NorthEndWaterfront.com
News & Views for Boston's North End & Waterfront Community
The sequester is coming! The sequester is coming! On March 1, 2013, $85 billion of automatic spending cuts go into effect. The following Storify slideshow collects some of the related local impacts, cartoons and political posturing. [View the story "Sequester Impacts" on Storify] Sequester Impacts Storified by NorthEndWaterfront.com· Wed, Feb 27 2013 16:09:21 How spending [...]
Members of the North End / Waterfront Neighborhood Council (NEWNC) expressed strong disappointment with the trash situation in the North End to city officials. Frank O’Brien, Public Works Department, reviewed the recent North End Trash Survey results that confirmed residents desire to keep 3 days of weekly trash pickup. Although the survey reflected a rising [...]
As he nears almost four years in the State legislature, Rep. Aaron Michlewitz (D-North End) has been appointed Chairman of the Joint Committee of Public Service by Speaker Robert DeLeo. “It is truly an honor to be named Chairman of the Public Service Committee. I am excited to start working with the members of the [...]
City Councilor Sal LaMattina gave a “State of the North End” update at the February 25, 2013 meeting of the North End / Waterfront Neighborhood Council (NEWNC). LaMattina represents District 1, including the North End, Charlestown and East Boston and is one of the primary conduits between NEWNC, Boston City Hall and city agencies. Councilor [...]
Some of you probably went to the Mayor’s State of the City address last week. Some of you, like me, watched it on television. There was lots of blather about the standing ovation and the probability that Menino will run for office once again. Maybe he will. Few candidates could prevail over him, given the [...]
For the second year in a row, the North End Beautification Committee funded a Christmas tree and streetlight pole wreathes in the North End for the holiday season. We also held a special tree lighting event at the Christmas tree on the corner of Hanover and Cross Streets. The North End Beautification Committee is a [...]
It’s the “era of the city” and the time for working women equality, school choice and gun control. Those were some of the themes broadcast in Tuesday night’s State of the City address by Mayor Thomas M. Menino at Faneuil Hall. After recovering from a lengthy illness, the Mayor walked the 50 feet to the [...]
As he begins his third term in the Massachusetts State Legislature, Representative Aaron Michlewitz has put forth an aggressive agenda of legislative proposals for the upcoming 2013 – 2014 session. Known for championing neighborhood-related issues such as the Green Ticket Bill and Greenway Conservancy Reform, Michlewitz is sponsoring seven new bills on broad issues such [...]
Residents and local business owners probably already figured out the recession ended just by looking at the number of people in the restaurants and shops, record tourists, surging real estate prices, more traffic, no parking, crowded T trains or the cranes in the air. City Hall released its official numbers today, mostly all showing a [...]
The City of Boston is failing miserably at the Mayor’s Million Pound Challenge. Launched last Spring to great fanfare, Bostonians have only lost 74,597 pounds as the deadline approaches, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal. In June, a mere two months after the challenge began, the city kicked off “Fitness on the [...]
Mayor’s Against Illegal Guns, co-founded by Boston Mayor Menino and New York City Mayor Bloomberg, have released a new television commercial endorsing gun reforms. Since the Newtown, CT shootings more than 100 new mayors have joined the coalition that now totals over 800. The group has website at DemandAPlan.org where citizens can sign a petition [...]
All across our city this month, parents are choosing the schools where they would like to send their children to kindergarten. The Boston Public Schools are better than ever – but our school assignment process is 25 years old. Under the current system, we ask prospective families to visit as many as 30 schools – [...]
The City of Boston has issued this season’s first Winter Weather Advisory for this weekend: Mayor Menino is reminding residents to be mindful this weekend as the region’s first winter weather event approaches. The storm is expected to result in up to 6 inches of snow in Boston, beginning around noon on Saturday and continuing [...]
Boston City Council unanimously passed the Nuisance Control Ordinance in response to constituent concerns regarding excessive noise and loud parties in the city, including the North End. The ordinance includes fines ($100 first offense, $300 thereafter) when Boston Police respond to a noise complaint. Fines will be issued to property owners as well as those [...]
The following news release comes from Michelle Wu, who has announced her candidacy for Boston City Council At-Large. Ms. Wu previously lived in the North End and was the legal guardian for a younger sister who went to the Eliot School. She says, “The North End has a special place in my heart, and I [...]
After Hurricane Sandy, bruising presidential and senatorial campaigns that lasted far too long, and a continuing hospital watch over Mayor Menino, fatigued Bostonians needed a good sex scandal. Our prayers were answered, courtesy of CIA director David Petraeus, General John R. Allen, the financially-challenged Tampa twins, and biographer and upper-arm specialist Paula Broadwell. Of course, [...]
On its third try, the Boston City Council voted 11-2 for a new redistricting map, including a significant change to the North End / Waterfront’s District 1, currently represented by Councilor Sal LaMattina. Much of Downtown and the Wharf District now join with South Boston’s District 2, currently represented by Councilor Bill Linehan. LaMattina voted [...]
The North End’s State Representative, Aaron Michlewitz, continues to rise in the ranks at the State House. This week, he gets credit for more than his legislative skills in “Beacon Hill’s Most Beautiful: 25 power players who keep the Golden Dome in style,” published in The Phoenix. The 34 year-old lifelong North Ender filled the [...]
Mitt Romney planned on giving Boston (and the TV networks) an eight minute fireworks show over the harbor if he won the Presidential election on Tuesday night, according to Boston.com. It was supposed to be a surprise, one of those spontaneous fireworks shows that often erupt over the harbor without notice. This time it might [...]
The North End / Waterfront neighborhood voted decisively for “four more years” voting 63% for Democratic President Barak Obama versus 37% for Republican candidate Mitt Romney. The result comes despite the former Governor of Massachusetts locating his national campaign headquarters at 585 Commercial Street in the North End. President Obama captured 79% of the vote [...]
Voter turnout was at a recent high in the North End / Waterfront on Election Day 2012. Voters appeared enthusiastic despite the long lines and the Fall chill in the air. The wait was especially long at 145 Commercial Street (Christopher Columbus Elderly Housing) where voters stood in line for over an hour all day [...]
So I’m sitting in front of the fireplace on a rainy day listening on my husband’s iPad to Paul McCartney singing “Yesterday.” I’m reading Michael Ondaatje’s “The Cat’s Table.” I’m thinking that “Yesterday” might be one of the world’s finest songs. I’m thinking Paul McCartney is a prodigious talent in a great big field of [...]
A working session regarding the proposed Nuisance Control Ordinance has been scheduled for Thursday, November 15, 2012 at 10:00 am on the Fifth Floor (Curley Room) of Boston City Hall. This working session came out of the recent hearing where several North End residents testified. (See North End Residents, Police and Officials Testify to Support [...]
Election Day 2012 is here! The North End / Waterfront could see a record turnout at the polls. Boston has 387,142 registered voters, of which registered Democratic voters total 211,316; Republican voters total 25,903; unenrolled voters total 147,858; and Green-Rainbow and other designations total 2,065. During the 2008 presidential election, 236,525 ballots were cast out [...]
With just four days until the November 6th election, former New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani campaigned in the North End with Republican U.S. Senator Scott Brown as part of his “People Before Party” bus tour. As part of the campaign stop, the politicians talked with residents, business owners and visitors to Boston’s North End [...]
With only 5 days to go, campaigning in the North End has intensified with a focus on the U.S. Senate race. The Scott Brown campaign is planning a special appearance by the Senator with Rudy Guiliani on Friday, November 2nd, 1:30 pm at Mother Anna’s. On Thursday night, Elizabeth Warren supporters held a standout on [...]
Boston’s City Council listened to resident feedback to a proposed Nuisance Control Ordinance, sponsored by the North End’s City Councilor, Sal LaMattina. (Video of the full hearing on October 25, 2012 can be viewed at the City Council Video Library, Docket #1052.) With the exception of two young citizens in the music industry, all of [...]
North End supporters for the re-election of U.S. Senator Scott Brown gathered this week at Stanza dei Sigari on Hanover Street. Here are some photos from the event as the Republican Senator faces a close race against Democratic opponent, Elizabeth Warren, in the November 6, 2012 election. Photos by Rosario Scabin.
The following news release is from Boston City Councilor Sal LaMattina’s office: Councilor LaMattina and Government Operations Committee to Hold Hearing Regarding Nuisance Control Ordinance Responding to constituent concerns regarding excessively loud parties in the North End and throughout Boston, District 1 City Councilor Sal LaMattina (North End / Waterfront, Charlestown, East Boston) filed “An [...]
Local supporters for U.S. Senate candidate, Elizabeth Warren, known as “North End for Warren,” held a standout at the corner of Hanover and Cross Streets during the Thursday night rush hour. In addition to neighborhood residents, Local 22 and the Ward 3 Democratic Committee participated in the event. The Democrat Warren faces a tight race [...]
A Boston Transportation Department community affairs liasion, James Mansfield, was arrested Friday on child pornography charges, according to Boston Police. An internet investigation showed the 47-year-old man was participating in sexual chat and exchanging child porn photos of undressed boys. Boston Police also found evidence by searching his Charlestown home computer under a search warrant. [...]
Check out this Storify of all the fanfare at the Columbus Day Parade, held Sunday in East Boston. In 2013, the parade is set to return to the North End. Frank Conte of EastBoston.com also posted several photos. [View the story "Columbus Day Parade 2012 in East Boston" on Storify] Columbus Day Parade 2012 in [...]
Columbus Day is celebrated in October, proclaimed as Italian Heritage Month at the State House this week. This year is the 14th official dedication of the month recognizing Italian American culture, history and activities. This year, awards went to Albert “Buddy” Mangina for Community Service and Jerry Leone, Middlesex County District Attorney as the Law [...]
As part of its school choice/quality review, Boston Public Schools published a map of Boston’s median household income using 2011 data by census block. Enlarging the North End / Waterfront and Downtown Boston area shows some interesting dynamics. (Blue is “high” or “very high” while pink is “low” or “very low.”) The North End / [...]
At this week’s North End / Waterfront neighborhood meetings, community leaders were shocked to have recently received a $5,000 shakedown letter from the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway Conservancy regarding the personal contribution and fundraising “expectations” of representatives. Six neighborhood groups will be nominating voting members to the Conservancy’s Board of Directors under new legislation, effective [...]
The North End / Waterfront Residents’ Association hosted State Senator Anthony Petruccelli for a legislative update. In the Senate since July 2007, he represents the First Suffolk Middlesex District that includes the North End / Waterfront, Beacon Hill, Cambridge, East Boston, Revere and Winthrop. From Foreclosure and Health Care Reform to HazMat Trucks, Eliot School [...]