It was a sea of people as more than 400 residents, kids and community leaders walked in Charlestown’s “March Against Drugs” on Monday evening, sponsored by Charlestown Against Drugs. The crowd amassed at the Barry Playground at the corner of Chelsea and Medford streets and was led by a bagpiper and preceded by police and fire vehicles. The crowd walked to the Edwards Middle School where several speakers reminded the kids that to pursue their dreams they should not give in to addiction. The event culminated in the crowd making a public pledge to stay away from substance abuse. The march was part of Salute to Charlestown week, sponsored by the Bunker Hill Associates.

Photo caption: A rough sketch of the 2 new interpretations of the Chapter 91 regulations described in the proposed legislation (illustration not to scale). Graphic by A. Bowers


The Friends of the Charlestown Navy Yard will host a community meeting to discuss proposed legislation that will change how Chapter 91 regulations are interpreted in regards to Parcel 6 in the Navy Yard, the future site of Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital’s new facility. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 13 at Building 114 in the Navy Yard at 7 p.m. Senator Jarrett Barrios, author of the legislation, and Representative Eugene O’Flaherty plan on attending.

The meeting is being held to gather community input into proposed legislation that will re-interpret where the shoreline starts at two points next to Parcel 6 (see illustration). This definition is important because buildings must be set back 100 feet from the shoreline, and will impact the location and height of Spaulding’s building.

In the first instance, the current interpretation of the shoreline along the Little Mystic Channel is a buried seawall that is 77 feet inland from where land and sea meet. The legislation would define the shoreline at the water’s edge.

In the second instance, the innermost area of Drydock 5, which cuts through Parcel 5, is defined as the shoreline. The legislation would set the shoreline at the mouth of Drydock 5.

The legislation, which was filed in February by Senator Barrios, alarmed a number of community activists and residents because of its scope.

Barrios said that it is important to note that three changes are being made to the bill’s original language. The bill will: 1) exclude Parcel 7 and be specific to Parcel 6; 2) it will be drafted so that there is no precedent set to change the Chapter 91 regulations; and 3) the new interpretation of the shoreline will be contingent on Spaulding moving the tower away from the Basilica.

Rep. Eugene O’Flaherty said in a written statement that, "Spaulding has requested legislative relief to build a $150 million development in the Charlestown Navy Yard. The legislation was filed and I requested a hold pending a local review of the bill and its potential ramifications by the Neighborhood Council and through community meetings with the public and interested civic groups. At this point, I foresee redrafting the legislation to accommodate divergent interests and to insure its narrowly tailored for this specific parcel."

“The language [of the legislation] will be changed,” said Christine Fennelly, spokesperson for Spaulding. “It is not a change in the regulations and it won’t touch any portion of the existing statute.”

Fennelly added that Spaulding will respect all regulations and there is no intention to set any precedents in regards to Chapter 91, adding that there will be full compliance with the BRA and National Park Service guidelines.

“This change will allow the massing of the tower of this construction to be located further from the Basilica, allowing for little to no shadow on that building,” said Barrios. “Of course, the project is in its initial stages and in its revised form, assuming this legislation were to pass, will still need all the local approvals, including zoning relief.”

Parcel 6 is flanked by Parcels 5 and 7, which have not been redeveloped. Some residents are concerned that allowances made for Parcel 6 will be de facto precedents for the development of these parcels. The Boston Redevelopment Authority technically owns Parcel 7 but it is under agreement with Partners Healthcare, Inc. (the parent company of Spaulding) said Geoff Lewis, project manager for the BRA. Lewis said that Parcel 5 is owned by the BRA.

**Original language of the bill**

The original language of the proposed bill, courtesy of the General Court’s House Clerk’s office, which is under revision in the legislature per community comments:

“Notwithstanding any provision of the Chapter 91 of the General Laws or any other general or special law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, for the purpose of determining building setback on Parcel 6 & 7 in the Charlestown Navy Yard for the portion of said Parcels bordering on the Little Mystic Channel and Main Channel the high water mark shall be deemed to be the seaward edge of the existing pile-supported structure and for the area enclosed by the structure known as Drydock 5, the high water mark shall be deemed to be a straight line drawn from the seaward end of such drydock to the easternmost tip of the parcel known as Parcel 5.”

The legislation is being filed to reinterpret Chapter 91 regulations. Chapter 91 is a rather dry name for a rather romantic notion — that the public has the right to access and enjoy the sea, and that the Commonwealth is the trustee and guardian of these public rights. Under Chapter 91, a non-water dependent project must be set back 100 feet from the shoreline to protect the public’s right to access the water, and at that point the building can be no higher than 55 feet, though it can gradually become taller as it moves away from the water. Spaulding hopes that the legislation will reinterpret the shoreline around Parcel 6 so that it can build a large enough facility and move the bulk of the building farther from the Basilica residences and local streets.

Super Duck Tours could come to Charlestown by mid-July if the proper permits can be secured.

Lanny Johnson, a consultant for Super Duck Tours, said he is presently awaiting approval for the venture from the Hackney Division of the Boston Police, which issues licenses for taxis and tour vehicles.

Unlike the World War II-era amphibious cars that are used by Boston Duck Tours, the two vehicles that Super Duck Tours will use are made specifically for tourists and transportation. Johnson said the vehicles, which can each carry 47 passengers, were designed for use on the open water in extreme conditions.

Another difference between Super Duck Tours and competing Boston-area tours is the area it will cover.

“The route is intended to be different from existing trolley and Duck Tours,” Johnson said.

The vehicles will load at Terry Ring Way in the Navy Yard, follow the truck route down Chelsea Street to the seaport and enter the water at the Little Mystic Channel. The Autoport on Terminal Street will serve as the maintenance and storage site for the vehicles. The tours begin daily at 9 a.m. and will take between one hour and one-quarter and one hour and one-half. Up to five tours could run each day, and the season could typically run from April through the end of November, depending on demand, Johnson said.

And while some residents might fear that Super Duck Tours will congest traffic in Charlestown, Johnson said they shouldn’t be concerned.

“The traffic increment of two vehicles every couple of hours isn’t really that significant,” he said. ”This is not going into the neighborhood.”

Johnson added that Super Duck Tours wouldn’t provide parking.

“Ticket sales come from people already in the Navy Yard,” he said. “Trolleys and buses already go into the Navy Yard.”

Super Duck Tours was slated to start last summer, but the venture was put on hold because the City of Boston decided not to authorize any new tours until a tourism study was completed.

Johnson said he would return to the September or October CNC meeting to get the community’s assessment of Super Duck Tours.

Forget American Idol and turn off The Apprentice — the real drama isn’t on TV, but in real life. when two Charlestown students were finalists in a competition for the best company business plan sponsored by the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship on Friday, June 2.

Steven Castronova, a Charlestown resident, is a senior at East Boston High School, and Danni Zhang is a junior at Charlestown High School. Both students created business plans for their own companies, and placed in the NFTE’s Boston Competition in late May, walking away with cash prizes and a new laptop.

Zhang won the next round, the New England Regional Youth Business Plan Competition, which was held at Suffolk University, and will take part in the national competition in New York City in the fall. The event is sponsored by Smith Barney, and the winner will earn a $10,000 award.

The competition was for the best business plan, with the students creating a business of their own and then selling the idea to the panel or judges, who evaluated the presentations from an investor’s point of view.

Steven Castronova has played on the varsity hockey and baseball teams at East Boston high school for four years, and received a certificate of excellence for his work with children in a summer program. He created a business proposal for “Develop Your Skills,” a baseball camp for boys ages 7 – 12.

Darren Donovan, a partner at accounting firm KPMG in downtown Boston, coached Steven through the process.

“Part of the [class] is developing a business plan…even for someone with an MBA it can be a daunting thing.” said Donovan, adding that his primary role was to help flesh out ideas and see the plan from the perspective of a customer or a competitor.

“I was very proud of him. From the beginning, he had confidence, and he’s very passionate about his baseball, and that made him successful,” said Donovan. “When you get older, you realize how important those moments are and how they define you. To be inspired and have the courage to believe that you can do whatever you want to do in life.”

Castronova will attend Southern New Hampshire University in the fall and plans to major in business management.

Zhang’s proposal came from her own experiences as well — she has played the piano for more than 10 years. Her business plan was for a business called “Dr. Mi,” to teach high-tech piano lessons, which she has already put into action with four students. She combines piano lessons with an MP3 (a portable digital audio machine) player that allows students to record lessons so that they can review and practice at home.

Zhang said that she was surprised that she won, crediting both her teacher and her coach. She added that she is looking forward to studying in an international business program with a focus on China (she is fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese). She hopes to study business at local colleges Babcock or Bentley.

Regardless of trophies, both students have thrived in the program.

NFTE has partnered with the Boston Public School system since 1994 to create an entrepreneurship class that is offered in the school system, said Helen Rosenfeld, executive director of NFTE New England. NFTE trains teachers in the entrepreneurship curriculum, invites speakers and coordinates events that introduce students to the basics of entrepreneurship, such as pitching an idea, creating a business plan, and making presentations.

“For us the fun part is seeing how the students progress from classroom exercises to something they can pursue,” said Rosenfeld. “It was fun to see them blossom in the process of preparing and feeling confident.”

Daniel ”Doc” Sheehan was thrilled when he was chosen as the Chief Marshal for the2006 Battle of Bunker Hill Parade, especially since he served as last year’s Chief of Staff and has attended the event nearly every year of his life.

“It’s a great privilege,” he said. “It really means a lot to me. I just hope that people appreciate [the parade], and I think that they still do”

Born on Dec. 7, 1944, Sheehan grew up on Ferrin Street. He attended St. Catherine’s Grammar School, the Clarence R. Edwards Middle School and Charlestown High School. A member of St. Catherine’s Parish, Sheehan worked at the church as a high school student.

After graduation, Sheehan was drafted in 1963 during the Vietnam War and deployed to Germany, where he served for two years as rank specialist and medical corps man in the U.S. Army. “I almost made it to Vietnam,” he said.

Sheehan returned to Charlestown after his military service and went to work for the U.S. Post Office soon afterwards. He worked at post offices all over Boston, including McCormick Station in Post Office Square, the old General Mills facility and the South Postal office near South Station. Three months ago, Sheehan was transferred to the post office at the Bunker Hill Mall — just blocks away from his Main Street home.

“Now, I roll out of bed and I’m here,” he said.

In 1976, Sheehan was married to Roseanne Lyman, an old friend from his high school days. They have two children — 29-year-old Carol Ann of Quincy and 27-year-old Daniel Jr., who now lives at home.

A lifelong Charlestown resident, Sheehan is active in many community organizations. He joined the Knights of Columbus at age 18 and held the role of post treasurer for many years. As a member of St. Francis de Sales Parish, he serves as an usher and is active in the St. Francis de Sales Social Club, a group committed to serving the town’s youth. Sheehan was a past commander of Bunker Hill Post 26, American Legion and is now a member of the Old Charlestown Schoolboys Association.

When it came time to select a Grand Marshal for the parade, Arthur Hurley, general chairman of the Battle of Bunker Hill Parade Committee, felt that Sheehan was an obvious choice.

“Dan’s a lifelong friend and a great guy, who served his country and his community proudly over the years,” Hurley said. “That’s why he was selected as Grand Marshal by the Parade Committee.”

One of Sheehan’s duties as Grand Marshal is selecting the designs for the T-Shirts that are sold to raise money for the parade. He opted for a picture of the Monument with the Charlestown flag behind it, which his son drew by hand. As in years past, the T-shirts will also commemorate a past American battle. This year’s shirts memorialize the Revolutionary War.

“I just wanted something different,” Sheehan said. “I went with this [design] because it honors the Revolutionary War. It’s the only battle we ever lost, but we still honor it.”

For the pins that the Grand Marshal traditionally distributes to spectators at the parade, he went with a shamrock and American flag with “Townies” emblazoned over the image.

Sheehan expects numerous family members will turn out for the parade, some of whom will join him when he marches. Relatives are coming from all over Massachusetts, including Saugus, Bolton and Milford. One cousin might even make the pilgrimage from Wisconsin, if work permits.

As for his entrance, Sheehan will arrive in an Old Town Trolley car, one of the orange and green tour buses that can be spotted regularly around Boston, (His daughter was able to secure the vehicle because she works for the company). He will be accompanied by his daughter, wife and 90-year-old mother in law, Rose, while his son watches the house.

On his big day, Sheehan only hopes the rain holds out. And even now he is looking forward to next year’s festivities.

“As soon as it’s over, you get a week’s rest and start all over again.”

In every election, The Charlestown Patriot-Bridge gathers a team of undecided readers together in our office, and the participants interview the candidates. This team then makes a recommendation to Charlestown voters as to whom to vote for.

So you might be wondering what we’re doing for the special election on June 13 to fill the District 1 city council seat left empty by former councilor Paul Scapicchio.

We’re doing nothing. It wasn’t that we didn’t know our responsibility. It’s just that we couldn’t find anyone who WASN’T for Dan Ryan in the whole town.

And as they did in the primary, Charlestown voters are going to come out and vote for Ryan, their home-town boy, who is the well-liked and well-known local aide to Congressman Mike Capuano.

But Charlestown voters are going to have to turn out in huge numbers if they expect to score a win for Ryan. In the greater realm of things in this contest, the smaller, Charlestown neighborhood vote is inconsequential compared with the larger vote in East Boston, in the North End and in a small part of Beacon Hill.

Ryan’s opponent, Boston City Hall transportation official Sal LaMattina, will be hard to beat. He has the numbers going for him in his native East Boston, in the North End and on Beacon Hill. He proved this in the primary, where he scored 85 percent of the East Boston vote.

His organization is to die for—great numbers of highly qualified longtime friends with big city election political experience. LaMattina’s election-day effort by this political organization will be hard to match.

Also, LaMattina has made many friends during his nearly 15 years working for the city.

But in the immortal words of Yogi Berra, the former New York Yankees great, “It ain’t over until it’s over.”

If Charlestown voters knock the socks off the pollsters by showing up in droves. If the East Boston contingent stays home thinking it’s a done deal. If Beacon Hill voters, who saw Ryan but not LaMattina at a forum in May, come out in big numbers and also vote for Ryan. If all of these things happen, Ryan has a chance.

Tip O’Neil’s legendary quote is that “all politics is local.” This is the election that most proves what O’Neil said. If the locals do their job in voting in the numbers that have never been seen before, the local boy might just win.

The Election

If ever there were a time for Dan Ryan to pull out all the stops, it is now and he needs to pray for a miracle as well.

If ever there were a time that all good men and women in Charlestown should go out and vote, it is Tuesday.

The District 1 election is about representation this neighborhood needs at city hall on the city council and inside the mayor’s office – where it counts.

So it is very important that every voter gets out and has his or her say.

Vote for Ryan or for Sal LaMattina on Tuesday.

This isn’t about voting party or pocketbook. After all, they’re both democrats and members of the struggling middle-class.

It isn’t about voting on issues like global warming or the war in Iraq or gay marriage.

It is about voting for the best man to represent Charlestown on the Boston City Council.

Get out and vote Tuesday in the special election.


Did you know?

Lets get hypothetical.

You’ve been to a party out of town and you’ve returned to Charlestown.

You are drunk behind the wheel of your automobile.

You are swerving from side to side driving through the Navy Yard.

In front of Store 24 you are pulled over by Boston Police.

You refuse to take a breathalyzer exam.

You are arrested.

You are taken to court and fined $1,500 for failing to take the breathalyzer test.

That’s it. All neat and clean, you get into your car and you drive away from court as if nothing happened.

Bottom line – drunken driving cases on Federal property do not cause the same form of punishment imposed when you are drunken driving on state property or in the cities and towns.

The registry is not notified.

You don’t automatically lose your license.

You aren’t forced to accept some form of therapy or other to confront your alcohol problem.

Your driving record remains free of a drunken driving conviction or of a refusal to take the breathalyzer exam.

What does this tell you?

It shows that the Feds need to notify the Registry of Motor Vehicles whenever anyone is caught driving under the influence in the Charlestown Navy Yard.

To do otherwise is – well – ridiculous.

Isn’t it?


Like to sail?

There is a Charlestown company offering sailors who can’t afford their own Hunter sailcraft just such a sailcraft for rent.

The company is called SailTime Boston.

It is a Texas based company located in the neighborhood on the water.

The company calls itself a fractional boat business – that is – its members are allowed to sail fully loaded yachts for a literal fraction of the price of owning one.

The company has three Hunter sailboats and about 20 members at the present time.

The company sells memberships that allows member to use the boats.

You can rent a 30-footer for $,3950 from May-October or a 36-footer for $6,250.

Not a bad deal if you love to sail but can’t afford to buy the boat.

I am writing the following letter in response to the editorials of May 18 and 26, titled “The new Charlestown and old public housing” and “Changes are coming,” respectively. This letter is rather long, but the editorials brought up a number of issues that need to be addressed and, therefore, I ask you to print this letter in its entirety in your paper.

First, the Bunker Hill development contains more than 1,100 units of housing, not 800 as your editorial suggests. In the first editorial, the Bunker Hill development is compared to those in Chelsea, Everett and Lynn. Not one of those towns has a total number of public housing units as high as that of Bunker Hill alone. The largest family development in the towns, which is in Lynn, consists of 277 units, a quarter of the size of the Bunker Hill development in Charlestown. The Bunker Hill development is the largest public housing development in New England and one of the oldest, having been constructed in the late 1930s and first occupied in 1940. To compare this development with the much smaller and likely newer developments of Chelsea, Everett and Lynn is an unfair comparison at best.

The management staff at the Bunker Hill development care deeply about the residents of the development and the community. They work closely with residents and the Boston Police Department to report crime and improve the quality of life at the development. In the last 15 months, information provided to Boston Police has resulted in 25 drug arrests and 14 drug related evictions with seven cases currently waiting for a court date. The management and maintenance staff have rehabbed approximately 600 units in the last four years, providing them with new cabinets, countertops, sinks, flooring, appliances and bath fixtures. They completed 10,995 maintenance repairs last year and have decreased the number of outstanding repair requests ten fold. In November and December of 2005, management staff held hallway meetings with residents in 21 hallways. These meetings are held in hallways throughout Boston Housing Authority developments to work with residents around issues of controlling what occurs in those hallways. Residents reported to staff that they do not have problems with other residents in hallways, but rather from visitors who do not live at the development who are looking for drugs, hanging around in hallways or outside the door and in the early morning, 6-9 a.m. period, before school begins. In addition, civil rights complaints and complaints found to be bias motivated at the development have dropped dramatically from a high of 83 complaints, 22 of which were found to be bias motivated in 2001 to a total of 6 complaints with none found to be bias motivated in 2005. To say that there is latent racism, that the BHA pays lip service to management of the development and that it has an unprofessional attitude toward the development is simply false. Moreover, it is an insult to the staff there who work hard every day under difficult circumstances to improve conditions at the development. Unfortunately, the BHA was not told about the editorials prior to their publication and therefore was not given the opportunity to respond to the accusations they contain.

This is not to say that there are no problems at the Bunker Hill development. The BHA recognizes that there are some very serious problems in the Charlestown community and continues to have internal discussions about how best to address both the public safety needs and the long-term capital needs of the development. The BHA has estimated the short-term capital need at the development to be approximately $70 million. To put this in perspective, the BHA receives only $24 million per year for capital repairs for all (48 others, not counting Charlestown) of its federally funded public housing developments throughout the City of Boston. Seventy million dollars would allow the BHA to do a comprehensive modernization of the development, but would not allow a redevelopment similar to those done at Maverick Landing, Orchard Gardens or Mission Main. To bring about such a redevelopment would cost significantly more. To raise such an amount of money is a daunting task. Nevertheless, the BHA is committed to the residents at the development and to working with them to improve conditions at Bunker Hill. Unfortunately, the second editorial suggests that decisions have been made regarding a redevelopment effort at Bunker Hill. This is simply not true and any redevelopment effort or idea will not, and cannot, go forward without an extensive community process that includes residents, city and elected officials, and members of the larger community.

In addition, the BHA continues to work with the election committee, which includes Peter Looney of Charlestown Against Drugs and BHA residents, to establish a properly elected representative task force that can advocate aggressively for residents of the development. The BHA regrets that this process is taking longer than it had hoped. However, the BHA has brought in outside community organizers on several past occasions, and task forces were elected, but were unable to sustain themselves for the long term. Therefore, the BHA is working to bring in a community organizer who can not only help establish a task force, but who is also able to establish a task force that can sustain itself for the long term. The BHA sent out a Request for Proposals yesterday to potential community organizers and will work with the election committee to choose the best candidate. Candidates have two weeks to respond to the RFP.

Both of the editorials did a great disservice to the BHA and its staff and to the residents at the Charlestown development. To print an editorial that says that “Although the BHA will probably deny it, detailed plans are on the table” for redevelopment, particularly without checking the facts, is divisive and does not in any way help bring about positive change for the development or the greater community.

Sandra B. Henriquez
Administrator/CEO
Boston Housing Authority