Dorchester Reporter “The News and Values Around the Neighborhood” Volume 31 Issue 1 Thursday, January 2, 2014 50¢ Farewell, Dorchester ‘Service’ events to mark big Walsh weekend By Gintautas Dumcius been nice,” Walsh said. news eDitor “It’s fine, I don’t have Marty Walsh of Savin a problem with it,” he Hill will be sworn in as added. the next mayor of Boston Walsh said he and his on Jan. 6 on the campus girlfriend Lorrie Higgins of his alma mater, Boston had dinner with Menino College. The ceremony and his wife Angela last starts at 10 a.m. at the week. Conte Forum. Walsh’s inaugural Walsh will resign his festivities, which will 13th Suffolk House seat start on Friday Jan. 3 on Jan. 3, days before and stretch through the he takes the oath of weekend and culminate office, which will be ad- with a party at the Hynes ministered by Roderick Convention Center on Ireland, the chief justice Monday night, will have of the state Supreme a public service compo- Judicial Court. nent. Walsh said this O u t g o i n g M a y o r week he is seeking to Thomas Menino won’t keep civic engagement be attending. Walsh told alive after the first open reporters this week that race for mayor in 30 he did not feel “slighted years. at all” by Menino declin- Volunteer events in ing to appear at the Dorchester and Mat- swearing-in. “It would’ve (Continued on page 17) Work to begin on St. Kevin’s project By Gintautas Dumcius of community space, news eDitor instead of a replacement Mayor Thomas Me- for the Uphams Corner nino and officials from Branch Library, which the Boston Archdiocese city and project officials on Monday dug into the had initially considered. Columbia Road court- The former convent yard of the former St. and office building at Kevin’s campus, break- 35 Bird St. will also ing ground on a project be demolished, and aimed at providing 80 will have 12 units. The units of affordable hous- third and last build- ing in Uphams Corner. ing on the campus, at The project will in- 516 Columbia Rd., will clude two new buildings remain, rehabbed into on the site, which occu- 21 apartment units. The pies 2.63 acres bounded building will also receive by Davern Ave., Bird a third story. Street, Columbia Rd., Once a school, the and Virginia St. The campus was closed in former school building 2008, after the creation located at 530 Columbia of a Pope John Paul II Rd. will be demolished, Academy system. Three and a five-story building, Archdiocesan groups with 47 units, will go up. collaborated on the bid The building will also to turn the property After a few hundred ribbon cuttings, dozens of Mother’s Day Coffee have 1,000 square feet (Continued on page 3) Hours, scores of visits to schools and senior centers, and two decades worth of Dorchester Day parades, I can honestly say that INSIDE Dorchester is a wonderful place. There’s a special place in my heart Changing of the for Dorchester and I’m happy to have been able to work closely with guard at Mat- our many neighbors who make it such a great place. tapan ABCD. - Mayor Thomas M. Menino Karleen Porce- All contents copyright na takes charge. © 2014 Boston A LOOK BACK AT The MeninO erA: PAges 4 ThrOugh 16 Neighborhood News, Inc. Page 17. Page 2 THE REPoRTER January 2, 2014 Reporter’s Notebook On The Record Walsh mulls appointments Christmas tree fire damages ‘Trying to see what works’ Legion Highway building By Gintautas Dumcius top slots in the police, fire, and school news eDitor departments? “I mean, depending on On the morning after Mayor Thomas the constituency you talk to, they’re Menino’s first State of the City all important,” Walsh said. “There’s address in January 1994, an analysis not one that’s more important than in the Globe said, “Although the new the other.” mayor coasted through the holiday Walsh and his coalition: On season on a surfeit of good will, his Election Day, it was clear that Walsh administration never got out of first voters were pulling the levers for both gear.” The report noted that he hadn’t former principal Suzanne Lee and replaced any department heads who incumbent Bill Linehan in District 2, had served under Ray Flynn and that and Haitian-American activist Jean he is “still heavily dependent upon Claude Sanon and City Hall aide Tim Flynn holdovers in critical staffing McCarthy in District 5. Progressive roles.” activists had been pushing for Lee Marty Walsh, who is taking his time and Sanon, whose elections would with appointments while working to have diversified the 13-member City get a feel for the reins of government, Council. The incoming mayor may find could find himself in a similar situation himself caught between the factions after he is sworn in on Monday. Last within the coalition that brought him week, Walsh mentioned that he had into office. He doesn’t need to look gone down to New York City the week much farther than what happened to before and met with outgoing Mayor Michelle Wu, a candidate elected to Michael Bloomberg. He saw the one of the four citywide slots, who felt “bullpen” style of Bloomberg’s office in the wrath of progressive supporters action, with the billionaire mayor in when she said she would be voting a cubicle of the same size and in the for Linehan as city council president. same room as his staffers. “You know, The City Council: Unlike his no walls, everyone’s kind of in a cubicle counterpart in New York City, Mayor- type of situation, I actually liked it,” elect Bill de Blasio, Walsh did not Walsh said. “It was impressive.” wade into the battle over City Council Other urban cities have different set- president and signal whom he wants in ups, he added. “I’m trying to see what the chair. “I have a good relationship works and what’s the most efficient with pretty much everyone on the way of delivering the services we need council and I look forward to, as the to the people of Boston. There’s some new mayor, working with the new good stuff that happens in Boston now. council and collaborating,” Walsh said. I’m trying to see what’s the best way. “And I’m not going to start by getting And over the next couple of weeks I’ll involved in that fight.” The council will be figuring that out.” have more experienced hands than it It’s hard to predict what a brand did when Menino was elected – there A Christmas tree related fire destroyed one apartment in a building at 86 new mayor – one who has spent most are three new faces (Wu, McCarthy American Legion Highway near Franklin Park on Monday afternoon. Boston of his political life under a golden and Josh Zakim in District 8) and Fire officials say that the blaze was caused as occupants tried to remove the dome with 159 other lawmakers – will one familiar one (Michael Flaherty tree onto a second floor balcony. The fire displaced 10 people and caused an face in his or her first year. Menino is regaining an at-large seat). District estimated $250,000 in damage. Photo courtesy BFD had to deal with everything from 3 Councillor Frank Baker, a Walsh the New England Patriots pushing friend from the time they were small for a stadium in Boston to a white children growing up on Savin Hill, will BPD: Someone is stealing manhole covers supremacist group’s attempt to hold likely be the new mayor’s eyes and Boston Police asked for the public’s help on Monday after at least 20 manhole a rally in Southie. That was 20 years ears and could be particularly helpful covers were reportedly stolen from streets in four city neighborhoods, including ago. Some of the storylines, the ups as the mayor makes his way through Mattapan. According to police, the majority of the thefts have taken place on and downs of the hall at the bottom of his first budget. Friday night into Saturday morning. “Residents are strongly encouraged to a hill, will be different, but there will The budget: Once he takes office, contact 911 if they see a suspicious vehicle to be idling during these hours,” a likely be familiar echoes. Here are a few Walsh could be grappling with a $50 police statement said. “Police are asking residents to be vigilant while walking stories to watch for in the year ahead. million deficit. He will also be dealing or driving, especially at night.” The new mayor’s people: Whom with union contracts in the aftermath will he hire? This could take a while, of his campaign arguing that he could Primary election for Walsh seat is March 4 talk unions into accepting fiscally but two names are already on the The House of Representatives on Monday officially accepted the resignation responsible positions. But he angered Walsh administration roster: Sheila of Boston’s mayor-elect, Rep. Marty Walsh. The letter of resignation was dated members of the Boston Police Patrol- Dillon, Menino’s chief of housing Dec. 20 and will take effect on Friday, Jan. 3. The primary special election men’s Association when he called and the director of neighborhood for Walsh’s 13th Suffolk House seat has been set for Tuesday, March 4 with their arbitration award too rich.