VOL. 121 - NO. 47 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, NOVEMBER 24, 2017 $.35 A COPY Happy Draws Hundreds to Columbus Park on Boston’s Waterfront by Matt Conti In its largest event ever, the Thanksgiving Friends of Christopher Colum- bus Park joined with the Boston Parks and Recreation Depart- ment to host several hundreds at the 15th annual lighting of the park’s signature trellis on Monday, November 20th. Boston’s historic waterfront was transformed into a holiday wonderland when the park’s 260 feet of trellis were set aglow with 50,000 blue lights along with 14 decorated trees throughout the park. Entertainment was high- lighted by students and instruc- Frosty, Santa, and FOCCP President Joanne Hayes Rines are tors from the North End Music joined by kids to fl ip the switch at the trellis lighting. May you and your family and Performing Arts Center, Berklee College’s own Sam be blessed on Thanksgiving Robbins, and singer Sharon Zeffi ro performing a selection and throughout the rest of holiday classics. Special of the year ... guests Santa Claus, Rudolph, and Frosty kept the children entertained. Refreshments, holiday treats, and giveaways were provided by the Marriot Long Wharf Hotel, HP Hood News Briefs LLC, Joe’s American Bar & Grill by Sal Giarratani Waterfront, New England Dairy & Food Council, and Magic 106.7. GOP Can’t Blame Obama Anymore The Republican Party is pretty much useless. Back (Photos by Matt Conti, during the Obama years, the GOP said once they con- Blue lights on the Columbus Park trellis with Custom House NorthEndWaterfront.com) trolled the government in Washington, they would get tower. things done. Well, the GOP took the House, then the Senate and, in 2016, they took the White House and yet they still can’t accomplish anything. One would think Farewell Celebration for District 1 City Councilor the Democrats still controlled things in the Nation’s Capital. What happened to the Wall? What happened to Obamacare? Tax reform seems stuck in neutral with Sal LaMattina Republicans bickering with each other over philosophy, Outgoing District 1 City regional differences and the Democrats. Councilor Salvatore LaMattina Latest news is that the Republican House disagrees received a roaring farewell from with the Republican Senate over repealing state and hundreds of supporters at an local tax exemptions for taxpayers and now Senate East Boston celebration held Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants to include on November 16th at the Orient ending the Obamacare mandate in the Tax Bill now Heights Yacht Club. in the Senate. LaMattina gave an impas- The Republican Tax Reform seems destined for sioned speech thanking doz- defeat, adding one more Republican idea to fail miser- ens of family, friends and col- ably. With Republican leadership like this, one can only leagues, highlighting many cur- hope the Democrats don’t win the midterm elections rent and former public offi cials, next year and take back the Senate. including the late Boston Mayor Guess if Roy Moore Needs to Go, Thomas M. Menino. What About Franken, Too? Passing the torch, he warmly welcomed his successor, coun- U.S. Senator Al Franken, D-MN is now in major hot cilor-elect Lydia Edwards. Not- water over inappropriate sexual advances with at least ing Boston’s positive progress two women to date. You know more will come forward. in his nearly 30 years of public It always happens. Let’s see how the liberal media and service, he spoke of the Central the Democrats handle Franken. If they do nothing or Artery project, East Boston next to nothing, they shouldn’t knock Moore. Greenway and the vast improve- I say you go MOORE and take FRANKEN with you. ments in parks, public safety, schools and clean streets. He ended his speech by asking his constituents to discard stereo- types of “old and new” by com- POST-GAZETTE SATELLITE OFFICE ing together as “One Boston” 343 CHELSEA ST., DAY SQ., EAST BOSTON adding that “the best days of Boston are ahead.” Tues. 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM Thurs. 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM Call 617-227-8929 for more information (Photos by Matt Conti, Past, Present & Future District 1 Boston City Councilors: NorthEndWaterfront.com) Diane Modica, Sal LaMattina, and Lydia Edwards PAGE 2 POST-GAZETTE, NOVEMBER 24, 2017 Simple TIMES . by Girard A. Plante November is the month of and World War Two. Through remembrances that includes all the pressures piled upon several events evoking emotions him by a previous generation’s TRAJAN, HIS ACTIVITY AND IMMORTALITY beginning with the two holy expectations and unforgiving During the month of March victory over the Dacians. Eigh- days observed by Christians, societal norms, dad succeeded. 101 A.D., Trajan assembled teen hundred years later, it Veterans Day, and ending with Though he would not triumph his legions and headed for the is still in an excellent state of the biggest family tradition of against the enemy of cancer Danube, where he built roads preservation. The structure Thanksgiving Day. that consumed him since his and fortifi cations. The region of consists of eighteen blocks of The latter full month of the diagnosis 13 months earlier, Transylvania was north of this marble which were hollowed autumn season can change dad won in the human arena, area and it included the terri- out so that the internal portion wildly from mild to biting winds where, to him, life mattered tory of Decebalus, a celebrated formed a winding staircase to to blizzard conditions — some most. “Could you help me with king of the Dacians, to whom the summit. An ornamental days within hours. I must not my taxes?” certain friends and Domitian had agreed to pay an frieze covers the entire exterior neglect the most important family asked each February for annual tribute. Under Trajan, face of the column. This frieze duty of living in America: as long as I can recall. “Will you this Dacian king was defeated, is in low relief and in the form Election Day. November also give my wife a ride to work?” forced to destroy his fortresses, of a spiral band three and one- honors the official start of a close friend shouted as he surrender his weapons and half feet wide and six hundred the holiday season. No, I am shoveled a ton of snow from prisoners, and to make a new feet long. A total of twenty-fi ve not alluding to that awful day his driveway during an early peace treaty with Rome. The hundred carved fi gures gives after Thanksgiving dubbed morning blizzard. “My engine is Dacian chief did not honor his us a treasury of information on “Black Friday,” with its crass overheating, so do ya think ya treaty for long and Trajan soon the religion, military science, commercialism and harried race can solve the problem?” a young found it necessary to prepare for habits, and dress of the early to buy up the big box stores’ guy up the street from our house a second Dacian campaign. This Romans, which is far more valu- collection of one-hundred-inch asked on a blistering summer’s time, the Dacians fought harder able than thousands of pages of fl at screen TVs. day. Dad never refused to step and gave up their ground only descriptive writing or endless For me, November is a time in and help. inch by inch; but before long, book research. There is the gen- of quiet refl ection. Forty years Dad also never sought their army literally bled to eral and his staff, the Praetorian ago, my wonderful dad passed compensation for his selfl ess death, and Decebalus commit- Guards with their shoulder away after a 13-month battle generosity. He found accolades ted suicide. The captured terri- belts, standard bearers and with lung cancer. Such cancers at odds with the simple act of tory became a Roman province centurions, the common soldier were a death sentence in 1977. doing good deeds. When the and was peopled by settlers that carrying enormous stakes, mas- My dad fiercely fought the need arose, he reacted. He were taken from other Roman ter masons, pioneers with axes provinces. Thus, Trajan’s wars and crowbars, lancers, cavalry good fight even as he must passed along those traits to his extended the Roman Empire to and royal chargers, armored have known cancer would, children and grandchildren. its greatest magnitude in his- horsemen, and Moorish cav- ultimately, claim him at age 54. Humble as that sort of human tory and left a lasting mark on Trajan’s Column alry. Constructed bridges and Dad died the day prior to is, dad found true gratifi cation the history of that territory. causeways are shown along Thanksgiving, during my senior in helping others. And his surest In the midst of his campaigns foot soldiers in an attack on the with military machines attack- year in high school. The day contentment was knowing that and long absences from Rome, city, so cavalry was used. The ing forts. The confusion of a dawned like any other with his family was happy, healthy, Trajan still found time to direct brave Arabs routed the Roman defeated army is also shown; all the old neighborhood’s steady and safe. a great deal of construction. He cavalry; and Trajan himself, scenes are very vividly depicted. stream of kids going to one For 32 years, dad traveled enlarged the Circus Maximus, who narrowly escaped being The column is about twelve feet of my hometown’s four high 22 miles west to work at the repaired highways, built a new killed, was forced to withdraw.