VOL. 114 - NO. 53 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, DECEMBER 31, 2010 $.30 A COPY ❄ Mayor Menino Kicks Off 2 1 35th Annual First Night ❄ 0 ❄ 0 ❄ ❄ Happy ❄ First Night Boston Grand Procession Mayor Thomas M. Menino held his an- New Year nual First Night public safety conference, encouraging people to come to Boston to ring Ice Sculpture by Don Chapelle in the New Year during Boston’s 35th Annual • To drink plenty of warm, non-alcoholic from Pamela Donnaruma First Night celebration. Joined by officials liquids. from the Boston Police Department, Boston • To utilize the MBTA, which will be free and the Staff of the Post-Gazette Fire Department, Emergency Medical after 8 p.m. and will run with additional ser- Services and the MBTA, Mayor Menino vice until 2:00 a.m. reminded revelers to celebrate the holiday New to First Night this year are programs safely and encouraged people to take advan- at the brand new Modern Theatre and Para- tage of public transportation when travel- mount Theatre on Washington Street, per- ing through the city. formances at Symphony Hall, and film pre- “Boston is the best place to welcome in sentations at the Stuart Street Playhouse. the New Year and the First Night celebra- In total there are just over 250 events — tion is one of our city’s greatest traditions, both indoor and outdoor — in this year’s First bringing the people of Boston closer together Night celebration, including the traditional 2011 and celebrating our diverse cultures,” said ice sculptures on the Boston Common, the Mayor Menino. “I strongly encourage every- grand procession through downtown Boston, one to take advantage of all the city has to and the popular FedEx Family Festival at the offer.” Hynes Convention Center. Mayor Menino and city officials have All First Night outdoor events are free, News Briefs worked with the MBTA and the First Night though supported by sales of the First Night by Sal Giarratani organization to ensure that First Night 2011 button, which is the ticket for admission is a safe and fun experience for everyone. to all indoor events. (children under four In addition to an increased presence of pub- receive free admission) and have been lic safety personnel and services, including available at Boston-area Shaws and Star No Lame Ducks or Pork on Order police and EMS, the MBTA will be free after Markets, Store 24’s, Au Bon Pains and The US Congress went into recess as sched- 8 p.m. dozens of other locations throughout the uled on Friday, December 17. There will be no City officials reminded residents: City. People can also buy buttons online at unread, 2,000 page, $1 trillion spending bill to • That families should designate one www.firstnight.org. be voted on in this session as many feared would meeting place and phone number to use in The annual Metro Boston Grand Proces- happen. Thank you US Senator Harry Reid! The case someone is lost — EMS will have a lost sion led by Mayor Menino will begin at $8 billion in porky earmarks also will not hap- child station at the Hynes Convention 5:30 p.m. at the Hynes Convention Center pen, and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute at Center as well as a medical aid station. and will travel down Boylston Street and end the Kennedy Library will not be getting $8 mil- There will also be a medical aid station at at the corner of Charles and Beacon streets. lion either. Hey, US Senator John Kerry tried the Boston Common. The first of two fireworks shows will then but the meat market on Capitol Hill closed shop. • To expect traffic delays in certain parts begin on Boston Common starting at 7 p.m. This session of Congress can do us no more of the city. to allow for young families to enjoy the First harm. Hopefully, the new Republican-controlled • No public drinking will be tolerated. Night activities. The second show will be House of Representatives occupied by many Tea • Do not drink and drive. over Boston Harbor at midnight. Party Republicans will steer America in the • To dress warmly and in layers, as tem- First Night was started in 1976 by a group right direction. peratures will drop throughout the evening. of local artists who sought an alternative to traditional New Year’s Eve celebrations and Strange Bedfellows Fight has grown from a small arts event into an arts organization that showcases work by Council Vote local, national and international artists. Chuck Turner is back and fighting mad. He Originally drawing crowds of about 25,000 just hired attorney Chester Darling, a commu- people, in recent years First Night has at- nity hero to South Boston residents for going to tracted crowds of over 1 million people, gen- bat for them back nearly 15 years ago when he erating nearly $47 million in revenue for took up Whacko Hurley’s battle over running the businesses in the City of Boston. The First St. Patrick’s Day parade as he saw fit. Darling Night concept now serves as a model for took the case all the way to the US Supreme approximately 200 celebrations worldwide. Court that gave Hurley the right to bar whoever A full schedule of events and details of (Continued on Page 15) the First Night celebration can be found at www.firstnight.org. Chu Ling Academy of Chinese Dance (Photos by Paul Robicheau) THE POST-GAZETTE SATELLITE OFFICE IS NOW OPEN AT 35 BENNINGTON STREET, EAST BOSTON This office is open on Mondays and 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, DECEMBER 31, 2010 Res Publica by David Trumbull 2010, A VERY GOOD YEAR FOR REPUBLICANS 2010 ended as a very good year for Republicans with the December 21st release of the official U.S. 2010 Census Apportionment Counts showing gains in states that tend AUGUSTUS THE LITERARIAN to vote Republican and losses in some of the most Demo- cratic-leaning states. Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Con- The literary talents of matters with Livia off the He encouraged men of tal- stitution calls for a census of the nation’s population every Augustus were on a par with cuff, he would jot down what ent by listening with cour- 10 years to apportion the House seats among the states. the best Romans of his time. he had said and immedi- tesy and patience to their The 435-member House of Representatives which will At a very early age he di- ately read it back to her. I poetry, speeches and dia- be elected on November 6, 2012 and convene as the 113th rected his intellectual efforts wonder how many husbands logues. He was an excellent Congress in January 2013 will see a shift of 12 seats as towards oratory and liberal of today wish that they had judge of composition and a ten states lose Representatives and eight states gain. studies. Even while engaged acquired that habit? true critic of poetry. The The biggest gains will be in Texas (which gets four more in some of his wars, with all He practiced his elocution Court of Augustus is said Members of Congress) and Florida (gain of two). According of the accompanying prob- constantly and developed a to have become a school to the list on Wikipedia of party affiliation of the governors lems, he is said to have read, very pleasant and character- of culture. He was an enthu- who will be in office in 2011. Both of those states will have written and given recita- istic manner of speech, siastic patron of the arts Republican governors and Republican majorities in both tions every day. Most of his avoiding the noisomeness and friend to great writers State Houses and State Senates. Arizona, Georgia, South short speeches were written of far-fetched words. His like Ovid, Horace, Virgil and Carolina, and Utah, each of which will gain one additional in advance and then recited chief aim was to express his Livy. seat in Congress will also have Republican governors and from memory. He also thought as clearly as pos- Augustus also loved good Republican control of both houses. Nevada picks up one adopted a practice of reading sible. He called Mark Antony architecture and often seat and will have a Republican governor but Democrats in from a prepared manuscript. a madman for writing to be boasted that he had found control of both houses. Only Washington gets an additional This helped him to avoid the admired rather than to be Rome a city of brick but left seat and will have both the executive and legislative danger of forgetting impor- understood. it a city of marble. It was also branches controlled by Democrats. tant facts or wasting time in Augustus used many favor- said that one could not walk The biggest losers are New York and Ohio, which each memorizing long speeches. ite expressions in his daily down the street during this will lose two seats. Eight states each lose one seat: Illinois, He was always very con- conversation, expressions time and not have his shoes Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New cerned about being mis- which he probably originated covered with the character- Jersey, and Pennsylvania. quoted. He used the pre- himself. People who never istic white marble dust. The States gaining or losing seats will need to redraw their pared manuscript when pay their bills were said to reign of Augustus has often district lines.