Last week’s state of the city address by Mayor Thomas Menino was vintage Menino.
He spoke at length about a variety of things, including public safety, job creation, quality of life and a new vocational center at Madison Park destined to remake that entire area.
The main theme of his speech, however, is the type of thing many old-timers residing in this neighborhood can identify with.
Its called loyalty – loyalty, working together and believing in one another.
The mayor is a big believer in loyalty and trust. In this respect he is like the old line Irish Catholics that made this neighborhood, whose major motivation in getting involved in anything was all about trust and loyalty.
The world has turned many, many thousands of times as this neighborhood has morphed into an entirely different place than it was years ago. The Charlestown of today is a wonderful mix of old-timers, old-time families that have moved up and who have chosen to stay, newcomers who come and go living in expensive apartments in the ship yard and the very well to do who have created entire streets of expensive brick roughhouse housing that would not have been dreamt of many years ago.
All of this did not get done on its own.
For the past 19 years, the mayor has committed considerable resources to the Charlestown neighborhood.
Over that period of time residents here, whether or old-timers or newcomers have come to understand that when the mayor gives his word, that word is as good as gold.
The mayor is absolutely loyal to those who want to work together and who have shown their loyalty to this neighborhood.
His state of the city address was rich with that kind of thinking, which is why he is able to get so much done.
The year 2012 is looking hopeful for the city and for Charlestown.
What happens when Menino leaves is all about speculation.
Right now, with Menino as mayor, this neighborhood can depend on the full might of city hall to take care of the really important things that need to be done.
That’s what the mayor is all about and he said as much with his speech at Faneuil Hall last week.