News

By Richard Campbell   After the overview of museums in Boston I decided to cross the river to Cambridge to give science geek nation a glimpse at the MIT Museum’s current exhibits, which span from engineering, big data, to robotics, early modern photography, the hologram room, and a short history of the Polaroid camera. For students engaged in serious cabin fever this is a pretty cheap way (10 bucks) to explore vast worlds of science.   First stop was the main exhibit on Gestural Engineering. What is that? I thought you’d never ask! They are more or less engineer projects that evoke emotions through movement. This quirky kind of kinetic sculptures by Arthur Ganson are Tim Burton like mechanical machines that appear to have minds [...]

   “FPTC” is the acronym for the “Fort Point Theatre Channel”, which has arrived at its Tenth Anniversary.  You are invited to join us in celebrating this landmark year by coming to FPTC’s Tenth Anniversary gala Thursday evening, January 11, from 5 to 8 p.m.  The party will be at 15 Channel Center in Fort Point (one block off A Street).  And you know what?  It’s blessedly free.    Everyone is most welcome.  See you there!   by Rick Winterson      Ten years ago, Mark Warhol and Marc Miller co-founded the Fort Point Theatre Channel, usually abbreviated to “FPTC”.  Mark Warhol is a well-regarded contemporary composer, who resides in Gloucester.  Marc Miller was a theater major at MIT and has worked on numerous freelance [...]

South Boston Catholic Academy has done a great deal of reflection on practice this year in order to ensure that they are providing rigorous, standards aligned instruction through learning experiences that are both authentic and deeply connected to the world around them. We know that the foundation for learning begins with having strong relationships with teachers and peers.  At SBCA, teachers thoughtfully create cohesive classroom communities using the principles of Responsive Classroom.  Daily, as a school community, we join together in prayer.  Once a week, we come together for a whole school morning meeting where we practice greeting one another, sharing about ourselves, acknowledging the accomplishments of students.  We know that this whole school practice, combined with the Responsive Classroom work in the classroom, provides [...]

by Rick Winterson   Let it first be said that interviewing Barbara Signor and then writing a Spotlight article about her is not only easy, it’s a real pleasure.  Barbara is a Marine, a professional caregiver, a skilled volunteer, a tireless veterans’ worker, a devoted single mother of three, and most especially, she’s a good and cheerful soul.  Who could ask for a better subject?  Not South Boston Online, for certain.   Barbara’s children are named Joseph, Thaddeus, and Medora.  Her extended family includes her father and mother, Ignatius and Maria Majchrzak, along with her two sisters Christina and Romualda, and her brother Peter.  She is truly devoted to them all, as well as being a kind, faithful friend to many others.   After graduating [...]

  by Rick Winterson   Ed Flynn threw a gala party on New Year’s Day afternoon. And why not?  New Year’s Day is a day to celebrate, no matter who you are, where you are, or why you’re celebrating.  Another new year has been rung in, 2018 most recently.  The world-famous L Street Brownies’ Polar Plunge had taken place that morning, despite bitter-cold weather.  If anyone needed another reason, it was even the Seventh Day of Christmas (“Seven swans a-swimming …”). Also, Mayor Marty Walsh had been inaugurated to his second term in office as the Mayor of the City of Boston on New Year’s morning.  An eloquent ex-Vice President Joe Biden keynoted this occasion.  Which brings us to Ed, who is now formally known [...]

By Mayor Martin J. Walsh   To all Bostonians: happy new year, and may 2018 bring you happiness and health in Boston. As we enter into the new year, I’m grateful for the people of Boston -- I continue to be inspired by our residents’ big hearts and deep love of community.   2018 brings a new year in Boston, and it also marks inauguration for myself, and for the Boston City Council. I’m humbled by the opportunity to serve a second term as Mayor of Boston. Inaugurations are often a time for celebrations and special events across the city. This year, to mark my second inauguration as Mayor of Boston, I wanted to do something really special -- and different. Something that really brings [...]

By Richard Campbell The jewel that is the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre provided a polished backdrop to an eloquent occasion: the inauguration of Martin Walsh as a second term mayor of Boston. From the opening call to order to the closing, the event ran flawlessly, and signified not only Martin Walsh’s ascendency as a time tested mayor, but the preeminence of historical and contemporary Boston among cities in our nation.  There were charm filled moments (as when students from the David Ellis Elementary School gave the pledge of allegiance, jostling amongst themselves for the limelight), or when the Morning Star Baptist Church Sanctuary Chorale raised the rafters and spirits. But it was most importantly, a celebration of democracy.  If this could be remembered as one [...]

by Rick Winterson   The budding Year of 2018 brought some changes to the Annual L Street Brownies’ Polar Plunge.  This year’s Plunge took place through the Curley Community Center’s entrance on the M Street instead of the K Street entrance, which had been used in recent years.  Also, the high tide was early this New Year’s Day, so the 2018 Polar Plunge was set for a comparatively early 9 a.m.   And then there were the prevailing temperatures and breeze – again, not unknown at past Plunges – but certainly extremely frigid. Temperatures hovered in single digits, just above 0 degrees F.  The breeze, although fairly mild, lowered the wind chill to well below zero.  This was responsible for some local Plungers giving the 2018 [...]

The theme of this year’s South Boston Catholic Academy Annual Christmas Concert was “A World of Christmas” lead by our wonderful Music Teacher, Mrs. Mary Hoy and performed by our very talented students from Preschool to Grade 6.  We celebrated Christmas Traditions from around the globe. The program included an opening by the school choir followed by the traditional carols lead by our preschoolers.  The students then performed five pieces from the Nutcracker Suite, a nod to the famous Russian Ballet that is a cherished Christmastime favorite.  Students on the newly formed dance team performed the “Chinese Tea Dance.  The latter half of the show included traditional Christmas songs from across the world including “Fum, Fum, Fum” from Spain, “Deudshka Moroz” from Russia and “Two [...]