Editorial

You may not be aware of this, but our American Thanksgiving Day is unique in the world.  This is not to say that other countries are ungrateful for their blessings.  They certainly are grateful.  Instead, we claim that America was the very first nation to set aside an entire Holiday to say “Thanks”. It’s also worth pointing out that here in the U.S., Thanksgiving Day is usually spent with families and friends, no matter what’s going on in the rest of the world.  And Thanksgiving always begins an unusual, four-day, Holiday weekend as well.  In addition, many, many generous souls among us cheerfully make sure that delicious dinners are given to those who have no place to go on Thanksgiving Day – by the thousands [...]

Today, think of them as “Global Veterans”. Today November 11, all American veterans, living and dead, will be honored.  Thanks will be especially offered to all living veterans, who have served the United State honorably in war or in peace and who are still with us. There’ll be gatherings in veterans’ posts, governmental remembrances, and religious observances dedicated to living veterans and to those who have passed on since their time in America’s military services – in particular, to those who saw combat and lived to return to the United States. But here are two questions:  Did you ever think about how much our military veterans have done for so many other nations, for more than a hundred years?  Could they be called “Global Veterans”?  [...]

Today, September 11, is the twentieth (20th) anniversary of the tragic terrorist attack on America, at 9 a.m. Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001.  Nineteen members of al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial flights in Boston and New York.  All of these planes crashed; three of them managed to intentionally destroy major buildings in New York and Washington, D.C.  Thousands died.  This is a tragedy that we must never forget, so please make it a point to visit the Massachusetts September 11 Memorial in the southwest corner of Boston’s Public Garden. American deaths from the 9-11 hijackings finally amounted to 2,977.  The large majority of these casualties were civilians.  No, 9-11 was not a battle in any way.  It was a war crime committed by infidel terrorists, mostly [...]

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, [...]

Editor’s NOTE:  William J. “Bill” Frew is a local writer.  His major work is “A Pilot’s Life”, memoirs of flying for the Air Force and TransWorld Airlines.  With his permission, we have excerpted a vivid memory Bill wrote about in Book 2, concerning Charles Bazzinotti – now memorialized on South Boston’s Vietnam Memorial, the first in the nation.   “As I start to write this short chapter on Memorial Day, May 28, 2018, I just watched the Memorials from Washington, D.C., on TV.  As I watched, I mentally mourned two of my Air Force friends I recalled on this beautiful Memorial Day, and one young man (Bazzinotti) I was associated with in South Boston.  This chapter is mainly about that young man ... I wrote [...]

Brianne Fitzgerald NP,  MPH Governor Charlie Baker has unveiled his plan to begin the process of re-opening the state.  The re-opening of individual businesses is significant, but not any more so than the re-opening houses of worship.  We are all grateful as we move away from quarantine, and perhaps none more so than those individuals who gather in the basement of these houses of worship any night of the week to share recovery and fellowship through 12-Step meetings.  We have all suffered hardships; Zoom meetings for school aged kids, work Zoom meetings, and 12 step Zoom meetings.   Hopefully, the population understands the 40% capacity rule,  the social distancing, hand washing, and the masks. Once houses of worship open, we hope that they will include a [...]

Hello Southie neighbors, The way that South Boston's main streets are set up today make it easy for drivers to drive dangerously, creating unsafe conditions for pedestrians. I was hit by a car as a pedestrian walking in the crosswalk in Southie last February and am frustrated by what I see as car-centered traffic management here. Car drivers have a sense of entitlement to the road that makes walking around the neighborhood treacherous in some places. Fortunately, there are several streets that can be quickly, easily, and inexpensively made safer if our elected officials know that there's neighborhood support for the changes. Most of the traffic safety problems in Southie are caused by the high rates of speed that a lot of car drivers use [...]

First of all, South Boston Online wishes you Independence Day celebrations that are really enjoyable and memorable.  Please have yourself a great Holiday. A few facts and figures:  In 1776, Thomas Jefferson drafted America’s final Declaration of Independence, making some last changes and adjustments.  This document was completed on July 4 that year.  Our Independence and the Declaration itself had been authorized a couple of days before the Fourth – 243 years ago.  The final version of the Declaration of Independence was approved, and then it was copied and sent out to the 13 colonies, where it was read to the eagerly awaiting public.  That custom continues down to this year of 2019.  The Declaration of Independence will be read from the balcony of the [...]

by Rick Winterson    In many ways, this article is a follow-up to the 3 articles in South Boston Online on marijuana by Brianne Fitzgerald, Nurse Practitioner (NP) and the Founder of Recoverymattersma.org.  Ms. Fitzgerald is a highly qualified individual on this issue.  We encourage you to read carefully all of the articles, which you will find at the end of this Editorial.  In our opinion, Ms. Fitzgerald’s articles made two (very) important points:  First, her articles were written for parents, teens (i.e., soon to become young adults), and adults of all ages.  Marijuana use – especially recreational – is a family and a “grown-up” issue.  Second, marijuana use – even if it’s only for medical purposes – must be openly and publicly discussed, long [...]