Chattermark Distillery Looking to Make Its Mark in Charlestown
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THURSDAY, May 20, 2021 FREE charlestown PATRIOT-BRIDGE Heritage Club supporters slam process as corrupt By Seth Daniel in the Lost Village and Councilor Lydia Edwards adamantly against Supporters of the Heritage Heritage’s application and in favor Club marijuana store slammed the of the competing proposal by political leaders and the Boston Resilient Remedies (R2) – which Cannabis Board (BCB) process as also had its public hearing coinci- being corrupt and stacked against dentally on the same day. Heritage founder Nike John, a John and her attorney, Phil Black woman who is pursuing Silverman, made a short presenta- the license as an equity appli- tion to the Board, their second pre- cant amidst heavy competition sentation to the BCB after being from another more local operator, sent back to the drawing board during a hearing before the BCB last December. John came back on May 12. now with a new traffic study and The BCB hearing date was without co-owner Maggie Suprey stacked with intensity even before – who remains a friend and sup- the accusations and the testimony porter of John’s project. began last week, with neighbors John Sorgini and Kyle LeClerc of (HERITAGE CLUB Pg. 10) Chattermark Distillery on Terminal Street are preparing to finally get their product out the door. The Charlestown distillery One Mystic opening meeting pits started up about three years ago in their space, but hit many roadblocks with union leaders against BPDA opposition COVID-19. Now, they are preparing to open a tasting room soon and hit the By Seth Daniel borhood. market with locally-distilled, high-quality The meeting started with an bourbons, whiskeys and gins. The first review meeting for elongated presentation of the proj- the One Mystic residential tower ect to the community, which was a seemed to pit two groups against similar presentation as was made Chattermark Distillery looking to one another – the trade unions to the Charlestown Neighborhood that advocated for good jobs and Council (CNC) two months ago. a rejuvenation of Sullivan Square The basics of the project are that it make its mark in Charlestown – and the Boston Planning and is a high-rise residential tower on Development Agency (BPDA), the old Flynn Junkyard abutting By Seth Daniel something they do twice a day at to the basics as you can get. We which clearly does not favor the the Somerville City Line. There Chattermark Distillery. are a fully operating distillery, but project. are 695 units and 243 parking Last Thursday afternoon in the On the ground, Founder John we really try to keep everything Somewhere in the middle was spots and an active Food Market, industrial area of Terminal Street Sorgini leaned against 50-pound local and the product of a very the developer, the residents and a restaurant and walking Paseo at almost directly under the Mystic/ sacks of grain and rye that had high-quality.” group of young adults who see the ground level. The project was Tobin Bridge, Distiller Kyle just arrived from Maine. Chattermark has been around new development as a potential LeClerc fed grain into a two-story “We just got grain shipped in for about three years, locating in affordable home in their neigh- (ONE MYSTIC Pg. 13) tall tank to begin the bourbon from a family farm in Maine,” mashing process for the day – said Sorgini. “It’s about as back (DISTILLERY Pg. 11) Breaking News – Heritage Club approved The Boston Cannabis Board cation for the Resilient Remedies the past two weeks. (BCB) on Wednesday afternoon (R2) application on Sullivan “I’m excited we’re moving for- voted 5-0 to approve the Heritage Square. ward, but it is bittersweet,” she Club recreational cannabis store Heritage owner Nike John said said. “As much as I am excit- application off of Cambridge she is excited to move forward ed, it’s also not exciting because Street in the Lost Village, while at with her proposal, but said it’s the same time deferring the appli- bittersweet because of events of (APPROVED Pg. 9) CNC CORNER The Charlestown Neighborhood Council will hold a public meeting on Tuesday June 1 at 7pm. The meeting will be held both via Zoom and in-person at the Knights of Columbus (<50% capacity; masks required), 545 Medford Street. Please send questions via email to [email protected]. The link will A rendering of the Food Market and Paseo at the ground level of One be available on our website calendar on June 1 – https://www.charlestownneighborhoodcouncil.org/ Mystic shows a lively and healthy lifestyle on what is now a junkyard, Calendar.html. but City officials seem to be against the project due to its high density. PAGE 2 THE CHARLESTOWN PATRIOT-BRIDGE MAY 20, 2021 editorial WE DESERVE THIS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR GREAT WEATHER THANK YOU, As you know, the nexus tables will be critically important that is Sullivan Square is not to have in place before moving With Massachusetts entering the reopening phase after 14 months of MORRISSEY FAMILY only important to the residents forward with major develop- lockdowns, the arrival of the magnificent weather this week could not To the Editor, of the Charlestown neigh- ment and new enterprises in this have been better-timed. I would like to express my borhood, but also serves as a area. The Boston Planning and heartfelt appreciation to the All of us have had to make sacrifices to varying degrees during the vital access point to north- Development Agency (BPDA) Morrissey family and the Ryan ern New England from the Boston has also engaged the com- pandemic. “Duce” Morrissey Scholarship peninsula since the Colonial era. munity in a comprehensive Many of our fellow citizens have suffered greatly, whether from the committee. I have been blessed Therefore, this critical neighbor- PLAN: Charlestown process, deaths of loved ones, the loss of livelihoods, or the lingering effects of to have known Ryan and am hood project is not only urgent which will envision and encom- honored by the Morrissey family’s long-COVID. to the Charlestown community, pass much of this area. The generosity. I am entering my junior but also Greater Boston. Nearly status of current traffic miti- However, what has become clear throughout the pandemic is the year at Colby-Sawyer majoring a century of neglect rendered this gation plans for this area, as power of the resiliency of the human spirit. This was evident as we in early childhood education and transportation corridor not well as future infrastructure needs, were walking along a crowded Newbury St. in downtown Boston this hope to become a teacher. Again, only unmanageable, but also a must be part of the BPDA conver- thank you so much and thank past Saturday afternoon under sunny skies with temperatures near 80. hindrance to the future econom- sation. you also for helping “Townie” ic prosperity of Boston and its Better pedestrian, bicycle and Sidewalk restaurants were bustling, shops had customers, and people students reach their dreams and environs. Further delay will be multi-model access to public trans- were just happy to be out-and-about. goals. GOD BLESS!!! crippling to the regional economy. portation hubs on the periphery of We were reminded of the words of our mother after she’d been diag- Conor Kelly Development in the region has our neighborhood will allow some not slowed during the past year at of our city’s most isolated residents nosed with the breast cancer that eventually would overwhelm her: “Life the same rate as our infrastructure an opportunity to embark upon is for the living,” she would say. CONCERNS AS TO planning targets. We also cannot let workforce opportunities sprout- The pandemic has served to remind us that our existence is both short THE STATUS OF THE the recent diminished commuting ing up around us. The outskirts and fragile. Hopefully, with the realization that our grasp on this earth at volumes cast from our memories of town are being darkened by RUTHERFORD AVENUE the snarling traffic and public safe- development because of advances best is tenuous, we will have a greater appreciation of the simple things INFRA-STRUCTURE ty issues that plagued this corri- by cities on our immediate bor- -- a sun-filled sky on a warm afternoon -- and endeavor to make the PROJECT dor pre-pandemic. ders. Due to the lack of attention to most of every day as we strive to make the world a better place not only In 2003, decades of deferred public infrastructure at our end of To the Editor, for ourselves, but for those around us. maintenance caused the over- the City, Charlestown, and there- (The following letter was sent pass in Sullivan Square to be con- fore Boston, is bearing the brunt to BTD Commissioner Rooney by demned and demolished as an of the expansion of Assembly State Rep. Dan Ryan.) emergency act, not as a pro-active Row, North Point and Kendall LIZ CHENEY IS A I write to express my concerns transportation plan on behalf of Square. We are receiving very lit- PROFILE IN COURAGE as to the status of the Rutherford our community. Since then, we tle of the benefit. Avenue Infra-structure Project, as have been living with ramps to Moreover, Charlestown is home well as other revitalization and nowhere and a promise of correc- to the largest public housing devel- We disagree with Liz Cheney on just about everything, political- transportation improvements in tion. Through the focused efforts opment in New England, along ly-speaking. the vicinity of Sullivan Square. I by BTD and other stakehold- with two other major subsidized understand the Metropolitan We suspect that most of our readers also have felt the same way over ers in the past seven years much housing complexes.