Let's hear it for Frankie Spolsino and community spirit!

This just in from East Boston Main Streets:

Longtime East Boston resident Frank Spolsino

[Editor's Note: Frankie Spolsino has been an acquaintance and friend for a long, long time. It's always a pleasure to meet up with him. He's a true patriot!]

East Boston, MA (June 24, 2014) – For the past month, Frank Spolsino has spent his lunch hour volunteering for East Boston Main Streets, sweeping the sidewalks around Maverick Square.  When asked about his motivation, Frank observes, “I live here, and it’s nicer when it’s clean!”

Litter in East Boston’s business district has been an issue for many years and, over the years, numerous programs and initiatives have tried to address the challenges of keeping our streets and sidewalks clean, with mixed results.  Boston Shines, an annual community clean-up event coordinated by EBMS and the City of Boston attracts over 100 volunteers, and other, community based clean-ups are also regularly attended by residents of East Boston.
“I do not believe that there is a silver bullet to address the litter issue in East Boston,” says Max Gruner, executive Director of EBMS, “our streets and sidewalks will be clean once a critical mass of residents and business owners take direct and consistent ownership of their space and show the independent initiative to clean up, every day, clean up.”

Frank Spolsino embodies this community spirit.  A life-long resident of East Boston, Frank is a regular volunteer at community events and clean-ups.  Realizing that more needed to be done, Frank takes it upon himself, every week, to do his part to help East Boston shine. 

Janet Knott, Chief of Staff for Councilor Sal LaMattina has known Frank for a long time, “Frank Spolsino is a dedicated community volunteer and kind neighbor. He can often be found cleaning litter from the street or working along the Greenway, always with a smile on his face."

For more details or questions about how to join Frank or how to create your own community volunteer group, please contact Max Gruner at mgruner@ebmainstreets.com or at 617-561-1044.

####
EBMS is a non-profit corporation. Its mission is to create a more vibrant business district by initiating private and public improvements, promoting commerce, and supporting efforts to improve the quality of life for all who live, work, and do business in East Boston.
Source: EBMA

Myers to Launch Campaign for State Rep on Thursday 6/26; Pledges to ‘Put Community First’

(EAST BOSTON June 23, 2014) - Committing to work tirelessly at the State House so that every East Boston resident has the opportunity to work, live, raise a family and be successful, Celeste Ribeiro Myers this week officially launches her campaign for State Representative in Suffolk County’s First District. Myers, a lifelong East Boston resident and former co-chair of No Eastie Casino, a group she founded, says she believes the neighborhood’s best days are ahead of it.

“I love this community, and I am running to make sure it remains a place for young families to settle, a gateway for newcomers to this country, and a thriving district for entrepreneurs that is the envy of other Boston neighborhoods,” she says. “Too often, big business – be it an airport, an oil company, a luxury developer or, yes, a casino – have tried to dictate the direction this neighborhood is going. I believe the people know best how East Boston is to grow and prosper.”

Promising to run an energetic campaign in which she shares with voters her ideas for healthy neighborhood development, more efficient transportation, and an economically thriving, environmentally responsible East Boston, Myers will lay out her more comprehensive platform at a campaign kickoff event Thursday, June 26, from 6-8 p.m., at the Zumix Firehouse, 260 Sumner Street in East Boston.

Myers is known for leading the ballot question campaign group No Eastie Casino, which last year successfully defeated a proposal to site a casino at Suffolk Downs in East Boston. (Her opponent, incumbent Carlo Basile, opposed an area casino as a candidate in 2007 but vigorously supported casino plans in the run-up to the vote.) As Suffolk Downs continued to push a so-called “Revere-only” casino in the days and months following the November vote, Myers regularly appeared before the Massachusetts Gaming Commission as a representative of the more than 4,000 residents who voted “no” and continues to push toward repealing the law.

But long before the casino issue reared its head, Myers was active in the East Boston community. Her father, a former probation officer in Eastie, used to take her to protests against Logan Airport expansion and to volunteer with children at area family shelters. Celeste’s first pivotal opportunity to impact an issue came at the age of 9 when she wrote and delivered remarks to the Boston Public School Committee during a hearing in an effort to save her grade school, the Curtis Guild, from being closed as a result of budget cuts. More evident than her activist streak is her ardent desire to build community – usually in a hands-on capacity. Celeste played an instrumental role in producing community -galvanizing events including the Sacred Heart Festival, the Columbus Day Parade, Eastie Pride Day, the East Boston Community Thanksgiving Dinner, and has served as a team captain for the annual Relay for Life.

“For me, service is key,” she says. “The casino fight showed me how committed my neighbors are to protecting the neighborhood they love. So many of them tell me they’ve felt underrepresented at the state level; I’m ready and willing to step up and serve them, with the people and future of East Boston ever on my mind.”

Source: Myers campaign

June 28: Freedoms Foundation to Install New Officers and Members, Honor High School Students during Annual Meeting in East Boston

(East Boston, June 10, 2014)  The Bay State Chapter of Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge will host its Annual Meeting on Saturday, June 28, starting at 12:30 p.m. in Spinelli’s Function Hall, Day Square, East Boston.

The meeting will feature the installation of new officers, board directors and new members for the 2014-15 chapter year and a chapter business meeting.
 
The meeting will also feature a video report on the Youth Leadership Conference to the Freedoms Foundation campus in Valley Forge, PA back in April, which was attended by 10 high school juniors sponsored by the Bay State Chapter and its members. 

Those students, from East Boston High School, Boston Latin School, Revere High School and Winthrop High School, will be honored for their efforts.
 
To RSVP for the annual meeting or for more information on the Bay State Chapter, contact Freedoms Foundation Executive Director Joseph Ferrino Sr. at 617-846-2122. Lunch will be served during the meeting.

I remember views like this one!

City of Boston Archives | Boston skyline from East Boston, 1975 August,...

City of Boston Archives, Peter Dreyer..

Metropolitan Beaches Commission Releases Report On Boston Harbor Region's Beaches -- BOSTON, June 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

(BOSTON, June 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/) -- On Tuesday June 3, 2014 the Metropolitan Beaches Commission (MBC) released its report "Waves of Change" on the Boston Harbor region's 15 public beaches in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull owned by the Commonwealth and managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

"The investments we have made on these beaches strengthen our communities and the economy, improve people's lives and demonstrate that government can work," said Senator Tom McGee of Lynn, who Co-Chairs the Commission.

The report identifies a number of continuing challenges and opportunities that need to be addressed to move these beaches from good to great. These include staffing levels at the beaches, which increased after 2007, but declined in recent years to the point where the Commission believes "that the beaches will inevitably reenter a cycle of decline, undermining the progress that has been made and failing to meet public expectations, as was the case before 2007."

Co-chaired by Massachusetts State Senator Tom McGee of Lynn and
Massachusetts State Representative Carlo Basile of East Boston the
Metropolitan Beaches Commission convened on June 3, 2014 to issue
findings and recommendations to better leverage resources for the Boston
Harbor Region's Beaches. (PRNewsFoto/Metropolitan Beaches Commission)

"The Commonwealth's investments in the Boston Harbor cleanup, the Boston Harbor Islands and our region's public beaches have already resulted in dramatic improvements in the quality of life for residents in Boston and the region's coastal communities," said MBC Commissioner Paul Grogan, President and CEO of The Boston Foundation. "To protect those investments we must continue to find ways to fund the incremental changes that are necessary to further improve our beaches."

Other key challenges and opportunities identified in the report include: water quality and beach flagging, coastal resiliency and sea level rise, water transportation, improved information technology and management systems, parking and public safety, dog management and piping plover nesting areas. The Commission also called for DCR to invest additional funds to support free events and programs that are so important enhancing the public's enjoyment of the beaches.

"Local friends groups and Save the Harbor have helped jump-start free events on these beaches, but government has a responsibility to provide direct financial support of these volunteer efforts to make them sustainable,"
said David Spillane of Goody Clancy, an award winning Boston-based architecture, planning and preservation firm, who helped Save the Harbor manage the hearings and produce the report.

According to Bruce Berman of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, the non-profit who helped lead and manage the inquiry and author the report, "These beaches contribute directly to the competitiveness of our region, making our cities and beachfront communities better places to live and work. Moreover, the combined economic impact of millions of residents enjoying these beaches also makes them important economic engines for the region's waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities, creating new jobs and economic
opportunity."

"The region's public beaches, like Constitution Beach in East Boston, are much more than a great place to spend the day," said Representative Carlo Basile of East Boston, who Co-Chairs the Commission. "They are portals to the environment, remarkable recreational resources with the potential to improve the quality of life for all our residents."

The Commission would like to thank the nearly 1,000 people who took part in the hearings and helped to shape the findings and recommendations contained in their report. Copies of the Commission's report "Waves of Change" and the hearing minutes, public comments, the budget analysis
and other technical reports and appendices on which the report is based
are available online at www.savetheharbor.org/MBC2014.

For more information, visit www.savetheharbor.org or follow us on Twitter @MetroBeaches. 

SOURCE Metropolitan Beaches Commission; Metropolitan Beaches Commission Releases Report On Boston Harbor Region's Beaches -- BOSTON, June 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Long awaited Logan Study based on 6,000 individual interviews to be released in Winthrop on Wed., May 28

ADVISORY OF PUBLIC MEETING

The Department of Public Health will hold a public meeting to release the findings of the Logan Airport Health Study (also known as the Logan Study). The Logan Study involved interviews with more than 6,000 adults living within a 5-mile radius of the airport evaluating potential health impacts of air pollution and noise on residents in 17 communities within the study area.

Associate Commissioner Suzanne K. Condon and staff will review methodology used in the study and findings.  The study will be available on the Department’s website following the meeting.

WHEN:    Wednesday, May 28, 2014 at  6:30pm

WHERE:     Winthrop Senior Center,  35 Harvard Street, Winthrop, MA

For more information contact: Anne Roach (617) 624-5006

Storytime for kids at Maverick MarketPlace: May 30

 

For more information please call Melissa Tyler @ 617-571-9031

East Boston News: DiCara to discuss his book on June 9

He's a smart guy even though he may be right a little more than half the time!
East Boston News: DiCara to discuss his book on June 9

Planning & Zoning Meeting JPNA May 21

The next Planning & Zoning meeting for the Jeffries Point Neighborhood Association will be held Wednesday May 21st at 7PM at the Yacht Club, at the end of Sumner Street.

Agenda: 

• 285 Sumner Street, rehab and development of a 3 family home
• The Cheese Factory, 245 Sumner Street new residential and commercial development
• Oscar Woodworking, 47 Webster Street proposed commercial development (1st meeting)
• Future Automotive, 31 Orleans Street proposed residential development

Please note some of these projects will be coming for votes before the JPNA in the next several months. In order to vote you need to be a resident of Jeffries Point and attend the voting meeting and one meeting in the previous three months.

Community Update: Improvements to Bremen Street and Piers Park

Boston Clergy to Mayor Walsh: ‘Protect the Vote of the People’

(Boston, MA, May 6, 2014)

Following weekend reports that Mayor Marty Walsh may be in direct negotiations with Mohegan Sun regarding a proposed casino at Suffolk Downs, more than forty Boston-area clergy are urging Mayor Walsh to uphold the “no casino” vote that took place in East Boston on Nov. 5, 2013. 

In a joint letter signed by Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Muslim leaders and submitted to the mayor’s office today, the clergy expressed alarm at the ongoing “affront to the democratic process” amid efforts to approve up to one casino in Eastern Massachusetts, and called on Mayor Walsh to “use the full resources of the city of Boston to protect the vote of the people.”

The letter articulates the legal terms of the Nov. 5 vote, which included the residents of East Boston being legally entrusted with the city’s vote by the Boston City Council, as well as being constantly assured that the Suffolk Downs casino proposal required a “yes” vote in both Boston and Revere to proceed. 

“The people of East Boston voted against that proposal,” the letter continues. “Despite this vote and in direct opposition to the will of the people, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission allowed a proposal to go forward at Suffolk Downs.”

While there has been solidarity around this issue among East Boston ministers since November, critical to the present initiative is the increasing involvement of clergy throughout Boston as a whole.  The additional support from ministers across the city is directly attributable to the ignoring of East Boston’s vote by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, local elected officials, and now perhaps Mayor Walsh, says Rev. Dr. David Searles of Central Assembly of God Church in East Boston, who assisted in writing the letter.

“There were two significant questions on the November 5 ballot, the mayoral election question and the casino question,” Searles says. “If the casino vote did not count, then why should the mayor’s vote count?  There’s simply no logic to this.”

The clergy insist their initiative is not simply about being against a casino, adding that they “support business development and job creation that produces long-term economic health.”  Even still, the letter states, “a casino’s long-term negative impacts would far outweigh the promises.”

Reports that the city may be open to negotiating with Mohegan Sun and Suffolk Downs have increased the clergy’s resolve. “We’re not giving up and we’re not going away,” says Trent Sheppard, Alpha New England’s Collegiate Chaplain and an East Boston resident.  “East Boston’s future is bright, and that future – according to the will of the people – is casino-free.”

The ministers’ letter can be read in full at www.friendsofeastboston.com and clergy signature gathering will continue unabated throughout the week.

*****

May 6, 2014

Dear Mayor Walsh,

We appreciate your vision to strengthen local neighborhoods and to work toward unity that we may be One Boston. As clergy in Boston we share your commitment to the city and the desire for all people to have an opportunity to live peaceful and fruitful lives.

In September 2013 the Boston City Council entrusted the residents of East Boston to represent the entire city of Boston in a vote on a casino proposal at Suffolk Downs. The Suffolk Downs property, located in two host communities (East Boston and Revere), required a “Yes” vote in both communities to proceed.

It was clear this was never about two different proposals in East Boston or Revere, but always about one proposal at Suffolk Downs.

On November 5, 2013, the people of East Boston voted against that proposal. Despite this vote and in direct opposition to the will of the people, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission allowed a proposal to go forward at Suffolk Downs in December 2013.

We are deeply concerned by this affront to the democratic process and we stand in solidarity with the East Boston vote. We appreciate your efforts to support the November 5 vote against a casino at Suffolk Downs and we call upon you to continue to use the full resources of the city of Boston to protect the vote of the people who clearly said "No" to a casino.

We support business development and job creation that produces long-term economic health in the city. While the possibility of new jobs from the Suffolk Downs proposal is alluring at first glance, a casino’s long-term negative impacts far outweigh the promises.

A significant increase in crime rates, the doubling of gambling addictions, and the transfer of revenue from the local economy into casino coffers would harm individuals and families, and would negatively impact local businesses by effectively eliminating 1-2 jobs for every slot machine – and there will be approximately 4,000 slot machines installed at the proposed casino. These impacts would not only be felt in East Boston, but in every neighborhood throughout the city.
We join together with you to support the vitality of our neighborhoods, the unity of Boston, and Boston’s vote for a casino free community.

Sincerely,

Rev. Dr. David Searles, Central Assembly of God Church, East Boston
Rev. Gordon P. Hugenberger, PhD, Park Street Congregational Church, Boston
Rev. Roberto Miranda, PhD, Congregacion Leon de Juda, Boston
Fr. Felipe Gonzales, Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Boston
Rabbi Ronne Friedman, Temple Israel, Boston
Rev. Neal Armandt, South End Neighborhood Church, Boston
Rabbi Howard Berman, Central Reform Temple, Boston
Rabbi Joseph Berman, Revere
Rev. Mark Booker, Church of the Cross, Boston
Pastor Tim Bogertman, First Congregational Church, Revere
Rev. Lynn Breitenbach, Chi Alpha Campus Ministries, Boston
Rev. Terry Burke, First Church in Jamaica Plain, Unitarian Universalist, Boston 
Pastora Alicia Climaco, Iglesia Profetica Internacional Ciudad de Sion, East Boston 
Rev. Dr. Gregg Detwiler, Emmanuel Gospel Center, Boston
Rev. Thomas S. Domurat, Most Holy Redeemer Parish, East Boston
Rev. Michael D'Urso, Eagle Heights Church, Revere
Rev. Laura E. Everett, Executive Director, Massachusetts Council of Churches, Boston 
Rev. Nick Fatato, Common Church, Boston
Imam Ismail Fenni, Yusuf Mosque, Brighton
Rev. Nicholas G. Granitsas, First Congregational Church, Revere
Dr. Douglas Hall, President, Emmanuel Gospel Center, Boston
Judy Hall, Assistant to the President, Emmanuel Gospel Center, Boston
Rabbi Sandi Intraub, Revere
Pastor Jowulu Jaidah, Central Assembly of God Church, East Boston
Rev. Christo A. Kamara, St. Paul's Victory Christian Assembly of God, Mattapan 
Pastor Bernardo Leya, Central Assembly of God Church, East Boston
Deacon Frank McHugh, Most Holy Redeemer Parish, East Boston
Rev David C. McNeely, New England Leadership Institute, Dorchester
Rabbi Bernard H. Mehlman, Temple Israel, Boston
Rev. Dr. Roberto Miranda, Congregacion Leon de Juda, Boston
Rev. Don Nanstad, Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, East Boston
Rabbi Barbara Penzner, Temple Hillel B'nai Torah, West Roxbury
Kristopher Perkins, Associate Pastor, Park Street Church, Boston
Rev. Peter Raftery, Assembly of God, Boston
Rabbi Victor Reinstein, Nehar Shalom Community Synagogue, Boston
Rev. Israel J. Rodriguez, St. Joseph ́s Parish, Lynn
Trent Sheppard, Collegiate Chaplain, Alpha New England, East Boston
Rabbi Matthew Soffer, Temple Israel, Boston
Rev. George Szal, S.M., Immaculate Conception Parish, Revere
Rev. Wendy Vanderhart, United Church of Christ, Boston
Pastor David Michael Wenrich, Boston Harbor Community Church, Boston
Matthew Whelan, Freedom Mission International & Boston Hope, East Boston 
Pastor Claudio Yeme, Iglesia Palabras de Vida, East Boston
Rev. Louis Zinnanti, Christ the Rock Church, Dorchester

In Eastie, Mayor Walsh Announces Universal Pre-Kindergarten Advisory Committee

Seeks to Double Enrollment of Four-Year-Olds in Pre-K Programs by 2018: EB Social Center's John Kelly appointed as member of advisory committee

BOSTON – Today Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced the formation of a Universal  Pre-Kindergarten Advisory Committee to recommend a city-wide strategic framework and action plan to double the enrollment of four-year-olds in high quality, full-day pre-kindergarten programs by 2018. Access to full-day pre-kindergarten with a certified teacher in a Boston Public School or in a community-based program is part of the city’s multi-year effort to improve the achievement of all Boston students and close the achievement gap by grade three.

“Pre-kindergarten programs ensure that all students start kindergarten ready to learn,” said Mayor Walsh. “Rather than spend time on remediation in education, we are investing in our youngest students to lay the groundwork for their long-term success and the long-term prosperity of Boston.”

To create the framework and action plan for the expansion of full-day pre-kindergarten programs, the Universal Pre-Kindergarten Advisory Committee will look at many factors including class space requirements, teacher qualifications, funding requirements, and potential partnerships for before school, after school, and summer wrap-around services. 

Thrive in 5, a partnership between the Mayor's Office and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, and other community partners will conduct a series of stakeholder focus groups across Boston, and offer online surveys to gather input about the strengths and needs of all of the City’s neighborhoods for high-quality pre-kindergarten. The Advisory Committee will make its recommendations for a mixed delivery system to Major Walsh in November 2014.

There are approximately 6,000 four-year-olds living in Boston, and the population of four-year-olds is projected to grow to as many as 8,000 by 2030. Currently, approximately one-third of all four-year-olds (2,200) are in the nationally-recognized Boston Public School Pre-Kindergarten (K1) Program, while others attend community-based private programs.

An estimated 25 percent of all Boston four-year-olds do not attend a pre-kindergarten program. Mayor Walsh’s FY15 budget adds over 100 K1 seats for four-year-olds.

Research on early childhood programs with trained teachers and smaller teacher to student  ratios have been shown to yield benefits in increased MCAS performance, academic achievement, improved behavior, prevention of delinquency and crime, and labor market success. Boston’s K1 program has demonstrated significant gains for all students in their language, literacy and mathematics development, and reduces the achievement gap significantly between students by third grade.

2014 Mayor’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten Advisory Committee

Co- Chairs

Jeri Robinson, Vice President for Education and Family Learning, Boston Children’s Museum*

Jason Sachs, Director of Early Childhood, Boston Public Schools*

Members

Noah Berger, President, Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center

Danubia Campos, Parent[NK1]

Michelle Cannon, Parent

Sharon Scott Chandler, Executive Vice President, Action for Boston’s Community Development (ABCD)

Ana Crowley, Parent

Anne Douglass, Assistant Professor, Early Education and Care, UMass Boston

Betsy Drinan, Co-teacher, Boston Teachers Union School

Linda Dorcena Forry, 1st Suffolk District, Massachusetts Senate

Dominique Graham, Parent

Kimberly Haskins, Senior Program Officer, Barr Foundation*

Renee Boynton Jarett, MD, ScD, Founding Director, Vital Village Community Engagement Network

John Kelly, Executive Director, East Boston Social Centers

Mary Kinsella, Vice President of Early Childhood Education and Care and School Age

Programs, Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester

Suzanne Lee, Boston Public School Principal (Retired)

Michael Loconto, Member, Boston School Committee

Susan McConathy, Director, Deloitte Consulting, LLP

Nejat Sirag, Parent

Todd Rainville, General Partner, Symmetric Capital

Marchelle Raynor, Director (Retired), Head Start

Ayesha Rodriguez, 0-5 Manager, Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative

Peg Sprague, Senior Vice President for Community Impact, United Way of Massachusetts Bay*

(Thrive in 5)

Marie St. Fleur, President and Chief Executive Officer, Betsy Tart Wilson Initiative for

Children

Jane Tewksbury, Esq., Executive Director, Thrive in 5* (Thrive in 5)

Robert Triest, Vice President and Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

Eleonora Villegas-Reimers, Ed.D., Associate Professor of Education, Wheelock College

*Steering Committee Member

East Boston Shines: Community Clean Up, Saturday, May 10th at 9:00am

(East Boston, MA, May 5, 2014) – Come Volunteer to Beautify and Clean East Boston!  On Saturday, May 10th, East Boston Volunteers will join East Boston Main Streets at 9:00 a.m. at Maverick Square to kick of the 12th annual East Boston Shines Community Clean-up Campaign.
East Boston Main Streets is inviting volunteers to help clean up the neighborhood. Volunteers will meet at Maverick Square at 9:00 am on Saturday, May 10th to clean the streets, mulch tree pits, and plant flowers. We will then walk to Central Square and do the same.  Come join us – this is a family friendly event. 

Brooms, gloves, and T-shirts will be provided.   

For more details or questions please call Max Gruner, Executive Director of East Boston Main Streets at 617-561-1044.

EBMS is a non-profit corporation. Our mission is to create a more vibrant business district by initiating private and public improvements, promoting commerce, and supporting efforts to improve the quality of life for all who live, work and do business in East Boston.

Source: EBMS

The Chelsea Creek Action Group Applauds the House of Representatives for uplifting Public Safety

(Chelsea, MA - May 1, 2014) The Chelsea Creek Action Group has engaged residents from Chelsea, East Boston, Revere and other municipalities in a campaign about the danger of transporting large quantities of ethanol by rail for almost three years.  The Chelsea Creek Action Group applauds Speaker DeLeo and the co-sponsors of Amendment 392 to the House Budget 4000 for uplifting the public safety hazards of mile-long ethanol trains traveling through densely populated areas.  

 

The Chelsea Creek Action Group is proud to stand with Speaker DeLeo and State Representatives Provost of Somerville, Vincent of Revere, Ryan of Chelsea, Basile of Boston, Toomey of Cambridge, Hecht of Watertown, Sannicandro of Ashland, Atkins of Concord, Keefe of Worcester, Khan of Newton, Rogers of Cambridge, Livingstone of Boston, Brodeur of Melrose, Matewsky of Everett, Farley-Bouvier of Pittsfield, Decker of Cambridge, Walsh of Framingham, Garballey of Arlington and Honan of Boston to urge the Commonwealth’s agencies to work with federal and local counterparts to develop an ethanol transport response plan and temporarily prevent ethanol trains from traveling to the Greater Boston area. 

 

The Chelsea Creek Action Group (CCAG) is no stranger to getting legislation passed.  With strong support from our elected officials, CCAG was responsible for getting a law passed in August 2012 that required the Department of Transportation to commission a study to determine the impact on the public safety of transporting ethanol by train through Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Revere, and Somerville.  

 

The study detailed 31 ethanol train accidents throughout the United States between 2008 and 2012 and concluded that there is an insufficient amount of alcohol-resistant foam, equipment, and training for adequate response to an ethanol incident in Greater Boston. 

 

Since the Department of Transportation’s study on ethanol transport by rail, there have been 7 additional ethanol rail accidents throughout the United States in 2013, and an additional 12 rail accidents involving other hazardous material that required evacuation of surrounding neighborhoods throughout North America.  The risk of a horrific rail accident, like the derailment that happened in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec resulting in 47 deaths, is a public safety burden that cannot be mitigated.  The ethanol amendment was passed on April 30, 2014, the same day that the derailment of a train carrying crude oil in Lynchburg, Virginia caused extensive flames and generated an evacuation for nearby residents and workers.

 

Residents of Chelsea, East Boston, and Revere have long recognized the need for agency attention on hazardous material rail transport.  CCAG agrees with National Transportation Safety Board Chairperson Deborah Hersman that the Obama administration needs to take steps immediately to protect the public from potentially catastrophic train accidents even if it means using emergency authority.

CCAG and our allies will continue to work to stop the transport of ethanol by rail in densely populated communities.  The Chelsea Creek Action Group urges the Massachusetts Senate to pass a similar bill to the House budget amendment that requires: (1) a lengthy moratorium preventing the Department of Environmental Protection from issuing a chapter 91 license to oil facilities unless they receive ethanol by marine vessel and (2) the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency completion of an ethanol transport response plan.  The Senate vote on the budget is expected to happen by the end of May 2014.

 

State Senator Anthony Petruccelli Endorses Leland Cheung for Lt. Governor

(Boston, MA, April 28, 2014)-- State Senator Anthony Petruccelli, who represents the First Suffolk and Middlesex District in the Massachusetts state senate, today announced his support for Leland Cheung’s campaign for Lt. Governor.

"As a city councilor in a community with great diversity such as Cambridge, Leland has shown that he has the right combination of skill and passion to represent all communities in Massachusetts,” said Senator Petruccelli.

Petruccelli’s district includes parts of Cambridge and Boston, including his home neighborhood of East Boston, as well as Revere and Winthrop.

“I’m honored to have the support of Senator Petruccelli. He is someone who understands what it takes to build strong communities and who would be a strong ally on Beacon Hill,” said Cheung.

Cheung has also been endorsed by State Senator William Brownsberger and Governor’s Council member Terry Kennedy.

First elected to the Cambridge City Council in 2009, Leland Cheung has been a leader in creating jobs by driving the innovation economy, making Cambridge more progressive, and using technology to modernize government. Before assuming his role as City Councillor, Leland worked at a Cambridge-based venture capital firm focusing on digital media, mobile, and Internet infrastructure. Leland is a graduate of Stanford, the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and the MIT Sloan School. He currently lives in Cambridge with his wife and infant daughter.

Source: Cheung campaign.

East Boston Main Streets and the City of Boston Announce This Year’s East Boston Main Streets’ Volunteer of the Year Recipients

BOSTON, MA (April 21, 2014) – On Monday, April 21, East Boston Main Streets and the City of Boston announced the 2013 recipients of the East Boston Outstanding Business Award and Outstanding Volunteer Award.  “I feel honored to be able to announce this year’s winners of business and volunteer of the year,” says Max Gruner, Executive Director of East Boston Main Streets.

This year’s winner of the East Boston Main Streets Volunteer of the Year Award is Marygrace Gravallese.  “Marygrace has been an invaluable member of the Board of Directors of East Boston Main Streets.  She transformed the public face of EBMS through her brilliant and diligent design; her creativity is visible in all materials EBMS publishes on behalf of the East Boston’s micro-business community,” says Max Gruner. 

The Law Office of Manuel Macias is this year’s recipient of the Outstanding Business Award.  “The Law Office of Manuel Macias has been an integral part of the East Boston community consistently providing generous support to programming in East Boston in general and to our micro-business community in particular,” says Max Gruner.

Both recipients will be honored by Mayor Walsh at the Annual Awards Ceremony which will take place on Thursday evening, June 26th at the Strand Theater in Upham's Corner at 6:00pm.  “We would encourage members of the East Boston community to join us for this truly fabulous event and to cheer on these two outstanding and well deserving award recipients,” says Liz Tanefis, EBMS board chair.

####
EBMS is a non-profit corporation. Our mission is to create a more vibrant business district by initiating private and public improvements, promoting commerce, and supporting efforts to improve the quality of life for all who live, work and do business in East Boston.

Source: M. Gruner 4/21

June 14: Joe Avati award winning bilingual Italian stand-up comedy show ‘Back to Basics’.

When: Saturday, June 14, 2014 at 7:30PM
Where: Regent Theatre, 7 Medford Street, Arlington, MA
Ticket Information: Box Office: 781-646-4849 or online at www.regenttheatre.com

After an 8 year absence Boston Concepts is proud to present, Joe Avati with his brand new award winning bilingual Italian stand-up comedy show ‘Back to Basics’.
Joe Avati’s comedy is unique in that he performs both English and Italian. He has that unique ability to be able to say the things that everyone thinks but no one articulates in their everyday speak. At the end of his concerts you will hear his audiences in the lobby belt out “everything he says is so true” and on the way home they will recount and hence re live their own childhood stories so in essence the Joe Avati experience continues long after the curtain has come down.

His energy is electrifying, creating an instant affiliation with him; making the audience feel proud of their heritage and he made being Italian cool again. His comedy brings families together where often three generations of one family will sit side by side enjoying his show. This brings us to one other important point about his comedy. Joe works completely clean – free of profanities and avoids any material which may offend. A unique feat which has drawn comparisons to Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Cosby.

A native of Australia, his family hails from Calabria, Italy. His Italian upbringing resonates with Italians globally. He has developed an astonishing fan base worldwide, which has initiated his World Tour with stops in Australia, North America, and London.

For more informat\ion about Joe log onto www.joeavati.com

Forum with Councilor Michelle Wu in East Boston Postponed

BOSTON, MA  (April 14, 2014) – Due to an unforeseen scheduling conflict, the Forum with Councilor Michelle Wu, originally scheduled for April 28 at the East Boston Public Library, will have to be postponed.  No new date has been identified as of yet.  East Boston Main Streets is working with the councilor’s office to identify a new date very soon.  “We are sorry to have to reschedule the councilor,” says Max Gruner, Executive Director of East Boston Main Streets, “but we are absolutely committed to getting councilor Wu to East Boston very soon to have an opportunity to talk to our small and micro business community.”

For more details or questions please call Max Gruner, Executive Director of East Boston Main Streets at 617-561-1044.

East Boston - Malden Youth Hockey Season Round-up

Faster than you can say Rocket Richard, the 2013-2014 Malden/East Boston Youth Hockey season has come to a close. A great year of hockey for all players, coaches and families comes to an end. 

MITES (4-8 Years Old)

Valley League Champions!

Malden/East Boston 3, Methuen 2
Valley Rink, Haverhill MA

SQUIRT (9-10 Years Old)

Valley League Champions!

Semi-Finals

Malden/East Boston 5, Dedham 1
O’Brien Rink, Woburn MA

Division Finals

Malden/East Boston 6, Stoneham 1
Breakaway Ice Center, Tewksbury MA

Cross-League Finals

Malden/East Boston 7, Reading 2
Breakaway Ice Center, Tewksbury MA

PEEWEE (11-12 Years Old)

Defeated in the Quarterfinal round.

Malden/East Boston 3, Lexington/Bedford 9
The Edge, Bedford MA

BANTAM AA (13-14 Years Old)

Defeated in the Championship round.

Semi-Finals

Malden/East Boston 4, SMS 2
Valley Rink, Malden MA

Division Finals

Malden/East Boston 0, Belmont 2
Valley Rink, Malden MA

BANTAM AAA (13-14 Years Old)

Defeated in the Championship round.

Semi-Finals

Malden/East Boston 3, Reading 1
O’Brien Rink, Woburn MA

Division Finals

Malden/East Boston 1, Methuen 3
Valley Rink, Lawrence MA

MIDGET (15-18 Years Old)

Valley League Champions!

Semi-Finals

Malden/East Boston 3, Woburn 1
O’Brien Rink, Woburn MA

Division Finals

Malden/East Boston 3, Shrewsbury 2
Valley Rink, Lawrence MA


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House, Senate Pass VALOR Act II: Legislation strengthens 2012 VALOR Act and enhances commitment to Commonwealth’s veterans

Source: Office of State Representative Carlo Basile

(BOSTON) – Representative Basile joined his colleagues in the Legislature to pass the VALOR Act II which builds upon existing legislation to expand opportunities and services for military personnel, veterans and their families.

The legislation provides increased property tax relief and enhances employment, educational and healthcare support services. It creates a home modification program to help injured veterans stay in their homes and function independently, and authorizes the Secretary of Veterans’ Services to establish enhanced training and certification for veterans’ benefits and services officers.

“This legislation sends a message to our veterans that we appreciate their bravery, sacrifice and service,” House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo (D-Winthrop) said. “Most importantly, it aids those who have supported America during some of the country’s most difficult times by providing resources to help them build a bright future. I’m incredibly proud that Massachusetts leads the nation in aiding veterans and military personnel and I believe this bill furthers that commitment.”

“Massachusetts has long led the nation in recognizing and providing for our veterans, and I am proud that this bill will further these efforts,” Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) said. “By working to expand benefits and services for veterans, we remind our men and women in uniform that their sacrifice does not go unnoticed and that the Legislature will continue to support them both abroad and at home.”

“Thanks to my colleagues in the House, the Senate and on the Committee of Veterans and Federal Affairs, today, with the passage of the VALOR Act II, we as a legislature have done more for our veterans and their families over the past few years than at any other period in last quarter century,”

Representative Carlo Basile, Chairman of the Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs (D-East Boston) said. “I am very proud of the process we have undergone to craft this bill. This legislation allows us to do our small part in helping those who put themselves in harm’s way to protect our families and our way of life. The VALOR Act II is our way to honor veterans, the bravest men and women of the Commonwealth, and offer them in some small manner, our sign of appreciation.”
 
 “This bill expands on Valor Act I to provide benefits and services to our veterans, service members and their families,” said Senator Michael F. Rush (D-West Roxbury), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs. “This legislature has enacted more meaningful services for our veterans’ community in the past few years than any other legislature in the country.   Our commitment to our veterans and their families has kept Massachusetts at the forefront in providing for those who serve.”
 
“Supporting our military should not end when service members return home from deployment,” said Senator Stephen M. Brewer (D-Barre), Chair of Senate Ways and Means. “With a high unemployment rate among veterans, this bill will establish more training programs and career opportunities for those who have already sacrificed so much for our country.”
 
“This bill reaffirms our state’s commitment to all those who have worn the uniform,” said Mike Sweeney, Legislative Chair for the Massachusetts Veterans’ Service Officers Association. “We owe it to veterans and their families to not only maintain but strengthen these critical services at the local level. The VALOR Act II does this by providing enhanced training for our veterans agents and ensuring that every Massachusetts veteran can go into a city hall and find a knowledgeable veterans agent.”
The bill also includes the below provisions:

• Allows students currently enrolled in college, who are called to active duty, to either complete their coursework without penalty following duty, or to withdraw and receive a tuition refund;
• Increases penalties for disturbing military funerals or services;
• Enacts provisions to guard against charity fraud;
• Requires the Division of Professional Licensure to waive the initial application or certification fee for licensure for any veteran;
• Establishes a post-deployment council to make recommendations and study mental health issues to support military members transitioning to civilian life after deployment;
• Requires the Department of Public Health to issue guidance to acute hospitals and ambulance service providers to ensure the identification of veterans in emergency settings.