CAPTION: Emmons-Horrigan-O’Neil Skating Rink

The potential privatization of the Emmons-Horrigan-O’Neil Skating Rink was the topic of a heated debate last Thursday when the Charlestown Neighborhood Council held an informational meeting regarding the rink’s future.
The meeting, which came at the request of State Rep. Eugene O’Flaherty, drew over 60 people to the Knights of Columbus Hall. Many in attendance were the parents of Charlestown Youth Hockey Association players who wanted assurance that the rink would continue to offer ice time for the program and that the public would continue to have affordable access to the rink.
Rep. O’Flaherty said he has supported his constituents’ opposition of privatization of the rink, meaning that a private party would manage the rink, since the state began making an effort to privatize rinks throughout the city about five years ago. Besides the Charlestown rink, the South Boston and Dorchester rinks remain the only such facilities still managed by the state in Boston.
But the question remained how the rink could continue to operate in light of the cutbacks in state funding made under Former Gov. Mitt Romney’s administration.
Some asserted that the Charlestown rink has fallen deeper into a state of neglect over the last few years, pointing out that the rink’s compressor and the facility’s roof were both badly in need of repair.
Todd LaFleur, program manager for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation — the agency that has jurisdiction over the Charlestown rink — said that privatization, or the Rink Partnership Program, had successfully led to long-term leases for 18 rinks in need of capital repairs throughout the state since the early-‘90s.
Under the program, rinks enter into a 25-year agreement with a private party, which agrees to manage the rink and finance repairs to the facility. LaFleur said that the rate that the rink operator pays to the Commonwealth would be determined by the amount of money that it invested in the rink to ensure affordable public access to the rink. Renovations to the Charlestown rink over 25 years are estimated at between $2.4 million and $3 million, LaFleur said.
“The fees won’t go through the roof, Youth Hockey won’t lose access, and the youth groups won’t lose access,” LaFleur said, adding that the public, youth organizations and high schools would continue to have priority if the Charlestown rink were privatized. “I guarantee you this is a good thing for all of us.”
LaFleur said legislature for privatized urban rinks generally ensures that the public has access to the facility for 12 hours each week.
In addition, LaFleur said that the contract would also ensure that youth organizations continue to operate concessions at the rink and that they could derive additional income from signage.
LaFleur also said that DCR employees who currently work at the rink wouldn’t lose their jobs if it were privatized. They would have a chance to interview for their positions with the new operator or the DCR would offer them employment at another site, he said.
One rumor that LaFleur dispelled was that the rink would be razed and replaced with condominiums, saying that the land was considered state parkland and therefore was subject to strict regulations in regard to redevelopment.
In the case that the community didn’t support the proposal to privatize the Charlestown rink, Rep. O’Flaherty said that he had received a commitment from Speaker of the House Salvatore F. DiMasi that an upcoming bond bill would require for renovations and reconstructions to the rink. But he cautioned, “There’s no determination as to when that can get done or even when it can be put on the to-do list.”
After those in attendance couldn’t come to an agreement on the privatization issue, O’Flaherty requested that interested parties discuss the matter further and let him know once they’ve reached an agreement.
“As a community, we need to some to some sort of a consensus,” Rep. O’Flaherty said.
Meanwhile, Moe Gillen, speaking on behalf of State Sen. Jarrett Barrios, said like Rep. O’Flaherty, the senator would only support privatization only if rink accommodations could be guaranteed for Charlestown Youth Hockey and other local organizations.
“The senator and representative want what’s best for the community,” Gillen said, adding that the senator intended to call a meeting that would explain the privatization process.
CNC Chairman Tom Cunha said the Neighborhood Council would hold another meeting in late June regarding the future of the rink. He urged those in attendance to reach a consensus on the matter and to come to the meeting prepared to discuss issues that are specific to Charlestown. Cunha also requested that LaFleur draft a Request for Proposals for privatization of the rink to be presented at the meeting.

The Boston Housing Authority’s no-trespassing policy has come under fire in recent months, but its proponents agree that it is one of the best measures in place to ensure the safety of public-housing residents, including those from Bunker Hill.
While the BHA has upheld a no-trespassing policy for many years, it became the subject of debate following a March 12 proposal that would allow individuals who have received a no-trespassing citation to request an internal review from the BHA’s Department of Public Safety. The BHA’s chief of police would then make the final decision on whether or not withdraw the notice. This proposed amendment to the policy came in response to complaints that the children of tenants had been improperly issued citations in the development.
Lisa Thurau-Gray, an attorney from the Juvenile Justice Center at Suffolk University, questioned the appeals process and approached District 7 City Councilor Chuck Turner, who represents Roxbury and parts of other neighborhodds, to request that he hold a hearing on the matter. On April 30, City Councilor and Chairman of the Housing Committee Sam Yoon held a hearing at City Hall regarding the policy at Councilor Turner’s urging.
Bill McGonagle, deputy director of the BHA, emphasized that the goal of the policy was simply to protect law-abiding residents in the developments.
“The Boston Housing Authority’s no-trespass policy is and has been an important tool the Authority has used over the past 20 years to ensure the safety, security and quality of the lives of our families,” said McGonagle during his statement at the hearing. “Make no mistake about it; the BHA’s no-trespass policy is designed to protect the overwhelming majority of our law abiding residents, many of whom are elderly, disabled or very young, from non-residents who commit crimes and disturb our tenants by preventing them from using and enjoying their homes in peace and quiet.”
McGonnagle also said that a no-trespassing citation issued by the BHA isn’t the same as an arrest, nor would it be included on an individual’s criminal record. Likewise, individuals cited for trespassing on BHA property would still have the right to visit friends and relatives living in the developments when invited.
In addition, McGonagle presented findings based on a random sampling that suggested 66-percent of individuals cited for violating the no-trespassing policy had criminal records, 50-percent were convicted felons and 42-percent had drug offenses that ranged from conspiracy to distribution within 1,000 feet of a school zone.
Councilor Turner said the purpose of the meeting was to ensure that the policy was strong enough to protect residents, but also fair and clear enough that it wouldn’t lead to future confusion. He added that McGonagle was receptive to criticisms of the no-trespassing policy and agreed to take them into account upon further review of the policy.
Meanwhile, the Boston Police has used the BHA’s no-trespassing policy as a proven crime-deterrent in the developments, particularly in regard to drug dealing. BPD officers can arrest individuals on sight in the development who have previously been cited for trespassing.
Captain O’Rourke of BPD Area A-1 said many individuals who appeared on the no-trespassing list had extensive criminal records. Of the 71 trespassing arrests made in Charlestown in 2006 and 25 to date this year, roughly 90 percent of those cited had criminal records, he said.
“People don’t randomly get put on the list,” Captain O’Rourke said. “Clearly, a high percentage of people getting no-trespassing orders and being arrested for trespassing have significant criminal backgrounds, mostly for drug violations and other felonies.”
The police would have a more difficult time making drug arrests in and around the Bunker Hill development if the no-trespassing policy were lifted, Captain O’Rourke said.
City Councilor Sal LaMattina also believes the policy allows the police to make the development safer.
“It gives an opportunity to arrest non-residents of the development who shouldn’t be there,” Councilor LaMattina said. “I think it protects everyone.”
Despite the BHA’s claim that the no-trespassing policy will remain in place, Ed Grace, chairman of the Charlestown Neighborhood Council Public Safety Committee, fears what the loss of the policy would mean for the safety of the development and its residents.
“If the City Council takes that tool away from the police, they won’t be able to persuade people who don’t belong there to stay away,” Grace said. “Law-abiding people aren’t being hassled by this ordinance. It’s only people who are breaking the law, anyway.”

CREDIT: Courtesy of Super Duck Tours

CAPTION: A Super Duck Tours vehicle is seen entering the water at the Little Mystic Channel.

This Monday marked the maiden voyage for Super Duck Tours in Charlestown.
While the well-established Boston Duck Tours includes Charlestown on its route, Super Duck Tours will focus primarily on the Navy Yard. The new tour’s two specially-designed, 47-seat Hydra-Terra amphibious vehicles load at the designated tour vehicle turnaround in the Navy Yard, follow the truck route down Chelsea Street and enter the water at the Little Mystic Channel. The Autoport on Terminal Street functions as the maintenance and storage site for vehicles, and Dennis Kraez, president of Autoport Diversified Automotive, serves as general manager for the new venture. Despite the late start this year, the season would typically run from April through November.
Lanny Johnson, a consultant for the venture, told the Patriot-Bridge in late March that he expected Super Duck Tours would be up and running in the first few weeks of April, but he said last week that delays were to be expected during the inaugural season. “Next year, if we have delays in start-up, shame on us,” Johnson added.
One reason for the holdup this season was the implementation of the ticket sales infrastructure. Tickets will be sold via the company Web site and at a the ticket office at the Shipyard Park Pavilion on Terry Ring Way in the Navy Yard, as well as at other locations throughout the city.
In exchange for use of the Shipyard Park Pavilion location, Super Duck Tours will give pay a fixed fee to the Boston Redevelopment Authority for an on-site concession stand that it will operate and to finance renovations to the facility’s restrooms, Johnson said.
Johnson said other setbacks resulted when the vehicles required modifications and because “the training captain didn’t have sufficient mates.”
While Johnson anticipates that ticket sales will be somewhat slow this season, he views this year as a learning experience for Super Duck Tours.
“This year is an opportunity to see all the different impacts and to see how the thing operates,” Johnson said.
Super Duck Tours offers a 10-percent discount to Charlestown residents at the ticket booth at Shipyard Park upon proof of residency. For tickets and more information, visit www.superducktours.com on the Web.

State Sen. Jarrett Barrios stunned the political community by announcing his resignation from his senate seat to become the president of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation.
News about Barrios' possible departure began circulating earlier this week.
Barrios, a graduate of Harvard University and Georgetown law school, was an outspoken critic of the Boston Water and Sewer Commission's proposed catch-basin dewatering facility in Charlestown.
Barrios came to the senate in 2002 after serving as a state representative from 1999 to 2002. He entered the race after former Senate President Thomas Birmingham decided against a re-election bid. He fought a bitter race against Everett Alderman Carlo DeMaria and fellow Cambridge resident Anthony Galluccio.
Barrios, in a phone interview on Tuesday, said it was "an incredible honor" to work for the foundation but also said leaving the senate would be "a bittersweet moment".
"I will terribly miss all [my constituents] who took a risk on this guy from Cambridge, who, politically, came from the other side of the world," Barrios said. "I haven't been able to share my thought process to the constituents who are dear to me. In my new capacity, I will be able to tackle one of the most difficult policy questions of our time, which is - how do we provide quality healthcare for our residents? If I contribute anything to that debate and can provide some answers to that question, then I'll have contributed something."
Brian McNiff, a spokesman for the secretary of state's office, said the Senate will call for a special election once his resignation goes into effect, which will be early July. Speculation was rampant on who would enter the race.
State Rep. Eugene O'Flaherty, a self-professed "creature of the House," has always said the House is home, especially since he is chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee. O'Flaherty said he will be meeting with family and supporters to discuss whether he should run for the senate seat. "I believe when an opportunity like this presents itself, you have to give it some thought," O'Flaherty said. "I'm not going to be completely dismissive of it." He also credited Barrios for serving the district "with distinction."
Dan Ryan, a member of Congressman Michael Capuano's staff and former District 1 Boston City Council candidate, was also named as a possible candidate.
Another name that surfaced was that of Cambridge City Councilor Anthony Galluccio. Galluccio entered the race in 2006 after Barrios announced he was running for Middlesex County district attorney. Shortly thereafter, reports surfaced of Galluccio being involved in a drunken driving accident in Boston, but he was later cleared of those charges by a Suffolk County clerk magistrate. In the meantime, Barrios announced he was dropping out of the DA's race to run for re-election to his senate seat. Galluccio, flanked by Barrios and then-Senate President Robert Travaglini outside of Cambridge City Hall, announced several weeks later that he was dropping out of the race in the spirit of Democratic Party unity.
"I think this is an exciting opportunity," Galluccio said Tuesday. "I'm certainly considering running. It's a district I'm very comfortable in and we have very strong ties in each of the communities."
Former city councilor and Centro Latino de Chelsea Executive Director Juan Vega's name surfaced as a possible candidate as well. His name was tossed around when Barrios was running for district attorney, but Vega never officially entered the race. He also couldn't be reached for comment. State Representative Alice Wolf of Cambridge has also been mentioned as a candidate.
Barrios said he has been too busy making career decisions to consider whether he will return to public office. "I haven't ruled it out," he said. "But I also haven't ruled out becoming the king of England. How likely either of those is, I don't know."

CAPTION: Olivia Thompson.

Olivia Thompson isn’t exactly sure when her love of music and theater began, but it was probably during her frequent visits to her mother’s ballet school while growing up outside of Philadelphia. An accomplished soloist with the New York City Ballet, Olivia’s mother Gloria Govrin passed on her passion for dance and the performing arts early on to Olivia.
Her passion for theater and her ability to inspire it in others was in full evidence in the recent production of “Annie” by Olivia’s students at the Warren-Prescott School. In her first year as music teacher at Warren-Prescott, Thompson set a high standard for the cast of Annie. That standard bore fruit in the three performances of the Great Depression-era musical staged by students in mid-April at the school.
“As a girl growing up, I got into different sports — gymnastics, swimming, ice skating —but I was always around dance and performance at my mom’s ballet school, so it was just natural that I would pursue it,” Thompson said.
Thompson’s passion for theater led her to leading roles in numerous productions, beginning with a starring role as Maria in “West Side Story” as a ninth-grader. Other roles followed, including Hodel in “Fiddler on the Roof,” Nettie Fowler in “Carousel,” as well as performances of Adelaide’s numbers from “Guys and Dolls” and Eponine’s solos from “Les Misérables,” in a high school review show.
“I was in the chorus at my school -- the Friends Select School – and set my sights on New York University’s TISCH School of the Arts,” Thompson noted. She successfully auditioned for entrance to the school, and attended for a year and half before taking a break from New York City and moving to San Francisco, where her mother Gloria had relocated.
While there, Olivia’s love of performance continued at Max’s Opera Café, a well-known restaurant that featured singing waitresses. “I had a really great time at Max’s, and over time, it made we want to get back to school and finish my college education,” she recalled.
Convalescence following a car accident gave her time to reflect on a lot of things and compose original music, which led to her decision to focus on a degree in music and music education. After looking at some West Coast programs that weren’t quite right, Olivia decided to return to the East Coast. She checked out the Boston Conservatory, but eventually chose Berklee College of Music, where she completed four years of study and received her bachelor’s degree in 2005.
Thompson admits that she went into music education as “a back-up” while at Berklee, but was soon drawn to teaching and working with children.

“I love working with younger kids,” Thompson noted. “You can see and feel the impact you’re having on them. At a certain point during the rehearsals and productions of “Annie,” it really became the kids’ show, not my show. It was pretty amazing to watch that transformation.”
No doubt, the Warren-Prescott community would agree with Olivia’s assessment.

Chris Prew is a Warren-Prescott School parent.

CREDIT: Courtesy of Bill Durette

PHOTO 1 CAPTION: PFC Philip J Foley.

PHOTO 2 CAPTION: Philip Foley, in Essonnes, France, in the fall of 1944, prior to the Battle of the Bulge.

Philip Foley was born on July 17, 1916, and grew up at 4 Cross St. in Charlestown. He was the son of Edward and Helen Foley and one of three brothers who served in World War II. During the war, Foley was a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division, “The All-American Division.” Foley first saw combat when he made his first combat jump with Company G of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment during Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily.
During the invasion, the 82nd Division jumped behind enemy lines to capture key objectives. Most of the paratroopers from the Division were scattered and landed south of their planned drop zones. Foley ended up with a few men and proceeded towards a road that led to the American landing beaches near Gela. When they reached a small hill called Biazzi Ridge they ran straight into lead elements of the German Hermann Goering Division, which were moving towards the beaches to counterattack the 45th Division. Foley and the few men he was with began firing at the Germans and halted their advance. The Germans immediately began directing automatic weapons fire and mortars at their position. One of the men Foley was with was shot dead and the other killed by mortar fire. About the same time, Foley felt a sharp blow to the heel of his boot that felt like he got hit with a sledgehammer. Convinced a piece of shrapnel had taken off his foot, he looked down and was relieved to see only the heel of his boot cleanly shot off. He then crawled back into position and continued to fire his M1 Garand rifle at the Germans.
Meanwhile, about one-half mile away, Lt Colonel James Galvin, commander of the 505th Regiment, who later would become the commanding General of the 82nd Division, heard the fire and gathered up some men and joined Foley on the ridge. During the battle, it was noted that Foley, without fear and despite being wounded, scrambled around the ridge directing bazooka fire at the German Tiger tanks. The paratroopers would beat the Germans that day to win the key battle at Biazzi Ridge and Sicily would go on to be liberated. For his actions that day on Biazzi Ridge, Foley was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart.
After Sicily, Foley made his second combat jump into Salerno, Italy. The 82nd Division parachuted south of Salerno to help reinforce the Americans who landed at the beaches. The Division successfully helped secure Salerno, and its soldiers were the first Americans to reach Naples. After Salerno, while in England, Foley was transferred to H Company of the 504th Parachute Infantry Division. In England, he met and became friends with Sgt Albert Tarbell. Albert, a Native American Indian from Syracuse N.Y., Foley recalled while talking about being a member of a Union back in Charlestown. Tarbell, who trained Foley on how to operate a radio in England, remembered Foley as being a good combat soldier. The next combat jump for both men would be on Sep. 17, 1944, during Operation Market Garden. This was the airdrop into Holland to capture the vital bridges leading into Germany and Foley’s third combat jump. The 82nd Division was responsible for capturing the Nijmegen Bridge. After bitter fighting, the Division eventually captured its objective.

After Holland the Division was bivouacked at Essonnes, France. In December, the Germans launched a major offensive through the Ardennes Forest of Belgium, which came to be known as the Battle of the Bulge. The 82nd Division was ordered north of Bastogne to help halt the German advance. At that time, Foley was in Paris on leave and managed to make his way back to his company in Grandveille, Belgium. When he arrived back, Albert Tarbell remembers Foley giving him a pipe and tobacco that he bought for him in Paris. He was then assigned to replace Albert, who was manning the radio at the front line command post.
Albert developed frostbite on his feet and had to be removed to the first aid station. On Jan. 7, 1945, after spending the night in a hayloft, Albert heard some commotion downstairs and looked down to see rows of stretchers and ambulances bringing wounded into the first aid station. One of the badly wounded men on a stretcher was Captain Kappel, the company commander. He told Albert that he and Foley were hit by artillery fire and that Foley, who was only 29, was killed. The Americans would go on to win the Battle of the Bulge and Foley would become one of five known men from Charlestown killed during the Battle of the Bulge.
Philip is one of Charlestown’s most decorated soldiers of WW II. His awards include the Silver Star, two Purple Hearts, European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with four Battle Stars and three Bronze Arrow Heads, Combat Jump Wings with three Bronze Stars, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, American Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.
Philip is buried along with four other Charlestown men at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium. He’s one of the 94 Charlestown men and women who lost their lives during World War II. Today, 62 years after the end of WWII, Tarbell’s one wish is to speak to a relative of Philip Foley.
If anybody knows how to contact any of the relatives of Philip Foley please call Bill Durette at 617-337-5383.

Since 1985, Bunker Hill Associates has sponsored the annual Bunker Hill Day Pre-Parade Breakfast, which has become one of the most anticipated events of the parade week.
“It’s just a great kick off to a great day and rounds out a week of events,” said Dave Whelan, the organization’s secretary.
This year’s event, which takes place at the Knights of Columbus Hall on the morning of June 10, is expected to draw upwards of 400 guests. But more importantly, through revenue derived from the program’s advertising book and other fundraising efforts, the Association has raised more than $169,000 for Charlestown-based youth programs to date.
“Every dollar we raise goes back into the community,” said Ronan Fitzpatrick, the treasurer and a founding member of the Associates. “We try to find where we can really help people, which, in turn, helps the children.”
Whelan said reaching a consensus on which organizations to support is often a painstaking task for the 40 members of the organization. “We try to be equitable and take into account organizations’ criteria, size and ability to raise money on their own,” Whelan said.
The theme of this year’s ad book is Charlestown Women of Achievement and will recognize the achievements of eight local women: Edna Kelly, Ann Considine, Margaret “Bunny” Kane, Gloria Conway, Judge Mary Brennan, Florence Johnson, Kay Whelan and Judy Evers.
“Each women brings something different,” Whelan said, adding that this year would likely be of the first of several breakfasts dedicated to the women of Charlestown. “It’s long overdue,” he said.
Originally, immigration was considered for the theme of this year’s ad week, but members reconsidered after the death of political activist and Charlestown native Edna Kelly on Jan. 17 at age 71.
“Edna was the reason the thought process changed,” Whelan said.
Martha Coakley, the Attorney General of Massachusetts, will also be on hand as the guest speaker at this year’s breakfast.
And in keeping with tradition, State Rep. Eugene O’Flaherty will serve as emcee as this year’s breakfast. He has presided over the event since 2003 and is an honorary member of the Associates.
“It’s an opportunity for dignitaries and elected officials to congratulate the neighborhood of Bunker Hill, as well as to tell a few jokes and have a few laughs,” Rep. O’Flaherty said.
Anyone who would like tickets to the event or wishes to place a congratulatory ad to the honorees should call Marty O’Brien Jr. president of Bunker Hill Associates, at 617-242-0301 or Dave Whelan at 617-242-1604.