VOL. 124 - NO. 3 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, JANUARY 17, 2020 $.35 A COPY 101st Anniversary of the Great Molasses Flood in Boston’s North End by NorthEndWaterfront.com January 15th is the anniver- American immigrant North of the sweet syrup, making it sary of the Great Molasses Flood End neighborhood at the time, incredibly hard to escape. of 1919 in Boston’s North End. was initially believed to be the The disaster brought nation- The United States Industrial result of a terrorist act. Taking wide attention to the lack of Alcohol Company constructed advantage of the anti-Italian industrial safety standards. a faulty 50-foot high steel tank sentiment at the time, company Complaints of cracks and leaks in 1918 on Commercial Street attorneys for the tank-owner in the tank were literally covered near where Langone Park is tried to blame sabotage by polit- with brown paint by the com- located today. Twenty-one peo- ical anarchists. The resulting pany that initially said anar- ple were killed and another 150 investigation and legal hearings chists blew up the tank. Later, injured when the tank ruptured — involving 125 lawsuits — was a lengthy class action lawsuit and exploded. the longest up until then in the brought forward damaging evi- A huge wave of the syrupy history of the Massachusetts dence resulting in a settlement brown liquid moved down court system. It ended in 1926 of $600,000 ($11 million in Commercial Street at a speed with a conclusive judgment: today’s dollars). Although Purity of 35 mph over two blocks the tank had been improperly used the molasses for industrial destroying all in its path. In designed in the fi rst instance alcohol, some hypothesize that today’s dollars, the property and its failure was due entirely the tank was overfi lled because damage is estimated at over to structural weakness, not to of the prohibition threat for $100 million. Purity Distilling a terrorist attack. possible use later to distill rum. Company, a subsidiary of U.S. A 2016 research study on the Neighborhood folklore has it Industrial Alcohol Company, Great Molasses Flood of 1919 in that you can smell the ill-sweet built the tank, 50 feet high and Boston’s North End says that remains in the summer’s hottest 90 feet wide. January’s cold weather made weather. (Sources: Wikipedia, The tragedy in the densely the molasses extra deadly. The Mass Moments, Wired) Firemen in molasses populated, largely Italian- cooling increased the thickness Last year, for the 100th anni- (Photo by Leslie Jones, Boston Public Library) versary of the Molasses Flood, See more at the Boston Public Library’s Flickr gallery. there were a number of events in the North End, including ing a human circle where the age over the years of the fl ood a commemoration event with tank once stood. Read more on by searching the tag: Great News Briefs residents and dignitaries form- NorthEndWaterfront.com cover- Molasses Flood. by Sal Giarratani New Anti-Robocall Laws Protects Consumers Deval Patrick Looks to Future and Past Is Deval Patrick a moderate or a progressive? It by MAConsumerAffairs depends who you ask, but the former Massachusetts In recent years, robocalls into law, dubbed the TRACED calls. Do not share any per- governor says the party should ditch the labels alto- have disturbed, cheated, and act. The legislation aims to sonal information or money gether. I think the party is a party of big ideas that scammed constituents, stealing counter robocalls in its mission with callers without appropri- work. “And I think, increasingly, I think a moderate nearly $1 billion from consum- to protect consumers. While ate verification. Be sure to seems to be a progressive who actually gets results,” ers in 2018 alone. Scam callers completely ending robocalls report any suspicious phone Patrick said during an interview last week. “We’re hav- may pose as various government will be diffi cult, here is how the calls to the FCC or the Federal ing a lot of conversations about universal healthcare. agencies or other organizations TRACED act protects you from Trade Commission (FTC). You We worked on that here. So apparently I’m a moderate requesting money, personal fraud and theft: can find more information because we actually accomplished it, or are accom- information and other data in • The act requires phone about consumer protection and plishing it. I don’t think any of the labels really work.” hopes to steal from or harm the companies to create processes reporting by visiting the FTC’s Iranian Missile Attack Pathetic person on the other line. or systems to recognize calls consumer information web While the Democrats were off the rails thinking In December 2019, there and block them before they can page https://www.consumer. President Trump was about to start World War III, were 147.3 million robocalls reach you, the consumer. Phone ftc.gov/articles/0259-robocalls, nothing of the sort happened or was ever going to made to people nationwide per companies must also block calls or the FCC’s consumer guide happen. day. Massachusetts consumers without charging you extra for on robocalls https://www.fcc. While Democrats paint a picture of Trump as alone received 1.6 million spam these services. Instead of ring- gov/consumers/guides/stop- Dr. Strangelove, our president was acting as smart as calls per day. It’s very likely that ing through to your phone, unwanted-robocalls-and-texts. a fox making Biden, Warren, and Sanders look like you have answered a robocall the calls will go straight to If you have additional ques- road kill. at some point. Robocalls have voicemail. Some phone compa- tions, contact the Office of Too bad the Democrats are still suffering from that become not only a consumer nies have already initiated and Consumer Affairs and Business anti-Trump Derangement Disorder. The Democrats nuisance, but also an extremely implement processes to reduce Regulation by calling our up at the House on Capitol Hill are running around dangerous practice, as your spam calling to consumers. Consumer Hotline at 617-973- carrying their heads in their hands as usual. private information and hard- • While the law has provi- 8787, or toll-free in MA at 888- earned money can potentially sions to protect the consumer 283-3757, Monday through Covington Student end up in the hands of someone directly, it also does so indi- Friday, from 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Gets CNN to Settle Lawsuit with malicious intentions. rectly, through its empower- Follow the Offi ce on Facebook Last week, it was announced that CNN-TV quietly The Office of Consumer ment of the FCC. The FCC is and Twitter, @Mass_Consumer. settled a lawsuit on behalf of student Nick Sandman Affairs and Business Regulation given stronger enforcement The Baker-Polito Administra- from the Covinton Catholic prep school in Kentucky. hosted the New England State ability, allowing an increased tion’s Offi ce of Consumer Affairs Remember when the Fake Media took on those high Symposium on Robocalls fi nancial penalties for robocall and Business Regulation along school students, many wearing MAGA hats, and with Governor Charlie Baker, abusers. Furthermore, it gives with its five agencies work painted a picture depicting this group of young people Housing and Economic the FCC greater jurisdiction together to achieve two goals: (Continued on Page 8) Development Secretary to apprehend scammers and to protect and empower con- Mike Kennealy, and Federal extend the state of limitations sumers through advocacy and Communications Commission by up to four years. education, and to ensure a fair (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai in • Finally, the law empowers playing fi eld for Massachusetts November 2019. A panel of the Department of Justice to businesses. The Office also POST-GAZETTE SATELLITE OFFICE industry experts led an impor- deliver stronger criminal pros- oversees the state’s vehicular tant discussion on what is being ecutions to scammers after and customized wheelchair 343 CHELSEA ST., DAY SQ., EAST BOSTON done at the federal, state and receiving appropriate evidence Lemon Laws and Arbitration Tues. 10:00 AM-3:00 PM; Thurs. 11:00 AM-2:00 PM local level to combat robocalls. from the FCC. Programs, Data Breach report- Just a few days into 2020, As these new laws and regu- ing, Home Improvement Call 617-227-8929 for more information the Federal Government signed lations are being implemented, Contractor Programs, and the new anti-robocall legislation you may still receive scam MA Do Not Call Registry. PAGE 2 POST-GAZETTE, JANUARY 17, 2020 Res Publica by David Trumbull Trump Has Our Back A little more than a year religion. Emperor Constantine into Trump’s presidency I had the Great issued the Edict The War of the Titans dinner with a friend who is the of Milan which, like Cyrus’ The “Titanomachia,” or War of in desperation, Zeus sought pastor of a church in the Reform policy, established freedom of the Titans, was brought about the advice of Grandmother tradition, but who came from religion in the Empire for all mainly because of the attitude Gaea. She advised aid from the Evangelical tradition. I’m faiths. In the Eastern Church that Cronus had developed the Hecatoncheires (hundred- a Catholic, so our combined Constantine is recognized as a toward his sons and daughters. handed monsters) and the experiences cover most of the saint. In the Western Church We remember Cronus as the Cyclopes whom Cronus had Christian experience in America. he is highly revered, but not leader of the Titans who swal- previously imprisoned in the We were talking about how offi cially recognized as a saint.