a pep talk before the Charter School State Championship semi-finals on Monday at Joe Moakley Park.

Photo by Elizabeth Murray

By elizaBeth MuRRayspecial to the RepoRteR

Three years ago, Bos-ton Collegiate Charter School (BCCS) put together its first official baseball team. For two of its three seasons, the Hurricanes have gone undefeated, winning the

Charter School State championship last year and going for a repeat title this year.

T h e H u r r i c a n e s started off this year’s playoffs with a 21-3 win against Prospect Hill Academy in Cambridge on Monday. They are set

to compete in the cham-pionship finals today at 4 p.m. against Foxborough Regional Charter School at Joe Moakley Park.

Coach Matt Underhill said the unique thing about the team is that 14 of the 18 guys on the squad are from Dorches-

ter and grew up playing baseball together in either the Cedar Grove or Savin Hill youth leagues. Underhill is a resident of Medford and has been teaching English at the BCCS for six years as well as coaching the

Dot talent fuels team’s winning ways

Tenean Beach lags behind in quality of water

Panel will focus on future of regional travel


Friday night at All Saints

INSIDE THIS WEEK

Alphonso Brown, MD

Dr. Alphonso Brown, left, has founded a medical scholars program for teens at the Bowdoin Street Health Center.Page 12.

THE REPoRTER June 14, 2012

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Opinion/Editorial/Letters.............. 8

NeighborhoodNotables............. 10

CommunityHealth..................... 13

BusinessDirectory..................... 16

Obituaries.................................. 18

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A Readers Guide to Today’sDorchester Reporter

June 14, 2012

Days Remaining Until

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Reporter’s Notebook On The Record

Roberts project to be reviewed on June 21A community meeting to discuss improvements to the Roberts Playground

near Codman Square will be held on Thurs., June 21, at 6:30 p.m. at Tech Boston Academy Library, 9 Peacevale Rd., Dorchester. This will be the second in a series of meetings to discuss the proposed project, which will include a renovation of the athletic fields, that currently include softball, baseball, football, soccer and cricket fields. Call 617-961-3058 for more information.

Health Forum set for June 20 in Fields CornerThe Boston Public Health Commission will host a free forum next Wednesday

(June 20) to discuss ways to reduce the rates of asthma and obesity in Boston. The meeting will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Dorchester House Multi-Service Center, 1353 Dorchester Ave. This is the second in a series of citywide health forums this year. For more information, contact Michael SooHoo at 617-534-2302 or [email protected].

Man charged with detaining couple with fake badge, attempted extortion

John Paul Carrington, 44, was arraigned in Dorchester District Court on Monday after he was arrested during a weekend incident on Callender Street. Boston Police say Carrington impersonated a police officer when he stopped a couple and detained them on the street after a traffic dispute just after midnight on Monday morning. Carrington allegedly tried to extort money from the victims, who were returning to their home with medicine for an asthmatic child. Judge Robert Tochka set bail for Carrington at $5,000. He is due back in court on June 27.

Baker now undecidedon breadth of casino vote

Mayor tumbles,Yancey reactsCharles Yancey’s resume in-

cludes a brief tenure as City Council president and his founding of an annual book fair. Now the long-time District 4 councillor can add another accomplishment: mayoral life-saver.

At a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Dorchester last Friday, Mayor Menino, with scissors in hand, appeared to reach for a railing that wasn’t there. According to a CBS Boston video, he had started to fall forward down the two front steps of the new Hearth at Olmsted Green development when Department of Neighborhood Development Director Evelyn Friedman grabbed him on one side and Yancey seized him from the other. A gentleman from the crowd also rushed up to help stop the fall.

“This is a first: Charles Yancey saved my life,” Menino could be heard quipping to the crowd about a man with whom he has often clashed. On Tuesday, Yancey chalked up his quick move as a “reflex” action. “I grabbed him from the abyss, really. Anyone would have done the same thing,” Yancey told the Reporter. “It was just somebody who literally was falling and I couldn’t allow for it to happen.” The councilor added: “I have to say he was a little heavier than I thought he was.”

On Sunday, Yancey saw Menino and his wife Angela at a fund-raiser for state Rep. Gloria Fox in the South End, and Mrs. Menino thanked him as they left. “It would have been a disaster if he had fallen on those scissors,” Yancey said.

Asked if the incident will make it into his monthly newsletter, which extensively documents his public appearances and initiatives, Yancey said, “That’s a good question. I told my staff I didn’t want that in the newsletter. I don’t have strict editorial control. It’s not my intention to put it in the newsletter.”

But Yancey acknowledged that what everybody is asking him about is the mayor’s fall. “I can’t go anyplace without people mentioning it to me,” including fellow city councillors, he said.

Asked what his colleagues have said about the incident, Yancey said, “Some of it I can’t repeat.”

But the reason all the officials were gathered for a ribbon-cutting will be in his newsletter, Yancey promised: a $16 million development providing affordable housing for formerly homeless elders that is located at the former Boston State Hospital campus. “It really is a beautiful facility.”

John Paul Carrington

Winthrop School wins new fans

Mayor Menino and Natixis President and CEo John Hailer visited Dorchester’s John Winthrop Elementary School last Thursday to announce the launch of an new Adopt-a-School program and partnership with the school. Above, they are pictured with students — all second graders in Mrs. DiStefano’s class—including Michelle Pontes Barros, Riahna Graciani, Khamani Lewis, and Destiny Barbosa. The “adopt a school” program allows individual compa-nies to make a direct and sustained impact on individual Boston schools by providing assistance that will enhance student education and improve their learning environments. Photo by Isabel Leon/Mayor’s office

City Hall’s Evelyn Friedman and Councillor Charles Yancey leap to catch a falling mayor.


District 3 Councillor Frank Baker says he’s undecided about whether to have a citywide vote on an East Boston casino or limit a referendum to the neighborhood in which Suffolk Downs hopes to build its proposed gambling mecca. The Boston Herald first reported Baker’s move last week.

“I want to see everything” before committing, Baker told the Reporter, referring to the potential deal that Suffolk Downs will offer the city, such as infrastructure improvements, in exchange for a sign-off on a casino.

Baker, a supporter of casinos, noted to the Reporter in November that since a casino is likely to affect the entire city, he supported a citywide vote, saying “opening it up to the city would ensure that people’s concerns are met.”

An “informal” Herald poll last week found district Councillors Mark Ci-ommo, Bill Linehan, Michael Ross, Rob Consalvo, and Sal LaMattina in favor of a vote limited to East Boston. Councillor At-Large John Connolly was also listed among them. Charles Yancey and Matt o’Malley were listed in support of a city-wide vote while City Councillors At-Large Stephen Murphy and Felix Arroyo were listed as undecided.

Mayor Thomas Menino has long sup-ported a vote limited to East Boston.

Finneran weighs in onWalker win in Wisconsin,Brown-Warren showdown

Former House Speaker Thomas Finneran, who recently left his radio job at WRKO, appeared this week on WBZ-TV’s “Keller At-Large” show to chat about Wisconsin politics and the local US Senate race.

Finneran, a Mattapan Democrat, said the Wisconsin election, in which Gov. Scott Walker remained in place despite a recall pushed by union leaders furious over a cutback in collective bargaining rights, was “relatively unique” and doesn’t apply to Massachusetts.

But he compared the recall to a Civil War battle, saying Gettysburg proved a “fatal blunder” for Southern forces because the Union army, like Walker, had the “high ground.”

“People are so worried about their economic present, let alone their future. They know what’s going on with their own pensions, and their own health care contributions and everything else, and they saw the unions out there throw a temper tantrum,” Finneran told host Jon Keller. “About what? Being asked to pay about six percent to the cost of their future pension and about ten percent or twelve percent to the cost of their health care. Here in ultra-liberal, ultra-blue Massachusetts, for years, public employees have been paying 11 percent into the pension and 25 percent on health care. So they fought on crappy, factual ground. How do you get any sympathy – electoral sympathy – if you’re fighting on lousy ground?”

Asked about the Senate race between incumbent Scott Brown and Democratic nominee Elizabeth Warren, Finneran said he expects the race to come “thundering down the stretch.” He called Brown a “very skillful campaigner” who has a “good chance” at reelection, noting that Massachusetts voters have pulled the lever for Bill Weld and Ronald Reagan.

The question is, Finneran said, whether in a high turnout year, voters will split the ticket, voting for President obama and then marking their ballot for Brown.

EDIToR’S NoTE: Check out updates to Boston’s political scene at The Lit Drop, located at dotnews.com/litdrop. Email us at [email protected] and follow us on Twitter: @LitDrop and @gintautasd.

June 14, 2012 THE REPoRTER Page 3

Boston store,” Fallon says of his two loca-tions. “The foot traffic is tremendous here.”

Fallon should know. The 57 year-old grew up on King Street and went to St. Mark’s Grammar School. His early memo-ries of Adams Village include trips to an old movie theatre that’s long gone, replaced by the apartment complex across the street from his new store.

Nowadays, the village bustles with several well-established eater-ies, including Blasi’s, Gerard’s, Greenhills, Sonny’s and the land-

mark Eire Pub. But Fallon and others see the new cafe as filling a void and complementing the others, not as a threat to anyone else’s base.

“We’re always pleased to see a new store open in the village, especially when it’s attracting a new market and fills a vacant storefront,” said Mary Kelly, president of the Adams Village Business Association.

Judging from the near non-stop queue of pre-teens, teens and 20-somethings in front of the store’s counter on Monday morning, Fallon seems to have made a good choice.

He estimates that a full 80 percent of his customers buy iced cof-fee, a specialty of P.S. Gourmet that has its origins— like many innovations— from a regular customer.

“It was Jim Grealish, one of our regulars, who really got it rolling,” Fal-lon said this week. “We usually just sold iced coffees in the summer months. But he said, ‘Do you think you could keep a gallon behind the counter for me.’ It just took off from there.”

Employees and man-agers over the years have added to the store’s large array of flavor mix-

tures, with everything from Nutty Bar to the big seller, P.S. Special on offer.

“The difference is we fresh brew all of our coffees,” says Fallon, who shows off a brand new cooler in back where buckets of flavored iced coffee are stored through the day. By getting the coffee off the burners quickly and into stor-age containers, Fallon and his team avoid the smoky, burnt taste that some of the bigger chains sometimes serve up.

“We’re so busy that nothing really sits there that long anyway,” says Fallon, who says his

favorite is still a bold Italian mix, hot and black. The vast major-ity of the P.S. Gourmet customers are young women, he notes, and a non-scientific count of the customer flow this week seems to support it. Fallon says that the iced coffee trade nationally is dominated by women aged 17-32, who fuel his customer base as well.

The store , which is also a hit with grammar school-aged customers who seem to find the store’s classic lime rickey drinks irresistible, also sells egg sandwiches, ba-gels and a small selection of other breakfast foods.

It is open from 6 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 6 a.m.-8p.m. on Sundays.

(Continued from page 1)

By elizaBeth MuRRay special to the RepoRteR

A 24-member advisory group of residents, busi-ness leaders, institu-tional representatives, developers and nonprofit organizations has been selected by Mayor Thomas Menino to as-sist in the Fairmount Indigo Planning Initia-tive (FIPI) in planning a commuter rail line that links South Station to Readville.

The advisory group will hold its first meeting on Thursday, June 14 from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. in the Boston Redevelop-ment Authority’s Board

Room on the 9th floor of the City Hall. It will be open to the public.

This group of volun-teers will assist the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) in developing a long-term strategy for business growth, employment opportunities, housing development and cor-ridor branding along what the 9.2 mile Fair-mount Indigo commuter rail line. The rail line crosses through Rox-bury, Dorchester, Mat-tapan and Hyde Park and includes several local stops, including Uphams Corner and

Morton Street. New stations are now being built at Four Corners. Newmarket and Talbot Ave., with a fourth new stop slated to be built near Blue Hill Ave. in Mattapan.

In February, the BRA issued a call for nomina-tions for the committee and had received 63 nomination applica-tions from stakeholders, business groups, and elected officials. Menino narrowed it down to 24 people, a number based on the representative sample of the 9.2 mile Fairmount corridor.

Ten of the group

members represent a Dorchester business, institution or nonprofit, including Dudley Street Neighborhood Initia-tive, Talbot-Norfolk Triangle Neighbors United, Newmarket Business Association, The American City Coalition, University of Massachusetts Boston, Franklin Field Tenant Task, Uphams Corner Main Streets, Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corpora-tion, and Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation. Three of the group members are representatives from

Action for Boston Com-munity Development - Mattapan and Matta-pan Health Center, and one person, H. Marcus Owens, was specifically named as a Mattapan resident.

“I am confident that the selected 24-members of the Corridor-wide Advisory Group will have a significant impact on the City’s efforts to identify how to best in-vigorate the community along the Fairmount corridor,” Menino said in a statement. “Working together we can build neighborhoods and get folks back to work by

improving their connec-tion to transit, housing, and jobs.”

This initiative is the largest since the city’s planning around the Or-ange Line in the 1980’s. The four new stops being built at a cost of $139 million is expected to jump-start economic development in the cor-ridor, help re-brand and market the area, and significantly cut down commuting time into downtown Boston, the Innovation District and the Longwood medical areas.

Mayor picks members for Fairmount advisory group

New cafe in Adams Corner in sync with iced coffee craze

Josh Thompson of Ad-ams Corner has become a daily customer at PS Gourmet Coffee.

Photo by Bill Forry


(Continued from page 1)

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Bruce Berman, direc-tor of strategy, commu-nications and programs for Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, says that each location has to be considered individually to make sure all area beaches are safe for swimming throughout the year.

“We’re interested in building a consensus around how to solve the problem,” Berman says on going forward. “The next question is why and what we can do, and that’s really important.”

The testing done was based on a standard 100 milliliters and the percentage of Enterococ-cus bacteria, an indicator of fecal contamination, found in the sample to exceed a metric of “beach safety.” The three Dorchester beaches were tested daily, resulting in 73 samples taken at each location. Percentages based on overall beach safety placed Malibu Beach and Savin Hill at 91.7 percent and put Tenean on the lower end at 79.5 percent.

While the data is used to rate the general health of the beach, the report notes that flagging the beaches based on yes-terday’s tests is of little help, as bacteria counts can spike from one day to

the next. Beaches flagged blue or red to denote the risk of swimming are based on this often inaccurate count.

“Posting yesterday’s test results on the beach is simply not a sensible way to let the pubic know if it is safe to swim today,” said Berman. “Most of our beaches deserve a fairly high grade, but I would flunk the flags.”

The report suggests that a measurement of recent rainfall would serve as a more accurate predictor of elevated bacteria in real time. Ber-man says that assessing the ocean water quality will allow the group to plan the next steps to be taken in the coming months.

“Doing the report isn’t the end, it’s the begin-ning,” he said.

Since the implemen-tation of the Boston Harbor Project, the water quality of Boston Harbor has improved dramatically since the completion Deer Island sewage treatment plant and the Mass Bay outfall pipe were completed in 2001. While there has been a dramatic drop in bacteria concentrations and clarity has improved, local beaches are still plagued by contaminated storm water runoff.

“The harbor project

cleaned up the harbor and the bay, but it wasn’t designed to solve all of the beaches problems,” said Berman.

Berman blames storm water from outfall pipes near the beach and along the nearby Neponset River for the poor quality at Tenean. He says that finding a way to improve the quality of storm water before it hits the shore would improve the situation at Tenean.

Closing off the pipes that spewed sewage and collected rainwater has been the key to success along South Boston’s now popular beaches. Berman says that same “beach by beach” ap-proach is exactly what Tenean needs.

Located of off Mor-rissey Boulevard, Tenean

is small and often empty. A well-outfitted play-ground makes it an ideal place to bring children, but few people enter the murky water, even on warm weather days. The lack of a lifeguard on duty also makes swimming here less than ideal.

Berman describes it as “a neighborhood beach.”

“It’s not a destination beach,” says Berman. “And it’s had some water quality problems for a while. People are not in the habit of going over there to swim.”

On a warm and sunny afternoon, Dao Ha and her daughter were two of three visitors playing in the sand. She says that they come to Tenean often because of the park but they never go in the water. They travel to the better-rated beaches like Nantasket to swim.

“I’ve always lived in Dorchester and never swam out here because the water has always been dirty,” Ha said. “You can almost smell the difference from a clean beach.”

The only other sun-bather, who preferred not to be named as she was supposed to be at work, said she has frequented the beach for years and has never ventured near the water. Last summer, she said, she observed syringes dumped on the sand.

The beachgoer said she notices that the sand itself is well maintained, but where the water touches the shore is an accumulation of slime and sludge.

“They should really keep it clean because it’s a little gem,” she said.

State Senator Jack

Hart, who has led an-nual clean-ups at local beaches focused on the surrounding sand and plantings, says that Te-nean’s lingering water pollution is troubling. He wants the Massachusetts Water Resources Author-ity to do an assessment to determine the cause and fix it.

“It’s not sewage neces-sarily, but run-off from storm water during rain events. There may be illegal hookups that are contributing to the problem there,” Hart said. “I want the MWRA to have an analysis done particularly at Tenean to assess where the actual problem is and then get it to a similar level as the other beaches.”

Sen. Hart’s office will host a clean-up at Tenean Beach on Monday, July 2 from 6-7:30 p.m.

Tenean Beach lags behind region in water quality

Looking toward the city from rock-strewn Tenean Beach. File photo


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BPD chief: Feds need to toughen laws on sober homes

THANK YOUThe Neponset VFW Post 5834 and The Firemans Post 94 would like to thank all members who proudly marched in the 2012 Dorchester Memorial Day Parade. For all of you to take the time out of a busyweekend to pay tribute to our fallen brothers and sisters will not go unappreciated.

We would especially like to thank the Boston Fire Gaelic Brigade and The Boston Fire Department Color Guard for its members that donated their time to march with us. A special thanks to Bobby Hawe,Steve MacDonald, Commissioner Fraser and the members of Ladder 15 and Ladder 23 for flying the colors from their apparatus. You made the parade, not only for the Veterans marching but also for the residence in attendance.

We cannot express our gratitude and dedication you all have given us as we finally pull the Post together in organizing all of our Veterans in Dorchester and the City of Boston. On behalf of all the Veterans of the Neponset VFW and Firemans Post 94

WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

AND YOUR DEDICATION.

Dan Magoon, Commander Neponset VFW Post #5834

Greg Kelly, Commander Boston Firemen’s American Legion Post #94


The superintendent-in-chief of the Boston Police Department is calling on the state’s representatives in Wash-ington D.C. to change federal law and allow for sober homes to be regulated.

Superintendent Dan-iel Linskey noted the city licenses day care centers and homes that care for the elderly.

“It makes no sense to me” to not license sober homes, he said at a City Council hearing last week.

The lack of regulation of sober homes has been a source of consterna-tion among local elected officials, as a proposal for more sober hous-ing in Lower Mills has prompted push-back from local merchants and residents who say the project is too dense for the neighborhood.

A state Department of Public Health study released last month indicated that federal

housing laws view sober housing residents as disabled, and they can-not be regulated in a way that could be seen as discriminatory.

At a Thursday night hearing held in the Lilla G. Frederick Pilot School’s cafeteria on Columbia Road, council-lors took testimony from state and city-based regulators, as well as neighbors of the proposed Lower Mills project, on the sober home industry.

In his testimony, Lin-skey said his father was an alcoholic, who turned sober when Linskey was three years old. He became engaged in the alcoholic recovery community.

Linskey said he was familiar with two kinds of sober homes: those that are safe, reliable and armed with the knowledge of what it takes, and those that become a “huge drain” on police resources and are harmful to the com-munity.

“Unfortunately, the

need for sober homes has increased,” Linskey said, due in part to prescrip-tion drug abuse.

In the last five years, sober housing has be-come a “new cottage industry,” he said.

Linskey said police can work within current laws and statutes, such as en-forcing noise ordinances, and the Inspectional Services Department can enforce building codes.

Asked by District 7 Councillor Tito Jackson what the community can do if a sober home has turned into a problem property, Linskey said, “Please call. Let us know there is a problem.”

The exact number of sober homes in the city is unclear, but those that become problem properties are “known to us,” he said.

And because of the lack of regulation, the quality

of each sober home can vary, according to Rita Nieves, director of the Boston Public Health Commission’s addictions prevention, treatment and recovery bureau.

“Unfortunately, though data indicate that sober homes can play a role in ensuring individuals leaving treatment can benefit from the stable, controlled environment that comes with a group commitment to sober living, without licensing or certification, there is no way to monitor the impact of individual sober homes on those in our community seeking to recover from addic-tions,” she said.

A couple of sober homes can be found on the Internet, but it’s “incredibly difficult” to gather information on them, she told the City Council’s Committee on

Labor, Youth Affairs and Health.

Nieves said her bureau supports setting up a vol-untary training program for sober home operators, as proposed by the state Department of Public Health.

“Specifically, we are open to thinking through any opportunities we may have to work with referring entities, such as probation, and the courts, to ensure that they are committed to referring individuals under their jurisdiction to only a subset of sober homes which meet a set of potential voluntary criteria to establish their credibility and safety,” she said.

Jim and Elena Scherer, who live near the former Molly funeral home that may turn into sober housing in Lower Mills, said they were concerned

about the density of the project and whether the employees will be professionally trained.

City Councillor At-Large Felix Arroyo, who chaired the hearing, said the lack of regula-tions surrounding sober homes is “stunning.” The testimony from residents who are concerned about unregulated sober homes in their area “really showed the struggles people had feeling safe in their own neighborhood,” he said.

District 3 Councillor Frank Baker, who joined Jackson in calling for the hearing, said state and federal officials should act to provide new tools for Inspectional Services and the Boston Police Department to deal with the sober home industry.

“The system is defi-nitely broken,” Baker said.


Arts & Entertainment Coming Up at the Boston Public LibraryAdams Street 690 Adams Street • 617- 436-6900Codman Square 690 Washington Street • 617-436-8214Fields Corner 1520 Dorchester Avenue • 617-436-2155Lower Mills 27 Richmond Street • 617-298-7841Uphams Corner 500 Columbia Road • 617-265-0139Grove Hall41 Geneva Avenue • 617-427-3337Mattapan Branch1350 Blue Hill Avenue, Mattapan • 617-298-9218

By chRis haRDinG special to the RepoRteR

Next Thursday ’ s Snazzy Jazzy Arty Party promises to be Dot Art’s biggest fundraising event yet, according to organizers. It will certainly be the one with the most Cape Cod flair ever. In past years the swanky soiree was held in private homes in places like Melville Park. This year sup-porters will be reveling at Dot’s First Parish Church on Thursday, June 21, from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. “This new location is the perfect venue,” says Dot Art’s recently hired Executive Director Liz Carney. “The historic building’s own renais-sance and re-furbishing are symbolic of Dot Art’s rebirth as well.” Along with its new director, who hails from the Savin Hill Carney clan, Dot Art, which is known on grant applications as the Dorchester Com-munity Center for the Vi-sual Arts, has eight new board members. Carney noted that both new and old board members will hold a strategic planning session this Saturday to discuss the vision and mission of Dot Art which is to offer

visual art education op-portunities to residents of Dorchester and the surrounding neighbor-hoods. The board will be going on a retreat led by Esther Kaplan, former head of the Mayor’s Of-fice of Arts Tourism and Special Events. Next week’s gala will support Dot Art’s resultant new initiatives as well as the ongoing classes in its Baker Classroom in Lower Mills. This summer they will offer classes for children age 3-6 and 7-11. The new energy at the organiza-

tion is also catalyzing collaborations with other arts groups in Dorchester such as the Boston City Singers, Write on the Dot and First Parish Church itself. Dot Art hopes to be involved in spreading the news about the artisans of North Bennet Street School who are restoring the Meeting House Hill landmark, which houses the oldest congregation in the city of Boston. At the fundraiser, many Dorchester related works of art will be auctioned off, including a piece by Sister Corita Kent, who

created the famous gas tank rainbow, the world largest copyrighted work of art. Also up for bids are pieces by Liz and her renowned water-colorist mother Madelyn, Savin Hill’s Jim Hobin, Ash-mont Hill’s Pat Burson, and many other locals.

In addition to the Matt Pitt jazz trio, gala-goers will enjoy the sounds of Dorchester natives Chris Middleton (pianist, vo-calist and composer) and Grace and the Carnivore (a trio that happens to be comprised of Carney’s niece and nephews). Both acts received the Fidelity Future Stage Young Composers Award when they played at the Boston Pops.

This year, most of the food comes courtesy of restaurants in Provinc-etown and Cape Cod. P-Town’s Lobster Pot will provide its Boston Chowderfest-winning chowder, Wired Pup, its coffee, Cape Tip Seafood, the raw bar, and Saki, its maki rolls.

The Cape Cod connec-tion comes via Carney, who maintains Four Eleven Studio, an art gallery with a historic Provincetown address. For nearly fifty years, 411 Commercial Street in P-Town has been a studio and residence for many artists in the outer Cape community.

Dorchester pols will also be helping the ef-fort. With both Uphams Corner and Cedar Grove/Lower Mills applying for funds as a designated cultural district, local art-lovers will be in-terested in remarks by Boston City Councilor Frank Baker, who chairs the Committee on Arts, Film, Humanities, and Tourism. State Repre-sentative Marty Walsh will again wield the gavel as he runs the live auction.

Tickets are $60 and may be purchased at dotart.org or at the door. Call 617-905-7432 or email [email protected] for more information.

DotArt’s ‘Snazzy Jazzy’ galahas its most Cape Cod flair ever

ADAMS STREET BRANCH Friday, June 15, 10:30 a.m. – Babysing Spring

Session. Tuesday, June 19, 10:30 a.m. – Toddler Story

Time Spring Session. CoDMAN SqUARE BRANCH

Thursday, June 14, 4:15 p.m. – Boy Scouts. To join the group that meets at Codman Square branch, please email [email protected].

Friday, June 15, 10:30 a.m. – Preschool Story Time.

4 p.m. – Knitting Club. Tuesday, June 19, 11 a.m. – Preschool Story Time. Wednesday, June 20, 4 p.m. – Knitting Club. Thursday, June 21, 4:15 p.m. – Boy Scouts. Fields Corner Branch Tuesday, June 19, 4 p.m. – Henna Tattoo. Get

a henna tattoo by artist Nimmi. Please visit the library to obtain a permission slip.

6 p.m. – Hatha Yoga. Wednesday, June 20, 10:30 a.m. – Preschool

Films and Fun. GRoVE HALL BRANCH

Thursday, June 14, 6 p.m. – Weight of the Na-tion: Film Screening and Discussion. This four-part documentary series examines the obesity epidemic in America. June 14, “Choices;” June 21, “Children in Crisis;” and June 28, “Challenges” with a presenta-tion by community nutritionist Lauren Johnson.

Friday, June 15, 10:30 a.m. – Preschool Storybook Films.

Thursday, June 21, 6 p.m. – Weight of the Nation: Film Screening and Discussion.

LoWER MILLS BRANCH Tuesday, June 19, 10:30 a.m. – Preschool Story

Time. Wednesday, June 20, 10:30 a.m.– Toddler

Circle Time.Thursday, June 216:30p.m. Book Discussion. The group will discuss

Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante.MATTAPAN BRANCH

Thursday, June 14, 3 p.m. – Drop-in Craft: Father’s Day.

Friday, June 15, 10:30 a.m. – Toddler Films. Monday, June 18, 10:30 a.m. – Preschool Story

Time and Craft. Tuesday, June 19, 5:30 p.m. – Disney Movie.

Join us in the Children’s Room on Tuesday evenings as we watch these classic Disney movies: June 19, The AristoCats; June 26, Bedknobs & Broomsticks.

Wednesday, June 20, 10:25 a.m. – Fun With Books.

2 p.m. – Henna Tattoo. Get a henna tattoo by artist Nimmi. Please visit the library to obtain a permission slip.

3 p.m. – School’s Out Cookie Decorating. Celebrate the end of the school year by decorating and then eating some delicious cookies.

Thursday, June 21, 3 p.m. – Drop-in Craft. Come by the library between 3 and 4 to make a fun craft for you to take home.

ongoing Images of Black Culture: An Exhibition. Tony Irving. On display through June 29.

UPHAMS CoRNER BRANCH Thursday, June 14, 6:30 p.m. – Author Talk

with James Redfearn. In the novel, The Rising at Roxbury Crossing, Mr. Redfearn brings a lesser known Roxbury event to life: the Boston Police Strike of 1919. Redfearn skillfully spins a tale that would be relevant today. His characters seethe with anger, fear, and frustration. Come relive a part of Boston’s almost forgotten history, as Mr. Redfearn reads portions from his book, and offers fascinating anecdotes from his research. He will also share writing tips.

Tuesday, June 19, 10:30 a.m. – Family Story Time. Pre-reading children and their parents or caregivers are invited to join us as we read stories, sing songs, do rhymes and fingerplays, and have fun. Story time lasts about 20 to 30 minutes and is followed by a craft and an open play time.

Wednesday, June 20 11 a.m. – Intro to Online Couponing: Copy, Clip n’ Save. Please register at Uphams Corner or call: 617.265.0139.

Thursday, June 21, 5:30 p.m. – Crafts for Teens and Children. Make a craft to take home.

A DotArt instructor works with children in one of the program’s classes. Next Thursday’s Snazzy Jazzy event will help pay for programming this summer.

Photo courtesy DotArt

BRAThe Boston Redevelopment Authority will host a public meeting regarding

422 River Street Residential ProjectThursday, June 21st, 5:30 PMMattapan Branch Library 1350 Blue Hill Avenue in Mattapan Project Proponent: 422 River Street, LLCProject Description: 422 River Street, LLC (the “Proponent”) proposes approximately twenty-seven (27) residential units with garage parking for 22 vehicles. The building will be a 4-story wood-frame structure located on River Street. The residential unit mix will consist of three (3) one bedroom units measuring from 755-975sf and twenty-four (24) two bedroom units measuring from 975-1161sf.CLOSE OF COMMENT PERIOD: MONDay JuNE 25Th, 2012FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: LaNCE CaMPBELL BOSTON REDEVELOPMENT auThORITy ONE CITy haLL SQuaRE, 9Th FLOOR BOSTON, Ma 02201FAx: 617-742-7783PhONE: 617-918-4311EMAIL: [email protected] P. GoldenExecutive Director/Secretary


Bubbles’s BirthdaysAnd Special Occasions

By BaRBaRa McDonouGhToday is Flag Day. (Fly “Old Glory!”) It is also

Nursing Assistants’ Day. On June 14, 1998, Boston received 5.69 inches of rain, making it the rainiest June day in Boston’s weather-keeping history. Congress established the army on June 14, 1775. “My Little Margie” began on June 15, 1952, 60 years ago. Ben Franklin flew his kite on June 15, 1752. Alfred Hitchcock’s movie “Psycho” was released on June 16, 1960. The first roller coaster in America opened at Coney Island on June 16,1884.

June 17 is Father’s Day. It is also the day, 40 years ago, when the Democratic Headquarters in the Watergate complex was broken into, ultimately resulting in the resignation of Pres. Richard Nixon. June 17 is the date of the Battle of Bunker Hill, in 1775. Delta Airlines was founded on June 17, 1929. The fire at the Vendome Hotel, during which nine firefighters were killed, happened on June 17, 1972, 40 years ago. Generals Wellington and Blucher defeated Napoleon on June 18, 1815, at the Battle of Waterloo. Prince Edward married Sophie Rhys-Jones on June 19, 1999.“The Ed Sullivan Show”/”The Toast of the Town” began on June 20, 1948. The movie “Jaws” opened on June 20,1975. Summer begins on June 20 and ends on Sept. 22. The Old Howard burned to the ground on June 20, 1961.

Celebrities having birthdays are: Donald Trump, 66 on June 14; Jim Belushi, 58 on June 18; Greg Kinnear, 49 on June 17; Barry Manilow, 66 on June 17; Sir Paul McCartney, 70 on June 18; Olympia Dukakis, 81 on June 20; and John Goodman, 60 on June 20.

Those celebrating their birthdays are Chuckie Mitchell, Mary (Coyne) McCauley, Terry Boyer, Mary Ann Solletti, Joe Ryan, Bobby Burke, and Carol (McDermott) Ford.

Also observing their birthdays are Rory Mulrey, Richard Ahern, Kathy Cook, Mary Bulger, Lisa Bowes, Hayley Hobbs, Robert Butts III, and Kaylee Doherty. Maureen Connolly and Rachel O’Neill are celebrating special birthdays this week. Belated best wishes are sent to Ginny Biagiotti, who celebrated a special birthday on June 10.

Those celebrating their anniversaries are Jack and Lorrie (Leary) White, Jim and Pattie Brett (their 32nd), Frank and Maura Doyle (their 29th), Pat and Kay Clifford, and Steve and Julie (Downey) Greene.

Reporter’s News about people in & around

our NeighborhoodsPeople

Congrats to TechBoston Academy senio Amine M. Elmeghni, who represented the school at the city league all-star baseball game on Sun., June 10 at Fen-way Park. He was presented an award for academic excellence and was the valedictorian at graduation on Thursday.

Dot residents receive their diplomas at St. Sebastian School’s 68th commencment

From left, Jalen Thornton, Headmaster Bill Burke, Benjamin Thai, Kendall Dardy-Jones

Kevin Vo, the mem-bership director at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorches-ter, was recog-nized as support staff member of the year by the As-sociation of Boys & Girls Club Profes-sionals.Vo received the award at a sur-prise presentation on Monday at the McLaughlin Cen-ter. Kevin, 24, has worked at the club for six years and is a resident of quincy.

Matthew Doyle, Anilson Lopes, and Johann Williams of Dorchester, graduates of Boston College High School, recently won special awards at Senior Class Assembly, a time set aside to celebrate and reward its seniors. Doyle won a Kairos Leader award, a Key Society Director’s award, an Intramural award, a National Honor Society award, and Campus Ministry presented Matt with the St. Ignatius Loyola Senior award, Lopes won a National Achievement Program outstanding Participant award and Williams won a Senior Kitchen award. Illness doesn’t keep

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St. Sebastian’s School in Needham graduated 63 students at its sixty-eighth Commencement Exercises on Thursday, June 7. Immaculée Ilibagiza, 1994 Rwan-dan Genocide Survivor and Author, delivered the commencement address. Sean M. Fra-zette (Franklin) was this year’s Salutatorian and John L. Donovan III (Wellesley) was the Vale-dictorian. Headmaster William L. Burke III presented the diplomas to the graduates at a ceremony held in St. Bartholomew Church.

Local Dorchester graduates include: Ken-dall D. Dardy-Jones will attend Assumption College. He is the son of Darryl and Melissa Elow.

Benjamin Thai will attend Tufts University. He is the son of Ngoan and Sam.

Jalen W. Thornton will attend Ohio Wes-leyan University. He is the son of Isaac and Giana.

Benjamin Thai was also awarded the Sr. Evelyn C. Barrett, O.P. Scholarship.

Matthew Doyle Anilson Lopes Johann Williams


By lew FinFeRspecial to the RepoRteR

Gerard M. O’Neill’s new book, Rogues and Redeemers: When Politics Was King in Irish Boston, tells two interesting anecdotes that were fateful for Kevin White, Thomas Menino, and our city. O’Neill is the former head of the Boston Globe’s Spotlight Investigative Team who, with Dick Lehr, reported and wrote Black Mass, the chilling account of the horrible acts of mob boss James Whitey Bulger and the FBI agents who protected him.

The 1975 mayoral election was a titanic battle between Dorchester/Mattapan State Sen. Joe Timilty and the incumbent, Kevin White, who was at the time under a cloud of suspicion, namely, an ongoing investigation trying to determine if his administra-tion was pressuring city workers to donate to his campaign. Meanwhile, the city was seething over the busing that was being implemented citywide that fall in what was called Phase 2 of the desegregation campaign. White was getting blamed by white working class residents for not stopping busing, even though Federal Judge W. Arthur Garrity was the one making it happen, and by some in the black community for not doing enough to protect their children from violence they were facing from anti-busing protesters.

In the book, O’Neill praises Timilty for not trying to ride the anti-busing tide to win the election. Timilty had made clear his opposition to the court order, but he did not call for active resistance, obstruction, or violence.

Just days before the election, on Halloween, then Boston Police Commissioner Robert diGrazia held a press conference and said Timilty was being influenced by certain deposed cops, the insinuation being that they were corrupt. DiGrazia also said that those backing Timilty would not allow him to reappoint DiGrazia, so his reforms within the police department would come to an end. DiGrazia was at the time the most popular figure in Boston, so his charges were very important elements in a close-fought campaign. There were those who felt that the commissioner had stopped Timilty’s momentum in the race, which White won, 52 percent to 48 percent.

While working on the book, O’Neill interviewed the now-retired DiGrazia, who said he relied on information for his ’75 press conference charges from another police official and now he feels the information may not have been true. O’Neill writes that DiGrazia answered the question “Was it fair?” this way: “In retrospect, probably not.” … he “fell in line” with City Hall. …”I think what happened was they knew that if I said something, people trusted me. And so, yeah, I was foolish to trust them.” So the question here is: “What if these charges had never been aired by DiGrazia? Would Timilty then have beaten White?

In the 1970s, Tom Menino was an aide to Sen. Timilty and heavily involved in his 1971, 1975, and 1979 campaigns for mayor before he took up his own cause and was elected Hyde Park district city councillor in 1983. In 1992, Mayor Ray Flynn, then at the beginning of his third term, seemed less and less interested in being mayor while spending a great deal of time working on Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign. Flynn wanted a cabinet job, but ended up being appointed Ambassador to the Vatican.

O’Neill writes that Flynn notified then City Councillor Tom Menino that he might be moving on with Clinton, meaning that if he left, the person sitting in the Council president’s chair would become acting mayor. With Flynn’s support, Menino won the presidency in a 7-6 vote, with Roxbury City Council-lor Anthony Crayton casting the tie breaking vote.

Flynn didn’t officially leave office until early July, so Menino had time to prepare for what he’d do when he moved to the mayor’s office for the few months before the September primary election. In his first week, he announced a freeze in water and sewer rates and a new teen job program. He finished first in the primary and won the final election decisively over then-Dorchester state Rep. Jim Brett. Many people felt at the time that if Menino had run for mayor in September as a councilor, and not as acting mayor, he would have been a serious candidate but maybe less likely to have won. Another “What if” for our city as Mayor Menino is now in his fifth term and maybe considering another run.

Rogues and Redeemers has interesting chapters on busing/desegregation and other colorful Boston political figures like John “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald, who was President John Kennedy’s grandfather, James Michael Curley, “the Rascal King,” the legendary ward boss Martin Lomasney, and Mayor John B. Hynes, John F. Collins, and others. Gerard O’Neill has presented us with a detailed look into our political history, and in the process given those “what ifs” for our consideration.

Lew Finfer is a Dorchester resident.

Editorial

The Reporter“The News & Values Around the Neighborhood”

A publication of Boston Neighborhood News Inc. 150 Mt. Vernon St., Suite 120, Dorchester, MA 02125

Worldwide at dotnews.comMary Casey Forry, Publisher (1983-2004)

Edward W. Forry, Associate PublisherWilliam P. Forry, Managing Editor

Thomas F. Mulvoy, Jr., Associate EditorGintautas Dumcius, News Editor

Barbara Langis, Production ManagerJack Conboy, Advertising Manager

News Room Phone: 617-436-1222, ext. 17Advertising: 617-436-2217 E-mail: [email protected]

The Reporter is not liable for errors appearing in advertisements beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error.

The right is reserved by The Reporter to edit, reject, or cut any copy without notice.

Member: Dorchester Board of Trade, Mattapan Board of TradeNext Issue: Thursday, June 21, 2012

Next week’s Deadline: Monday, June 18 at 4 p.m.Published weekly on Thursday mornings

All contents © Copyright 2012 Boston Neighborhood News, Inc.

‘What ifs?’ about White and Menino

More than 300 business community members attended Mt. Washington Bank’s 13th annual Business Breakfast at the Venezia Restaurant in Dorchester on June 7. The featured guest speaker was Stephen Crosby, Chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and the founding Dean of the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and

Global Studies at UMass Boston. Shown above, from left: Dick Gavegnano, Chair-

man & CEO of East Boston Savings Bank, Stephen Crosby, Speaker of the Massachusetts House Robert DeLeo, and Ed Merritt, President of Mt. Washington Bank Division.

Photo courtesy Mt. Washington Bank

Commentary

An advisory group charged with advising the city and state on development priorities along the Fairmount Commuter rail corridor will meet for the first time this week. The group, convened by the BRA and picked from an applicant pool by the Mayor’s Office, can be useful in guiding both short and long-term decisions about what sort of uses can and should be the focus of government-backed projects along the rail corridor, which includes existing stations in Uphams Corner and Morton Street. New stations are being built at Four Corners, Newmarket, and Talbot Avenue, with a fourth new stop slated to be built near Blue Hill Avenue in Mattapan.

The BRA says that this Fairmount planning effort will be the most ambitious since the 1980s, when the city led redevelopment planning along the Orange Line. The Fairmount expansion represents a $139 million investment by the state, but that sum could be dwarfed by the potential for large-scale private investment if proper planning allows for even more construction, redevelopment, and job growth along the line.

In fact, the enhanced Fairmount Line — which is called the Indigo Line by some transit advocates—has already triggered some smart growth along and near its right of way. In Mattapan, a new Dunkin’ Donuts is being built near the revamped Morton Street station, which re-opened after improvements in 2007. There are also projects sprouting in Four Corners, where the new station is nearing completion, and at Talbot Avenue near Codman Square.

In Uphams Corner, where the Salvation Army Kroc Center now dominates the Dudley Street stretch near the commuter rail stop, there is plenty of opportunity for near-term impacts from that existing station. In particular, we hope that the BRA advisory group will make the redevelopment of the old Maxwell flea market building a priority. That property is now controlled by the city and is well poised for an acceler-ated disposition to a responsible, transit-oriented developer. Of equal importance is the redevelopment of the hulking Leon Electric warehouse that looms over Dudley Street right next to the Uphams Corner station. Any serious redevelopment effort along this end of the Fairmount Line must confront the Leon Electric building from the outset.

The advisory group will be aided greatly in its work by the foundation laid by community development corporations (CDCs), including the Codman NDC and Dorchester Bay EDC, which have already put many years of work into smart planning initiatives along the Fairmount Line. The advisors will need to compensate for the lack right now of a viable CDC in Mattapan since the Mattapan CDC has essentially become a non-factor in planning new developments. Of particular interest in Mattapan should be the need to redevelop the old Cote Ford property along Cummins Highway.

We hope that this group will also help to advocate for alternative transportation amenities along the corridor. In particular, the Columbia Road and Blue Hill Avenue routes into the city are well suited for the expansion of the Hubway program, the bike rental system that has worked well elsewhere in the city. The Fairmount advisors should press for this service to come to Uphams Corner, Grove Hall, Codman Square, and Mattapan as soon as possible.

The potential of the Fairmount Line to spur a new round of growth in and around the corridor makes this a important project for all of Dorchester, Mattapan, and Greater Boston. We wish the advisory group well as they begin their work. – Bill Forry

Fairmount panelcan help focusdevelopment

For the RecordCorrection: In a May 24 column on veteran and

longtime Memorial Day organizer Francis Murphy, the Reporter incorrectly stated that Dr. Murphy lived on Flavia Street. In fact, he is from Glide Street, the next street over. Also, Dr. Murphy’s sister Ginny passes along the good news that Fran is able to speak and is using a walker, an improvement since his accident in 2011.

Hundreds talk business at Mt. Washington forum


Follow us on Twitter and FacebookReaders can now sign up to get regular news

headlines and links to breaking news from the Dorchester Reporter at Twitter. Follow us @DotNews. And, of course, check our website www.dotnews.com for daily news, expanded crime reports and our political blog, The Lit Drop.

Jason Kelly (21) and Marc Muniz (15) both represented the Dorchester Boxing Club at the Fight for Education event in Billerica on Friday. They both won their respective bouts. It was Marc’s first official bout.

Dorchester Boxing Club

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Buying or refinancing? Now’s the time!

If you’ve been thinking of buying a home or refinancing your existing mortgage, now is definitely the time to jump on it. The economy is on the upswing, but mortgage rates are still almost as low as they’ve been in half a century.

At Meetinghouse Bank, we offer a full range of mortgage options:

Fixed Rate Adjustable Jumbo FHA Loans First Time Home Buyer Purchase & Rehabilitation

Plus, our lending team has a thorough understanding of the new mortgage regulations and will take the time to walk you through the application process.

We’ve been helping residents of Dorchester Lower Mills, Milton and the surrounding area with their lending needs since 1914. That’s almost 100 years of commitment to the community.

Now’s the time to lock in a new mortgage or refinance at the current low rates. Give us a call at 617-298-2250 ext.501 or stop by today!

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Dot Descendants Celebrations to connect past and presentBy elizaBeth MuRRay

special to the RepoRteR What started as a

celebration last year that coincided with the 350th birthday of the James Blake House, the oldest house in the city of Bos-ton, is this year an event to celebrate the roots of anyone who has familial ties to Dorchester.

The events included in the celebration will stretch over two week-ends and will include an illustrated book talk by Dorchester resident and writer Emily Sweeney, a trolley tour of historical Dorchester and an art exhibit showcasing past and present Dorchester artists. Festivities will commence on Saturday June 23rd at 2 p.m. with Sweeney’s talk about her book Boston Organized Crime.

The celebration events are open to everyone, even those who do not have ancestral ties to Dorchester but still want to hear the history. All the events are free except for the trolley tour, which will cost $35. The events will take place at the

Dorchester Historical Society’s headquarters at 195 Boston Street.

Dorchester Historical Society President Earl Taylor compares the Dorchester Descendants Celebrations to the “old home weeks” of the 20th century since the events have the same sort of purpose for him: to connect to the past. He said this celebration was started by the Dorches-ter Historical Society in June 2011 to try to bring people together from all over the nation who have roots to Dorchester.

“There’s so many people whose roots are in Dorchester who may not be aware of what’s going on, so we’ve been trying to attract the national media,” Taylor said.

He said the events will be especially exciting for him since he will be able to share the knowledge he has gained about Dorchester in his research.

“There will be lots of new information that [attendees] haven’t seen or heard before,” Taylor said. “We’re going to

have a good time.” Taylor is most looking

forward to the trolley ride around Dorchester because he is anxious to hear the stories different people have about differ-ent places.

“It’ll be a fun thing where people will say, ‘I remember this,’ and, ‘My grandfather used to live there,’” Taylor said.

The schedule of events for the Dorchester De-scendants Celebration includes:

Sat., June 23 at 2 p.m.

Illustrated book talk: Boston Organized Crime by Emily Sweeney

Sun., June 24 at 12 p.m.

Super Dorchester Trol-ley Tour (about 2 1/2 hours). Board trolleys at 12 p.m. sharp, box lunch provided, $35 for tickets Tickets for the trolley tour can be purchased by visiting www.dorches-terhistoricalsociety.org or by contacting Taylor at 617-293-3052.

Fri., June 29 at 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Opening reception for exhibit: Dorchester Art-

ists Past and Present with Dorchester Arts Collaborative.

Sat., June 30 at 10 a.m.

Boston, England, and

Boston, Massachusetts by Wilfred Holton

Sat., June 30 at 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Dorchester Artists Past and Present art

exhibit continues and all buildings open.

Sun., July 1 at 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Art Show continues.

On Thurs., June 28, the Neponset River Watershed Association will explore the colorful past of the river, guided by popular Canton histo-rian George T. Comeau, and delve into the pro-grams of the Neponset River Watershed As-sociation with Execu-tive Director Ian Cooke. Join Neponset stewards from around the wa-

tershed and beyond, for presentations, hors d’oeuvres and drinks in a stunning setting, at the 45th Annual Meeting of the Neponset River Watershed Association 6:30 p.m., at Reebok Headquarters in Canton. Register at neponset.org or by calling 781-575-0354, Ext. 303. General admission is $40 per person ($45 after June

20); student or active volunteer admission is $25; a four-person package is $150; and limited scholarships are available.

Explore Neponset River’s past with Watershed group


DISTrIcT c-11 NEWSThe Police/Community meeting is usually the

second Thurs. of each month, 7 p.m., at a place TBA. Call the Community Service officers at 617-343-4524. Non-emergency line for seniors: 617-343-5649. The “Party Line” phone number, to report loud gather-ings, is 617-343-5500.PolIcE DISTrIcT B-3 NEWS

For info, call B-3’s Community Service Office at 617-343-4717. ASHmoNT-ADAmS ASSN.

Meeting on the first Thursday of each month at the Plasterers’ Hall, 7 Fredericka St., at 7 p.m. ASHmoNT HIll ASSN.

Meetings are generally held the last Thursday of the month. For info, see ashmonthill.org or call Message Line: 617-822-8178.cEDAr GrovE cIvIc ASSN.

The monthly meeting, usually the second Tues. of each month, 7 p.m., in Fr. Lane Hall at St. Brendan’s Church. Meetings are suspended for the summer. Info: [email protected] or 617-825-1402. clAm PoINT cIvIc ASSN.

The meetings are usually held on the second Monday of each month (unless it’s a holiday) at WORK, Inc. 25 Beach St., at the corner of Freeport (new meeting place); on street parking available; at 6:30 p.m. Info: clampoint.org. columBIA-SAvIN HIll cIvIc ASSN.

Meetings the first Mon. of each month, 7 p.m., at the Little House, 275 East Cottage St. For info: columbiasavinhillcivic.org.cummINS vAllEy ASSN.

Cummins Valley Assn, meeting at the Mattahunt Community Center, 100 Hebron St., Mattapan, on Mondays 6:30 p.m., for those living on and near Cummins Highway. For info on dates, call 617-791-7359 or 617-202-1021. EASTmAN-ElDEr ASSN.

The association meets the third Thurs. of each month, 7 p.m., at the Uphams Corner Health Center, 636 Columbia Rd, across from the fire station. The

meeting dates are: June 23, July 21, Aug. 18, Sept. 15. Oct. 20, Nov. 17, and Dec. 15.FrEEPorT-ADAmS ASSN.

The meetings will be held the second Wed. of the month, 6:30 p.m., at the Fields Corner CDC office (the old Dist. 11 police station), 1 Arcadia St.Groom/HumPHrEyS NEIGHBorHooD ASSN.

The GHNA meets on the third Wed. of each month, 7 p.m., in the Kroc Salvation Army Community Center, 650 Dudley St., Dor., 02125. For info, call 857-891-1072 or [email protected]. HANcocK ST. cIvIc ASSN.

The next meetings are June 21, and July 19, in the Bird St. Community Center, (second floor), 500 Columbia Rd., from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The next meetings: Aug. 16 and Sept. 20. Info: [email protected]. loWEr mIllS cIvIc ASSN.

The monthly meetings are held the third Tuesday of the month (June 19) in St. Gregory’s Auditorium, 7 p.m. City Councilor Ayanna Presley will be the

guest speaker. (Please bring bottles and cans to the meeting.) Now is the time to become a member: send a $7 check to DLMCA, 15 Becket St., Dor., 02124-4803. Please include name, address, phone, and e-mail address. mccormAcK cIvIc ASSN.

Meetings the third Tues. of each month (June 19), at 7 p.m., in Blessed Mother Teresa Parish Hall. Please bring canned goods to the meeting for a local food bank. Info: McCormackCivic.com or 617-710-3793. Membership is only $5, Elections in June. mEETINGHouSE HIll cIvIc ASSN.

The monthly meeting usually on the third Wednesday of the month, 7 p.m., at the First Parish Church. Info: 617-265-0749 or civic@firstparish,com.mElvIllE PArK ASSN.

Clean-up of the MBTA Tunnel Cap (garden at Shawmut Station), the first Sat. of each month, from 10 a.m. to noon. The meetings are held at 6:30 p.m., at the Epiphany School, 154 Centre St., Dor.PEABoDy SloPE ASSN.

The Peabody Slope Neighborhood Assn’s next meeting the first Mon. of each month, at Dorchester Academy, 18 Croftland Ave., 7 p.m. For info: peabodyslope.org or 617-533-8123.PoPE’S HIll NEIGHBorHooD ASSN.

Neighborhood E-Mail Alert system; sign up at [email protected], giving your name, address, and e-mail ad-dress. PHNA meetings, usually the fourth Wed. of each month at the Leahy/Holloran Com-munity Center at 7 p.m. The next meeting will be in Sept. The annual Summer Block Party will be held on Sat., June 23, from noon to 6 p.m. PorT NorFolK cIvIc ASSN.

Meetings the third Thurs. of every month at the Port Norfolk Yacht Club, 7 p.m. Info: 617-825-5225.ST. mArK’S ArEA cIvIc ASSN.

Meetings held the last Tues. of each month in the lower hall of St. Mark’s Church, at 7 p.m. Info: stmarkscivic.com.

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reporter’s Neighborhood Notables civic associations • clubs • arts & entertainment • churches • upcoming events


Boston Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis greeted six year-old Adrian Casso and eleven year old Xavier Mendez, both of Dorchester, after the National Anthem at Fenway Park last Thursday. The youngsters were among several members of the Red Sox Foundation Rookie Little League who got to take the field with the Sox as part of Calling All Kids month, presented by Hood, a celebration of Fenway Park’s young-est generation of fans during its 100th anniversary season.


Bob Wolusky and Gary Ryan, Dorchester

Greg and Pat Clifford, quincy

Sen. Jack Hart, So. Boston; Marie Duff, Milton

Mary Ann and John quinn

Carrie Doherty, Emily Shamshak, Kaitlyn Gutierrez and Brianna o’Brien, all of Dorchester

Gina Mastro and Lori Walsh, Dorchester

Gerri Munroe, Dorchester; Eileen Walsh, Galway; George Munroe, Dorchester

Sheila Morris and Marcia o’Brien, Dorchester

Melissa Graham and Adrienne Kaszanek, Dorchester

Johnny Joyce, Dorchester, Siobhan quinn, quincySteve Graham, Dorchester

Well over 1,000 people turned out to Florian Hall on Friday night to remember John Joe Quinn, a husband and father of two young children who died suddenly in April at age 42. The lifelong Dorchester resident was the president of IAM Lodge 100. Proceeds from the event – which featured a large silent auction and the sale of memorial t-shirts— will go to help support John’s family.

Photos by Harry Brett

Huge turnout for benefit time for John Joe Quinn


By shaRon nGspecial to the RepoRteR

Few teenagers know for certain what they want to be when they grow up.

For the students who graduated from the ICAN Medical Scholars program on Bowdoin Street last Saturday, the answer is getting clearer.

A mentoring course for high school students in grades nine through 12 who want to pursue a career in medicine, ICAN, like its students, just finished its first year. It was founded by Dr. Alphonso Brown, a gastroenterologist at Bowdoin Street Health Center, which is affiliated with the Beth Israel Dea-coness Medical Center in Boston.

All 11 scholars—Risi-belle Conceicao, Kelly Costa, Leyda Frias, Bran-don Gomes, Kayla Harris, Robert Martin, Visaury Moreta, Nikita Moreira, Benjamin O’Sullivan,

Keritson Sequeira and Ai-cha Tavares—graduated in Saturday’s ceremony and are automatically enrolled in next year’s curriculum.

For three hours every other Saturday, the 11 teens showed up to Bowdoin Street Health Center willing to learn. Dr. Brown has devised a three-year curriculum that focuses on clinical diagnosis, patient inter-views, community-based health services research, medical ethics and the Hippocratic Oath. The students also receive help applying to and succeed-ing in college, SAT prep, lifetime mentoring and career counseling.

“It is a full anatomy and physiology pro-gram,” said Dr. Brown, a Newton resident. “It’s all community-based learning.”

Dr. Brown’s own per-sonal life inspired ICAN. With a younger brother who was sick most of his

life and parents who did not have a lot of money, he wondered how he could help.

“The result was to try and become a physician,” the 44-year-old New York native said. “I didn’t want socioeconomic status to be a barrier.”

After receiving his Doc-tor of Medicine degree from Harvard Medical School in 1994, Dr. Brown conceptualized his pro-gram with help from two vital people. Operations manager Vera Costa and administrative assistant Shirley Ortiz helped interview and select candidates.

“I had the idea for a long time,” he said. “Initially I wanted to help kids do better. I wanted to introduce them to medicine. But it was difficult at first because the kids didn’t have an interest.”

Dr. Brown then decided that for his initiative, in-terest in medicine would be important, as well as grades.

“We didn’t go look-ing for good students,” he explained. “Grades help with selection, but we don’t want to make grades the only criteria. We were looking for kids who showed commitment and motivation and were willing to work hard. A lot of these kids come from disadvantaged,

unstable backgrounds, and we wanted to create something for the kids and create an alternative for kids in the neighbor-hood.”

One of Saturday’s graduates, Benjamin O’Sullivan, 14, said he learned a lot.

“ I t ’ s rea l ly good and interesting,” said O’Sullivan, a Neponset resident. “It teaches you a lot about life skills that you can apply to anything.”

O’Sullivan met Dr. Brown last year when he was in eighth grade. His godfather had died the year before of stomach cancer after being diag-nosed in Stage IV. He was looking for further explanation.

“Benjamin has always been good with science,”

said his mother Mary O’Sullivan, who also works at Bowdoin Street Health Center as a nurse. “In the fifth grade, he learned about the process of digestion, and it excited him. He loved it.”

After she introduced him to Dr. Brown, O’Sullivan said the two formed an instant bond.

“Benjamin wants to be a stomach doctor, and Dr. Brown invited him to see and interview patients,” the 49-year-old mother of four said. “Benjamin even wanted to see a colonoscopy!”

O’Sullivan said all the kids are special.

“These are good kids who show up week after week because they want to,” she said. “It’s really something. These kids are amazing.”

There is huge demand to enroll in the ICAN program, according to Dr. Brown, but he wants to keep the class size to 11 students.

“We once had 30 stu-dents in a class, but the kids drifted off and took other kids with them,” the instructor said. “A smaller class helps kids focus and allows for individual attention.”

Dr. Brown is impressed with all his students, who all have plans to go to medical school.

“It’s fun to watch how these kids have grown,” he said. “It’s a life-chang-ing experience. We work with these kids from high school until they gradu-ate from medical school. They probably teach me more than I teach them.”

617-288-2680

Office HOurs By AppOintment 383NEPONSETAVE. evening HOurs AvAilABle DORCHESTER,MA02122

WILLIAMLEE,D.D.S.FAMILYDENTISTRY

617-288-2681

Effective

July 1, 2012

AVISO IMPORTANTE:Cambios en las tarifas y servicios de MBTA vigentes desde el

1° de julio de 2012.Visite mbta.com para

obtener detalles y opciones de rutas

alternativas.

AVISO IMPORTANTE:As alterações nas tarifas e nos serviços da MBTA entrarão em vigor em 1º de julho de 2012.

Visite mbta.com para obter detalhes e opções de rotas

alternativas.

重要通知：MBTA的票價和服務變更於2012年7月1日

起生效。請訪問 mbta.com

了解詳情及其他路線的選項。

LƯU Ý QUAN TRỌNG:Thay đổi về dịch vụ và giá vé

MBTA có hiệu lực từ ngày 1 tháng 7 năm 2012.Thăm trang web mbta.com

để biết thêm chi tiết và các lựa chọn tuyến khác nhau.

AVI ENPÒTAN:Chanjman nan tarif ak

sèvis MBTA yo efektif apati 1ye jiyè 2012.

Vizite mbta.com pou lòt detay ak lòt wout ou

kapab pran.

AVISu IMPORTANTE:Mudansa na presu

y servisu di MBTA ta kumesa 1 di Julho 2012.

Visita mbta.com pa detalhes y dexa bu opiniao sobre otu opsons di rotas.

MBTA Service and Fare ChangesThe following service and fare changes will be in effect as of July 1, 2012. Please visit mbta.com or call (617) 222-3200, TTY (617) 222-5146 to identify alternate routes in advance of your trip.

Single-Ride FaresService Changes Passes

1 “Bus + Rapid Transit” indicates the total price of a trip on both local bus and rapid transit.

2 Senior/Transportation Access Pass (TAP) CharlieCard required for discounted fare. Seniors 65+ and persons with disabilities may apply at the Reduced Fare CharlieCard Office at Back Bay Station 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Mon–Fri (closed holidays). Medicare cardholders are automatically eligible for the TAP CharlieCard. For information call (617) 222-5438, TTY (617) 222-5854.

3 Valid Mon–Fri only.

4 Off-board purchases from a fare vending machine or ticket window.

5 Customers boarding a train without a ticket will be charged the on-board fare.

6 RIDE premium fare effective October 1, 2012.

BUSEliminated Routes

48, 355, 500

Saturday Service Eliminated

48, 52, 245, 451, 554

Sunday Service Eliminated

18, 37/38, 245, 436

Service Changes52, 217, 351, 354, 439, 441, 442, 451, 455, 465, 555, CT3

COMMUTER RAIL

Weekend Service Eliminated

Kingston/Plymouth, Greenbush

Saturday Service Eliminated

Needham

BOAT

Weekend Service Eliminated

Weekend Quincy–Logan ServiceEliminated October 8

GREEN LINE “E”

Weekend Service Change

Service Terminates at Brigham Circle

MATTAPAN LINE

Weekend Service Change

Service Frequency Reduced

ChARLIECARdAdult

Local Bus $1.50

Rapid Transit $2.00

Bus + Rapid Transit 1 $2.00

Inner Express $3.50

Outer Express $5.00

Senior/TAP 2

Local Bus $0.75

Rapid Transit $1.00


Commuter Rail/Ferry Half Fare

Student

Local Bus $0.75

Rapid Transit $1.00


FERRyHingham/Hull/Quincy–Boston

$8.00

Boston–Logan $13.00

Hingham/Hull/Quincy–Logan

$16.00

Charlestown–Boston $3.00

ThE RIdEADA Trips $4.00

Premium Trips 6 $5.00

PASS CATEGORyLocal Bus Monthly $48.00LinkPass Monthly $70.00Senior/TAP $28.00Student 5-Day Monthly 3 $25.00Student 7-Day Monthly $28.001-Day $11.007-Day $18.00Inner Express $110.00Outer Express $160.00

COMMUTER RAILZone 1A $70.00Zone 1 $173.00Zone 2 $189.00Zone 3 $212.00Zone 4 $228.00Zone 5 $252.00Zone 6 $275.00Zone 7 $291.00Zone 8 $314.00Zone 9 $329.00Zone 10 $345.00InterZone 1 $82.00InterZone 2 $100.00InterZone 3 $109.00InterZone 4 $118.00InterZone 5 $134.00InterZone 6 $151.00InterZone 7 $167.00InterZone 8 $184.00InterZone 9 $201.00

COMMUTER BOAT $262.00

COMMUTER RAILOff–Board

Purchase 4On-Board

Purchase 5

Zone 1A $2.00 $5.00

Zone 1 $5.50 $8.50

Zone 2 $6.00 $9.00

Zone 3 $6.75 $9.75

Zone 4 $7.25 $10.25

Zone 5 $8.00 $11.00

Zone 6 $8.75 $11.75

Zone 7 $9.25 $12.25

Zone 8 $10.00 $13.00

Zone 9 $10.50 $13.50

Zone 10 $11.00 $14.00

InterZone 1 – $2.50









ChARLIETICkET or CAShAdult

Local Bus $2.00

Rapid Transit $2.50


Inner Express $4.50

Outer Express $6.50

Teens prep for medical careers on Bowdoin Street

Dr. Alphonso Brown, top row at center, is pictured with the 11 graduates of hisinaugural Medical Scholars Program, ICAN, during a ceremony at the Bow-doin Street Health Center last Saturday, June 9. Photo by Sharon Ng

Documents

Dorchester Reporter 24-12web.pdf · 2018. 2. 19. · Charles Yancey’s resume in-cludes a brief tenure as City Council president and his founding of an annual book fair. Now the