South Boston

Citizen complaint of the day: What does Boston Water and Sewer have against concrete?

adamg — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:35:39 +0000

UPDATE: See the comments for why this is all really the DPW's fault, well, except for the part about doing a half-assed job at leveling off the asphalt to begin with.

Of course, you have to doff your hat to the dedicated men and women of the Boston Water and Sewer Commission, who tirelessly toil in the muck and mire 24 hours a day to keep our water and sewage flowing. But why can't they ever put sidewalks back the way they found them? We had a misshapen lump of asphalt instead of a concrete square in front of our house for several years - and when it was finally replaced, it was thanks to the DPW, which was overhauling all the sidewalks on the street.

The photo above comes from W. 5th Street in South Boston, where a resident complains and pleads:

The city dug up this fire hydrant a few months ago and did a terrible job repatching the surrounding sidewalk. I've seen too many women with strollers resort to walking in the road to avoid the hole. Please patch so surface is at least level

Over on Mansfield Street in Allston, another resident posts another photo of a lumpy blob of asphalt where a piece of concrete should be.

Herald says to remember it to Wingo Square

adamg — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:31:33 +0000

The Herald has completed its move to the South Boston waterfront.

The early bird catches the 9 bus

adamg — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:00:11 +0000

Karin posts an ode to her early commute today.

DA: Man charged as drug dealer after accepting delivery of raw opium from cop posing as delivery man

adamg — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:27:05 +0000

Matthew Berkowitz of South Boston is scheduled for arraignment today in South Boston District Court on a charge of trafficking in a Class B substance, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports:

Boston Police posed as delivery agents after receiving information that the package contained a large amount of raw opium poppy and had been sent from overseas.

The Herald reports the package contained some four pounds of the stuff and that Berkowitz is son of local seafood magnate Roger Berkowitz.

Innocent, etc.

Not everybody along the South Boston waterfront thrilled with this Innovation District thing

adamg — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 01:58:18 +0000

Fort Point Blog provides the proof.

Court says it's past time for government to pay up for letting Whitey Bulger get away with murder

adamg — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 03:27:41 +0000

A federal appeals court today ordered the government to pay nearly $3 million to the families of three people murdered by Whitey Bulger when he was under FBI protection.

In two rulings issued today, the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston said enough was enough, Bulger and pal Stephen Flemmi were able to kill people because they knew the government wouldn't touch him and that the government should pay for its role in the murders of Louis Litif, Debra Davis and Deborah Hussey.

Our own Bermuda Triangle

adamg — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:21:43 +0000

A.P. Blake noticed the ghostly outline of a sunken ship in a Google satellite image of the tiny part of the Reserve Channel that lies past Summer Street, away from the cruise-ship terminal. Dave Barboza found two more.

Shocking: Man who showed up at hospital with severe burns may be guy who tried to steal cable at old power plant

adamg — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:16:42 +0000

Boston Police report a man currently in critical condition at Mass. General with burns may be the person who cut a heavy-gauge copper cable at the old South Boston power plant last night, causing smoldering that brought the Fire Department to investigate.

Police say the man, not yet charged and so not named, showed up at Boston Medical Center not long after fire alarms began going off at the power plant on Summer and 1st streets. He was later transferred to the Mass. General burn unit, police say.

Police say officers recovered "an electrical saw, what appeared to be a canvass bag, used cigarettes, and a cell phone" at the power plant, where firefighters encountered smoke on the second and third floors - and a cut power cable. However, police say they have yet to enter the giant building to look for more evidence on the advice of fire officials, because of potentially hazardous fumes. The building is mostly windowless.

Copper thieves learn there are still live wires in the old South Boston power plant

adamg — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 03:13:46 +0000

UPDATE: Man in hospital with serious burns is a possible suspect.

Firefighters and police responded to the South Boston power plant at Summer and 1st streets tonight, where some copper thieves managed to chop out some heavy-gauge wiring, causing smoldering that set off the plant's fire alarms. No sign of the pilferers, of course.

1/15/12 - 10:00 pm

Eddie Osborne, come out, come out wherever you are

adamg — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:07:30 +0000

Boston Police report they are looking for Osborne, 27, for yesterday's near fatal shooting of a man inside the Rotary Variety Store in South Boston.

Osborne, a South Boston resident, is 5'10" and weighs about 160 lbs.

If you know where he is, contact C-6 detectives at 617-343-4742 or the anonymous tip line by calling 800-494-TIPS or texting TIP to CRIME (27463)

Man shot in chest in South Boston

adamg — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:31:11 +0000

1/11/12 - 2:00 pm

Boston Police report finding a man in his 20s shot this afternoon at 397 Old Colony Ave.

The victim was taken to Boston Medical Center in serious condition, police say.

Police say they are looking for a black Maxima with Mass. plates of 47X-L76.

Fish heads, fish heads, write 'em up, yum

adamg — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:06:38 +0000

Richard Auffrey reports that a company called iPura is once again offering a $1,000 prize to the local blogger/tweeter who best captures the raging glory that is the awesome world of seafood products and services at the annual International Boston Seafood Show in March.

Only one Boston celebrichef is honest enough to admit to stealing an MBTA bus

adamg — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:28:51 +0000

The Times interviews megachef Barbara Lynch on her gritty upbringing in gritty South Boston:

I have always been a risk-taker, even as a kid. I stole an MBTA bus when I was 13 just for laughs and never got caught.

Toque tip to Harvard Book Store.

Some years, the L Street Brownies have it a bit warmer than others

adamg — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 20:21:54 +0000

Mystery Pill took in today's annual Dorchester Bay dip by the L Street Brownies - just like Leslie Jones did in 1930:

Top photo copyright Mystery Pill and posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr. Bottom photo from the Boston Public Library's Leslie Jones collection and posted under this Creative Commons license.

Whitey Bulger is a real cut-out

adamg — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:14:07 +0000

South End Textiles has come up with an activity for idle hands - download their 8 1/2x11 PDF, print it out and go to town (or Santa Monica).

There is photographic evidence of Whitey wearing each of these outfits, even the cowboy get-up. Not sure if he ever wore Gerry Cheever's goalie mask, but couldn't resist adding it.