Letters to the Editor

On the School Resignations

Dear Editor:

After having read the article in the June 10 Patriot-Bridge, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.
The resignation of two Boston School Committee  members over a racially charged comment,  just goes to show that racism is not the sole property of one race. It has also made me realize that this reaches far beyond the school committee chambers.  Acting Mayor Kim Janey smoothing things over for the two of them, didn’t help she should be as outraged as her constituents are.  Alexandra Oliver-Davila released a statement not taking ownership of but actually blaming white supremacists for her  actions.  I and many others know that this election is about fairness, but as of right now fairness is not in the equation at city hall. I also wonder what nick name they have for the people of Charlestown?

Elaine Scadding

Still Recognizing a Quinn Scholar

Dear Editor

Although we have been unable to hold our annual dinner dance due to the COVID-19, we continue our scholarship program. To that end we are pleased to announce that Quinlan E. O’Brien has been selected as the 2021 Quinn Scholar. A June 15 graduate of Boston Latin School, she becomes the 20th winner from Boston Latin School, and 26th female recipient, since our inception on Sept 8, 1969. With a sterling academic record, consisting of six Advance Placement (AP) courses, and a grade average of 4.02, Quinlan joins a prestige group. As a Captain of the Lacrosse team, with 510 career points, she was chosen as a Dual County League all-star. Her dedication to the sport, is not limited to playing as she coaches at the Charlestown Lacrosse Learning Center. A highlight of her Lacrosse playing was the May 27, 2021, Boston Globe article on her and her sister, Reagan. A fitting tribute to these outstanding members of our community. Participation in the Mass Elite Lacrosse will prepare her for Johns Hopkins University with the class of 2025. The bond with her sister is strong, and they will play together after Reagan graduates from Boston Latin School in 2022.

On June 13, 2021 we awarded Quinlan with a $12,000 Quinn Scholarship with her father Sean O’Brien, and her grandmother Elizabeth Stump, at a luncheon. Her mother Shayne was attending a lacrosse tournament with her daughter Reagan, who we all rooted for. In the future for Quinlan is a career in law enforcement, specifically the FBI. All associated with Michael’s Fund know she will meet all her goals with superlative success. The special words of Abigail Adams will guide Quinlan, “You will not teach them what to think, but how to think, and they will then know how to act.”

Ronan J FitzPatrick

Treasurer

Quinn Scholarship Committee

Thank You

Dear John & Debra, 

We would like to thank Zume’s Coffee House for marking June 17th “Billy Boyle Day”!  We appreciate you honoring him and sharing his favorite jelly donut with everyone. 

Thank You,

Dodie Boyle and Family

On Mishawum Park

Dear Editor:

The Charlestown Neighborhood Council (CNC) held their monthly meeting on May 4, 2021. We requested that the community along with the Mishawum Tenants Organization and Peabody Properties attend in person or on Zoom. There were approximately 40 community members and 10 CNC members in physical attendance, along with numerous participants on Zoom. Among the agenda items discussed was—

•The Mishawum Park Tenants Association eviction notice to Special Townies

Deb Hughes, the Director of Special Townies, presented documents explaining that she had no violation of lease. She also explained that any change would dramatically affect their clients. After listening to Deb Hughes’s very informative and convincing facts, the Council was appalled at the treatment given to the Special Townies.

The CNC requests that given all the facts and the strong community support for Special Townies and their much-needed community services, that Peabody Properties find an alternative to their need for additional office space. In closing, the CNC wants it understood by all parties that we are in complete support of the Special Townies remaining in their current location at 336 Main Street in Charlestown.

We look forward to hearing from Peabody Properties/Mishawum Park Tenants Association with a favorable resolution.

Tom Cunha

Chairman,

Charlestown Neighborhood Council

Future of Pier 5

Dear Editor:

Two neighborhood organizations, Pier 5 Association (www.pier5.org) and Restore Pier 5 (www.restorepier5.org) co-sponsored an informational gathering on the future of Pier 5 in the Charlestown Navy Yard on Wednesday June 20.  Upwards of 150 people from throughout the Navy Yard and Charlestown attended to hear both groups discuss their vision for restoring Pier 5 for public use as a park for the entire neighborhood and visitors to Boston to enjoy.  The warm summer evening and the setting sun provided a perfect backdrop for a rally on behalf of restoring Pier 5 which has been allowed to languish behind a chain link fence for years. 

Restore Pier 5 has engaged the services of O’Neill and Associates, a lobbying group headed by former Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Tom O’Neill to determine the feasibility of obtaining federal infrastructure funds to restore this historic site and return it to the public.  Jamie Dunbar and Christopher Terry from O’Neill and Associates gave a presentation on strategies for accessing public funding to restore the pier and create a public park that would achieve an outcome beneficial to the community, the city and worldwide visitors to Boston.

The Pier 5 Association has sponsored a public petition to save Pier 5 at www.change.org/bostonpier that has over 1,750 signatures.  Future events are in the planning stages and both groups hope to encourage our public officials to attend.  Many thanks to all the residents who turned out and showed their support for this piece of our historic waterfront to be returned to the people.

As always, thank you to the Patriot Bridge for your continued coverage of Charlestown and the Navy Yard.

Kathy Elliott

Pier 5 Association

Thank You to City Council

To the Editor

 I opened the Boston Globe online today and the first story was about Boston’s warming climate and how the insufferable heat impacts are landing disproportionately on low-income communities. The climate situation is tragic, and the burden is hitting our most vulnerable populations first and hardest. The decisions cities make now around tackling climate change really matter. They matter because they can have a material impact on the amount of carbon that will be released in the years ahead and the human suffering that will cause and, importantly, they matter because they provide models that other cities can learn from and adopt. On June 16, our City Council, leading again on climate, unanimously supported a new ordinance that will have a huge impact on carbon emissions in the city of Boston and one that provides a path for other urban areas to follow.  The ordinance is called the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance Update, or the BERDO Update. The ordinance establishes emissions performance standards for Boston’s largest buildings, setting a path that requires these buildings to reach net zero emissions by 2050. 

Cleaning up building emissions really matters. In Boston, buildings account for 70% of all greenhouse gas emissions and these emissions are highly concentrated, with just 4% of buildings accounting for 60% of all building emissions. Getting these large polluters on a path to zero emissions is essential to combating the impacts of climate change. It is also critical for improving Boston’s air quality—air pollution has given Boston the 8th highest asthma rate in the country and transitioning buildings away from burning oil and gas will mean healthier air for us all to breathe.  The BERDO update sets target emissions goals every five years but allows some flexibility around a building’s carbon reduction path and offers support for building owners as they make decisions on how best to decarbonize. It also mandates third party verification of emissions data and sets a price on emitted carbon for buildings that cannot meet the targets. 

 Earlier this year, Governor Baker signed into law a climate bill requiring Massachusetts to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and to cut our emissions 50% by 2030. With the BERDO update, the Boston City Council is providing a path, and guardrails, to better our chances of getting there.  

Thank you to Kenzie Bok, Ed Flynn, Council President Matt

O’Malley, and the entire City Council for supporting the BERDO Update and continuing to provide leadership on climate. We look forward to the BERDO Update’s speedy passage and are here to support you.

 Suzie Tapson,

Mothers Out Front

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