Feeney Brothers Build New Home in a Familiar
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Dorchester Reporter “The News and Values Around the Neighborhood” Volume 29 Issue 41 Thursday, October 11, 2012 50¢ ‘It’s hard to get industrial space in Boston. We could Carney to get go to any suburban town and it would be a third of the price, but you stay with what you know.’ $19.1m in push – BRENDAN FEENEY to enhance its business model By GintautaS DumciuS tronic health records, newS eDitoR according to the state’s Carney Hospital is Department of Health expected to receive and Human Services. $19.1 million over three The hospitals must also years as the Dorchester focus on establishing Avenue medical center better coordinating care works with the state to when patients leave pilot alternative health a hospital in order to care payment models. lessen re-admissions. The funds, which are Andy Davis, the head considered incentive of Carney Hospital, payments, would be called the funding “a provided by the federal sign of things to come and state governments for health care and the to seven “safety net” hos- Carney.” The funds will pitals, including the Car- lead to “greater access” ney, to encourage them for low-income patients, to focus on electronic he added. safety, quality innova- Dr. Julian Harris, tions, and infrastructure the state’s director of improvements. the Office of Medicaid, The strings attached said the money will give Greg and Brendan Feeney, owners of Feeney Brothers Excavation Corp., have restored an old factory to the grants include the patients with chronic building at the corner of Park and Clayton streets into their contracting company’s headquarters. The conversion of primary diseases access to health brothers, who emigrated to Boston from Co. Sligo, Ireland in the 1980s, employ over 200 people as one care practices to “pa- care workers “who can of the region’s leading underground utility contractors. Photo by Bill Forry tient-centered medical help them navigate the homes” and the creation health system.” Feeney Brothers build new home of provider networks The funding an- linked through elec- (Continued on page 5) in a familiar place – Dorchester By Bill FoRRy the day they started turned out, the most who came to Fields Parents air concerns manaGinG eDitoR their own business back important ingredient to Corner within a year of Greg and Brendan in 1987 from the back mutual success has been one another in the early about choice plans Feeney don’t have to porch of Brendan’s three- the brother standing 1980s. Although both up in high-performing share an office on the decker home on Elmer close by their side. men have since moved By tayla holman schools, and graduation spacious third floor of Rd. “It worked on Elmer their families to suburbs Special to the RepoRteR rates have increased their new headquarters The brothers, then Rd.,” explains Greg. south of the city, their A small crowd was on while dropout rates have on Park Street. There’s still freshly arrived from “It worked well on Bay work home has always hand Tuesday evening decreased, officials say plenty of room here for County Sligo, Ireland, Street [in Savin Hill] been — and always at the Mildred Avenue there was still more to the owners of one of had only a few mate- for all those years. We will be— Dorchester. School in Mattapan as do to close the education the region’s top utility rial assets in those days, work well by bouncing And so, as they eyed a Boston public schools gap. contractors to spread out including a used, 1973 things off one another. new, larger building to officials held the fifth The department has if they really wanted to. Ford dump-truck, a few Why change it?” base their now-booming in a series of commu- proposed five alternative But the Feeney broth- shovels and a brand new Indeed, the “ain’t broke enterprise, they knew nity meetings focused on models and is seeking ers have been sharing backhoe that they broke –why fix it” posture helps that the search party proposed changes to the input from the public. A space with good humor the bank to buy. explain a lot about these would have to begin city’s school assignment sixth proposal, unveiled and great success since But for each man, it’s two Irish entrepreneurs (Continued on page 20) process. The school depart- by a coalition of elected ment is looking to shift officials last week, was away from the current set to be presented Book hails drumming legend Hanna three-zone model, which formally last night to the External Advisory By Jackie Gentile Hanna, a Dorchester their mother’s sewing has been in place since Committee (EAC). That Special to the RepoRteR native who became a machine instead until 1988. Although more Kicking off a four-stop popular figure in the the finish came off. With seats have been opened (Continued on page 17) book tour, author Maria American jazz scene, a good pair of both ears S. Judge spoke at the to a traditional Irish and drumsticks, Hanna “hometown” launch at storyteller or seanachai, set out to do what he INSIDE THIS WEEK the Dorchester Histori- specializing in humor loved. cal Society on October and creativity. “And he never looked A wave of devel- 7. Her new book is Jake At the tender age of back,” said his older opment planning Hanna: The Rhythm and 7, Hanna followed in sister Eleanor Judge along Morrissey Wit of a Swinging Jazz his older brother Bill’s with a laugh. “He just Boulevard’s north- Drummer, a biography footsteps and joined the had those drumsticks in west corridor pres- that documents the life of St. Brendan’s Bugle & his hands for the rest of ages good things her late uncle, musician Drum Corps. Without a his life.” Jake Hanna. drum set, the brothers The author and the for Dorchester. All contents copyright Page 8. © 2012 Boston J u d g e c o m p a r e s got creative and used (Continued on page 5) Neighborhood News, Inc. Page 2 THE REPoRTER October 11, 2012 Reporter’s Notebook On The Record New Jersey’s Whitman Fenway family fete touts Brown in Dorchester independent bid for the White House. Brown, who shares some advisers with the Romney camp, pointed to Republicans who are fiscally conserva- tive and socially moderate, a shrinking caucus. He rattled off the names of Richard Lugar, Joe Lieberman, Kent Conrad, and olympia Snowe, all considered centrist Democratic and Republican senators who will not be returning to Capitol Hill next year. “We’re a dwindling breed,” he said. After the press conference, Whitman and Brown, along with Brown’s wife, Gail Huff, headed to the back of the Phillips House for a private luncheon. Council to hold meetings on redistricting proposals US Sen. Scott Brown talks as Chris- If there’s a Monday holiday, the City tine Todd Whitman listens at their Council usually skips the schedul- endorsement Tuesday at Phillips old ing of its weekly meeting. But the Colony House. Bill Forry photo 13-member body finds itself in unusual circumstances: They have just a few By GintautaS DumciuS weeks to redraw the boundaries of the Mary and Ken Bruynell watched their grandson, Bobby Barrett, play in the newS eDitoR nine council districts. Mayor Thomas Yawkey League All-Star game on oct. 6 at Fenway Park. Bobby, a Dorchester US Sen. Scott Brown picked up the Menino has already vetoed two maps, resident, is a member of the Somerville Alibrandi Club, who were also Yawkey endorsement of former New Jersey each of which passed by a narrow League Champs for 2012. Barrett batted a very impressive .384 in 33 games Gov. Christine Todd Whitman on margin. this season for the Somerville entry, posting 43 hits and 20 RBIs. Saturday’s Tuesday at the Phillips Old Colony The council, which must redraw the all-star game was only the second time Mary has ever been to Fenway. House on Morrissey Boulevard. Look- boundaries every ten years to account Photo courtesy Barrett family ing for a full six-year term, Brown, a for shifts in the city’s population, is Wrentham Republican, is in a close expected to hold a special meeting battle with Democratic candidate Voter registration deadline is next Wed., Oct. 17 today after the committee tasked with Elizabeth Warren, who visited a The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 6 election is Wed., Oct. 17. the job meets at 10 a.m. for a “working construction site at South Boston’s The Massachusetts Mail-In Voter Registration Form can be downloaded at session.” Fan Pier several miles away around cityofboston.gov. Or pick up a form at City Hall, your local library branch or District 3 Councillor Frank Baker, the time of Brown’s press conference. post office. You can also request a form be mailed to you by calling 617-727-2828 the vice chair of the redistricting A flood of polls confirms the tightness or 1-800-462-VOTE. committee, has submitted a map, of the race and mailers from groups joined by District 5 Councillor Rob supporting each candidate litter front Consalvo and District 6 Councillor porches across the state. For its part, Fall foliage foray in Cedar Grove Cemetery Matt o’Malley. Their map would have Dorchester has served as a backdrop Boston Natural Areas Network and the Boston Urban Forest Council, invite Consalvo taking on more of Mattapan for numerous campaign events along you and your family to join local tree experts for a beautiful fall foliage foray.