Dorchester Reporter “The News and Values Around the Neighborhood” Volume 31 Issue 12 Thursday, March 20, 2014 50¢ SERVING UP LAUGHS AND LEADERS Liquor law fix seen as key to business life in neighborhoods By anDy metzGer streets, and restaurants state house play a critical role in news service that.” Boston politicians Pressley’s bill, which and business people was supported by the seeking to wrest control Boston City Council of restaurant liquor 12-1, would allow the licensing from state city’s licensing board to lawmakers and a gov- determine the number of ernor-appointed board licenses available, give told a legislative com- the mayor and council mittee on Tuesday that the power to appoint some neighborhoods are the commission, and starved for nightlife. increase the number “We need to return the of commissioners from liquor licensing process three to five. A 1906 to the city of Boston. law, widely regarded It’s simply a matter of as a check on Boston’s fairness,” City Councilor Irish politicians by the Ayanna Pressley told Yankee-dominated Leg- Senator Linda Dorcena Forry was joined by Governor Deval Patrick during Sunday’s St. Patrick’s Day the panel. “This is not islature of that era, gives Breakfast, which was hosted for the first time by Forry. Patrick quipped: “Have a good look everybody. about converting main the governor author- This is what a Forry and a Patrick looks like these days!” Photo © Don West streets into New Orleans ity over appointing the Bourbon Street,” she three-member board, said. “This is about and a corollary state cap Barbs, with a side of Dorchester recognizing that in order on the number of licenses By Gintautas Dumcius of hosting the annual St. Patrick’s Day breakfast, for an urban community means state lawmakers news eDitor where politicians traditionally have traded light to be healthy, it has to are constantly asked Linda Dorcena Forry took the microphone on barbs with one another. have a thriving main (Continued on page 20) Sunday morning and looked out into the crowd Last year’s host, City Council President Bill at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center Linehan, was thousands of miles away, in Limerick, where some 700 residents from Dorchester, South Ireland, for that city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. His In Mattapan, Boston, and Mattapan were dining on eggs, hash, absence provided much of the podium fodder, as and sausages. “Last year I got eight seconds,” she did Republicans, like former Sen. Scott Brown and quipped. Republican candidate for governor Charlie Baker, a push for re-use This year, it was two hours and a half. She is the on a stage overflowing with Democrats. First Suffolk District’s state senator now, instead of a candidate, and with the position comes the job (Continued on page 4) of Cote Ford site By Dave eisenstaDter for the city-owned prop- Boston’s Top Foreign-Born Populations: Vietnamese special to the reporter erty. Rooney held a com- BPL exhibit Long a condemned munity meeting at the eyesore, the Cote Ford Mattahunt Community site in Mattapan is being Center last Wednesday maps changing seen more and more as to discuss the agency’s a place ripe for develop- upcoming request for ment, regardless of what proposals. “When we face of the city’s happens with plans for bring out the developers, a nearby commuter rail they will go before you station. for criticisms and ques- neighborhoods Christopher M. Rooney tions,” Rooney told the By Dave eisenstaDter Copley Square. of the city’s Department dozens of attendees. “If special to the reporter “The original inspi- of Neighborhood Devel- you don’t support them, From Irish, Jews, and ration was all of this opment (DND) is the the city is not going to Italians to Vietnam- great data that came project manager charged push forward.” ese, Haitians and Cape out of the 2010 census,” with attracting a buyer (Continued on page 11) Verdeans, a new map said Michelle LeBlanc, exhibition covering the director of education past 100 years shows at the Leventhal Map Boston’s changing popu- Center and co-curator lation. “City of Neighbor- of the show. “It told us hoods: The Changing about what has been Face of Boston” opens going on with population Saturday, March 22, at and demographics, and the Norman B. Leven- being the map center thal Map Center at the we wanted to show this All contents copyright Billy Traft does it again © 2013 Boston Boston Public Library in Neighborhood News, Inc. (Continued on page 9) One of the maps featured in a new BPL exhibition. Page 2 Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton’s Saturday, April 5, 2014 5th annual 10:00 AM-1:00 PM BID-Milton, 199 Reedsdale Road, Milton, MA 02186 DIABETES Call 617-696-8810 to register. FAIR 2014 Hear from a panel of BID-Milton clinical experts on the latest in diabetes care, Join us for a morning devoted and visit our exhibitors for some valuable to helping you better information and resources. manage your diabetes! A free diabetic-friendly lunch will be served. Page 2 THE REPORTER March 20, 2014 Reporter’s Notebook On The Record More time for talk on Billy Traft does it again charter school cap issue By Gintautas Dumcius the cap, “I have no problem with that,” news eDitor Walsh said. The debate over lifting the charter Walsh also confirmed that he school cap will stretch into next privately met with Bill Gates, the week as the Legislature’s Education billionaire founder of Microsoft, and Committee continues to seek a compro- ten other mayors from around the mise. Charter school advocates have country last Friday in Washington ratcheted up pressure on lawmakers, where, he said, he discussed Boston including state Sen. Sonia Chang- possibly receiving foundation funds Diaz, co-chair of the Committee on from Gates for education. “I don’t Education, calling on them to release know about the money yet, but we’ll a bill lifting the cap. Separately, public find out,” the mayor said. “But he school parents who oppose charter was very pleased to hear about our schools sent a petition to the committee superintendent search that’s going on this week, demanding that the cap here in the city, [and] he was excited stay in place. to hear about our commitment to In a meet- early childhood education. He was ing at the also excited to hear about my support State House of charter schools. Because those on Tuesday, foundations really look at education, Dot’s own Billy Traft won his latest boxing match on Monday at the House of the commit- they don’t look at the type. So we had Blues in Boston. The Boston cop from Adams Corner dealt out a first-round t e e g a v e a very good conversation.” TKO to his opponent Jose Brewer in a super middleweight showdown. Traft i t s e l f a n is now 4-0 with two knockouts in his career. The fight was part of a special e x t e n s i o n Negotiations fruitless, Walsh St. Patrick’s Day Night at the Fights event. Above, the triumphant Traft is to kick out skips the parade in Southie shown his his corner team: Marty McDonough, left, and brothers Bobby and a bill. The extensive back-and-forth over Matt Traft. Photo by Emily Harney “ W e whether an advocacy group for equality know that will be allowed to march in the South Car hit with hail of gunfire near Ronan Park the clock Boston St. Patrick’s Day parade is over, A mid-afternoon shooting erupted across from the entrance of Ronan Park is ticking,” at least for this year. Mayor Walsh did on Monday, according to neighbors. Six to nine shots were fired at a car said Chang- not march, although he kept the door around 4 p.m. on Mt. Ida Road. The targeted vehicle, a black sedan, crashed Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz Diaz, a Ja- open until the last minute, hoping into two parked cars. The broad-daylight incident drew a swift and massive maica Plain that the parade organizers, the Allied police response. Democrat who represents parts of War Veterans Council, and the gay Two people who were in the car jumped out and ran off, leaving behind a Dorchester. Asked by a reporter if group MassEquality could come to an person in the crashed car, neighbors said. The person, a female, appeared to the extension was an indication that agreement that would result in gay be shaken but uninjured, according to one neighbor who spoke to the Reporter. the committee was getting closer to a veterans openly marching. Boston Police observed a light-skinned female running toward the black consensus, Chang-Diaz paused and Walsh’s statement on his stance sedan and picking up a purse, according to the police report. She said she exhaled: “I think it’s an indication about marching in the parade came in was the driver, and when she heard the shots, she panicked and hit two cars. that there’s work left to do,” she said. at 9:18 a.m., as the annual St. Patrick’s Witnesses told police they saw a Toyota sedan, with New York plates, leaving “We’re not there yet.” Day breakfast roast, a separate event the scene with four black males inside. Two cars, aside from the black sedan, She then directed reporters to a held in the Boston Convention and were also hit with bullets, and the front windows of a second floor apartment statement from her office: “I continue Exhibition Center, was getting under on Mt.