Dorchester Reporter “The News and Values Around the Neighborhood” Volume 30 Issue 46 Thursday, November 14, 2013 50¢ Reporter One-on-One ‘Building As the hurrahs die down, Pathways’ Walsh looks back, ahead By GinTauTaS dumciuS opens door neWS ediTor Marty Walsh arrived at the Park Plaza Hotel around 6 p.m. on election to union jobs night and headed up to the 15th floor. For the But observers say more first time that day, he was nervous. West Rox- slots, funds sorely needed bury, Beacon Hill, and the Back Bay, friendly By GinTauTaS dumciuS guys and girls. It doesn’t turf for his opponent, neWS ediTor get any faster than that. John Connolly, had seen Tom Olson holds up a That’s transmission a high number of voters pale blue cord in front through glass.” turn out. of the class. Outlets and Olson, a 46-year-old Inside the hotel wires hang from the ceil- Medford resident, has room, he was joined ing over the heads of 15 spent 28 years in the by his mother Mary, men and women, many telecommunications his brother John, his of whom are wearing business, working with longtime partner, Lorrie green hard-hats. “FiOS,” fiber optics, copper, and Higgins, and her daugh- Olson says, holding the security systems. And ter Lauren, and his blue cord a little higher. on this chilly Thurs- campaign manager Meg “Anybody know what day in October, he is Costello. The candidate that stands for?” inside a training center kept in touch with his The answer comes in Dorchester across campaign workers, who cautiously, in unison, from the International were crunching num- from the class: “Fiber Brotherhood of Electri- bers inside the “boiler integrated optical solu- cal Workers (IBEW) room” and keeping him tions.” Says Olson, “Now, Local 103 Hall talking updated. when you see the com- about the technology Walsh showered and mercials with Comcast that surrounds him and focused on writing Mayor Tom Menino and Mayor-elect Marty Walsh spoke to reporters after and FiOS and Verizon, his students for the day. his victory speech. He the two met in Menino’s City Hall office last Wednesday. Photo by Isabel Leon you’ll be able to say ‘I The students, all didn’t write a concession know what FiOS is.’ people of color from speech, believing that if the “heart and head,” he over me, that we were go- leader from Dorchester Fiber integrated optical Boston, most of them he had to deliver one, said. “At 7:30, I just got ing to be okay,” the state recounted 48 hours later solutions, right? High- women, are in the middle he would speak from a feeling, a feeling came representative and labor (Continued on page 5) end communications, (Continued on page 17) Salas’s salon keeps Short and sweet: Red Line pace with styles bridge replaced in 3 days By Will Taylor site on Saturday, said to squeeze nickels and in Adams Village Special To The reporTer the traditional method stretch the dollar as far “Get in and get out as of bridge installation as we can. So taxpay- By Bill Forry moved in with family fast as you possibly can. I would have taken up to ers should know that’s ediTor members in Savin Hill think people prefer [this] 10 months to complete. what’s happening here Mary Salas was born and she came of age in to the pain of years of “Governor Patrick has tonight.” to style hair. a three-decker at 99 construction.” been pushing us to work The new bridge re- As a child growing up Sydney Street that’s The speaker was State quickly, to be innovative places a 112-year-old in her native Greece, she since been destroyed Hair Image owner Mary Transportation Secre- and creative, and this span that had a fatigue never met a doll that by fire. tary Richard Davey, and is literally a heavy lift rating that had fallen didn’t need a complete Ten years later, after Salas holds a photo from the 1980s that shows her he was referring to the bridge that we will be below statutory limits, makeover. honing her skills at a guiding principle behind rolling into place,” he according to an engineer- shop in Lower Mills, she with other stylists who “I had a passion,” says worked at the salon. the installation over the said. (Continued on page 4) Salas. “I wanted to go opened her own salon Photo by Bill Forry weekend of a new $5.5 “If we did it the conven- to school to become a in the heart of Adams million bridge above tional way, it would have stylist, but in Greece at Corner. Last Thursday, herself? She’s become a Clayton Street near been upwards of $7 or the time, the men were Mary quietly marked coiffure consigliore and Clam Point that shut $8 million,” said Davey, the hairstylists. I was her 25th anniversary in all-around-confidante down Red Line train ser- who emphasized that told I should become a business. to three generations of vice between Ashmont smart infrastructure seamstress instead.” In a district that’s seen customers— the large Station and JFK/UMass investment is a central Needless to say, Mary its share of comings and majority of them from from Friday evening to goal of the Patrick ad- was thrilled when her goings over the last quar- the immediate neighbor- Monday morning. ministration. “We’re family immigrated to ter-century, Mary Salas’ hood. Hailing the project as a trying to be creative and All contents copyright the United States at age Hair Image has become a saver of time and money, thoughtful and, frankly, © 2013 Boston (Continued on page 9) Neighborhood News, Inc. 16. She and her sisters fixture. And the woman Davey, who was at the continue to find ways The joints are jumpin.’ Center for Orthopaedic Care 199 Reedsdale Road, Milton, MA 02186 | www.bidmilton.org | 617-313-1445 Page 2 THE REPoRTER November 14, 2013 Reporter’s Notebook Mattapan civic leader The names game is on: Gareth Kinkead dead at 87 Who wants Walsh seat? By GinTauTaS dumciuS Mariamma White-Hammond, neWS ediTor executive director of Project HIP- The confetti had barely left the HOP; Sean Weir, head of the Cedar cannon on election night by the time Grove Civic Association; and Steve speculation was underway about the Bickerton, Jr., who has worked for next race. Walsh. The elevation of Dorchester’s As for Savin Hill’s Bill Walczak, Marty Walsh to the mayor’s seat who ran for mayor in the preliminary in City Hall means there will be a and warned about the hazards of House seat vacancy within the 13th a casino in East Boston: He said Commissioner Ed Davis with Annie and Gareth Kinkead, Jr. Suffolk District next year. Inside the Tuesday night that he is happy at Gareth P. Kinkead, Jr. passed away on Tuesday at age 87 after a lengthy Park Plaza Hotel’s ballroom that Shawmut Construction, the firm that illness. Mr. Kinkead, along with his devoted wife Annie, has been at the center night, there was already talk about he was working at before he mounted of civic life in Mattapan for decades. who might be interested in replacing a mayoral bid. In recent years, the Kinkeads have been the driving force behind improve- Walsh, a Democrat and labor leader Walsh doesn’t plan to leave the ments to Almont Park and the Wheelock-Mattahunt Community Center. Mr. in union-rich Dorchester. Walsh has House until around the end of the Kinkead’s activism in Mattapan dates back to the 1970s, when he organized served in the House for 16 years, win- year, meaning the special election a civic association on Messenger Street. A computer analyst by trade, Mr. ning the job in 1997 in a special election will play out over the course of next Kinkead later moved to Colorado Street, where he has remained a key civic after Jim Brett, another Dorchester winter and spring. He will be sworn leader in a section of the city that he lovingly called Shangri-La. guy who ran for mayor but received in as mayor on Jan. 6. “I remember him back in the 1970s, when Gareth started Shangri-La around different results, decided to take a job the Messenger Street area,” said Mayor Thomas M. Menino in an interview with the New England Council. At UMass Boston, panel with the Reporter. “When everything else was falling apart, he brought people Add to this speculation the pos- mulls Golar Richie bid together. He’s the ultimate person who made Mattapan what it is. He’s a model sibility that District 3 City Councillor The end of the first wide-open for everyone. Guys like him are the DNA of our community.” Frank Baker will take a job in the mayoral race in 30 years has led to a “His life’s work was bettering the community and the neighborhood in which Walsh administration, prompting steady stream of post-race forums and he lived,” said his daughter, Gloria Kinkead, one of three children he leaves another special election locally, and all dissection of the results including a behind. “He always was about enriching young people’s lives and making sure manner of names are likely to surface. discussion focused on the third-place seniors had a good life as they aged. He always believed that one person could The first candidate to officially finisher, former state Rep.Charlotte make a difference.” announce for the Walsh seat is likely Golar Richie.