Letters to the Editor

Consider adopting older dogs

Dear Editor:

Hello, My name is Carina Fujimoto and I am a sixth grader at The Learning Project Elementary School.

I have two dogs. One of them is an Italian Greyhound named Carmine. He is 7-years old and we have had him since he was a puppy. Last spring we lost our dog Bella, an Italian Greyhound that had lung cancer. After Bella passed, Carmine was feeling very lonely and depressed. When this happened we knew we had to do something, so we adopted Ella, a Jack Russell Dachshund mix. She is 10 and we adopted her from the NHPCA. Ella is a perfect fit for us and we are so lucky to have her. When we went to look at dogs, I saw a lot of older dogs that spent a lot of time there. For example, Ella was at the NHPCA for three months and was close to being euthanized. I realized that more people were interested in the younger dogs. I think people should consider adopting older dogs instead of puppies.

Older dogs deserve a good home to live in the rest of their lives. Most elderly dogs in shelters have probably been thrown around from home to home and they deserve a nice place to live. Also, most puppies come from puppy mills and have just started their lives. They also have plenty of time to find a nice home. Adult dogs need to be adopted more than puppies. If older dogs are not adopted they will be euthanized.

Adult dogs are great company and usually very calm. Older dogs have a lot less energy than most puppies do. Most elderly dogs have already been trained in a previous home. My dog Ella, knows how to sit and she knows the words “walk” and “cookie” because her previous owner trained her to know these commands. It is very hard to train a dog, so it is easer if the dog is already trained because it will save you time, money, and energy. Older dogs are also great company because most often they are super sweet and caring. Also, adult dogs are great for people with disabilities because they are much lower maintenance than puppies.

Some people will want to adopt puppies because they will typically live longer. Although that is true, older dogs need your help to have an enjoyable rest of their life. Too many adult dogs are being euthanized because not enough people are adopting them. If you are planning to adopt a dog, try looking at the older dogs first, instead of heading straight to the puppies. Older dogs need your help!

Sincerely,

Carina

Greener is Better

Dear Editor:

Recently, after having a discussion with my 7-year- old grandson about the five senses – seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling and tasting – I started to think about air pollution.

Just last month I came across an article entitled, “Green Spaces and Mental Health.” Although this major study followed one million Dutch people for 18 years, the results can be applied to anywhere on planet earth.

The major takeaway from this study is that children who grow up with greener surroundings have a significantly lower risk of developing mental illnesses later in life. The studies found that you don’t have to live near a forest to benefit from better mental health, but simply having a park among city streets contributes to better health.

The authors of the study speculate that greener surroundings may reduce stress, encourage exercise, and have less noise and air pollution –all potential mental health factors.

The authors suggest that,” better city planning can have profound impacts on the mental health and well-being of all of us.”

As we are organizing and gathering signatures for a petition for a Master Plan for Charlestown, we need to keep in mind that we must have orderly development and more green space instead of one building after another being built in our one square mile.

Not only does our physical health rely on clean air to stay healthy, but our mental health needs clean air as well. More buildings, more traffic and more pollution impact our quality of life.

Although we may not hear, taste, smell, feel or touch polluted air, it’s all around us.

Please sign the petition. We are asking the Mayor and the Building, Planning and Development Agency to designate the community of Charlestown for a Master Plan study.

Ann Kelleher

Charlestown

A Big Thank you

Dear Editor:

We would like to recognize all our community partners, supporters, families and teachers who supported the Harvard-Kent Parents Association Spring Fundraiser.  We would also like to give a BIG thank you to The Warren Tavern for their continued support of hosting our Spring fundraiser.  We are so thankful to all for helping us to raise funds that go direct back to the students and teachers at the Harvard-Kent Elementary School.  The commitment of our community to making the Harvard-Kent a great place for all is truly inspiring.

 The Harvard-Kent Parents Association

Unhealthy Growth

Dear Editor:

Coming from Back Bay to Charlestown last week was a gridlock mess, which took one and a half hours.

A client went from Back Bay to Seaport, and it took an hour. Another came from New Balance to Charlestown, in a stressful hour ride on the T, which convinced her not to become a Charlestown resident.

These stories are not isolated reports. 

The Casino is not open, the 3,200 units in development are not inhabited, and we cannot move on the ground now.

This over development, with no infrastructure, is strangling our beloved City. Mayor Walsh, please see and hear what is happening, for you must stop this unbridled expansion with no plan and no infrastructure improvements.

The people are already leaving our city.

The tourists are already refusing to come to Boston. 

Boston is now 17 on Trip Advisor as a most desirable city to visit…and we do not make the list of many “Top 10 Cities to visit in the USA.”

Will it be you Mayor Walsh, who stops this unhealthy growth in our city? Or will you hear the people?

We need a Master Plan, now.  Please see what is right outside your door. 

Boston is on the wrong path to progress. We are being strangled by the profit-taking of the few, with a concern for jobs for union members, to make our city a place people flee or complain about.

You can do so much better…and the people want to help.

Please start today, with a Master Plan for Charlestown, the most historic neighborhood in Boston.  

Long gone is the day when “bigger is better.” 

It is such a tired, ‘Mad Men,’ unproven, outlived concept. 

We can do better, not bigger. 

We should strive for best.

The rest of the world has leap-frogged Boston, offering amazing green, beautiful architectural buildings with living walls and mini parks, plus infrastructure that works.

We are all in favor of development. We appreciate union labor and want them to work. We just want a Master Plan to make sense, with thoughtful development. We want to work together for a Boston that we all love, and are proud of, that attracts visitors. 

We are no longer “A City on a Hill” that the world looks to…

Today is a good day to begin again.

Diane Valle

Charlestown

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