By Sal Giarratani
TWENTY MILES AN HOUR?
Seems like there is a push both at City Hall and up on Beacon Hill statewide to lower the speed limit on most streets in cities and towns down to 20 miles an hour. In Boston, District 3 City Councilor Frank Baker says too many people in his Dorchester district are driving much too fast and he wants to apply more brakes to this situation by lowering the speed limit in congested areas down from 30 mph to 20 mph.
Have you ever driven behind someone going 20 miles an hour. It is nothing short of mental torture. I was behind such a slow driver the other day over in Baker’s area on Dorchester Avenue. The driver in front of me topped out a 17 mph, I was hoping he would take a left or right as soon as possible. He may have driven slow but he took a quick left without even blinking an eye or a turn signal. Almost caused a pile up.
Imagine you are driving up on Bunker Hill Street getting tortured by a turtle driver, it could take you a half hour from the Charlestown Working Theatre passed St. Francis de Sales to Hayes Square.
Thirty miles an hour is working out fine. If you drive safely and slow down when necessary, it works well. Why does government think they have to fix things all the time?
CONVENIENCE STORE OWNERS PROTEST BAN ON FLAVORED TOBACCO
Many convenience store owners showed up outside City Hall last week to protest a plan by the Boston Public Health Commission to restrict the sale of fruit-flavored items such as cigars to cut down the allure of tobacco to young people. Stores generally say between 35 to 40 percent of their sales are related to tobacco.
As a retired police officer with nearly 28 years of service, I know that often these flavored cigars can also be used to mix substances together and add some flavor to what is currently illegal. However, you can’t interrogate customers about how they will use their watermelon-flavored cigars, can you?
As far as kids go, I remember as a kid I could buy bubble gum cigars and candy cigarettes but it didn’t led me to a lifetime of smoking, I knew the difference between candy and tobacco.
Banning things by the Great and Powerful Government Oz is just an overreach by our representatives who simply must think we are all too stupid to take care and think for ourselves.
WARREN PRESCOTT SPRING FLING GREAT SUCCESS
The Warren Prescott Spring Fling, the biggest fundraiser of the year was a great success. Boston Beer Works on Canal Street was packed and everyone seemed to enjoy the event. If you weren’t able to attend and want to help raise funds to support school programs, you should go to
www.warrenprescott.com.
THIS WEEK’S BOTTOM LINE
Charlestown Girls Softball has Spring League openings for new and returning players for ages 6 and 7, 10 and under and 12 and under teams.
For more details, contact Jack Schievinck at 617.201.4507 or Mary Boucher at 617.308.4108 or email [email protected].
You are never too young to get into softball or too old. I will be back on the baseball diamond later this spring in the Co-ed West End Softball League where I will still be paying softball at first base with my 51 year old mitt.
Stay active. Stay healthy. Stay Alive.
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