yde Park Bulletin · 2019. 2. 21. · Hyde Park sees nearly $1 million in CPA funds Jeff Sullivan Staff Reporter The Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding completed last week and

Short term rental lodging house proposedfor 21 Wyman Street in Hyde Square

MHC RMHC RMHC RMHC RMHC ReeeeevievievievieviewwwwwContinued on page 13

RicharRicharRicharRicharRichard Heathd Heathd Heathd Heathd HeathStaff Reporter

Mr. Dar Sandler of RockviewStreet wants to do the right thingby following the new rules regard-ing short-term rental lodginghouses.

He came before the JamaicaPlain neighborhood council zon-ing committee on Feb.6 to explain

that he wanted to open a 13-bedlodging house complete with inn-keeper at 21-25 Wyman St. oppo-site the Kennedy School.

This was Sandler’s secondappearance at the zoning commit-tee; on June 26 he approached thecommittee with a plan for a three-unit AirBNB that would add anadditional bedroom in the base-ment.

However, the timing was bad;on June 14, Mayor Walsh signedan ordinance regulating short-term absentee landlord rentals thatthe city council had approved theday before.

Sandler came back sevenmonths later with ChristopherTracy of the high-powered O’Neil

222221 W1 W1 W1 W1 WymanymanymanymanymanContinued on page 9

West Roxbury BicycleCommittee discusses

Centre St. safetyAriane KAriane KAriane KAriane KAriane Komomomomomyyyyyatiatiatiatiati

Staff Reporter

The West Roxbury BicycleCommittee (WRBC) held itsfirst organizational meeting atthe Roche Center on Feb. 13.

Ben Weatherill, chairman ofthe WRBC, led the discussion.Weatherill is an avid cyclist and

has attended other bike groupsaround the city, such as RozzieBikes.

Those who attended themeeting heard about the newcommittee through flyers,Facebook, West Roxbury MainStreets, and the Boston Cyclists

SafSafSafSafSafeeeeetytytytytyContinued on page 7

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TheTheTheTheThe

February 21, 2019

Hyde Park BulletinVolume 18, Issue 8

Hyde Park American Legionraises funds for Pop Warner

About 100 residents came out to support the Sons of the American Legion and the Hyde Park Pop WarnerFootball League last Friday.

PHOTO BY JEFF SULLIVAN

The Sons of the AmericanLegion Fogg Robert Post 78held a joint fundraiser with theHyde Park Pop Warner Foot-ball group on Friday to the de-

Jeff SullivanJeff SullivanJeff SullivanJeff SullivanJeff SullivanStaff Reporter

light of a packed house at thepost.

Laughter, jeers and some ec-centric sound effects could beheard from the post even beforestepping in. The night is usuallyheld by the Sons to fund theLegion’s activities, but the Post

found out that the Hyde Parkfootball team needed a boost,and they thought, why not teamup? Pop Warner Treasurer PamWalsh said she knows SonsAdjutant Past Commander Ed-

MHC reviewshousing proposal for571 American Legion

Developers are looking to put in a new building on American LegionHighway for 14 rental units.

PHOTO BY JEFF SULLIVAN

The Mount Hope Canter-bury Neighborhood Associa-tion (MHC) met last week anddiscussed a new housing pro-posal at 571 American LegionHwy. and 602 Canterbury St.

The proposal is somewhat

JefJefJefJefJeff Sullivf Sullivf Sullivf Sullivf SullivanananananStaff Reporter

unique in that it is a long thinparcel about 40 feet wide andabout 400 feet long. The pro-posal calls for 14 townhouse-style rental units. The develop-ers are Michael and Joe DeGange.

Development Attorney

Page 2Page 2Page 2Page 2Page 2 The Bulletin FFFFFebruarebruarebruarebruarebruary 2y 2y 2y 2y 211111, 20, 20, 20, 20, 201111199999

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Hyde Park sees nearly$1 million in CPA funds


The Community PreservationAct (CPA) funding completedlast week and Hyde Park madeot very well financially.

According to the city,$450,000 is to be released to theHyde Park YMCA, $350,000 tothe First Congregational Churchof Hyde Park and $20,000 to theHyde Park Branch of the Bos-ton Public Library. The Y will usethe funds to build an outdoor ex-ercise station and playground atthe Thomas M. Menino YMCAfor public and YMCA use. TheFirst Congregational, now knownas the Hyde Park Seventh-dayAdventist Church, will use itsfunds to repair the roof and exte-rior masonry features to stop wa-ter damage.

Hyde Park Y Executive Di-rector William Alves said the planis for the back of the property,and has been in place for sometime.

“We're redoing that wholespace and it's going to be a multi-use space,” he said. “The hope isthat is will be a community spacefor community events, a fitnessspace and a playground ideallyutilized by our after school andcamp participants.”

Alves said they have beenworking with students fromWentworth since 2016 on design-ing the area, and he said that asidefrom some sloping concerns,they're pretty sure the design is

set to go and they could being con-struction fairly soon.

“The CPA should cover all ofthe work, that's the best-case sce-nario,” he said. “The only poten-tial outlier is the challenges aroundthe grading, because it kind ofslopes up. We don't think there'sgoing to be an issue andWentworth doesn't either. We'rereally excited to ba able to offerthis both to the community andour members, and we're going tobe looking to host agroundbreaking ceremony in latespring.”

The funds for the Hyde ParkLibrary will be used to buildbenches in its outside area andrestores several cornices and afew stone carvings left there. Pro-ponent for the funds at the libraryand Friends of the Hyde Park Li-brary member Victoria Gall said

the stone carvings depict the Ro-man god Mercury.

“The Friends of the HP libraryare pleased, though nothing willhappen until later in the spring,”she said.

Gall said they used to be partof the Hyde Park Train Station,and she said she was able togather information from the com-munity about the history and his-torical significance of those carv-ings to better make the case forthe funds. The station itself wasbuilt in the early 1900s and wasowned by the New York NewHaven and Hartfort RailroadCompany, and Gall said shespoke with many history buffs toget the correct information aboutthe carvings and exactly how they

CPCPCPCPCPA FA FA FA FA FundsundsundsundsundsContinued on page 6

Council calls for taxbreak transparency


The Boston City Councilintroduced an ordinance lastweek to increase transparencyregarding the city’s tax breakagreements with corporationslooking to move in and do busi-ness.

The hearing comes amidthe recent news that Amazonwill not be locating its secondheadquarters in Queens NewYork, and At - Large CityCouncilor Michelle Wu said ifBoston is going to sign taxbreak agreements with corpo-rations like Amazon, the cityneeds to improve in its trans-parency with these deals.

The ordinance describes arequirement for the City As-sessing Department to publish“all relevant data collected tomonitor these agreements, in-cluding, but not limited to, thedata from the Economic Devel-opment Incentive Program an-nual report, both in a search-able database and as a spread-sheet that can be downloadedin its entirety.” The ordinancealso will require the Assessor’sdetermination of whether acompany has yet met its obli-gations required by the subsidy,which can include statistics for

job creation, wages and ben-efits.

The penalty for not meetingsaid requirements would alsobe published as it is determinedby the Assessor’s Department.The city also has the ability totake back or rescind its subsi-dies if the company fails tomaintain its requirements forjob creation, wages and ben-efits within two years of thedate of the subsidy.

The ordinance was origi-nally brought forth by Wu backin November of 2018. Wu saidthat this ordinance will alsolook at past agreements and letthe city decide if it wants totake back or rescind said breaksor agreements.

“We should look at Bostonand evaluate whether the taxbreaks we have given out in thepast ended up fulfilling all theof goals that were set out,” shesaid. “Right now there is verylittle transparency at the statelevel and, similarly, at the citylevel about once those agree-ments have been signed, havethose corporations, developersor parties who made thoseguarantees follow through.”

The ordinance would applyto the three main categories of

TTTTTransparencyransparencyransparencyransparencyransparencyContinued on page 12

Several carvings believed to be from this Hyde Park rail station are setto be placed and restored at the HP Library with CPA funds.

COURTESY PHOTO


Letters to the Editor

Boston school names and street names

My Kindof Town/Joe Galeota

For the most part, BostonPublic does it correctly withschool names. Unlike New YorkCity, our School Departmentdoes not indicate elementaryschools and middle schools withmere numbers, such as P.S. 52: it names them after famous, usu-ally local people, who admittedlylived years ago.

Before dropping out, I at-tended kindergarten at the Mar-garet Fuller, my father went tothe Nathanial Bowditch, my ownkids to the David Ellis and theLouis Agassiz for kindergarten.

Later in life now, much later,I’m proud to say that the Fulleron Glen Road in JP is named af-ter an ardent women’s rights ad-vocate. The Bowditch, now abuilding containing condomini-ums on Green Street, is namedafter an accomplished inventorof marine navigational tools. The Agassiz School——thesame person as recognized byHarvard University—bears thename of an accomplished biolo-gist and geologist. Truth be told,it is no small thrill when I comeacross the names of the first threein historical readings.

The David Ellis does not ac-knowledge anybody quite so fa-mous: the name belongs to asomewhat nondescript SchoolCommitteeman serving at theturn of the century.

My teaching career spannedyears at (now non-existent) twoschools merely named afterstreets——the Dudley and theVernon. The middle school onDorchester’s Croftland Avenuewas named after a United Statespresident, Woodrow Wilson,while the middle school on02124’s Maxwell Street wasnamed after the first Irish super-intendent of schools, Frank V.Thompson.

Which raises the question,will the Mildred Avenue School

always be known by this name,or will it be renamed after some-one famous, hopefully not anathlete or entertainer? JamaicaPlain’s Emily Greene Balch, the1946 Nobel Peace Prize winnerand a woman totally devoid ofrecognition in our city, comesimmediately to mind. Drawnfrom a national pool, California’sCesar Chavez or Mississippi’sFannie Lou Hamer would besuitable, as well as a Virginia’sIrene Morgan, whose bus deseg-regation case predated RosaParks’ by almost 10 years.

While contentment reignswith many school names, thereis discontent with the city’s streetnames. It’s not the actual nameitself, but the fact that there arejust so many darn names. True,names have more appeal thanmere numbered streets, such asmost of those in New York,Washington, D.C., and someother cities (although numberedstreets do make navigating themmuch more easily).

My discontentment——which will stay with me until theLast Rites are administered—ar-rives because the complexity ofchanging the name of a street isnot just asking the Boston Trans-portation Department to fabri-cate a new street sign—— moststreets change names, as theycross over a wider, busier street. You may know of many streetsthat do keep their same name af-ter crossing, say WashingtonStreet or Columbus Avenue, butfor the most part they are thengiven a new name. (Bostontrivia: when does Summerchange directly to Winter with-out an autumn? Answer: atDowntown Crossing.) Keepingone long street name would en-tail renumbering hundreds ofresidences according to post of-fice regulations.

It seems logical that streets

that take 90-degree turns shouldhave new names: TremontStreet, when coming fromRoxbury, makes such a turn topass by Mission Church. Andthen there is Centre Street, alsocoming from Roxbury, makes aright angle turn at The Monu-ment to head out to the Brigham/Faulkner Hospital. What aboutColumbia Road making a jaggedright at Edward Everett Squareto head towards KoskiuskoCircle?

Three streets that definitelyshould have been given newnames because they are discon-tinuous are Pond and PrinceStreets in Jamaica Plain, andBoyleston Street in the BackBay/Fenway area: withoutGPS, I cannot envision UPSdrivers locating addresses whenthe numbers just cease to existon one of the legs. Any others?

The trouble of changingstreet names would seem to en-tail as much paper work as con-necting North Station to SouthStation with a rail link, althoughthe latter is much more neces-sary.

EDITORIAL TOODISMISSIVE OF BIKE LANEIMPROVEMENTS

To the Editor:The Bulletin editorial “King of

the Roads” (02/14/2019) deservesa response regarding its dismissalof enhanced bicycle infrastructurein Boston as one measure to reducecongestion. To say that everyone“cannot hop on a bike at will dur-ing the business day” is of coursetrue. But that is a poor reason todismiss improving bicycle infra-structure through protected lanesand paths. The point is to make iteasier to safely traverse the city ontwo or even three wheels for thosewho are willing and able to do so.We know there are many peoplewho would bike regularly if theyjust felt a little safer on our streets. Iam one of those people who onlystarted commuting by bike once Iwas able to reach work safelythrough the Washington St bus/bikelane and then the Southwest Corri-dor Path. Every person who getsout of a car and onto a bike is onefewer person causing vehicular

congestion. It can also be one fewerperson on already crowded trainsand buses. Better bicycle infrastruc-ture is a boon for all road users andnecessary if we want to seriouslycombat climate change. It shouldhave our support rather than dis-missals.

Robert OrthmanRoslindale

PLASTIC BAG BAN MAKESRESIDENT PROUD

To the Editor:I’m writing to express how

proud I am that Boston has taken astand for the environment by ban-ning plastic bags. I think this wasa very proactive and forward think-ing move, and I am proud to callmyself a Bostonian. I feel like aweight has been lifted off of myshoulders and off of all of Bostonnow when I go to a store and don’thave to go through the paper orplastic ordeal at the cash register. Isee more people bringing their ownbags to the stores now, which is amuch more sustainable way of ex-isting. I see more people simply not

using a bag when it is unnecessaryto carry one or two items. I wasespecially pleased to see paper bagsat Home Depot, where I am a cus-tomer almost every other day. Itseems to me that hardware itemsshould be in paper. Some mightremember when hardware storeswrapped everything in paper. I amalready noticing the effects of thispolicy on our environment. I am adaily dog walker, and I used to findplastic bags floating around every-where in the woods and streams andon the beaches. They were so ubiq-uitous that I could always rely onfinding a bag to pick up my dog’spoop. Now, I don’t see bags any-where, and I have to bring my ownbio-degradable poop bags. This isa good thing. Now I actually avoidgoing to stores outside of the city,because it is so depressing to seepeople loading up with plasticbags. Thank you Boston CityCouncil for being so progressive.

Ben WetherillWest Roxbury

LeLeLeLeLettttttttttererererersssssContinued on page 14

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It may be our imagination, or a matter of paying greaterthan-usual attention, but we are noticing a spike in the numberof Pedestrians hit by cars (usually with fatal results) in Bostonand neighboring towns. It is not much of an exaggeration tocall it an epidemic.

Last week’s Bulletin detailed a Feb. 11 meeting of the WestRoxbury Civic Improvement Association that discussed pe-destrian safety. It is, unfortunately, not the first time that grouphas had to engage with the issue.

The latest impetus for the dire discussion issue was therecent death of Marilyn Elaine Wentworth, 66, struck by avehicle on Centre Street. She was exiting her vehicle at TheSquealing Pig at about 4 p.m. on the fateful day.

There is one rationale for how the accident happened, al-though there is really no excuse. At the time of day that theaccident occurred glare is a blinding problem for drivers. Itwas described as having “no visibility whatsoever.”

The driver, a registered nurse, tried to revive the victim,witnesses say. Those at the scene said she wasn’t speeding orusing a phone, two of the usual suspects after a bad accident.

A common-sense list of potential actions were discussed atthe meeting. Later on, City Councilor Matt O’Malley also calledfor more traffic enforcement, signage, and roadway/crosswalkdelineators along Centre Street. He said he may be in favor ofa total redesign of Centre Street, perhaps relying upon a studyconducted by Northeastern University from 2015. It proposedthat the road could be reduced to two lanes with turning lanesinstead of the current four-lane system.

These are good ideas, but we need a more comprehensive,widespread plan. We cannot just bounce our attention, neigh-borhood to neighborhood, waiting for someone to die beforeaction is taken and problems addressed.

Solving the problem, especially along Centre Street, mayindeed require a roadway redesign. In the case of this particu-lar stretch, police appear to do a very good job issuing tickets.That is not always the case in other dangerous areas of thecity.

We’ve seen, first-hand, a steady stream of cars run pastred lights and crosswalks at one spot we used to traverse onalmost daily basis. There was never even a whiff of enforce-ment. Perhaps we also need undercover vehicles, more ca-dets assigned traffic duty, or perhaps even a new PedestrianPatrol of some sort that hires, or solicits volunteers, to act asmodern “safety patrols” and police key intersections.

Pedestrians also may need reminders, as was the case awhile back when BU students struck reached an epidemic levelalong Commonwealth Avenue. The school, at that time, re-quired freshman to take a pedestrian safety course. Does it,or other institutions, still do this? The simplistic advice thatneeds to be reiterated: look both ways, and stop staring at youriPhones.

Mayor Walsh often talks about improving the entire city’stransportation infrastructure. We hope pedestrian safety takesa prominent role in that planning.

City officials will hold a meeting on the problem we facelocally on Feb. 27 at the West Roxbury Elks on Spring Street,7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. We urge you to attend.



came to the library.She said she found out about the train station after a friend pointed

her in the direction of a Bronx train station that was built around thesame time and had at least similar construction. She said she found itto be the work of Cass Gilbert, a local architect, and that it looked likethe Hyde Park Station might have been designed by him as well.

Gall said as much they want to start work immediately, thereare several concerns, both of earth and man, that need to be satis-fied before a shovel can pierce the ground.

“The earth has to warm up and there still is a lot pf paper andfinancial work to finalize,” she said. “The stones will be inspected,clean and stabilized by our conservator.”

Gall said the final approval still has to go through the BostonCity Council next month, but she is confident they will get it. Shesaid they also have to finalize plans of location for the stones andthe benches.

CPA Funds continued from page 3

ward DesRoches and his wifeJanet.

“Eddie and Janet are familyfriends, and they do a bowlingleague that I joined and I wastelling them about how theleague was low on funds and awhole new board was takingover and they said, 'hey, let’s doa comedy night. It’ll help you,help us, help the community',and it just happened.”

Walsh said the program isobviously equipment-intensive,and this year especially theyneeded some new gear. And thatdoesn’t even start to address in-surance and costs for the lightsat Kelley Field.

“It takes a lot to run an orga-nization, as anybody knows, andmost teams have an annual bud-get of $50,000, and we have$5,000,” she said. “We’re doinganything we can to make ourprogram better.”

Walsh said they were seek-ing funds whereever they could,even if it meant stopping a longtime tradition for the team.

“They’re hosting our ban-quet for us too, the gave us theroom for free and are hosting apasta dinner for us,” she said.“The banquet was something wewere considering not having, soif it wasn’t for Eddie and thePost, they wouldn’t have had abanquet.”

DesRoches said the Post hasalways been organized aroundthe Hyde Park community andthis just seemed like a great fit.

“We were bowling and I toldher that we’re trying to run acomedy night but we’ve lost so

Pop Warner continued from page 1many members, we don’t haveenough to fill the hall. However,by sharing the tickets we havealmost a full hall,” he said.“With the ticket sales, they’lldefinitely make some money.The first 20 tickets go towardsthe comedians, after that, we andthe Pop Warner get the whole$25 per ticket.”

DesRoches said on the Sonsside of the post, they raisemoney to allow them to go tothe Legion Convention everyyear and to donate to local chari-table causes.

“Every year we do a thing forthe Home for Little Wanderers,we buy toys and things like that,and a couple of years ago wegave $1,000 to the Fisher Housein gift cards,” he said, referringto the national charity thathouses families of veterans re-ceiving care at VA hospitals forfree. “So on Christmas day theycan have a nice dinner from arestaurant. So when we have themoney in the account, it goesright out to charity, and this is acommunity so that’s why we de-cided to help out Pam.”

DesRoches said they used tosponsor little league teams, butthey stopped coming to the Postfor sponsorship.

“So when this came up I saidit was just a new way to helpout and get back in the commu-nity,” he said.

And Walsh said they defi-nitely need the money, as theteams’ expenses add up.

“Every other year we needto recondition the helmets,which is $9,900 to do all the

helmets,” she said. “I mean forshoulder pads, these kids needto be in safe equipment. Lastyear we were lucky that theHingham program closed downand they gave us their shoulderpads. Ours were 15 years oldfrom when my husband was thepresident. We got a grant at thattime. They need new jerseys thisyear, which is another $10,000.The permits alone, they chargeus for a summer permit, a fallpermit and then we have to pay$50 an hour for the lights.”

Walsh said that despite theexpenses, the teams tend to dovery well. She said in the 2018season the Mighty Mite teamwent to a championship inFlorida.

“It was $30,000,” she said.“They won one game and lostone game, but it was an experi-ence they would never ever getagain, I mean if they stick to-gether and move up they couldgo again, but as a Mighty Miteteam, it was the best experiencewe could ever have.”

DesRoches said the Sons hasraised more than $112,000 in itstime at the Fogg Robert Post, butthey are always looking for moremembers to join.

“We do a lot in the commu-nity, I just wish we could getmore members in to help out,”he said.

For more information on theFogg Robert Post, go tofacebook.com/American-Le-gion-Fogg-Robert-Post-78-294042197278300/. For moreinfo on the Pop Warner team, goto facebook.com/hydeparkfootball/.


To advertise, call the Bulletinat (617) 361-8400

Union. Almost all of the attend-ees live in West Roxbury, andmany of them are members ofthe Parkway Cycling Club. “Iwant to make West Roxburysafer for my children andgrandchildren, who like tobike,” one attendee remarked.

The hot topic of the meet-ing was how to make CentreStreet safer for cyclists and pe-destrians. This conversation isin wake of the car accident thatkilled a pedestrian on Centre St.earlier this month. “This dis-cussion is long overdue, andCentre Street is in need of a re-design,” stated Weatherill.

Weatherill presented aPowerPoint discussing the im-portance of bikes and separatedbike lanes. According tomassDOT, 78 percent of urbanMA residents want to bike towork and 48 percent would liketo bike to go shopping.

“Separated and protectedbike lanes are the future,” ex-plained Weatherill.

He showed photos fromMassDOT of what Centre St.could look like with a redesignand separated bike lanes. At-tendees also looked at photosof separated bike lanes in othertowns and cities such as Cam-bridge and Washington D.C.,and other countries, like theNetherlands.

Bicycle enthusiasts also dis-cussed the pros of implement-ing separated bike lanes, suchas increasing the space betweenparked cars and moving ve-hicles, providing a healthy op-tion to reduce greenhouse gasemissions, and making pedes-trians more visible to drivers.

The WRBC is a subcommit-tee of the Boston CyclistsUnion (BCU). Alan Wright, adevoted Boston cyclist andmember of Rozzie Bikes, dis-cussed the BCU at the meeting.It started in 2009 thanks to an“outgrowth of [cycling] activ-ists,” remarked Wright. TheBCU works closely with theMBTA and the city governmentto make Boston streets safer forcyclists. The Union also “re-pairs bikes, educates new rid-

ers, and organizes neighbor-hood residents who would liketo voice support for friendlierstreet designs, bike paths, andpublic spaces.” For more infor-mation on the Boston CyclistsUnion, visit https://bostoncyclistsunion.org/.

Weatherill also passedaround a petition at the WRBCmeeting, which urged MayorWalsh and District 6 City Coun-cilor Matt O’Malley to fix Cen-tre Street immediately.

“Last week a pedestrian waskilled while crossing CentreStreet in West Roxbury. This isthe second pedestrian that waskilled by a car in West Roxburyin the past four months. This isa crisis that needs to be fixedurgently. West Roxbury is aneighborhood with a strongsense of local community.There are many residents wholike to walk, jog, or bike to getaround, and there are manychildren who walk the streetsto school and to communitycenters. West Roxbury needssafer streets now for pedestri-ans and bicycles and all vulner-able modes oftransportation...Please don’tallow this situation to continueany longer. How long will it beuntil the next pedestrian or bi-cyclist is injured in WestRoxbury? Fix Centre Streetnow and make it a beautifuldestination at the same time.”

O’Malley, who was presentat the meeting, encouragedpeople to attend the “PedestrianSafety and Traffic in WestRoxbury” meeting on Wednes-day, Feb. 27 from 7pm-8:30pmat the Elks Lodge on SpringStreet.

Despite this being theWRBC’s very first meeting,there was a great turnout. “Iknow there are more people outthere who would love to join,so we need to make sure tospread the word,” remarkedWeatherill.

The WRBC is planning onhaving another meeting inMarch. For more information,visit the WRBC Facebook page(https://www.facebook.com/

Safety continued from page 1

groups/westroxbikecommittee/) or email Ben Weatherill [email protected].

The Bulletin Newspapers andThe Boston People’s Voicepublishes obituaries from in-formation supplied by funeralhomes. Relatives and friendsalso may supplement infor-mation by e-mailing [email protected] Monday at 1 p.m. Photosalso will be accepted.

Obituary Policy

The meeting, despite being the first held by the organization, was very well attended, apparently due torecent deaths on the road in the neighborhood.

PHOTO BY ARIANE KOMYATI


Around the NeighborhoodsALLSTON / BRIGHTON

ANNUAL DINNERSave the Date for the 2019

Allston and Brighton Boards ofTrade Annual Dinner. Wednesday,April 24, 2019 with special guestDan Shaugnessy

PROGRAMS AT THEBRIGHTON LIBRARY

NOTICE OF TEMPORARYCLOSING

Beginning Friday February 8at 5 p.m., the Brighton Branch ofthe Boston Public Library will betemporarily closed for a boiler re-placement project. The branchwill reopen on Monday, February25 at 12 p.m.

HYDE PARK

FREE TAX SITE @ HYDEPARK PUBLIC LIBRARY

Thanks to Blue Hills Bank,Jean Antoine, Hyde Park Librar-ian, and Mimi Turchinetz, Direc-tor of the program and Hyde Parkresident, we are able to providefree tax services at Hyde Park Pub-lic Library. Located at 35 HarvardAve, Hyde Park 02136. It is awalk-in site, no appointmentneeded. Days: Feb 23rd, Mar 9th,Mar 23rd and Apr 6th From 9 am- 1 pm. More info, please call 617-908-5246 orwww.bostontaxhelp.org.

OPEN MIC AT THE SWITCHMusicians, Poets and perform-

ers are invited to perform at SwitchGallery and Coop onWednesday, February 27 from7:00- 9;00 PM. Everyone gets aturn performing in this low-keyand welcoming environment lo-cated at 21 Fairmount Ave, HydePark.

WINTER PROGRAMS ATTHE BCYF HYDE PARKCOMMUNITY CENTER

Senior Coffee Hour: Join useach Friday morning from

10:00am- 11:30am. Drop by thecommunity center for an opportu-nity to socialize with others, enjoyrefreshments and participate inactivities. On Friday, January 25thwe will have a guest presentationfrom Boston Water and SewerCommission.

Freelance Players: Calling allactors ages 8 -13 years old, theFreelance Players, a non-profitmusical theatre company, is offer-ing a spring session at the com-munity center. They Hyde ParkTroupe will meet on Tuesdaysfrom 4:00-6:00pm from February5th – May 10th. For more infor-mation contact Freelance Playersat 617-274-6065 [email protected].

After school Tutoring: Tutor-ing for students in grades 2 – 6.Our program is offered Tuesday,Wednesday, & Thursday from4:00-6:00pm. A new Session willbe starting January 22nd. Contactus for more information 617-635-5178.

MENINO ARTS CENTERHOSTS CURRY COLLEGEAND STEAMROLLERMEGA PRINT EXHIBITIONSINFEBRUARY

The Menino Arts Centerproudly announces two upcomingexhibitions: - “Art of ThisWorld,” a Curry College SeniorArt exhibition - “SteamrollerMEGA Prints” exhibition by 41Boston area artists The exhibi-tions will run from February 1 -March 1, 2019, with an openingreception on Saturday, February 9,from 1 - 3:30 p.m. The exhibitionsand reception are free and open tothe public at the Menino Arts Cen-ter, 26 Central Avenue, 2ndfloor,Hyde Park, MA 02136. Normalgallery hours are Thursdays from10 a.m. – 2 p.m.; Fridays from 10a.m. – 4 p.m.; during scheduledworkshops and events; and by ap-pointment.

“Art of this World” is the2nd annual exhibit featuring CurryCollege’s Senior Studio and De-sign Majors. The 11 students in theexhibit will be showing recentwork in a variety ofmedia, including paintings, draw-ings and digital prints. This exhi-bition is a wonderful opportunityfor the Curry students to be ableto present work at a professionalgallery.

The “Steamroller MEGAPrints” exhibition will feature 18super-sized prints, some as largeas 40” x 72”, showcasing artworkmade by over 41 artists. The art-ists come from Hyde Park andmany other neighborhoods of Bos-ton, and they range in age fromjunior high school students up tosenior adults. The wood cuts andlinoleum cuts were printed bysteamroller at the Urban Arts Fes-tival, held in September 2018 incelebration of Hyde Park’s 150thAnniversary.

The Menino Arts Center ishome of the Hyde Park ArtAssociation. The center hostsworkshops, concerts, readings,exhibitions, and other events in theservice of promoting the arts in theHyde Park community.

More info on the MAC and theHPAA at http://www.hpaa-mac.org.

PURIM BALL TO BE HELDAT TEMPLE BETH DAVIDOF THE SOUTH SHORE

Temple Beth David of theSouth Shore will host a Purim cos-tume ball on Saturday, March 16beginning at 6:00 p.m. Thedragon-themed event will includea full Chinese food buffet, danc-ing to the tunes of professional DJJimmy Jay and some terrific raffleprizes. Guests are encouraged tocome in costume to this adult-onlyevent.

Tickets are $25 per person, andreservations can be made bye m a i l i n g

[email protected] reserve by March 1. TempleBeth David is located at 1060Randolph Street in Canton, MA.

For more information, pleasecall the Temple office at 781-828-2275 [email protected] [email protected].

JAMAICA PLAIN

FALLS PREVENTIONFOR SENIORS

Many older adults experiencea fear of falling. People who de-velop this fear often limit their ac-tivities, which can result in physi-cal weakness, making the risk offalling even greater. A Matter ofBalance: Managing ConcernsAbout Falls is a program designedto reduce the fear of falling andincrease activity levels amongolder adults. Classes run for 8weeks and include fun videos,group discussion, a safe surround-ings survey, and mild exercise toincrease strength and flexibility. AMatter of Balance: ManagingConcerns About Falls is offered atno charge and anyone from anyneighborhood may attend. Formore information or to registercontact Ann Glora at 617-477-6616 or [email protected]

Location: Springhouse SeniorLiving, 44 Allendale Street in Ja-maica Plain Day and Time: Thurs-days from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Class Dates: February 22nd –April 11th, 2019

WEST ROXBURY /ROSLINDALE

WRMS ANNUAL MEETINGJoin us on February 28th @

6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. West on Cen-tre for our annual meeting to hearabout our priorities in 2019, learnabout ways to get involved withour volunteer committees, andmeet our board. A free drink andlight fare included!

NEW LEARN-TO-SKATECLASSES FOR AGES 4 TO 18IN WEST ROXBURY RINK

New classes start at the JimRoche Arena, 1255 VFW Pkwy.on Sundays at 4:00 p.m. for 7weeks. Get 7 classes for the priceof 6. Use code WR5. Offer ex-pires at 5 PM on March 3rd. Usefigure, recreational or hockeyskates. Beginner, intermediateand advanced classes are avail-able. For information and to reg-ister, call Bay State SkatingSchool at 781-890-8480 or visitonline atwww.BayStateSkatingSchool.org.

THE WOMEN OF BROOKFARM COME TOROSLINDALE

Saturday, March 9, 2019 at2:00 p.m. @ Rozzie Square The-atre, 5 Basile Street, Roslindale(just off the square)

In partnership with the BostonWomen’s Heritage Trail, NewBrook Farm will an updated edi-tion of our engaging exploration

of the extraordinary women whofounded, joined, and visitedBrook Farm. Come hear thewords of Margaret Fuller, Eliza-beth Peabody, Sophia Ripley,Amelia Russell (the Mistress ofRevels) and others, drawn fromtheir journals, letters, books, andinterviews.

The event is free. All are wel-come. Please note that seating inthe Rozzie Square Theater is lim-ited, so come early to be sure youget a seat. Moreinformation: [email protected] or617-694-6407.

PARKWAY YOUTHSOCCER LEAGUE ISACCEPTINGAPPLICATIONS

Parkway Youth SoccerLeague is accepting applicationsfor the 2019 season. Games be-gin in April. There will be 2 sea-sons, spring and fall, played atMillennium Park, West Roxbury.Applications may be downloadedand printed from the‘parkwaysoccerwestroxbury’ siteon Google. Applications may alsobe picked up at the Roche FamilyCenter, Phil’s Barber Shop inWest Roxbury, Elie’s BarberShop in West Roxbury andSebastian’s Barber Shop inRoslindale.

Parkway Youth Soccer is inits 41th season. Children born be-tween Jan 1, 2004 and Dec. 31,2014 are eligible to play in theregular league. High school stu-dents born between 2001 and2003 are eligible to play in the Senior Division. Applications re-ceived after Feb. 28 depend uponavailability of space. For moreinformation, contact 617-962-4271.

IRISH NIGHTSt. John Chrysostom Parish

will host an Irish Night on Satur-day, March 16 at 5:30 pm in theparish center. Dinner is cornedbeef and cabbage with entertain-ment from local Irish dancers. Allfrom the community are invited.Tickets are $15 a person and $25a family. You can purchase tick-ets in the parish office. Please call617-323-4410. 4750 WashingtonSt. West Roxbury

YMCA SPRING SWIMREGISTRATION OPEN

To prepare young people toswim safely this summer, regis-tration opens Feb. 11 for theYMCA of Greater Boston’s EarlySpring Aquatics session. Lessonsduring the seven-week program,which runs Feb. 25 through April14, are available for swimmers ofall ages and are tailored for indi-vidual experience levels so youngpeople are ready for the summerand know how to swim.

Y lessons focus on preparingswimmers for all aspects of thewater experience and life byteaching skills in these five focusareas: personal safety, personal

CalendarCalendarCalendarCalendarCalendarContinued on page 12

Boston’s own Junior Damato, “The Auto Doctor” has agreed to field auto repairquestions from Bulletin and Record readers. Please forward your questions to

[email protected] and we will do our best to get your questions answered.

Junior Damato began servicing vehicles in 1969. He owns a 10-bay auto repairservice center in Hyde Park and an 8-bay center in Middleboro. Junior is anASE-certified Master Technician, ASE-certified L-1 and ASE-certified Natural Gas.

Ask The DoctorTo the Doctor: Ever since I purchased my 2018 Toyota Highlander new from the dealer, I have smelled antifreezecoming from the driver’s side engine compartment. With only 4,000 miles on it, the odor persists, and after twovisits to the dealer, they tell me that this is normal with these vehicles. They cannot find any source of a leak nor do Isee any leaks. The salesman tested an identical model and, after bringing the car to operating temperature, therewas no odor. I maintain I bought a lemon and want a replacement. What do you think I should do next?

From the Doctor: To have an antifreeze smell, there has to be a loss of coolant. The technician can put a smallhole in the heater box and use a radarscope to look inside for any sign of leaking. Have the service departmentcontact a Toyota representative to inspect the vehicle – they may have a tool to sample the air. The smell may not beantifreeze – it can be coming from the engine compartment, or HVAC air inlet. How about a look at the cabin filter?

To the Doctor: I read your advice to a reader that premium gasoline burns hotter (than regular or mid-grade). Ithink this is a common misconception introduced by Texaco in their 1960–1970’s ads with Tony the Tiger. “Hot” orhigh-octane gasoline does not have any higher energy content than regular gas. As you know, it has higher octane,but no different energy content. I was talking to a small engine dealer several years ago and told him I burned 100LLaviation fuel in my small engines (chainsaws, 4-wheelers, etc.) to guard against the negative effects of ethanol in theauto gas. He exclaimed that I’d burn the engines up! But reviews of Shell Oil, Chevron and Phillips fuel specsindicate an actual lower heat content (BTU/lb) for aviation fuel than auto gas. What do you think?

From the Doctor: The higher the octane, the slower and hotter the combustion. Sometimes in cold weather, someengines will be harder to start and could hesitate until the engine is warm. I also use aviation fuel in the summer-time on outdoor power tools and performance boat engines. I have never had any engine burnout from the use ofaviation fuel. I cannot comment on the results of the oil companies’ fuel specs. In the old days of carburetors inengines and engine run-on pre-ignition, the use of premium gasoline would eliminate the problem. That indicatesthe higher temperature needed to light off the fuel.

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Associates; before joining O’Neillin 2017 as Senior Director of realestate public relations, Tracy wasa project manager at the BPDA.

“There’s been tremendouschange in short term rentals,”Tracy said. “They were not codi-fied. The new rules will correctthat.”

“We decided on a new route afew months ago,” he said. “Wewant to proceed in a legal man-ner. The house now is set up nicelyas a BNB with bathrooms. Weconsider this from the outset as aBNB. ISD calls it a lodging housenow with an extra layer of ac-countability.”

“We plan on registering theproperty on the city’s AirBNBwebsite.”

“The [community] benefit ismuch needed short-term rental,”Tracy said. He also said that thelodging house would also providetemporary housing during anemergency if a fire displacedsomeone.

Tracy provided the committeewith a nine-page petition he saidhad over 100 signatures in sup-port from businesses and resi-dents.

“We had a Dec.17 abuttersmeeting at the Kennedy Schoolthat was sparsely attended. We’vealso talked with the KennedySchool. ”

Tracy introduced Aaron War-den, the innkeeper who describedhimself as “the face of the house”.

“This is good for me,” he said.

“And it’s good for other people.This is where you experience ahome away from home. You wakeup every morning to a fresh break-fast. There is quiet in our home.We are here to give. We supply aplace to people when they can’tstay any other place. ”

Sandler said that the house hasbeen running as an 11-bed BNBsince November.

“A lot of our guests are inter-national travelers, “he said.

Will Poff-Webster from Dis-trict 6 City Councilor MattO’Malley’s office said the coun-cilor was a sponsor of the ordi-nance.

“The primary focus is the ho-meowner,” Poff-Webster said.“This process is working as it washoped it would. It’s unregulatednow. This will clear things up sig-nificantly. We quite likely willsupport this [21 23 Wyman].”

Tracy said that the lodginghouse would improve area busi-nesses with new shoppers and din-ers. Gerald Robbins of Hyde Jack-son Main Streets agreed.

“We’re in support,” he said. “Iappreciate the outreach. Yourguests will support local shoppingand add foot traffic.”

21-23 Wyman is a block awayfrom Old Havana Restaurant andPimental’s bodega. Blue Nile Res-taurant is also nearby and its co-owner Yosef Haile spoke in favor.

“It will benefit us,” he said. “Itwill bring more customers to theBlue Nile.” Omar Hecht of

Marmion Street said that the num-ber of AirBNB’s in the city needsregulating.

“This one is taking it out ofthe shadows,” he said. “It’s nowin compliance. It’s a great oppor-tunity for JP to take advantage oftourists.”

Support was mixed with a de-bate about renters. There was alsothe tension of dueling petitionswith the opposition presentingtheir own; it had 26 names, butwithout addresses.

Connor Dwyer of 25 WymanSt was in support.

“This is very friendly,” he said.Pat of Chestnut Street was not.“We need more long term

rental living in apartments,” shesaid. “So you get to know yourneighbors."

“There are 15 renters in mybuilding. I don’t know them,” saida resident.

“I very much support shortterm rental,” said a BoylstonStreet resident.

“Everywhere, long term rent-ers are students.”

Eric Herot of Gay Head Streetsupported the lodging house.

“I’m concerned with the num-ber of rental units in JP.” he said.“There’s definitely a shortage ofshort-term rentals. The vast ma-jority of long-term rentals are stu-dents making a lot of noise. Thisis operating a small business in theneighborhood. ”

Andrea Howley is a zoningcommittee member who sup-

ported the lodging house becauseof the new ordinance.

“ Regulation is a better solu-tion,” she said. “It’s better thanhaving Jack the Ripper for theweekend. Plenty of AirBNB’s youdon’t know who’s coming or go-ing.”

Innkeeper Warden tried to bereassuring.

“If they’re a bad guest, wemake them a good one,” he said.

Zoning committee memberMarie Turley saw the hand of CityHall behind the proposal.

“This is a significant prece-dent,” she said. “A very lucrativeprecedent. City Hall is puttingmore dense rental housing in myneighborhood [Union Ave] then,in another City Hall move, takesa house off the market and puts in13 units of short term rental. Thisis a business. This is putting a busi-ness in a neighborhood. I vote todeny.”

Nina Robinson of BolsterStreet said the owner deliberatelysold the home for a roominghouse.

“We respect everyone,” Tracysaid. “We want to do the rightthing .We could convert this intotwo market-rate condominiums.The only other property my cli-ent owns is 32 Perkins St., a bedand breakfast. It’s unlicensed andwill require alterations.”

Dave Baron, chair of the zon-ing committee said he agreed withthe lodging house proposal.

“There’s no threat to chil-dren,” he said. “Nor does it affectthe housing shortage. This makessense to me.”

It made sense to the zoningcommittee too; it voted 9- 2 withtwo abstentions in favor of theshort term rental lodging house onWyman Street with the provisothat it was for this owner only andcould not be transferred.

21 Wyman continued from page 1

The proponents for the lodging house at 21-25 Wyman St. ChristopherTracy, consultant; Dar Sandler, owner and innkeeper Aaron Warden.

PHOTO BY: RICHARD HEATH


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DeathsBARRETT

Carol A. (Whalen) Age 72, ofQuincy (formerly Roslindale),passed away peacefully on Feb.11th, surrounded by her lovingfamily, after a long battle withAlzheimer’s. Born in the SouthEnd of Boston on December 30,1946, she was the daughter of thelate Thomas Whalen andCatherine (McManus) Whalen.Carol was a retired RadiationTherapy Technician, havingworked at The Joint Center forRadiation Therapy, St. Elizabeth’sHospital & Beth Israel Deacon-ess Medical Center. She was in-credibly proud of her children andgrandchildren and took everychance she could to boast abouteach and every one of them. Sheloved to spend time with family,take pictures, travel as often as shecould (especially to Disney), wasnever without a gift for a lovedone. Devoted mother of daughterTracy Flater & Tony Falcetti ofWilbraham, MA, son Herbert(Billy) Barrett & wife Angel ofVirginia Beach, VA, daughterJulie Barrett of Boston, and sonDana Barrett (Sgt. BPD) & wifeDeb of Hyde Park, MA. Loving“Nana” of Amelia, Tristan,Anders, Lexi, Gracie, Talia, andRosie. Cherished sister of Tho-mas Whalen and SharonLawrence. Also survived by manyloving nieces, nephews, cousins,in-laws, and friends. A Mass ofChristian Burial was held on Feb-ruary 15, at St. Pius X Church at10AM, 101 Wolcott Road,Milton. Interment at St. JosephCemetery, 990 Lagrange Street,West Roxbury, MA. In lieu offlowers, donations can be madein her honor to Playhouse The-atre Group, Inc.,PlayhouseOnPark.org / 244 ParkRoad, West Hartford, CT. Forguestbook, please visitthomasfuneralhomes.com

COLLINSCharles H. Of Hyde Park, for-

merly of Dedham, passed peace-fully on February 15, 2019, sur-rounded by his loving family, atthe age of 74. Beloved husbandof the late Shirley A. (Quatrale),of 48 years. Devoted father ofCharles M. and his wife Deniseof Hyde Park, Christopher V. andhis wife Kristen of Stoughton, andEllen M. Collins of Hyde Park.Cherished brother of WilliamCollins and his wife Susan ofNorth Carolina, Dorothy Drukerand her husband Robert ofNorwood, and the late KathleenReda. Loving “Pa” of Emma andTeagan. Also survived by many

loving nieces, nephews, in-laws,and friends. A Mass of ChristianBurial was held on Tursday, Feb-ruary 19 at St. John ChrysostomChurch, West Roxbury. Intermentat Knollwood Memorial Park,Canton. Please, in lieu of flow-ers, all donations can be made towww.themmrf.org Forguestbook, please visitthomasfuneralhomes.com

DELANEY

Gerard L. “Jerry” “Butch”, ofQuincy, passed away peacefully,surrounded by his family at theBeth Israel Milton Hospital Fri-day morning, February 15, 2019,he was 91. Born in Hyde Park,he was the son of the late JosephJ. Delaney, and Margaret(Rooney). Jerry was a UnitedStates Army Veteran, and workedfor over 46 years for the JordanMarsh Company in DowntownCrossing. He was a daily com-municant of Sacred Heart Churchin North Quincy, and served as anusher for many years. Jerry wasan avid Boston sports fan, en-joyed big band music - especiallyTommy Dorsey, and watchingLawrence Welk. Jerry was thebeloved husband of 55 years ofGertrude D. (McGee) Delaney,brother of the late MaryWightman, and “Uncle Butch” tomany nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews. AFuneral Mass was held onWednesday, February 20 in Sa-cred Heart Church, Quincy.Burial in St. Joseph’s Cemetery,West Roxbury. Expressions ofsympathy in Jerry’s memory maybe made to the Sacred HeartChurch Building Fund, 386Hancock Street, Quincy, MA02171. See www.Keohane.com

DENNETTBarbara J. (Dailey) Of

Roslindale, February 14, 2019.Beloved wife of Frederick G.Dennett. Devoted mother of Tinaand her husband John of Hyde

Park, Bryant and his partnerCourtney of Roslindale, and thelate Christopher and Katie. Lov-ing grandmother of Jacob,Korbyn, and Chris. Sister of Anneof Roslindale, Patty of Wrentham,Charlie of Revere, Bobby of NH,and the late Mary. Visiting Hoursat the P.E. Murray-F.J. HigginsGeorge F. Doherty & Sons Fu-neral Home, 2000 Centre St.,WEST ROXBURY, Monday,Feb. 18 from 4-8pm. Funeral Ser-vice in the Funeral Home, Tues-day, Feb. 19. Interment in St.Joseph’s Cemetery, WestRoxbury. Online guestbook atpemurrayfuneral.com P.E.Murray-F.J. Higgins George F.Doherty & Sons West Roxbury617-325-2000

GALANTEDomenic S. “Bob” Age 96, of

Hyde Park passed away peace-fully in the company of his lov-ing family on Wednesday, Feb.13th. Beloved husband of the lateAnne M. (Signori). Devoted fa-ther of Nancy Pond of Norwood,Rita Davis of Boston, MaryPermatteo of Southborough, Rob-ert of Yarmouth, Kenneth ofBrockton and Richard Galante ofNorton. “Papa” of 12 grandchil-dren, 13 great-grandchildren and2 great-great-grandchildren. Dearbrother of Louisa Dudzik ofBraintree, Agnes Ross of HydePark and the late Vera Patrick,Leonora, Albert and EdwardGalante.A Funeral Mass was heldat St. Anne Church, Readville.Burial in Knollwood MemorialPark, Canton. WWII NavySeabee. Retired Engineer ofWestinghouse Corp., Hyde Park.In lieu of flowers, donations maybe made to the Monastery of St.Clare, 920 Centre St., JamaicaPlain, MA 02130. For completeobituary see alfreddthomas.com

HAUGH

Paul B. Age 28, of WestRoxbury, died February 14, 2019from injuries sustained in a mo-tor vehicle accident. Devoted sonof Joseph and Helen (Bittrich).Cherished brother of JamesHaugh and his wife Becky ofNorth Weymouth, John Bittrich(Haugh) and his wife Mish ofSomerville, William Haugh andHighland of Seattle and Joseph,Sean and Matthew Haugh all ofWest Roxbury. Devoted uncle ofBen and Tom Haugh. LovingGrandson of Helen (Simmons)Bittrich of St. Petersburg, FL and

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Continued on page 11


the late John Bittrich, Francis J.and Ruth (Malone) Haugh. Alsosurvived by many valued aunts,uncles, cousins, friends and co-workers. Paul was a proud Local7 Ironworker and U.S.M.C. Mili-tary Police Combat Veteran whoserved his country in Afghanistan.A Mass of Christian Burial washeld on Wednesday, February 20in St. Theresa of Avila Church. In-terment St. Joseph Cemetery. Inlieu of flowers, donations inPaul’s memory may be made toBoston Vet Center, 7 DrydockAve, Suite 2070, Boston, MA02210-2303. For guestbook,please visit: gormleyfuneral.comWilliam J. Gormley Funeral Ser-vice 617-323-8600

HORIGANJames R. Of NH, Feb. 16, age

71. Son of the late George andAnna (Delaney) Horigan, hus-band of Lynn Horigan, brother ofGeorge and wife Joan ofBrockton, Richard Horigan andwife Jean of Lexington, JeanBrown and husband John ofDedham, Helen Horigan ofRoslindale, the late Edward andwife Marylou of Virginia Beach.In lieu of flowers, donations toDana Farber Cancer Institute, 450Brookline Ave., Boston, MA02215, Attn: Lakshmi Nayak,MDwould be appreciated. For obitu-ary and to sign guestbook, visitwebsite. Folsom Funeral Homewww.folsomfuneral.com

KALILArthur G. Sr. Of Bellingham,

formerly of West Roxbury, Feb-ruary 16, 2019. Dear and devotedhusband of the late Dolores(Eartbawey). Loving father of Dr.Arthur G. Kalil Jr. and his wifeDonna Cesero-Kalil of Sandwich,Paul Kalil and his wife Robertaof Norfolk, and BettyannMcKenzie and her husbandShawn McKenzie (BPD District14) of Bellingham. Cherishedgrandfather “Shidoo” of Alia andKitana Kalil. Dear brother of Rob-ert Kalil and his wife Mary ofNashua, NH, and the late JamesKalil. Also survived by severalloving nieces and nephews. Fu-neral Services will be private.Contributions in Arthur ’smemory may be made to theChurch or to Newton WellesleyHospital, 2014 Washington St.,Newton, MA 02462. Proud USArmy Veteran of the Korean War.Guestbook available atwww.KfouryFuneral.com KfouryKeefe Funeral Home WestRoxbury 617-325-3600

KENNEDYJoan M. (Moroney) Suddenly,

in West Roxbury, formerly ofBrookline and Jamaica Plain onFebruary 13, 2019. Beloved wifeof John F. “Doc” Kennedy. Lov-ing mother of Shawn M. Kennedyand wife Catherine of Charlotte,NC, Katherine M. “Katie”Kennedy of West Roxbury andElizabeth M. “Betsy” Morgan andhusband Christopher of Walpole.Adored Nana of Shea M.Kennedy of Charlotte, NC,Caitlin E., Mairead M., Kyle M.,

and Jeremiah C. Morgan ofWalpole and Jordan MorganTiorano of Dorchester. Sister ofPatricia O’Leary. Sister-in-law ofthe late James Kennedy and wifeEllie. Also survived by her life-long friend Rosemary Reynoldsand husband Sean of Canton, sev-eral cousins and nieces and neph-ews. A Funeral Mass was held onTuesday, February 19th in St.Theresa Church, West Roxbury.Interment Holyhood Cemetery. Inlieu of flowers, donations may bemade to the Charles River Cen-ter, 59 East Militia Heights Dr.,Needham, MA. 02492. PastPresident Theresians, WestRoxbury, Board Secretary St.Coletta Day School, Braintree,Co-Founder with CatherineBarringer of the Boston LatinGrid Iron Club.

McCARTHYJeremiah “Michael” Jr. Age

70, of Hyde Park on February 15,2019. Devoted father of LisaRussell and her husband Tom andJeremiah Ill and his wife Brooke.Cherished “Papa” of Emma,Madalyn, Ayden, Keeley, Chase,and Brady. Son of the lateJeremiah M. and Mary J.McCarthy. Loving brother of Sis-ter Jacquelyn McCarthy, CSJ, Sis-ter Patricia McCarthy, CSJ, M.Alannah McCarthy Fennell andher husband Richard andKathleen Cody and her husbandMatthew Jr. Also loved by hisnieces and nephew, BridgetHagerty, Matthew J. Cody, III andPatricia Cody. A Mass of Chris-tian Burial was celebrated onTuesday morning, Feb. 19th in StJohn Chrysostom Church. Inter-ment St. Joseph Cemetery.Michael was an avid golfer andenjoyed his time and friends atGeorge Wright Golf Course. Re-tired employee of United Airlines.In lieu of flowers, donations maybe made to Bethany Health CareCenter, Mission Advancement, 97Bethany Road, Framingham, MA01702. lawlerfuneralhome.comLawler and Crosby Funeral Home617-323-5600

MURPHYEthel Frances Age 84, a long-

time resident of Middleton, MA,passed away peacefully on Feb-ruary 8, 2019, at Sutton Hill Cen-ter in North Andover, MA. Bornin Cambridge, MA, graduate ofMission Church High School(Roxbury) 1951 and daughter ofthe late Walter F. Murphy, origi-nally from Dorchester, andCatherine Marie O’Neil Murphy,originally from Cambridge. Ethelworked for New England Tele-phone for over 25 years. She en-joyed reading, visiting with fam-ily and friends, volunteering withthe Columbian Mission Leagueand cheering gleefully forBoston’s sports teams. Ethel wasthe beloved sister of KatherineCotter-Giblin, Lynnfield/Wellesley, William Murphy ofSudbury, and Sheila Assetta,Malden, cousin of James Murphyand his wife, Joyce, Stoneham,and sister-in-law of ElaineMurphy, Franklin. She was the

loving aunt of William Murphy,Jr. and his wife, Laurie, Andover;Scott Murphy and his wife,Karen, Dedham; Susan Shain,Merrimac, Mark Murphy and hiswife, Carolyn, Canton; GlenMurphy and his wife, Audrey,Sudbury; David Cotter and hiswife, Karen, Oakland, CA; LisaPorro and her husband, Gary,Malden, and Guy Assetta and hiswife, Susan, Windham, NH. Shewas great-aunt to Shannon, Tay-lor, Jack, Kelsey, Devon, Beau,and Georgia. Ethel’s familywould like to thank the staff ofSutton Hill Center, NorthAndover, Compassus, NorthAndover, North Shore Elder Ser-vices, Danvers and the Flint Pub-lic Library of Middleton for theirmany acts of kindness and care.In lieu of flowers, memorial do-nations may be made to the DanaFarber Cancer Institute. A FuneralMass was held on February 15that St. Theresa of Avila Chapel. In-terment at St. Joseph’s Cemetery,990 Lagrange Street.www.lawlerfuneralhome.comLawler & Crosby Funeral Home617-323-5600

NORBERG

Robert Leonard, a resident ofDedham, and formerly ofRoslindale, Hyde Park, and Ja-maica Plain, died Thursday, Feb-ruary 14, 2019 at the Stanley Tip-pet Home in Needham. He was90. Bob was born November 21,1928 in Boston,Massachusetts, one of the fourchildren of Alfred and Mary(Michaud) Norberg. He gradu-ated from Boston Technical HighSchool and, in 1951, he was in-ducted into the United StatesArmy where he served until1953. Bob was honorably dis-charged as a Corporal from theUS Army Reserve in 1957. In1956 Bob started Suburban Deco-rators in Hyde Park and in 1974the company became known asCharlmarc Kitchens. He servedas the company’s President untilhis retirement in 2003. Bob hada bit of acting flair in him; heplayed the part of Bob-O-Link, aranger on his children’s televisionshow Hubert’s Holiday, whichwas broadcast live on WBZ(Channel 4) in 1956, where he in-troduced and explained variousanimals to the children. He alsowas extremely community ori-ented, volunteering at ABCDwhere he organized donations toearly intervention programs inRoslindale; volunteering at theDeutsches Altenheim in WestRoxbury by assisting with theirgolf tournaments; and he spear-headed the rehabilitation of theEndicott Greenhouse inDedham. Bob served on the

Board of Directors of theRoslindale Cooperative Bank; asa member and Past President ofthe Roslindale-West RoxburyKiwanis Club; as a member of theRoslindale Parade Committee,where he twice was honored asthe Grand Marshall; as an Ex-plorer Scout Leader; and as amulti term President of theRoslindale Board of Trade. In ad-dition, he was a member ofAmerican Legion Post 0462 of

Roslindale; of VFW Post 1050 ofRoslindale; and of the DedhamRetired Men’s Club. Bob was therecipient of many certificatesfrom the Commonwealth of Mas-sachusetts and from the Massa-chusetts Senate for his commu-nity and volunteer services. Bobalso enjoyed science and mechan-ics, motorcycling, photographyand was an avid boater, belong-

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tax breaks that the City of Boston is offering include TIFs, spe-cial tax assessments and Chapter 121A and 121B agreements,which are administered through the Boston Planning and Devel-opment Agency (BPDA) for larger developments to make Pay-ments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) programs.

Wu has said that the current Tax Increment Finance Programhas a rating of zero in transparency from the Good Jobs Firstorganization, while New York and Austin are providing data-bases with that information. The Pew Foundation also found theCommonwealth of Massachusetts to have the lowest score intax break transparency in 2017.

District 1 City Councilor Lydia Edwards said she also wantsa mechanism in the ordinance to make sure the promised eco-nomic benefits from past agreements take inflation and interestinto account.

“We’ve seen what happens when institutional memory is fadedor people forget about the promises made, and we’ve seen thathappen when it comes to certain developments that were requiredto have childcare services on site and we’ve not enforced it, soalong with holding them accountable I really want us to talkabout how we can make up for time lost,” she said. “How do wemake sure that interest is applied if there’s cash benefits that aresupposed to be paid? I don’t think $5,000 in 2019 should meanthe same as $5,000 in 2025 or, going forward, how do we applyan interest and a penalty. Silence should not be golden for thesecompanies. If we don’t come forward, it should be on them. Ijust don’t see why forgetting something should benefit these com-panies, they’ve gotten a lot of tax breaks from us.”

The ordinance was placed into the council’s Committee onGovernment and Operations to be fine tuned in work sessions,and if all goes well should be sign by Boston Mayor Marty Walshsometime in the future.

Transparencycontinued from page 3


growth, stroke development, wa-ter sports and games and rescue.Participants are placed in a levelbased on age and ability to helpmeet the developmental needs ofeach swimmer. Beginner swim-mers are required to wear instruc-tional flotation devices to helpthem swim in the correct bodyposition and improve their armand leg motions while remainingafloat.

Registration for non-membersruns through Feb. 24. Fees varyby class. Participants who registerprior to the program’s start date willsave $10. To learn more about theEarly Spring Aquatics program, goto your local Y or visit:www.ymcaboston.org/swim.

MOVIE NIGHT FOR KIDS ATGO WEST — FEBRUARY 28TH— GROWNUPSINVITED TOO

Please pencil Thursday, Feb.28th into your calendars. Here atGo West, we’ll show a movie start-ing at 5:30, for kids, in one room;and we’ll provide wine and beer andconversation in other room(s).Food, too. More details to come,about everything. For now, pleasesave the date… thanks!

FRIENDS OF THE WESTROXBURY LIBRARYANNOUNCES BOOKSELECTION FOR 2019WEST ROXBURY READS

The Friends of the WestRoxbury Branch Library has se-lected These Truths, a History ofthe United States by Harvard histo-

rian Jill Lepore for its community-wide read event, “West RoxburyReads.” Dr. Lepore will discussThese Truths on April 11 at theWest Roxbury Branch Library,1961 Centre Street, West Roxbury.The event starts at 6:30 pm with areception and book sale followedby Lepore’s talk and book signing.The event is free and open to thepublic.

The book examines Americanhistory through the lens of the “self-evident truths” as written in thePreamble of our Declaration of In-dependence. It has garnered praisefrom critics and readers alike.NPR’s Michael Schaub wrote “JillLepore is an extraordinarily giftedwriter, and These Truths is noth-ing short of a masterpiece of Ameri-can history.” The book was pub-lished in September 2018 and isavailable at the West Roxbury Li-brary.

In announcing the selection ofthe book, Gwynne Morgan, co-chair of West Roxbury Readsstated, “We chose ‘These Truths:A History of the United States’ asthe centerpiece of our 2019 WestRoxbury Reads series because Dr.Lepore, besides being an eloquentwriter, highlights themes which stillchallenge the U.S today: racism, im-migration, technology, press andreligious freedom, and the crucialneed to understand civics and his-tory.”

In addition to the author talk,“West Roxbury Reads” will presenta series of events throughout themonth of April related to the themesdiscussed in the book. A full sched-

ule of these events will be an-nounced in early February.OHRENBERGER COMMU-NITY CENTER ADULT &SENIOR CLASSES

Watercolor Pencils WorkshopInstructor, Maria Conte. Thiscourse, for all levels, provides anopportunity to create fabulous illus-trations, suitable for framing, us-ing watercolor pencils. In a relaxedatmosphere with a lot of individu-alized attention, participants willexpand their creative abilities andpursue personal choices in subjectmatter and style, while learning tex-tural effects, harmonious colorcombinations, and balancedcompositions.No previous experi-ence is required.A supply list willbe emailed upon registration. It willbe offered at the Ohrenberger Com-munity Center on Fridays, 12:30-2:00pm. Call 617-635-5183 formore information.

ITALIAN FOR TRAVELERSInstructor, Maria Conte.

Whether you are traveling to Italy,or just want to learn the languagefor fun, this class is for you. Usinga variety of didactic materials in arelaxed atmosphere, you will learnsimple grammar travel related vo-cabulary and expressions, pronun-ciation, verb conjugation, as wellas the culture. Emphasis will beplaced on speaking and listeningskills.A $25.00 textbook fee is pay-able to the instructor at the firstclass. The class will be offered onFridays from, 6:00-7:30pm. Call617-635-5183 for more informa-tion.

Calendar continued from page 8


MHC Review continued from page 1

Mil PMil PMil PMil PMil Par Seniorar Seniorar Seniorar Seniorar SeniorsssssMil Par Seniors We meet the third Thursday of each month.

11:30 am at St. Pius X Church, Hyde Park. New members arealways welcome. Lunch and Super Bingo and elevator ac-cess.

Daniel Toscano of Drago andToscano said the only two vio-lations they have to deal withinclude the Greenbelt Protec-tion Overlay District and amodal violation. The modalviolation basically states that inthis community commercialzoning district, the building’sfront facade cannot be shorterthan its side, but architect Pe-ter Vanko said the lot basicallyrequires it.

“We have a very skinny lot,”he said.

The townhouses sit abovean access roadway goingthrough the property, and eachtownhouse will have a parkingspace running perpendicularfrom the access road. Thehouses will sit one story abovethe parking and access road,almost like stilt houses youmight find in a more coastalregion.

Vanko said they based thedesign on the area of AmericanLegion, which he said was in atransitional period.

“Historically, there weregreenhouses and agriculturehere, but it’s not the same placeit was 30 or 40 years ago,” hesaid. “As the buildings changedand morphed, it hasn’t beendone with a whole lot of plan-ning.”

MHC members Rick Yoderand Lisa Beatman said theywere concerned regarding theproposal’s dual entrances on

Canterbury and American Le-gion, in that the CanterburyBrook would have to be cov-ered even more than it alreadyis to allow access to the prop-erty from American Legion.

“If the residents want to seeaccess only on CanterburyStreet and not on AmericanLegion, and if we can do it bycode, then we’re okay not do-ing it from American Legion,”said Joe De Gange.

Residents were also con-cerned with the fact that Can-terbury does not currently havea sidewalk on either side. Thereis no room for an easement, butthe De Vanges said if the resi-dents want it they will create asidewalk just on their property,and residents said they felt thatwould be helpful to encourageother property owners to createmore.

Residents also had reserva-tions regarding the site’s clean-liness. The site currently sits asa junkyard for old and defunctvehicles, and residents felt theymight have leaked dangerouspollutants.

“We will really have towatch our soils,” Zanko said.“But it’s a low footprint build-ing, because we have so littlebuilding in the ground we’renot excavating what’s there andwe’re capping a lot of the areawith asphalt. It’s actually EPArecommended whenever pos-sible. They would much rather

you didn’t disturb the soil andthey would prefer you cap itand, from an environmentalstandpoint, it’s a light touch.”

Yoder and Beatman saidthey are also concerned aboutthe fact that the building wouldbe a rental. They said the areaalready has a huge amount ofrentals in the neighborhood.

“We are heavily-skewed torentals,” Yoder said.

Member Amy Devito saidshe disagreed.

“I don’t see a lot of rentalaround here, I mean I would saynot compared to other parts ofthe city,” she said. “There are alot of people in this city who can-not rent here, and this is only 14rentals, this is not like 289 WalkHill. I think this is something ourcommunity needs. We have ahomelessness problem in this cityand projects like this help tosolve that problem.”

Joe De Gange said if theycould get a loan from a bank forhome ownership, they would.

“It’s just a math problem,” hesaid. “You have to look at whatthe appetites are for the financ-ing and equity markets, and if thebanks don’t like the condos thenyou’re building rentals... If thecost to build and what you couldsell it for is too close, the bankjust says ‘no.’”

Devito also pointed out thegreenspace that would be addedto the neighborhood from theproject. Zanko said they basically

tried to bookend the developmentin greenspace, but pointed outthey have not done the planningon the specific greenspace. Hesaid they plan to hire a landscapearchitect to do so in the future.

“We want to havegreenspace on both ends to book-end the site so it screens it a littlebit from what we’re doing, andwe’re looking to respond to thedesire to restore the pastoralnature of the neighborhood,” hesaid.

Joe De Gange said he andhis brother’s company will bebuying a stake in the property

and will have their company’smanagement division take careof it in the future. Joe De Gangesaid they and one of the currentowners will own the propertyonce the shovels are in theground. State Rep. RussellHolmes asked that they figureout exactly what they can do onthe Canterbury Brook issue interms of covering it up or not.

Yoder also asked one morething for the sake of the futuretenants there.

“Just make sure you makesome effort to have it soundproofed,” he said.


ing to the Old Colony YachtClub. He also held his Pilot’sSolo Certificate. In his “sparetime” he delivered Meals onWheels. Robert is survived by hispartner, Ellen Donovan, ofDedham; his son, Robert L.Norberg of Roslindale; his daugh-ters, Andrea R. Litcof, and her hus-band Robert Ryan, and Paula M.Norberg of Roslindale; his grand-children, Lindsay, Emily, Damien,Madison, Aidan, and Aoife; andhis great grandson, Clark. He wasthe brother of the late Alice Moyer,the late Alfred J. Norberg, and thelate William H. Norberg. His fu-neral was held on Tuesday, Febru-ary 19th from the Funeral Homefollowed by interment with mili-tary honors at the Gardens atGethsemane Cemetery, BakerStreet, West Roxbury. In lieu offlowers donations to the StanleyR. Tippet Home, 920 South Street,Needham, MA 02492 would beappreciated.

RAMMAHBichara Of West Roxbury,

passed away on February 10,2019. Beloved husband of the lateKhalayek (Jabbour) Rammah. De-voted father of Ilia Rammah ofWakefield, Mary Alzught of OH,George Rammah of Norwood,Georgette Rammah of WestRoxbury, Noel Boutros ofBradford, MA, and LailaChammas of Norwood. Lovinggrandfather of Michael, Elias,Akram, Soraya, Brian, George,Michael, and Jessica. Brother ofShaheen Rammah of Syria. A Fu-neral Service was held at St.George’s Orthodox Church, 55Emmonsdale Rd., West Roxburyon Friday, February 15th. Inter-ment, Gardens Cemetery, WestRoxbury. In lieu of flowers, dona-tions may be made to St. George’sOrthodox Church, 55Emmonsdale Rd., West Roxbury,

MA 02132. For directions andguestbook pemurrayfuneral.comP.E. Murray - F.J. Higgins GeorgeF. Doherty & Sons West Roxbury617-325-2000

ROBINSONEdward G. Of Roslindale, Feb-

ruary 15, 2019. Beloved husbandof Donna M. (McDowell)Robinson. Devoted father ofMaura Robinson of Franklin, andTara Robinson of Bellingham.Stepfather of Jeremy McDowell ofSouthboro. Loving grandfather ofMatthew, Brynn, Jax, Quinn, andAce. Brother of Mary Foster andTommy, Richard, Billy, and KevinRobinson. Also survived by manynieces and nephews. A FuneralMass was held on Wednesday,Feb. 20 in Sacred Heart Church,Roslindale. Interment private. Inlieu of flowers, donations may bemade in Ed’s memory to the Scle-roderma Foundation, 300 Rose-wood Drive, Suite 105, Danvers,MA 01923-1389. Onlineguestbook and directions atpemurrayfuneral.com P.E.Murray-F.J. Higgins George F.Doherty & Sons West Roxbury617-325-2000

SAHELYDanielle Of West Roxbury

February 8, 2019. Beloved daugh-ter of the late Abdalla and ZahiaSahely. Loving sister of CamilleSahely and his wife Venice ofWellesley, Camilia Batrouney andher husband Phillip of Australia,Mona Yacoub and her husbandJohn of Australia, and the lateAyoub, Joseph, and Jacob Sahely.Dear aunt of Alexander, Nadia,and Colette Sahely, and manyother loving nieces and nephews.A Funeral Service, was held onWednesday, February 13th. at theChurch of St. John of Damascus,stjohnd.org In lieu of flowers,please make contributions in

Danielle’s memory to stjude.org501 St. Jude Pl., Memphis, TN38105. Interment Woodlawn Cem-etery, Wellesley. Guestbook atwww.KfouryFuneral.com KfouryKeefe Funeral Home WestRoxbury 617-325-3600

ZALESKASEdward A. Of West Roxbury,

formerly of South Boston. Edwardgraduated from Boston LatinSchool in 1949, and from the StateTeachers College of Boston in1953. Edward also received aMaster’s Degree and CEGS fromBoston University. Edward beganhis career as an elementary schoolteacher, which was curtailed as heserved his country in the UnitedStates Army. He returned to serveas a professor and director of ad-missions at Boston State College,and then as an administrator andadvisor at the University of Mas-sachusetts at Boston, where heworked until 2014. Edward is sur-vived by his devoted wife of 51years, Margaret Virginia (Gib-bons), his loving children, Kristine,Virginia, Kara, Janice, and John,and grandchildren, Kiernan andRonan. He is predeceased by hisbeloved daughter, Donna Maria.He is also survived by his sisters,Florence and Frances Zaleskas,Marie Ruka, and predeceased byhis sister, Eleanore Fisher. Heleaves behind many nieces andnephews. In 2013, Edward washonored by the University of Mas-sachusetts at Boston for his dedi-cation to higher education acces-sibility. Edward dedicated his lifeto his family, colleagues and stu-dents. In lieu of flowers, the fam-ily suggests that you make a do-nation. A Mass of Christian Burialwas held on Friday, Feb. 15th inSt. Theresa of Avila Church. In-terment St. Joseph Cemetery.Lawler and Crosby Funeral Home.617-323-5600

Deaths continued from page 11

STUDENTS DESERVEA NEW HOME

To the Editor:As residents and homeowners

of Roslindale, as well as educa-tors of Roxbury Prep HighSchool, we are eager to supportRoxbury Prep High School mov-ing to 361 Belgrade Avenue. Wethink that this would be a fantas-tic spot for a school.

First, a school would be a greataddition to that end of BelgradeAvenue. If you have seen the pic-tures of the planned construction,you can’t deny that it is a beauti-ful proposal.

Second, one of the main ar-guments I’ve heard against this lo-cation is that it does not includeenough parking. This proposal ac-tually includes 76 parking spaces,most of which would be under-ground and out of sight. We can-not think of any other current busi-nesses or organizations whereparking is as easy to find as itwould be at this school. More-over, we’ve never seen or experi-enced a lack of available parkingalong that stretch of Belgrade Av-enue.

Third, Roxbury Prep is a greatschool. Together, we have over10 years of experience workingat this school, and there are a fewthings that make it different. Forexample, Roxbury Prep is a verytight knit community. The stu-dents and staff are a great groupof people, and they look out foreverybody. This school is alsoalways pushing to improve theeducation that it provides to its stu-dents.

Last, our students – just likeall students – deserve to go to highschool at a single, welcomingcampus in a safe neighborhood.Currently, students do not havepermanent science labs, an on-campus gym, or performing artsspace. All of these would be in-cluded at 361 Belgrade Avenue.Furthermore, our 9th and 10thgrade students are currently beingeducated at a separate campusfrom our 11th and 12th grade stu-dents. Think of all the times thata younger student has been de-prived of an older role model, andin turn all the times that an olderstudent has missed out on an op-portunity to be a leader and men-tor. Think of the friendships thathaven’t been built.

Roxbury Prep students de-serve to have a home, and 361Belgrade Avenue in Roslindale isa perfect place for this home. Wehope you will support and wel-come our students to the neigh-borhood.

Jamie Gumpper &Sara ColónRoslindale

HEATH DOESFANTASTIC JOB

To the Editor:I want to commend Richard

Heath, Staff Reporter, for his ex-cellent, detailed and accurate re-porting in the Boston Bulletin! His outstanding reporting is veryinformative and educational forthe community! He certainly is

Letters continued from page 4talented to provide such fair andwell written articles.

As a Board of Directors mem-ber at the Jamaica Pond Associa-tion, I read with great interest hisarticle In this week’s edition “JPAclosing Jamaicaway to vehicles onspecific days”. The amount of de-tail and discussion at our last JPAmeeting, February 4, 2019, wasvery well written by Richard andfactual! It amazes me how Rich-ard can report and remember somany different view points fromboth the audience and board mem-bers!

Thank you for providing theJamaica Plain community suchgreat and informative service!

Peter ElmutsBoston

WHAT NEIGHBORHOODHAS THREE SCHOOLS?

To the Editor:I am writing this letter stat-

ing my opposition to the pro-posed Roxbury Prep HighSchool project at 361 BelgradeAvenue. I live on lower BeechSt. near West Roxbury Parkway,3 blocks from the Holy NameSchool complex on one side and4 blocks from the Mozart Schoolon the other side. Building thisschool on 361 Belgrade Ave.would add another school twoblocks from this area. Does anyother neighborhood in Bostonhave three schools within sevenblocks? This is particularly con-cerning as a Boston taxpayer, hav-ing recently been informed thatRoslindale’s Washington IrvingMiddle School has significant va-cant space. In addition, as statedby others, the West Roxbury HighSchool vacancy provides a greatopportunity to move all of theirschool to one complex without theimpact on a neighborhood’s park-ing, traffic or congestion! This iswhat they had proposed initiallyin their earlier proposal. This newspace also has athletic fields thatthey could probably take advan-tage of as well.

In Roxbury Prep’s current pro-posal, the school stated that 10%of the students would not use theT and would need to be droppedoff. I do not understand why theirrevised plans show a reduction to7% of students needing to bedropped off without an explana-tion. This would add an additionalnumber of drop-offs causing in-creased congestion and traffic. Iwould think the percentage of stu-dents would remain the same evenwith a smaller complex, necessi-tating the same % of students hav-ing to be dropped off. In addi-tion, the revised proposal does notprovide fixed parking for all of theteachers and staff noted in the pro-posal unless the expectationwould be that they would park inthe visitor parking lot, leading tomore people having to park on thestreet!

I am hopeful the BPDA willconsider the needs of this neigh-borhood and reject the RoxburyPrep proposal.

Arthur CanterRoslindale


Eviction Eviction Eviction Eviction Eviction ppppprererererevvvvvention ention ention ention ention sssssererererervices vices vices vices vices kkkkkeeping eeping eeping eeping eeping fffffamilies amilies amilies amilies amilies hhhhhoused at Georgeoused at Georgeoused at Georgeoused at Georgeoused at GeorgetttttooooownewnewnewnewneMetro Housing|Boston and

Beacon Communities LLC, theowner of Georgetowne Homes,a housing development with2,249 residents in Hyde Parkare working together to assistfamilies who are at risk of los-ing their housing.

Working in conjunctionwith Georgetowne’s ResidentService Coordinator, in the past18 months, more than 100 fami-lies have been referred for as-sistance. Eighty-one percent ofthe households who receivedeviction prevention serviceswere able to stay in their homesand are now current on their

rent. Only two householdshave been evicted.

Leveraging MetroHousing’s expertise and accessto resources, during the flexiblewalk-in hours for residents,families can obtain cash assis-tance as well as counseling tomake sure they are receiving allbenefits for which they are eli-gible.

Since the partnership beganin July 2017, the team hashelped households avoid evic-tion and become current ontheir rent. These households re-ceived more than $100,000 inpayments for rental arrearages

as well as fuel assistance, fur-niture, and general ongoingsupport. The benefit to theowner has been increased sta-bility, and reduced costs fromturnover and evictions such asmoving, storage, cleaning, andfees associated with renting avacant apartment.

“Through our partnershipwith local organizations andcommunities such asGeorgetowne Homes, familiesare able to access multiple ser-vices without having to leavetheir neighborhoods,” saidChris Norris, Executive Direc-tor, Metro Housing. “The hous-

ing services we provide at eachof our 15 colocation sites aretailored specifically to theneeds of the residents.”

Services that Metro Hous-ing provides at GeorgetowneHomes include:

* Emergency cash assis-tance and housing stabilityfunds such as RAFT (Residen-tial Assistance for Families inTransition) * Payment plan ne-gotiations * Fuel assistance *Housing search application as-sistance for non-subsidizedresidents * Recertification pro-cess assistance * Referrals toexternal agencies for furniture

assistance and income maximi-zation (food stamps, social se-curity) *

“While the added value ofhaving Metro staff on siteworking with our residents inperson is incalculable, keepingresidents housed and avoidingeviction has saved us more than$600,000,” said Jillian Pinola,Assistant Regional Vice Presi-dent, Beacon Communities.“The partnership with MetroHousing has worked out greatfor both our residents atGeorgetowne Homes and forBeacon Communities.”


Documents

yde Park Bulletin · 2019. 2. 21. · Hyde Park sees nearly $1 million in CPA funds Jeff Sullivan Staff Reporter The Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding completed last week and