End of Summer Volleyball
Taking advantage of the last official weekend of summer, young adults and college kids hit Carson Beach to play volleyball and celebrate the end of the season on Saturday.
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09, 2020
31
08, 2020
Civil Fine of up to $300 for South Boston House Parties
Dear Neighbors, In recent months during this pandemic, many of you have contacted our offices out of great concern regarding largely attended house parties throughout the neighborhoods of South Boston. Please note that we share your concerns about these house parties, not only in terms of their noise and impact on the quality of life for our residents, but primarily due to their potential to become superspreader events in the age of COVID-19. In the absence of medical and scientific breakthroughs, it is critical that each of us continue to follow public safety guidelines as this pandemic is not over, unfortunately. The South Boston elected officials have also discussed these issues with city officials, as well as steps that have been taken to engage landlords [...]
14
08, 2020
Jackie O’Brien to Be Honored at New Street Hockey Rink
by Rick Winterson On Saturday, August 15, at 10 a.m., Jackie O’Brien will be honored. As part of the First Dangle Fest Street Hockey Tournament (which will be an annual event in years to come), the brand new street hockey court in Moakley Park will be named the John “Jackie” O’Brien Street Hockey Court, in recognition of his extraordinary efforts in support of South Boston’s youth clubs, sports, programs, and activities. And Jackie’s honor is not only well-deserved, it is highly fitting. He and Joe Moakley were close friends; Jackie also played center at Saunders Field, in front of Ray Flynn, during his South Boston High School football years. Over the years, he has supported our Boys & Girls Club, South Boston Little League, South [...]
13
07, 2020
Walsh Gym Reopens Today, July 13, at Noon
by Rick Winterson It’s commonly called “the Walsh Gym” or the “Walsh McDonough Gym”, but this facility’s full name is “The McDonough Gym/John ‘Stretch’ Walsh Community Center”. Just a few words about what it offers: upstairs is the fully professional quality basketball court, sometimes split in two so football drills can also be run in parallel. Downstairs is the Game Room: pool, ping-pong, tables for lunch, and a TV area. But the Walsh Gym has been closed since the COVID-19 pandemic struck us in the middle of March. And now, the Walsh Gym announces it will reopen today, at 12 noon. The Walsh Gym is more than just a gym. It offers a full slate of activities to young boys and girls, especially teenagers. We [...]
1
07, 2020
South Boston Elected Officials Hold Fireworks Meeting
On Monday evening, Councilor Ed Flynn, Councilor At-Large Michael Flaherty and State Rep. David Biele, along with the offices of Congressman Lynch and Senator Collins, hosted a meeting with concerned neighbors and representatives from both the Boston Fire Department and the Boston Police Department to discuss the impact of illegal fireworks on our neighborhoods. The meeting, originally scheduled for Medal of Honor Park at 6pm, was held virtually via Zoom and provided an opportunity for elected and public safety officials to engage residents and discuss ways that we can stop the usage of illegal fireworks. Topics of discussion included increased fines and penalties, contacting 911 with locations and descriptions of illegal activity, greater community engagement, a coordinated regional approach from law enforcement, solicitation from distributors, [...]
22
06, 2020
The 2020 Timothy “Doc” Cook Scholarship Awards
The Timothy “Doc” Cook Foundation’s Scholarship Awards ceremony was conducted on Saturday afternoon. The gathering took place on Dorchester Heights in brilliant sunshine, cool early June weather, and at the top of the City of Boston’s highest natural elevation. It was a perfect day to salute the memory of an outstanding American military man – a man who volunteered for the Marines and served on combat duty in Iraq as a Medical Corpsman. And of course, those attending the Awards took COVID-19 precautions, especially face coverage and social distancing. The Cook Awards are actually educational scholarships. Led by Joe Cook (Tim’s father), they were presented to 12 deserving young scholars last weekend, which is a commendable increase from the three or four scholarships when these [...]
11
06, 2020
Pride, faith, hard work will make for meaningful change
Submitted by Ray Flynn former Mayor of Boston Boston Police officers are the best, and do their best to protect the people of Boston — from the hard working poor and middle income families to the vulnerable elderly. They are the first line of defense against violent criminals and gangs. Activists nationwide are calling for police departments to be defunded in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis — and that message has been echoed here. Demands to cut the police budget and diminish the effectiveness and professionalism of our police officers is one of the most absurd proposals I have ever heard. Our police have done an outstanding job in protecting our decent, law abiding citizens and businesses, as they have [...]
6
06, 2020
Let’s Reopen Southie: Carefully, but for Real!
Phase Two of Governor Baker’s multi-step plan to reopen Massachusetts, after the mid-March shutdown, could begin on Monday, June 8. The shutdown shot down our St. Patrick/Evacuation Day Parade, and it mostly continues even now. Barber shops, beauty shops, and beaches are open already, provided that access and all personal gatherings are controlled and limited. And make no mistake – “Social Distancing” when we knew very little about Coronavirus was absolutely necessary. But right now, let’s start thinking about more reopenings, and how we can make it as real and enjoyable as possible here in South Boston. Here are a few ideas: First, last weekend, beach crowding and athletics were rare. Other than a couple of volleyball nets and some “gentlemen” passing a football back [...]
5
06, 2020
State Police Association Response to UMass & MBTA
The State Police Association of Massachusetts represents the Sergeants and Troopers that make up the uniformed branch of the State Police. For over 150 years, the Massachusetts State Police has served the Commonwealth with distinction, through natural disasters, terrorist attacks, riots and other disturbances. In recent days, we have ensured the safe exercise of First Amendment protests across the Commonwealth and continue to deliver the highest quality of police service. We have stood with many peaceful gatherings of concerned citizens as they march to advocate for change to not only our justice system, but to how our nation as a whole dissimilarly treats its citizens. As to the events that were the catalyst for where we are today, let us be very clear: The State [...]
4
06, 2020
South Boston Reopens: Chapter One
by Rick Winterson You are completely aware of the need to take steps against Coronavirus and the COVID-19 pandemic – it was (and still is) a true plague of global, worldwide dimensions. Here, our schools, churches, athletic facilities, entertainment venues, and almost all of South Boston’s stores were shut down. And while it has been a great economic sacrifice, this quarantine has measurably “flattened the curve”. It has worked. Now it’s time for South Boston to reopen – gradually! South Boston Online plans to report upon this reopening in segments, using several short articles. You know that there are a large number of excellent retail establishments in our neighborhood - establishments that play a huge part in the high quality of life we all enjoy [...]