Letter to the Editor

Pleased With Councilors’ Actions

Dear Editor:

We were pleased to see that City Councilors Gabriela Coletta and Julia Mejia are requesting a hearing on the Clougherty Pool, at the urging of the Friends of the Clougherty Pool. Over the course of the summer we have been dismayed and outraged at learning of the apparent mismanagement of this vital community resource. The loss of our community’s only outdoor pool during one of our hottest summers on record has created hardship for our hard working families, youth, and seniors.  

 We commend Councilors Coletta and Mejia for taking this step and we will do everything we can to ensure Charlestown’s voice is heard should this hearing occur.As we all know, there is currently no plan to reopen the Clougherty Pool. We have made repeated inquiries about the status of the assessment and cost analysis and have only heard “it takes time.” Back in July, we simply asked for the target completion date and what authority BCYF Commissioner Rivera has to begin making necessary repairs to reopen in 2023. We have also made repeated requests of Human Services Chief Masso to clarify for the community that the Clougherty Pool is not the intended site for a new community center. And then there are the open questions about funding – not just the designated $2.7 million that former Council Lamattina secured for the pool, but also the status and availability of the George White Fund and mitigation funds from Encore.

We’ll be holding our next community meeting, 6pm, Thursday, September 13 at the Knights of Columbus at 545 Medford Street. We have invited our elected and appointed officials and have requested updates on these outstanding items; and hope to hear more about the status of the hearing proposed by Councilors Coletta and Mejia.

Everyone is encouraged to attend. Your participation is critical to our collective efforts to reopen the Clougherty Pool by next summer. 

Friends of Clougherty Pool

Regarding the Harassment Around Boston Children’s Hospital

A copy of the following letter from City Councilor Flynn was submitted to the Beacon Hill Times for publication.

Dear Dr. Churchwell:

I’m writing in regards to the alarming reports of harassment from far right and anti-LGBTQ+ groups targeting Boston Children’s Hospital, and want to offer my support to the hospital, as well as to the staff and patients at your hospital. Boston Children’s Hospital is providing life saving and necessary care to our transgender youth, and it is repugnant that the hospital and its clinicians are subjected to this level of vitriol, and even a bomb threat. I wanted to let you know that I have already reached out to Boston’s Human Rights Commission about this, and am committed to working to address hate, discrimiation, and extremism.

I represent a diverse district with a large number of immigrants and LGBTQ+ residents, and I have made it my priority to address hateful rhetoric and extremism as a City Councilor. This unfortunately is not the first time that extremist groups have targeted our medical professionals. Earlier this year, there were reports of the neo-Nazi harrassment of Brigham and Women’s Hospital medical professionals working on healthcare equity, spreading hateful and false narratives that threaten their safety and work. It is disgusting that medical professionals are being threatened again by hateful groups who spread misinformation and lies about their work.

I have requested that the City of Boston’s Human Rights Commission document this incident, and similar events moving forward, so that the residents of Boston and any hate watch groups or relevant law enforcement organizations are aware of their presence in our city, as well as providing any available resources and support to those who experienced incidents of hate. I have worked closely with the Human Rights Commission on addressing hate crimes and discrimination, and will continue to work with them to bring awareness to these issues of extremism, and stand firmly against any form of hate or discrimination.

I wanted to thank the professionals at Boston Children’s Hospital for their work as a world class institution in our country that provides exceptional care to so many families, and offer any assistance that might be helpful in the future. If you or any staff impacted by this incident would like to speak to me, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at 617-635-3203, or at [email protected].

Ed Flynn, Boston City Council – District 2

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