post-gazette 12-18

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, DECEMBER 18, 2009
VOL. 113 - NO. 51
Liberal Attacks on
Joe Lieberman Get Personal
by Jamie Weinstein
Liberals are once again health care bill. Talk about
engaging in their favorite personal.
sport: Joe Lieberman bashThe Washington Post’s Ezra
ing.
Klein went even further by
The Connecticut senator writing that Lieberman’s
and former Democratic vice- motivation in opposing the
presidential nominee first current Senate health care
drew liberal ire for his vocal bill is nothing more than
support of President George revenge against those liberW. Bush’s surge in Iraq. Now, als who opposed him in
Democrats are attacking his 2006 Senate campaign.
him for pledging to stand Worse, Klein charges, Liebwith Republicans in filibus- erman “seems to be willing
tering the Senate health to cause the deaths of huncare bill if it contains a dreds of thousands of people
public option or a Medicare in order to settle an old elecbuy-in.
toral score.”
One influential liberal
What slander.
blogger, Jane Hamsher, is so
Joe Lieberman is a statesenraged with Lieberman man senator. No matter how
that she has asked the hard the left tries to tar
Susan B. Komen Foundation Lieberman with unseemly
to fire Lieberman’s wife, labels and accusations, they
Hadassah, from her role as can’t erase the fact that
international spokesperson Lieberman risked his politifor the breast cancer fight- cal career by endorsing John
ing charity. Hamsher has McCain for president. In so
even implored celebrities doing, he provided all the
associated with the organi- evidence we need that he is
zation to pressure the foun- a man who acts according to
dation to can Hadassah be- his conscience.
cause of her husband’s
(Continued on Page 13)
position on the Senate
$.30 A COPY
Two Advent Events in Preparation for Christmas
by Bennett Molinari and Richard Molinari
Saint Leonard Parish is
just one of thousands of
Catholic parishes scattered
throughout
the
United
States observing the season
of Advent with prayers and
events all meant to prepare
the community for the celebration of the Birth of Jesus
on Christmas Day.
This year’s Saint Leonard
Parish annual Christmas
Concert entitled Advent/
Christmas Music beautifully
expressed both the spirit of
preparation that is Advent
and the essence of celebration meant to proclaim the
birth of the Messiah
(Continued on Page 6)
News Briefs
by Sal Giarratani
Mayor’s Column
Sober Christmas Party
by Thomas M. Menino, Mayor, City of Boston
The Recovery Outreach Community will
be hosting a Sober Christmas Party held at
St. Catherine’s in Charlestown at 12 noon on Saturday, December 19. This will be the 3 rd annual
Sober Christmas Party. For more information, see
Virgil at 781-727-9288 or Virgil70s.com.
Check Out On the Fly
“On the Fly” is the only sports radio show run
by a 16-year-old. It runs every Tuesday from
7-8 pm on ZUMIX radio 1630am and streaming
live on the web at ZUMIX.ORG. Call in live at
617-568-9777 Ext. 12.
Contrada’s Own Killer Miller
If you stop in at Contrada’s, you can see Phil
“Killer” Miller’s boxing poster on the wall of fame.
He’s a regular at the place. He fights out of the
Coast Guard down the street at the base. He is
5-0-0 in the ring and a champion father outside
the ring. He and lovely Chassmin just had a baby
boy named London Philip. Keep punching Killer.
Contrada’s is rooting for you.
Happy Birthday Seth
One of my many nephews, Seth Bennett from
Revere just celebrated his 9th birthday with a big
party at the Salesian Boys & Girls Club of East
Boston. What a great place for a party. Lots of
(Continued on Page 13)
Fenway Park is one of our city’s most
recognizable landmarks. On New Year’s
Day, as you probably know by now, the
homeruns and diving catches will be
replaced by slap shots and kick saves
when the Bruins and local college rivals
take the ice on the historic field.
Tickets are tough to come by, but that
doesn’t mean you can’t participate. I’m
thrilled that Boston residents will be able
to skate for free at Fenway on two days
— January 3rd and 10th — as part of the
City’s Inaugural celebrations.
Here’s how it will work: This Saturday, December 19 th , we’re giving away
more than 3,000 tickets at Community
Centers across the city and at the Copley
Library through a partnership with Sun
Life Financial. Residents, who will be
asked to show proof of residency, can
pick up as many as four tickets from
9-11AM for access to free Fenway
skating on either January 3 rd or 10 th .
Tickets will indicate the date and time
that you can skate at Fenway.
Once you have a ticket, just show
up to the Park on the designated date
with a pair of skates. After lacing up,
you’ll have the opportunity to skate for
a full hour in the middle of the diamond
where Dustin Pedroia and Marco
Scutaro will turn double plays in a few
short months.
In addition the free skates, the City
and the National Hockey League will
transform the parking lot at Brookline
Avenue and Yawkey Way into the 2010
Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic Spectator Plaza. This free outdoor hockey
and entertainment festival will span two
days — New Year’s Eve and New Year’s
Day — and feature Bruins alumni,
musical performances, interactive
hockey-themed attractions, and a ticket
giveaway for the Bruins-Flyers game.
Other activities will make this a fun
experience for everyone, regardless of
age.
While Boston sports fans love the
Bruins and all of our professional teams,
several of our college teams are among
the best in the country. When Boston
University and Boston College face off
on January 8th, the winners of the past
two national titles will renew their
renowned rivalry in a park that’s no
(Continued on Page 15)
THE POST-GAZETTE SATELLITE OFFICE IS NOW OPEN AT 35 BENNINGTON STREET, EAST BOSTON
This office is open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM and Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
PM,
for the convenience of our East Boston and North Shore clients and contributors
Call 617-227-8929 for more information
Page 2
POST-GAZETTE, DECEMBER 18, 2009
Res Publica
by David Trumbull
Time for a New Industrial Revolution
VITRUM!
The stained glass treated
in the last issues highlights
a French contribution to
ecclesiology. The Italians,
especially those of Renaissance Italy, expended little
effort on stained glass compared to their work in other
media, such as painting and
sculpturing. The ancient
Egyptians were among the
earliest contributors to the
glass culture or technology.
The oldest specimen to be
seen today is an opaque blue
Egyptian glass vase which is
now in the British Museum;
it dates back to the sixteenth
century B.C. Even the Egyptian tombs and mummy
cases contained glass cups
and bottles in considerable
numbers, and in some
paintings (about 2300 B.C.)
the process of glass blowing
is clearly depicted.
A story is told by one ancient historian that the discovery of glass was quite by
accident, and that the River
Belus in Phoenicia contains
a sandy beach that stretches
for about a half mile. The
story goes on to relate that a
ship belonging to some traders in natural soda put in
here and built a fire to prepare their meal. Since, however, no stones suitable for
supporting their kettles
were available they rested
them on lumps of soda from
the cargo. When these
lumps became heated, and
were completely mingled
with the sand on the beach,
(Continued on Page 12)
“MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY”
AT ST. JOHN SCHOOL
On Saturday December 5, The “Inner-city scholarship fund professionals team” headed
by Meghan Horan of the Catholic School Foundation came to St. John School, North
End, Boston. The group volunteered to “Make a difference” and gave the school a
deep cleaning, helping to sanitize the school from top to bottom. Sister Eileen Harvey,
principal said, “The volunteers are invaluable, their efforts help to keep the school in
tip top condition”. The volunteers involved were: Meghan Horan, Mary Francis Horan,
Patrick McDonough, Siobhan O’Connor, John McDonough, Melanie Opacki, Matthew
Cohen, Casey Bass, Susie Salerno, Laura Favret, Jesica Signor, Pirel Curcio, not
pictured are William Tyner, and Alex Cook
Mark the Date!
Boston Water and
d Sewer
Sew
wer Is
Coming to Your Neighborhood
A Boston Water and Sewer Commission Community
Services Department representative will be in your
neighborhood at the place, date, and time listed here.
Our representative will be available to:
Accept payments. (Check or money order only–
NORTH END
Boston Public Library
25 Parmenter Street
Thursdays, 10 AM–1 PM
Jan. 7 • FFeb.
eb. 4Ê
no cash, please.)
Process discount forms for senior citizens and disabled people.
people
showed him some machinery which he had purchased
somewhere. Slater immediately said the principle was
wrong, discarded it, and then
from his own mind started to
manufacturer
machinery
on the Arkwright plan.”
There you have it. Prohibited by English law from
bringing to American any
drawings or notes on how to
build a textile mill, Slater,
observed closely how English
machines were constructed
and committed the plans to
memory!
There is another story, one
that is all too familiar — that
is of the loss of jobs, not just
in textiles, but all types of
manufacturing jobs, in the
U.S.
The Democrats in Washington are spending us into
a hole that may take generations to get out of. What do we
have to show for it? Reports
of jobs “created” or “saved”
which, upon investigation,
turn out to have widely inflated numbers or are just
thorough-going
fictions.
What jobs have been created
are nearly all in government,
not the private sector. They
are jobs that do not create
wealth. Where are the
manufacturing jobs that
make possible the middle
class that made America
great? If a Samuel Slater
showed up in America today
with a terrific new technology that would put millions to
work, would our elected officials embrace him? Or would
they tax and regulate his innovations out of business?
David Trumbull is the chairman of the Boston Ward Three
Republican Committee. Boston’s Ward Three includes the
North End, West End, part
of Beacon Hill, downtown,
waterfront, Chinatown, and
part of the South End.
Greater Boston’s Affordable Private Cemetery
Traditional Burial Plot
(for 2) Starting at $1500
COMMUNITY MAUSOLEUMS
500 Canterbury St.
Boston, MA 02131
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617.524.1036
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Serving the Italian community for over 100 years!
Boston Harborside Home
Joseph A. Langone
580 Commercial St. - Boston, MA 02109
617-536-4110
www.bostonharborsidehome.com
Resolve billing or service complaints.
Review water consumption data for your property.
Arrange payment plans for delinquent accounts.
Need more information? Call the Community Services Department
at 617-989-7000.
Boston Water and
Sewer Commission
On December 20 th , the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts recognizes our textile heritage by honoring
Samuel Slater (1768-1835).
“The governor shall annually issue a proclamation
setting apart December
twentieth as Samuel Slater
Day, in recognition of the
beginning of America’s Industrial Revolution along the
banks of the Blackstone
River where Samuel Slater
established his first mill and
later relocated and established the town of Webster,
and in further recognition of
the contribution of countless
working men and women to
America’s national greatness, and recommending
that said day be observed in
an appropriate manner by
the people.”
— Massachusetts General
Laws Chapter 6 Section
15PPP.
How we came to have a
Massachusetts textile industry is a story worthy of
spy-novel, for it was, literally, the result of industrial
espionage. For a brief version of how the textile industry was established in
America in 1790 I quote
from the records of the 1925
Semi-Annual Meeting of
The National Association of
Cotton Manufacturers —
“[In England] Mr. Slater
was apprenticed to Jeddidiah
Strutt, who worked with
Richard Arkwright. When
young Slater came to this
country, he did not bring any
plans, any models, any patterns of any kind, on account
of the prohibition of the exporting of cotton machinery
by Parliament. He sought financial support, which he
received from Moses Brown,
who was in need of mechanical assistance ... Brown took
Slater out to Pawtucket and
980 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02119
www.bwsc.org
Joseph F. Allen
Frederick J. Wobrock
Trevor Slauenwhite
Dino C. Manca
A Service Family Afiliate of AFFS/Service Corporation International
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POST-GAZETTE, DECEMBER 18, 2009
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James V. Donnaruma
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Vol. 113 - No. 51
Caesar L. Donnaruma
1953 to 1971
Phyllis F. Donnaruma
1971 to 1990
Friday, December 18, 2009
Christmas Prayer
by Vita Orlando Sinopoli
Christmas Day is here again,
Santa’s on his way.
Many hearts will be so sad
On that Sacred Day.
Our church bells will ring,
And our hearts should sing
Yet tears will fall in rhythm of
Those beautiful hymns.
Soon Santa will drop
Through our chimney top
So many toys for girls and boys
While mothers’ sit and pray.
“Dear Lord, whose birthday is today
please have those far away
Successfully fill their wondrous tasks
So they’ll come home to stay.”
Then next year we’ll join in
and though with tears we’ll sing,
They’ll be tears of happiness
IF bells of PEACE will ring!”
Page 3
Mary Milano
Matriarch of the Union Oyster House Passes Away
Mary Milano was born on July 22,
1916 of immigrant parents, Antonio
and Salvatese DiCorrado. Born on
Garden Court Street in Boston’s
North End, Mary was always
proud to share the same birthday
and birthplace as her role model,
Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. For
Mary, education was foremost.
Having a love for teaching, she
attended Framingham State
Teachers College. But for Mary,
family business would be her true
calling. From the young age of
sixteen, Mary began working side
by side with her father at DiCorrado’s
Jewelers. Opened in 1912, this was the
first jewelry store in Boston’s North End.
Later, Mary would join her son, daughter, and
husband in running yet another first and family
business, the Ye Olde Union Oyster House.
Opened in 1826, the Union Oyster House is
America’s Oldest Restaurant.
At DiCorrado’s Jewelers, Mary proudly served
as buyer, seller, and bookkeeper for over 25
years. For Mary this would prove to be valuable
experience for her later role as the matriarch of
the Union Oyster House. Mary was a gifted
business woman with a shrewd eye for detail.
Always mindful of the importance of hard work
and excellent service, she also managed several
real estate properties. As a landlord, Mary’s sole
focus was to remain loyal to her valued tenants.
In 1941, Mary married Joseph Milano, Sr., a
civil engineer. After having given birth to
a daughter, Mary Ann, and a son, Joseph
Milano, Jr., the couple moved to Medford to
raise their family. In 1970, the Milano family
purchased the Union Oyster House. After the
death of her husband and soul mate in 1977,
Mary took a more active role in running the
restaurant. For close to 40 years, Mary worked
side by side with her daughter and son to instill
family values to this family business.
Whether you called her Mrs. Milano, Mrs.
M, or Mary, at the Union Oyster House she
was everyone’s Mother. Her love for the
restaurant was reviled only by her
passion to travel. In the words of
Mary, “To see the world is life’s
greatest pleasure.” She often
returned to her parent’s
homeland of Italy as well as
retreating to her winter haven
in Palm Beach, Florida.
At the ripe age of retirement,
Mary continued to don her
signature business suit and take
her seat at her desk on 41 Union
Street at the Union Oyster
House. Up until her passing at 93
years young, Mary could be found
sitting there from nine to five, seven
days a week (except family holidays),
greeting customers from around the world and
from all walks of life. Mary welcomed the loyal
patrons and staff of the Union Oyster House
into her home away from home and into her
heart. She loved each and every one of them
and they loved her in return.
Mary loved to share stories about the
restaurant and humble lessons of how hard
work makes you a better person. Her life was
a testament to those ideals. Although her desk
next to the trademark Oyster Bar that she sat
at for almost 40 years now sits empty, her spirit
lives on.
She is survived by her daughter Mary Ann
Milano Picardi and her husband Angelo Picardi
of Boston and son Joseph A. Milano, Jr. and
his wife Jill Milano of Lynnfield. She is also
survived by her grandchildren, Liesa, Kristen,
Joya, Kimberly & Michael and nine great-grandchildren.
Funeral from the Dello Russo Funeral Home,
on Thursday, December 17 and Mass from St.
Joseph Church in Medford on Friday,
December 18. Entombment in the family
mausoleum in Oak Grove Cemetery.
Memorial donatons may be sent to St.
Anthony’s Shrine, 100 Arch Street, Boston,
Massachusetts.
The Post-Gazette offers our sincere
condolences to the Milano Family.
Christmas Time in the North End
Marion D. (Ribaudo) Alfe
MAY SHE REST IN PEACE
Marion D. (Ribaudo) Alfe, of the North End of Boston passed
away on December 11, 2009. She is the beloved wife of the
late John Alfe and loving mother of Gracemarie and her
husband Francis LeBlanc of Watertown, Francis and his
wife Rosemarie (Corrao) Alfe of Medford and Jeannette Alfe
of Boston. Also survived by five grandchildren and seven
great grandchildren.
Mass was held at Sacred Heart Church in Boston’s North
End on Tuesday, December 15, 2009 following interment
at St. Michael’s Cemetery, in Roslindale, Massachusetts.
Arrangements were from the Cincotti Funeral Home in
Medford. Contributions in Marion’s memory may be made
to St. Leonard’s Church, 14 North Bennett Street, Boston,
MA 02113.
You know its Christmas time in the North End when Caffe Pompei constructs its
Italian Nativity Scene. Ciajup Logli of Caffe Pompei stands next to the Nativity Scene
that is located in the front of the café. Caffe Pompei is located at 280 Hanover Street,
Boston.
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Page 4
POST-GAZETTE, DECEMBER 18, 2009
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Financially Speaking
with Ben Doherty
graduates is 5% vs. 15%
for those without a high
school diploma, mostly for
unskilled men. Job openings
fell by 80,000 in October to
2.5 million Labor Department reported.
With more than 15 million
people out of work analysts
say it could take several
years for the jobless rate to
get back to 5-6% especially
if the recovery is sluggish.
President Obama this week
outlines plans to boost hiring via additional spending
on infrastructure, subsidies
to weatherize homes and
capital gains tax cuts for
small businesses. It’s gong
to take a long time for unemployment to get back to
5%. Unemployment can
make people cynical, as you
can’t pay your mortgage
without a job, and consumers will cut back consumer
spending which accounts for
70% of economic activity.
The stock market portrait
gains on Thursday last
week but it was more the
same. The NASDAQ bumped
against the 2000 level again
for the 4th time recently. The
US dollar was weak, which
helped reports. Gold rose
slightly and oil was flat.
Starbucks cleared a high
point as did Guess which
leapt $4 in a huge trade. The
University of Michigan con-
OUT LOUD
by Sal Giarratani
Bringing the USS Kennedy “Home” to East Boston
UNEMPLOYMENT GETS WORSE
Job cuts hit hardest on low
skill men, their outlook is
gloomy. The jobless rate can
stay high for years and factory jobs probably will not return. Men have been hit
hard in this recession as
jobs in this male dominated
construction and manufacturing fields have evaporated, many of them for good.
The unemployment rate for
men ages 25-55 is @ 10% in
November, according to the
Labor Department. The jobless rate for women in that
age group is 7.6% both up
from 4% last year. Some of
their jobs will come back as
the economy rebounds, but
not enough to absorb the
bulk of those who have
taken off the payrolls. Manufacturing has been on a
downward trend for a long
time, and its expected to
turn around quickly. Construction and factory workers need to retrain to take
jobs in growing sectors, such
as healthcare, computer
technology and business services economists say. Older
unskilled workers, might
retire early or never get
back into the work force.
There has been a narrowing
out of jobs. The need to get
skills that are more relevant
to giving to home rather
than what we had. The
jobless rate for college
THINKING
sumers Index was the positive, helping the market.
AOL returns to Wall Street
as Time Warner spun off the
stock in order to focus more
on its core entertainment
business. Time Warner got
1 share of AOL for every 11
shares of the parent company, they owned. Many
Time Warner stakeholders
viewed AOL as a piece that
didn’t’ fit in their portfolios.
The shares debuted at $27/
share and is now seeking
@$24. AOL’s plan to morph
from a provider of low cost
services into a web site featuring original contact services. It’s not surprising that
the stock has languished
since its opening as those
who got it in the spin off don’t
understand it. These little
spin off shares meant little
to its shareholders and they
sold them ASAP. In the early
1990’s, AOL had e-mail and
bought Time Warner near its
top price for $164 billion, but
it was a cultural clash and
AOL nose dived. Many investors are not convinced that
AOL can turn it around and
be a success again. Their
success is uncertain. AOL
would be a competitor for
Google, Yahoo and Microsoft.
It’s time to call your
financial advisor or call me
at 617-261-7777.
The 2nd Annual Santa Skate & Toy Drive a Success
I recently moved to East
Boston for the first time in
my life. The last time a
Giarratani lived in East Boston, the Sumner Tunnel was
still on blueprint paper. Even
though, I just arrived, I’ve
been writing for and about
East Boston going back to
the old East Boston Regional
Review over on Bremen
Street and the East Boston
Times when it was run by the
Tarbi family. One of East
Boston’s all-time newspaper
writers was John Camplese,
a dear friend of mine for
years. Since 1983, I’ve been
a writer in the Post-Gazette.
I love the idea of East Boston adding the USS Kennedy
to the local landscape.
I think it is a super idea
and will increase tourism
and tourist dollars into the
local community. I was living in Quincy when the City
of Quincy and the private
sector worked together to get
the USS Salem to the old
Quincy Shipyard. Today, the
ship a part of Quincy and
being used for various
events and has helped the
local economy.
The USS Kennedy is a
much more known ship and
can surely attract more tourists across the harbor to East
Boston. There is no reason
that tourists who go to
Charlestown to visit Old
Ironsides wouldn’t also
want to go aboard the USS
Kennedy. Charlestown’s local economy is boosted by
the Navy Yard with the USS
Constitution and the USS
Cassin Young docked there.
I can see ferry service between Charlestown and
East Boston connecting the
Charlestown Navy Yard to
East Boston.
Kudos to Senator Anthony
Petruccelli and Representative Carlo Basile for trying to
bring the USS Kennedy to
East Boston. It is time for
all of East Boston to come together as one to bring history to East Boston. When
Quincy took the USS Salem
from Philadelphia it was
greeting by cheering crowds
at the old Quincy Shipyard.
Money was raised to move
it to Massachusetts and
money needs to be raised to
move the Kennedy back to
the Kennedy’s family first
home. Now is the time to
prepare for the ship, finding
a site and raising the cash
through a public-private
partnership. In the end the
City of Boston will benefit as
well as the East Boston
economy. And its the right
thing to do.
When Jack Kennedy was
running for president, I was
12 years old. Back in 1958,
my father took the family to
the Columbus Day Parade in
East Boston. We would take
the train to Maverick Station and walk up to the curve
where the parade turned by
the East Boston Savings
Bank. That year I was 10
years old when I saw
Kennedy in person for the
first time. He was running
for re-election to his Senate
seat but probably thinking
1960 too. I remember my father telling me about
Kennedy’s East Boston roots
when the neighborhood was
Irish in the 19th century.
With the USS Kennedy in
East Boston, those roots can
now be shared with America.
LAW OFFICES OF
FRANK J. CIANO
GENERAL PRACTICE OF LAW
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The second annual Santa
Skate & Toy Drive held on
Saturday, December 12 at
the Steriti Skating Rink was
a great success! Sponsored
by the North End Columbus
Day Committee, the event
featured caroling, holiday
music, refreshments, skating and of course a visit by
Santa! Hundreds of toys
were collected for the
children of the Boston ABCD
program.
The committee would like
to thank all those who participated and donated toys.
A special thank you to the
jolly crew at NEMPAC for the
wonderful caroling and DJ
Virgil for spinning great
Christmas music; Boston
Beanstock Coffee on Salem
Street for supplying the
coffee and treats; The Boston Bruins; the staff of
DCR and the Steriti Skating
Rink and our good friends:
Senator Anthony Petruccelli, Representative Aaron
Michlewitz and Councilor
Sal LaMattina!
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Page 5
Giunta Family 9th Annual Christmas Party
The Giunta family 9 th annual Christmas
party was held in West Roxbury this year.
The Giunta’s were from Saint Phillip’s
Parish in Roxbury. Attendance for the
Christmas party runs anywhere from 80
people to last year’s largest attendance of
120 people.
The Giunta family immigrated to the
United States to after a devastating earthquake struck southern Europe in December 1908, Giuseppe and Stefana Giunta,
along with their son Joseph. Eventually five
more children were born, Grace, Catherine,
Tony, Johnny and Michael.
When family members look around at the
annual party attendees, they find it hard to
believe that this started with just two peasants emigrating from Sicily. Now, not only
at Christmas but on many other occasions,
we come together, “La Famiglia” (the family), to pass on the understanding of who we
are and where we came from, to get to know
each other and the special relation that
binds them. They also come together to pass
on the gift of extended family, traditions and
values that have been passed down now to
six generations.
Cent’anni!
St. Agrippina’s 15th Annual Christmas Program
th
Santa and Nick Mustacchio
St. Agrippina’s membership held its 15 annual
Christmas Program for North End children on
Sunday December 13 th. The program once again,
was a huge success! Santa Claus arrived at
St. Agrippina’s Chapel via fire engine. There were
many families anxiously waiting for his arrival,
while holiday music played. Santa Claus took an
individual picture with the children, gave them
an age appropriate gift, a balloon, and a gift bag
filled with school supplies and candy treats for
over 125 children. Santa’s friend, Batman, made
special guest appearances. Furthermore, the
Boston Celtics Cheerleaders made a special visit
to the program and added plenty of smiles and
good wishes to the families of the North End. A
very merry good time was had by everyone that
attended.
(Continued on Page 15)
A Perfect Show For The Whole Family!
Congratulations
to the Proud Parents
Martino Langone Passacantilli was born on
November 9, 2009 to Daniel and Sue Passacantilli.
Martino is the grandson of Lorraine and Daniel
Passacantilli; and Barbara Riggi and the late Martino
Riggi of Connecticut.
He is the great-grandson of Aurora Langone and
the late Honorable Frederick C. Langone and the
late Albert and Josephine Passacantilli of the North
End.
Martino joins his 4-year-old sister, Adriana.
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Page 6
POST-GAZETTE, DECEMBER 18, 2009
• Two Advent Events (Continued from Page 1)
The Annual Saint Leonard
Parish Christmas Concert
that took place on Sunday,
December 13, perfectly captured the spirit of the season. The concert and party
that followed, have quickly
become a parish tradition
and one of the most anticipated events of the Christmas Season in the North
End. As in the past, the concert now in its fifth season
took place in the magnificent setting of Sacred
Heart’s upper church, on
December 13 th , coincidentally, Saint Lucy’s feast day.
Performing at the concert
were Saint Leonard English
and Italian choirs accompanied by Saint John School
children’s choir all under the
direction of Kevin Galie’,
Music Director for Saint
Leonard Parish. Mr. Galie’
who works with the Teatro del
Opera of Rome and has reorchestrated Russian Ballets
for the Arena di Verona
and the Teatro Colon of
Buenos Aires, arranged and
played many of the hymns
performed at the concert.
Mr. Galie’ was accompanied
by Robert Byrd who is Curator of Saint Leonard Pipe Organ and assistant organist.
The
concert
began
promptly at 6:00 pm with a
peal of Sacred Heart’s bells.
Dr Ottavio Nardone opened
the concert by dedicating it
to the parishioners of Saint
Leonard Parish and in
memory of our Mom, Mary
Molinari who was a constant
presence at the concerts
from their inception.
The performance featured
many Church hymns of the
season and the beautiful Pie’
Jesu’, sung to perfection. The
concert ended predictably
and delightfully with the Italian folk Christmas carol “Tu
Scendi dalle Stelle “at 7:30.
The highlight of the evening
was a tribute to Saint Lucy
in recognition of her feast
day. A crown of tiny electric
candles was worn by a
member of Saint John Choir.
She processed down the center aisle of the darkened
church with members of
Saint Lucy’s Society accompanying her lighting candles
of concert goers who in turn
passed the flame to their
neighbor until the church
was ablaze in candle light.
The concert ended with a
hearty thank you to the
concert goers from Father
Antonio Nardoianni, O.F.M.,
Pastor, of Saint Leonard Parish, for making this year’s
concert the most successful
to date. He then extended a
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cordial invitation to all
present to attend the parish
Christmas party.
The annual parish Christmas party took place at Saint
John hall, adjacent to Sacred Heart Church. Concert
goers were treated to sandwiches, pizza and cookies
generously donated by Bova
Bakery, Galleria Umberto
and J. Pace & Son.
Plans are already in motion for next year’s Christmas concert and the continuation of a lovely community event.
There are many ways to
prepare for Advent and
Christmas and one of the
most delightful took place in
our parish on December 6th
when parents and volunteers came together in
Saint Leonard hall to create
a wonderful day of entertainment and religious observance for 32 children; the
event was entitled “A Day of
Preparation for Advent”.
The day began with a talk
by Father Thomas Walsh on
the meaning of Advent. The
children than took part in
an art and craft project in
which they made Christmas
ornaments and an Advent
wreath. The ornaments will
be hung by the children on
Saint Leonard’s Christmas
tree.
The children than took
part in a Yoga class led by
Karen Shea drawing inspiration from the life of Saint
Francis of Assisi. Busying
herself throughout the day
was Lizy Scire who helped
organize the event.
The children were served
lunch which was followed by
Holy Mass celebrated by Father Walsh. A Lenten event
is planned for early next
year.
THAT
ALL THA
T ZAZZ
by Mary N. DiZazzo
The Week Before Christmas
IN THE BEAUTY SALON
Ciao bella,
I would like to wish all my readers and my comrades at
the Post-Gazette Buon Natale. May God bless you all in the
New Year.
Please enjoy this poem as it is a parody and can be read
like “A Visit from Saint Nicholas.” Christmas in its beauty
is the season to make time for people. People you don’t even
know. Make time.
‘Twas The Week Before Christmas when all through the salon
The scissors were clicking; the mad rush was on.
The hairdressers were busy primping the coifs;
Perm odor, tinting, hair spray — what cough?
The nail-techs stayed sitting; painting their art,
And the patrons were in and out like a dart.
The receptionist was praying for the end of the day,
While just out the window she noticed a sleigh.
And in walked a lady all covered in flour;
She said she’d been baking for hours and hours.
“I’ve seen to the children, but what of myself?
“My husband’s been busy and couldn’t spare an elf.
“My nails are all broken; my hair feels like glue;
“I hope there is someone who can make me feel new.”
With that gleam in her eye it was hard to say “no”—
Mary volunteered for the job—ho, ho, ho!
Shampoo, shampoo, how do you do?
Rollers and gel — need the dryer too.
With a trick of her brush she was coiffed in a flash;
Manicured, painted, and dried in a dash.
Her nails were all shiny — painted “jungle-red.”
The smile on her face left nothing unsaid.
As she waved us good-bye, Merry Christmas to all,
Everyone stopped to see the great haul.
While out the window we all began to peer
At a giant sleigh and eight strong reindeer!
Our lady hopped right in and with a nod to go
Off went her chariot above all the snow.
Jingle, jingle, jingle you can hear the bells ring.
It was a sight to behold there were songs to sing.
— Mary N. DiZazzo-Trumbull
Read prior weeks’ “All That Zazz” columns at www.mary
4nails.com. Mary is a third-generation cosmetologist and a Massachusetts distributor of Kosmea brand rose hip oil products.
She may be contacted at (978) 470-8183 or [email protected]
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BOSTON
251 Hanover Street
Boston, MA 02113
(617) 523-6766
Fax (617) 523-0078
DONNE 2000 Cookbook
The
local
Italian
American
Women’s Group, Donne 2000, has
collected the best ethnic recipes from
its group members and compiled
them into an attractive keepsake
cookbook, entitled, Sapori Nostri —
A Taste of Tradition. The cookbook contains 150 well-loved Italian recipes including appetizers,
main dishes, desserts and many other recipes that
have been handed down from generation to generation. The cookbook is an attractive three-ring binder
with a convenient easel bookstand. It will make a
memorable Christmas gift!
Donne 2000 is a non-profit organization for women
of all ages aimed primarily to benefit and educate
women in today’s society and preserve ethnic traditions from generation to generation. Donne 2000
holds many charitable events throughout the year to
raise money for special causes. Their most recent
endeavor was the Donne 2000 Breast Cancer Walk
where a team of woman walked to raise money for
the “cure”.
Cookbooks are on sale now. Proceeds will benefit
the Donne 2000 scholarship fund and other charitable
events. For more information, please contact Doreen
Giammarco at 617-742-0226 or [email protected].
POST-GAZETTE, DECEMBER 18, 2009
Page 7
Freeway
Danilchuck Takes Top Prize
in 4th Annual Holiday Window Contest
Says ...
You can email your questions to [email protected] to the attention of Freeway. Don’t
forget folks, Freeway is not a vet, so please keep the questions light-hearted! Thanks.
Jerry Garcia and Fran Rowen
Danilchuck Auto Body window display takes first place
in the 4th Annual Window Contest.
East Boston Main Streets and the East Boston Chamber
of Commerce are proud to announce that Danilchuck Auto
Body at 73 Addison Street has won top honors in the Fourth
Annual Holiday Window Contest. The next four runners up
are Images by Kahn & Murray at 6 Bremen Street, The
Elder Service Plan at 225 Sumner Street, Balloon City at
995 Bennington Street and Al’s Shoe Store at 225 Border
Street. Honorable mentions go to East Boston Diamond and
Gold, Spinelli’s, La Chiva, Tello’s, Fashion Flowers, Meridian Food market, Oxygen, First Class Salon, Burbugos Laundry, Boston Check Cashiers and Maverick Family Dental.
East Boston Main Streets and the East Boston Chamber
of Commerce would like to thank all businesses who have
participated and have helped to brighten up the business
districts in East Boston.
Lately I’ve been visiting my pooch friends
in other neighborhoods of Boston. It’s funny
the great things you discover just outside
the tunnel for example. Recently I visited
my pooch friend Jerry Garcia over in East
Boston. My human companion bundled me
up and we took the T over. Just one stop
from Aquarium Station on the Blue Line to
Maverick Station. Wow! My how Maverick
Square has changed. There is a new T station, very modern looking. The traffic flows
nicely and what a view of Boston from that
side! I often heard my colleague Sal
Giarratani talk about East Boston but never
really got a chance to visit as this little pooch
has a very busy schedule. It was only a 5
minute train ride or a 10 minute drive from
the North End.
Off we go with my human companion to
visit my pooch friend Jerry Garcia at 80
Border Street, Atlantic Works building. His
human companion is very well known in
East Boston, her name is Fran Rowen. Fran
has been very involved in East Boston activities and most of the community efforts
launched in Eastie. One of her latest endeavors is running the art studios at 80
Border Street.
This was my
first time in
the
building
and
it
was
doggie heaven!
It’s so big and
artsy. It’s located right on
the water and
you have a wonderful view. I surprised Jerry Garcia and
Fran one day and there was so much going
on! Preparations were underway for an artist reception featuring Carmen Sasso’s
work, the Squeezbox Stompers were performing on Friday night and I got sneak
peak of Dr. Youxin Yang, Ph.D. art which
debut on Saturday, December 5, 2009.
So Fran took me and my human companion on a tour of the building. We met some
artists and finally took a breather in the
cultural room, as you can see in photo, Jerry
snuggling with his human companion
Fran. Imagine the wonderful things you can
discover in other neighborhoods of Boston.
I hope my human companion takes me on
more adventures in Boston this Christmas
Season. I love checking out the diversity in
our wonderful city and experiencing new
things just within our reach. Wow, what a
fun day it was for me and Jerry Garcia. One
thing is for sure; my friend Jerry got a
good eye on Fran. He sticks by her side all
day long at the Gallery and makes sure she
is safe and sound. Stop by and visit Fran
and Jerry, they are the most gracious
hosts! Oh one more thing … I think I’ll stick
to writing… I tried painting and, oh well …
it looks like writing is my thing!
Check out 80 Border Street, Atlantic
Works at www.altanticworks.org. for more
information.
East Boston Chamber Works with Boston
Transportation to Address Concerns of Businesses
Balloon City placed as a runner up in the 4 th Annual
Window Contest.
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WWW.BOSTONPOSTGAZETTE.COM
Commissioner Thomas Tinlin and staff join Chamber
members and representatives from Councilor Sal
LaMattina’s office and East Boston Main Streets in Day
Square.
The East Boston Chamber
of Commerce first informed
City Councilor Sal LaMattina, Chairperson of the
Council’s Transportation
Committee, in mid-2008 of
the large volume of neighborhood parking issues being
logged by the Chamber from
local
business
owners.
Working with Councilor
LaMattina
and
Boston
Transportation Department
(BTD) Commissioner Thomas Tinlin, the Chamber
hosted a forum in early 2009
at Maverick Landing, where
business owners shared
their stories and expressed
their concerns.
Two months ago, the
Chamber invited Commissioner Tinlin to take part
in a walking tour of the
neighborhood’s
business
districts; he welcomed the
opportunity. Several BTD
representatives led by Commissioner Tinlin, along with
Chamber President Angelo
Vigliotta, Jr., Chamber director John Dudley, East
Boston Main Street director
Clark Moulaison, and Janet
Knott from the Office of
Councilor LaMattina, took to
each of the four major East
Boston business districts —
Central, Day, Maverick, and
Orient Heights Squares.
The group made stops at
several merchants in each
(Continued on Page 15)
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POST-GAZETTE, DECEMBER 18, 2009
Page 8
North End Athletic Association’s 39th Annual Christmas Parade
Everyone anxiously awaits Santa
The NEAA sponsored the
39 th Annual Christmas Parade on Sunday, December
13, 2009. Santa Claus arrived by helicopter at the
North End Park, the parade
commenced
there
and
weaved through the streets
of the North End. Special
guests included, Mickey and
Minnie Mouse, Wally the
Green Monster, the Boston
Celtics Cheerleaders and
more.
Photos by
Ross Photographer
No snow, so Santa had to arrive in a Helicoptor.
Greeting Santa Robert “Ted” Tomasone, Cathy
Carangelo, Louie Cavagnaro, GiGi Cappozzi, City
Coucillor Sal LaMattina, Mickey Mouse (Dom
Campochiaro) State Representative Aaron Michlewitz.
Santa’s Helpers
Wally the Green Monster
Lenore Tomasone with Santa and Grandson Samuel
Christmas is all about Children ...
... and so are the Shriner’s!
Charlie Vozella, Albie Maniscalco, Richie Longo, Ted Tomasone, GiGi Cappozzi,
Sherman Saltmarsh, Pat Merola, Vito Alvia and Billy Grassia
POST-GAZETTE, DECEMBER 18, 2009
Page 9
The Socially Set
by Hilda M. Morrill
Boston Lyric Opera’s “The Century Gala” co-chairs
Miguel and Suki de Braganca, left, with Boston Symphony
Orchestra Pops conductor Keith Lockhart (he conducted
the BLO’s recent production of “Carmen”) and Emiley
Zalesky Lockhart at The Four Seasons.
(Photo by Roger Farrington)
Boston Lyric Opera’s recent “The Century Gala,”
commemorated the 100 th
anniversary of the opening
of the original Boston Opera
House
on
Huntington
Avenue, which took place on
November 8, 1909. The
building was demolished
1958.
The festive gala, attended
by 200 guests in vintage attire and black tie, was held
at The Four Seasons and
toasted the artistry, legacy
and future of opera in Boston. It was a lavish, multimedia theatrical celebration
that featured leading artists
from the 2009-2010 Season.
Proceeds exceeded expectations by approximately
$22,000 for a total of
$280,000, which is geared
for BLO’s education and community programs.
Gala
Co-Chairs
were
Miguel & Suki de Bragança
of Beacon Hill and Lee &
Cokie Perry of Brookline.
Committee members included Dorothy & David
Arnold, Jane & Steven Akin,
Ted & Joan Cutler, JoAnne
Walton Dickinson, Horace
Irvine
II,
and
Frank
Wisneski & Lynn Dale.
Among the guests were
Linda Cabot Black; Tom &
Jody Gill; Keith & Emiley
Zalesky Lockhart; Mark
Volpe, Managing Director of
the BSO; Michael Maso,
Managing Director of the
Huntington Theatre Company;
and
Frederick
Ilchman, Curator of European Art, MFA – to name a
very few.
Ron Della Chiesa of WGBH
and Russell Patterson, Conductor Laureate of Lyric Opera of Kansas City, were the
evening’s narrators. Among
the performers were JoAnne
Walton Dickinson, and singers from BLO’s upcoming productions of “Ariadne auf
Naxos” and “Idomeneo.”
……. “First Night Boston” is
the country’s oldest and largest New Year’s arts celebration. On December 31, from
1 p.m. to midnight, First
Night presents a day-long
festival of art, music, dance,
ice sculpture, fireworks and
much more.
First Night is an alcoholfree event that welcomes
revelers of all ages to celebrate community and unity
through the arts. First Night
2010 will feature more than
BLO Board of Directors chairman Wayne “The Century Gala” co-chairs Lee and
Davis and Ann Davis at “The Century Cokie Perry.
(Photo by Roger Farrington)
Gala.”
(Photo by Roger Farrington)
1000 artists in 200 exhibi- members of the family. In Lisa Hughes at Copley
tions and performances in addition to face painting Square.
All First Night outdoor
over 35 locations throughout and crafts workshops, there
will be puppet shows, music, events are free, though supBoston.
Following are some of the comedians, jugglers, stunts ported by sales of the First
highlights of this year’s fes- and more. Don’t miss Night button (artwork by
tival. A complete schedule, ImprovBoston Kids Comedy, Ekua Holmes), which is the
including times and exact geared toward kids 8-12, or ticket for admission to all
locations, can be found at original songs from well- indoor events. Buttons are
www.firstnight.org.
known Boston folkie Ellis available at Boston-area
First Night partners with Paul and The Guthrie Fam- Shaw’s and Star Markets,
Berklee College of Music and ily Show, featuring the de- Tedeschi’s, Store 24, Au Bon
WGBH 89.7 FM at the scendants and legacy of Pain and dozens of other
Berklee Performance Cen- Woodie Guthrie. The Down- locations.
For a complete list of
ter to present a special show side Up Circus combines a
with Berklee alumna Anat shared love of circus arts sale locations or to buy
online,
visit
Cohen, to be broadcast live with a commitment to social buttons
in Boston on 89.7 and across change to come up with a www.firstnight.org. Buttons
the country as part of NPR’s show that’s fun for the whole are available at a special web
annual New Year’s Eve family. Local rockers Cul de price through December 26.
……. Just in time for the
broadcast “Toast of the Na- Sac will provide live music
tion.” Idiomatically conver- to films geared toward kids. holidays the North American
sant with modern and tradi- Neighborhood children also tour of “The 101 Dalmatians
tional jazz, classical music, perform, with First Night Musical,” one of the world’s
Brazilian choro, Argentine Drum Central, and Chu Ling greatest classic tales, comes
tango, and an expansive Dance Academy’s traditional to Boston for a limited entimeline
of
Afro-Cuban and contemporary Chinese gagement December 23–27
at the Citi Performing Arts
styles, Tel Aviv-born Cohen dance.
has established herself as
In addition to these and Center Wang Theatre.
Broadway leading lady and
one of the primary voices of other great events, First
her generation on both the Night will also feature Japa- Drama Desk Award winner
tenor saxophone and clari- nese Anime; films of the Rachel York stars in the role
net.
Roxbury Film Festival; three of the villainous Cruella de
Many Boston bands will be ice sculptures; The Metro Vil. Based on the beloved
performing at various loca- Boston First Night Grand
(Continued on Page 10)
tions throughout the city: Procession; the Boston FamThe Neats reunite in sup- ily Fireworks presented by
port of the recent reissue of Mayor Menino and The
DIAMONDS
their early recordings on Mugar Foundation; the traROLEX
Neats 1981-84, and play at ditional midnight fireworks
ESTATE JEWELRY
the Orpheum along with over Boston Harbor sponBought & Sold
Buffalo Tom and The Lyres. sored by Cape Dairy; and a
Jewelers Exch. Bldg.
The Parkman Bandstand midnight countdown with
Jim (617) 263-7766
features Jordan Valentine WBZ-TV’s Jack Williams and
and the Sunday Saints, with
The Fatal Flaw. Jenny Dee
and the Deelinquents bring
their girl group sound to The
Mattéo Gallo
Park Plaza. The Painted
Lights, Walter Sickert and
the Army of Broken Toys and
Cirkestra play at the Hynes,
o
o
Appraisals
and Emmanuel Church feaSales & Rentals
tures
Drew
O’Doherty,
Kristin Hersh and Chris
•
Brokaw and Geoff Farina performing pre-WWII country
blues.
The FedEx Family Festival
376 North Street • Boston, MA 02113
at the Hynes Convention
(617) 523-2100 • Fax (617) 523-3530
Center features entertainment and activities for all
Real Estate
“The 101 Dalmatians Musical,” complete
well behaved doggies, comes to Boston
holiday engagement December 23–27
Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre.
(Photo by
with adorable
for a limited
at the Citi
Joan Marcus)
Page 10
POST-GAZETTE, DECEMBER 18, 2009
B ob D ’s B eat
by Bob DeCristoforo
CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK
Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Plaza
Nine out of the past 10 years North End
Against Drugs has held its Annual Christmas in New York City Day Trip. 2009 was
no different, and this past Saturday, December 12th, we did it again. Our Family trip has
become a Christmas Tradition and this year
in addition to our North End Families and
our Charlestown friends, we had a visitor
from Southie and Cambridge join us. One
long-time guest has described it the best.
“Every year I go, I go to the same places and
take the same pictures, but there is no place
like Christmas in New York City. I love it.
I love it too. I made my usual stops to Ground
Zero, the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller
Center and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. All three
remind me of what Christmas is all about,
Family, Friends, Caring, Sharing, and the
Birthday of a Child. I love Christmas. Next’s
year, our 10 th Anniversary Trip will take
place on Saturday, December 11, 2010!
ST. LEONARD’S PARISH
CHRISTMAS CONCERT
Only one word to describe Sunday’s December 13 th St. Leonard’s Parish Christmas
Concert ... magnificent! The addition of the
St. John’s School Children Choir to the
already beautiful St. Leonard’s Italian and
English Adult Choir made it what it always
should be a complete Parish Christmas
Concert. Here at the beautiful Sacred Heart
Upper Church we saw and heard the present
and the future of our Parish Choir together for the first time. It was MAGNIFICENT. Congratulations to all those,
who made our Christmas season even
brighter.
HIGH SCHOOL PREP NOTEBOOK
The winter season has begun! In City hoop
action Eastie won their first game defeating Southie 71-64, and made it two in a row
defeating non-league Lawrence 79-71.
Madison Park dissed Latin Academy 79-26.
New Mission defeated Burke 81-43. West
Roxbury whipped Dorchester 85-55. In
girls hoop Fenway defeated Charlestown
49-17. On the ice Eastie won two games
defeating Lowell Catholic 6-3 and shutting out Snowden 7-0. The Boston Latin
girls defeated Chelmsford 4-2. Jackie
Delmuto from East Boston plays for Boston
Latin, and the Latin Academy girls won their
season opener defeating Archbishop Williams 4-1. BC High won, stopping Acton
Boxboro 3-1. St. Clement shutout Nashoba
2-0. Sunday I attended the Boston Latin
game, the Latin Academy game, and the
East Boston-Snowdon game, all three played
at the recently renovated Matthews Arena,
home of the Northeastern Huskies and
home to many schoolboys and girls hockey
games for many years. Even more good
news, French fries are back on the menu
at Matthew, the former Boston Arena!
COLLEGE BOARD
College Hockey is into its Christmas
break. Good news for BU, who were defeated
by RPI 5-3 dropping the defending NCAA D1
Champs to 4-9-3 overall and just 2-7-2 in
Hockey East play. UNH goes into the break
atop Hockey East. The Wildcats defeated
Vermont 5-2, and Providence 4-3. BC won
two tipping Harvard 3-2 on Jimmy Hayes OT
goal, and dropping Providence 3-1 Lowell
split a pair with Princeton 4-1 (W), and 3-2
(Lost). UMASS topped Merrimack 4-1. Vermont shutout St Lawrence 3-0. Much improved Maine defeated Northeastern 5-1.
STANDINGS BY POINTS: UNH 18, BC
16,Maine 15, UMASS 12, Lowell 11, Vermont
10,Northeastern 9, Merrimack 8, BU 6,
Providence Tommy DeRosa and his Tufts
Jumbos defeated Connecticut College 3-2
in overtime. Leading team scorer DeRosa
had a goal, but it was Lindsay Walker, who
got it done in overtime. Tufts is 5-2-1 overall. On the basketball court Harvard defeated
host Boston College 74-67 for the second
year in a row. Go Harvard! Big time college
basketball comes to the TD Garden this
Saturday, Dec 19, when UMass host Memphis at 6pm.
TIDBITS
Umberto DeMarco
Ralph Z
- Birthday Best to Patte Papa
- Celeb Sightings: Barbara Maldero ‘serving’ at the St. Leonard’s Parish Christmas
Party, hard working Ricky Puopolo preparing for a shift at Damian’s, Father Dominic
at the St. Leonard’s Christmas Concert,
Umberto DeMarco at his new Caffe Graffiti,
and Ralph Z of Pinocchio Pizzeria Harvard
Square fame.
- CYO Basketball has returned to the
Nazzaro Center. Go Knights!
Good Christmas gifts ...’ Then Belichick
said to Brady ...’ by Jim Donaldson, and ‘Total Patriots: the Definitive Encyclopedia of
the World Class Franchise’ by Bob Hyldburg.
- Just 7 Shopping Days till Christmas!
• The Socially Set (Continued from Page 9)
book by Dodie Smith and led
by an award-winning creative team including fourtime Tony Award winning
director Jerry Zaks (A Bronx
Tale, Smokey Joe’s Café,
Guys and Dolls), acclaimed
book writer/co-lyricist BT
McNicholl
(Billy
Elliot,
Spamalot, The IT Girl), and
co-founder of the legendary
rock band Styx Dennis
DeYoung, “The 101 Dalmatians Musical” promises a
quirky, upside-down view of
the world as the actors perform on stilts allowing the
audience to see life from a
dog’s point of view.
For tickets, and more information, call 866-348-9738
or visit www.Citicenter.org.
The Italians are coming to Boston!
We need Italian speaking Boston tour guides.
We train. For more information,
e-mail [email protected].
For groups of 10 or more, call
1-866-633-0194 or 617-5321116.
You can also check out
www.the101dalmatians
musical.com, which features
some really fun videos.
Enjoy!
(Be sure to visit Hilda
Morrill’s gardening Web site,
www.bostongardens.com.
In addition to events covered
and reported by the columnist,
“The Socially Set” is compiled
from various other sources
such as news and press releases, PRNewswire services,
etc.)
ANGELS & DEMONS
(2- Disc Blu-ray)
Extended Edition
Sony Pictures Home Ent.
The Da Vinci Code team of
Oscar Winners Tom Hanks
and Director Ron Howard
reunite for the box office
smash Angels & Demons. In
Howard’s thrilling follow-up
to The Da Vinci Code, expert
symbologist Robert Langdon
(Hanks) follows ancient clues
on a heart-racing hunt
through Rome to find the four
Cardinals kidnapped by the
deadly secret society, the
Illuminati. With the Cardinals’ lives on the line, and
the
Camerlengo
(Ewan
McGregor) desperate for help,
Langdon embarks on a nonstop, action-packed race
through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, and the
most secretive vault on
Earth! The Blu-ray Disc
version is BD-Live enabled,
allowing users to get connected and go beyond the disc
via an Internet-connected
Blu-ray player. (2 hrs.
26 mins.).
RUSH —
WORKING MEN (DVD)
Anthem-Zoe-Rounder
Working Men features live
recordings of the band’s
‘Best of Live’ compilation, as
well as one previously
unreleased track, “One Little
Victory.” The renowned rock
trio Rush, featuring Geddy
Lee, bass guitar, keyboards
and vocals; Alex Lifeson, guitar and vocals; and Neil Peart
on drums, is considered one
of the most inventive and
compelling groups in rock
history. The dozen songs on
this exciting performance includes, “Limelight,” “Freewill,” “Far Cry” and “Tom
Sawyer” from 2008’s Snakes
& Arrows DVD. “The Spirit of
Radio,” “Dreamline,” “Subdivisions,” the previously
unreleased “One Little Victory,” and “Working Man” are
from 2005’s R30 DVD. While
“2112,” “Closer to the Heart,”
and “YYZ,” are culled from the
2003 Rush In Rio DVD. You
won’t find any harder working men in rock!
KOBE DOIN’ WORK (DVD)
ESPN & Disney Home Ent.
Director Spike Lee calls the
shots as he takes you upclose-and-personal with Kobe
Bryant, the NBA’s Most Valuable Player of 2008. Experience unlimited access as 30
cameras follow Kobe’s every
move in one of the most important matchups of the
2007-08 season. Miked to
hear his every word, Kobe
puts his leadership skills to
the ultimate test as the Los
Angeles Lakers take on the
San Antonio Spurs for the
Western Conference title
lead. From locker room prep
and strategy talks to the dynamic action of the big game
itself. Kobe Doin’ Work is the
NBA superstar as you’ve
never seen him before: in-
tense, uncensored and totally real! (1 hr. 25 mins.).
THE THREE STOOGES:
VOLUME 7 1952-1954
(2-DVD)
Sony Pictures Home Ent.
22 digitally remastered
shorts that continue The
Stooges legacy with the return of the original Stooge,
Shemp. Included in this volume are such classics as the
Stooges’ 3D shorts: Spooks
and Pardon My Backfire, presented for the first time in
both 3D and 2D, as well as
Shot in the Frontier, a parody
of the classic film High Noon.
Volume Seven continues Sony
Pictures Home Entertainment’s long-running tribute
to the comedic mastery of
the Stooges. 3D glasses are
included with this hilarious
video set! (5 hrs.56 mins.).
FAR CRY (DVD)
Vivendi Ent.
Jack
Carver
(Til
Schweiger), a retired Special
Forces officer escorts star
journalist Valerie (Emmanuelle Vaugier) who’s on the
trail of a story on a mysterious island off the Pacific
Northwest. Upon docking
they are attacked and pursued by a squad of mercenaries employed by scientist, Dr.
Krieger (Udo Kier). In their
attempt to escape they uncover Dr. Krieger’s secret lab
and unleash the genetically
engineered beasts that he’s
created. Director Uwe Boll’s
action-packed thriller has
Jack battling to get himself
and Valerie off this deadly
island. (1 hr. 35 mins.).
MARTY BALIN —
LIVE AT THE BOSTON
ESPLANADE, JUNE 14,
2008 (DVD)
MVDvisual
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer
Marty Balin, formerly of The
Jefferson Airplane and The
Jefferson Starship, is one of
the key personalities of the
San Franciscan sound that
also launched The Grateful
Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Steve Miller
Band and Janis Joplin. Recorded on June 14, 2008 here
at Boston’s beautiful Hatch
Shell. This solo DVD from
Balin features “Volunteers,”
“3/5ths of a Mile in Ten Seconds,” “White Rabbit,” “Somebody to Love” with Didi
Stewart on vocals), plus a version of Balin singing the latter song as a solo. Along with
“Today” and “Summer of
Love,” as well as Balin’s
Starship hits “Miracles,”
“Count on Me,” “Runaway,”
along with his 1980 solo hit
“Hearts,” and a cover of Bruce
Cockburn’s “If I Had a Rocket
Launcher,” plus eight ‘Bonus
Tracks’. This ultimate fan
package features a rare 2008
solo performance by founding
member of Jefferson Airplane with extended versions
of his hits, along with interview footage and rehearsal
session. (2 hrs. 30 mins.).
The Federal Trade Commission
works for the consumer to prevent
fraud and deception.
Call 1-877-FTC-HELP or log on to www.ftc.gov.
POST-GAZETTE, DECEMBER 18, 2009
NOW
PLAYING
UPTOWN & DOWNTOWN
Simpson, Dowland, Brade, Schopp,
Orn & Borchgrevinck.
CANTATAS, SONATAS & MORAL
TALES – Saturday, February 13, 2010
at 8:00 PM – Music by Telemann,
Handel, Weiss, Beyer, Baron & Bach.
GRAND BALLET DUCOUR – Saturday, April 17, 2010 at 8:00 PM.
Works by Moulinie, Boesset, Mesangeau, Guedron & du Caurroy. For
more information call 617-776-0692.
SYMPHONY HALL
301 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, MA
HAYDN, C.P.E. BACH AND
SCHUBERT - Thursday, January 7,
2010 at 8:00 PM; Saturday, January
9, 2010 at 8:00 PM and Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at 8:00 PM. Ton Koopman
is the conductor for these evenings.
Yo-Yo Ma, cellist will be performing.
To purchase tickets, please call: 617266-1200; TDD/TTY 617-638-9289
and in other areas: 888-266-1200 or
visit the BSO website at: www.bso.org
Special Events
Strega Nona the Musical is the fusion of three of Tomie
dePaola’s cherished books: Strega Nona, Strega Nona
Her Story and Big Anthony and the Magic Ring. Strega
Nona is the musical tale of a friendly magical witch —
with a funny name — who strives to cure the ills of her
tiny Italian town of Calabria. The baker has bunions
(“As big as an onion”), his daughter wishes for witchery,
and the local single ladies are always unlucky in love.
The town faces real problems when a local lug named
Big Anthony sneaks a peek at Strega Nona’s magic book
and uses Strega Nona’s magical ways for selfish means.
When Anthony fools with the magic pasta pot, and can’t
figure out how to turn it off, pasta threatens to engulf
the whole town — unless Strega Nona can save the day.
With an energetic and tuneful score by composer Aron
Accurso, this fantastical tale teaches that witches can
be good, and that and you can’t judge a pot by its pasta!
A perfect way to end the Christmas Season and to
celebrate La Befana. Check out Italian Special Events
and Programs.
THEATER
ZERO ARROW THEATRE
2 Arrow Street, Cambridge, MA
THE DONKEY SHOW – Now
through January 2, 2010. The intoxicating international sensation
that takes you behind the velvet
ropes into a glittered wonderland
of decadence, divas, and disco,
inspired by Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night Dream.” For tickets
or more info, you may call 617-5478300 or log on to the webiste at:
www.AmericanRepertoryTheater.org.
LOEB DRAMA CENTER
64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA
HAMLETMACHINE – Now through
December 20th. This story is a descent
into unspoken fears and fantasies,
a love story within an imagistic
dreamscape. It explores the difficulties of transcending our own neuroses to make a human connection.
BEST OF BOTH WORLDS – Now
through January 3, 2010. This is a
new musical for the whole family that
is bursting with the sounds of R&B
and Gospel which includes community, university and church choirs —
this is a definite must see!!! For
tickets and further information,
please call: 617-547-8300 or visit:
www.AmerianRepertoryTheater.org.
COLONIAL THEATRE
106 Boylston St., Boston, MA
MAMMA MIA - December 19 at
2:00PM and 8:00PM and December 20
at 2:00PM and 8:00PM. If you love
Abba or not, this musical will definitely be sure to delight all! Lose
yourself in this fast paced, highly
entertaining musical. It is bound
to get you dancing and jumping out
of your seats. For tickets call
Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or
visit www.ticketmaster.com.
EMERSON UMBRELLA CENTER
FOR THE ARTS
40 Stow Street, Concord, MA
EBENEZER SCROOGE: A CHRISTMAS CAROL – Now through December 20th (nine performances only). This
spiritually uplifting musical adaptation of the 1843 Charles Dickens’
classic tells the story of the tight-fisted
curmudgeon, Scrooge and his personal transformation. You won’t want
to miss this. For tickets and further
information, please call: 877-746-9755
or log on to www.NewLifeFineArts.org.
NORTH SHORE MUSICAL
CHILDREN’S THEATRE
466 Central St., Saugus, MA
LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD - Sunday, December 20th at 2pm. Kaleidoscope has been performing at both
the South Shore Music Circus and
Cape Cod Melody Tent for almost thirty
years. Next summer Kaleidoscope
will continue at the Hampton Beach
Casino Ballroom with another
monthly series. In early December
you can also enjoy Kaleidoscope's
Cinderella's Christmas at Boston's
Wilbur Theatre! For further info,
please
visit
the
website
at
www.kaleidoscopechildrenstheatre.com,
email [email protected] or call
1-781-230-3976 for reservations.
MUSIC
KING’S CHAPEL
Corner of School and Tremont
Streets, Boston, MA
MID-DAY RECITAL – Tuesday,
December 22 nd at 12:15 PM. Traditional Carols and Seasonal works by
Bach, Scarlatti and others. MID-DAY
RECITAL – Tuesday, December 29 th
at 12:15 PM – Works by Bach, Franck
and Guilmant. CHRISTMAS EVE AT
KING’S CHAPEL – Thursday, December 24th at 10:30 PM – Lessons & Carols by Byrd, Mendelssohn, Rutter and
Distier. NEW YEAR’S EVE AT KING’S
CHAPEL – Thursday, December 31 st
at 9:00 PM – A First Night Button is
required. Heinrich Christensen plays
the C.B. Fish Organ – All works by
Bach. For more information, please
call: 617-227-2155 or visit: www.kingschapel.org.
OLD SOUTH CHURCH
645 Boylston Street, Boston, MA
‘SHEPHERDS, FOLLOW THE
STAR” – Friday, December 18th at 8:00
PM. This concert includes music from
all ages inspired by the story of the
simple shepherds who suddenly witnessed a great star shining in the East.
The celebration also includes the
annual holiday traditions of a candlelight processional and carol singing
with the audience. For more information and tickets, call: 800-658-4276
or visit: www.choruspromusica.org.
FIRST CHURCH CONGREGATIONAL
Lindsay Chapel Mason & Garden
Streets Cambridge, MA
THE KING OF DENMARK’S
HEALTH – Saturday, January 16,
2010 at 8:00 PM. Works of Thomas
CUTLER MAJESTIC THEATRE AT
EMERSON COLLEGE
219 Tremont Street, Boston, MA
CHRISTMAS CELTIC SOJOURN
2009 - December 17-20, 2009 - WGBH
presents a Christmas Celtic Sojourn
2009. Presented by WGBH, A Christmas Celtic Sojourn brings dynamic
musical and dance performances from
around the world center stage for a
truly unique experience that embodies the warmth of the holiday spirit.
Tickets on sale through Cutler
Majestic
Theatre
Box
Office:
Telecharge, 1-800-233-3123 or online
at www.broadwayoffers.com.
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA
LOWELL LECTURE SERIES – Now
through April 2010. Travel the world
without leaving Boston. Lecturers include Paul Theroux Frances Mayes
and Alexander McCall Smith. All lectures to be held in the Rabb Lecture
Hall. All lectures are free and open to
the public. Please visit: www.bpl.org/
news/lowell.htm
BOSTON’S SOUTH END
(between 460 Harrison Avenue
and Albany Street)
NEW HOLIDAY MARKETPLACE
IN SOWA FEATURES DIVERSE SELECTION OF ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES - In December on Thayer
Street. The Marketplace will coincide
with the SoWa Winter Lights Celebration, which will include festivities
around the many galleries and retailers in the area. There will be singing
and dancing and a spectacular light
show. The Marketplace will be open
December 18th, 19th and 20th. The Marketplace hours will be Friday from 4:00
to 9:00 pm, Saturday from 10:00 am
to 5:00 pm and Sunday from 11:00 am
to 4:00 pm. There is free parking on
Albany Street. For more info visit
www.sowaantiquesmarket.com.
WORCESTER ART MUSEUM
Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA
HOLIDAY
PERFORMANCE:
ASSABET
VALLEY
CHAMBER
SINGERS –
HOLIDAY PERFORMANCE: THE
ALL-SAINTS CHOIRS – Sunday, December 20th from 2:00-3:00 PM. Enjoy
one of Worcester’s cultural treasures
as they perform joyous holiday music.
For more information call: 508-7994406 or visit: www.worcesterart.org.
CUTLER MAJESTIC THEATRE AT
EMERSON COLLEGE
219 Tremont Street, Boston, MA
CHRISTMAS CELTIC SOJOURN
2009 - Now through December 20,
2009 - WGBH Presents a Christmas
Celtic Sojourn 2009. Presented by
WGBH, A Christmas Celtic Sojourn
brings dynamic musical and dance
performances from around the world
center stage for a truly unique experience that embodies the warmth of
the holiday spirit. Tickets on sale
through Cutler Majestic Theatre Box
Office: Telecharge, 1-800-233-3123 or
www.broadwayoffers.com.
TOP OF THE HUB
800 Boylston Street
On the 52nd floor of the Prudential Building
TOP OF THE HUB - December 31,
2009 will usher in the New Year with
a special evening-long celebration on
Thursday, December 31. The festivities will begin with a Welcome Cocktail Reception at 7:30 p.m., followed
by a Six Course Prix-Fixe Dinner at
8:30 p.m. and a dazzling Champagne
Toast at Midnight. With sweeping
views of the city serving as a spectacular backdrop. Live jazz entertain-
Page 11
ment will be provided throughout the
evening by The Bob Nieske Group
featuring Phil Grenadier and popular vocalist Maggie Galloway. To add
to the celebration high above the city,
the evening not only promises views
of a Full Moon (weather permitting)
but a Blue Moon — which has only
occurred on New Year’s Eve one other
time in the past 20 years! The event
is a 21+ event and reservations are
available by calling 6 1 7 - 5 3 6 - 1 7 7 5.
EMMANUAL CHURCH BOSTON
15 Newbury Street, Boston, MA
JOHN HOLLENBECK AND THE
CLAUDIA QUINTET - December 31,
2009 with special guest Gary Versace
premiere new works from their Chamber Music America’s 2009 New Jazz
Works Grant Commissioning and
Ensemble Development program
funded through the generosity of the
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
They’ll be performing as part of the
First Night Celebration: December 31st
“First Night” Event Set Times: 9:00 PM
- 9:45 PM , 10:15 PM - 11:00 PM (with
Trevor Dunn and Matt Mitchell)
www.firstnight.org.
ARTS
PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM
East India Square, Salem, MA
REVISIONS: INDIAN ARTISTS
ENGAGING TRADITIONS – Now
through Spring of 2010. Come see how
some of today’s leading artists reinterpret traditional use of color, composition and subject. This unique
exhibition pairs some of the finest
works from PEM’s world renowned
contemporary Indian Art collection
with rare works from the Harvard Art
Museum.
RARE BIRD OF FASHION: THE
IRREVERENT IRIS APFEL – Now
through February 7, 2010. This exhibit features more than 80 dramatic
ensembles from the personal collection of legendary tastemaker and style
icon Iris Apfel. She is known for her
designer clothing and exotic baubles.
TRASH MENAGERIE – Now
through May, 2010. This exhibit presents over 30 whimsical animals created from things most of us simply
throw away. For example: A luminous
moth made from piano keys and pot-
tery shards. For more information, call
866-745-1876.
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA
HARRY CALLAHAN, AMERICAN
PHOTOGRAPHER – Now through
July 3, 2010. This exhibition features
intimate portraits, scenes of Urban
Life and the Natural Landscape.
There are a collection of approximately 40 photographs that survey
the major visual themes of this
artist’s career. For more information,
please call: 617-369-3445 or visit:
www.mfa.org.
INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY
ART
100 Northern Ave., Boston, MA
CHARLES LEDRAY – Now through
January, 2010. Often intimate in
scale, LeDray’s sculptures of clothing,
toys and domestic objects are created
by hand with extraordinary detail. For
more information call:
MOMENTUM 15: R.H. Quaytman
– Now through March 28, 2010. This
is a new series of paintings by this
Boston-born artist in her first solo
museum exhibition. Her dazzling
works incorporate silk screened
photographs and abstract patterns,
diamond dust layers, and handpainted elements.
RONI HORN AKA RONI HORN –
February 19, 2010 through June 13,
2010. Using a variety of materials including pure pigment, 24 carat gold,
color photographs, and cast glass,
Horn creates immensely beautiful and
sensuous works that evoke the mystery inherent to even the most familiar subjects, the weather, the depths
of water even our sense of place and
identity. For more info call: 617-4783100 or visit t www.icaboston.org.
THE STERLING AND FRANCINE
CLARK ART INSTITUTE
22 Clark St., Williamstown, MA
STEPS OFF THE BEATEN PATH:
NINETEENTH CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHS OF ROME AND ITS ENVIRONS- Now through January 3, 2010.
This is a loaned exhibition of photographic images from the collection of
W. Bruce and Delaney H. Lundberg.
Viewers today can step into a Rome
that was about to step out of the preindustrial age. For more info call: 413458-2303 or visit: www.clarkart.edu.
ITALIAN EVENTS & PROGRAMS
ITALIAN RADIO
“The Sicilian Corner” 11:00 AM
to 1:00 PM every Friday with host Tom
Zappala and Mike Lomazzo and “The
Italian Show” w/Nunzio DiMarca
every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM
www.1110wccmam.com
“Italia Oggi”(Italy Today) Sundays
1PM to 2 PM with host Andrea Urdi
1460 AM www.1460WXBR.com
“Dolce Vita Radio” DJ Rocco
Mesiti 11 AM-1 PM Sundays. 90.7 FM
or online www.djrocco.com
“The Nick Franciosa Show” Every Sunday at 12 Noon to 3:00 PM
on radio stations WLYN 1360 AM and
WAZN 1470 AM.
“Guido Oliva Italian Hour”
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM every Sunday
on WSRO 650AM Framingham
and online at www.wsro.com.
REGATTABAR
AT THE CHARLES HOTEL
One Bennett St., Cambridge, MA
CARMEN CONSOLI - Thursday,
January 7, 2010 at 7:30PM. A melodious voice that echos in one of
Boston’s finest and popular jazz venues, Sicilian born artist Carmen
Consoli will promise to entertain her
American fan base. For more info call
617-395-7757 or www.peltrix.com/
getshowtix/regattabar.
COLONIAL THEATER
106 Boylston St., Boston, MA
TOMIE DEPAOLA’S STREGA
NONA - Saturday, January 9 th at
11am, 2pm and 5pm. Strega Nona will
bring its delightful story and fresh,
original score to Boston’s Colonial
Theatre on January 9, 2010. Under
the direction of Tracy Ward (Hunter
Gatherers, Bay Area Premiere), choreography by Nicole McGann and a
“pop-up book inspired” set design by
Andrea Bechert; the magic of each
song brings new life to the material
for a young audience and to audiences that have grown up reading the
legendary stories of native New England author Tomie dePaola. Maximum Entertainment is presenting the
tour in association with Active Arts
Theater. Tickets available through an
authorized ticket seller found only at
Ticketmaster 1-800-982-2787, at all
Ticketmaster outlets, by visiting
BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com/Boston
and directly at the box office of
Boston’s Colonial Theatre, 106
Boylston Street, Boston during normal business hours Monday- Saturday 10:00am – 6:00pm. STREGA NONA
is part of the Broadway Across America
– Boston 2009-2010 Family Series and
is recommended for ages 4 – 9.
MALDEN CATHOLIC
HS AUDITORIUM
99 Crystal St., Malden, Ma
CHRISTMAS CAROLING FROM
ORTIGIA SICILIY - Friday, December 18, 2009 at 7:00PM. Enjoy Sicilian
Christmas Caroling. A definite treat
and unique experience. To order tickets please call 781-461-9950. All proceeds to benefit the flood victims in
Messina - Italy.
PARADISE ROCK CLUB
967 Commonwealth Avenue,
Boston, MA
JOVANOTTI - Wednesday, April
28, 2010 at 8:00 PM. Italy’s number
one recording artist Jovanotti announces Oyeah, the debut US album
release by the chart topping Tuscan
singer, songwriter and rapper for the
legendary Verve Forecast label. Oyeah
was recorded in New York City during
the Summer of 2009 during
Jovanotti’s series of residencies at
leading Manhattan and Brooklyn
clubs with the Soleluna NY LAB, a
New York-based collective of musicians from Italy, the United States and
Brazil. A critically acclaimed pioneer
in the international hip hop scene
renown for working in his native Italian language, Jovanotti again breaks
new ground on his first Stateside set.
Resisting the temptation of re-purposing existing recordings in English for
the American market, Jovanotti instead conceived and created a project
entirely within its borders, incorporating multiple languages and achieving a musical result ready for worldwide consumption. A double album
collection, Oyeah’s 20 tracks feature
all new live versions of original repertoire drawn from Jovanotti’s generation-long career plus 3 unreleased
studio takes on classic Italian songs
re-interpreted for today’s international music market. For tickets and
more information please call 617-5628800 or www.livenation.com.
Page 12
POST-GAZETTE, DECEMBER 18, 2009
Recipes from the
Homeland
by Vita Orlando Sinopoli
No crucifixes in schools: Italians of all political stripes are expressing outrage over a
European Court of Human Rights ruling
requiring that crucifixes be removed from
Italian classrooms because they could offend non-Catholics. “This is one of those decisions that often make us doubt Europe’s
common sense,” said Prime Minister Silvio
Berlusconi, who plans to appeal on the
grounds that the crucifix is part of Italian
heritage; the country is overwhelming
Catholic. A poll found 84 percent of Italians,
including many who do not attend Mass, support keeping the crosses in public schools,
where they hang on every classroom wall.
The case was brought by a Finnish immigrant who complained that the presence of
crucifixes in Italian classrooms infringed on
her right to raise her child as an atheist.
A Massachusetts woman whose life has
taken a bad turn was heartened recently to
find Jesus Christ looking at her from her
steam iron. Mary Jo Coady, 44, says the iron
was lying on the floor of her daughter’s bedroom when she spotted the curious pattern
of scorching on its face. “I see his eyes, his
nose, his whole face,” says Coady, “and I was
like, ‘That’s Jesus looking at us.’” Coady, who
recently separated from her husband, moved
out of her house, and had her hours cut at
work, said the miraculous image “gave me
a sign that life is going to be good.”
Ugh! A Vietnamese man, distraught after
the death of his wife, dug up her corpse and
slept beside it for five years. The unnamed
55-year-old says that for the first 20 months
after his wife’s death, in 2003, he slept on
top of her grave, but when the rain and cold
started to affect his health, he dug up her
remains, used clay to restore some of her
womanly form, and took the corpse home.
“I’m a person who does things differently,”
the man told authorities.
Interesting to note, one in four American
children now depends on food stamps. Among
all Americans, one in eight is receiving food
stamps, and as unemployment drops middleclass people into poverty, 20,000 additional
people are signing up each day.
Not having any cash won’t be an excuse to
pass by the Salvation Army red kettles this
holiday season. Bell ringers in about 200
cities, including New York, Chicago, and
Dallas, now accept credit cards.
Meow! Bow wow! 52% of the nation’s pet
owner’s plan to their animal a holiday gift,
up from 43% last year.
Bella Culo of Chestnut Hill suggests for the
holidays, why not give the gift that keeps on
giving? — a female cat.
Authorities in Dudley, Massachusetts, responding to complaints about a woman whose
15 cats were destroying a neighbor’s lawn,
outlawed owning three or more cats without
a kennel license. The cat owner, Mary Ellen
Richards, announced she was selling her
house and moving “to a more-cat-friendly
community.”
Speaking of animals, Tom Analetto of
Medford thinks animals are such agreeable
friends; they ask no questions, they make
no criticisms.
Healthy advice! Eat mushrooms to beat the
flu! Scientists have discovered that mushrooms are a great, natural way to boost the
body’s immune system-and fight off seasonal
viruses and infections. A team from Tufts
University says that eating the fleshy funghi
improves the body’s level of hormone-like
proteins called cytokines that play an important role in staving off flu infections. Experts say all mushrooms are good, but
shitake, maltake, and reishi appear to pack
the biggest immunity punch.
Planning to take a cruise? Well, beware the
dangers lurking onboard if you’re going on a
cruise, say experts. An investigation of 56
ships operated by nine large cruise lines
found that only 30% of public bathroom surfaces were disinfected daily. Though visibly
clean, they were a haven for bacteria that
could cause diarrhea and vomiting, found
researchers from Carney Hospital, Boston.
They advise using your cabin rest room and
washing hands with soap and water.
If you find yourself in a showdown at work
with a boss or
a colleague,
c o m m o n
sense
suggests that you
should bite
your tongue and walk away. But that approach could kill you, new research suggests.
In brief, Scientists in Sweden claim “you
have to act.” Men who screamed, protested
immediately, or spoke up later all showed
lower rates of heart complications. So blow
your stack!
“Mona” Lisa Cappuccio of East Boston suggests before you have an argument with your
boss, you’d better take a good look at both
sides-his side and the outside.
Carlo Scostumato suggests never argue
with a woman. You might win-and then you’ll
really be in trouble.
What do we know the widely read Boston
Globe columnist Joan Vennochi? In brief,
Vennochi joined the Globe in 1977 as a research assistant on the Globe’s investigative Spotlight Team. She is a graduate of
Boston University (1975), Suffolk Law School
(1984), and a member of the Massachusetts
Bar. After graduating from Boston University,
Vennochi worked at the Thomaston (CT) Express, a small weekly newspaper, and the
Danbury News-Times. In 1980, as a member
of the Globe’s Spotlight Team, she shared a
Pulitzer Prize that the Globe won for a Spotlight report on waste and mismanagement
in the Mass. Bay State Transportation Authority. She has also worked as a general
assignment reporter, Boston City Hall Bureau Chief (1984), State House Bureau Chief
(1986) and covered the 1988 presidential
campaign. She joined the Globe’s business
reporting staff in 1988, and began writing her
column in July 1991.
Have your cake — but don’t eat it! You can
have your cake — and lose weight, too! Of
course you can’t eat the sweet treats. You
can only look at mouth-watering photos of
them! Researchers discovered that tempting pictures of yummy cake actually discouraged female test subjects from pigging out
on high-cal desserts.
News from the Sahara Desert, Egypt: Italian archaeologists believe they have found
the remains of 50,000 Persian soldiers killed
in a freak sandstorm 2,500 years ago. The
Greek historian Herodotus wrote about the
lost army of King Cambyses II, sent to conquer Egypt in 525 B.C. “A wind arose from
the south, strong and deadly, bringing with
it vast columns of whirling sand,” Herodotus
wrote, “which entirely covered up the troops,
and caused them wholly to disappear.” But
archaeologist twins Angelo and Alfredo
Castiglioni announced that they had found
hundreds of skeletons, along with ancient
Persian arrowheads and artifacts, in the
Sahara. “In the desolate wilderness of the
desert,” said expedition member Dario Del
Bufalo, “we have found the most precise location where the tragedy occurred.”
Wee bit of show business reminiscing with
the maestro and musicologist Albert Natale.
Singer/actress Connie Stevens made her
film debut at age 20 in a movie called “Young
and Dangerous.” Her recording career began
in the early ’60s with a duet with Ed Byrnes
called “Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb.”
Singer Eileen Barton was an understudy for
the Broadway musical “Best Foot Forward”
in 1941. Her biggest hit was “If I Knew You
Were Coming, I’d Have Baked a Cake” in
1950. Singer Tony Bennett is said to have
actually been “discovered” in 1950 by Pearl
Bailey and Bob Hope working under the
name Joe Bari. Reminder! Geraldo
Graziano/Jerry Gray was born in East Boston. He wrote such songs as String of Pearls,
Pennsylvania 6-5000 and Sun Valley Jump.
His arrangement of Begin the Beguine for
Artie Shaw put Shaw on-the-map! Harry
Warren, born Salvatore Guaragna in Brooklyn wrote “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” “That’s
Amore,” “I Only Have Eyes For You,” ‘You’ll
Never Know,” “A Love Affair to Remember.”
Harry Warren wrote more hit songs then Irving Berlin and George Gershwin.
AMERICA IS A BEAUTIFUL ITALIAN NAME
COPYRIGHT, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
CASSATTEDI “ka-sa-ted-dee”
A Sicilian Christmas Ricotta Cheese Turnover
1 pound container ricotta cheese
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon orange rind
3/4 cups water
1 tablespoons red wine
1/4 cup shortening or margarine
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of salt
Pinch of cinnamon (optional)
2 cups cooking oil
Additional granulated sugar
10-inch Teflon skillet
Place ricotta cheese in a colander to drain.
Put flour in ten-inch bowl. Cut in shortening with knife
and fork. Add sugar and salt. Mix while adding water slowly.
Before using all water, work red wine into mixture. (Wine
causes dough to bubble when fried). Continue mixing dough
until it holds together and all flour is used. Knead dough to
a smooth consistency. Separate into three portions. Roll
each into a long piece. Cut roll into smaller portions
approximately one-inch thick. Place in bowl and cover.
Transfer drained ricotta into bowl. Add orange rind,
cinnamon and mix thoroughly by hand. With rolling pin,
roll each piece of dough into paper-thin rounds. Place a
tablespoon of ricotta in center of dough. Fold over (like turnovers). Press lightly around filling to allow inside air to
escape. Then seal edges with crinkled pastry cutter or press
edge with fork. Set aside on pastry cloth or a flour-dusted
tablecloth. Makes about twenty-four Cassattedi.
Pour enough oil in a ten-inch Teflon skillet to cover
bottom. Prick top of 6 Cassattedi at a time (with a pin) before placing in hot oil top down. When frying, turn each one
with spatula until golden brown on both sides.
When any ricotta or fluid escapes into the hot oil, the
liquid will splatter and burn. Remove Cassattedi from oil.
Clean skillet. Add and heat new oil and continue frying
remaining Cassattedi.
Place fried Cassattedi in a serving platter layered with
granulated sugar. Sprinkle additional sugar on each one.
Serve hot or cooled.
Leftover Cassattedi must be refrigerated.
NOTE: While I fry my Cassattedi each year with my daughters,
my mind wanders back to the many times I stood with my cousins at Zia Marianna’s black Glenwood stove on Charter Street.
We waited patiently to sprinkle granulated sugar over our
favorite Christmas treats. Then we served them to the relatives
who gathered at the round kitchen table where we later enjoyed
our Christmas Eve supper.
Vita can be reached at [email protected]
• Stirpe Nostra (Continued from Page 2)
a strange translucent liquid
flowed forth in streams; and
this it is said was the origin
of glass as we know it.
Sand from this district
proved to be particularly
suitable for glass making and
was exported in great quantities to workshops in other
areas. Alexandria was another center for glass making with a sustained reputation for many centuries.
Phoenician glass has been
found in Etruscan cemeteries and we are told that
drinking cups were used to
replace those of gold and
silver. One historian said
that glass cups sold in his
time for a paltry sum of half
an “as” (a Roman copper coin
having a value of less than
one cent).
NEXT WEEK:
Vitrum continued
1st Generation
Italian-American
Vita Orlando Sinopoli
Shares with us
a delightful recollection
of her memories as a child
growing up in
Boston’s “Little Italy”
and a collection of
Italian family recipes
from the homeland.
Great as Gifts
FROM MY BAKERY PERCH available on AMAZON.COM
and in local bookstores — ask for
Hard cover #1-4010-9805-3 ISBN
Soft Cover #1-4010-9804-5 ISBN
POST-GAZETTE, DECEMBER 18, 2009
Page 13
• Joe Lieberman (Continued from Page 1)
Many things used to happen the week before Christmas when I was a kid. We
would go hunting for a tree;
there would be a visit to the
Jordan Marsh toy department and a visit to Santa
Clause, a stop a Santa’s Village where Dad and his trio
would be playing for the kids
and a walk through Boston
Common and the Public Garden to watch the kids ice
skating on Frog Pond.
First, between Dad, my
uncles and Babbononno,
there were people they knew
who sold Christmas trees in
various parts of East Boston,
the North End and near
Faneuil Hall. Where ever we
stopped, my family would bargain for the trees they liked.
When a price was reached
that was equitable for both
parties, the tree would be tied
to the top of Dad’s beat-up 37
Plymouth and we would head
home to get it ready for Mom
and Nanna to decorate.
When it was time to visit
Santa, my mother would
team up with either Grace
Manfredonia, who was one of
her closest friends. Grace
had three kids around my age
and we all grew up together.
If Grace wasn’t available,
Mom would make arrangements with her favorite
cousin, Louise Pepe, and
along with her three children, Lulu, Anthony and
Ralph, we would head to Maverick Station, take the train
to Scollay Square Station,
head upstairs, take the trolley to Park Street and head
out to Boston Common. After
a quick look as to how the
trees were decorated, we
would head down Winter
Street to Washington and
Summer Streets and the
entrance to Jordan Marsh.
The toy department was
located on the 5 th floor and
the CEO of Jordan’s, a Mr.
Mitton, had the place set up
to rival both Macy’s and
Gimbel’s in New York. With
my cousins Anthony and
Ralph by my side, we would
head to the electric train display which was one of the
largest and most intricate
in the country. With both
American Flyer and Lionel
trains on active display, we
saw freight trains, passenger
trains, trolleys, electric busses all moving around the
display area on tracks. The
decorations were realistic
with working railroad crossings, traffic lights, street vehicles, train stations, lit
buildings surrounded by trees
and bushes. Waterfalls were
in operation that emptied
into little ponds that were adjacent to tunnels and
spanned by bridges, etc … visions that made little kids
stand in amazement while
the operations continued.
When we tired of the trains,
there were displays of dolls
for the girls and model planes
for the boys. I loved to make
model planes, especially the
fighter planes from WWII.
Several would be on my list
for
Santa.
Strombecker
made the best and most expensive planes from hard
wood. If I wanted to shape the
body and wings of a plane,
Guillow made several from
balsam wood and I would ask
for them. From this display,
we would head for the Erector Set displays and look at
the things we could build with
just a screw driver and the
right metal parts.
Once we had had our fill of
checking out all of the toys,
we would get in line to visit
with Santa. When I asked
Mom how Santa Claus could
be in Jordan Marsh, Filenes,
Raymonds, F.W. Woolworth,
and W.T. Grant at the same
time, she came up with the
answer, “Santa can’t be everywhere at the same time,
so he pays look a-likes to
work for him at those other
stores. They give the list of
names to the real Santa (the
Jordan Marsh version), and
little boys and girls get what
they want delivered on
Christmas Eve.” We bought
it and all was well.
After telling the real Santa
what we wanted, we would
head upstairs to Santa’s
Village and visit with Dad.
He had a trio that consisted
of Danny Covicchio on accordion, Charlie Opper on
violin and Dad on bass
violin. They were dressed
like Tyrolean musicians
and played seasonal music
for the kids. The display was
of the North Pole and Santa’s
workshop. Usually, standing
near by observing the band
was Guy Ormandy, the contractor who booked the work.
He and Dad were partners for
a while, and in my mind, my
father was the king of show
business.
When it was time to leave,
we would head to a restaurant for lunch. While eating,
we kids would discuss what
Santa was going to bring us
and what we were going to
leave for him to eat on Christmas Eve. Now, in most American homes, kids would leave
chocolate chip cookies and
milk for Santa, but we were
Italian kids, and knowing
how cold it would be riding in
an open sleigh, we would decide to leave Santa a glass of
red wine and our grandmothers’ home-made Christmas
cookies.
When we would arrive back
home, Mom and Nanna would
begin to plan out the Christmas Eve and Christmas day
menu. None of my uncles nor
Dad would work on Christmas Eve. They would have
Jewish musicians cover for
them. The favor would be returned when Jewish holidays
were at hand. This meant
that seven types of fish would
be slated to be on the table
the evening of December 24.
Babbononno would take care
of most of them except the
lobsters that Dad would buy
and prepare Diablo style with
linguini.
On Christmas Day, the
musicians in my family
would work in the morning.
The jobs were usually charity, or in Dad’s case, for the
military. Dad for years,
played on the USS Vulcan, an
aircraft repair ship that was
based in Boston. On Christmas morning, the ship’s captain would host a party for the
families of his crew and I often accompanied my father.
Before we left for the Vulcan,
I would check out what Santa
left me and then get dressed
to accompany my father.
Once back home, I could
smell the gravy that Nanna
had made for Christmas. She
would dip a piece of Italian
bread in the sauce, sprinkle
a bit of grated cheese on top
and hand it to me asking me
to give her my opinion. To
me, my grandmother was the
greatest cook in the world. I
would tell her that it was a
lot better than they turkey
and mashed potatoes they
served on the ship.
As the afternoon approached, I anticipated the
arrival of the family and a
chance to play with my new
toys before it was time to eat.
Soon, the entire family was
seated at the dinner table
and Babbononno would toast
the family, Christmas and
the approaching New Year.
What great memories those
simpler gentle days have left
me through the years. GOD
BLESS AMERICA
Remember
Your
Loved Ones
— FOR YOU WHO APPRECIATE THE FINEST —
THE
Johnny Christy
Orchestra
MUSIC FOR ALL
OCCASIONS
781-648-5678
The Post-Gazette
accepts memorials
throughout the year.
Please call
617-227-8929
and ask for Lisa
As I pointed out during the
2008 campaign when Democrats were lashing out at
Lieberman as a political opportunist, the suggestion is
laughable. Lieberman endorsed John McCain’s candidacy for president in the
middle of December 2007.
Was Joe convinced that by
endorsing McCain he would
be on the fast track to some
fancy cabinet post?
Not a chance.
If you can’t remember
back that far, it was widely
believed that 2008 would be
a Democratic year, as it
turned out to be. So for Joe
to back a Republican for
president would have been
an odd choice for a political
opportunist. But if you were
an opportunist who only
sought to increase your own
power,
backing
John
McCain of all Republicans
vying for the presidency in
mid-December 2007 would
have been literally insane.
You see, in mid-December
2007, John McCain’s electoral prospects were near
rock bottom. A week before
Joe’s endorsement, a New
York
Times/CBS
poll
showed the Arizona senator
tied with Fred Thompson for
fourth place among Republican challengers, behind
Rudy
Giuliani,
Mike
Huckabee and Mitt Romney.
That poll had McCain attracting just 7 percent support.
The story of McCain’s
phoenix-like rise to claim
the Republican nomination
is now political legend, but
in mid-December when Joe
Lieberman endorsed him it
was only slightly better than
a pipe dream.
Joe Lieberman endorsed
McCain not because he was
an
opportunist.
Joe
Lieberman endorsed John
McCain because he believed
that his good friend was best
suited to lead the United
States of America in a time
of war.
Lieberman acted like a
statesman then. There was
nothing in it for him. It was
a long shot that McCain
would win the Republican
nomination, much less the
presidency at the time
Lieberman endorsed him.
Lieberman must have understood that his endorsement of McCain had a very
high chance of hurting his
already-tenuous political position in the Democratic
controlled Senate.
Now, Barack Obama and
Harry
Reid
treated
Lieberman more nicely than
some may have expected by
backing him to keep his
chairmanship of the Senate
Homeland Security Committee. They may have had
their reasons. But this story
demonstrates beyond a
shadow of a doubt that
Lieberman is no opportunist
or corporate dupe as his hyperbolic critics suggest. He
is his own man acting in
what he believes is in the
best interest of the country.
Joe Lieberman and I may
or may not agree on what
healthcare bill should pass.
He may end up supporting a
bill that many conservatives
think is disastrous. But
their should be no question
that if he does so he is doing
it because he thinks it is the
right thing to do, just as he
is currently opposing current Senate health care legislation because he feels it
would be harmful for
America.
It isn’t difficult to understand why liberals would be
upset with Lieberman’s opposition to a proposal they so
ardently want to pass. It does
not justify, however, the vicious and personal slanders
being leveled against this
good and decent man.
Reprinted
from
The
Northstar National
• News Briefs (Continued from Page 1)
space and plenty of parking.
Check it out, call my sisterin-law at the clubhouse for
more details.
Townie Santa
is Coming to Town
On Christmas Day, December 25, TOWNIE SANTA
will deliver Christmas gifts
along with a turkey dinner
to many elderly and needy
Charlestown shut-ins. Lend
a helping hand Christmas
morning helping to deliver
the goodies. It all starts at
11am at the Bunker Hill Post
26 American Legion Hall.
It is never too late to send
a contribution. Send them
to
Townie
Santa,
c/o
Charlestown Patriot Bridge,
1
Thompson
Square,
Charlestown, MA 02129.
Still a Little
Archie Bunker in Me
I’ve grown since my college
days back in the 60s and
70s, evolving into a much
more tolerant kind of guy.
However, the other day while
voting up at East Boston
High School I noticed there
was still a little Archie Bunker hanging out inside me.
I was outside on the sidewalk talking to a couple of
Capuano sign holders and
mentioned
the
election
signs were being done in
Spanish and Vietnamese. I
asked them how many Vietnamese vote here in Precinct 1. Just as I finished my
sentence, a Vietnamese
voter walks out of the polling place behind me. I just
laughed and thought of
Archie.
Beacon Hill Appears
Afraid of Crashing into
Elderly Drivers
Once again we see the
power elderly voters have up
on Beacon Hill. There is
obviously a need to have
some kind of aged based
testing for elderly drivers
before they cause another
crash but our legislators are
so afraid of them, they keep
watering down needed legislation until is meaningless.
That is what happened during this session as it did in
previous sessions. Diminished skills are a part of
growing older. What is wrong
with re-testing drivers over
age 75 years old? Do we
JUST re-test older drivers
after they crash, hurt or kill
someone? We need to be proactive not reactive. There is
no age bias here. It is about
public safety. It is time to
stop trying to be politically
correct here. This isn’t age
discrimination. This is common sense.
Page 14
POST-GAZETTE, DECEMBER 18, 2009
The Bilingual
Corner
by
Orazio
Buttafuoco
Lo sapevate che …
Il passeggero che dovesse subire un’odissea da un
aeroporto ad un’altro, per ritardi o cancellezioni di voli, e
senza che ci sia una causa di forza maggiore e che come
in questi casi non venisse adeguatamente assistito dalla
compagnia aerea, ha diritto ad una compensazione
pecuniaria e ad un risarcimento. Lo ha stabilito un giudice
di Pace di Catania che ha accolto la domanda di
risarcimento di un passeggero che doveva tornare a Catania
con i voli Pisa-Roma, e Roma-Catania; ma giunto
all’aeroporto di Pisa aveva appreso che il volo era stato
cancellato. La notizia viene data dalla ‘Confconsumatori
spiegando che si tratta di una delle primissime sentenze
in Italia che riconoscono il diritto del passeggero di aver
corrisposto la cosidetta ‘compensazione pecuniaria’ e
l’ulteriore risarcimento dei danni subiti, cosi’ come previsto
dal regolamento Comunitario N. 261/2004, entrato in vigore nel febbraio del 2005. Il consumatore aveva vissuto una
vera e propria odissea in quanto, dopo circa tre ore di attesa,
senza informazioni e assistenza, era stato portato a Roma
a bordo di un pulman arivando a Fiumicino all’una di notte.
Alle tre di notte, e dopo aver atteso oltre un’ora, era ststo
trasportato in un albergo per essere successivamente
trasportato, dopo poche ore, a Fiumicino con successivo
imbarco sul volo Roma-Catania delle ore 8:55. La compagnia
aerea aveva affermato che la cancellazione del volo era
avvenuta per motive tecnici, causa non imputabile che
comporta l’esclusione della compensazione pecuniaria. Ma
il Giudice ha ribadito che in base alla documentazione agli
atti, anche altri voli, con la stessa avaria, non erano stati
cancellati, per cui la causa di forza maggiore non esiste e
nemmeno l’assistenza al passeggero. Il Giudice ha
condannato la compagnia aerea a 250 euro (compensazione
pecuniaria), e a 550 euro come risarcimento per quanto
sofferto.
Did you know that …
A passenger who may suffer an odyssey through airports
due to delays and ‘cancellation of flights without justifiable
cause and that wouldn’t adequately be assisted by the airline, has the right to a pecuniary compensation and to a
refund. This was the ruling of a Justice of Peace in Catania
relative to the flights of Pisa-Rome and Rome-Catania. When
the passenger reached Pisa airport he learned that the flight
had been cancelled. The disclosure comes from the Consumer Federation, describing that the sentence is one of
the very first in Italy, which recognizes the passenger’s
rights to a monetary compensation, and furthermore, the
refund for damages suffered, as by the Regulation of the
European Community N. 261/2004, enacted in February
2005. The consumer had gone through a true odyssey, for
after three hours of wait, without information and assistance, he had been transferred to Rome by bus, arriving at
Fiumicino, at 1:00 AM.
At 3:00 AM, after waiting for more than an hour, he was
bused to a hotel, and subsequently brought back, after a
few hours, to Fiumicino followed by embarkation on the
flight Rome-Catania, of 8:55 AM. The airline had insisted
that the cancellation of the flight had been due to technical reasons, which is not punishable which exempts the
airline from pecuniary compensation. But the Judge had
reiterated that based upon evidence on record, other flights
with the same technical problems, had not been cancelled.
Therefore, the reason for cancellation was not overwhelming, nor there was any assistance to the passenger (by the
airline). The Judge found the airline guilty, and charged it
250 euro ($370.00) as a pecuniary compensation, and 550
euro ($490.00) as a refund for suffering and discomfort.
The time has come, the walrus said,
TO TALK OF MANY THINGS
of shoes and ships and sealing wax of cabbages and kings
by Sal Giarratani
NON-RELIGIOUS
CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION?
Recently, White House social secretary
Desiree Jones announced at a meeting that
the White House was planning a non-religious Christmas celebration. No references
to Christmas and no manger scene. The NY
Times was even shocked and when they contacted the White House with the report, the
White House confirmed the idea they were
considering doing such. Shortly, after the
NY Times left, the whole non-religious idea
was canned and the manger scene set up.
If you don’t believe me, check out the NY
Times for confirmation.
HARSHBARGER REPORT
CLEARS ACORN
I am SHOCKED, no not really. An internal
investigation by former Bay State A.G. Scott
Harshbarger of ACORN which hired him for
the duty has cleared ACORN of any criminal conduct even after America viewed that
undercover video of two ACORN employees
seemingly telling two folks how to apparently falsify lending documents. ACORN
speaking of the results of the quote investigation stated, the report was “part vindication, part constructive criticism and complete road map for the future.”
I have to agree with US Representative
Darrell Issa, D-California who reacted, “How
surprising is it that a report paid for by
ACORN exonerates them.” How do you spell
W-H-I-T-E-W-A-S-H?
EMINENT DOMAIN
WINS IN NY CASE
Talk eminent domain in Boston and you
are sure to hear the tale of the destruction
of the West End. Bostonians don’t like it because eminent domain feels like a cancer
caused by government forgetting who the
government really is. In this New York case,
the New York State Court of Appeals ruled
6-1 to allow the $4.9 billion, 22-acre Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn to proceed. The
developers are talking apartments, office
towers and a new arena to attract the New
Jersey Nets.
However, in order to get all this, New York
took peoples’ property by eminent domain.
The decision is a blow to private property
owners who now say they are defenseless
in protecting their private property rights
once a government deems their land necessary for the public good. Private develop-
ers were the big winners and We, the people
in New York are the losers.
This decision is very much like the US
decision in 2005 when the court said it was
constitutional for a New London, Connecticut Economic Development Corporation to
seize private homes and businesses to build
a research campus for Pfizer Inc. The appeals court ruled in this latest case that the
New York State Urban Development Corp.
apparently had the right to seize Brooklyn
land to improve blighted conditions. However, opponents said their neighborhood was
stable and not blighted. The court did rule
that the job to define blight belonged to the
legislature, not the courts.
ANYBODY CRYING YET?
The Washington Post has decided to close
its remaining news bureaus in New York,
Los Angeles and Chicago to seemingly save
money ... Bank of Montreal is buying Diners
Card from Citigroup ... The ACORN Housing
group is in big trouble ... Beijing will be building malls across China ... The Red Sox might
actually lose Jason Bay but not to fret we
still have Jason Varitek, right?
AND THE GOOD NEWS
I’ve been reading two great newspapers
lately and telling my friends about both of
them. If you haven’t been reading either the
Wall Street Journal or the Investor’s Business
Daily, you’re missing some of the best political commentary-out there. Yeah, I still
read the Boston Globe and NY Times because
I like reading the other side too.
AARP DEFENDS MEDICARE CUTS?
I belong to AARP as do most folks age 50
and over but recently looks like one of those
other liberal groups pushing to $2 Trillion
ObamaCare Plan. It is even supporting cuts
to Medicare certainly not in the best interests of its membership As John McCain
says, “Shame on AARP.”
HARRY REID LOOKS FOOLISH
What ever happened to just disagreeing
with someone and keeping things civil?
Senator Harry Reid, the heads of the US
Senate recently compared opponents of
ObamaCare no different than opponents of
slavery back in the 19th century. How dumb
does Reid think we are? There are two sides
in this debate over the health care overhaul. According to Reid there’s the right side
that he’s on and the other side that’s plain
wrong.
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• East Boston Chamber (Continued from Page 7)
square and took notes. Several issues were identified
by the Chamber: these issues have been already, or
are in the process of, being
addressed by BTD. Included
in this list were: a problematic, dangerous intersection
at the corner of Bremen and
Maverick Streets, which had
no stop signs, unclear parking signage, and potential
for increased customer parking; a lack of two-hour visitor limits along Meridian
Street, to turn over parking
for merchants’ customers;
faded commercial signage
in Day Square; and need
for increased parking enforcement in sections of
Central Square and Orient
Heights.
“The Chamber would like
to thank Commissioner
Tinlin and Councilor LaMattina for their time and concern for our business community. They are helping us
create a setting that will
make it easier for our members and other businesses to
operate and satisfy customers,” said Chamber President Angelo Vigliotta, Jr.
“We will continue to work
closely with them moving
forward,” he added.
For more information,
please call 617-569-5000 or
visit
their
website
at
www.EastBostonChamber.com.
• St. Agrippina (Continued from Page 5)
The membership would
like to thank the following
for their support of the program, Councilor LaMattina,
Senator Petruccelli, the
Knights of Columbus, North
End Against Drugs, Green
Cross Pharmacy, VFW Post
144 North End, Dr. Anthony
Bova, Al Dente’s, Mangia
Mangia, Monica’s Restaurant, Rodman Insurance,
George’s Auto Body, Bianco’s
Sausage Company, Millinium Cleaners, Balloons over
Boston,
Mikes
Pastry,
Umberto’s Pizzeria, the
North End Fire Station, Hillside Press, the Boston
Celtics, the Post-Gazette and
Patte Papa of the Mayors of-
Small Ads
Get Big Results
For more information,
call 617-227-8929.
ST. JUDE AND ST. ANTHONY NOVENA
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be
adored, glorified, loved and preserved
throughout the world now and forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus pray for
us. St. Jude, worker of miracles, pray
for us. St. Jude, help of the hopeless,
pray for us. St. Anthony, most loving
protector and wonder worker, pray
for us. Say this prayer 9 times a day
and by the 8th day your prayer will be
answered. It has never been known to
fail. Publication must be promised.
My prayers have been answered.
Favor received.
P.G.
fice of special events.
The membership of St.
Agrippina’s Society is very
proud of the Christmas Program for North End children.
Our membership would like
to wish everyone a safe and
happy holiday. We thank
everyone for their participation and we look forward
to seeing everyone at our
96 th annual feast July 30 th,
31st and August 1st.
Viva St. Agrippina!!!!!!!!!
To the above named Defendant:
A Complaint has been presented to this
Court by the Plaintiff, FEKADE BEKELE
GENZEBU, seeking a DIVORCE.
An automatic Restraining Order has been
entered in this matter preventing you from
taking any action which would negatively
impact the current financial status of either
party. Please refer to the Supplemental Probate Court Rule 411 for more information.
You are required to serve upon Derege
B. Demissie, Esq., - Attorney for Plaintiff whose address is Demissie & Church, 929
Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 01,
Cambridge, MA 02139 your answer on or
before January 29, 2010. If you fail to do so,
the Court will proceed to the hearing and
the adjudication of this action. You are also
required to file a copy of your answer in the
Office of this Court at CAMBRIDGE.
Witness, HON. PETER C. DiGANGI,
Esquire, First Justice of said Court at
CAMBRIDGE, this 9, day of December, 2009.
Tara E. DeCristofaro, Register of Probate
Run date: 12/18/09
by Sal Giarratani
Another Great Yankee
Leaves the Stadium
Tommy Henrich, 96, was an outstanding
All-Star outfielder for the NY Yankees nicknamed “Old Reliable.” He could aleways deliver a clutch hit when needed. A 5-time All
Star who joined the Yankees in 1937 and
finished in 1950. He was on four World
Series Championship teams. He missed
three seasons during WWII in the Coast
Guard. He actually hit the first game-ending home run in World Series history in the
bottom of the ninth with a hit off Don
Newcombe beating Brooklyn 1-0 in 1949.As
a former teammate Bobby Brown said, “If we
were ahead 10-1 or 10-2, he was just average. If we were behind 10-1 or 10-2, same
thing. But get him in a big game and he
was terrific. We didn’t call him Old Reliable.
We just knew he was Old Reliable.”
In 1949, on the final game of the season
against the Boston Red Sox with both teams
vying for first place, he stepped to the mound
in the 8th inning with the Yanks up 1-0. He
sealed the victory with a homer. Lifetime
he batted .282 with a 183 homeruns and
795 RBIs. He led the AL in triples two times
and in 1948 he scored 138 runs. He
playred in the World Series in 1938, 1941,
1947 and 1949 and hit a home run in each
series. In his career he was a teammate
of Lou Gehig, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra,
Whitey Ford and Allie Reynolds.
Like We Need to Make
the Season Longer
Major League ballplayers want to see
the first round of playoffs expanded to the
best of seven. Pretty soon we’ll be playing
Christmas baseball. This past season I
was hoping for the Rockies to win just to
show how foolish baseball looks in the cold.
Reggie Jackson was Mr. October. A-Rod
is Mr. November. Who wll be crowned
Mr. December, because you know December play is always possible.
You Oughta Know
Back in the 40s, columnist Ed Shallow
was Eddie Shallow playing the outfield for the Back Bay Bombers, a
semi-professional tean over near B.U.
somewhere. He’s promising to loan me a
photo of himself in uniform for this column. I’m waiting, Eddie.
Tony Amonte Inducted into US Hockey Hall of Fame
by Bob DeCristoforo
LEGAL NOTICE
To the above named Defendant:
A Complaint has been presented to this
Court by the Plaintiff, SUELI REGINA
DeSOUZA DeARAGAO, seeking a
COMPLAINT FOR MODIFICATION.
You are required to serve upon Sueli
Regina DeSouza DeAragao - Plaintiff whose address is 10 Dell Street, Malden,
MA, 02148 your answer on or before
February 5, 2010. If you fail to do so, the
court will proceed to the hearing and
adjudication of this action. You are also
required to file a copy of your answer in the
office of this the Register of this Court at
CAMBRIDGE.
Witness, HON. PETER C. DiGANGI,
Esquire, First Justice of said Court at
CAMBRIDGE, this 16, day of December,
2009.
Tara E. DeCristofaro, Register of Probate
Run date: 12/18/09
LEGAL NOTICE
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
The Trial Court
Middlesex Probate and Family Court
208 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02141
Docket No. MI09D4185DR
DIVORCE SUMMONS
BY PUBLICATION
FEKADE BEKELE GENZEBU,
Plaintiff
vs.
MISRAK AMBAW MEKENNEN,
Defendant
EXTRA Innings
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
The Trial Court
Middlesex Probate and Family Court
208 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02141
Docket No. MI09D1648JP
SUMMONS
BY PUBLICATION
SUELI REGINA DeSOUZA DeARAGAO
Plaintiff
vs.
RAMON SIMOES DeARAGAO,
Defendant
A.L.
LEGAL NOTICE
Page 15
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
The Trial Court
Middlesex Probate and Family Court
208 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02141
Docket No. 08D3001DV1
DIVORCE SUMMONS
BY PUBLICATION
ROSE NAMANDE
AKA ROSE SIMPSON,
Plaintiff
vs.
SHAWN SIMPSON,
Defendant
To the above named Defendant:
A Complaint has been presented to this
Court by the Plaintiff, ROSE NAMANDE
AKA ROSE SIMPSON, seeking a
DIVORCE.
An automatic Restraining Order has been
entered in this matter preventing you from
taking any action which would negatively
impact the current financial status of either
party. Please refer to the Supplemental Probate Court Rule 411 for more information.
You are required to serve upon Timothy
J. Nutter, Esq., - Attorney for Plaintiff - whose
address is 27 School Street, Suite 400,
Boston, MA 02108 your answer on or before
January 6, 2010. If you fail to do so, the Court
will proceed to the hearing and the
adjudication of this action. You are also
required to file a copy of your answer in the
Office of this Court at CAMBRIDGE.
Witness, HON. PETER C. DiGANGI,
Esquire, First Justice of said Court at
CAMBRIDGE, this 18, day of November,
2009.
Tara E. DeCristofaro, Register of Probate
Run date: 12/18/09
Bob D and Tony Amonte
I’ve known Tony Amonte
since his BU days, so my goal
on his special night was to
get a photo with him. Mission Accomplished! He was
the first person I walked into.
The Westin Hotel on the
Waterfront, not the one in
Copley Square, which I also
‘toured’, was the place to be
on Tuesday, December 1 st .
Five Hundred plus were in
attendance to ‘Salute the US
College Hockey of Fame
Class of 2009 at the 39 th
Award Cermony and Dinner
being held in Boston for the
very first time. NHL ‘Versus’
TV announcer Mike ‘Doc’
Emrick, and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman noted
the significance of Boston,
where here on December 1,
1924 the Boston Bruins
defeated the Montreal Maroons, now the Montreal Canadiens, in the very first NHL
game to be played in the
United States at Boston
Arena,
now
Matthews
Arena, a building that will
celebrate its 100 th Anniversary come April. Here where
on January 1 st , 2010 the
NHL Winter Classic pitting
the Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers will take place at
historic Fenway Park, and
just about a week later on
Jan 8 a College Hockey East
Doubleheader will have the
Northeastern Women Team
playing the UNH Women’s
Team, and the Boston College Men’s Team will play the
Boston University Men’s
Team also at Fenway. In
February the 1960 ‘Forgotten Miracle’ Gold Medal
Olympic Team will be celebrating its 50 th Anniversary, and it was significant
that they were honored this
night. Members of the
Team, headed by the Cleary
brothers, were introduced to
a well deserved standing ovation. Yes, Boston was the
right place. We ‘Salute the
Class of 2009’, and as each
Inductee was introduced you
understood why I always say
the hockey community is
a special group of people,
because they often, very
emotionally thanked’
all
those, who got them here.
Congratulations to Tony
Amonte, a five time NHL
All Star, and two time Olympian, who starred both in the
NHL and on the International stage during his 16
year Professional career, to
Tom Barrasso, who led the
Pittsburgh Penguins to back
to back Stanley Cups, and
who is the only goaltender
to ever play in the NHL
directly from High School, to
John LeClair, who was a
member of the Philadelphia
‘Legion of Doom’ and the first
U.S. born player to ever
record 50 goals in three consecutive seasons in the NHL,
to the late Frank Zamboni,
who invented and patented
his famous ice making machine. His Award was accepted by his son Richard,
and last, but far from least,
the 1998 US first ever
Women Gold Medal Olympic
Team, who opened the door
for women’s hockey in the
United States. Accepting the
Award on behalf of the Team,
many of whom were present, was Coach Ben Smith,
and Captain (A) Karya Bye.
Yes, it was a special night in
Boston, and a very special
place to get a photo.
• Mayor’s Column (Continued from Page 1)
stranger to heated battles
between rivals. Instead of
the Red Sox and Yankees,
the Terriers and Eagles will
take the ice in a game that
will highlight Boston’s reputation as college town.
Prior to the BU-BC matchup, the Northeastern University Huskies and University of New Hampshire Wildcats women teams will compete in the first women’s
college hockey game to be
played outdoors.
The Winter Classic and
free skates will be a oncein-a-lifetime experience for
our city, and thousands of
children and families will
skate on the same rink as
the world’s best hockey players. Kids dream of doing this
all the time — and now
they’ll be able to fulfill that
dream in baseball’s most
cherished park.
Our city will also be on display for visitors and viewers
from across the country and
throughout the world. Beginning with our traditional
First Night events and continuing with the Inauguration at Faneuil Hall and
through the final lap around
the Fenway ice on January
10 th , Boston’s culture, passion, and values will be on
proud display. In a few
weeks, thousands of visitors
and spectators will learn
what we already know —
that Boston is a world-class
city.
Page 16
BOSTON POST-GAZETTE, DECEMBER 18, 2009
CORNER TALK
HOOPS and HOCKEY in the HUB
by Reinaldo Oliveira, Jr.
Matt Lambert. The son of
Paul Lambert.
Sucra Ray Oliveira, Jaime “The Hurricane” Clampitt and
#16 in the World Chad Dawson.
He’s back. Heavyweight
Chris Arreola 28-1, 25 KO’s
of California is back. He
battled and beat a valiant
Brian Minto of Pennsylvania, by way of a fourth round
TKO. In this fight, Commentators Max Kellerman,
Larry
Merchant,
Jim
Lampley, Harold Lederman,
Emanuel Stewart, M.C.
Jimmy Lennon Jr., and Referee Eddie Cotton, all did
justice for this fight. Brian
Minto is a tough fighter, who
came in weighting 218 lbs.
to the 263 lbs. of Chris
Arreola. Chris Arreola was
just too strong, as all could
observe. Brian Minto fought
very well, and lost to a better fighter this night. The
tough Chris Arreola, won
over a talented opponent in
Brian Minto. Then, two
southpaws. The six foot three
inch Junior Middleweight
Paul “The Punisher” Williams 38-1, 27 KO’s of the
USA and Sergio Gabriel
Martinez 44-2-2, 24 KO’s
of Argentina, fought an action fight. Referee Randy
Newman, did a fine job. Both
got knocked down, in the
first round. The winner after twelve rounds is Paul
“The Punisher” Williams.
When asked about getting
knocked down in the first
round, Paul Williams says.
“That’s part of my business.”
The decision given, was controversial. Not on who won.
The controversy was on the
score given by Judge Pierre
Benoist. Many rounds were
close. I thought Williams
won. Martinez did fight a
good fight and kept it close.
Judges Julie Lederman had
it 114-114, and Lynne
Carter called it 115-113 Williams. There are no problems, with the close scores
given. The problem is, with
the decision given by Pierre
Benoist. He scored the fight
119-110 for Paul Williams.
What fight, was he watching?
I
am
glad
Max
Kellerman called it a disgraceful Scorecard, in regards to 119-110. If the decision was given to either of
the fighters by a close score.
No problem. The problem is?
How could a judge see this
fight
119-110?
Listen
judges? Don’t make my
Sport, look bad. Fighters
fight honestly, and give their
all. Judge fights, as they are.
As I’ve always said? If the
World were full of Boxers, It
would be a better World. I
many times, get amused at
these injustices. People are
placed in positions of authority with no, or limited credentials.
Then
these
“wannabes” screw things up,
and go about there business
like nothing happened.
They mess other people’s
lives up. Fighters fight, to do
the best they can. Let’s get
real. Let’s stop putting
square pegs, into round
holes. We wonder why,
things get screwed up, as
they do. So you think, Boxers are Punchy? “Ding!”
Look around.
There are some good fighters, in this era. I observed
Lucian Bute 25-0-1, 20 KO’s
of Romania defeat Librado
Andrade 28-3, 21 KO’s of
Mexico, by way of a four
round Stoppage. This Supermiddleweight Title fight was
won by Lucian Bute, who
impressively
defeated
Librado Andrade. Lucian
Bute is a very talented
fighter. He has a nice assortment of punches, and
hits well. He previously defeated Librado Andrade by
decision, and improved on
the outcome the second
time around, they fought.
Congratulations.
We are here at the Mezza
Luna Restaurant in Buzzards Bay, Iron Mike
Pusateri, Matt Lambert,
and myself. I am reading
here, that Matt’s father Paul
Lambert of Biddeford Maine
was quite the Fighter. Paul
Lambert was Born in Boston
(22 years before the date
of this article April 29,
1949), and fought under the
name of Paul Drew. He was
managed by his uncle Ted
Drew, a former professional
boxer himself. This article
on Paul Lambert is in the
Biddeford Daily Journal,
dated 4-29-1949. Middleweight Paul Drew, had a very
impressive11-1-0
Boxing
record. His TKO loss, was
from an cut eye. Three
fights later he avenged this
lone loss and defeated the
same fellow, in a return
match. I appreciated this
article. It’s nice when statements, are backed up by
documented dated verifying
statements. Such as past
articles in newspapers,
magazines, and/or books
that verify information.
Thank you.
There’s a good article in
The January 2010 Ring
Magazine. This article is
titled “The Ring 100.” “Ranking the Best Fighters, In the
World.” by William Dettloff.
#1 is Manny Pacquiao, and
#2 is Floyd Mayweather.
What a Super-fight this will
be? The only New Englander
I see in the Ring 100, is
#16, Chad Dawson of Connecticut.
Boxer
Family
member Nicky Rossi, is to
be congratulated. He is the
son to Francesca Fratalia
Rossi, and Tom Rossi. Nicky
Rossi, is also the grandson
of RIP Francesco “Kid”
Fratalia. Nicky Rossi made
first team All American at
Offensive Guard and Defensive Tackle. He received the
Scholar Athlete and League
MVP Award, as the Outstanding Lineman of the Year.
He is a standout Football
Player in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, where they won
the League Championship,
congratulations, on your
achievements.
Grandfather to Nicky Rossi,
Francesco “Kid” Fratalia.
by Richard Preiss
The days, as they say, are
coming down to a precious few
— the ones remaining before
the much heralded NHL
Winter Classic takes place on
New Year’s Day at Fenway
Park. By the time you read
this there’s a good chance the
countdown will have reached
single digits and be that
much closer to the much
hyped big day.
Yet in the frenzy to cover
the Fenway contest, there
was a much overlooked preliminary game that took place
just a little more than two
weeks before all eyes shift to
Yawkey Way.
That would be the meeting
of the teams — the Bruins
and the Philadelphia flyers —
that took place at the Garden
on December 14 — effectively
serving as a dress rehearsal
for what might be in store as
the New Year is welcomed in
a rather unique fashion at the
historic baseball venue.
The Bruins on that December night were in second
place behind Buffalo in the
Northeast Division while the
Flyers occupied last place in
the Atlantic Division. Despite
that fact the Flyers came in
as the last Eastern Conference team to defeat the Bruins in an overtime shootout
this season, a 4-3 victory in
Philadelphia on October 22.
They also came in with a
new head coach — Peter
Laviolette — the former Carolina Hurricanes coach who
was hired on December 4.
The Franklin, Massachusetts
native, who replaced John
Stevens behind the bench,
most recently had served as
the head coach of the 2006
Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes. Earlier in
his career he was behind the
bench with Islanders.
Closer to the Hub, he’s
known to Bruins fans as a
former B’s assistant who also
coached the team’s minor
league affiliate — the Providence Bruins — for two seasons (1998-1999 and 19992000). In his first year at
Providence his team compiled
a 56-16-4-4 regular season
record and then raced
through the playoffs with an
excellent 15-4 mark to claim
the Calder Cup Championship. For his efforts Laviolette
was named the AHL Coach of
the Year.
The Flyers have never
swept the Bruins in a season
series. They currently hold a
2-0 series lead and can take
the third step towards a four
game sweep if they manage
to win the Winter Classic.
But in a what-have-youdone-for-me-lately NHL those
historical statistics don’t
mean much once one is
hired. They might get the
coach the job but current
positive results are what allow coaches to keep their positions.
To that end Laviolette arrived at the Garden not quite
having begun to right the
Flyers’ foundering ship. Still
in last place in their division,
the Flyers came off the team
bus on Causeway Street owning a 1-4-0 record since their
new coach had taken his
place behind the bench.
Still, as the game began, the
Flyers could say they had won
three of their last four meetings with the Bruins and were
undefeated in their last five
games at the Garden (4-0-1).
In addition, they were 6-1-1
in their last eight contests in
the Hub.
From the Bruins point of
view the game was a spirited
affair for the first two periods,
with the B’s taking a 1-0 lead
into the final stanza. In those
decisive final 20 minutes
they had the stats on their
side but little else.
The Black and Gold were
11-1-0 in games where they
had taken a 1-0 lead and were
a sterling 9-0-0 in games
where they were leading after two periods. Conversely,
the Flyers had not won a game
this season when trailing
after 40 minutes (0-10-0).
All that was about to change
as the teams hit the ice for
the third period. First James
van Riemsdyk found the
range early and knotted the
count at 1-1 less than three
minutes in. Then midway
through the period Flyers
defenseman Kimmo Timonen struck from the blue
line to give the visitors a 2-1
lead. He later scored an empty
netter in the closing seconds
by shooting the puck the
length of the rink to make it
a 3-1 final.
It marked another disappointing night for B’s netminder Tim Thomas, voted
the top goalie in the league
last year, but one who saw his
season log lowered to 7-8-4
with a .914 save percentage
and a 2.48 goals against
average.
B’s coach Claude Julien
would later call that third period “a meltdown” and stress
that many things have to be
improved. But from a fan’s
view, it certainly was an interesting game — one that
easily could have captured
the attention of a national
television audience if it had
been played on New Year’s
Day.
But, of course, it wasn’t.
The two points earned did
wonders for the Flyers — propelling them upwards in the
tight Eastern Conference
standings — still out of playoff range to be sure — but still
easily within striking distance with more than half the
regular season left to go.
It probably also did wonders for their confidence —
knowing they could now
come from behind and win a
game on the road against a
tough team. Motivationally, it
was probably all a coach who
grew up in Eastern Massachusetts needed to get himself ready for Fenway.
Thus, the dress rehearsal
wasn’t bad. Like all rehearsals there’s still some things
that have to be worked out.
But somehow, when the Big
Day arrives, we have a feeling that Laviolette and his low
ranked Flyers will be ready.
After all, what Eastern Massachusetts native wouldn’t
want to win at Fenway?