South Boston Today March 23 2023

Early Child Care

Massachusetts Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler predicted the Commonwealth Cares for Children operational grants proposed in the budget will have significant impacts in the area of education and the early child care sector. $510 million is proposed for child care and education initia -

This Year’s Parade Was Up There With The Best - Ever

Ok, now THAT was a great celebration! As locals know, South Boston has been hosting the big St. Patrick’s Day/Evacuation Day parade for more than a century. Some years are bigger than others. Sometimes things go off perfectly; sometimes not so much. There have been times when the weather has played a major role in keeping the crowd small and, on a few occasions, it even had to be postponed or cancelled because of a storm, lingering snow cover and as we all know, even the pandemic. One year, the forced busing controversy shut it down completely. And then there were the times the day was overshadowed to some extent by rowdy crowds and bad publicity. But not this year. This year, by nearly every account and by the reaction of the public, especially Southie residents in particular, it was one of the best – ever. In fact, the only complaints that we heard were in regard to the live TV coverage. It seems, there were many who were

less than impressed by the live coverage. But that aside, at least everyone that we heard from gave the day a big thumbs up.

The line of march and the makeup of the procession was filled with excellent marching bands, beautiful floats, lively music and of course a generous representation of America’s awesome military. There was even a troop of British Red Coats in full dress, battle gear marching in formation. They made it through just fine; maybe all really has been forgiven. The bagpipes could be heard for blocks and the high school and other bands kept the momentum going, nonstop.

When the weather cooperates as it did, although a bit blustery, it helps lift the mood of the crowd. And the mood was festive indeed. And that was the other deciding factor which put this year’s parade right up there with some of the best of all time. The crowd was massive. Some estimates were hovering right around a million spectators. And for

the most part they were well behaved all up and down the long three-mile line that was finally restored to its original route.

Now we’d be remiss if we didn’t give credit to what was one of the biggest contributing factors in making Sunday’s event go off as close to perfect as it can get. And that was of course, the police presence. Although there were the occasional reports of crowd rowdiness, all of it on the part of

visitors, not locals, it was nothing compared to some years where some in the crowd got seriously out of hand. But the Boston Police Department and the MA State Troopers were right on the ball. If there was a problem of any kind, be it a bit of rowdiness or an emergency situation, which were both few and far between, they responded immediately and took care of it and did so in a professional manner. Whether it was being part of

the planning stages for the parade, crowd control and just their overall presence, they provided the finishing touches to make sure everyone was happy and safe. God bless them.

So, the 2023 St. Patrick’s Day/Evacuation Day celebration is now in the history books with all the others from past years. And if next year’s parade is anything like this one was, it will truly be something to look forward to. Well done to all involved.

“God’s word is the same, yesterday, today and a million years from now.” - Reverend Franklin Graham

So Many Celebrities Seem To Be Finding God

As Christians celebrate the Holy Season of Lent, it has been noticed that what seems to be developing all across America is a revival – a BIG one. It’s been coming slowly for a while, reversing a ‘highly publicized by the news media’ decline in Christianity. Yet within the last year, if there actually was a decline, that decline seems to have had the brakes put on it and come to a screeching halt. Reports are coming in from many parts of the nation that churches are starting to fill up again as congregations have ceased shrinking, which was noticed during Covid, to growing in size and in numbers.

In case you haven’t been paying attention, even famous celebrities who for the sake of getting more movie parts in Hollywood have, up until recently, kept their religious beliefs quiet - almost a secret. To coin a phrase, celebrities are now coming out of the woodwork to proudly profess their faith in God. For the past decade or more, that was frowned upon by those who run the film industry. Actor Rainn Wilson, who plays the part of Dwight Schrute in the TV series called ‘The Office’, just last month, actually came out and publically accused Hollywood of having an anti-Christian bias – and it certainly does. The big change here is that, up until now, few if any actors would dare to call Hollywood out on its hatred of religion for fear of being black listed and having their careers ended. But all of a sudden, that’s changed. The caution is disappearing. Mel Gibson has always been upfront in expressing his faith. His block buster film from years ago

called ‘Passion of the Christ’ was a huge hit. He took a lot of flak for it by Hollywood big shots, but fortunately for Gibson, he’s too big to be stopped. He’s now in the process of making a sequel. But now others like Kelsey Grammar have thrown caution to the wind and he has just produced his new film titled ‘The Jesus Revolution’ and it’s dwarfing all expectations at the box office, shocking the entertainment industry. And other producers are stepping up and have other Christian themed movies in the works. Needless to say, the Hollywood power brokers are not happy, yet they find themselves powerless to do anything about it. The movement is actually snowballing into something big.

In the world of music, big name performers are also stepping up and expressing their faith and not just Country Music stars, who have always been up front about how much their belief in Jesus has influenced their lives. Dozens of Rock and Pop stars have stepped forward and announced that they are Christians; and yes, hold on to your hats, even Rap stars are speaking up proclaiming their belief in God. I’m not a Rap Music fan, but I did sit up and take notice when Rap singers like Lecrae, Chance the Rapper and CL Smooth and at least a dozen others of that genre also announced their faith.

In professional sports, it has been announced that now, between 35-40 percent of all professional athletes in the sports of Football, Basketball and Major League Baseball are not simply Christians, but ‘Evangelical’ and ‘Born Again Christians’ with the highest number playing in the

NFL. It looks like Tim Tebow may have opened the flood gates. This isn’t surprising in itself, since it’s pretty much every week now that another pro athlete goes public and announces that they owe their success to God. It’s said that this has NFL officials stunned, but here again, as players and entire teams are now openly praying together on the field, there is nothing NFL officials, especially people like Roger Goodell, can do about it – and they don’t dare try.

So as the sacred observances of Passover; which begins on

April 5th and Easter which falls on April 9th (Orthodox Easter is April 16th) fast approach, Christians and our friends of the Jewish Faith can prepare to observe and celebrate with the knowledge that contrary to what the news media and those who run the sports and entertainment industries seemed to be hoping for, faith in God; though it may have been on hold for a bit and maybe there was a decline of sorts, seems to be roaring back and with the way situations around the country and the world have been developing, it might be happening just in time.

Window Into The State House

Housing and Other Issues On The Docket – Or not!

For those looking to Beacon Hill for action on issues from the high cost of housing to the MBTA — don’t hold your breath. A little over two months into the current session, lawmakers appear to be dragging their feet even as growing frustrations over a lack of affordability in the Bay State and worsening transit matters — including a gruesome return of traffic gridlock — have reached a fever pitch. Gov. Maura Healey has yet to deliver on her promised housing secretariat. She blew past her self-imposed March 6 deadline to install a safety chief at the MBTA, where a pile-up of problems appears ever-growing. Tax relief and other affordability proposals remain pending without a sense of urgency to act. The next moves are up to the House when it comes to many of these issues, but Speaker Ronald Mariano seems to be in no rush. Both branches have passed a version of Gov. Healey’s fiscal year 2023 supplemental budget and bonding bill, which addresses some of the “immediate needs” the governor identified, but the House has yet to move the differing House and Senate bills into a conference committee where a compromise can be hashed out. Meanwhile, Healey has already

Childcare continued from front page

tives in Gov. Maura Healey’s first budget proposal, which included a near-even split of the $1 billion raised by the voter-approved “millionaires tax” for education and transportation. The bill earmarks $510 million for child care and education initiatives with $100 million targeted in the form of grants to child care providers.

Low pay for childcare workers, and the resulting shortage of staff for childcare centers are key issues, according to indi -

filed another $734 million supplementary spending bill. Mariano’s office has booked a “potential” full formal session for 11 a.m. Thursday, but offered no further details. The Senate has only informal sessions planned for this week. No hearing has been scheduled on the tax reform and relief proposal Healey filed more than two weeks ago, and leaders in the House — where the tax bill must pass first if it is to become law — appear in no rush. Mariano said last month that “the situation has changed” since both chambers last session agreed to a similar, but ill-fated proposal that later died. The Quincy Democrat last month mentioned having “some hearings” on tax relief, but none have been scheduled.

Bay Staters will get a better idea of the House’s attitude toward relief in mid-April, when its Ways and Means Committee releases its rewrite of Healey’s $55.5 billion fiscal year 2024 state budget. The governor’s spending plan was built on the assumption that her tax package would advance in tandem, but the House might have other ideas.

Movement on a sweeping longterm care reform bill — legislation that Mariano said “would probably be” first on the House’s agenda after being left unfinished last session — remains stalled. Rep. Tom Stanley’s

viduals who work in the field.

Those workers and educators in local communities are hopeful for what changes the new proposal might bring.

As an example, The Early Childhood Center at Hevreh in southern Berkshire County provides year-round child care to the surrounding community. However, with the high demand and limited space, the center has encountered its own set of challenges that have left some families on waiting lists and

bill (H 648) was sent to the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs a month ago — no hearing has been put on the calendar. Mariano or Senate President Karen Spilka have also been mum on T oversight issues that have taken a front seat during the first weeks of Healey’s administration.

Legislative committees blow past big organizational deadline

Thousands of bills have been filed, they’ve been sent to committees, and the next step is to let the public weigh in. But out of 33 committees, all 33 are delinquent on an initial step in setting up shop for the two-year term.

After they take their seats, committee chairs have four weeks to develop internal rules that will direct the flow of business before their panels over the following 22 or so months.

Dire fire: Leaves ignite along Orange Line tracks

Another day another problem on the MBTA. T riders waiting for the Orange L had to beeline away from the tracks during rush house on Tuesday when dry leaves ignited on the tracks at Oak Grove.

Will Boston’s 3 fired cops stay fired?

After city officials announced the firing of three Boston police officers — two of whom made inappropriate comments on social media about

the Jan. 6 insurrection, and a third whose list of alleged violations is 38 pages long — the question remains, writes Danny MacDonald for The Boston Globe. History has shown Boston police officers who have been fired have overturned their dismissals through arbitration to get reinstated.

Commuters outside the I-495 corridor want ‘easy’ East-West rail Western Massachusetts commuters are begging the state to expand rail service to their neighborhoods. The MBTA’s commuter rail network only goes as far as Worcester. Amtrak offers passenger rail service to points further west, but on its current schedule, just one train per day. An $11.4 billion infrastructure bond bill former Gov. Charlie Baker signed authorized an initial $275 million toward a system expansion.

Thieves robbing social safety net services sees ‘substantial increase’

A “substantial increase” in people being robbed of their public benefits by fraudsters and scammers, has prompted Acting Commissioner Mary Sheehan to ask lawmakers to support a proposal in the governor’s budget that would allow the Department of Transitional Assistance to offer recipients a new way to protect their accounts.

Stitching

Chinatown

back

to

gether with Boston

The city won a federal grant to study a new park over the Mass. Turnpike and rail lines in Chinatown. Boston has landed a $1.8 million federal grant to examine laying a park atop the six-line highway and placing five rail lines beside it.

classrooms short on staff. “We need to start viewing childcare as a public good,” said center director Ellen Marcus in an interview. “It’s really not a sustainable or healthful model to fund all of our operations via tuition. Even with tuition that is in the higher range of what is charged within the community, compensation for teachers is limited.”

Low wages for educators in the field have left many centers without adequate professional support. In turn, according to

the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, the lack of qualified workers in areas of child care has cost Massachusetts families nearly $1.7 billion a year in lost wages.

In order to change this financial model and urge more federal investment, families and school staff have been advocating for an increase in funding to initiatives like Head Start, a federal program that offers comprehensive early child care for low-income

continued on page 6

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.

Rep. Lynch Demands Review of FAA Flight Operations

After several troubling incidents at Logan Airport, U.S. Representative Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08) has requested an urgent review of flight operations with FAA officials and an update on investigations into recent events. Yesterday, the right wing of a United Airlines plane struck the tail of another United Airlines plane, as both were scheduled for depar-

ture. One week prior to that incident, a JetBlue plane narrowly escaped a collision with a Learjet aircraft as it was preparing to land. In addition, on Sunday a man attempted to attack a flight attendant and open an emergency exit door on a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston Logan Airport.

“I am relieved that no one was hurt or injured in all three events,

however the escalation of incidents and “close calls” at Logan airport is very troublesome,” said Rep. Lynch. “The FAA is responsible for flight operations and I have already requested a briefing with their officials to get an update on their investigations into how these events occurred and proposed solutions to ensure they do not continue. We must be vigilant and address these

issues now to prevent more accidents from happening with potentially far worse outcomes.”

Rep. Lynch was a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the last Congress when they held a hearing to examine the surge of disruptive behavior on airplanes and its effect on passenger and airline crew safety, airline crew training, and enforcing federal laws. Since January 2021, the United States has experienced a drastic increase in the number of unruly passenger incidents reported by airline crews, many of which resulted in injuries to flight attendants. Although the FAA has issued a record number of civil penalties against disruptive passengers, “air rage” continues to be a serious issue.

Councilors Flynn and Flaherty Hearing on Infrastructure Safety on April 4th

City Council President Ed Flynn and Councilor AtLarge Michael Flaherty refiled a hearing order to discuss the safety of light poles, bridges, and other public infrastructure in the City of Boston. This hearing is now scheduled for Tuesday, April 4th at 2 pm at the Boston City Council Iannella Chamber. Residents are encouraged to participate and testify in person or via videoconference by reaching out to shane.pac@boston. gov. The hearing will be broadcasted live on Xfinity 8/RCN 82/ Fios 964 and streamed at: boston.gov/ city-council-tv.

This hearing was originally

filed in September last year, when a pedestrian crossing the Evelyn Moakley Bridge in the South Boston Waterfront was struck and injured by a falling light pole. At the time, the Public Works Department swiftly inspected all city bridges in the area and removed 23 of the light poles that were deemed not completely satisfactory, with two additional poles having already been previously removed. It is critical that the city continues to ensure our city’s public infrastructure is safe and structurally sound, and there are routine inspections and systems in place for maintenance and repair.

“Unfortunately, this incident shed

light on our aging infrastructure, light poles, and bridges - especially against the harsh New England weather, sea air and salt water.”

Council President Flynn said.

“Councilor Flaherty and I look forward to receiving an update from our city and state partners on the inspection and audit of all light poles, bridges, and public infrastructure, and any relevant plans to make all necessary repairs in a timely manner. We must work with our bridge engineers and design consultants to prevent an incident like this from happening again.”

Councilor At-Large Flaherty said, “We, as a city, have a responsibil-

ity to make sure that we regularly inspect roads, bridges, light poles and street signs as a matter of public safety. We live in New England and our area is subject to harsh weather conditions that tend to deteriorate building materials and fixtures quicker than other places.”

For more information, please contact Council President Flynn’s office at 617635-3203 and Ed.Flynn@Boston.gov.

Local Parking Limited

From Thursday, March 23 through Sunday, March 26, 2023, PAX East will be taking place at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC). This event has a large number of local and regional attendees who are expected to impact traffic in downtown Boston, and especially around the South Boston Waterfront.

Traffic in the area is expected to be heaviest between 8am-5pm, Thursday-Sunday.

Please note that the MBTA has scheduled a shutdown of the Red Line from Harvard to JFK/UMass on Saturday, March 25 and Sunday, March 26, resulting in a large contingent of shuttle buses.

Attendees, as well as local employees working in and around the South Boston Waterfront, are encouraged to allow additional time for their commute as travel across all modes of transportation is expected to be heavy for this event.

Parking in the South Lot of the

BCEC is expected to fill quickly for this event. Additional parking will be offered at off-site lots in the South Boston Waterfront area. Signs will direct attendees to off-site parking. Police details will be in place to help direct traffic and pedestrians.

I Was Just Thinking…

Why?

For power.

For Control.

The quest for power is a nasty beast which breeds divisiveness, chaos, corruption, and disorder.

In his dystopian social science fiction novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell wrote that “Power is always seized for power sake by ambitious and ruthless people who pretend to seek power for the benefit of others.”

No need to worry, we are told countless times.

drink the Kool Aid, we are subject to the violence of the Woke Mob and their “cancel culture” dictates.

Ironically, they think they’re defending Democracy by stifling discourse in the public square.

by Kevin Devlin

The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees freedom of speech. It’s probably the most important and prized amendment written in this incredible historical document. But considering what has transpired in our nation during the past several years, it’s apparent that this cherished right, the cornerstone of our democratic ideal, is under attack.

This is being done out of the kindness of their hearts since they know what is best for us.

We should trust them, not question them.

And when people do secure power, they want to hold on to that power and never relinquish it. One way of maintaining power is to control what we are allowed to say. If we don’t say it, we can’t think of it.

“It’s a beautiful thing, the destruction of words,” wrote George Orwell, declaring that by controlling language, what words we use, they can control our behavior, and thus control our thoughts.

Two recent events clearly illustrate this point. Hours before a Turning Point USA event was to be held at the University of California Davis, featuring conservative speaker Charlie Kirk, and prior to the UC Davis chancellor condemning Kirk as a purveyor of “hate” and “misinformation”, Antifa agitators smashed windows attempting to storm the event. Luckily the police were on scene and successfully removed them from the campus. The second event occurred on March 9 when U.S. Circuit Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan’s speech with the Federalist Society at Stanford Law School was interrupted by protestors who booed and heckled members of the Society as well as the judge.

Why do they behave like this?

It’s because whatever is said can’t conflict with what they believe.

They say they want to protect our rights yet they’re for censorship when it is convenient and would gut the First Amendment in a nanosecond.

They embrace inclusivity and diversity but only if it fits in with their world view.

Dissent, a necessity for Democracy to flourish is summarily dismissed as anti-democratic.

Again, the irony is shocking.

Sadly, many Americans with these totalitarian mindsets ostensibly view our inalienable right of free speech with utter disdain and want to transform America.

I love America.

It’s a great country.

I prefer free speech over censorship without interference from those who disagree with another’s viewpoint, because as George Washington said, “If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.”

And if we don’t fall in line and

What they believe, what they say, is the truth because since it’s constantly and consistently repeated, again and again, it must be. Yet I don’t think that by merely repeating something ad infinitum means that it is necessarily the truth.

Sadly, those who falsely claim to be champions of Democracy may see their devious schemes come to fruition instead of being relegated to historical footnotes where they should reside. families. This comes at a time when emergency relief funds provided by the pandemic are approaching their fiscal cliff.

The effects of limited federal support have an impact not just on families and child care workers but also businesses where workers struggle to find adequate help. Employers are losing approximately $812 million a year in employee turnover and low productivity because working parents cannot tap into child care, according to the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.

The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce has recently formed a task force whose goal is to shape statewide and local early childhood education and child care policies. “Local economists report that providing access to early education and childcare is one of the fastest ways we can al -

leviate the labor shortage felt by Cape Cod businesses,” said one chamber executive.

Child care is often the largest expense for Massachusetts families – the commonwealth being the second most-expensive state in the nation to find adequate resources. Coupled with rising housing prices and high tuition rates, Butler has observed several families leaving their jobs and migrating to other regions to find more affordable childcare options.

It further accelerates the workforce challenge. There are employers that are acting at about 60% to 80% productivity due to workforce challenges. Coming out of the pandemic, that’s the one thing that hasn’t bounced back – workforce statistics that match the demand. The impact is not only significant for the children receiving developmental ser-

vices but also for the caretakers who depend on these services to be able to provide for their families throughout the day. Childcare is vital for parents to keep their jobs, especially in single-parent households that depend on reliable childcare that is open all the time. If not, they can’t get jobs or keep jobs.

The proposed state funding increase could combat the lack of appeal new childhood educators experience over the outlook

of staying in a field that lacks proper compensation. Child Care facilities are open to private pay, childcare vouchers, and providing some tuition assistance, but they admit that it’s very limited. The state funds will help maintain operations in the healthiest way for the benefit of the children.

Some educators are hoping, too, for the increase in funding to spark more conversations around how vital childcare is for communities.

“…They had come to a time when no one dared speak his mind.”

(George Orwell, 1984)

Guy The Wine Sicily

One of the oldest, most conquered and most beautiful places in Europe, Sicily is also home to the oldest winemaking traditions anywhere in the Mediterranean. Amphora jars dating back over 4,000 years have been discovered in many places on the island and they all had only one purpose-to transport wine. The following are some of their most recent efforts………

Colosi Rosso Sicilia, 2020,

($12.99). This firm has been working in the wine field for three generations. The cellar, located in Messina, is run by the oenologist Piero Colosi who, with the contributions of his father, Pietro, follows the various stages of wine-making, from vinification to refinement and from bottling to marketing both in Italy and abroad. Since 1987 they have been producing the ancient wine Malvasia delle Lipari, wines from Salina and other Sicilian wines. This one is an intense, dark ruby red. On the nose, there are notes of black fruit, strawberries, flowers and herbs; it finishes dry and full-bodied on the palate.

Etna Bianco, Benanti , 2020, ($22.99). I love all of the Benanti wines. They are terroir-driven, robust and uniquely beautiful expressions of the Sicilian landscape and native grape varieties. If fruit forward whites are not your thing, this Carricante might hit the spot. This wine is driven by stony minerality and is saline. Hints of lemon are in the mix, but more so as an acidic complement than a fruity addition.

mcmproperties.com

Try pairing this with Swordfish Palermitano or Portuguese sardines in tomato sauce.

Colomba Platino Insolia, ($19.99). Colomba Platino Insolia is an elegant white wine that is fresh, flavorful and well structured. Bright citrus with delicate salinity from the effects of the sea, it boasts a light, crisp and clean finish. Definitely a natural for fresh salads and cheese, it’s also great with any kind of seafood, especially something on the grill.

Tornatore Etna Rosso, 2019, ($29.99).The nose opens as fruity notes of black cherry and mulberry on display, followed by vegetal, spicy and delicate hints of patchouli and Mediterranean scrub. On the palate it is opulent, juicy and passionate, with compact and polymerized tannins and a final note of imperishable persistence. A deep wine, of great concentration and with a sensational and varied tasteolfactory expressiveness. It really is among the very best of the wines that the island has to offer.

Barone di Serramarrocco ,2015, ($55.99) The nose is articulated,

complex and fine, outlining notes of black cherry, violet and tamarind which are flanked by nuances of garrigue, white chocolate and spicy tones of black pepper. The sip is lively with a strong acidity that gives freshness and thick and enveloping tannins synergistically linked to a mineral flavor that amplifies the sip. Good persistence finish which confirms the fruity-floral notes. Ages in new Troncais Allier tonneaux for 18 months and 10 months in bottle. A wine of great elegance and olfactory eloquence, sensational for its versatility in food pairing. A very captivating interpretation of Pignatello, ideal for both daily consumption and dinners with rich and spicy dishes.

Massport is currently accepting applications for the following Scholarships:

• THOMAS J. BUTLER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Awarded to a high school senior who resides and is involved in community service in South Boston, with a minimum 3.0 GPA.

• DEBORAH HADDEN GRAY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Awarded to a high school senior who resides and is involved in community service or employment in the city of Boston, Chelsea, Revere or Winthrop, with a minimum 3.0 GPA.

• LOWELL L. RICHARDS III MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Awarded to a high school senior who resides and is involved in community service in the city of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, or Winthrop, with a minimum 3.0 GPA.

• DIVERSITY STEM SCHOLARSHIP

Awarded to high school seniors of color who reside or attend school in the city of Boston, Chelsea, Winthrop, Revere, Worcester, Bedford, Concord, Lexington, or Lincoln, and are involved in community service with a minimum 3.0 GPA.

Scholarship applications must be received by Massport no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 28, 2023. For more information on these scholarships, including application checklist and criteria please visit www.massport.com

Boston City Hall Plaza Turns Green As The Irish Flag Is Recognized

Boston City Hall was filled with green on March 17, 2023 to celebrate the raising of the tri color, the Irish flag in recognition of Irish History Month brought forward to the Council floor by City Councilor At Large Erin Murphy and co-sponsored by Councilor At Large Michael Flaherty and Council President Ed Flynn. Children from the Elliot School in the North End entertained the large

crowd with their performance of costumed song and dance. Father John Currie said a prayer and the program began. Irish dignitaries; Laoise Moore (Council General Of Ireland), Paul McAuliffe (House of Representatives), and Councilor Briege Mac Oscar were in attendance as the American National Anthem and the Irish National Anthem were played to coincide with the flag raisings. Boston City Hall was

represented by Council President Ed Flynn who received a lovely gift from the Irish delegation of a signed Irish hurling stick to be used as the new gavel in Council Chambers. Those Irish have a great sense of humor! Councilors At-Large Erin Murphy, Michael Flaherty and District Councilors, Frank Baker, Kenzie Bok and Liz Breadon all took a turn at the handle as the Irish flag ascended and the crowd cheered.

Former Boston City Councilor and now Executive Director of the Irish Cultural Center, and State Auditor Diana DiZoglio spoke at the podium to show support for St. Patrick, the patron Saint of Ireland. When the program was over, Councilor Erin Murphy hosted a small reception in the Piemonte Room at Boston City Hall where Irish scones, soda bread, cookies and pastry were delicious. It was a great day for the Irish!

South Boston Catholic Academy News

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day!

The students at South Boston Catholic Academy enjoyed celebrating St. Patrick’s Day and also the students at the Early Childhood Center, with help from our terrific Student Council members that helped the Tod

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dlers and K0 students celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, the Patron Saint of Ireland and of the Archdiocese of Boston, on Friday, March 17, 2023. We started the day off with a School Mass at St. Brigid Church that the 6th Graders participated

in as Greeters, Readers and students brought the Gifts up to the Altar. Our SBCA Children’s Choir sounded wonderful, too. Father Christopher Boyle, our Parochial Vicar, was the celebrant at this Mass. At school students took part in a day filled with Leprechaun Hunts, wonderful Irish Step Dancing, from our many talented students, and we all enjoyed the wearing of green!

St. Patrick had a great love for God and he taught about the great love God has for all of us. We hope everyone had a Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Beannacht Lá Fhéile Pádraig daoibh… is Irish for, St Patrick’s Day Blessing to you! New families are welcome to email our admissions team at: admissions@sbcatholicacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

Southie Parade 2023 Was Fabulous!

The weather was brisk and Irish eyes were smiling. We had ourselves a parade! This year the Evacuation Day/St. Patrick’s Day

Parade was brought back to the original route as South Boston celebrated a 3 hour parade. The theme of family, military and veterans shown through-

out the parade route as bands, themes, music, unions and military marched. A big shout out and thank you to the South Boston Allied War Veterans

Council and the parade organizers and volunteers. You made your community proud! See you next year. (More photos on SBT Facebook)

Evacuation Day & St. Patrick’s Day St. Peter Academy News

What a great week at St. Peter Academy! St. Patrick’s Day and Evacuation Day are the most wonderful Days of the year in South Boston. Boston History and the story of St. Patrick make for the perfect learning experience! There would be no 4th of July without Evacuation Day! The upper grades

with Mr. Christian’s (Art Teacher) guidance enter their posters into the Evacuation Day Poster Contest. On March 17th, Grades K1 through 6 walked up to Dorchester Heights for the South Boston Citizen Association Evacuation Day Exercises. There were three winners from SPA in the contest, Arianna Meli Omodei, Avan

O’Brien and Daniela Hidalgo Perez. We filled the week building Leprechaun Traps, wearing Green for a donation to Liam’s Lucky Charms MS Society, learning about Henry Knox, Admiral David Farragut and Dorchester Heights. It is so exciting to have so much history right in our own neighborhood! Bring on the Spring!

St. Peter Academy is accepting applications for the 2023-2024 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), Kindergarten and grades 1-6. Financial Aid Available. Two Scholarships will be offered this year for applicants for Grades 1 through 6. You may request scholarship information 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 emailing spa@StPeterAcademy.com.

So, is Aaron Rodgers a New York Jet yet?

I do find it strange that Rodgers would want to play for the Jets, considering that his predecessor also went from being a Green Bay Packer icon to a short stint with the Jets. Does Rodgers really want to mimic the same path that Brett Favre took? It seems like kind of a weird move, considering that the Jets aren’t the only team in the NFL that needs a quarterback. By the time you read this, a Rodgers trade to the Jets might be official. Even if it’s not, the expectation is that it will be official at some point this offseason.

So, what’s holding it up?

According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, the Packers want more than a first-round pick. “Per multiple sources, the Packers want a first-round pick and more from the Jets for Rodgers,” said Florio in his report. “The Packers want more than a first-round pick as part of the base deal. They want protection in 2025, in the event Rodgers plays in 2024. And that’s more than the Jets believe they should surrender for a player

the Packers no longer want.

“If the Jets are willing to offer something like a conditional package that would entail as much as a second-round pick this year and up to a secondround pick next year, the Packers would be nuts to not take it.” To me, this seems like a situation where the Jets have all the leverage in the world. Rodgers has a $58.3 million option bonus that becomes guaranteed base salary in Week 1 of next season. And the Packers have basically already committed, internally, to moving on from Rodgers. They pretty much have to move him at this point. Rodgers didn’t do the Packers any favors in the negotiations by going on “The Pat McAfee Show” last week and saying he “intends” to be the Jets’ starting quarterback in 2023.

“I made it clear my intention was to play and to play for the New York Jets, and I haven’t been holding anything up,” said Rodgers on the show. “It’s the compensation that the Packers are trying to get . . . The Packers want to move on and have let me know that in so many words. “I

[expletive] love [Green Bay],” added Rodgers. “I love that organization and always going to have love for that organization. The facts are right now they want to move on, and now so do I.

“I got to be the starting quarterback of the Packers for 15 years . . . So, I love you, Green Bay. Thank you. I’m as sad as some of you are, but we’ll meet again.” Again, let me just point out to you that the whole thing seems crazy to me. I mean, Aaron, the Jets? Really? The New York Jets? I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. If Rodgers is committed to going to a wacky franchise, then why doesn’t he just go to the Washington Commanders, a team that has some crazy young talent at the receiver position, and a defense that’s more than capable of being the best defense in the NFC East, if not the entire conference.

I still don’t understand why the Las Vegas Raiders didn’t make a harder push for Rodgers before they decided to sign Jimmy Garoppolo. But that’s for another time. But I guess, to play devil’s advocate to my own personal

belief that choosing the Jets over the Packers is bat-bleep crazy, then perhaps Rodgers is looking at New York as a chance to become a legend.

It’s wild to think that Rodgers only has one Super Bowl ring, and yet his name is still brought up in the “Greatest of All Time” conversation. I, personally, don’t ever compare him to Tom Brady, and I never will. But, if Rodgers is to win a Super Bowl with the New York Jets, then it’ll probably be time for me to start putting a little more respect on Rodgers’ name and legacy.

The Jets haven’t even made the playoffs since 2010. And they haven’t been to the Super Bowl since 1968, when they beat the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. Yes, that’s right, Super Bowl III. New York definitely has a defense that’s just waiting for an offense to help them out. Rodgers’ presence would do just that. If anything, the Jets are overdue to make a Super Bowl run. But if Rodgers goes to New York and melts into that pit of misery at MetLife Stadium, then nobody should be surprised. Follow Danny on instagram @ DannyPicard.

This week, Danny shared his thoughts on Aaron Rodgers playing for the New York Jets:

SPORTS TODAY

KLUBER NAMED RED SOX OPENING DAY STARTER

The Boston Red Sox begin the regular season next Thursday, at Fenway Park, against the Baltimore Orioles. But it won’t be Chris Sale on the mound.

Instead, Red Sox manager Alex Cora is giving the Opening Day start to veteran right-hander Corey Kluber.

Kluber, who turns 37 in April, signed a one-year, $10 million deal with Boston in the offseason. After spending nine seasons with Cleveland and winning two Cy Young awards during that stretch, Kluber has played the last three seasons

Tweet of the Week

with three different teams: the Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, and most recently, the Tampa Bay Rays.

Last season, in 31 starts with Tampa Bay, Kluber had a 10-10 record and an ERA of 4.34.

Now with the Red Sox, Kluber finds himself back on the Opening Day mound. It will be his sixth career Opening Day start.

“It’s definitely an honor,” Kluber told the media after a spring training start last week. “There’s plenty of guys in this clubhouse who could’ve taken the ball on

HIGHTOWER ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

Just a week after safety Devin McCourty announced his retirement, linebacker Dont’a Hightower did the same, announcing his retirement from the NFL in a letter written for The Players’ Tribune, titled “Thank You, New England.”

“They say time flies in this league. Boy, they’re not lying,” said Hightower in his retirement letter.

“Today, I am officially retiring from the NFL. I know these an-

nouncements always feel bittersweet, but I can’t think of a better story than the one I wrote in New England. A decade, three Super Bowls, two Pro Bowls, and the birth of my son — all playing for one franchise. How many guys have a story like that?

“So this is a happy day for me, and I just wanted to let you all know how much I appreciate you embracing a Southern kid from Lewisburg, Tennessee.”

Hightower, 33, had only played 15 total games over the last three sea-

Opening Day. The way I look at it is regardless if you pitch the first day, the fifth day, it really only matters that first time through the order, and then everything kind of gets messed up anyways. But it is an honor. I’ve done it before, and I try to make it as normal as possible.”

With Chris Sale back in full health, the expectation was that he’d make the Opening Day start for the Red Sox. But Cora tried to downplay it when talking to the media.

“It’s one start,” said Cora.

“Obviously, it’s a special one because it’s Opening Day, but after that, I think at one point nobody remembers who was the Opening Day starter. Everybody has to do their part regardless. The five guys are going to start, and then guys are going to join them later on. But I’m excited about [Kluber]. I know it’s special for his family, and it should be a fun one.”

Sale is scheduled to start the second game of the season, on Saturday, April 1 against the Orioles at Fenway.

sons. He was drafted by the Patriots out of Alabama with the 25th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

He retires as a three-time Super Bowl champion, and will forever be known for his game-changing tackles on Marshawn Lynch and Matt Ryan.

“When I saw Seattle line up in that I-form, I knew Beast Mode was getting it, and I knew they’d been gashing us with that strong-side lead all game,” said Hightower in his letter. “I knew he was going to walk through a huge hole if I didn’t take a risk . . . So I ripped up under Okung and shot my shot. All I saw was Marshawn’s two legs churning,

and I just prayed to God that I could clip him up or something. I reached out ... and you already know what happened next.

“That second ring? I’ll never forget when we were in the locker room at half-time. We’re down 21–3, so some guys are quiet, and some guys are doing the rah-rah stuff. I sat there and for some reason thought, ‘Man, I don’t even have a son yet. But one day, he’s going to watch the tape of this game, and he’s gonna know one thing for sure. His dad never [expletive] quit.

“You already know the rest. And I’ll never get tired of inscribing ‘The Strip Sack’ on anything I sign.”

SBT Staff

SBT Staff