25 11, 2022

Flying to a Record: Ava McKunes Celebrates South Boston Boys & Girls Club Butterfly Mark 

2022-11-25T11:39:17-05:00November 25th, 2022|Categories: Featured, Happenings, Lifestyle, News|Comments Off on Flying to a Record: Ava McKunes Celebrates South Boston Boys & Girls Club Butterfly Mark 

By Ginger DeShaney Following in the swim strokes of her dad, Stephen McKunes, Ava McKunes took to the water like a fish.  She started swimming the butterfly because that’s what her dad swam when he was a member of the South Boston Boys & Girls Club swim team. And it turns out, Ava’s pretty good at it.  Actually, she’s very good at it … she’s so good that she broke a 27-year-old South Boston Club 50 fly record set by Michelle Sloane. Ava’s time was 30.52 seconds, besting Michelle’s record of 31.44. But Ava had to wait two years to celebrate the milestone because she broke the record, at age 14, in January 2020, right before everything shut down because of COVID-19. It was tough [...]

17 11, 2022

Learning Walks: Harborwalk Group Gets Grant to Install Informational Signs at Castle Island

2022-11-17T16:16:39-05:00November 17th, 2022|Categories: Education, Featured, Happenings, Lifestyle|Comments Off on Learning Walks: Harborwalk Group Gets Grant to Install Informational Signs at Castle Island

By Ginger DeShaney With a $75,000 grant from the city of Boston’s Community Preservation Act, Friends of the Boston Harborwalk has installed eight interpretive signs around Castle Island and Pleasure Bay. The signs include information about the history of the site, the lagoon, harbor vessels, and even birds, said Liz Nelson Weaver, a volunteer with the Friends group.  “We had a sense going into the project of what the really important stories were to tell at Castle Island and Pleasure Bay,” said Liz, who wrote the grant application. “And we always wanted it to be a mix. We didn’t want it to be just maritime industry stories.”  There are so many other things that have happened along the waterfront or that are connected to the [...]

13 11, 2022

Harry Duvall Reflects on Time at Club as He Prepares for Next Chapter

2022-11-13T12:29:48-05:00November 13th, 2022|Categories: Education, Featured, Happenings, Lifestyle, News|Comments Off on Harry Duvall Reflects on Time at Club as He Prepares for Next Chapter

By Ginger DeShaney After 18 years at the helm of the Edgerley Family South Boston Boys & Girls Club, Executive Director Harry Duvall is going to be exploring opportunities in international aid relief and cultural exchange. He will be with the Club through the end of December and leaves it in terrific shape. His decision “just kind of coalesced inside me,” he said recently, in terms of the timing being right. “There was no crisis of faith, no big soul searching, no plotting,” he said. “It was very naturally, like, oh, maybe this and maybe this and then, it’s time, let’s go.” While Harry doesn’t have a degree in international relations, his resume is strong and his skills are transferable. He has a couple of [...]

11 11, 2022

Join the Connolly and Barry Families 1st Annual 5K Run/Walk for Dana Farber

2022-11-18T08:15:40-05:00November 11th, 2022|Categories: Featured, Lifestyle|Comments Off on Join the Connolly and Barry Families 1st Annual 5K Run/Walk for Dana Farber

There are many ways to deal with the sudden message of a parents’ cancer diagnoses when you are far away from home.   John Barry, and Griffin Connolly were enjoying their college life, Griff at University of Arizona and John at University of Virginia, when they heard news of their father’s throat cancer diagnosis just about a year apart. The friendship shared with the families provided the grounding they needed to remain focused, caring, and led to their plan for a Dana Farber fundraiser that will be a reality this Thanksgiving. It will, of course, be in South Boston, the community that nurtured the friendships between the families of Denise and John Barry and George and Tracy Connolly. “I was inspired by my father’s former [...]

20 10, 2022

Let’s Celly! Local Vodka & Soda Company Wants Everyone to Celebrate Life

2022-10-20T22:46:07-04:00October 20th, 2022|Categories: Business, Featured, Happenings, Lifestyle, News|Comments Off on Let’s Celly! Local Vodka & Soda Company Wants Everyone to Celebrate Life

By Ginger DeShaney Because it’s important to celebrate every moment, the co-founders of a new canned vodka and soda company put it right in their name.  “Celly is short for celebration,” said John Dooley, a co-founder of Celly with his brother, Tyler, and his dad, Kevin.  “We wanted our brand to embody this idea that you need to celebrate every single moment, every single day of your life,” John said, especially with COVID and where the world is now. “We want to ensure that people are taking the time, taking the moment to cherish everything that life has to offer,” he said. “We're definitely trying to embody that spirit and bring that positivity back into everybody's lives.” John and Tyler both attended College of the [...]

20 10, 2022

The Condon Connection: Sgt. Gino Provenzano Receives Person of the Year Honor

2022-10-20T19:17:03-04:00October 20th, 2022|Categories: Education, Featured, Happenings, Lifestyle, News|Comments Off on The Condon Connection: Sgt. Gino Provenzano Receives Person of the Year Honor

By Ginger DeShaney When Boston Police Sgt. Gino Provenzano enters the Condon Community Center, it’s like Norm walking into Cheers. Everyone knows Gino’s name and greets him by giving him fist bumps, respect, and love. About four years ago, Gino started coming down to the Condon on Saturday mornings dressed in his street clothes to play basketball with the kids. He would give up his own time on Saturday mornings and forge personal relationships with the Condon kids. Now, outfitted proudly in his latest Condon hoodie, Gino jumps in and keeps score for the basketball league. He’s an avid cheerleader for the kids. From Day 1, Gino connected seamlessly with the Condon kids; his kind and unassuming demeanor resonated with them immediately. Gino describes the [...]

14 10, 2022

South Boston Real Estate Market Recap: Year-to-Date Transactions Down but Prices Hold Steady

2022-10-16T14:49:32-04:00October 14th, 2022|Categories: Featured, Happenings, Lifestyle, News, Real Estate|Comments Off on South Boston Real Estate Market Recap: Year-to-Date Transactions Down but Prices Hold Steady

 By Ginger DeShaney The third quarter of 2022 held some local real estate market surprises. “Some things even surprised me,” said long-time South Boston realtor Jackie Rooney. “The big change is the number of sales is down 30%.” But the bigger surprise is that prices held through the year's first three quarters, although many of these transactions went under agreement when the rates were lower (from November 2021 through March 2022). At the end of the third quarter in 2021 (year to date through Sept. 30), there were 756 transactions; this year, that number is 531. “Some of it is due to the interest rate, and maybe people were reluctant to sell,” said Rooney, broker/owner of Rooney Real Estate. Even if some homeowners prefer to [...]

13 10, 2022

Faith & Blue Events Inspire the Community

2022-10-13T18:21:53-04:00October 13th, 2022|Categories: Featured, Happenings, Lifestyle, News|Comments Off on Faith & Blue Events Inspire the Community

By Ginger DeShaney The Faith & Blue events over the weekend in Boston inspired new Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox to make sure his officers continue to build strong relationships throughout the city.  “Boston is a tremendous place,” he said at the Faith & Blue marquee event Monday night at the Lawn on D. “We have to build a better police department. And that’s my main goal. “I want to thank all the clergy, all the faith-based groups that are here today … to support the local police department and the city, as we are about making Boston the best city in the country.” According to faithandblue.org, Faith & Blue was inaugurated in 2020 by MovementForward, Inc., working with the Office of Community Oriented Policing [...]

6 10, 2022

JCALPRO Scholarship Winners Poised to Make a Difference

2022-10-06T17:35:20-04:00October 6th, 2022|Categories: Education, Featured, Happenings, Lifestyle, News|Comments Off on JCALPRO Scholarship Winners Poised to Make a Difference

By Ginger DeShaney Two outstanding Boston students who are going to make a difference in this world were awarded $2,500 JCALPRO scholarships.  Madison Rull and Angelica Angulo were presented with big checks at the 22nd South Boston Street Fest on Sept. 17. Awarding the scholarships – in honor of Dave Wilson and Floyd Jones, two members of the JCALPRO family – is a way for the company to give back to the South Boston community for all its support. Madison Rull of South Boston, who graduated from the Newman School, is a freshman at Merrimack College where she is double majoring in Early Childhood Education and Human Development and Services. Madison’s parents were drug addicts and life was not easy. After many tumultuous years, and [...]

19 09, 2022

Outdoor Art Series Returns to Rec Station

2022-09-19T16:12:26-04:00September 19th, 2022|Categories: Featured, Happenings, Lifestyle|Comments Off on Outdoor Art Series Returns to Rec Station

By Ginger DeShaney The outdoor Recreation Station Art Series is back for its second season at the Pappas Way greenspace and it is drawing repeat customers.  Felicity and Sarah Cooper participated in art events last year and are excited for this year’s offerings. They participated in the fabric painting class with artist Susana McDonnell on a recent Saturday afternoon.  “It’s fun,” Felicity said. “We’re learning a new skill and get to be outside,” Sarah added.  The duo likes that the series exposes them to different types of art and materials. “The instructors are really great. It’s a nice setting by the water. There’s a breeze,” Sarah said. “They provide everything you need. It’s nice.” Felicity and Sarah are hoping to participate in the next two [...]

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