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1 Happy Mother’s Day See Page 13 for Mom’s Day drawing THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2019 FREE charlestown PATRIOT-BRIDGE Councilor Edwards UP FOR TWO Developers, BHA ready to meet questions costs of with residents and community busing students to By Seth Daniel getting the public review process Charlestown rolling and getting construction Following the blockbust- started on what we think is a er commitment of $30 million long-anticipated re-development By Seth Daniel from the City, the developers of of the public housing communi- ty,” he said on Tuesday. “I think Busing students to the Edwards the mixed-income Bunker Hill it’s pretty much accepted in the Middle School in Charlestown Housing development are ready to neighborhood that the status quo Cyan from Eastie is costing the school start meeting with the community is not acceptable. We’re ready to district more than $400,000 per ahead of their official City filings. Boston Housing Authority roll out the latest plan, getting in year, and Councilor Lydia Edwards Magenta the ground and getting this thing is leading a charge to reconsider (BHA) Director Bill McGonagle built.” that practice sooner rather than said they have scheduled meetings McGonagle said they have later – a move that could free up this month with BHA residents and with the general community scheduled a meeting with BHA valuable space in the Town for Yellow tenants for May 23. Charlestown students. regarding the revised development In a letter from Edwards plans. “We’re looking forward to (BHA Pg. 10) and Councilors Annissa Essaibi Black George, Michelle Wu, Michael Flaherty and Council President Andrea Campbell, there is a call New school superintendent makes to end the practice of busing East Boston students to Charlestown’s first public stop in Charlestown Edwards Middle School – where By Seth Daniel almost 90 percent of the students are not from the Town. New Supt. Brenda Cassellius “With the pending acquisi- made her first public appearance tion of a building on Paris Street Photo by Marianne Salza in Charlestown on Wednesday, and declining enrollment at East Terrell McQueeney goes high up for a tip-in during the fifth annual Turn May 8, and was quick to acknowl- Boston High leading to available It Around 3-on-3 basketball tournament last Saturday, May 4, at the edge there is a lot of hard work classroom space, we believe that Community Center. The tournament is for ages 10-18 and is designed to to undertake in the schools, but BPS is able to begin transition- have a productive activity for youth. See Pages 8 and 9 for more photos. beyond the classroom she con- ing East Boston students from fessed she needs practice on her Charlestown schools to local stick handling but doesn’t have schools in East Boston,” read the Encore Boston Harbor has traffic much trouble finding her edges on letter. “For example, East Boston the ice. High has indicated that they have plans in place for June 23 opening The new superintendent, com- a two-year plan to transition the ing to Boston after a long stint in By Seth Daniel rush could last after they open the school into a 7-12 school, which doors June 23. icy Minnesota, visited with resi- New School Supt. Brenda Cassellius would both help save funding for When thinking about the open- Encore President Bob DeSalvio dents of the Town on Wednesday made her first public appearance the school and save the district on ing of Encore Boston Harbor, told the Massachusetts Gaming at the Mayor’s Coffee Hour and on Wednesday in Charlestown at transporting East Boston middle neighbors ought to think of it as Commission (MGC) on Monday quickly made about 9,000 friends Mayor Martin Walsh’s coffee hour a period of time rather than a that they have engaged in a great when she shared her love of hock- on McCarthy Playground. Here, she is shown greeting little Callie Seney (EDWARDS Pg. 15) one-day rush – that due to the fact (CASSELLIUS Pg. 7) and her mother, Jess (off camera). that Encore isn’t sure how long the (TRAFFIC Pg. 7) YourYour home home isis our our mission. mission. EveEve Dougherty Dougherty [email protected] [email protected] ACE TEAM ACEIS A TEAM TEAM IS AOF TEAM REAL OF ESTATEREAL ESTATE AGENTS AGENTS AFFILIATED AFFILIATED WITH COMPASS, COMPASS, A LICENSED A LICENSED REAL ESTATEREAL BROKERESTATE ANDBROKER ABIDES AND BY EQUAL ABIDES HOUSING BY EQUAL OPPORTUNITY HOUSING LAWS. OPPORTUNITY " LAWS. " 2 PAGE 2 THE CHARLESTOWN PATRIOT-BRIDGE MAY 9, 2019 editorial BIG TOBACCO: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK OR: IS YOUR CHILD A NICOTINE ADDICT? In the mid-1990s, our newspaper group was honored in consecutive years by the Massachusetts branch of the American Cancer Society for our reporting and editorials regarding the regulation of tobacco products in our local communities. We wrote about every aspect of the tobacco industry, from the insidious means by which the tobacco companies were pushing their products with advertising geared toward young people, to taking to task local authorities who were not doing as much as they could have (by means of ordinances limiting smoking in public places) in order to prevent young people from becoming the future tobacco addicts of America. This exact week in 1999, we editorialized in favor of a state law to ban smoking in restaurants. So it was with a great deal of personal satisfaction that we took some degree of pride in what seemed to be the vanquishing of a foe -- the tobacco lobby -- that for generations in this country had reigned with impunity and that had seemed invincible until there finally were laws enacted throughout the country limiting the sale and use of tobacco beginning in the mid-2000s. Shortly after these laws went into effect, teenage cigarette smoking rates began to decline precipitously and smoking in public became an anathema. Big Tobacco had been defeated. Black Or so it seemed. But like one of those horror-film swamp creatures that becomes res- urrected in even more ominous form when exposed to seemingly deadly radiation, Big Tobacco is back -- and in a big way -- thanks to the new, so-called e-cigarettes. GUEST OP-ED A recent article in the New York Times put it this way, "Although teen cigarette smoking rates have fallen below five percent, America is now contending with an epidemic of young people using e-cigs, vapes, Resiliency in Action and other 'nicotine delivery devices,' as the tobacco industry christened them years ago in secret memos, searching for an official alternative to By Tim McKenna news of a plan to address that thinking about the implications describing their products as cigarettes." plot after the initial initiative was this commitment would mean Nicotine is considered by some to be the most addictive substance, Earlier this month we came announced last fall. The big for our organized youth sports legal or otherwise, known to man. In previous generations, teen smokers, together to witness the 123rd run- news though was the $30 million programs and field and facilities encouraged by images of James Dean with a cigarette hanging from his ning of the Boston Marathon, an for One Charlestown develop- space for sports in general. You lips, became lifetime smokers, assuring Big Tobacco of a steady stream event that Mayor Walsh reminded ment. This unprecedented com- see, like the mayor, I believe that of income ad infinitum. us is a continuing symbol of the mitment to affordable housing sport has the ability to teach and Teens once again have become the target consumer group for Big city’s resilience. Resilience is a will transform our community reinforce resilience to the young Tobacco, a dangerous trend on many levels. According to one study, theme called upon several times by and create a positive impact for and the young at heart as I make the effects of teens using these new products are dramatic and signif- the mayor, as it weaves together many families. However, as we my pilgrimage down to the fields icant: "For a teen, becoming nicotine-addicted greatly increases the the major pillars of his adminis- welcome more families into our and the Community Center sev- likelihood that they will graduate to traditional, combustible cigarettes. trative priorities. In order to have community we need to insure eral days a week to support the Importantly, nicotine addiction during adolescence increases the vulner- a resilient city, we must have not we have planned to expand our programs that are open to all. ability to subsequent addictions, like opioids or cocaine. For most users only a strong infrastructure plan open space and public services We are fortunate to have sever- of illicit drugs, their initial addiction was to nicotine." to prepare for a changing climate, to accommodate our growing al growing sports programs in More ominously, the use of these new products, known ubiquitously but we also need to have strong neighborhood. town but that means we have to as juuling, delivers as much nictone in one pod as 200 cigarettes, all but schools, affordable housing, and a Along with several like mind- share the limited suitable space. assuring users of a fast-track to addiction. strong modern economy. ed neighbors, I have been spend- The bottom line is that Big Tobacco (which owns or controls all of the I am particularly fond of his ing a fair amount of time recently (OP-ED Pg. 3) largest of these e-cigarette companies) has found a 21st century means by Resilient Boston Harbor initiative which to hook a new generation of future tobacco addicts.