South Boston Today May 16 2024

SouthBoston

Beloved Marian Manor Will Close By End Of Year 2024

The Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm will close their Marian Manor nursing home in South Boston later this year after facing high renovation costs and failing to reach a deal to redevelop the site in a way that could keep the operation going. Marian Manor is the non-profit skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility offering short and long-term care located in the historic Dorchester Heights area of South Boston.

In 1929 in New York City, Rev. Mother M. Angeline Teresa founded the congregation of the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm. Her desire was to preserve the independence and personal dignity of the elderly in the spirit of the American way of life. In 1954, His Eminence Richard Cardinal Cushing invited the Sisters to take over the facilities of what was then Carney Hospital. It was transformed into a nurs-

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Commander Thomas McCarthy and the Thomas J. Fitzgerald VFW Post 561 invites the South Boston community to join them in their annual Memorial Day Services.

Assembly at Post Headquarters located at 715 East Fourth Street 9:00AM When: Sunday, May 26, 2024

Parade/March to Medal of Honor Park for the laying of the wreath ceremony at the Vietnam Memorial 9:30AM

Bring a flag and line the parade route to remember those who are no longer with us. God Bless.

Marian Manor Closing Is A Huge Loss For Southie

The story in the recent edition of The Dorchester Reporter about the coming closure of the Marian Manor sent shock waves through the neighborhood and was met with sadness by countless current and former residents of South Boston and in surrounding communities. Since 1954, ‘The Manor’ as it is affectionately called by many, has been a valuable and cherished resource offering excellent nursing and rehabilitation care and services in a local, friendly atmosphere. Over the years, there are probably very few families that have called South Boston their home that have not had a relative or friend who benefitted from all this cherished facility has to offer, from short term rehab or long term and even permanent end of life residence.

Some of the reasons given for the coming closing by Marian Manor spokespeople are what is happening in so many places around the nation

– skyrocketing real estate and maintenance costs, out of control inflation, a shortage of nurses and care givers etc. Other roadblocks to operating this type of facility is the lack of public funding now available and grants, though there seems to be plenty of money to the tune of billions of dollars around for new migrants. But that might be a story for another editorial.

The feedback from the neighborhood when this news was announced came in quickly and mostly in the form of disappointment and concern for the current residents at The Manor. But the administration and the Carmelite Sisters who run the operation were quick to give assurances that a place would be found for all current residents and that no one would be left without a new place to go.

To comment on the Carmelite Sisters, they have been wonderful throughout the entire 70 years that The Manor has been a part

“People

of this neighborhood. The caring and professionalism they have always shown to the residents, long term and short term, has been wonderful. They work hard and treat every patient like family. It’s who they are, what they believe needs to be done and are doing God’s work. The doctors, nurses and other care-giving staff have also always been top notch and so often go over and above their regular duties, especially during those times when staffing shortages due to hiring

difficulties added to the already heavy workload.

The maintenance workers take pride in keeping the entire building clean and sanitary and safe. To so many of those employed at The Manor, it has been a labor of love and it’s what prompts them to put in that extra effort whenever the need arises.

So many things change, sometimes for the better, sometimes for worse and the coming loss of the Marian Manor is definitely NOT for the better. But to repeat that tired and over

used phrase “it is what it is”. Unless a miracle is performed, it looks like by the end of summer, The Marian Manor will no longer be part of the South Boston Community. But we’ll say this: We have been fortunate, and we have been blessed to have had such a wonderful resource and wonderful people serving this neighborhood and other neighborhoods as well for as long as we have, and we sincerely thank all those who have made it happen for all of these seven decades.

for the most part can smell lies”- Joe Rogan

WInformation Center The FINAL WARNING!!!! Again

Note: talk back to John

ell folks, the United Nations (UN) has once again just issued its final warning on Global Warming/Climate Change; possibly its 20th since the 1960’s. The world is on the brink, approaching the point of no return. Our demise is imminent because of human activity. And if we don’t immediately change our lifestyles, the Earth will become uninhabitable, and we will all go down in a burning ring of fire. What has brought about this most recent outcry and warning of doom by the scientists who do the UN’s bidding? It’s a good bet they have read the results of the latest surveys that gauge the public’s concern and even the belief that the Climate is Changing due to human activity and is about to destroy us all. It’s near the bottom of the list as far as importance goes, and far fewer people even give it a thought anymore. The credibility of these ‘scientists’ is at an all-time low and they’re getting desperate. And desperate times lead to desperate measures as they are shrieking from the mountain tops their umpteenth ‘Final Warning’. They are now frantically sending out an avalanche of press releases to warn us as they try to scare the hell out of us again. A sampling of the headlines reads as follows: ‘Situation Dire’, ‘Red Alert’, ‘Point of No Return’, It’s Now or Never’, ‘It’s Urgent’, ‘We Must Sound the Alarm’ ‘We are Afraid’, ‘Drastic Steps Need to be Taken Now’, ‘It will be ‘Catastrophic’….There are so many more, but you get the picture. If we don’t give up our air conditioners and kitchen stoves, we’re all going to die. Now for our younger readers, you might not have heard about the doom and gloom predictions that were hysterically shouted to the public decades ago. But you can Google

them or ask your parents. For a while it was Acid Rain, then Global COOLING, a returning Ice Age, then we were blowing a hole in the Ozone Layer which would cause everyone to die from sun stroke. All of which was being caused by our life styles, particularly the life styles of Americans. None of which ever happened and when the scare factor wore off one, the ‘scientists’ would come up with another crisis and then another. Al Gore warned us that our coastal cities would be under water by the year 2010 and John Kerry – well, no one listens to him anyway and now that he’s Biden’s ‘Climate Tzar’ and still flies around constantly in private jets to lecture the rest of us about our gas-powered lawn mowers. He’s even less relevant than ever.

So with all the false alarms and crying wolf about how we are destroying the planet and we’re facing the point of no return yet again, these people shouldn’t be surprised that the percentage of the public, especially in the United States, that even listens to them gets smaller by the day. It’s to the point that they are being scoffed at. Stand up comedians are making jokes about them. When you add in the fact that many of the same people who cannot predict accurately if it will rain on Wednesday, are telling us what will happen to the weather well into the future, there is reason for skepticism.

Here is another issue that’s wrecking the credibility of so many scientists today: There is a suspicion, that’s been proven true in so many cases, that there are scientists doing these studies that will slant the results of those studies the way that those who are funding them tell them to – especially if those funds are coming from the UN. What the UN seems to be saying is that the mighti-

est governments can’t stop world hunger, homelessness, or wars, but if we all just pay more taxes, they can change the weather. And here is what so many now believe is behind this whole Climate Change push –money. The UN, many world leaders and yes, some of our country’s own politicians in WashingtonDC are just dying to get their hands on more of our money. You’ve heard of how they want to hit us with a massive ‘Carbon Tax’? THAT is their goal. Am I personally a climate change denier? Actually no. The climate has been changing for millions of years

and will continue to change whether humans live here or not. And getting rid of my fire pit won’t prevent it. As was stated several times in this space, those who demand that the public give up everything, will themselves be giving up nothing. While they insist that we stop driving our cars, heating our homes with fossil fuels, even tell us we must change what we eat, they will still fly their private jets, sail their massive yachts, travel in their limos and oh yes, buy ocean front mansions because they aren’t worried a bit about what they say will be rising sea levels. Isn’t that right Barack Obama?

Ciccone

SOUTH BOSTON TODAY

John Ciccone

LOTS OF TALK, NO ACTION

If you ask anyone on Beacon Hill about the state of housing in Massachusetts, they’ll say it’s a crisis. But if you ask the Legislature to do something about it, don’t hold your breath waiting for a reply. Gov. Maura Healey has been sounding the alarm on the state of housing affordability and availability since she got into office, and after elevating a standalone housing secretariat, she filed what she touted as the biggest housing investment bill in the state’s history, with a host of impactful — and sometimes controversial — policy riders attached to boost production. It’s been seven months since that bill was filed, and though almost every lawmaker seems to agree the state should “do something about housing,” those with the power have not moved with any real quickness. House Speaker Ron Mariano said last month that his chamber would be tackling the $4.1 billion bill “shortly after the budget.” It’s now been nearly three weeks since his chamber finished its budget bill, and the House’s agenda appears packed with non-housing items until at least next week. We’re starting

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.

to wonder what “shortly” means in Mariano’s definition.

Not to mention that the ticking time clock of the end of formal sessions is rapidly approaching and Democrats don’t have that many substantive bills to show for more than a year of work this legislative session. Meanwhile, Healey and her team are on a statewide campaign to “call attention to the urgent need to lower housing costs.” They’re meeting with business leaders, veterans, homelessness advocates, hospital executives and municipal officials to push Healey’s housing agenda. The only people she doesn’t seem to be lobbying directly are lawmakers, as she has held back on criticizing them for their slow pace.

In the House, it seems other topics may have taken priority, as the chamber plans to take up the governor’s IT bond bill and largescope hospital oversight reform in the wake of financial troubles threatening one of Massachusetts’ largest hospital systems. Perhaps next week we’ll see housing on the House floor, but until then administration officials will keep

circling Massachusetts preaching Healey’s agenda.

A drop in BPS, Massachusetts grad rates

Boston Public Schools and the state of Massachusetts as a whole reported drops in graduation rates from last year. While low-income, Black, Latino and English learners trailed behind white and Asian students in graduation rates, graduation rates for all demographics stayed near highs, and achievement gaps stayed low. The Globe’s Christopher Huffaker dives into the data, the district and state’s focus on graduating chronically absent students, and the newfound accuracy in BPS’s graduation rates following a trend of the district’s overestimation of graduation rates.

What’s in the House’s health care reform redraft?

House Democrats slightly tweaked their health care reform bill and will take up the redraft on Thursday, presenting a 96-page document with only a few changes from the Health Care Financing Committee’s bill introduced last

month. Reforms include reporting requirements, penalties for noncompliance and new efforts to control health care costs. Hospitals wouldn’t be allowed to lease their main campuses’ property from real estate investment trusts, and commercial insurers would have to pay more to hospitals that have historically received low reimbursement rates, reports the News Service’s Chris Lisinski. Many reforms present in the bill come as a response to the current Steward Health Care crisis.

Senate Ways and Means FY25 budget amendments: An analysis According to a Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation analysis, the 1,100 amendments for the Senate Ways and Means fiscal year 2025 budget combine for $2.9B in proposed spending. Fifty-eight percent of those amendments are earmarks, 24 percent are outside policy sections, and 18 percent are new line-items and new or amended language and appropriations. The most common outside section amendments, per MTF, fall under health & human services, education and government policy proposals.

Transportation secretary speaks to toll remarks, other topics

Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt spoke at the Charles River Chamber of Commerce Tuesday, commenting that while the Healey administration isn’t pursuing tolls — following her controversial commentary last month about tolling Mass. borders to increase revenue funding — and some didn’t like her idea, the state needs new ideas because they’ve “used everything” they have and “the tools aren’t working.” Tibbits-Nutt also flagged the threat of bike-

Massport, Elected Officials Celebrate Start of RecordBreaking Cruise Season at Flynn Cruiseport

Over 160 cruise ships to visit Boston this season

Against the backdrop of the Norwegian Gem, the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) joined elected officials and community stakeholders to celebrate the start of the 2024 cruise season at Flynn Cruiseport Boston. The Gem is just one of the eight ships homeporting in Boston this season and offers weekly sailings to Bermuda through August, followed by sailings to the Canada/New England coastline through October.

After a strong season in 2023 welcoming over 373,000 passengers and 149 cruise vessels, Massport is expecting another unparalleled cruise season this year welcoming 169 vessels from 25 cruise lines – up 15 percent over 2023, which support the local travel and tourism industries. Between now and November, the Cruiseport will welcome 79 homeport calls, bringing cruise passengers to Bermuda, Canada/New England, and various cruises to Iceland/Greenland, Europe, and the Caribbean. The Cruiseport will also welcome 90 port of call visits as tourists enjoy all that Boston and the region have to offer.

At the event, Massport recognized State Representative David Biele with the 2024 Maritime Champion Award for his support and advocacy of the maritime economy in Boston and throughout the Commonwealth. Representative Biele was key in advocating for $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to support the modernization of Conley Terminal.

“The maritime industry is essential to Boston, especially South Boston, and generates thousands of jobs for the City and Commonwealth,” said Representative David Biele. “Between the expanding cruise industry here and the essential cargo shipping industry, the economic benefits are growing every day. I’m proud to work with Massport and all our maritime partners to ensure that Conley Terminal and Flynn Cruiseport continue to be supported by the state.”

Since 1986, over 7 million passengers cumulatively have traveled through Flynn Cruiseport Boston to experience a vacation to Bermuda, Canada/New England, and other international destinations. Flynn Cruiseport is an important part of the Massachusetts visitor

economy, and supports businesses located throughout the Commonwealth that service and provision homeport ships, provide transportation to passengers, or serve as destinations for port-of-call visitors. Flynn Cruiseport Boston supports $135.5 million in annual economic impact. Flynn Cruiseport Boston is home to nearly 2,200 jobs (direct, induced, and indirect jobs) and generates $40 million in federal, state, and local tax revenue, according to the 2018 Martin Economic Impact Report.

“We are excited to kick off the start of the 2024 cruise season at Flynn Cruiseport Boston. We are proud the growth we’ve seen in our cruise operations over the last few years, and we couldn’t do it without our cruise partners,” said Massport Port Director Joseph Morris. “Boston is the preeminent cruise port for New England and plays a very important role in our tourism economy. It supports thousands of jobs and serves as an economic engine for the Commonwealth. We look forward to welcoming cruise passengers to Boston and New England so they can explore all this region has to offer.”

Flynn Cruiseport Boston will also welcome 13 maiden calls this season. Flynn Cruiseport Boston will have a record six cruise lines offering eight homeport ships and voyages:

• Norwegian Cruise Line: Norwegian Gem – started March 29th (Bermuda/Canada New England);

• Norwegian Cruise Line: Norwegian Jade – starts August 29th (Canada/New England);

• Holland America: Volendam – starts May 11th (Canada/New England);

• Holland America: Zuiderdam –starts July 20th (Canada/New England);

• Princess Cruises: Emerald

Princess – starts July 14th (Canada/ New England);

• Celebrity Cruises: Celebrity Eclipse – starts August 28th (Canada/New England);

• Royal Caribbean International: Jewel of the Seas – starts September 7th (Canada/New England);

• Oceania Cruises: Nautica – starts September 11th (Bermuda/Canada New England).

“Boston is an exceptional city that our guests enjoy sailing from, and it plays a critical role to our longterm presence on the east coast,” said Juan Kuryla, Senior Vice President of Port Development and Construction of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. “While we are excited to celebrate Norwegian Gem’s return for another season, we are equally eager to continue to explore opportunities with Massport to enhance the current facility to allow larger ships and more guests to cruise from Boston.”

As part of Massport’s Net-Zero strategy, the Authority is taking steps to reduce emissions at Flynn Cruiseport. Massport is aggressively pursuing the EPA Clean Ports Grant from the federal government that will fund the construction of shore power, procuring electrical equipment, including forklifts and trucks, constructing a solar rooftop, and other deck and electrical improvements.

“I am excited to join Massport, the ILA and the cruise industry to kick

off another successful cruise season,” stated Senator Nick Collins, who represents the Port of Boston. “As the industry grows, I look forward to working together to ensure that we are addressing the impacts and moving towards a Net Zero facility at Flynn Cruiseport Boston. That starts with ship-to-shore power and the infrastructure to enable it.”

Massport is also announcing several new itineraries that either start or end in Boston throughout the 2024 season:

• 10-day one way Boston to the Caribbean – Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Eclipse (October 11th Departure);

• 21-day roundtrip from Boston to the Caribbean/Panama Canal - Holland America’s Zuiderdam (October 19th Departure);

• 9-day one way Boston to St. Maarten – Windstar Cruises’ Star Pride (October 23rd Departure);

• 7-day one way Boston to Panama - Hapag Lloyd Cruises’ Hanseatic Inspiration (October 28th Departure);

• 14-day one way Boston to the Caribbean - Holland America Line’s Zuiderdam (November 9th Departure). For the full cruise schedule and additional information, visit FlynnCruiseportBoston.com<https:// www.massport.com/flynn-cruiseport/cruise-directory/cruise-schedule/> and follow @FlynnCruiseport on Twitter.

Marian Manor continued from front page ing home and was renamed Marian Manor in honor of the Marian Year of 1954. It has been renovated and upgraded over the years to be the fine facility we operate today. The mission of the Manor, and of the Carmelite Sisters, is to provide holistic care in an atmosphere of Christian understanding and faith.

The decision, filed with the state Department of Public Health on Tuesday, follows two decades of debate about the future of the Marian Manor complex, which opened on the grounds of the former Carney Hospital along Dorchester Street. The two-acre complex takes up one big city block in Southie, stretching up to Thomas Park.

Sister Mark Louis Randall, a member of Marian Manor’s board of directors, said the nursing home is giving the state Department of Public Health four months’ notice, as required by law, with an expected clo-

sure in mid-September, but she said it will stay open as long as it takes to find new homes for the residents. She declined to say how many residents are living at the nursing home today, although Marian Manor is licensed for up to 215 nursing home beds and 23 “rest home” beds that need less intensive care. It would be the sixth nursing home to file a closure notice with DPH so far this year.

“If it takes longer to get everybody placed, we’re not going to rush everybody out the door, we want to do this right,” Sister Randall said. “Our slogan is, ‘the difference is love,’ and we’re trying to do it in a loving way, as difficult as it is for all of our people.” She also said the Carmelite Sisters, Marian Manor’s financial sponsor, will start looking for a new home in the area. But she said it’s unlikely they’d be able to afford to build from scratch or make extensive renovations, which limits their possibilities. “We’re going to have to close the present Marian Manor

Letter To The Editor

Earlier this year, more than 600 attorneys, law students and others gathered at the State House to urge their legislators to increase funding for civil legal aid.

The “Walk to the Hill” is an annual event and was held in person this year after three years of virtual events. The event was organized by the Equal Justice Coalition, which is a partnership of the Massachusetts Bar Association, the Boston Bar Association, and the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation (MLAC). This annual event is to advocate for civil legal aid. Civil legal aid provides free representation, guidance and resources to people facing legal barriers to access basic needs and who cannot afford an attorney.

Massachusetts is fortunate to have a strong network of legal aid organizations that work to fill the “justice gap.” Legal aid attorneys provide essential representation to people with incomes at or below 125% of the federal poverty level. In 2024, that equates to $39,000

while we, in the same breath, look for something new.

Per DPH protocol, Marian Manor will be required to schedule a public hearing at least 90 days before the proposed closure. DPH then must conduct a thorough review of the facility’s closure plan. Upon DPH approval, facilities must freeze admissions at least 60 days prior to closure, and provide notification to residents. At that point, it can begin the process of assisting residents as they look for alternate placements.

Five other Massachusetts long term care facilities have filed to DPH with intentions to close this year.

The facility said in the statement that it is committed to finding new placements for all residents, either at another Carmelite Sisters facility or elsewhere. Additionally, Marian Manor staff will be offered opportunities to transfer to other sponsored facilities.

The Carmelites initially tried to build a modern skilled nursing facil-

ity and apartment complex in Quincy in the 2000s but the 2008 recession scuttled those plans. More recently, the order hired real estate brokerage Colliers International to help come up with a redevelopment plan that would help finance a smaller, more modern facility either on the existing site or nearby. That effort proved to be financially unfeasible. Then staffing shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic and a long list of needed repairs, from the roof to the boiler room, prompted the Carmelites to close down the operation. In Massachusetts, the Carmelites also operate nursing homes in Framingham, Lowell, and Lenox.

Sister Randall said she hasn’t talked to a real estate firm about redeveloping the Marion Manor site yet. It’s simply too soon. “It’s heartwrenching, needless to say,” she said. “We have a lot of good memories with the neighborhood. ... We just hope to continue someday, somewhere in the area.”

per year for a family of four or $18,825 for an individual. Approximately 13% of the Massachusetts population meets the eligibility criteria for civil legal aid.

Many legal aid organizations receive funding through a state budget line item, which is distributed by the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation (MLAC).

I am the vice chair of the board of directors at MLAC and I consider it an honor and a privilege. In my role, I see the impact civil legal aid has on low-income individuals, families, and entire communities.

More funding is needed to support our state’s civil legal aid organizations, and MLAC is requesting $55 million from the Massachusetts Legislature for fiscal year 2025. This is the amount necessary to sustain proven programs and expand civil legal aid’s reach, so more people can be helped in their times of greatest need.

Recent investments from the state have helped legal aid organizations serve more people in need of legal assistance. These in-

creased investments have helped legal aid organizations turn away fewer qualified people. Still, only about 50% of eligible applicants receive legal assistance.

Over the past three years, demand has been increasing significantly in the areas of employment, income maintenance, consumer issues, and family law. With skyrocketing rents and lack of adequate affordable housing, demand for help with housing cases is high and growing.

In FY23, legal aid organizations in Massachusetts handled over 42,800 cases. More than 95,600 people in 95% of cities and towns were assisted by legal aid. Investing in this work yields a significant return for the Commonwealth at large: last year legal aid delivered an estimated $100 million in economic benefits to the state and its residents, including $14.7 million in shelter savings.

Civil legal aid is an essential part of the Commonwealth’s housing crisis. With continued support from the state legislature, legal aid organizations will be able expand and will be able to serve more people in need.

Richard Vitali, Esq.

Window continued from page 4

pedestrian crashes and spoke to massive state traffic congestion, the regional equity aspect of the Allston multimodal project and details of Cape Cod bridge replacement.

Report urges rethinking of Regional Transit Authority system

The state’s Regional Transit Authorities should be entirely re-examined, according to a new report that raises flags about long-term funding of the agencies, a lack of inter-connectivity among them and gaps in services that remain. Michael P. Norton of the News Service reports a Tufts University Center for State Policy Analysis inquiry found the current methods of funding the 15 RTAs is “fragmented and incomplete” and that those in rural areas suffer the most when services are reduced for budget reasons.

Up and down results for MBTA Communities zoning

Voters in Seekonk on Monday rejected their town’s proposed zoning changes to comply with the MBTA Communities law after debate over the high-density zoning for housing dominated a nearly five-hour Town Meeting session. Meanwhile, North Andover voters last night approved their own package of zoning changes, which could clear the way for as many as 1,365 units of new housing.

BPD Coffee With A Cop South Boston

Last Friday BPD – C6 engaged with the South Boston community during their annual Coffee With A Cop event. The event was hosted at Starbucks on L and Broadway. Commissioner Cox, Captain Boyle, CSO Officers Lawton and O’Connor were the familiar faces. New officers and a cadet got a taste of how our community backs the blue.

State Rep. David Biele brought his

baby daughter, Rosalie to meet the community and she was well received. Mayor Flynn, Councilor Erin Murphy and BPD were engaged in conversation, constituent concerns and the summer plan for South Boston.

Star Buck’s and BPD, Kerry Ryan teamed up to have Starbuck coffee cups and tumblers as adult give aways and a table of children’s games, crafts and toys. Once again, a successful community event! Thank you to the Boston Police Department, especially our own District 6 and Starbucks. See you next year!

nous secrets woven into lace and languidly inviting baroque palaces, comes Edda, a “feminine” wine with a mineral and timeless temperament, an ineffable fruit in charm. The grapes are destemmed and left to freeze-stomach for a few hours. The next phase is the gentle pressing of the marc followed by a cold static settling so that this happens naturally. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in French oak barrels. On the nose, its straw yellow color with golden reflections presents mellow citrus fruits and delicate vanilla floral notes that fill the nose. As for its taste, it is generous in its elegance, fresh, delicate and mineral.

2024

BABE RUTH

Guy The Wine Warmer Weather, Lighter Wines TRYOUTS SR.

Sanford Vineyards,2019 La Entrada Chardonnay, Santa Rita Hills, ($72.00). The 2019 La Entrada is very floral, with grilled lemons, candles, and wet rocks. Saline and stylish, this wine is all about intense minerality and layers of bright fruit that move across the palate with a long finish. This wine is natural with a wide range of cuisines from Asian dishes to fresh ceviche.

La Entrada is planted at the entrance to La Rinconada Vineyard. The vine’s deep roots in soils derived from alluvial Santa Ynez River deposits, gives amazing aromatics, lovely texture, and ageworthy structure.

The Prisoner Red Blend, Napa Valley,2022, ($49.95). The Prisoner was inspired by the “mixed blacks” first made by the Italian immigrants who originally settled in Napa Valley. The Prisoner is now the most recognized Napa Valley red blend, leading the resurgence of interesting blends by incorporating Zinfandel with the unlikely mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Charbono. Features enticing aromas of Bing cherry, dark chocolate, clove, and roasted fig. Persistent flavors of ripe raspberry, boysenberry, pomegranate, and vanilla linger harmoniously, for a smooth and luscious finish.

San Marzano, Edda, Bianco Salento, ($20.99). From Italy’s Puglia region comes this crisp, refreshing white. From the silver sea of olive trees, white southern stones, lumi-

Beiras Vinhas Velhas Branco ,2022,($20.99). The Pato family has been producing wine at Quinta do Ribeirinho since, at least, the eighteenth century. João Pato started to bottle the wine from his vineyards in 1970, becoming the first winegrower in the Bairrada region after its demarcation. His son, Luis Pato, inherited this nonconformist and pioneer spirit. In 1980, Luis produced his first wine, a pure Baga, from an exceptional quality and absolute rareness that is sought by appreciators as a treasure. After experimenting with Baga over the years, Luis was even able to produce the first Vinhas Velhas wine from Portugal! However, in 1999, by personal choice, he left the DOC denomination and now labels his wines as Regional Beiras. Pato’s 60 hectares of vineyards are planted with Baga and Touriga Nacional (red varieties), as well as Maria Gomes, Bical, Bairrada’s Cercial and Sercialinho (white varieties). The vineyards are distributed in two different types of soil: sandy and chalky-clay.

Walt Chardonnay, Sonoma Coact, 2018, ($46.99). This 2018 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay opens with vibrant aromas of ripe lemon, fresh cream, slate, and subtle, spicy oak. The palate is broad and flavorful, with a rich and layered finish that is balanced by racy minerality. The unique mix of heritage and clonal selections brings depth and nuance to this lively blend. Demure and focused, this wine is opulently textured in creamy vanilla and pear. A thread of pineapple weaves through the midpalate, nuanced in oak and balanced in weight.

South Boston Sr. Babe Ruth Baseball tryout will be held on Wednesday May 22nd and Wednesday May 29th at 6pm at King Field in Moakley Park. The team plays a 12 game regular season schedule in the South Shore Sr. Babe Ruth League and some nonleague games throughout June and July with playoffs that follow.

Players 16-18 years old as well as those that have turned 19 on or after January 1 of 2024 are eligible to play. There are several openings on the roster this year.

Any player who is interested in trying out and would like to pre-register for the team can send an email to wconnor16@gmail.com

New Website Provides One-Stop Resource for All Things Moakley Park

Anew website helps residents to take advantage of all that Moakley Park has to offer, including providing a one-stop resource to view and request permits for Moakley’s 30 reservable facilities, such as picnic and community gathering areas, multi-use fields, and basketball courts.

MoakleyPark.org, developed by Boston Harbor Now in collaboration with the Boston Parks and Recreation Department, is a single online home for resources related to the park, including upcoming events and community programming, as well as detailed information on how to get to the park by bike and transit.

Boston Harbor Now serves as the City’s non-profit partner for the park, which is Boston’s largest waterfront open space, located adjacent to Carson Beach on the South Boston waterfront. Designed in 1916 as part of a vision set forth by Frederick Law Olmsted, the park is a hub of recre-

ation and community for residents of South Boston, Dorchester, and other neighborhoods around the city.

“We hope this website, more than a year in the making, offers something for everyone who is interested in using Moakley Park and becoming part of the park’s community,” said Kathy Abbott, president and CEO of Boston Harbor Now. “People benefit by playing at Moakley Park whether on one of the many athletic fields, courts, or playgrounds and help ensure we have a broad range of individuals invested in the park’s future in an era of climate change.”

Importantly, the website provides critical information on future planning for the park and ways residents can contribute their ideas. Moakley is in the midst of a design process that seeks to better serve contemporary needs of the community while protecting surrounding neighborhoods from the anticipated impacts of climate change.

“Whether you’re looking to book one of our facilities, stay updated on upcoming events, or engage in shaping the park’s future, this website is your comprehensive resource,” said Boston Parks and Recreation Commissioner Ryan Woods. “We’re grateful to our partners at Boston Harbor Now for creating this digital home that will foster connectivity, recreation, and stewardship of Moakley Park.”

The website includes:

• one-stop permit requests for all relevant Moakley facilities

• a calendar of upcoming events and park planning meetings

• opportunities for both individuals and groups to volunteer at the park

• an email list where visitors can sign up to receive park updates in their inbox

“As a nature-loving sports-active child, Moakley Park was essential to

my growth and development, and it very much is to this day for me, my children, and my community,” said Mercy Robinson, Executive Director of South Boston en Accion. “Moakley is brought to life by communities near and far, and I am super excited about this website. It will allow everyone to stay informed, give feedback, advocate, and sign up for events and programming at Moakley Park.”

In addition to developing the website, Boston Harbor Now engages residents with Moakley in multiple ways, including providing vibrant and welcoming year-round free public programming, leading monthly clean-ups, bulb plantings, and other stewardship activities, and conducting community engagement to help shape the vision for the park’s future design. Boston Harbor Now also works with adjacent public and private property owners to ensure that the flood protection and public space design of the surrounding area will integrate with the future park.

The website launch corresponds with a summer series of community programming being coordinated by Boston Harbor Now in the park, beginning with a set of volunteer clean-up events on May 18, June 15, and July 20, and August 18.

South Boston Catholic Academy & Parish News

Congratulations to our new SBCA Book Publishers!

The students in Kindergarten, First and Second Grades at South Boston Catholic Academy celebrated becoming “Published Authors and Illustrators!” They came to school-”Dressed to Impress” in

their best author attire! Pictures were taken and official certificates from Studentreasures Publishing Company were awarded. Principal Dr. Civian and Vice-Principal Mrs. Moriarty acknowledged their achievements and

shared parts of the books with everyone in the gym. Thank you to all our wonderful teachers and families for helping the students accomplish this amazing classroom project!

A student even bought a book and donated it to the South Boston Branch Library and another class also donated a classroom book to Librarian Dani for the Library, for many people to enjoy! Librarian Dani is going to have a display about our

“Proud SBCA Published Authors!”

The children enjoyed a Special Pizza Lunch. The Best part of the Day- seeing their smiles and excitement when they were presented with their Published Book containing their original stories with illustrations! Priceless! New families are welcome to email our admissions team at admissions@sbcatholicadacademy.org for more info. about South Boston Catholic Academy.

Facebook Scam – Be Aware

The latest social media scam is yet another phishing scheme designed to scare Facebook users into sharing their login credentials. Here’s how you can spot the scam and protect your account from hackers.

How the scam works

You receive an email that appears to come from Facebook and says something like this: “Recently, we discovered a breach of our Facebook Community Standards on your page. Your page has been disabled for violating Facebook Terms. If you believe the decision is incorrect, you can request a review and file an appeal at the link below.” The message may also state that if you don’t act in the next 24 hours, Facebook will delete your account permanently.

The email includes a link that appears to lead to Facebook.com. Because you want to keep your account, you may think about clicking - however, you must stay calm and take a closer look. On closer inspection, you’ll likely find signs of a scam. These include typos, email

sender addresses that aren’t related to Facebook, and, if you hover over the link in the email (without clicking on it), you will discover that it doesn’t point to Facebook’s website.

Another version of this Facebook phishing scam targets Facebook business pages with a threat to deactivate the account due to a Terms of Service or Community Standard violation. The message appears to come from Meta Business Support and requires the administrator to confirm the account by clicking a link, or it will be permanently deleted.

If you click the link, you’ll likely be taken to an official-looking page and prompted to complete a form to appeal the policy violation. You’ll be asked for your login email, phone number, name, and other details. The page will ask you to confirm your password when you hit submit. If you do, scammers will have all the information they need to hack your account.

How to avoid Facebook phishing scams

• Don’t panic. Always read

suspicious emails carefully, looking for signs of a scam, before you act. Remember that scammers love to target social media accounts, so fake alerts aren’t uncommon.

• Verify the claims. Log into your Facebook account directly to verify there is a problem before deciding how to proceed.

• Always log into your account directly. Even if you think an alert is authentic, use your social media

app to log in or enter the URL in the browser bar by typing it, not by clicking on a link sent to you.

• Guard your login credentials carefully. Never enter your login information on a third-party website or a page other than the official Facebook website. Never send your login information to someone via email or Facebook Messenger. If you entered your login credentials into a fake form, change your password immediately.

So this is how it feels. No more Bill Belichick. Instead, it’s Jerod Mayo running the show down in Foxboro.

Rookie camp was held last week, and the media availability with the Patriots’ head coach was, well, different. In a good way? We’ll have to wait and see how it all plays out. But even though it’s clear that Belichick’s style definitely rubbed off on Mayo, the new coach is establishing a new era in Patriots football.

I’ll let you judge for yourself. Here’s Mayo’s press conference after last week’s rookie camp:

Q: What were your early impressions of Drake Maye?

Jerod Mayo: Early impressions of Drake? Look, he has a lot to work on. A lot to work on. But I have no doubt that he will put the time in. You didn’t see him out here yesterday, but he was here all night trying to get on the same page as everyone else.

Q: When it comes to Drake [Maye], what type of work are you guys doing with him, not on the practice field, but trying to get him up to speed with the playbook and the offense?

JM: Yeah, it just comes down

to time, that’s the biggest hurdle. Then, you work under some of these phase 2, phase 3 rules, where you don’t have as much time as you want to, so you can’t have those conversations. Hard work works, we talk about it all the time, and he is working hard. Day 1 is kind of hard to say that this guy did X, Y, and Z.

Q: Is there a primary person that will be in the ear of Drake [Maye]?

JM: That’s a great question. You know, across the league, most offensive coordinators, they interact with the quarterback, the starting quarterback for the most part. We do have a group of coaches that have quarterback backgrounds, but I would say overall it would be AVP (Alex Van Pelt) as far as that lead guy.

Q: Have you seen much change with you in terms of how you attack a practice? You know, formerly a linebackers coach, what is going to change with you in a regular practice?

JM: Honestly, I have been over with the offense more than I have been with the defense. And that just goes back to continuing to

This week,

Danny shared his thoughts on the New England Patriots as they enter a new era under Jerod Mayo:

grow and continuing to learn, like I said in those offensive meetings as well. I am learning right alongside those guys. As far as practice is concerned, I am going to bounce around, offense, defense, special teams. I mean, they all play a huge part in winning football games, but that is the benefit of having a bigger staff, or a larger staff, so I am able to do that.

Q: With your rookie quarterbacks, are they both on the same developmental schedule? Do you develop them simultaneously or do you do separate things with them?

JM: No, you have to do it together. You want it to be a fair competition, especially when we start doing offense versus defense. Look, once again, we have a lot of coaches here that know the position. So those guys, after the allotted time, they have to take it on their own to go out there and get better. That’s where you really start to see separation, those guys that do a little bit extra.

Q: Javon Baker expressed a high level of self-confidence, which is great, I’m sure you

want that. But is there a point where you say that’s terrific, but let’s have a little less?

JM: Honestly, like for me, I want these guys to have a personality, I want them to feel free to talk about certain things. Look, we’ll have rules of what to talk about. But now, once he puts it out there, he has to show it every day out here on the football field. If not, he’s just a talker and you start to lose the respect of the locker room and things like that. So, he said it, he put that out there, and now you have to show us.

Q: Does this kind of feel like a rookie minicamp for you in your first head coaching job?

JM: Yeah, honestly, yeah, it feels great. It feels great to get on, like the first day I was out on the field with the guys, that was like that “a-ha” moment. Everyone was asking me, you know, “how does it feel?” It felt regular to me to be inside, but as soon as I came out here and was able to talk to different positions, that was like that “a-ha” moment.

Follow Danny on instagram @DannyPicard.

SPORTS TODAY

WOLF NAMED PATRIOTS

EXECUTIVE VP OF PLAYER PERSONNEL

Eliot Wolf was the man making the final call for the New England Patriots on draft night a few weeks ago, and so, the latest news coming out of Foxboro shouldn’t shock anyone.

Wolf has officially been named the Patriots’ new Executive Vice President of Player Personnel.

Here’s the full press release from the team’s website:

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots announced today that Eliot Wolf has been named executive vice president of player personnel. In that role, Wolf’s responsibilities will include the overall direction of the personnel department, the management of the salary cap and in control of the 53-man roster. The 42-year-old Wolf is a veteran

PATRIOTS TO PLAY AT WEMBLEY STADIUM IN ’24

As the 2024 NFL schedule gets released this week, it’s been announced that the New England Patriots will once again be a part of the league’s “International Games” series, which

Tweet of the Week What

of 20 NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers (2004-17), Cleveland Browns (2018-19) and Patriots (2020-23).

“As I have stated multiple times during the offseason, the plan was to observe the working relationship and involvement between Eliot and Jerod and see how they managed our offseason personnel decisions,” said Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. “Then, following the draft we would formally undertake a process for setting up the permanent structure of our personnel department. I have been impressed with Eliot’s management style and experience and I’m excited that he has agreed to take on this new position.”

Wolf, who is entering his fifth season with New England, spent the last two seasons as director of scouting, after originally joining the Patriots as

features regular-season to be played in the U.K., Germany, and Brazil.

The Patriots will take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in London at the legendary Wembley Stadium, on Oct. 20 at 9:30 a.m. ET. This will be a Week 7 matchup.

Here’s the full press release from the NFL:

NEW YORK — May 15, 2024 —

The National Football League has announced the schedule of the 2024 International Games that will be played across London, U.K., Munich, Germany and São Paulo, Brazil — as the league’s

a scouting consultant in 2020.

“It is an honor to accept this position with the New England Patriots,” said Wolf. “I am grateful to the Kraft family for this opportunity and want to thank my family, especially my wife and children, for the support and strength they have given me as I move forward in my new role. I also want to thank all of the people I have worked with and learned from over the years.”

Prior to joining the Patriots, Wolf spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons as the assistant general manager for the Cleveland Browns. He joined the Browns after spending 14 seasons in various roles with the Green Bay Packers. During his time in Green Bay, the Packers earned 10 trips to the playoffs, seven NFC North division titles and a

global footprint continues to expand.

The Minnesota Vikings will kick off the league’s return to Europe on Sunday, Oct. 6, as they play the New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — the only purpose-built NFL stadium outside of the U.S.

The following Sunday, Oct. 13, also at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Chicago Bears will play the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The London focus then shifts to Wembley Stadium as the Jaguars take on the New England Patriots on Sunday, Oct. 20. This is the second time Jacksonville

victory in Super Bowl XLV. Wolf originally joined the Packers as a pro personnel assistant in 2004. He was promoted to assistant director of pro personnel in 2008. Wolf spent the 2011 season as assistant director of player personnel, before serving as director of pro personnel for three seasons (2012-14). He was elevated to director of player personnel in 2015 and spent his final two seasons (2016-17) with the Packers as director of football operations.

Wolf is the son of former Green Bay Packers general manager and 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Ron Wolf. He earned a B.A in English from the University of Miami, where he served as a volunteer in the recruiting department from 2000 through 2003.

will play back-to-back games in the U.K., marking the team’s 12th and 13th regular season games in London.

The Carolina Panthers will play the New York Giants in Munich at Allianz Arena — Home of FC Bayern Munich on Sunday, Nov. 10 as part of the NFL’s commitment to playing regular season games in Germany.

This season’s slate of International Games will begin in São Paulo, Brazil on Friday night of Week 1 of the regular season. The Green Bay Packers will take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday, Sept. 6 at 8:15 PM ET.