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Groups battle it out to represent North End residents

Seems things are getting a bit uglly between the North End/Waterfront Residents’ Association and the North End Neighborhood Council, as shown in this letter from the former to the latter:

When a body like NEWNC no longer has the self-awareness to know when its position is in conflict with its constituency, or worse, is mired in obvious conflict-of-interest - well - it’s time for that body to hang up the cleats, rather than trying to trip the other better players. We hope that Mayor Walsh considers this as he decides what to do with NEWNC and other less productive neighborhood councils.

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Comments

...with waterfront types trying to throw weight around. I did a photo and video walk of the Harbor Walk sections along Long Wharf last week and it was strange seeing those old august harbor buildings tricked out as ostentation palaces for the 1%.

It's nice to know the waterfront oligarchs still keep their nasty letter skills honed however much like the Holy Grail castle siege scene it becomes.

I kinda like the riposte from a harmless local of the Old Boston persuasion.

As a long time resident all of this back-and-forth posturing saddens me. I’m having a hard time discerning who is correct, what the real facts are, which group is more effective, etc. And at this point I’m starting not to care. It’s looking like the focus is turning to who is right and who is wrong, and who can disprove or discredit the other group. I’m afraid that what is getting lost is the best interest of the residents.

A few years ago all I wanted to do was build a private roof deck at a condo that I own and live in. No interest in partying or making noise, just trying to better my space for me and my wife. Too old for parties and noise. No interest in selling the place – just wanted to enjoy what I have and make my wife happy. The more I dug into the requirements the more discouraged I became. I could not understand the need to appear before both groups, and on multiple occasions. I realized I would have had to spend about 15k just to be able to have the groups tell me their opinion and recommendation to the BRA. I can see the need for a review – but the current system really hurts the small homeowner. The amount I would have had to spend just to get an answer comes close to what the deck would have cost. It’s ludicrous.

I thought the letter by the NEWNC was written in the spirit of working together, and in the spirit of helping residents and the north end in general. I’m really disappointed in this newra letter that is very self serving, pompous, arrogant, and certainly not in the spirit of working together with the newnc. The end result is a worse environment for everyone.

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It's not really an Old vs New thing; each group has both. It's really more Sort of NIMBYs (NEWNC) vs Irrational & Vitriolic NIMBYs (NEWRA).

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One group for the North End, the other for the Waterfront. Problem solved.

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But a bit further down, towards Fort Point. So there would probably still wind up being turf wars.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but the North End/Waterfront might be the only place in the city with dueling citizen councils. Even JP and Allston, where there have been, shall we say, controversies, only have one group apiece.

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... at least two. They aren't acrimonious for the most part though.

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Face it, neighborhood associations exist to protect the interests of the association, and not necessarily the interests of the neighborhood.

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They exist to allow NIMBY grandstanding and fit throwing and fartlighting and any other activity that will get their supposed "leaders" elected to higher office.

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Could you name one leader of NABB or the BHCA who has ever campaigned for office?

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Not NABB or BHCA, but Aaron Michelwitz was president of the NEWRC before he was a state rep.

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the issue doesn't seem to be with neighborhood organizations in general, does it?

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All the neighborhood groups in question are dominated by the same cabal. We have NEWRA, led by "Arrest the Homeless" Jim Sailini, the chamber of commerce founded by Nick "Rape Dungeon" Varano, and NEWNC with a young member of the chuckling "we ain't gonna listen to no fool cops" Riccio family. (Worth noting that when the neighborhood cabal didn't like who was running for the last NEWNC election, they stuffed the room with 100+ amici to write in young Riccio.)

This tiny demographic minority wants to continue running things in the North End and they don't care how they do it. The interesting thing, is that the tide is turning. They simply don't have the numbers to back it up anymore, so they try to keep the "civic leader" arena closed to "outsiders." Unfortunately for the "real North Enders," the outsiders now make up >80% of the neighborhood and are pretty fed up with being kept out of the dialogue by a group of "civic leaders" who "represent" us and like to run things, but don't make any attempt at inclusiveness, so they end up flouting the values of the majority of the community. With the behavior that's been on display lately, it's inevitable that the "real North Enders" with soon make themselves irrelevant.

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.smeared fish remnants all over cars or slashed tires like the good old days.

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in the North End because no one has a back yard.

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Their back yard is the neighbor's apartment.

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