NorthEndWaterfront.com reports on a two-hour neighborhood meeting about trash and rats; says Councilor LaMattina has made some calls to particularly offensive property owners to get them to clean up their property. Other offenders get a "Letter from the Councilor" with tips on making their refuse less rat-happy.

The Boston City Council voted unanimously today to support the tradition of twice-daily cannon shots at the USS Constitution in Charlestown.

Beyond supporting a custom that dates to 1798, some city councilors told Charletown newcomers complaining about the cannon fire to read up on local history.

"When someone moves into the city of Boston, they need to understand the traditions we have, the history," Councilor Sal LaMattina, who represents Charlestown, said.

Councilor Maureen Feeney, who reprsents Dorchester, went even further, saying she found it "almost offensive" that anybody would object to the sound of cannons. "It's so disprespectful for us to turn our back on the sacrifices that were made. ... I'm sorry, it's sad that we even have to have this discussion."

The City Council tomorrow considers a proposal by Council President Michael Ross to designate Huntington Avenue between Longwood and Ruggles as Lt. Kevin M. Kelley Avenue, in honor of the fire officer who died on Jan. 9 when the brakes on his firetruck failed on a steep Mission Hill Street.

The council is also scheduled to consider a resolution by Councilors Sal LaMattina and Steve Murphy to support "the preservation of the USS Constitution’s heritage and time-honored traditions of daily gun salutes and playing of the national anthem in Boston's Charlestown Navy Yard."

The council meeting begins at noon in the fifth-floor council room in City Hall.

City Councilor Sal LaMattina says it's time to consider regulating Segway use on city sidewalks. Matt Conti posts a copy of a request from LaMattina for a City Council hearing on regulating the dorkmobiles, which are an increasingly common site downtown and in the North End. At least one company even leads Segway tours, which Conti writes have become so prevalent that they are beginning to cause pedestrian issues.

Chris Kulikoski of the North End said today he'd been certified for the ballot this fall for the city council seat now held by Sal LaMattina.

Kulikoski, a former teacher who now runs the Mazzaro Family Market on Salem Street in the North End, was to formally announce his candidacy at party at Joe's American Bar and Grill tonight:

It is time that city government was better attuned to the working people, families and retirees of the city. Being a city councilor means representing everybody and looking out for the specific needs of each neighborhood – not catering to the well-connected.

He pointed to neighborhood schools, public safety, the structure of the city council and cleaner streets and parks as his major issues.

Campaign Web site.

No, not that one. The community activist whom David Bernstein reports is running for an at-large city council seat (hmm, would it be quicker at this point to just list Boston residents who aren't running?). He also writes that Sal LaMattina could have competition in East Boston, Charlestown and the North End.

On Switchback, Bill picks up on something in that recently released proposal for improving Boston Common: That city councilors Mike Ross, Bill Linehan and Sal LaMattina really wish the MBTA would stop with all this nonsense about putting a Silver Line tunnel under the park. They write:

The Silverline project will rip up the entire stretch of the Common along Charles Street for up to 10 years, for the staging area for heavy equipment. It will snarl traffic as they close a lane for the construction of a new tunnel, and it will make an entire stretch of the Common nearly unusable during that time. All of this will be done for the purpose of putting in bus transit that is unnecessary, when tunnels already exist for light rail, and when it is nearly universally agreed that the bus system as set up does not work, and is not nearly as effective or efficient as light rail.

The Silverline Project is a mistake. The plans in place will disturb sacred grounds, such as the historic graveyard. Unused light rail tunnels already exist below ground, and the MBTA, with its multimillion dollar deficit, should be looking at ways it can build a system around what is there, and ensuring that we have opportunities to become a greener, more efficient city while not tearing up our precious parks system during the construction.

Ed. note: The T has a multi-billion dollar deficit.

EaBo Clipper reports on today's anti-toll protest in East Boston, which he says included City Councilor Sal LaMattina thundering:

Governor Patrick tear down these tolls!

Hi. My name is Reuben, and I am Boston City Councilor Mike Ross's Chief of Staff.

Mike and I have read with interest the writings regarding the Boston Common on these pages. We are energized to see so many people who are as interested in the future of the Common as we are.

At Boston Daily, Mike has posted his Ross Report on the topic. We are excited about a number of the proposals that we'll have in this report, and wanted to clear up a few misconceptions.