One thing was clear from the Candidates Night that took place at Building 114 in the Navy Yard on Tuesday night: Those vying for the State Senate seat for Middlesex, Suffolk and Essex counties vacated by Jarrett Barrios last month are a formidable bunch.
The candidates included Tim Flaherty, a Cambridge resident who served as Norfolk County district attorney and the son of former Speaker of the House Charlie Flaherty; Anthony Galluccio, a one-term mayor and seven-term city councilor of Cambridge; Laurie Leyshon, a Cambridge resident with a background in art, business and teaching; Paul Nowicki, an eight-term city councilor at large and four-term city council president of Chelsea; and Jeff Ross, a Cambridge attorney and self-described “progressive democrat.”
The senate hopefuls fielded questions that addressed issues at the local and state levels from the meetings’ sponsors — the Charlestown Business Association, the Charlestown Waterfront Coalition and Friends of the Charlestown Navy Yard — as well as residents in attendance. Michael Jonas, acting editor of CommonWealth magazine and Boston Globe political columnist, served as moderator.
On the state level, the candidates all criticized the emphasis now being placed on the MCAS achievement test in Massachusetts public schools. Nowicki suggested that schools should instead focus on an expanded school day and after-school programs to bolster education, while Leyshon stressed the importance of addressing individual students’ needs.
“Education is important to me,” Leyshon said. “One thing I know as a teacher is you have to cater the classes to the individual students. You have to be able to reach each child as a teacher.”
Another controversial issue now facing the state — casino gaming — was met with skepticism from some candidates, despite potential economic benefits for the Commonwealth.
“We need to take a hard look at the economic development and state revenues [associated with bring casinos to Massachusetts],” Galluccio said. “I’m going to keep an open mind, but I’m not sold at this point.”
Nowicki, meanwhile, showed unwavering support for bringing casinos to Massachusetts.
“We should absolutely pass casino gambling,” Nowicki said, vowing that he would work on traffic issues and the social ills commonly associated with gambling. “Let’s look at it in a realistic way.”
Regarding development in Charlestown and throughout the city, several candidates pointed to the Boston Redevelopment Authority’s primary function as a proponent of development and not as a watchdog group.
“Obviously, the BRA has an inherent conflict,” said Flaherty, adding that this issue prompted him to run for the senate seat. “It’s an inside ball game.”
Galluccio called for a careful examination of development planned for Charlestown and said he would work with residents and elected officials to make sure that the BRA listened to community concerns.
“I want to look at development that makes sense and protects the neighborhood,” Galluccio said. “We need to do long-term planning for the area around Charlestown.”
Development in the Navy Yard was also a concern for Galluccio, who said he would lobby for consistent zoning policies, like those he helped implement in Cambridge.
“Pier 5 needs a new project report that needs to be done as part of a master plan,” Galluccio said.
In light of all the development in Charlestown, some wondered how adequate parking could be provided for residents and new businesses. Flaherty proposed a unique solution to this dilemma.
“The residents of Charlestown want to balance quality of life issues…with having parking spaces,” Flaherty said. “Through state legislature, I propose there would be valets that would guarantee businesses have adequate parking.”
Leyshon suggested that better public transportation and shuttle bus service would solve the parking problem.
Another issue facing Charlestown and the state is what can be done to preserve green spaces and other facilities owned by the Department of Recreation and Conservation.
And while the candidates all supported green space, Nowicki took a stand against privatization, a solution now proposed for the Emmons-Horrigan-O’Neil Memorial Rink in Charlestown.
“I’m not in favor of privatization because when you see privatization, prices skyrocket and people get priced out,” Nowicki said.
When asked what the biggest issue now facing Charlestown, the candidates resoundingly agreed it was substance abuse. Galluccio, however, believes it is an issue not exclusive to Charlestown that can best be addressed through community efforts.
“This is not a Charlestown problem. It’s a pervasive one,” Galluccio said. “Charlestown needs unity. To deal with the drug problem or any other problem, the community needs to come together.”
An election for the State Senate seat takes place on Oct. 9, with a special primary election scheduled for Sept. 11.

CREDIT: Courtesy of CBA Landscape Architects

CAPTION: Design plans for the Rutherford-Union Playground.

A design for the Rutherford-Union Playground presented by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department at last week’s meeting at the Knights of Columbus Hall was largely met with enthusiasm from residents, but a few question still remain regarding the proposed renovations.
The plan makes provisions to accommodate several groups that have expressed interest in the site: mothers with toddlers, the tennis community and seniors, who often stop to sit at the playground on their way to and from the Bunker Hill Mall. The design, which is a composite of three plans that the Park Department presented at community meetings earlier this year, would substantially increase the overall footprint of the park at Old Rutherford and Union streets by eliminating 12 parking spaces along Old Rutherford Avenue, according to Clara Couric Batchelor of CBA Landscape Architects.
Among the additions planned for the playground, Batchelor said, are a “splash pad” water feature for play, figure-8-shaped tricycle path, several new play structures, a swing set and more “passive sitting areas” for seniors. The tennis court will also remain on the site and receive a new surface.
Batchelor also said she would look into the possibility of providing a locked box or other storage area for toys at the playground.
In response to a concern raised by parents with children in the Charlestown Youth Hockey Association that the reduction in parking spaces would adversely affect the program, Parks and Recreation Department Project manager Ginna Johnson said that while there were no “obvious” places for parking, she would explore the possibility of securing more parking spaces in a nearby lot owned by the Department of Recreation and Conservation.
While the design plan was lauded as making the playground more accessible to the parties with an interest in the playground, some stressed the importance of setting schedules to avoid conflicts between them.
Johnson said the Park Department would continue to hold smaller meetings to get community input on the project, including what types of play structures are best suited for the playground.
As for the time schedule, Johnson said construction would start no earlier then spring 2008 when proper funding could be secured. Residents, however, requested a fall start date so construction wouldn’t result interfere with usage of the playground next summer.

CAPTION: A man is seen surveying the damages after Astroturf was set ablaze at a Charlestown High athletic field.

Vandals did more than $360,000 dollars worth of damage last week when they set 35 rolls of artificial turf ablaze that were slated to cover a Charlestown High School athletic field, setting the renovation project back no less then eight weeks, according to Boston Parks Department spokesperson Mary Hines.
At approximately 1:50 a.m. on Aug. 1, Boston Police were responding to a report of a nearby dumpster fire at Monument and Polk streets when they observed the Astroturf burning beneath several trees on the athletic field at 240 Medford St. As a result of the fire, approximately 82,000 square feet of the material has been rendered useless and the supplies must be reordered during the busiest time of the year, Hines said.
‘It’s saddest for the kids,” Hines said. “They’re the ones that are going to be hurt by this. They looked forward to coming into a state-of-the art park, and they deserve nothing less.”
The City of Boston’s $3 million rehabilitation to the athletic fields includes improvements to both the football and softball fields. The softball field is being converted to a multi-purpose field, which will also be used for soccer and athletic practices. As for the football field, a 400-meter track will be installed around its perimeter, along with handicapped accessible bleachers. Lighting improvements are being made to both fields. The project’s target date for completion was originally September.
Hines said the damaged Astroturf was intended for installation at the multi-purpose field, which would be rendered a construction site because of ongoing work there in the coming weeks. At the time of the fire, renovations to the football field were nearly completed, except for the installation of the surrounding track, Hines said.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino expressed outrage at the act of vandalism, which he described as a “heinous crime.”
“This cowardly act destroyed property paid for by the taxpayers of Boston and will deprive local kids and sports leagues of the use of their new playing fields,” Mayor Menino said.
Meanwhile, Tom Desmond, former president and current member of the Charlestown Community Centers Council and a longtime advocate of the athletic complex, was equally appalled by the act but also called into question ongoing security concerns at the site.
“In my opinion, there are two issues here,” Desmond said. “First, who are these arsonists, because they’re very dangerous people? And second, was it preventable? In my opinion, it was preventable and never should have happened.”
Desmond continued, “Security has been on the table formally and informally on numerous occasions over an extended period of time. The lack of response, in my opinion, is stunning. Even [the night after the incident took place], the facility was still not secured.”
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to call the Boston Fire Department Arson Squad at 617-343-3324.

The Boston Landmarks Orchestra is seen playing at the premiere of its newly-commissioned piece “David and "Old Ironsides’” at the foot of the USS Constitution in the Navy Yard on July 31.

Local non-profit organizations take note: The application process for the 2008 Charlestown Neighborhood Council Mitigation Funds begins next week.
Starting Friday, Aug 17, application forms will be available at the Charlestown Branch Library, 179 Main St. Organization are eligible to apply for funding if they are non-profit organizations and if at least 75 percent of the program’s beneficiaries are current Charlestown residents. (Applicants don’t have to 501(c)(3) entities, however).
Applicants must submit relevant financial records for the past three years and have a demonstrated record of programming, but an existing Charlestown non-profit organization must sponsor the applicant if this isn’t possible. If an applicant received funds from the previous Mitigation Funds cycle, which was distributed at the beginning of 2007, it must also submit a progress report on allocation of the funds along with its application.
All applications are due via U.S. mail by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 19, and can be mailed to CNC Mitigation Funds, P.O. Box 397, Charlestown, MA 02129. Electronic applications are also available from Jack Kelly, mayor Thomas M. Menino’s liaison to Charlestown; Kelly can be reached at 617-635-3549 or via email at Jack.F.Kelly@cityofboston.gov.
A tutorial session will be held at the American Legion, 23 Adams St., Wednesday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. for organizations that need assistance with the application process.
The CNC Mitigation Committee will meet with applicants throughout October to go over their applications and discuss their plans for the funds. All 21 CNC members will make recommendations for the distribution of the funds, and the award decisions will be announced at the Dec. 4 Neighborhood Council meeting.
In early 2008, the CNC will meet with the Boston Redevelopment Authority, which acts as a custodial entity and holds the funds in the Charlestown Mitigation Trust pending CNC decisions, to review the proposed distribution of monies. After the BRA distributes this year’s Mitigation monies to the Neighborhood Council, The CNC will, in turn, award the funds to the designated organizations.
The Mitigation Fund was created as part of an agreement between the BRA, the Massachusetts Highway Department and the CNC as mitigation for the Charlestown community during the development of City Square. In exchange for the disruption to the local community, the CNC negotiated with each residential and commercial developer to create a formula for contributions to the mitigation fund, which totaled approximately $1 million. Approximately $58,000 in Mitigation monies will be distributed in the 2008 cycle.
For more information, contact CNC Chairman Tom Cunha at 617-242-3922; Dave Whelan at 617-242-1604; CNC Secretary Peggy Bradley at 617 242-2039; or Jack Kelly at 617-635-3549 or via email at Jack.F.Kelly@cityofboston.gov.