Italian Home for Children Lent Begins a Community’S 100-Year-Old Promise to Its Children Is Still Making Massachusetts a Better Place Today
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VOL. 121 - NO. 8 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, FEBRUARY 24, 2017 $.35 A COPY Italian Home for Children Lent Begins A Community’s 100-year-old Promise to its Children is Still Making Massachusetts a Better Place Today Wednesday, March 1, 2017 News Briefs by Sal Giarratani Another Great Song Goes Commercial Back in my younger days, I loved all kinds of great The girls of Home for Italian Children are gathered in front of the newly-constructed brick music. One hit I still remember was called “Everyday residence around 1928. People” by Sly & The Family Stone. I’ve been hearing it a lot lately on a TV commercial for a drug company. A PARTICULARLY DEADLY and pledged their help. Lead by nature of its services: from cus- I guess they must think people around my age need TIME IN HISTORY Father Antonio Sousa, pastor todial care to treatment, and their new meds, and give me my old music to sell it to As World War I was entering of St. Leonard’s Church and from only Italian children to baby boomers like me. its fi nal year and entire armies a group of 42 Italian-Ameri- children of all races, nationali- Why Doesn’t McCain were being transported around cans, the fi rst Home for Italian ties, and religions. the world, Boston was expe- Children was incorporated in HOW ONE CHILD’S Just Become a Democrat? riencing devastation at home. 1919. After a successful fund- JOURNEY EXEMPLIFIES OUR At the moment, the biggest pain in the (deleted) to In mid-1918, an unusually raising campaign, 10 acres CONTINUED COMMITMENT President Trump has to be constant critic U.S. Sen. virulent strain of infl uenza was of land were purchased in When Matt fi rst came to Ital- John McCain. Recently, he went after the president spreading around the globe. Jamaica Plain, at the direction of ian Home for Children, he sel- over a “failed” mission in Yemen. Said McCain, “When With an estimated 50 million Cardinal O’Connell, Sister Mary dom left his room, hiding under you lose a $75 million airplane and, more importantly, deaths worldwide, 3 percent of Valentina of the Franciscan his bed whenever he became an American life is lost ... I don’t believe you can call the world’s population at the Sisters of the Immaculate Con- frightened or anxious. For three it a success.” time, Boston was not spared. ception, along with six members weeks he avoided any meaning- Does that also mean that Trump was right during the During the late summer and of her order began operating the ful interactions with caregivers, GOP primary in saying someone is not a hero because fall of 1918, nearly 3,500 deaths Home for Italian Children. including his clinician. they got shot down over Vietnam and ended up a P.O.W. from infl uenza were reported in At the beginning, the found- Matt’s upbringing was trau- in the Hanoi Hilton for many years? Boston, and unlike outbreaks in ers had the foresight to also matic, which created feelings Seems like McCain still might be upset that he lost the past, this strain of the virus concern themselves with “other of insecurity, low self-esteem, to Obama in 2008, and that Trump actually took down had the largest impact on young children of Italian parentage, hopelessness, and a signifi- Clinton this past year. Maybe? Huh? adults between the ages of whose parents were unable, cant lack of trust. Matt was Warren Selling T-Shirts Now 20-40 years old; leaving scores for any cause, to support them very skeptical of any adult that Being an illiberal iconoclast like U.S. Senator of orphaned children. properly.” Italian Home for entered his world. He often Elizabeth Warren means never having to be sorry for THE POWER OF INDIVIDUAL Children, as it would come to be refused to attend school, did not being such a (deleted). After getting shutdown mid- RESPONSIBILITY HAS known, therefore was founded want to go outside, and found sentence on the Senate fl oor, she has once again LASTING IMPACT ON THE on by-laws that gave it a con- pleasure in very few activities. turned a negative into a positive. She so loves playing GREATER COMMUNITY tinuing function for children Isolation from the world was his the role of victim. Hit particularly hard in the long after the aftermath of the primary coping strategy. Her people are now selling t-shirts quoting Senate late summer and fall of 1918, infl uenza epidemic. Over the With kindness, predictability, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell saying, “Nevertheless, was Boston’s North End Italian years, the needs of children acceptance, care, and consis- she persisted.” that quote has now become a rally cry, community. Struggling, with the referred to Italian Home for tency, Matt slowly began to grief of loss and the challenges Children did indeed change. trust. He spent more time out of (Continued on Page 11) of so many children being left Coupled with the declining his room and began to partici- behind, church and community availability of the Sisters, the leaders stepped to the forefront agency began to change the (Continued on Page 7) THE POST-GAZETTE SATELLITE OFFICE HAS MOVED TO 343 CHELSEA ST., DAY SQUARE, EAST BOSTON This offi ce is open on Tuesdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM and Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, for the convenience of our East Boston and North Shore clients and contributors Call 617-227-8929 for more information PAGE 2 POST-GAZETTE, FEBRUARY 24, 2017 Pothole Tracking Program Allows Public to Report and Track Pothole Repairs AUGUSTUS’ PERSONALITY He had an extremely calm and mild nature, which at one time even softened the heart of a conspirator who was about to push him off a cliff as they were crossing the Alps. Constant attention was given to his deli- cate health during middle age, a factor which enabled him to lead a full life up to age 76. He survived all of his illnesses by moderation in every activity. Records indicate that he often The Massachusetts Depart- portation systems remain safe used the sauna and took hot ment of Transportation (Mass- and reliable.” salt water or sulphur baths, DOT) has announced that it The pothole repair program but never visited a “Salone di is in the process of expanding also includes a fi eld application Massaggio.” its new, innovative pothole in- through which MassDOT road During his lifetime, he was formation program which was crews can input data outlining plagued with a number of piloted in areas of Central and the date, time, cost and materi- serious illnesses, including Western Massachusetts over als used to repair potholes. The In his physical make-up, and Romans to scrape the abscesses of the liver, catarrh, the past year and includes data collection structure uses Augustus was about average skin after a bath. and rheumatism. He complained an online MassDOT Potholes MassDOT’s GIS systems to es- size, but very well proportioned. He slept a total of about seven of bladder pains, but was great- Dashboard that provides data tablish an interactive webpage. He had yellowish brown hair, hours a night, but awoke three ly relieved after passing some to the public. This user-friendly Once entered, that information bright lively eyes, was con- or four times. During sleepless stones. In his later years, he dashboard includes a map that then becomes viewable in real- sidered to be a very hand- periods, he often sent for readers or was also greatly affected by cold details pothole locations and time to the public via the online some and graceful man, but not storytellers, and would never or heat. During winter months size, the number of potholes dashboard. the least bit particular about the lie awake in the dark without he wore four tunics, a heavy fi lled, the type of material used, The program has been suc- grooming of his hair or beard. having someone sit at the side toga, an undershirt, a woolen and the total approximate cost. cessfully piloted in the Spring- He would usually read or write of the bed. chest protector, wraps for his (Please see above image of the fi eld and Worcester areas and as he sat in the barber’s chair In his personal living habits, thighs, and a fur-lined “asago MassDOT Potholes Dashboard.) MassDOT will expand the ser- while several barbers worked in Augustus was fairly moderate. Balterus.” MassDOT can also use this vice to the remaining districts a hurry. His beard was either He used the same bedroom In summer, he slept in an data when making capital in- over the next several months. clipped or shaved, whichever in summer and in winter. For open court near a fountain vestments decisions to focus MassDOT expects the appli- suited his mood at the time. private activity and freedom while fanners worked in re- our resources on roads and cation to be implemented in His fi ve feet, nine inches in from interruption, he used an lays. He always wore a broad- areas that require consistent Western Massachusetts near height was not very notice- attic room, which he called brimmed hat in the open air, pothole repair and manage our the New York border, South- able unless a taller person “technyphion” or little workshop. and did all of his traveling at assets in a cost-effective man- eastern Massachusetts, Cape was standing next to him. He vacationed in towns near night in a litter. ner that prevents emergency Cod and the Islands within the His body was covered with Rome, such as Lanuvium, After becoming too old for pothole repairs.