Summer in the City in BOSTON’S NORTH END
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VOL. 114 - NO. 31 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, JULY 30, 2010 $.30 A COPY 85th Annual St. Joseph Feast Summer in the City IN BOSTON’S NORTH END Bremen Street Park is one of Boston’s finest recreational Officers, members, trustees and volunteers gather in front of the statue of areas. Located in East Boston and operated by Massport, St. Joseph on Hanover Street. The weekend of July 23, 24 and 25th was packed with the 18.5 acre park includes playgrounds, a spray pool, great entertainment, food and devotion for St. Joseph. St. Joseph’s Feast kicked off large open lawns for sunbathing and picnicking, a the series of outdoor feasts coming up in Boston’s North End. For more photos see performance amphitheater and a community garden area. page 8. Seen in photo are children taking a much needed relief from this summer’s heat wave in the park’s spray fountain. Mayor’s Column by Thomas M. Menino, Mayor, City of Boston Recycling is one of the easiest steps Joint Committee on Telecommunica- News Briefs individuals can take to keep Boston’s tions, Utilities and Energy took an by Sal Giarratani streets clean and reduce waste disposal important step in advancing legislation costs. We have already made Boston one that will expand the definition of bever- of the greenest cities in the nation, but age containers to include water bottles Sign of the Times we still have a lot of work to do. The City and sports drinks. When the Bottle Bill Several weeks ago and before the Boston of Boston has worked hard to improve first became a law in 1982, no one could Herald page one story, I noticed those green our citywide recycling programs in have predicted the huge increase in signs giving credit to the American Recovery recent years by expanding recycling to consumption of bottled water and sports and Re-Investment Act for “putting America to every street corner of the city through drinks. Today, these containers often work.” I first saw those signs in Somerville the Recycle More! initiative and support- litter our streets, business districts and along Broadway near Ball Square and most ing the expanding of the state Bottle Bill. parks. Not only would the expansion of recently along a Dorchester Avenue construc- Last summer, the City of Boston this bill save important municipal tion site. announced that residents no longer resources spent on trash collection, but I loved when I saw them. It looked like a cam- have to separate paper and cardboard it is estimated that Massachusetts paign spot for our fearless leader Barack from cans and bottles through the Recycle would generate an additional $15-20 Obama. These signs come out of the monies More! program. Over the past year, the million in revenue as a result of the needed to repave roads and rebuild crumbling City of Boston has delivered 55,000 large Bottle Bill expansion. bridges. wheeled carts to residents throughout In Boston, we continue to move our Out of the near $1 trillion stimulus, the the city with the new “single-stream” city forward with innovative new green 50 states have spent $5 million on these signs recycling process. With these new projects and initiatives, and our col- with Massachusetts spending $433,000 alone 64-gallon recycling bins, we are mak- lective efforts in sustainability are the or one tenth of all the money for signs across ing it easier for residents and busi- reason Boston is recognized as one of all 50 states. There are nearly 300 of these nesses to recycle and maintain the the greenest cities in the nation. The signs up across the Commonwealth. These signs beauty of our city. Recycle More! has not Recycle More! program is just one look like another feel-good ploy on the part of only made it more convenient for resi- example of government and community politicians bragging about putting America dents to recycle, but it has also helped working together to create a more sus- back to work. Hey, at least sign makers are the City of Boston save money. For every tainable future. We are headed in the happy, huh? ton of trash recycled, the City saves $70 right direction, but we need to continue on resident trash disposal fees. The pro- to work together to advance important gram is very important to maintaining legislation and support individual efforts Joe Sciacca Named Boston’s environmental and economic to maintain clean streets and beautiful Boston Herald Editor sustainability and it is a great example neighborhoods. I appreciate everything Congrats to my friend Joe Sciacca for being of how we are working to ensure the that the City and our residents have named Editor-in-Chief of the Boston Herald. Joe long-term health of our city. done so far and I urge everyone to con- has been around the Boston Herald since 1983. For years, I have supported the state’s tinue their recycling efforts so that He was both bureau chief at City Hall and the Bottle Bill legislation and its effort to Boston remains a clean and beautiful promote recycling and help keep our place to live and work, now and well into (Continued on Page 14) neighborhoods clean. Last week, the the future. THE POST-GAZETTE SATELLITE OFFICE IS NOW OPEN AT 35 BENNINGTON STREET, EAST BOSTON This office is open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM and Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PMPM, for the convenience of our East Boston and North Shore clients and contributors Call 617-227-8929 for more information Page 2 POST-GAZETTE, JULY 30, 2010 Res Publica by David Trumbull THREE BALLOT QUESTIONS for Massachusetts Voters in 2010 CASTEL SANT’ANGELO Three Statewide The Emperor Hadrian was born in 76 and over 150 feet high. The exterior face ballot questions will A.D. His full name was Publius Aelius of the entire structure, including a appear on the No- Hadrianus. He filled high offices dur- cone shaped roof, was faced with vember 2nd, 2010 ing the reigns of Nerva and Trajan white marble. There were beau- Massachusetts State and was proclaimed emperor by tiful marble statues around Election ballot. I urge the army and the Roman the roof and a bronze all Post-Gazette read- Senate after Trajan’s death. quadrigae at the summit. A ers to study these He ruled as emperor from 117 central chamber held the questions carefully to 138 A.D. stone coffin of Hadrian; before enter the vot- History is still un- its base was later ing booth. certain about destroyed by fire QUESTION 1: Sales Hadrian’s formal and the lid is Tax on Alcoholic Beverages. education and now used as a This proposed law would remove the Massachusetts sales Castel Sant’ Angelo training. Some reports credit fountain in the Baptistry of tax on alcoholic beverages and alcohol, where the sale of (Restored View) him with being a architect St. Peter’s. such beverages and alcohol or their importation into the and others claim that he was Pope Gregory I was walk- state is already subject to a separate excise tax under state an extremely talented amateur. Ancient ing barefooted as he was conducting a peni- law. The proposed law would take effect on January 1, 2011. writers say he was accomplished in “arith- tential procession through the streets of QUESTION 2: metic, geometry, painting and art.” He was Rome to pray for the cessation of a plague Comprehensive Permits for Low- or Moderate-Income also a student of Greek art, architecture and which was ravaging the city in 590 A.D. Housing. civilization and was responsible for send- when he beheld a vision of Michael the This proposed law would repeal an existing state law that ing many young men to Athens to study. Archangel sheathing his sword while stand- allows a qualified organization wishing to build government- Hadrian was one of the most cultured and ing on the uppermost part of the mausoleum. subsidized housing that includes low- or moderate-income gifted figures in all of ancient Roman his- This vision coincided with the end of the units to apply for a single comprehensive permit from a tory, but was not without his vanity and tem- plague and the structure has been called city or town’s zoning board of appeals (ZBA), instead of sepa- per. As a young man he was snubbed by the Castel Sant’Angelo since that time. A cov- rate permits from each local agency or official having celebrated Greek architect Apollodorus of ered passageway from the tomb to the jurisdiction over any aspect of the proposed housing. Damascus. Later as emperor he was again Vatican was built by Pope Nicholas III in Under the existing law, the ZBA holds a public hear- severely criticized by the same architect on 1277. This permitted the tomb to be used by ing on the application and considers the recommendations the design of a temple. This was a bit too future Popes as a place of safety during the of local agencies and officials. The ZBA may grant a much for Hadrian and it became the last time when the city was under siege. comprehensive permit that may include conditions or critique ever made by the tactless The mausoleum has always been used requirements concerning the height, site plan, size, shape, Apollodorus. by the party in power as a stronghold. At or building materials of the housing. Persons aggrieved by Hadrian was also an ardent traveler and least one Pope and many others were mur- the ZBA’s decision to grant a permit may appeal it to a court.