South Boston Today November 17 2022

What Could Become Of The Thanksgiving Day Football Rivalry Tradition!

Will You Be Attending A Thanksgiving Day Game? Boston Public High School Sports seems to be withering away. Funding of sports has taken a back seat to priorities that administrators deem more important, despite some evidence to the contrary. The effects of the pandemic aside, it seems that simply playing organized sports has become an obsession for some families and borders on becoming a business decision be cause of the amount of money offered at the collegiate level and the more, ‘some would say’ obscene amounts of money paid by the professional teams.

Many youths opt out of Little League for example and end up in expensive private baseball programs with sophis

No More Defund The Police Talk

Thankfully all that asinine talk and push for defund ing and even getting rid of police seems to have come to an end. It caused nothing but harm in the form of violence and spi raling crime rates.

Back in 2020 and 2021 and even extending into the early part of this year, the call to ‘Defund the Police’ was oh so trendy among committed leftist radicals; including politi cians who should know better. But the Democrat run cities that actually cut police funding and cut back on the ability of cops to do their jobs com pounded by liberal DA’s and judges turned into crime infested jungles as a result. NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, Bal timore and dozens more are lawless war zones where virtually no one is truly safe because violent criminals were given the green light to run wild; pretty much take over. Well now, seeing the

folly of their ways, those who run battlefields for cities don’t feel so ‘trendy’ or enlightened anymore. In fact they’re scared. And they brought it on themselves.

There are probably very few neighborhoods any where in the country or even in the world for that matter that are totally crime free. Human nature dictates that some among the masses have criminal intent and will act on it; especially if they feel they can get away with it. In the City of Boston, we all know that there are sections that have more crime than others. This is a fact, it always has been and a look at police statistics will easily back that up.

South Boston has been fortunate over much of our history, though crime, including violent crime does exist here and always has - the levels have mostly been far lower than in most other sections of the city. This

is also a fact that police data can back up. The reasons for this is the good relationship resi dents have with our local police and our willing ness to have their backs when they need us just as they have ours.

South Bostonians are not stupid. In fact, our residents are savvy about things that people from many other locations may not be. Call it ‘street smarts’ if you like. And we know this: When irre sponsible people in posi tions of power, who lack the maturity and common sense are publicizing their political campaigns by calling for the defund ing of police or phony, feel good ‘police reform’ it has an effect on the mindset of criminals just as when elected officials announce a list of crimes they will refuse to pros ecute has as well and by their actions, show hard working police officers by their actions that they will not support them.

This newspaper has been asked by some why we are so out front in our support for police and why we even put the ‘Back the Blue’ flag on our front page most weeks. Our response to that is that we are proud of the stand we take and will continue to take in

support of our men and women in blue because by their hard work and dedi cation, they have earned the support of everyone and also because they are that thin blue line that is determined to keep people safe. God Bless them all. Society would fall into chaos without them.

“Don’t compromise even if it hurts to be yourself” - Toby Keith

Information Center

An Awards Show That Wasn’t Nauseating

If you are a regular reader of this column, and for to those of you who are, I appreciate you very much, you know that I’m no fan of those Hollywood/Music Industry Celebrity Award Shows. But there are one or two exceptions which I’ll comment on in a bit. The major ity of the award shows have sadly turned into a parade of egos. It’s where scowling, self centered, self important ‘stars’ get to parade around a glittery stage, pat each other on the back and give each other trophies and gifts. They also feel the need to scold and lecture average Americans who are not famous, preach to them how we should be living our lives, insult us, tell us how we should think, act, raise our families, vote, what to eat, what to drive and pretty much tell anyone who is not one of them, how much better they are than what they consider to be the commoners. And then, they launch into how terrible America is and then pontificate about their latest trendy causes they sup port while preening for the cameras. And as every survey taken shows, Americans have had enough of it as year after year, less and less people tune in to watch. In fact, the view ing audiences hit record lows now just about every year. It’s been said that if the number of people who still care about these shows continues to drop at the current rate, in a few short years, they can be held in a broom closet. What once were shows packed with good entertainment and fun, have turned into boring political snooze fests which simply by watch ing them, can lower the IQ of view ers. Pretty much all of them: Oscars, Emmy’s, Golden Globes etc., they are all the same now. But as I stated, there was one award show on TV re cently that was refreshingly different. It’s a fact, not everyone likes Coun try Music. It’s a matter of taste. I

personally like it, but I have friends that definitely do not. But even those friends who are not particularly fans and even those who wouldn’t listen to Country if it was blasted into their living rooms on 20 foot Bose speakers were impressed with what they saw at the CMA’s – Coun try Music Awards. The show itself and the character of the performers can be appreciated by any patriotic American. There were no nauseat ing hate America speeches. There wasn’t a critical or condescending word uttered toward any segment of the population. No preachy lectures about what trendy causes Americans must get behind or support lest we be thought of as evil. No accusing fingers being pointed at the public for destroying the planet by people who arrive in their private jets and mile long limos. The ‘we are better than you’ attitude was noticeably missing.

The MC for the CMA’s, Luke Bry an, began the show with a clear state ment of just what the themes of the night would be. They were going to celebrate Faith, Family, Fun and how great it was to be an American. There was to be plenty of entertainment and lots of talent on display. Oh yes, and it was a show the whole family could watch. There were no half naked, talentless, twerking “singers” ranting about how oppressed they are living in America.

The performers not only sang and played their hearts out for the huge cheering crowds, they constantly expressed gratitude to their fans and credited them for their success. Where at those other awards shows the so called ‘celebs’ put forth an air that the viewers are the fortunate ones to be so privileged as to be spectators, the Country Music artists came across as just the opposite and continuously thanked the fans for their support and it was clear they meant it sincerely.

They also came across as people who can relate to everyday Ameri cans because they actually do. And it should be noted that as was stated here, surveys show a tremendous drop in interest and viewers for the Hol lywood award shows, no such decline is taking place for the CMA’s. In fact, the numbers are going up. No sur prise there.

To close this week, there was a lot of disappointment by many of our reader that the good guys didn’t do much better than they did in the recent midterm elections. And you have a point. It could have and should have been much better. But there was good

news as well. We now have 2 branches of the federal government rather just one. We’ve got the US Supreme Court and now we have the US House of Representatives as well. Be patient. The Senate and the White House will be next. If the votes hold, (and true, there is always a chance that thousands of votes might mysteriously appear; all of which strangely seem to go to Democrats), that will mean that Nancy Pelosi will no longer be Speaker of the House. Keep fingers crossed. One po litical pundit was pretty blunt when he told Pelosi “Its time for you to go. Take your broom stick and leave the Gavel. You’re Out of here”.

Note: talk back to John Ciccone by email at jciccone@southbostontoday.com

SOUTH BOSTON TODAY

John Ciccone

David Casper

-- Gov. Charlie Baker is back from Re publican Governors Association meet ings in Florida and has a host of speak ing engagements on his calendar today, while it’s Gov. elect Maura Healey’s turn to head out of town. Governor-elect Maura Healey will be in Charleston, South Carolina for the National Gover nors Association’s seminar for new gov ernors, according to her campaign.

Baker has engagements focused on the future of health care, senior care and affordable higher education, but in the second installment of his CNN inter view with Jake Tapper that aired Wednes day it was immigration where the outgo ing governor got to showcase his brand of progress-over-politics governing.

Tapper asked Baker what he thought about Florida Gov. Ron DeDantis send ing a planeload of roughly 50 migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, a discussion topic Baker has more often than not avoid ed. “It doesn’t solve anything,” Baker responded. Baker went on to blame Washington for failing to develop a comprehensive, modern immigration policy, suggesting that a majority of vot ers, including unenrolled voters who de cide toss-up races in battleground states around the country, would be willing to trade “a little of the edge they get in terms of enthusiasm from the edges of

Window Into The State House

Window Into The State House provides our readers a synopsis of important issues of interest, past and current, that are being proposed, debated or acted upon by the Massachusetts Legislature. Many issues that are not related to local city government services are acted upon and have a direct impact on daily life. They are tax policy, transportation infrastructure, judicial appointments, social services and health, as well as higher education. We will excerpt reports from the gavel-to-gavel coverage of House and Senate sessions by news sources focused on this important aspect of our lives. These sources include a look ahead at the coming week in state government and summaries and analyses of the past week, re-caps of a range of state government activity, as well as links to other news.

their parties” for progress.

Baker told Tapper he’s “all in on bor der security,” but would really like to see the federal government do some thing to expand eligibility for work permits to groups of asylum seekers ar riving in states like Massachusetts who want to but can’t work. Told by Tapper that many Republicans in Congress would consider that amnesty, Baker appeared taken aback: “Work? Work is amnesty? For some it will be the ar gument, but if there was one message in Tuesday’s election it was you folks need to figure some of this stuff out be cause what you’re doing isn’t working.”

Baker suggested Congress should “start on the margins” and stop trying to “do the whale” when it comes to immigration. “In the end, this is supposed to be a business about progress,” Baker said.

The governor also discussed his re sponse to the pandemic, saying he wished he had been able to get children back into school for in-person learn ing more quickly and calling the deaths at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Homes from COVID-19 “the challenge of my life.” “There’s no getting around at the end of the day that is probably the single worst thing that happened in the pandemic to people here in Massachusetts,” Baker said of the Holyoke outbreak.

-- Assessing Boston Mayor Wu after one year in office

GBH’s Saraya Wintersmith takes stock of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s first year in office and her ability to de liver on the sweeping changes promised during her historic campaign in 2021. While it may be way too soon to judge the mayor, Wu says one of her top priori ties as she begins her second year will be to debut a rent control policy “late this year, or early next year.”

-- Worcester PD has paid out millions to settle claims

A day after the Justice Department an nounced it would be investigating the Worcester Police Department for its use of excessive force and potentially dis criminatory policing, MassLive’s Tom Matthews reports that the department has paid out millions to settle lawsuits over the past decade. The site details some of the lawsuits that have brought against the department, including allegations of fabricating evidence and discrimination in officer promotion decisions.

-- Harvard and Yale law schools pull out of U.S. News rankings Harvard and Yale will no longer be playing the law school ranking game, withdrawing the prestigious U.S. News

& World Report rankings in a direct challenge to a system that has become hugely influential to prospective students and employers. The New York Times’s Anemona Hartocollis reports that the schools are taking issue with the rank ing criteria, which they believe devalues efforts to recruit lower-income students, provide financial aid based on need and encourage students to go into low-paid public service law.

-- Pockets of support for Medicare for all

Since Massachusetts began mandat ing health insurance, the leap pursued by some advocates to Medicare-for-all has been slow to catch on at the State House. While some lawmakers support it, leader ship has been more cautious about upend ing the health care system, particularly as they’ve seen efforts in other states like Vermont fall apart. However, voters in some parts of the state think it’s worth a shot. Non-binding referendums placed on the ballot by advocates in 20 House dis tricts signaled their support for a Medicare for all system and called on their repre sentatives to back it. The Eagle-Tribune’s Christian Wade reports that organizers tar geted districts represented by top House Democrats, including Speaker Ron Mari ano’s Quincy-based district.

ticated technology enhanced analyses. Sometimes, it’s more of an athletic goal for the parent than for the youngster and, psychologically, it can have negative effect(s) that the parent is often oblivi ous to or worse. Every year, parents who can afford to, or decide to make personal sacrifices to benefit their children, enroll them in private or parochial high schools, betting on the upside.

According to national data banks, over 7.8 million children participated in high school sports throughout the 2014-2015 academic year. However, the research and the studies done by college

and university programs, many sports are actually facing a slow decline. Even popular sports have not been spared from this emerging phenomenon. For instance, football is down 2.4% and basketball has fallen by 1.9% compared to the numbers in 2008. In baseball’s Little League, the drop rate has been 2% per year since 2002. What’s most concerning, the decline in participation is the fact that, in many person’s minds, health care profes sionals included, youth and interscholas tic sports are vital for our youth, and not only for their physical health.

Concerned parties have been trying to find the reasons behind this disturbing

decline. Among the contributing fac tors identified are inactivity, screen time, obesity, and aggressive coaching. Around 20% of children between 6 years old and 12 years old are largely sedentary. This appears to persist until they reach their teens. Children spend a great deal of their time in front of screens rather than playing outside. Their screen time was measured at 27 hours and 29 minutes per week on average. It was slightly less for teens at 24 hours and 29 minutes per week. Thus, it may come as no surprise that obesity is taking hold much earlier these days with 17.9% of children and 19.4% of teens having the condition.

Those who are able to play sports are subjected to challenges as well. About 73% of those surveyed in a study said they have experienced being yelled at by a coach. After the incident, 40% of them thought about quitting.

It stands to reason that an inactive lifestyle has some undesirable effects on children that can get worse as they grow older. Joining sports activities can prevent these from happening. They can get multiple health and social benefits just by participating in the various programs available. For example, 88% experienced an improvement in physical health and

SB Holiday Stroll Copley Square Tree Lighting

The South Bos ton Chamber of Commerce and the South Boston Neighborhood Devel opment Corporation are excited to once again make the Broadway business district and surrounding areas a festive place for the community to shop and dine locally during the holiday season.

The Holiday Stroll will take place on Thursday, Dec.1 from 4-6 p.m., kicking off a month of Shopping, Dining, and Splurging at our local businesses and restaurants!

The Stroll features

Santa on an antique fire truck followed by a Classic Cadillac convertible with upand-coming pop singers Carly Underwood and Tyler Levs of Mu sicBall Entertainment. More than 50 partici pating businesses will be offering incredible savings on Dec. 1; look for the big red bow on their storefronts.

Santa will make four stops along East and West Broadway (there will be hot chocolate and treats at each stop):

• 4:00 p.m. -- Medal of Honor Park

• 4:30 p.m. -- Library on East Broadway

• 5:00 p.m. -- West Broadway Municipal Parking Lot

• 5:30 p.m. -- Corner of C Street and West Broadway

The Original Dickens Carolers will be stroll ing along East Broad way (4-6 p.m.) and

West Broadway (5-7 p.m.). And free Pedicab rides will be available from 5:30-7:30 p.m. to whisk customers to their favorite establish ments.

Visit SouthBoston Chamber.org/shop-lo cal for a list of partici pating businesses and their hours. Follow the Chamber on social me dia to stay up to date!

•Facebook – SouthBos tonChamberofCom merce

•Instagram -- @South BosChamber

We are grateful to our sponsors (to date):

•Massachusetts Port Authority

•Stapleton Floral

•City of Boston Credit Union

•Boston Sparks Asso ciation

•HarborOne Bank •Cedarwood Develop ment

•Oxford Properties

•Dedham Savings

The Boston Parks and Rec reation Department will host the annual Copley Square Tree Lighting starting at 5 p.m. on Monday, November 28, presented in partnership with the Friends of Copley Square, Boston Properties, Encore Global, and the Fairmont Copley Plaza.

This free event is sponsored by H.P. Hood LLC and Dunkin’ with additional support from Drake’s Cakes. The celebration will fea ture appearances by Santa Claus and Rudolph along with musical performances by vocalist Ackeem Hill, the Boston Children’s Cho rus, the Boston Pops Esplanade Brass Ensemble, and Daniela Go mez Munguia of Berklee College of Music. After the event attend ees are invited to enjoy cookies and pictures with Santa in the Fairmont Copley Plaza.

Other 2022 holiday celebrations hosted by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department include the 20th annual holiday lighting of the trellis at Christopher Columbus Park in the North End on Novem ber 21, the lighting of the ship in Martin’s Park at the Children’s Wharf Harborwalk on November 26, and the Boston Common Tree Lighting followed by the lighting of the trees on Commonwealth Avenue Mall on December 1. The arrival of Boston’s official 2022 Christmas tree from Nova Scotia will be celebrated on Bos ton Common at approximately 11 a.m. on November 22. The 45-foot white spruce was donated by land owner Roddy Townsend of Christ mas Island, along with his children Angela, Carmen, and Andrew.

I Was Just Thinking…

viduals in societies realize success based on superior talent, effort, achievement, intelligence, perfor mance, credentials, and education, rather than wealth or social class. And although it is not perfect it nevertheless has served the Western world in good stead.

or race and gender?

Would you prefer a pilot flying your plane chosen for knowledge and expertise or race and gender?

Would you prefer a general in the army chosen for a profound grasp of military tactics and strategies or for race and gender?

22 occasions. Ethiopian runners have won it on six occasions.

In other words, runners of two nations have almost exclusively dominated the Boston Marathon.

Of the top 25 leading NFL rushers of all-time, 24 are black.

by Kevin Devlin

In Western culture we embrace Democracy above all else. We embrace Equality, that all men and women are equal as citizens to be pro tected equally by the laws of the land. We are and must all be equal in that sense, but we are not on an in dividual basis. Some people are tall, some are short. Some are skinny, some are not. Some are athletic, some are not. Some are highly intelligent, some less so. We are individuals and we are different. It is Nature, simple as that.

We also embrace meritocracy, a pragmatic concept in which indi

For instance, regarding job employment, the most competent people are hired and promoted based on effort, achievement and talent. Individual ambition and perseverance are rewarded, and rightly so, establishing a direct correlation between merit and success. Thus, by using talent and performance as guideposts, equal opportunities for growth and de velopment can be ensured.

Yet Meritocracy is now being undermined by the idea of Diver sity, Inclusion, and Equity (DIE) In which race and gender are deemed necessary considerations when deci sions are to be made in such matters. Anticipating the demise of Affirma tive Action, DIE is necessary to fill this gap for a fair society to thrive devoid of bigotry, hatred, racism, and discrimination.

Would you prefer a doctor oper ating on you who was chosen for intelligence and medical expertise

Should someone be hired then pro moted in business or industry based on work ethic and expertise or race and gender?

It may sound good to embrace the latter, but it is not realistic.

Quotas breed discrimination.

But aren’t we trying to curb discrim ination not let it linger and grow under a different name?

At the core of DIE is the unflappa ble and irrational belief that societies must exhibit equality of outcomes on every possible human endeavor.

But that is unrealistic.

Take sports for instance.

Of the nearly 200 countries that have participated in men’s soccer world cups (including qualify ing rounds), only eight countries have ever lifted the trophy (Bra zil, Italy, Germany, Argentina, France, Uruguay, England, and Spain). Since 1988, a Kenyan runner has won the men’s divi sion of the Boston Marathon on

Most of the players in the Na tional Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Football (NFL) League are black. Most of the players in the National Hockey League (NHL) are white.

Why is that?

Simple.

They are the best athletes in those sports. They are the stron gest, the fastest, the most athletic, the most talented imbued with natural ability, and were not cho sen due to race or gender.

I don’t hear anyone complaining about this realization in the world of sports, any cries for quotas based on race and gender.

Identity politics is poisonous.

Just societies must be founded on individual dignity and accomplish ment not on race and gender.

And when obstacles to equality of opportunities are revealed, they must be eradicated, but we must not confuse institutionalized barriers to assorted competitive outcomes.

73% say that it enhanced their mental health. Playing sports is also known to instill personal discipline and teach children to get along with others in order to achieve a common goal.

Additionally, participation in youth and inter scholastic sports is associated with a decreased likelihood of cigarette smoking. It reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Active children improved their weight control and had fewer incidents of psychological dysfunc tion. They also had higher test scores and better overall academic achievement than average. They are more likely to get a bachelor’s degree and receive a good income.

Parents agree with these studies. They know that the benefits of sport extend into adulthood and so they encourage their children to keep playing. The majority of those surveyed said that it gives their kids skills that help in future schooling and eventual career. Concerned indi viduals and organizations are trying to reverse the trend and boost participation for the good of the youth. Several strategies have been identified to promote change. Offering of a wider range of

sports, putting the emphasis on fun rather than win ning, reducing the chance of injury, and encourag ing participation among young women are some of the most effective ways.

By expanding the range of sports being offered, there is a better likelihood that one or more of them will catch the interest of a child. Not every one wants to play football. Not everyone has the finesse to shoot a basketball. Yet these do not mean that a person can’t play at all. Perhaps running track or cross country would be better suited to some. Others might prefer non-impact activities such as swimming or cycling. The rest might be more interested to join camping activities.

The messaging may need to change as well. While it is a good thing to push boundaries and strives for excellence, putting too much emphasis on winning can take its toll on the players. It is also out of touch with the main reason kids like to play. Nine out of ten say that their aim is really to have fun. When pressed what makes sports fun, they mentioned several things like trying your best, being treated with respect by the coach, getting playing time, playing well together, and getting along with teammates.

Nearly all parents are concerned about the possibility that their children might suffer an injury. Indeed, 2.6 million people under 19 are treated for sports and recreated related injuries annually. If the risk can be reduced, then more parents are going to encourage their kids to play. The good news is that girls’ participation in high school sports has risen 18% since the year 2000 and things can get so much better by improving support for their programs.

The social benefit of participating in or simply supporting and cheering sports teams especially in high school is without question a revival that needs attention. Thanksgiving Day football rivalries should remain a cherished family and community event. Boston Public School youths deserve to be given the opportunity to compete in sports for all of these reasons. Competing for their school, in front of their families and friends is important to their so cial and academic development. The City of Boston needs to prioritize the funding of sports if it wants to help lift the spirits and offer a path for success despite their parents not having the means to offer them more. Find the time to cheer for your team next Thursday and help revive the tradition.

Thanksgiving Day Football continued from front page

Former

MIA Service Member To Be Honored With Hero Square in East Boston

polo was 17 years old when he enlisted in the United States Army. Puopolo had the rank of Private First Class. He died as a prisoner of war in Febru ary 1951 while serving in the Korean War.

Puopolo was a member of C Battery, 38th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division Artillery, 8th U.S. Army. He was reported missing in action on De cember 2, 1950, after his unit at tempted to withdraw from Kunuri, North Korea, on November 30, 1950 following the Battle of Ch’ongch’on. In 1953, four POWs who returned during Operation Big Switch reported Puopolo had been a prisoner of war and died on February 28, 1951 at Prisoner of War Camp #5.

Donations Needed For The Chelsea Soldiers Home

The Thomas J. Fitzgerald VFW Post 561, 715 East Fourth Street (behind the Stop & Shop) will be accepting Christmas donations for the Chelsea Soldiers Home on Saturday, November 19th and Saturday, December 3rd between 9:00AM and 12:00PM: gift cards, hats, socks, scarves, toiletries, etc. Please support these men and women for their service

Private First Class Joseph J. Puopolo will be hon ored with a heroes square in East Boston on Saturday, Nov 19, 2022 at 10:00am. This ceremony will officially name the corner of Bennington St and Putnam Street Joseph J. Puopolo Square.

Puopolo was born on Febru ary 2, 1932 and lived in East Boston Massachusetts. Puo

Says Commissioner of Veter ans Services Robert Santiago, “We are honored to have the opportunity to remember the life of Corporal Puopolo. Hav ing been missing for more than 70 years, we are thankful that he is finally at rest here at home and his service is recog nized by the East Boston com munity and the City he loved and called home.”

Puopolo’s identity was re cently confirmed by the De partment of Defense on August 23, 2022. He was brought home to his family on October 18th and is resting in peace with his mother Anna Puopolo and younger brother Nicholas Puo polo in Holy Cross Cemetery in Malden, MA.

Saint Augustine Chapel Announcement

Change of Mass time

Saint Augustine Chapel

Starting this Saturday, No vember 12th the Saturday Afternoon Mass will be held at 4:30PM and not 5:00PM. This change helps those who attend the Mass during the winter dark ness to be home 30 minutes earlier. Thank you for your understanding.

Guy The Wine

When There Is A Turkey On The Table

In last week’s piece, I talked about some non-turkey Thanks giving options, as well as wines that would complement them; this week, let’s look at some options with the “Bird of the Day”….. River Road Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Sonoma, California, Reserve, ($21.99) This one is flavor ful without being overpowering. Butter and oak on the nose and a carry through to the palate where

they are joined by apple, pear and melon is where this one begins. The flavors unfold nicely against a touch of acid in this big but drinkable wine. The Russian River region of Sonoma County has an abundance of ecosystems within it and one of the best, especially at this price, shows in this wine. Don’t just think about this one for Thursday; if it’s hot Turkey sandwiches or Turkey soup over the weekend, have this one again.

From Martisborough, New Zea land comes a Pinot Noir with just the kind of taste that will make your dinner even better. Craggy Range Pinot Noir, ($29.99). This wine is medium red in color to match its bright red fruit aromas such as rasp berry, red cherry, and strawberries. It also has some hints of earthy notes like mushrooms, oak, and spice on the nose.

The palate confirms the smell of this wine includes strawberries, red cherries, and earth. There are notes of licorice and chocolate which cre ates a nice long finish. Just a solid

and balanced wine with medium acidity, high alcohol, and soft tan nins. Very enjoyable Pinot Noir.

LAVAU COTES DU RHONE BLANC, ($16.99)Wine made from the Viognier grape is a great choice for Thanksgiving wine pairing if you aren’t a big fan of the mouthwater ing acidity present in Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, but still want an aromatic white grape to stand up to strong flavors. In that case, go to the old world with the Lavau Côtes du

Rhone Blanc from France, a blend of Viognier and Grenache Blanc. The palate offers crisp red-apple and citrus flavors kissed with honey suckle, with a brisk but clean finish. This wine will go with all Thanks giving dishes, but will do especially well next to a roast ham.

Not forgetting something spar kling, whether it’s at the beginning of the meal as a toast or, served with dessert, you can’t go wrong with Chandon Brut, Non-Vintage, California, ($21.99). This sparkler, from Moet & Chandon’s California properties, offers the balance and elegance that has become Chandon’s hallmark style. When you taste Brut Classic, look for nutty flavors with hints of brioche that build to a refreshingly dry finish. The wine de livers complex apple and pear char acteristics accented by citrus spice over notes of almond and caramel in the bouquet. It really is the perfect all-around sparkling option.

We hope you have lots to be thankful for, especially the food on the table and the people around it.

CITY OF BOSTON ANNOUNCES SECOND ANNUAL MARTIN’S PARK SHIP LIGHTING NOVEMBER 26

Aspecial children’s celebra tion will be held on Satur day, November 26, at 4 p.m. at the Smith Family Waterfront in the Seaport District and Fort Point neighborhood when the Friends of Martin’s Park and the Boston Parks and Recreation Department host the second annual holiday lighting of the ship in Martin’s Park.

Located at 64 Sleeper Street on the South Boston Waterfront and visible from the Northern Avenue Bridge, Martin’s Park at the Smith Family Waterfront is a climate-resilient park built in memory of eight-year-old Martin W. Richard, the youngest victim of the 2013 Boston Mara thon bombing. The accessible park

provides play opportunities for children, families, and visitors of all abilities. The wooden play ship is the centerpiece of the space that will be lit for the holidays.

Martin’s Park will be transformed into a beautiful holiday display when the ship, surrounding beach fencing, and pedestrian bridge are illuminated with over 1,500 feet of blue and white tube lights. WS Development is a key sponsor supporting this year’s event as well as the holiday lights on Martin’s Ship. Visitors are encouraged to head inside the park for the celebration sponsored by the Friends of Martin’s Park and the Boston Parks and Recre ation Department.

Santa will arrive by boat with the Boston Police Harbor Unit at the Harborwalk and enter the Park to switch on the lights. Entertain ment will be provided by a cappella group, Ball In The House perform ing a selection of holiday classics, along with special guest, the Sea port’s own Betty the Yeti. Hot cocoa will be provided by Tuscan Kitchen, Caffe Nero and Dunkin’., and with donation, attendees will have the

opportunity to take home a custom ized special souvenir of the second annual event while supplies last.

In addition to this event, the City of Boston will be hosting other tree lightings. The arrival of Boston’s of ficial 2022 Christmas tree from Nova Scotia will be celebrated on Boston Common at approximately 11 a.m. on November 22. The 45-foot white spruce was donated by landowner

Roddy Townsend of Christmas Is land, along with his children Angela, Carmen, and Andrew.

Other 2022 holiday celebrations hosted by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department include the lighting of the tree in Copley Square on November 28 and the Boston Common Tree Lighting followed by the lighting of the trees on Common wealth Avenue Mall on December 1.

Virtual Public Meeting

17 Farnsworth Street

Wednesday, November 30 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Project Proponent: Bentall Green Oak

Project Description:

Zoom Link: bit.ly/3X7tT36 Toll Free: (833) 568 - 8864 Meeting ID: 161 790 6366

The BPDA is hosting a virtual Impact Advisory Group Meeting meeting for the proposed project at 17 Farnsworth Street, a project located in the Fort Point neighborhood of Boston. The purpose of the meeting is to provide an overview of the project, and discuss the potential impacts and mitigation for the project. The meeting will include a presentation followed by questions and comments from the public.

For more information visit: www.bostonplans.org/projects/development-projects/17-farnsworth-street

mail to: Nick Carter

Boston Planning & Development Agency

One City Hall Square, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02201 phone: 671.918.5303 email: nick.carter@boston.gov

Bus Network Redesign Equity Analysis Virtual Public Meeting

DATE: Thursday, December 8

TIME: 6 PM

LOCATION: Virtual via Zoom

The MBTA will host a virtual public meeting on Thursday, December 8, at 6 PM to present the results of the Fare & Service Equity Analyses for the Bus Network Redesign Program. Bus Network Redesign is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make bold improvements to the bus network for the people who depend on it most.

These equity analyses meet the MBTA’s federal civil rights obligation to analyze service changes, and any fare impacts that may occur from mode shift, for any disparate impacts on minority riders or disproportionate burdens on low-income riders. Following the presentation, MBTA and MassDOT staff will be available to answer questions from the public. The Fare and Service Equity Analyses will be presented to the MBTA Board of Directors for discussion and a vote at the December 15, 2022, Board Meeting.

The meeting will be held virtually via Zoom. The meeting will be recorded and posted online for those who cannot attend.

Accommodations:

These meetings are accessible to people with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency. Accessibility accommodations and language services will be provided free of charge, upon request, as available. Such services include documents in alternate formats, translated materials, assistive listening devices, and interpreters (including American Sign Language).

For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation and/or language services, please email BetterBusProject@MBTA.com or call (617) 651-1363.

Para más información o para solicitar un arreglo especial razonable y/o servicios lingüísticos, envíe un correo electrónico a BetterBusProject@MBTA.com o llame al (617) 651-1363.

@BostonPlans BostonPlans.org

Teresa Polhemus, Executive Director/Secretary

The Thomas J. Fitzgerald

VFW Post #561 held its 71st annual Veterans’ Day Memorial Service on Novem ber 11, 2022 under Commander Thomas McCarthy. This is a true South Boston

Veterans Day Celebrated In South Boston 2022

community event as we pay re spect and thank those who have served and currently serve this great nation. Commander Mc Carthy is always so thorough to include South Boston High School/Excel JROTC, the Girl

Scouts, Compass On The Bay, community members and our elected officials.

The Veterans marched to St. Brigid Church for a Memorial Mass said by Father Joe White and then a wonderful breakfast

was presented at Cushing Hall. Speeches were given, stories were told, laughs were plenty and ca maraderie was present as always in this little village we call South Boston. Thank you to the “Fitzy Post” and all of the volunteers.

South Boston Catholic Academy News

5 & 6 visit the Commonwealth Museum

The South Boston Catholic Academy students in grades 5 and 6 visited the Com monwealth Museum. This museum preserves historical and legal records of Massachusetts for its citizens. The

Archives operates the Commonwealth Museum to educate and display some of its collections of important docu ments about state and national history. The main permanent exhibit is entitled “The Massachusetts Experiment in

Democracy: 1620–Today”, and traces the Massachusetts experience through the Colonial, Revolutionary, Federal, and 19th century reform periods. The museum also features changing exhib its of state history from its collections. As you can see from the photos, our students enjoyed learning about our state’s history and reenacting some of the moments in Massachusetts history. Thank you to the terrific staff at

this impressive museum and to all who helped to make this visit pos sible for our 5th and 6th graders at SBCA. “The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.”- Theodore Roos evelt. New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

Grades

St. Peter Academy

ART/STEM Class with Mr. Christian Hennessey

Grades K1 through 6 love Art/ Stem Class with Mr. Chris tian! Christian has been with St. Peter Academy since 2018 and the Art/Stem Teacher since 2020. He is a lifelong resident of South Boston and an Alumnus of St. Peter School.

His classes are off to a great start this school. He welcomed the students back to school with an exciting new ART curriculum and really has their

creative juices flowing. K1 and K2 students dove right into learning about Primary and Secondary colors and have mastered which colors to mix to get new ones. 1st and 2nd Graders have been designing their very own pirate ships. 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade are getting to know their new (and old) peers a little better with “All About Me” sweatshirt collages.

In October the students spent their

time working on some spooky fall projects and making Halloween cards for the residents at the Marian Manor. The students in grades 3-6 completed their 2022 All About Me Sweatshirt projects. We are looking forward to the future ART/STEM Projects for the rest of the school year!

St. Peter Academy is continu ing to accept applications for the 2022-2023 school year. St. Peter Academy is an independent, community-based private school and serves students from ages 15 months through grade 6. SPA is currently accepting applications

for the limited spaces available in the year-round toddler program (beginning at age 15 months) and for students in Pre-K (School Year and Full Year Programs), Kinder garten and grades 1-6. Financial Aid Available. Two Scholarships will be offered this year for appli cants for Grades 1 through 6. You may request scholarship informa tion from the Front Office (spa@ stpeteracademy.com). Appointments for individual virtual tours can be made by contacting Maria Blasi, at 617-268-0750 or by email ing spa@StPeterAcademy.com.

South Boston Soccer League Ends The Season With Success!

The South Boston Soccer League program ended its first season with the traditional banquet at The Boys & Girls Club last Sunday. This is the first year under the

new name and leadership of Caitlyn Murphy, Samantha Mackie, Michaela Covin and Katelyn Evans. SBSL has over 150 players signed up and everyone plays! At the Banquet, each

player received a SBSL sweatshirt, which they worked hard for and are very proud of themselves. The boys’ team placed 2nd in the Mayor’s Cup. Congratulations! Community based

sports builds self esteem, friendships and skills which will bring these play ers far as they grow up and hopefully give back to the community as their coaches have. See you next year!

This week, Danny reacted to the Boston Bruins’ recent front-office decision making:

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to run a professional hockey organization. Look no further than the Boston Bruins.

I’ll preface this rant by letting you know I’m one of Cam Neely’s big gest fans. Neely the player, that is. Neely the team President? That one is still up for debate, especially after the latest controversy surrounding the team’s signing of 20-year-old defenseman Mitchell Miller.

“Stupidity” isn’t a good enough word to describe the situation the Bru ins put themselves in by signing — and then quickly releasing — Miller earlier this month.

The story came back in the news this week because the Bruins released a statement announcing they’ve hired the law firm “Paul, Weiss” to run an independent review of the organiza tion’s player-vetting process.

Here’s the press release sent out by the team this week:

“The Boston Bruins strive every day to live our values and meet the high standards our associates, fans and community have come to expect. This includes treating everyone inside and outside our organization with dignity and respect. We recently fell short of our high standards and disap pointed both ourselves and many in

our community. Moving forward, we are committed to ensuring that our values are reflected in everything we do as an organization, including our process for vetting future players.

As part of this commitment, the Boston Bruins have retained an experienced and respected team of professionals, led by former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch of the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, to conduct an independent review of our playervetting process. This will help us en sure that our process going forward reflects our core values. The Bruins organization will fully cooperate with the independent review team and will publicly disclose the results of the review upon its completion.”

Upon my own personal investiga tion into the matter — which included nothing more than simply using my own brain — I find the conclusion to be relatively simple: the Bruins’ player-vetting process is moronic.

To keep you up to speed, the Bru ins signed Miller to an entry-level contract earlier this month. Days later, they released Miller because of the public criticism they were receiv ing. They were receiving criticism because, in 2016, Miller plead guilty in an Ohio juvenile court on charges

of assault after he was accused of ra cially abusing and bullying a disabled black classmate.

When that story went public, Miller was dropped from the University of North Dakota’s men’s hockey team, which was an order from the school’s president. Miller was drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Shortly after, the Coyotes renounced Miller’s draft rights.

Nobody wanted Miller. But it wasn’t because he was bad at hockey. He just wasn’t a good person. Last season with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL, Miller — a right-shot defenseman — had 83 points in 60 games. Those 83 points came in the form of 39 goals and 44 assists.

Miller’s dark history — along with his seemingly stubborn attitude towards that history — somehow didn’t register with the Bruins’ front office, who clearly signed Miller with the idea that they were getting some kind of steal by acquiring a young and very talented player for the bare minimum. It was a hockey move, made by hockey people. Two of whom were Neely and general manager Don Sweeney.

Please don’t tell me that Neely and Sweeney had nothing to do with the

signing. They did. They’re in charge. They sign off on every acquisition. And they obviously knew the kid’s background. I believe in second chances. But the Bruins — a team that’s talented enough as it is to be a Stanley Cup contender this season — didn’t need to be the team to give Miller that second chance. They were dumb to even consider it, never mind make it official.

After the Bruins quickly came to the realization that this was a stupid move, they went on their apology tour, which, you can certainly question the authenticity of that apology, given they had to have known about Miller’s background before signing him. So, what changed? Nothing really. They just felt the public pressure of an idi otic and highly unnecessary move and then did the only thing they could do, and released Miller.

Now, they’re wasting money on an investigation into their vetting process, as if to say that Neely and Sweeney had nothing to do with the signing. Luckily for Neely and Sweeney, the Bruins have won 14 of their first 16 games, and the focus is once again on hockey. As it always should’ve been. After all, this isn’t rocket science. Follow Danny on instagram @ DannyPicard.

SPORTS TODAY

PATRIOTS RETURN FROM BYE TO HOST JETS

SBT Staff

The Patriots will try for their third straight win on Sunday, as they host the New York Jets at Gillette Sta dium at 1 p.m.

Both New England and New York had the bye last weekend. This will be a rematch from three weeks ago, when the Patriots beat the Jets, 22-17, at MetLife. The Pats followed that up with a 26-3 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9.

Now, in Week 11, the Patriots and Jets will go toe-to-toe once again, with a lot on the line.

If the NFL Playoffs began en tering Week 11, the 5-4 Patriots would be the No. 7 seed in the AFC, and would be traveling to Miami to take on the 7-3 Dol phins in the Wild Card round. The 6-3 Jets would be the No. 5 seed in the AFC, and would be heading to Baltimore to take on the 6-3 Ravens in the Wild Card round.

The 5-4 Los Angeles Chargers and the 5-4 Cincinnati Bengals are both on the outside looking in, so there’s not much room for error for either the Patriots or the

Tweet of the Week

Jets moving forward.

Even though the Jets haven’t beaten the Patriots since 2015, New York has to be feeling good coming into this game. After their loss to the Pats in Week 8, the Jets handed the juggernaut Buffalo Bills their second loss of the season, beating them 20-17 at MetLife.

Zach Wilson didn’t put up astounding numbers in the win, but he played good enough to not lose a game in which his defense held Josh Allen to just 18 com pletions, zero touchdown passes, and two interceptions.

Back in Week 8, the Jets held Mac Jones to just 194 pass yards. Jones finished the game 24-of35 with one touchdown and one interception. The Patriots’ lone touchdown in that game came on a five-yard pass from Jones to Jakobi Meyers in the opening minutes of the second half, which put New England up 13-10.

It was a lead they never lost, thanks to Nick Folk’s leg. Folk kicked five field goals in the game, and ended up being one of the big difference makers.

The other difference maker was a controversial roughing-thepasser penalty that was called on

the Jets in the final minute of the first half, as New York led 10-3. With 37 seconds left in the half, Jones threw an interception down inside the Jets’ 25-yard line, and the Jets ran it all the way back for a touchdown. Had the score counted, it would’ve given New York a 17-3 lead at the half, and would’ve been a completely different game.

Instead, the officials called a roughing-the-passer penalty as Jones took a hit from behind after he made the throw. The call was questionable at best, but the officials called it anyways, and it gave Jones and New England a second life. After the penalty, the Patriots were able to keep the ball, and the possession resulted in a Folk field goal to cut the Jets’ lead to 10-6 at the half.

Following the game, the Jets expressed their frustration with the call. And Jets quarterback Wilson spoke with a chip on his shoulder when he was asked about seeing the Patriots again in Week 11.

“We’ll have these guys in two weeks,” he said, before looking around and waiting for another question to be asked.

Wilson and the Jets will be

WHAT TO WATCH

NFL THURSDAY, NOV. 17

Tennessee at Green Bay (-3)

8:15 P.M. PRIME

SUNDAY, NOV. 20

NY Jets at New England (-3.5) 1 P.M. CBS

Dallas (-1.5) at Minnesota 4:25 P.M. CBS

Kansas City (-6.5) at LA Chargers 8:20 P.M. NBC

MONDAY, NOV. 21

San Francisco (-8) at Arizona 8:15 P.M. ESPN

NBA FRIDAY, NOV. 18

Boston at New Orleans

8:30 P.M. NBCSB

NHL SATURDAY, NOV. 19 Chicago at Boston 7 P.M. NESN

looking for revenge on Sunday at Gillette. For the Patriots, they’ll be looking to manage the start of a somewhat wacky schedule for the next month.

After their game against the Jets, the Patriots will have a short week and travel to Min nesota to take on the Vikings on Thanksgiving night. Then, New England will return home to host the Bills on Thursday Night Football. After that, the Patriots have two straight games on the West Coast, with both games being in prime time. First, it’s against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football. Then, it’s against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday Night Football.

“Well, we’ll have to, again, manage our time the best that we can,” said Belichick in a press conference this week. “We know what the schedule is. Certainly, the Jets are highest priority, but we have to be ready for the rest of the schedule as well. We have different people in the organiza tion working on different things, so hopefully we’ll be prepared for each of our opponents through the remainder of the season, but Jets are a big priority right now.”