Happenings

by Rick Winterson       Not only was last Saturday a fine of example of South Boston’s sunny summer weather, it also featured the next to last Concert on the Ramparts.  These are presented by WUMB-FM, the broadcast arm of UMass Boston.  We’ll remind you to think about spending next Saturday afternoon as WUMB’s guests at their last summer concert on Castle Island. The opening group – from UMass Boston – was a modern jazz quartet who call themselves “Jazz T”.  Jazz T is that classic jazz quartet:  a lead vocalist with keyboard, bass, and drums.  Singer Olive Martin has an excellent, tuning-fork-true voice, a bit evocative of Sarah Vaughan or even Billie Holiday.  There was a touch (or two) of be-bop in Jazz T’s [...]

by Rick Winterson       This Monday morning, on August 15 at 8:30 a.m., Dedham Savings (“your bank”) opened the doors of its Branch at 636 East Broadway for the first time.  Six key Dedham Savings people did the honors (please see the photo above).  At the end of the day at 4:30, they cheerfully expressed their satisfaction at how it all went.  Please note this was Dedham Savings so-called “soft” opening, but don’t be fooled by the word “soft”.  They are fully opened, expertly staffed, and providing everything you would expect from a full-service branch bank. The bank’s new quarters have an open feeling, with an unobtrusive but warm color scheme.  The interior is clearly a place of business, but there are amenities – [...]

The South Boston Community Health Center is an institution around here – that goes without saying (even though we said it).  The Community Health Center’s concept of servicing health needs in an urban neighborhood has caught on.  In fact, the Geiger-Gibson Community Health Center in Dorchester and our own at 409 West Broadway were the first two such health organizations. Each August, the South Boston Community Health Center confers a set of awards upon those people, both inside and outside of the Health Center’s organization, who have supported the South Boston community in special ways.  They are called the “Breakfast of Champions” Awards, a humorous and memorable brainchild of the Health Center’s Margaret Lynch.  And of course, ‘the title “Breakfast of Champions” is based upon [...]

Pictured last Monday, August 1, at Carson Beach is “Team Southie” from the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) which competed against other DCR lifeguard teams from the Nahant and Revere beaches. The annual event featured life-saving techniques and distance swimming, giving the lifeguards the opportunity to show off their skills, but more importantly, to hone these lifeguard skills so they can serve and keep the public safe in an optimum manner. (Photo by Kevin Devlin)  

Mayor Walsh today Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) to announce that all BCYF drop-in programs will follow rigorous new standards in an effort to strengthen oversight and child safety. These changes are a result of an assessment of all protocols and procedures at the city's summer camps and drop-in programs that was conducted this week. Summer camps are currently regulated by the City of Boston's Inspectional Services Department (ISD) per the Department of Public Health (DPH), and summer camps have clearly defined and documented operating procedures, specifically with respect to child safety. Drop-in programs, as defined by state regulations, do not fall under ISD regulations, and as a result have fewer clearly defined and uniform operating procedures. "The city experienced a terrible tragedy [...]