VOL. 114 - NO. 36 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 $.30 A COPY St. Anthony’s Feast Happy Breaks Record Numbers Labor Day SEPTEMBER 6, 2010 The Annual St. Anthony's Feast held in filled with many food vendors and guests Boston’s North End drew thousands upon enjoying the sights and sounds of the thousands to celebrate the two saints, festivities. To view additional photos see St. Anthony and St. Lucy. The streets were page 8. (Photos by Rosario Scabin, Ross Photography) Respect the Working Man and Woman You Deserve a Rest!!! by Preserving Their Jobs by David Trumbull As I sit in a comfortable life, security, and even luxu- we are to have the oil to fuel chair in my air-conditioned ries the envy of princes in our economy. Someone has News Briefs office today the outdoor tem- an earlier age. The bright, to hoe and weed to keep by Sal Giarratani perature is expected to reach hardworking, and daring Whole Foods (whole-pay- the mid-90s. As my fingers men and women of Wall check we call it my house) move across the keyboard Street and other financial stocked with the organic Downtown Crossing Chiming Away the overhead light reflects markets created new and fruit and vegetables we love I was in Downtown Boston the other day and off my freshly manicured innovative ways to maximize to consume. while standing on Summer Street I listened to nails and the cuff links in wealth and gave us the most American policy for 20 those chimes ringing on the old Filene’s Build- my soft clean white shirt. As prosperous society the world years or more has been to ing. The chimes were playing, “On a clear day, I think of my relative com- has known, and one in maximize imports and pay you can see forever.” Only trouble, it wasn’t a fort I remember that I enjoy which wealth, has been for them with credit. We clear day and I could just make out Winter ease because other men distributed more widely import oil from the Near and Street. It is, by the way, so depressing to walk and women are out in the than ever before. In sum, Middle-East rather than around Downtown Crossing and remember heat and sun doing dirty our financial markets — at drill our own abundant sup- the way it once was. Back in the day, it was backbreaking work. And that least when left alone — do plies. We have some of the like taking a trip to New York City and shop- is why we set aside the first a bully job of managing largest tracks of fertile land, ping in Manhattan. However, that was then, Monday in September as wealth. But they do not cre- yet we import food from this is now. If it wasn’t for the street vendors, Labor Day. ate wealth. Ultimately you sources so dubious that this area could be called Death Valley. Of course, Labor Day hon- have to make it (manu- many of us do not consume Once again, I passed by the former Barnes & ors all workers, not only facturing), mine it (digging raw vegetables unless we Nobles and remembered when the place was those who do manual labor. or drilling), or grow it (agri- can ascertain their origin. Grant’s Department Store. I heard the reason But it is good to remind our- culture). Someone has to And as for manufacturing — this former bookstore is still vacant is because selves from time to time of build houses for the eco- just go into Walmart and try the owner of the property is charging too much the necessity of manual la- nomic indicators to register to find something — any- to rent it to anyone. I read somewhere that City bor. Ordinary Americans an increase in housing Hall was trying to get the owner to lower the today enjoy necessities of starts. Some has to drill if (Continued on Page 14) rent but I don’t think that idea went anywhere. The owner can charge what ever he wants. The last thing we need in Downtown Boston is City Hall pushing rent control to fill empty store Mayor’s Column fronts. The city should concentrate on doing by Thomas M. Menino, Mayor, City of Boston something about that hole in the ground before Every fall Boston welcomes thousands leading academic institutions. Students it metastasizes the entire shopping district. of new young residents to the city, bring- come here from across the country and I remember how great the area was in its ing with them the excitement, antici- around the globe to study and they all heyday back in the 50s and 60s with all those pation, and promise of a new school contribute to Boston’s diverse and (Continued on Page 14) year. With 34 colleges and universities, Boston is home to some of the nation’s (Continued on Page 2) THE POST-GAZETTE SATELLITE OFFICE IS NOW OPEN AT 35 BENNINGTON STREET, EAST BOSTON This office is open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM and Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PMPM, for the convenience of our East Boston and North Shore clients and contributors Call 617-227-8929 for more information Page 2 POST-GAZETTE, SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 • Mayor’s Column (Continued from Page 1) vibrant culture. Whether liv- whenever possible. If you see ing on campus or in one of anything suspicious, call the city’s neighborhoods, we 911. You can also use social want to ensure that stu- media to follow Boston Police dents and neighbors enjoy Department and other pub- a smooth transition this lic safety agencies to get fall so that everyone can timely updates on important enjoy all that Boston has to safety information in your offer, throughout the year. neighborhood. AT HOME IN OLD ROME, LA FAMIGLIA Just as our universities do While students come to During primitive times in accepted into the household their strong family ties, a great job of educating our Boston primarily to study, I ancient Rome, the family or of her husband or his father, there seems to be one young students, we must encourage them to take “familia” was considered to she was considered pro- consistent trait that was also educate the students this great opportunity to be all of those persons living tected by his household gods. evident throughout all of about their rights as tenants explore and experience liv- under a single roof. These Her dowry also became the Roman history; the capacity and their responsibility to ing in a world class city. Bos- people came under the property of the family head. for obedience to the family be a good neighbor. In ton is home to some of the rule of the father, who was When the father died, the elders. The patria potestas many neighborhoods, col- country’s greatest public the man of authority and eldest son often took his or supreme authority of the lege housing is in close prox- spaces like historic Boston known as “pater familias.” place as the family head father was the basis of their imity to residents who often Common, the Public Garden The Familia. until the brothers and sis- family life. Because of their have very different sched- and Franklin Park, and the The familia included the ters married and left to start ability to accept and obey a ules than college students nation’s first and oldest pub- wife, children, husbands their own families. A window higher authority they devel- and they must remember to lic library. As a student in or wives of married chil- also came under the protec- oped their as soldiers, con- be respectful of the working Boston, you’re eligible to get dren, grandchildren, ser- tion and the guardianship querors, law-makers, states- professionals and families a library card and enjoy the vants, slaves and even freed of the oldest son as did the men, and most important who are their new neigh- many great programs and persons living in the house. unmarried girls in the world builders. Through this bors. Our city agencies work lectures downtown and in All owed their respect and family. principal trait of unques- hard not only enforcing codes the neighborhood branches. obedience to the “pater The early Roman laws also tioned respect for parental and keeping streets clean, We also host many wonder- familias.” gave a father the power to authority, they have left an but also to help resolve ful special events through- The roots of the old Roman sell one of his sons as a slave indelible mark on the his- any quality of life issues for out the year. patriarchal system seem to for a fixed period of time. tory of the world. both new and long time resi- There are many ways go back to barbaric times Later laws permitted the son This is part of our heri- dents. Residents are re- students can reach us when wives were captured or to be automatically released tage, our extraction, our cul- minded that household with questions about city purchased. The husband from the “patria potestas” ture and our Roman roots. trash should be placed out- government or to report was eventually accepted as and become a free citizen This is why we would never side on regularly scheduled issues: (1) by phone 24/7 at the sole owner of the domes- after having been sold three even think of sitting down to pickup days to avoid viola- 617-635-4500, (2) online at tic animals, the members times.