South Boston Today January 5 2023

Checklist Of Several Laws On The Books For 2023

With the new year comes new laws. Here are just some of the new laws that will go into effect through 2023.

Fair Share Amendment -aka Millionaire Tax

The law will impose a 4 percent surtax on income over $1 million in the state and will now be known as Article CXXI of the Articles of Amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution. Voters approved the law during the November election as Question 1. It received 52 percent of the votes. The law goes into effect on January 1, 2023.

Work and Family Mobility Act – aka Driver’s License Law

The law, also known as the driver’s license legislation, will allow Massachusetts residents who cannot provide proof of lawful presence in the country to

Fighter Jet Flyover At Fenway Park Was A Beautiful Thing Jordan Marsh’s Blueberry Muffins

Ok, so it wasn’t a bird, and it wasn’t Superman but it definitely was a plane that flew over Fenway Park last Monday. To be precise, it was a Massachusetts Air National Guard F-15 Fighter Jet that did a low altitude flyover at Fenway in honor of the NHL Winter Hockey Classic.

It was fast, it was loud, and it was awesome. The crowd at Fenway loved it and so did the overwhelming number of Boston area residents who gave their take on it. But then, of course, there were the naysayers, the grouches and the chronic complainers, who just don’t have it in them to enjoy and celebrate what most Americans consider a cherished tradition. When there is

a big, special sporting event, a fighter jet flyover puts the frosting on the beautiful cake. The critical comments were typical. A few came from Somerville, some from Brighton and some from the Back Bay. They ranged from “it almost gave me a heart attack”, “my heart is still racing after 2 days” to “it woke up my cat”. At least one outraged complainer thought it was “horrible, bellicose and that weapons of war send an unnecessary militaristic message”. That complaint came from a Cambridge resident. What a surprise! They might want to toughen up. It’s not like the flyovers happen 24/7.

But to most others, the sight and sound of the racing jet was a thrill to see and hear. It filled

many with pride, added to the excitement of the day and was a beautiful show itself in addition to the Winter Classic.

The whole day and the NHL Winter Hockey Classic were fantastic and is something hockey fans and even many non fans look forward to. The talent displayed by both the Boston Bruins and the Pittsburg Penguins was just what could be expected from the great professionals on both teams. Of course, the fact that the Bruins were able to come from behind in this tough game made it all even better. The 2 goals scored by Jake DeBrusk in the 3rd period giving the B’s a 2-1 win over the Penguins made it all that much more enjoyable.

Congratulations go to the huge crowd in attendance that was there for a great time and conducted themselves well, to the NHL itself for putting on the show, to the players who gave the spectators what they came to see in a big way and of course to the Mass Air National Guard and the F-15 Pilots who made the day even more exciting.

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 12 muffins

• ½cup softened butter

• 1¼cups sugar

• 2eggs

• 1teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2cups flour

• ½teaspoon salt

• 2teaspoons baking powder

• ½cup milk

•

2cups blueberries, washed, drained and picked over

• 3teaspoons sugar

PREPARATION

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375.

Step 2

Cream the butter and 1¼ cups sugar until light.

Step 3

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla.

Step 4

Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder, and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk.

Step 5

Crush ½ cup blueberries with a fork, and mix into the batter. Fold in the remaining whole berries.

Step 6

Line a 12 cup standard muffin tin with cupcake liners, and fill with batter. Sprinkle the 3 teaspoons sugar over the tops of the muffins, and bake at 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.

Step 7

Remove muffins from tin and cool at least 30 minutes. Store, uncovered, or the muffins will be too moist the second day, if they last that long.

2023 has arrived and it brings with it some hope for a better year. While Massachusetts continues to sink deeper into Democrat party quicksand on the state and many municipal levels, especially with the election of left wing radical Maura Healey as governor, a lot of the rest of the country should fare better than it did in 2022. The departure of Nancy Pelosi from the position of House Speaker is a big positive. Her ‘America Last’ attitude and policies helped send the US economy into a tailspin, threw open the flood gates at the southern border, made it a point to treat illegal immigrants better than American citizens and acted much like a dictator from the Third World.

Just take a look at her own district which includes San Francisco. Under her watch it’s pretty much a ghetto now. And she’d like to do the same for the rest of the country. But thank God, she is speaker no more. When she wasn’t slurring her words, you could hear the contempt and the venom in her tone when she spoke of Conservative leaning, working class Americans and spent the taxpayer’s money like a drunken sailor – no offense to sailors. There is a meme going viral; In fact, it’s exploding all over social media about Pelosi. It shows her in black hat, green skin and riding a broom stick with the celebratory words ‘Ding Dong the witch is gone’. Yup, that kind of says it all. The new speaker will be a REAL American.

Another positive sign for the New Year is that the powers that be, who have been lying to the public for so long, are continuing to lose their influence and clout. Woke, liberal/leftist news anchors are falling like rocks, as they’re being demoted and fired constantly since they’ve been caught in so many lies, that viewers have had enough and are deserting them. As was stated here previously, CNN is on its last legs as it has had to move out of its plush luxurious high rise on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood and move into comparatively tiny office space. Many other liberal news outlets are falling fast as well. The credibility level

of Newspapers like the New York Times, the Washington Post, LA Times etc. are suffering the same fate, as they’re laying off staff in droves and losing sponsors and advertisers. Again, you can only lie to the public so many times before even your fans have had enough and walk away.

The Late-Night Comedy shows, often called ‘Hate Trump TV, like Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert have been getting trounced in the ratings by Conservative newcomer Greg Gutfeld. Notoriously unfunny so-called comic Trevor Noah got the boot from his sinking show, while the insufferable Don Lemon has been demoted to a time slot that no one watches. Rachael Maddow is only allowed one to two days a week on the air - down from five. Ah yes, and who can forget the ladies of ‘The View’, whose ratings have dropped so low they need to look up to look down. One recent quote hits the target of why only the hopelessly naïve still trust the news media perfectly: “Whoever said you can’t make this stuff up obviously never worked for The New York Times, The Boston Globe, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC. CBS, NPR or the Washington Post”.

Hollywood is on a downward spiral as well. The Disney Company is losing billions because of its ‘woke’ trend and even Netflix had to publicly announce that it will cease its woke ways, because its subscribers were leaving by the tens of thousands. The saying ‘Go woke, go broke’ is turning out to be true and nothing causes big companies to change its ways faster than watching their bottom line fall through the floor. Hollywood’s woke movies that it expected to be super money-making hits are bombing, among them the new Avatar film. Pro America/pro-military flicks like Top Gun Maverick are setting records, as the public likes them. While the critics hate the patriotic themes of the films that are doing so well, the people that actually go to the movies and subscribe to streaming outlets love them, much to the shock and disappointment of ‘Tinsel Town’.

Another big trend taking place is the mass exodus in school districts, as so many par-

ents - millions of them - are pulling their children out of so many big city public schools. Where are they going? To private and religious schools and even home schooling. Why? To protect children from the leftwing indoctrination and yes, grooming, that is being sanctioned by teachers’ unions and implemented by school boards.

So, with all these long-established institutions showing serious signs of crumbling, why would I start off by saying there are many positive signs coming in 2023? Because simply put – the ones that are crumbling have been manipulating the American public for far too long and damaging our country. Their ability to deceive and mislead is being diminished dramatically and there is

nothing they can do to stop it. Even The big tech social media companies are nervous. The takeover of Twitter by Elon Musk has exposed just how deeply those social media giants have been suppressing the truth and colluding with government to mislead the public and suppress opposing views. Each week Musk sheds more light on just how devious Twitter and the rest have been all this time. And some other great news to go along with the big change coming – support for police is in a major rebound. The defund the police movement is dead, because the results of that stupidity reminded Americans of all backgrounds just how important the men and women in blue really are and how badly they are needed. Amen to that.

Note:

SOUTH BOSTON TODAY

John Ciccone

David Casper

-- “Ideas” for MBTA floated by top House and Senate lawmakers

Top House and Senate Democrats floated major structural changes for the MBTA in a 78page report born from oversight hearings held by the Joint Committee on Transportation following a number of safety red flags raised by federal inspectors over the summer. While the report only laid out “ideas” for consideration, the Herald’s Gayla Cawley reports that House committee chair William Straus concludes its worth considering scaling back the MBTA’s mission, giving it control 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.

the transit system’s subway and bus networks, while leaving the commuter rail and construction to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The top lawmakers also suggested moving oversight authority from the Department of Public Utilities to the Inspector General’s office. All of this will become grist for the mill in the new Legislative session when transportation spending and the T operations both figure to be major issues for lawmakers and the new administration to tackle.

-- In other MBTA news, Cawley also reports that eight MBTA employees fired for

Virtual Public Meeting

33-39 Ward Street

failure to comply with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate will be extended an offer to return after the agency lifted its vaccine mandate.

-- Teachers ready to fight for right to strike

After it found its way into the Massachusetts Teachers Association’s top priority list, the Globe’s James Vaznis looks at the budding legal push to give educators the right to strike. Similar to public safety unions, teachers are currently prohibited from striking, and unions face heavy fines for doing so. The MTA wants to change that after an election cycle during which they spent heavily to support a ballot question to raise taxes on wealthy residents to help pay for education and transportation. Legislation is expected to be filed this session, which begins today, to change state law, but it’s unclear how it will be received by Democratic leaders on Beacon Hill.

ern Maine as efforts to develop wind farms offshore have run into turbulence.

-- Nurse shortage comes home to roost at state’s schools

K-12 schools across the Bay State have nearly 300 openings for school nurses amid an industry-wide labor crunch, a shortfall that insiders say could have a negative effect on student safety, WBUR’s Gabrielle Emanuel reports. More than 10 percent of all school nurse slots are currently vacant and the head of the Massachusetts School Nurse Organization says the crunch, while accelerated by COVID, is the result of a decades-long trend.

-- Sweet ‘revenge’: Lenox rakes in cash amid post-pandemic travel

Project Description:

The BPDA is hosting a Virtual Public Meeting for the 33-39 Ward Street Notice of Project Change located in South Boston. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the Notice of Project Change. The meeting will include a presentation followed by Q&A and comments from the general public. The proposed Notice of Project Change consists of a change from condominium ownership to rental apartments. In all other respects, the proposed project remains the same and is consistent with the project plan previously approved by the BPDA Board on September 24, 2017.

mail to: Stephen Harvey

Boston Planning & Development Agency

One City Hall Square, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02201 phone: 617.918.4418 email: stephen.j.harvey@boston.gov

Teresa Polhemus, Executive Director/Secretary

-- Stressed power supplies over holidays meant more oil burned Commonwealth Magazine’s Bruce Mohl reports on how the winter storm that ripped through New England before Christmas put stress on the electrical power grid, forcing the system to deploy dirtier resources like oil to meet the demand. The episode underscores the need to build up supplies of clean energy from wind and other sources if the state is to meet its carbon emission reduction requirements. The Globe’s Jon Chesto follows up here on the news from last week that the state is teaming up with Maine on a major land-based wind farm in north -

Lenox is poised to set another record for annual lodging tax revenue with local officials crediting a post-pandemic travel boom that has a boon to local coffers and will help keep a lid on property tax increases going forward. The Berkshire Eagle’s Clarence Fanto has all the numbers.

-- Latest proposal would bring 500 units to South Shore Plaza

More than 500 units of housing could be coming to the parking lot of South Shore Plaza in Braintree under the latest proposal to turn what had been retail-only real estate into part of the solution to the state’s housing supply shortfall. The Boston Business Journal’s Greg Ryan reports the plan includes a 315-unit apartment building and another 180 units of agerestricted housing.

@BostonPlans BostonPlans.org

Rep. Lynch Secures $3M in Funding for South Boston Community Project and Veterans

U.S. Representative Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08) announced that he secured $3M in funding for the South Boston Community Health Center and veterans in the final 2023 appropriations government funding package. The $1.7T package includes funding for the following projects: $1,000,000 for Home Base – This funding will support the operation of Massachusetts General Hospital’s “Home Base” clinic, which promotes the health and wellbeing

of veterans, service members, and their families.

“Mass General’s Home Base clinic is the only private sector clinic in New England devoted to providing care and support for our veterans, our service members, and their families as they heal from invisible wounds, such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress,” said Rep. Lynch. “I am proud to have secured this critical funding, which will enable Mass General to accommodate increased

participation in the Home Base Families of the Fallen Intensive Clinical Program and the Home Base Resilient Youth Program. I am grateful for the support of Brigadier General Jack Hammond, Leslie Feinberg, and Michael Allard of Home Base as well as Mass General President Dr. David Brown and Boston Red Sox Foundation Chairman Thomas Werner, whose dedicated work was essential to securing this funding.”

$2,000,000 for South Boston – This funding will be used to support the design and construction phases of a two-floor addition to the South Boston Community Health Center.

“The South Boston Community Health Center carries out more than 70,000 medical visits each year, and demand for its services is growing rapidly,” said Rep. Lynch. “I am proud to have secured this much-needed funding for the South Boston Community Health Center, where it will be used to expand the Health Center’s capacity so that it can accommodate the

increased demand for its services. I am grateful for the support of South Boston Community Health Center CEO William Halpin Jr., whose good work was essential to securing this funding.”

The appropriations bill funds 14 community projects in the 8th Congressional District, providing nearly $30.5M that will help make residents safer, strengthen our communities, support veterans’ mental health, create jobs with good pay and start to tackle climate change. The government funding package has been passed by both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and will be signed into law by President Biden. When enacted, the State of Massachusetts will receive an estimated amount of $255M in funding from the bill that will support 161 community projects across the Commonwealth. To receive Community Project Funding, an entity must submit a detailed application and demonstrate that its project enjoys strong local support.

Senior Living Residences Named Top Place to Work Ranked Fourth in Largest Employer Category

AVirtual Alzheimer’s Support Group Offered by Compass on the Bay January 19, 2023, 6:00 pm. Dealing with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia isn’t easy, so it is helpful to share your concerns and personal experiences with others who completely understand what you’re going through. You will also learn about proven strategies to help you better care for your family member. This group will be held in conjunction with our sister community, Standish Village. Call 617268-5450 or email Program Director Dean Tricarico at dtricarico@compassonthebay. com for more information and to register for the virtual meeting.

This is a virtual event sponsored by Compass on the Bay Assisted Living and Memory Support Community, 1380 Columbia Road, South Boston.

by Boston Globe

Senior Living Residences (SLR), professional management company for Compass on the Bay of South Boston and Standish Village at Lower Mills, has been named one of Massachusetts’ Top Places to Work in the 15th annual employee-based survey project from The Boston Globe.

Top Places to Work recognizes the most admired workplaces in the state voted on by the people who know them best—their employees. The survey measures employee opinions about their company’s direction, execution, connection, management, work, pay and benefits, and engagement.

Senior Living Residences, which has been a leader and innovator in the

senior living industry for over 30 years, ranked fourth in the largest employer category. The rankings are based on confidential survey information collected by Energage, an independent company specializing in employee engagement and retention, from more than 90,000 individuals at 381 Massachusetts organizations, the most companies ever surveyed in the state.

“We are incredibly proud to have achieved this honor, especially this being the first year we have participated in this survey. It’s wonderful to be recognized for our commitments to valuing our associates and to fostering a positive and supportive workplace culture for all,” shares SLR President & CEO Tadd Clelland. “To be recognized at the very top of this list of Massachusetts Employers is an extraordinary honor, made

so much more special because this achievement was based on direct input from our associates.”

Standish Village at Lower Mills and Compass on the Bay of South Boston are both professionally managed by Massachusetts-based Senior Living Residences (SLR). Both communities offer a state-of-the-art Compass Memory Support Neighborhood® featuring innovative, research-based programming for those with memory loss developed in affiliation with the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Standish Village also offers Assisted Living services. Learn more online at SeniorLivingResidences.com.

Hearts, Hugs & Hope

I Was Just Thinking…

9th grade Global History. The second quarter grade average for your student’s class is 83%. In order to create a successful class we will be giving everyone that grade for this marking period.” The memo further informed the said recipients of this new school policy that the school will “…use the process of collectivization to ensure that not only your child’s grade and success in this class is guaranteed but every student in their class as well.”

More like just plain old dumb. Are they guaranteeing every student a good grade without opening a book? Without studying their history notes?

The word collectivize is to “organize (something) on the basis of ownership by the people or the state, abolishing private ownership or involvement.” The key words being “abolishing private ownership or involvement.” Should add abolishing any responsibility whatsoever.

view that the collective overseen by faceless bureaucrats knows what’s best for your children.

And that you should be happy your child will be successful in this class even if he or she doesn’t learn anything.

by Kevin Devlin

The Boston Collegiate Charter School in Dorchester changed its grading policy in one of his history courses so that “…all students will receive the class average grade from here on.” The memo went on to inform the students, parents or the student’s guardians that “This new grading policy was created in order to create a community among students in

With passing a test?

Sounds good, but how does that benefit the student, any student?

I just don’t get it. They think they are helping these students by such a far-fetched policy. I don’t think so. Subject matter must be studied, understood, and possibly mastered, if a student is going to understand that area of study. If I was a student and read that memo, I would have a good laugh and kick my feet back in class.

Checklist continued from front page

get a driver’s license or permit after meeting the other requirements.

Earlier this year, the House and Senate both voted to override the Governor’s veto of the driver’s license bill, and the legislation then became Question 4 of the November election. Voters approved the question with a 53.7 percent majority. The law will go into effect on July 1, 2023.

Clean Energy and Climate Plan

Governor Baker signed new climate legislation in March of 2021 to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to work towards Net Zero emissions in 2050.

Part of the bill goes into effect in 2023. The legislation will authorize the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) to establish an energy code for newly constructed buildings that municipalities may adopt. This new code would need to be approved by a municipality and would implement certain restrictions on water use and

what appliances are installed in newly constructed buildings.

Sports Betting

Sports betting was signed into law by Governor Charlie Baker in August. Massachusetts casinos have already applied for inperson and online sports betting and the Gaming Commission is now working to approve those applications. In December, the Gaming Commission narrowed down the date of a “soft launch” for in-person sports betting to January 31, 2023.

The launch would allow bettors to plunk down wagers ahead of the Super Bowl (but not for the NFL’s conference championship games on Jan. 29), but it is largely dependent upon the commission’s equipment and software testing partner Gaming Labs International completing the work it needs to do to ensure that the technology the casinos will use meets the commission’s standards. MGM Springfield so far has been approved for an in-person sports betting license.

The last time I heard the word collectivization was when I studied Stalin’s failed policy which he attempted in the early 1930’s to transform traditional agriculture in the Soviet Union and reduce the power of the prosperous peasants known as the kulaks (millions of whom Stalin would later murder or send to concentration camps).

I don’t know if the school administration received any negative feedback from the parents/guardians regarding this policy, but I hope so and they reverse course.

But they probably won’t unless forced to do so.

Their collective mindset is scary. It’s contrary to individual responsibility and ostensibly fits into their world

Blue Law

The Massachusetts Blue Law controls which businesses can operate on Sundays and on some legal holidays. For some retailers in the state, they are required to pay employees a premium rate on Sundays if the business employs more than seven workers. However, since 2018 this rate has been slowly declining and by January 1, 2023, that premium payments will be eliminated.

$15 Minimum Wage

Massachusetts currently has a minimum wage of $14.25. Beginning January 1, 2023, the minimum wage in the Commonwealth will be increased to $15.00 an hour and the service rate will be $6.75. The increase is applied to all employees except for agricultural workers, members of religious orders, workers being trained in certain educational, nonprofit, or religious organizations, and outside salespeople.

This increase is applied to all employees except for agricul -

How could it get any better than that? Success guaranteed, without worrying. Success guaranteed without a second thought about the subject matter reportedly being taught.

Success guaranteed the old-fashioned collectivist, Stalinist way, in which the good of the collective overrides that of individual achievement and accomplishment.

Knowledge is Power but with this knowledge inquiring minds with independent views is a threat to the idea of collectivization.

Obviously, I didn’t include Stalin’s purges of the kulaks to infer that anyone would be physically harmed due to such a policy as implemented by this school, but I do think the development of inquiring and knowledgeable minds would be hampered to a considerable degree.

tural workers, members of religious orders, and workers being trained in certain educational and nonprofit organizations. In the new year, 27 states will see an increase in their minimum wage. Most will take effect on January 1, but others will have to wait until further into 2023.

RMV Cannabis Education

This one is not a law, but a new curriculum by the RMV to teach teenagers about the risks of cannabis-impaired driving. Massachusetts will be the first state to adopt such a policy.

As of January, Massachusetts will adopt a cannabis-impaired education program called “Shifting Gears: The Blunt Truth About Marijuana and Driving.” The current driver education program will be updated to include more specific information on the effects of cannabis like cognition, vision, reaction time, and perception. The updated curriculum will be taught to about 52,000 young drivers per year in 700 Massachusetts driving school locations.

COLEMAN NEE NAMED 120th ST PATRICK/ EVACUATION DAY PARADE CHIEF MARSHALL

The Executive Board of the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council (SBAWVC) has named South Boston Native Coleman Nee as the Chief Marshall of its 2023 Evacuation Day/St Patrick’s Day Parade to be held on March 19, 2023. The SBAWVC will honor Chief Marshall Nee at the Chief Marshall’s Banquet on March 11, 2023 A South Boston native and graduate of American University in Washington D.C., Coleman has over 27 years

of governmental, not-for-profit, and private-sector management experience. Nee is a veteran of the US Marine Corps and deployed to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait during the Gulf War. He also serves as the National 2nd Jr Vice Commander for the Disabled American Veterans. Nee is a DAV life member and proud member of Chapter 3 in Boston.

Following the 1947 parade, Boston Mayor James Michael Curley himself granted authority to organize and conduct the St. Patrick’s Day-Evacuation Day Parade to the petitioner, South Boston Allied War Veterans Council (SBAWVC), an unincorporated association of individuals elected from various South Boston veteran’s groups. And with that, since 1948 the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day / Evacuation Day Parade has been veteran-led. The SBAWVC, a registered 501 (c) 19 veteran’s nonprofit, derives its members from each of the veterans’ posts in South Boston, to include Thomas J. Fitzgerald VFW Post #561, Michael J. Perkins American Legion Post #67, Martin F.

McDonough American Legion Post #368, and Paul J. Saunders American Legion Post #383. The SBAWVC

consists of volunteers that are devoted to putting on the best possible parade for the community.

Guy The Wine Bordeaux

To many, the word alone conjures images of ancient vineyards along the Gironde. For centuries, those vineyards have yielded some of the best wine on the planet. Even though new regions continue to be tended, in many cases producing wines of complexity and quality, this region is thought by many to be the epicenter of the consummate wine. Though wines from this area command some of the highest prices of any wine , there are some great values in the $2550.00 range. Read on…

Amiral De Beychevelle SaintJulien Rouge, 2018, ($49.99) is a favorite among many oenophiles, especially collectors, as this particular wine is enjoyable now, but can also be laid down for the next 10-15 years. This one is 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot,

and the rest Cabernet Franc, which makes for a more up-front, fruitdriven wine that reveals a deep purple hue as well as a sumptuous array of blueberries, black cherries, lead pencil shavings, tobacco, and spring flowers. It’s classic Bordeaux on the nose, yet has a wonderful sweetness of fruit, ripe, polished tannins, no hard edges, and just a balanced, seamless style that’s ideal for enjoying over the coming 10-15 years.

Château Laforge Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, 2015, ($39.99). Using 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, this wine shows a spicy, stony, earthy, silky character, with ripe, dark fruits and a spicy, anisefilled finish. Chateau Laforge is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Laforge is also good when matched with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta. Again, enjoyable now, but will get better with time.

Château Teyssier Saint Emilion Grand Cru Rouge, 2015, ($25.99). The 2015 Teyssier is a fabulous introduction to Jonathan Maltus’ wines. Super-ripe black-cherry, plum, mocha, new leather and dark spice, along with the wine’s natural lushness, give the Teyssier much of its immediacy and allure. Flamboyant and inviting, with impeccable

Big Sister Boston Launches 31 Big Days Challenge for January’s National Mentoring Month

Big Sister Boston is kicking off this year’s National Mentoring Month with their 31 Big Days Challenge. The goal is to recruit 31 Big Sisters – one for each day of the month -- so that more girls in Greater Boston who want the one-to-one care, attention, and support of a Big Sister can be matched. Throughout the month, Big Sister will be sharing behindthe-scenes content from staff and Big and Little Sisters, in addition to information on ways to become

a Big Sister! Starting January 4, the organization is hosting a fun giveaway on their Instagram feed to encourage women to not only consider becoming a Big Sister themselves, but to tag a friend or mentor to also get involved. Big Sister Boston is hoping that more women will make becoming a mentor a part of their new year’s goals and invest in their communities and the girls of Greater Boston. Women who are interested in learning more should visit https:// www.bigsister.org/31-big-days.

balance, the 2015 has so much to offer, including a very appealing proposition of price and availability. The blend is 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Vinous Media gave it 91 points.

Mondot Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2018, ($49.99) The second wine of Troplong Mondot, the 2018 Troplong Mondot comes mostly from designated parcels and is 100% Merlot, which is unusual. It shows the new style of this estate beautifully and offers remarkable purity in its black raspberry and

About Big Sister Association of Greater Boston

Big Sister Association of Greater Boston ignites girls’ passion and power to succeed through positive mentoring relationships with women and enrichment programs that support girls’ healthy development. Since 1951 Big Sister Boston has focused on meeting the unique needs of girls by providing them with the guidance, care, and support of a Big Sister. Today, the organization serves more than 2,000 women and girls throughout Greater Boston annually through professionally supported, one-to-one mentoring relationships and enrichment activities that address the social-emotional development of girls ages 7-24. Using research-based best practices

cassis fruits as well as complex notes of white flowers, violets, and spice. Medium-bodied, silky, and beautifully balanced, it has a terrific floral quality as well as ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and an attractive, chalky minerality on the finish. Jeb Dunnuck gave it 92-94 points, rare for a wine this young.

James Suckling also gave it a very high score-93-94 Points, saying,” a really sexy second wine from Troplong with black cherries and stone. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and an attractive finish.”.

that employ a gender-intentional lens, Little Sisters served by Big Sister Boston experience lasting and profound positive outcomes in academic achievement, interpersonal relationships, and the ability to avoid risky behaviors. Big Sister Boston is the only independently supported Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) agency out of more than 250 across the country to solely serve women and girls and was recognized by BBBSA’s Leadership Council as the 2015 National Agency of the Year. For more information, please visit www.bigsister. org or follow @bigsisterboston on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Changes on

in January

The MBTA announced upcoming service changes this month (January) on the Orange, Green, and Red lines. Because of the continued demolition of the Government Center Garage by private developer HYM Construction, Orange and Green Line service changes will take place in January in the downtown Boston area. Additionally, the Medford Branch of the Green Line will be replaced with shuttle bus service from start to end of service on Sunday, January 8, to accommodate water line work. The Red Line will also experience service changes during the weekend of January 7-8 in order for the MBTA to perform work at JFK/ UMass station.

• The MBTA has been working closely with the City of Boston and the developer in order to accommodate the private Government Center Garage work affecting both the Orange and Green Lines:

• Riders should note that Haymarket-area buses will not be diverted during these weekends and will continue to stop at the temporary Haymarket bus stops. A list of Haymarket bus routes and these temporary stops is available at mbta.com.

• Orange and Green Line trains will bypass Haymarket station during the weekends of January 7-8 and January 21-22. Orange Line riders should exit

at North Station or State and walk to the Haymarket area. Green Line riders should exit at North Station or Government Center station. These stations are less than a half-mile from Haymarket, or a four- to eight-minute walk.

• Closures will also take place on the Orange Line between Back Bay and North Station and on the Green Line between North Station and Government Center Station during the weekend of January 14-15. Orange Line riders are asked to use Green Line service between Copley and Government Center stations. Green Line service between North Station and Government Center Station will be replaced with shuttle bus service. The purpose of these weekend diversions is to accommodate the private Garage demolition work. The MBTA will also perform maintenance on track, signal, and power systems, including the replacement of rail between Chinatown and Tufts Medical Center stations.

• Extra MBTA personnel and Transit Ambassadors will be on-hand to assist customers. Accessibility vans will also be available for on-demand transportation – riders should ask MBTA personnel for information and assistance. More information on alternate paths of travel will be available at mbta.com/alerts.

• Riders are also advised that, due

to the complexity of the continued demolition of the Government Center Garage by HYM Construction, additional weekend diversions will be necessary in the coming months to accommodate the ongoing work. The MBTA apologizes for this inconvenience and will announce additional service changes in advance as they are confirmed and scheduled. Riders are encouraged to subscribe to T-Alerts or to follow the MBTA on Twitter for up-to-date service information.

• Green Line Medford Branch trolleys will also be replaced with accessible shuttle bus service between Medford/Tufts and East Somerville stations in both directions from start to end of service on Sunday, January 8. The purpose of this one-day diversion is to perform emergency repair work on the water lines that service

Medford/Tufts station, which require additional insulation. Riders may also utilize Bus Routes 80 and 87 for service throughout the area on January 8.

• Red Line Ashmont and Braintree Branch trains will be replaced with accessible shuttle buses between Broadway and Ashmont stations and between Broadway and North Quincy stations during the weekend of January 7-8. The purpose of this weekend diversion is to perform work on the pedestrian bridge between Columbia Road and the lobby at JFK/UMass station. After necessary repairs are completed, the MBTA will reopen the pedestrian ramp at Columbia Road.

For more information, please visit mbta.com/alerts or connect with the T on Twitter @MBTA, Facebook / TheMBTA, Instagram @theMBTA, or TikTok @thembta.

South Boston Catholic Academy News

6Th Grade News and A Happy and Healthy New Year to all!

Just before we left for Christmas vacation, Ms. Smith’s 6th Grade students at South Boston Catholic Academy did a marvelous job in the

Nativity Play. The word nativity comes from the Latin word “nativus” which means “arisen by birth” which is fitting since the nativity sets reflect the true

meaning of Christmas and are fashioned after the accounts of Christ’s birth in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.

The 6th Graders, also, did an amazing job making their very own Enchanted Village of South Boston 2022, which included a Church, Police Station, Fire and EMT Station, Pet Shop, and Candy Shop to mention a few. The students from K0 to 5th Grade were welcomed to come

and see the Enchanted Village and the 6th Graders helped them with a fun Scavenger Hunt which was also a part of this class project.

All of us at SBCA hope and pray that everyone will have a Happy and Healthy 2023! New Families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacaedmy.org to learn more about South Boston Catholic Academy.

It was a scary scene in Cincinnati on Monday night.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, 24, collapsed on the field after a collision in the first quarter. He needed CPR for cardiac arrest. As of Wednesday, he was still in critical condition.

The rest of the game was suspended and eventually postponed, as it should have been. In the days after, many questions linger as to what the NFL will do about the rest of the regular season.

First off, everyone’s priority — both in the league and outside of the league — is the health of Hamlin. Football obviously becomes secondary to a serious health situation like this. That doesn’t even need to be said, but since everyone is still prefacing their NFL commentary with “thoughts and prayers” to Hamlin and his family, I figured I should as well. I can’t imagine what his family is going through right now. I also can’t imagine what his teammates are going through. Or even, the Cincinnati Bengals, who the Buffalo Bills were playing on Monday night at the time of this nightmarish situation.

There are so many emotions that

have been displayed from this crazy scene, it’s certainly difficult to sit here and acknowledge the elephant in the room when it comes to the NFL and what’s ahead in the coming weeks: the playoffs. Some on social media are taking heat because of the way they chose to acknowledge the football schedule moving forward. And to be honest, I think that’s wrong to try and cancel them for discussing what obviously needs to eventually be discussed here.

Again, we all hope Hamlin pulls through. And we all realize that his situation is much bigger than football. But football isn’t just going away. The rest of the season isn’t being postponed. And the Super Bowl will still take place on Feb. 12 in Arizona. Unfortunately, how the NFL handles the end result of the Bills vs Bengals Week 17 game could help determine who plays in Super Bowl LVII. That’s because the No. 1 seed, a firstround bye, and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. So, on the football side of things, the No. 1 seed in the AFC is pretty important, as there are three teams still vying for that top spot: Buffalo, Cincinnati, and Kansas City.

So, as hard is this may be for everyone to talk about, the fact

remains that the result of Bills vs Bengals is important to the seeding and the playoff picture in the AFC. Not just for the Bills and Bengals, but also for the Chiefs.

On Tuesday, the NFL announced that Week 18 would go on as scheduled, per a statement:

“The NFL continues to be in regular contact with the medical team caring for Damar Hamlin, and also the Bills and Bengals organizations and the NFL Players Association. After speaking with both teams and NFLPA leadership, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell informed the clubs today that the Bills-Bengals game will not be resumed this week.

“The NFL has made no decision regarding the possible resumption of the game at a later date. The league has not made any changes to the Week 18 regular season schedule. We will continue to provide additional information as it becomes available.”

But will the Bills vs Bengals Week 17 game ever be re-scheduled before the playoffs begin? Or will it just go down as a tie? I fully understand that a young man’s life is far more important than the answers to any of those football questions. But unless the NFL is going to cancel the rest of the season and playoffs, then we

can’t just outright ignore the schedule and the playoff seeding that results from it. And believe me, the NFL is not canceling the playoffs. So here’s what they need to do. They need to re-start Bills vs Bengals in Cincinnati next weekend — the weekend after Week 18. It will essentially be “Week 19.” That means the NFL will have to push the Wild Card round of the playoffs back a week, which will also push back the ensuing Divisional Round and Conference Championships. Luckily, for the NFL, they have the regularlyscheduled off-week in between the Conference Championships and the Super Bowl, which, this year, under my schedule proposal, would allow the NFL to push back the start of the playoffs while keeping Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12.

It absolutely sucks that we even have to discuss something like this. But it’s inevitable. The NFL season and playoffs will go on as planned, whether people like it or not. All we can really do, as fans, is continue to pray for Hamlin and his family. But whatever we do, let’s not cancel the NFL for getting back out on the field in Week 18.

Follow Danny on instagram @ DannyPicard.

This week, Danny shared his thoughts on the horrifying Damar Hamlin situation:

SPORTS TODAY

PATRIOTS CONTROL THEIR PLAYOFF FATE IN WEEK 18

SBT Staff

It’s win-and-get-in for the New England Patriots in the final week of the regular season. If the 8-8 Patriots can go into Buffalo and defeat the Bills on Sunday, then they’ll secure the final Wild Card spot in the AFC playoff picture.

New England earned the opportunity to control its own destiny by beating the Miami Dolphins last Sunday, 23-21, at Gillette Stadium. If the playoffs began after Week 17, then the Patriots would be taking on the Bills in Buffalo in the Wild Card

Tweet of the Week

The Boston Red Sox and Rafael Devers have reportedly agreed to a massive 11-year, $331 million extension, just days after the All Star third baseman avoided arbitration by signing a one-year, $17.5 million deal for his final year under team control.

Devers was set to become a free agent next winter, but this extension will now keep him in Boston through

round for the second straight year. However, the top seeds in the AFC are currently in limbo, following the shocking hospitalization of Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who collapsed on the field during Monday night’s Week 17 game between Buffalo and Cincinnati.

Hamlin, 24, received CPR and was then taken to a hospital, where he was said to be in critical condition the following day.

The game was postponed, and in a statement released by the NFL on Tuesday, it was announced that the game would not be resumed this week, and that the Week 18 schedule would go on as planned.

“The NFL continues to be in regular contact with the medical team caring for Damar Hamlin, and also the Bills

and Bengals organizations and the NFL Players Association,” the statement read. “After speaking with both teams and NFLPA leadership, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell informed the clubs today that the Bills-Bengals game will not be resumed this week.

“The NFL has made no decision regarding the possible resumption of the game at a later date. The league has not made any changes to the Week 18 regular season schedule. We will continue to provide additional information as it becomes available.”

Assuming the league’s stance on Week 18 doesn’t change, the Patriots could possibly be playing in Buffalo two weeks in a row. But for now, it’s one game at a time for a Patriots team that already lost to the Bills once this

WHAT TO WATCH

NFL SATURDAY, JAN. 7

Kansas City (-7.5) at Las Vegas 4:30 P.M. ABC

Tennessee at Jacksonville (-6.5) 8:15 P.M. ABC

SUNDAY, JAN. 8

New England at Buffalo (-7.5) 1 P.M. CBS

NY Jets at Miami (-1) 1 P.M. FOX

NY Giants at Philadelphia (-14) 4:25 P.M. CBS

LA Rams at Seattle (-6.5) 4:25 P.M. FOX

Detroit at Green Bay (-4.5) 8:20 P.M. NBC

NCAAF MONDAY, JAN. 9

National Championship

#3 TCU vs #1 Georgia (-14.5) 7:30 P.M. ESPN

season, on Thursday Night Football at Gillette Stadium in Week 13.

Josh Allen threw two touchdowns in Buffalo’s 24-10 win, connecting with Stefon Diggs seven times. The Patriots didn’t do much, offensively, in that game, as Mac Jones threw for 195 yards and the team rushed for a total of only 60 yards.

Jones helped the Patriots to a win in a must-win situation last Sunday, throwing two touchdown passes — one to Tyquan Thornton, and another to Jakobi Meyers — against the Dolphins. New England’s other touchdown came on a Kyle Duggar 39-yard interception return in the third quarter.

Now, it comes down to one more must-win for the Pats, Sunday at 1 p.m. in Buffalo.

the 2033 season, superseding the oneyear, $17.5 million deal.

It comes several weeks after the Red Sox lost All Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts in free agency to the San Diego Padres. Bogaerts signed an 11-year, $280 million deal with the Padres last month.

Devers turned 26 in October. He finished the 2022 season hitting .295 with 27 home runs and 88 RBI in 141

games, with an OPS of .879.

The 11-year deal that gives Devers just over $30 million per season, is the longest contract and most guaranteed money ever given out by the Red Sox organization.

—In other Red Sox news, the team signed veteran right-handed starter Corey Kluber to a one-year, $10 million contract just before the New Year. The deal includes a club option for 2024.

Kluber turns 37 in April. He made 31 starts for the Tampa Bay Rays last season, finishing 10-10 with an ERA of 4.34, while striking out 139 and walking just 21 batters. Kluber has won two AL Cy Young awards, both with Cleveland, in 2014 and 2017.

The Kluber signing came a day after Nathan Eovaldi fled Boston to sign a two-year, $34 million deal with the Texas Rangers.

Kluber joins a Red Sox rotation that currently includes Chris Sale, Nick Pivetta, Garrett Whitlock, and Tanner Houck.