Dorchester Reporter “The News and Values Around the Neighborhood” Volume 37 Issue 41 Thursday, October 8, 2020 50¢ One last Mass, then St. Matthew Church is shuttered after 97 years of services BY BILL FORRY The combined parish will now gather exclusively at EDITOR the St. Angela church building on Blue Hill Avenue in St. Matthew Church has closed its doors, appar- Mattapan Square for liturgies, funerals, marriages, ently forever. The building on Stanton Street in and other services. Dorchester, which has been a worship space for Fr. Paul Soper, a priest who runs the Archdiocese Catholics since 1923, held its final Mass last Sunday, of Boston’s pastoral planning office, said that a group according to the Archdiocese of Boston. of parishioners along with their pastor, Rev. Garcia The move comes three months after St. Matthew Breneville, made the decision recently. It went into and St. Angela parishes— both with predominantly effect on Oct. 1, he said. Haitian congregations in recent years— merged to “The decision to move to a single church was made form a single new entity, Our Lady of Carmel parish. (Continued on page 15) Covid ‘uptick’ ongoing concern in Boston, says Walsh; Dot areas noted BY KATIE TROJANO during a Oct. 2 press availabil- REPORTER STAFF ity outside of City Hall. During a week in which Walsh had a crisp reaction the nation absorbed the news to the outbreak of the corona- that the president and the virus at the White House: “If first lady had tested positive he can get it with all of the for Covid-19, Mayor Walsh protections around him, it just warned that Bostonians must shows that no one is safe and continue to be vigilant about anyone can get it.” viral spread, noting that here Boston officials have been has been “an uptick in the closely monitoring the city’s city over the last few weeks,” positive rate and trends, the with two Dorchester zip codes mayor said. On Oct. 1, he faring especially poorly. noted, the city’s positive test “We’ve seen it and talked rate had climbed to 3.5 percent about it here and we need to – an increase from 2.7 percent do all we can and stay focused last week, with Dorchester’s on what we can do to keep the 02125 and 02121 zip codes Savin Hill-based artist Robyn Thompson-Duong painted a utility box downtown last week as activity rate down,” he urged (Continued on page 12) part of Tasteful Boston, a new public art installation celebrating Boston’s food culture. See story, Page 7. Photo courtesy Downtown Boston Business Improvement District Gallivan pot shop siting In Boston, SBA chief checks out getting push-back from effects of small biz loans, and cites Ashmont-Adams civic BY KATIE TROJANO terers Union Hall on Minot REPORTER STAFF St. and many spoke in opposi- role banks played in PPP outlays A proposal to site a tion to the project, which was BY KATIE TROJANO 3,000-square-foot retail can- generally well received by the REPORTER STAFF nabis store in a key commer- Cedar Grove Civic Association The head of the US Small Business Adminis- cial building in Adams Corner in their virtual meeting last tration (SBA) visited Boston last week to meet was the topic of contention week. with some of the people who received loans from during an in-person meet- Preliminary plans for the the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which ing of the Ashmont-Adams Dorchester facility would in- pumped more than $14 billion into 110,000 Neighborhood Association last clude a retail site in the build- businesses in the city of Boston. Thursday evening. ing at 540 Gallivan Blvd. that One of the stops made by SBA Administrator The proposal by CNA Stores, currently houses Supreme Jovita Carranza, was CommonWealth Kitchen, Inc., a company based in Liquors, Boston Sports Club, a a non-profit on Quincy Street in Dorchester Amesbury, MA, is the latest dental office and the specialty that uses shared kitchen space and functions in a series in Dorchester, but clothing retailer College Hype. as a launchpad to assist aspiring chefs and food SBA administrator Jovita Carranza speaks the first for the Adams Cor- The cannabis shop would be industry entrepreneurs – the majority of whom with a chef at Commonwealth Kitchen. ner-Neponset neighborhood. located in the basement lev- are women and immigrants of color. Katie Trojano photo About 50 people gathered el— next to College Hype’s Jen Faigel, executive director of Common- Before March, Commonwealth Kitchen in the parking lot of the Plas- (Continued on page 13) Wealth Kitchen, told Carranza that the PPP housed 55 businesses, 75 percent of which were loan “honestly saved our operation and provided owned by women and/or people of color, and us with really important funding because we a third of which were started by immigrants. All contents rely on revenue from our businesses to cover our Now, according to Faigel, about a third have © 2020 costs. It also allowed us to waive fees for all of been able to resume operations. those businesses, and so we didn’t have to put The PPP program, established by the CARES Boston them into further debt so that we could pay our Act and distributed through partnerships with Neighborhood own bills. That has helped us create a better local banks, helps small businesses cover pay- News, Inc. situation for them and our recovery strategy.” (Continued on page 14) RELIGIOUS SERVICES CHAPEL SHORT-TERM REHABILITATION AFTER HOSPITALIZATION VIETNAMESE PROGRAMMING (MENU, ACTIVITIES & STAFF) LONG-TERM CARE WITH DEDICATED NURSING STAFF PHYSICAL, OCCUPATIONAL AND SPEECH THERAPY COMPASSIONATE END OF LIFE CARE 321 CENTRE STREET, DORCHESTER, MA 02122 MAKE A REFERRAL: CALL US AT 617-825-6320 WWW.STJOSEPHREHAB.COM Page 2 THE REPORTER October 8, 2020 dotnews.com Police, Courts & Fire Cullinane dropped from healthcare panel Murdered man ID’d – The individual who was shot to death at 16 Hubbardston Rd. in Savin Hill after announcing he’ll join lobbying firm on Sept. 27 has been identified by Boston Police as BY COLIN A. YOUNG the House could take Keenan Ritter, 28, of Dorchester. He was found suf- STATE HOUSE scores of major budget fering from multiple gunshot wounds on the porch NEWS SERVICE votes and act on policing of a three-family house on the normally quiet street Rep. Daniel Culli- reform, climate change, that overlooks the Southeast Expressway and the nane, the de facto chair health care, economic Savin Hill Red Line station. No arrests have been of the Committee on development and trans- reported. Police have asked that “anyone with in- Health Care Financing, portation bills. formation relative to this investigation to contact was removed from the Before he was removed Boston Police Homicide Detectives at 617-343-4470.” small group negotiating from the conference ••• a long-awaited health committee Thursday, A man was arrested early last Friday morning care compromise with Cullinane was one of (Oct. 2) on Adams Street after a traffic stop turned the Senate last Thurs- three representatives up two illegally owned guns and over 500 rounds of day and the reason soon negotiating with the ammunition in the vehicle he was driving. became clear: Cullinane Senate to try to find According to a police report, State Trooper Rudy has a lobbying job lined a compromise to bills Tryon was on patrol at 12:45 a.m. when he observed up. (S 2796 and H 4916) a Honda Accord with both license plate lights not The Dorchester Dem- Rep. Dan Cullinane, who represents the 12th Suffolk that each branch passed working and stopped the vehicle. The driver, Mi- ocrat did not run for district, did not seek re-election in 2020. to support community chael Williams, 40, of Chelsea, was found to have a reelection this year and Sam Doran/SHNS photo hospitals, address tele- suspended license. announced late Thurs- sation in 2019 and its announce any intention health access issues, and As officers called for a tow truck and began to day morning that he roster of clients includes to leave office early. more. The House named search the car, Williams fled the scene but was will go to work for the Allstate Insurance Com- His announcement Rep. John Mahoney, later apprehended and subdued in a backyard on lobbying firm Kearney, pany, Amazon.com Ser- said he will “stay in office a Worcester Democrat Adams Street. Donovan & McGee as vices, Beth Israel Dea- through the November who chairs the Public Searching the vehicle, Tryon located in the center soon as his elected term coness Medical Center, election in order to finish Health Committee, to console a loaded handgun and assault-style pistol ends in January. Comcast, Massachusetts open constituent ser- replace Cullinane on the along with over 500 rounds of ammunition. Wil- “KDM is an outstand- Brewers Guild, Liber- vices cases, to ensure the conference panel. liams was booked and charged with two counts of ing firm that delivers for ty Mutual Insurance, 12th Suffolk District has In 2018, the House and possession of an unlicensed firearm, three counts its clients. I am thrilled Partners HealthCare a voice and a vote should Senate each passed their of possession of a large capacity weapon or feeding to become part of KDM System, Novartis, and any general legislative or own attempts at an over- device, possession of ammunition without an FID and to bring the same en- National Grid, accord- budgetary matters arise, haul of health care laws card, and resisting arrest. ergy, drive and passion ing to the firm’s 2019 and to help facilitate but legislators failed to ••• for people, and policy disclosure.