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Dorchester Reporter “The News and Values Around the Neighborhood” Volume 37 Issue 34 Thursday, August 20, 2020 50¢ A FARM BLOOMS ON NORFOLK STREET Boston plan for school return still unresolved Walsh: ‘We’ll make the right decision’ BY KATIE TROJANO REPORTER STAFF With school districts across the city and state readying for a return to instruction early next month — either in- person, remotely, or via a mix of the two—Boston remained in a holding pattern this week after seeking state approval to put off the beginning of classes until later in September. Farmers at work at the Clark/Fowler/Epstein Farm on Norfolk Street this summer. Robin Luddock/WBUR photo On Tuesday, Mayor Martin Walsh and BPS Superinten- Urban farming thrives as pandemic simmers dent Brenda Cassellius, in a joint appearance at a back-to- own food to support the war and their communities. in terms of climate change BY BRUCE GELLERMAN school supply drive event at effort. By 1944, 20 million Boston’s commercial urban emissions. It’s estimated that WBUR REPORTER the Kroc Community Center victory gardens produced 40 farms are different from most food travels an average Boston is home to the na- on Dudley Street in Dorches- percent of America’s fresh their industrial counterparts. 1,500 miles before arriving on tion’s oldest continuously ter, said that the start of the vegetables. America’s large industrial your plate. operated victory garden. The academic year will “look differ- Today, Boston’s new urban farms are largely mechanized But in Mattapan, Roxbury 500 small plots in the Fenway ent” for the district’s 57,000- farms carry on that tradition, and extremely efficient at and Dorchester, the distance neighborhood date back to plus students. Neither would World War II, when citizens providing not just food, but feeding the nation, but that from farm to fork can be as benefits for the environment efficiency comes at a high cost say if the district will choose a were encouraged to raise their (Continued on page 21) fully remote or hybrid return to learning. Proposal for apartments on Old Colony site aired (Continued on page 5) Some vexed port Tavern, is now being used by a neighboring car USPS moves by its scope dealership as a storage area for its vehicles. The parcel prompt swift BY KATIE TROJANO is owned by Phillips Family REPORTER STAFF Properties, which also con- rebuke from Development plans to trans- trols Boston Bowl, Phillips form a landmark Morrissey Candy House, Ramada Inn, Democrats Boulevard dining and function and Comfort Inn among its facility that shut its doors in Dorchester holdings. BY DANIEL SHEEHAN 2017 into a 206-unit apart- Phillips Family Proper- REPORTER STAFF ment complex with a roof ties partnered with national At a press conference outside deck, dog spa, and 136 parking A rendering of a proposed apartment complex that would developers at the Michaels the US Postal Service’s South spaces received an extensive be built at 780 Morrissey Blvd. Image courtesy C3 Architects Organization and Cube 3 Station facility on Tuesday, US airing – and forceful pushback Studio Architects to commis- Rep. Stephen Lynch took aim about flooding, access to the in a virtual meeting hosted The acre-and-a-half site at sion the project. Jay Russo, at new Postmaster General sea, traffic, and displacement by the Boston Planning and 780 Morrissey Boulevard, once vice president of development Louis DeJoy and the Trump from some of the 30 or so Development Agency (BPDA) home to the popular Phillips at Michaels, said the team administration for a series of neighbors who participated last Tuesday. Old Colony House and Free- (Continued on page 15) actions that he characterized as a “shameful” attack on the USPS and its employees. Hip-hop duo collaborate Backed by rows of postal workers and union representa- tives, Lynch accused the cur- on quarantine-themed EP rent administration of “threat- (Continued on page 7) BY DANIEL SHEEHAN While parts of the three-track ARTS & FEATURES EDITOR project were recorded and conceived In an era when many feel physi- years ago, Notez wrote many of cally and psychologically absent from the lyrics and Dephrase finalized society due to the secluding forces of the structure of the EP over the the pandemic, Dorchester recording last several months, making the artist Cliff Notez and Boston-based work — both thematically and soni- producer Dephrase have given us cally— forever tied to our present music for our times with their new quarantined reality. All contents © 2020 Boston Neighborhood EP, “Social Absence.” (Continued on page 18) Cliff Notez and Dephrase. Nick Surette photo News, Inc. Who’s looking after your health? Choose Your Doctor Today. Call 617-696-8809 for help selecting a Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton primary care physician or specialist. Page 2 THE REPORTER August 20, 2020 dotnews.com dotnews.com August 20, 2020 THE REPORTER Page 3 Police, Courts & Fire Storage facilities for MassDOT July’s rise in COVID-19 cases ‘has leveled off,” reports Walsh Two sought for armed robbery – Boston Police BY COLIN A. YOUNG of 2.8 percent. Visits to up in every neighborhood The city had 24 new cases test rate remained at its ton neighborhood. In a are asking for the public’s help to identify two men STATE HOUSE Boston emergency rooms except Allston/Brighton, reported Tuesday, but no all-time low of 1.4 per- Twitter thread Monday, (shown below) who held up the Great Wok at 1284 are under construction near I-93 News Service for COVID-like illnesses Walsh said, though he new deaths to announce. cent in Monday’s report. East Boston Rep. Adrian Massachusetts Ave. in Edward Everett Square at The rise in coronavirus are down somewhat and noted that there was “Thank God,” he said. The three-day average Madaro discussed why shortly before 1 a.m. last Tuesday (Aug. 18). Accord- activity that worried stable over time,” the recently a pop-up testing The four major met- of the state’s COVID-19 his district and nearby ing to police: “One of the suspects was wearing all some public officials mayor added. Intensive site in the area and the rics that guide the city’s hospitalized population cities are experiencing black with a face mask and the second suspect was last month has “leveled care unit “usage in Bos- city is working to get the economic reopening and stands at 371, about 3 rates nearly four times wearing a red hooded sweatshirt with a gray hood off” in Boston, but the ton at Boston hospitals results from those tests. return to a more normal percent above the low of as high as the state and dark pants. The victim stated that the male in city is still scrutinizing are down to 74 percent Walsh said that the last social life hung tight at or 359 patients. average. the red displayed a firearm while the second male data for signs of shifts in from 82 percent, but our full week of data showed near their all-time lows Two hospitals are re- “Our COVID infection jumped over the counter and began gathering the the pandemic’s spread, daily average positive the city conducted more in the latest report from lying on surge capacity rates are higher because money inside of a small black backpack. The victim Mayor Walsh said Tues- test stayed up around 40 than 1,600 tests daily, the Department of Public (compared to none as re- our communities are stated the suspect with the firearm fired a round into day afternoon. cases,” he said. which he said was up 8.6 Health on Monday. cently as Aug. 9) and the systemically more vul- the ground before fleeing the restaurant.” Anybody “We’re expanding test- Speaking outside City percent from the previ- After almost a month three-day average num- nerable to the spread of with info can contact detectives at 617-343-4742 or ing and continuing con- Hall, Walsh noted that ous week. of a slow but steady in- ber of daily COVID-19 this disease,” he wrote. the anonymous tip line by calling 800-494-TIPS. tact tracing,” he said the city has maintained As of Tuesday, Walsh crease to 2.2 percent that deaths is 13, compared “This was true at the be- while noting that “the at least 20 testing sites said there have been prompted Gov. Baker to an all-time low of 11. ginning of the shutdown, positive test rate for the and continues to make 14,940 cases of CO- to hit pause on the At 7.9 percent, East and it has become truer week ending Aug. 10 was testing more accessible. VID-19 in Boston and statewide economic re- Boston has the highest as MA has progressed 2.6 percent, that’s down The number of tests 746 people in the city opening, the seven-day positive test rate for through the phases of from the previous week conducted in Boston is have died with the virus. average of the positive COVID-19 of any Bos- Reopening.” A MassDOT storage facility under construction, as seen last week from I-93. John Forry photo A construction project that’s currently underway ment, and a chain link perimeter fence from the and visible from I-93 near the Freeport Street exit project site and backfill new building footings and in Dorchester will house two salt sheds and a steel demolish an existing building at the site. The salt @BostonSouthBay maintenance structure for the state’s Department storage sheds will include a roof drainage system.