Letters to the Editor

Thank you for scholarship

Dear Editor,

I wish to thank the Mark and Michelle Gorman Scholarship Fund Committee for the generous 2015 college scholarship award.  Mark and Michelle’s legacies live on through the scholarships the Gorman family and the Committee work so hard to provide to young Charlestown scholars every year.  My family and I are incredibly grateful for the gift towards my studies at Sacred Heart University.

Myer Segal

Thank you for scholarship

Dear Editor:

I would like to thank the Mark & Michelle Gorman Scholarship Committe for selecting me as the winner of the Francis “Frankie” Stillman Memorial Scholarship.  It is an honor to be the first recipient of Frankie’s award.  The scholarships provided by the Mark & Michelle Gorman Scholarship Committee provide so much support to the children in our town and I am proud to call myself one of the recipients.

Paul Myers-O’Connell

Questions why bus is              no longer running

Dear Mayor Walsh:

I am writing as concerned mother of a new seventh grade student at Boston Latin Academy.  My son is a bright and kind 12 year old who worked extremely hard to gain acceptance into Boston Latin Academy.  We of course were thrilled when he was accepted.  At the time of his acceptance there was a dedicated bus from Charlestown, where we live, to Boston Latin Academy.  There is also a bus from Charlestown to Boston Latin School.

Unfortunately, we learned in early September that Boston Public Schools would not be offering a dedicated bus from Charlestown to Boston Latin Academy due to “budget” issues.  The school bus was now going to pick up the new seventh graders outside of Haymarket Station in Downtown Boston at 6:40 AM.  What this means is that these middle school children need to travel from Charlestown into downtown Boston to catch a bus at 6:40 AM.  They are told they need to be at the bus stop at least 15 minutes prior to the bus departure time.  In my son’s case, he would have to get up at 5 AM to walk to a MBTA bus stop in Charlestown by 6 AM to get a bus into Downtown Boston.  Obviously this impacts his sleep but more importantly it puts him into a hazardous and unsafe situation.  It is now dark at 6 AM and he is required to walk to a bus stop into downtown Boston and wait for a school bus instead of going to a bus in his neighborhood.  If he misses the school bus due to MBTA delays he would have to take a train to Ruggles Station and then a bus to get to school.  As you may be aware this is not a very safe location for a 12 year old to travel alone and in the dark.  Safety should be the number one concern for BPS decision to get children to school.

The system is not fair, at this time there is a dedicated bus from Charlestown to Boston Latin School, which is bringing those children directly into school without requiring any travel to downtown Boston by MBTA.  The location of Boston Latin School is also much safer than that of Boston Latin Academy.  It would seem to me that there should be buses for both groups or buses for none.

I am hoping you and the Boston Public Schools will realize the safety issue that these children are being exposed to and take appropriate action to provide a dedicated bus from Charlestown for these young students.  The Waiver System the BPS offers for individual students is not a solution to the problem an addition of a dedicated bus does.

My husband had contacted the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services to speak to the Charlestown Coordinator regarding this matter and never received a return call.  The coordinator was on vacation at the time but a voice message was left for him and for the person that was covering at the time.  A call was also placed into the 311 service but they just referred him back to ONS.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to your response.

Virginia Melanson Mansfield

Thank you for scholarship

Dear Editor:

On behalf of our son Conor, a freshman at Pope John XXIII High School, we would like to express our gratitude to the members of the Ryan Morrissey scholarship committee for selecting him as an award winner at the 1st annual Ryan “Duce” Morrissey banquet.  The efforts of the “Duce” scholarship committee, and so many other “Townie” groups who provide financial support for the education of our children, is a vital element to the fabric of our community and epitomizes what makes our “green square mile” so very special.  In addition, the display of dignity and honor by the Morrissey family under the most egregious of circumstances is a shining example of “Townie” spirit and an inspiration to so many.  GOD BLESS Ryan and GOD BLESS Charlestown!!!

Kevin and Ann Marie Kelly

Thank you for scholarship

Dear Editor,

I would like to thank The Friends of Ryan “Duce” Morrissey Scholarship for selecting me as one of the four winners in the 2015 Ryan “Duce” Morrissey scholarship. Your support will allow me to finish my studies at Matignon High School, I hope to see this scholarship grow as we continue to cherish Duce’s life and as we remember that every day is a gift from God. Thank-you so much!

Rose Sullivan

On tearing down the house on Oak Street

Dear Editor:

It is distressing to see the two pictures of the beautiful 175 year old (c. 1840) red house at 16 Oak Street as it is being reduced to a pile of rubble in a matter of hours.  These pictures illustrate a sometimes unfortunate consequence of development pressures in our community that result in changes to the cityscape which reduce the distinctive architectural variety on our streets and eliminate fascinating reminders of the history of our town.  We believe that in spite of these pressures 16 Oak Street could have been saved.

The Charlestown Preservation Society obtained a 90 day delay of the demolition of 16 Oak Street through the Boston Landmarks Commission.  The delay was intended to provide time for the building’s owner to consider ways to keep the house while exploring alternate solutions for developing the property.  Discussions leading to a solution were not successful.  Earlier this year a similar 90 day demolition delay was obtained with strong community support for retaining the c. 1830 house at 6 Soley Street.  That old house was also demolished.

In coming months the Charlestown Preservation Society will begin exploring changes that could afford stronger protection of our town’s history through modest changes to our existing zoning regulations.

Charlestown looks better now than it has in decades.  We want to see building activity continue but we must not lose Charlestown’s unique historic character along the way.  After all, Charlestown is Boston’s oldest neighborhood and history is important to us.

William Lamb, Chair

Charlestown Preservation Society

Design Review Committee

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