NorthEndWaterfront.com
News & Views for Boston's North End & Waterfront Community
I understand compromises come with city life. But why does this helicopter hover over us often at sunrise, sometimes for at least ten minutes? It is no stranger to the ‘hood, thumping overhead of late at 6:20 to 6:30am – with the promise of arriving ever earlier as the days lengthen. I live in 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 [...]
Boston Police District A-1 Captain Thomas Lee and Sergeant Thomas Lema spoke to the North End / Waterfront Residents’ Association (NEWRA) regarding enforcement of the recently passed Nuisance Control Ordinance and how they are dealing with neighborhood quality of life issues. Much of the discussion centered around late night noise, loud parties, alcohol license closing [...]
Boston Police District A-1 Captain Thomas Lee and Sergeant Thomas Lema appeared before the North End / Waterfront Neighborhood Council (NEWNC) to talk about recent complaints about noise and quality of life issues in the neighborhood. The discussion centered around the causes of late night street activities relating to a younger North End population and [...]
Reported incidents from this week’s Boston Police Journal Log are shown below, courtesy of BPD District A-1. Disturbing the Peace 12/23/12 2:23 am Police Officer’s responded to a loud party at 22 Sheafe Street. Several party goers refused to leave the area, one male suspect was arrested for disturbing the peace and a 2nd male [...]
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 [...]
As the Boston City Council prepares to vote this week on the Nuisance Control Ordinance, the following series of letters were gathered from longtime North Enders as part of a Boston University student project by Alexander Herrmann on Boston’s North End, curated by Marie Montemarano and shared with permission here on NorthEndWaterfront.com. The letters are [...]
The following letter was sent to the Boston Globe in response to a November 5th editorial in the paper, Party ordinance would be harsh on young Bostonians. Dear Editor, I strongly object to the editorial of November 5th concerning the noise ordinance proposed by Councillor Sal LaMattina. This editorial displays ignorance of the seriousness 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 [...]
Boston Police, District A-1, hosted the monthly North End Public Safety meeting on November 1, 2012 at the Nazzaro Community Center. A timeline summary is shown below so you can jump around the video. 00:00 Welcome and introductory remarks by BPD Captain Thomas Lee. 00:40 Comment on recent Boston Globe article on North End quality [...]
I am going out on a limb and saying these North End residents on Noyes Place (at Salem Street) are not in favor of the proposed Nuisance Control Ordinance. $1000 Huge North End Bro Pad 1 bed available in a 4 bed apartment. Amazing apartment!!!! 2 floors, 2 living rooms, wrap around couch, surround sound, [...]
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 [...]
Boston Police Sergeant Thomas Lema took Martine Powers, a Boston Globe reporter, on a Saturday night tour of the North End in late September. This resulted in Monday’s front page story, “In the North End, police find themselves caught in the middle between young partiers and older residents.” “Their complaint is, ‘What are youse doing [...]
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 [...]
Commenters on the video post from the latest Public Safety meeting debated who is to blame for the noise and quality of life issues suffered by residents in the North End. It’s your turn to weigh in and vote in the poll:
Video: North End Public Safety meeting, October 4, 2012 at Nazzaro Community Center with Boston Police (BPD) District A-1 Incessent noise, underage drinking and quality of life issues took center stage at Thursday night’s North End Public Safety meeting with the Boston Police from District A-1. A highlight of the meeting (30:20 time point in [...]
As hundreds of new residents moved in over the Labor Day weekend, we could finally come to realize that our tiny community is changing in demographics and culture. This once predominantly Italian and family oriented neighborhood has transformed overnight, but we could see it in plain sight, in the light of day this weekend. Older [...]
There is still a lot of trash on the sidewalks from the move-ins, but soon those reliable trash collectors will do their job, some nice neighbor will do a little sweeping, a rain will arrive and wash away the sticky debris, and we’ll be back to normal. But what is normal for permanent residents is [...]
I recently contacted principal Traci Griffith at the Eliot Elementary School concerning drinking and disturbances in the school playground. In response, Traci has very constructively agreed to have the gate that abuts the Prado locked each evening at 9 p.m. This will significantly discourage kids from entering the playground after dark. Traci has worked with us [...]
The attached letter relates specifically to ongoing problems at the Eliot Elementary School, which helped lead to the near-riot conditions at and near the Prado this past weekend. However, the general problem of noise and disturbances is again becoming serious and we need to encourage our police and elected officials to do more. The street [...]
Last night at 9:20, while walking home from what I considered a late night at the feast, I passed the Prado. To my dismay, there were in excess of 200 teens gathered there. Being the mother of a teen myself, I decided to walk through, with my 4 year old daughter in tow, to make [...]
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) has filed “An Ordinance Regarding Nuisance Control.” (View the full ordinance in pdf, also pasted below.) The “noise ordinance” targets unruly gatherings within private properties and classifies [...]
The following notes come from longtime North End resident, Richard Montemarano, who attended the first neighborhood watch meeting this week where he made these comments. He explains that the all-caps are just easier on his eyes. FIRST OF ALL WE HAVE TO IDENTIFY THAT WE THAT WE HAVE A PROBLEM OR SOME ISSUES AND CONCERNS [...]
Brian Brandt from the Neighborhood Watch sends in this sign cooperatively designed by Artu Trattoria on little Prince Street. ”Wonderful and Unique describes our Neighborhood, Residents & Merchants. Please show consideration to all by keeping your voices low during the late evening hours.”
This video includes announcements and committee reports at the May 15, 2012 meeting of the North End / Waterfront Neighborhood Council, NEWNC. Video Index: 00:00 Welcome, Roll Call and Introductions 02:30 NEWNC Recognizes Service of President Donna Freni 04:00 Nicole Leo, Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services 04:50 Stephen Passacantilli, Report from Councilor Sal LaMattina’s Office [...]
In advance of Thursday’s North End Public Safety Meeting, CBS Boston WBZ-TV’s Christina Hager, interviewed Janet Gilardi, David Marx and District A-1 Captain Lee regarding the formation of a neighborhood watch to control late night noise and street partying in the neighborhood, among other public safety issues. View the report in the video below or [...]
The following letter is from District A-1 Captain Tom Lee to the residents of the North End in response to the issues raised at the April 5, 2012 North End Public Safety Meeting (See Angry Residents Erupt in Chorus of Complaints About Lack of Police Presence). The letter is also posted on BPDNews.com. Dear North [...]
The following letter to Boston City Hall Mayor’s Office and City Council officials is re-published here with permission of the author as a commentary follow-up to last week’s North End Public Safety meeting. I am emailing you in the hope that you finally realize how fed up both the deep rooted and longstanding residents of [...]
Conversation with James Hunt, City of Boston Chief of Environmental and Energy Services The city’s chief spoke to the North End / Waterfront Residents’ Association (NEWRA) regarding a wide range of issues relating to the environment and energy use, including groundwater and recycling. Mr. Hunt oversees the Inspectional Services Department and the Environment Department, serves [...]
News from the offices of City Councilors Arroyo and Ross:
— Home Rule Petition will Regulate Commercial Trash Collection Timing—
The Boston City Council is considering a measure to restrict noisy trucks from collecting trash in the middle of the night. In response to complaints from residents, City Councilor At-Large Felix G. Arroyo and District City Councilor Michael Ross introduced a home rule petition to give the City of Boston authority to regulate commercial trash collection timing.
Boston Police District A-1 are distributing flyers and cards for the new “Be Courteous to Your Neighbors” campaign. Officers on patrol will have the cards to hand out to people on the streets, initially targeting groups of individuals gathering at common spots where there are noise complaints. Officers will also use the flyers in their [...]
Boston Police at District A-1 are printing “Keep the Noise Down” cards to hand out to North End visitors in an effort to reduce frequent noise complaints by residents. The noise issue is a regular “quality of life” topic at the North End public safety meetings. Residents complain that loud groups of people “disturb the [...]
District 1 City Councilor Sal LaMattina took center stage at this week’s meeting of the North End/Waterfront Residents’ Association (NEWRA) regarding the City’s plan for Hanover Street. Councilor LaMattina took questions from residents and the impromptu discussion evolved into a public debate on the issues of late-night noise and congestion in the neighborhood. “There is [...]
The following is a commentary that appeared in condensed form in the January 22, 2010 edition of the Boston Business Journal. The full version is reproduced below. Room 801: Losing Sleep Over Boston’s Board of Appeals It’s a nondescript room with the ambience of a missile silo on the 8th floor of Boston City Hall. [...]
The following resolution was unanimously passed today by the Boston City Council, offered by Councilor Salvatore LaMattina and Councilor Steven Murphy. RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE PRESERVATION OF THE USS CONTITUTION’S HERITAGE AND TIME-HONORED TRADITIONS OF DAILY GUN SALUTES AND PLAYING OF THE NATIONAL ANTHEM IN BOSTON’S CHARLESTOWN NAVY YARD WHEREAS, The USS Constitution is one of [...]
In a letter to the Boston Globe, North End Chamber of Commerce (NECC) President, Joanne Prevost Anzalone, responded to the recent Globe article, “A Culture Clash in the North End,” republished here with the author’s permission. Let’s work together in the North End, October 9, 2009 Re: “A Culture Clash in North End” by Jenna [...]