VOL. 116 - NO. 47 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, NOVEMBER 23, 2012 $.30 A COPY 10th Annual Trellis Lighting at Christopher Columbus Park The Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving by Edgar Albert Guest, 1881-1959 It may be I am getting old and like too much to dwell Upon the days of bygone years, the days I loved so well; But thinking of them now I wish somehow that I could know A simple old Thanksgiving Day, like those of long ago, When all the family gathered round a table richly spread, With little Jamie at the foot and grandpa at the head, The youngest of us all to greet the oldest with a smile, With mother running in and out and laughing all the while. It may be I’m old-fashioned, but it seems to me today We’re too much bent on having fun to take the time to pray; Each little family grows up with fashions of its own; It lives within a world itself and wants to be alone. It has its special pleasures, its circle, too, of friends; There are no get-together days; each one his journey wends, Pursuing what he likes the best in his particular way, Letting the others do the same upon Thanksgiving Day. I like the olden way the best, when relatives were glad To meet the way they used to do when I was but a lad; The old home was a rendezvous for all our kith and kin, And whether living far or near they all came trooping in With shouts of “Hello, daddy!” as they fairly stormed the place And made a rush for mother, who would stop to wipe her face Upon her gingham apron before she kissed them all, (Photo by Matt Conti) Hugging them proudly to her breast, the grownups and the small. Then laughter rang throughout the home, and, Oh, the jokes they told; On Monday night, Novem- comed State Representative and the largest crowd ever From Boston, Frank brought new ones, but father sprang the old; ber 19th, the North End cel- Aaron Michlewitz, City for the trellis lighting. Santa All afternoon we chatted, telling what we hoped to do, ebrated the 10th annual Councilor Sal LaMattina, Claus even took some time The struggles we were making and the hardships lighting of the trellis at Parks Commissioner Toni off from his busy schedule to we’d gone through; We gathered round the fi reside. Christopher Columbus Park. Pollack, Boston’s Chief of stop by and say “hello”! If How fast the hours would fl y— Joanne Hayes-Rines, Pres- Public Property Michael you missed the lighting this It seemed before we’d settled down ident of the Friends of Chris- Galvin, along with the year, you missed a wonder- ‘twas time to say good-bye. topher Columbus Park, wel- NEMPAC Children’s Choir ful evening of holiday spirit! Those were the glad Thanksgivings, the old-time families knew When relatives could still be friends and every heart was true. INFORMATIONAL NOTICE ABOUT LEAD IN DRINKING WATER News Briefs This notice is so the Bos- of red blood cells that carry food. Lead paint was out- by Sal Giarratani ton Water and Sewer Com- oxygen to all parts of your lawed in 1978, but dust from mission (BWSC) can provide body. The greatest risk of homes that still have lead you with information about lead exposure is to infants, paint is the most common what steps you can take in young children and pregnant source of exposure to lead. No Such Thing as an your home to reduce your women. Scientists have Therefore, make sure to Independent Republican? risk of exposure to lead. Lead linked the effects of lead on wash your children’s hands Several weeks before Election Day, a letter is a health concern and is the brain with lowered IQ in and toys often as they can writer to the Boston Globe from Middleton wrote commonly found in the en- children. Adults with kidney come into contact with dirt there was “no such animal as an independent vironment; most commonly problems and high blood and dust containing lead. Republican.” According to this lady, Republicans, in lead-based paint. Lead pressure can be affected by The Water provided by not even U.S. Senator Scott Brown, could ever be can also be found in water, low levels of lead more than the BWSC and the Massa- independent if they take their cues from Senate though at much lower healthy adults. Lead is chusetts Water Resource Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Look what the levels. stored in the bones and it Authority (MWRA) is lead- Democratic left did up on the North Shore, re- Lead can cause serious can be released later in life. free when it leaves the res- electing U.S. Rep. John Tierney, it would appear, health problems, especially During pregnancy, the child ervoirs. MWRA and local dis- solely on the “D” after his name. He was up against for pregnant women and may receive lead from the tribution pipes of the BWSC a very liberal Republican who was both pro-choice young children. Please read mother’s bones, which may that carry the water to your and gay. Yet many liberals said he was a “Tea this information closely to affect brain development. community are made mostly Party” candidate, which he surely wasn’t. see what you can do to re- Sources of Lead of iron and steel, and there- Here’s a question for those liberal Democrats duce lead in your drinking Lead is a common metal fore do not add lead to water. like that Middleton gal who say Republicans can’t water. found in the environment. However, lead can get into be independent. Can she, or anyone else for that Health Effects of Lead Common sources of lead ex- tap water through home ser- matter, name a Capitol Hill Democrat, other than Lead can cause serious posure are lead-based paint, vice piping, lead solder used U.S. Rep. Steve Lynch, who even knows how to health problems if too much household dust, soil and in plumbing and some brass spell “independent”? As I listen to top Democrats enters your body from drink- some plumbing materials in- fixtures. Even though the ing water or other sources. cluding many faucets. Lead use of lead solder was (Continued on Page 14) It can cause damage to the can also be found in other banned in the U.S. in 1986, brain and kidneys and can household items such as pot- interfere with the production tery, make-up, toys and even (Continued on Page 15) THE POST-GAZETTE SATELLITE OFFICE IS NOW OPEN AT 35 BENNINGTON STREET, EAST BOSTON This office is open on 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, NOVEMBER 23, 2012 Res Publica by David Trumbull What Happened to Senator Brown? After Scott Brown’s win in the January 2010 Special Elec- tion I did an analysis of his remarkably strong showing in THE VIGILS OF OLD ROME, PART I the City of Boston. Recently I did the same for this year’s The earliest civilization of known as Tiberius Claudius rulers were obliged to deal election. In both elections half of Mr. Brown’s Boston votes Western Asia developed in Nero Caesar. In 23 A.D. he with. It is also reported that came from the following neighborhoods: the area between the Tigris was prevailed upon to estab- they were able to make or *Back Bay/Beacon Hill/Downtown and Euphrates Rivers called lish permanent barracks for break emperors at will. This *Brighton, Chestnut Hill Mesopotamia. The name about ten thousand local or situation continued for about *Charlestown was derived from "Mesos" city troops. This was to be three hundred years until *Parts of Dorchester (Cedar Grove, Clam Point, Neponset, (middle) and "Potamos" the only organized military the Emperor Constantine and Pope’s Hill) (river). This is the area force permitted in the City (the good guy) disbanded the *Part of East Boston (Central Square, Eagle Hill and Orient where history locates the of Rome. Prior to this time organization and destroyed Heights) Garden of Eden, Noah's Ark, they had been housed in their quarters. *North End the Tower of Babel and the various parts of the suburbs. Like any strong law-keep- *Readville great walled city of Babylon Barracks for these new city ing force, we hear much of *Roslindale/West Roxbury with its "Hanging Gardens" troops were erected on a the so-called bad and noth- *South Boston - one of the wonders of the forty-acre site in a sparsely ing of the good. This domi- *West Roxbury ancient world. As early as occupied section of that city. nant force also kept lawless- His 2010 percentages in those neighborhoods ranged from 2200 B.C. the Mesopota- The compound was sur- ness to a minimum, but how 45% to 60%. Voter turnout was relatively high in those neigh- mians had developed a code rounded by solid brick walls do you record crimes that borhoods. With the exception of Beacon Hill (41% turnout), of laws wherein the family ten to fourteen feet high. never happen? An offshoot the best neighborhoods for Brown in 2010 all had turnout in idea prevailed, women were The thinking at this time of the group was a corps of excess of the citywide average of 43%.