THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2020 FREE charlestown PATRIOT-BRIDGE Councilor Edwards HELPING THE NEEDY Finding Gratitude reflects on year of Knight stays focused, positive through tremendous trials service in 2020 By Seth Daniel ly three years, being the second in charge and a familiar face to Many adults and young peo- anyone taking swimming lessons By Seth Daniel ple in Charlestown might recog- at the facility. While he worked Councilor Lydia Edwards pub- nize Josh Knight as the young there, he also lived there too. His lished her annual year in review man who taught them to swim family – who has struggled to find this week, noting that most of the American Crawl or the back- housing for many years – lived at her work has been in helping stroke, but behind his swimming the Constitution Inn in the Navy constituents of all stripes to navi- expertise lies a story of persever- Yard for three years. gate through the COVID-19 pan- ance that includes many years of It was a wonderful commute demic – though also highlighting home insecurity – including hav- and setup for Knight, as he efforts made citywide through ing to leave Charlestown this year worked towards, and finally got her Council committee chair posi- in the midst of the pandemic with to college this year – while also tions and locally in Charlestown. few options. working at the YMCA full-time in Edwards said that since March, Knight, 23, has run the pool at (KNIGHT Pg. 11) the office has made a priority the Charlestown YMCA for near- out of making sure residents in the district have access to City Volunteers hand out the bags to those in need. The Turn It Around and state and federal resources youth group and the Collier family combined efforts on Thursday after- COVID vaccinations begin to assist in overcoming the health noon, Dec. 10, to take clothing and hygiene supplies to needy areas of and economic impacts of the pan- Boston. See Pages 8 and 9 for more photos. at Chelsea Soldiers’ Home demic. In Chelsea, Dominic Pitella, “Since March, it’s been a prior- Staff Report 94, was the first resident vac- ity of mine to provide my constit- cinated at the Soldiers’ Home. uents with the resources needed to On Tuesday, the first veteran City, Committee members announce Pitella has been a resident of the overcome unemployment or food residents at the Soldiers’ Home in Soldiers’ Home in Chelsea since insecurity,” she wrote. “We’ve mid-winter mitigation funding round Chelsea received the COVID-19 April 2018. Pitella, a U.S. Army become more efficient, transpar- vaccination. Vaccination was done onsite through a federal Long Air Corps Corporal, was a cook ent, and accessible as a district By Seth Daniel guidelines for the Fund’s expand- with the 559th Air Service Group office and I am grateful that we ed focus to include non-profit/ Term Care pharmacy partnership and served in the Pacific Theater can continue giving back to our Noting that COVID-19 has community organization support program with CVS and Walgreens. community during these difficult delayed their efforts to roll out along with three other priorities. The onsite vaccinations also began for staff at the Soldiers’ Home. times.” the larger Community Mitigation That said, the Mayor’s Office (VACCINE Pg. 5) Along those lines, Edwards was Fund (provided by Wynn Resorts) and the Financial Departments the first to champion a citywide guidelines, the City’s Committee in the City announced a short Rental Assistance Program that overseeing the Fund announced mid-winter grant round for was picked up by Mayor Martin this week they are launching a non-profits and community orga- Walsh and is currently getting short, mid-winter funding round nizations – a round that will ready to disperse its second round to support non-profits and com- replace what would have taken of funding. That program was munity organizations in the Town. place earlier this year. The Fund has grown substan- “Over the past few months, the (EDWARDS Pg. 5) tially over the past 18 months, City of Boston has been focused with two annual payments of $2 on responding to and combating million successfully made by the the COVID-19 pandemic and pro- Wishing you & your families Encore Boston Harbor casino, a tecting the safety and well-being of a safe and healthy New Year derivative of Wynn Resorts. That all its residents,” read a letter sent new money also comes with an out this week. “While diligently The office will be closed Thursday Dec. 31 expanded focus for the money focused on this work, the City and Friday, Jan. 1, 2021 beyond the process to support remains committed to supporting non-profits that began in 2017. the work of the Fund and of the However, in dealing with COVID- nonprofits and community orga- To submit ads: [email protected] Photo credit: Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe 19 responses, the City and the nizations that are providing criti- To submit copy: [email protected] Dominic Pitella, 94, a U.S. Army Air Corps veteran and resident at the Committee have not made a lot (FUNDING Pg. 4) Soldiers’ Home in Chelsea, receiving the first COVID-19 vaccine at the of progress in drawing up the new Home. PAGE 2 THE CHARLESTOWN PATRIOT-BRIDGE DECEMBER 31, 2020 editorial HAVE A HAPPY -- AND SAFE -- NEW YEAR The arrival of a new year marks a time for reflection, as to both the year that has passed and the year that lies ahead. In the words of the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson: Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true. To put it another way, we might ask ourselves, “Where have we been -- and where are we going?” The latter question asks us to foresee the future, which by definition is an impossible task. Though we may make our best guess to predict what may lie ahead -- and to plan accordingly -- none of us has a crystal ball. The vicissitudes of life more often than not throw us curve balls that lay to waste even the best-laid of our plans for the year to come. Who among us imagined on December 31, 2019, that 2020 would bring a world-wide pandemic that already has killed more than 330,000 of our fellow Americans, devastated our economy, and directly impacted the lives of each and every one of us? As bad as 2020 has been, we dread to contemplate what 2021 might have in store for us. There is no certainty that 2021 will be any better. However, the former question is equally as tricky. Answering it requires both introspection and self-awareness, two qualities that typically are in short supply, even during a pandemic when most of us are house-bound for more hours of every day than we ever have experienced. But trying to figure out the, “Why?” of what we have done with our lives is essential if we are to meet the challenges of the future. GUEST OP-ED As the philosopher said, if we do not learn from our mistakes, we are condemned to repeat them. We do not pretend to have all (or any) of the answers, but we do know that in the difficult days ahead one thing is true: Each of us must step Decisions for 2021 up to do our part to ensure the safety of ourselves, our loved ones, and By Dr. Glenn Mollette $3,000 of credit card debt is like good word may seal the deal on everyone around us. swimming up river. If you have your next job opportunity. We all have a role to play in combating COVID-19 (by wearing masks, 2021 is here, and will it be just missed a few payments your credit Jobs sometimes are scarce. Con- not gathering in large groups, and maintaining a physical distance from another year? If it’s just another card company may be anxious to sider your personal knowledge others wherever we may be) AND in helping those who desperately are year then that won’t be bad at all in need of assistance because of the devastating economic effects of the hear from you. Ask them if they and abilities and what might you because too many will not have pandemic. will consider a settlement payoff. do to make a dollar or two? What another year. The opportunity and Although a New Year is here, our problems are not magically going A friend of mine owed $5,000 and do you know that others need to away. privilege to have another year is his credit card company settled for know? What can you offer that We wish all of our readers a happy, safe, and healthy New Year. the gift of life. Being alive and liv- a $2800 payoff. Your company others need or might want? Can ing your life is about as good as it might or might not but it never you make something? Can you fix gets. Aim for being alive this time hurts to negotiate. You might be things? How can you help others? next year. able to sell some things in order Creating your own life and busi- Make some decisions about to erase that back breaking high ness might be the financial and 2021. Where do you want to be interest debt. mental sanity answer for you. If this time in 12 months? Would Make some money in 2021 - you create your own work and are you like to be ten pounds heavier? if you want to.