CAPTION: Friends of Charlestown Dog Parks and other volunteers gather at the Training Field.

Sunday, April 5, The Friends of Charlestown Dog Parks and pro-active residents gathered at the Training Field for the First Annual April Stool's Day with one goal in mind, to leave no poop un-scooped. Over 30 people met in the park and took the morning to clean up various parts of town plagued with dog mess and general filth, including Paul Revere Park, The Training Field, The Harborwalk, and many sidewalks in town. Over 25 bags of "waste" were collected. The City of Boston graciously provided shovels, rakes, bags, and gloves, and also picked up the trash bags after the clean-up. Fetch of Portland Maine and local vendors RascDog and Durty Harry's donated water and 'doggie bags' for the event and were on site with prizes for the pooches. Thank you to all who joined and we look forward to the next event. Please visit Charlestowndog.com for more information on how to become a Friend of the Charlestown Dog Parks.

State Representative Eugene L. O’Flaherty, House Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in passing a sweeping transportation reform package that would eliminate the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, bring down insurance and pension costs and help ensure a better fiscal future. For Charlestown residents, Representative O’Flaherty fought back on the House floor an attempt to strip Boston neighborhoods, including Charlestown, from continued participation in the resident discount program.
“Unfortunately, some of my colleagues tried to say this residential discount program is unduly benefiting certain neighborhoods while their communities enjoy no such benefits. I worked quietly and spoke to the membership about the reasoning behind such discounts and when it came to a vote the opposition received a mere 7 votes. I am thankful to my colleagues in the House of Representatives for recognizing the rationale behind Charlestown residents receiving a continued discount for traversing the Tobin Bridge,” said O’Flaherty.
Additionally, Representative O’Flaherty sponsored an amendment to the legislation, which would require that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) secure local zoning approval before erecting billboards. Said O’Flaherty: “This may be a little too late for the existing billboards, but hopefully it will prevent future ones and require community input which was sorely lacking when the MBTA decided to erect billboards on 93 North. I am happy this amendment was adopted and hope the Senate agrees to this additional language.”
The Transportation Reform legislation will create new pension rules for new MBTA workers, eliminating the “23 and out rule,” put existing and future workers under the auspices of the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) which will lower healthcare costs, and create a more efficient structure. “I am hopeful these changes will insure the long-term fiscal solvency of the MBTA but unfortunately the situation is so bleak it is likely more measures will need to be taken to maintain current levels of service,” said Representative O’Flaherty. He went on to say “the House legislation is historic in nature, creating structural reforms that will result in system-wide efficiencies and improved transportation service delivery.”
A few highlights of the transportation reform package include:
A More Efficient Structure
• The bill establishes the independent Massachusetts Transportation and Infrastructure Authority.
• The bill eliminates the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority.
• The Authority will be governed by a 5-member board chaired by the Governor.
• A Secretary will be appointed by the Governor and be responsible to both the Governor and the board.
• Under the Authority, there will be a Department of Transportation responsible for the following divisions: Aeronautics, Massachusetts Highways, Mass Transit, Registry of Motor Vehicles and Constituent and Municipal Services.
• The Authority will receive an annual appropriation from the Legislature.
• The Authority will maintain a separate fund, consisting of dedicated revenue streams, including turnpike, tunnel and Tobin Bridge tolls to satisfy bond obligations.
Reform
• The existing “23 and out” pension rule for MBTA employees will be eliminated.
• New MBTA employees will now have to serve at least 25 years and attain the age of 55 to qualify for retirement benefits from the MBTA.
• All current MBTA employees and new hires will be required to join the state’s Group Insurance Commission.
• MBTA employees will have to decide between pension and disability if out on disability.
• Current turnpike authority employees will become members of the GIC health insurance group.
• Current Tobin Bridge employees will become members of the GIC health insurance group.
• The new Authority becomes responsible for all administrative functions creating cost-savings and efficiencies by eliminating individual, legal, accounting, management, accounting and other back office administrative activities.
Oversight
• The bill creates an Office of Performance Management to help the Authority and its constituent divisions meet benchmarks and run in a businesslike fashion.
• It also creates an Office of Taxpayer Advocacy, to function as a dedicated inspector general or ombudsman for the state system of transportation; it will be empowered to investigate reports and complaints from the general public.
• Health Transportation Compact – the Secretary will work with the Secretary of Health and Human Services to attain positive health goals as it oversees and maintains the state transportation system.

A cherished memorial

Last week’s dedication of Charlestown’s Vietnam Memorial was a long time coming.
The memorial to the six brave Charlestown men who died in Vietnam is a tribute to their valor, their sacrifice and to their eternal memory.
The Vietnam War divided the nation – but then – back in those days, women were pitted against men, rich against poor, black against white, old against young – and the anti-war movement rocked the land.
The Vietnam heroes went into the jungle every day to take on the Vietcong or the NVA, the regulars from North Vietnam led by Ho Chi Minh, who had sworn to die to the last man before giving in to the Americans.
Every day, American men died in the jungle of South Vietnam – and for what, we wondered at the time?
Even the men themselves wondered – why are we here? Who are we trying to save? Why doesn’t any of this war seem to make sense?
And it didn’t.
Vietnam was a political war waged by politicians in Washington.
Brave men and women from all over this nation died in the rice paddies and at outposts like Khe Sanh, while the bumbling politicians played their geopolitical games from the safety of the White House.
It was a time when everything was upside down and the nation was experiencing a social revolution, the sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll era, when long hair, draft evasion, and psychedelic music marked an entire generation.
It was into the vortex of these conflicted times that the nation sent Lawrence Borden, Edward Johnson, William McNamara, David Pugh, Michael Quinn and Francis Powers to Vietnam to fight and to die.
And for many, many years after the end of the war, the nation didn’t understand the full measure of heroism these men showed – that all the Vietnam battlefield veterans showed – against an enemy whom we never lost to on the battlefield; rather, we lost to them in the political arena.
For many years, Vietnam veterans carried a stigma and were largely ignored.
But with the passing of time came an understanding that these men served the nation in the grand tradition and gave everything they had – their lives included – to show solidarity with the belief that this is a righteous nation and a bastion of liberty.
These Charlestown men, now with their own memorial to note that this neighborhood gave up six of its own in a no-win war, is indeed a fitting and final tribute to what came before.
Everyone connected with the effort to build this impressive memorial should be praised, and the dead whom it memorializes finally have a marker that notes their sacrifice.
Thank God that Charlestown has recalled the memories of these dead heroes.
In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln wrote a letter to Mrs. Lydia Bixby of Boston, mother of five sons who died on the field of battle during the Civil War.
His words might give solace to the surviving parents, children, relatives and friends of the Charlestown dead.
“ I pray the Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice on the altar of freedom.”
Finally, it is our duty and it is an honor to recall the sacrifices of the Charlestown Vietnam dead and to say to them finally and forever, thank you. You were our brothers.