May 2004

Items that missed the printed issue:

MWRA Water Drainage Pipe proposal:
(Taken from A Boston Globe Article) Aiming to make South Boston's beaches clean enough for swimming almost every day, water officials yesterday approved a massive new tunnel designed to hold polluted water during storms and keep it from flowing into north Dorchester Bay.

The long-delayed plan approved yesterday by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority board is designed to close a nagging gap in the $4.5 billion Boston Harbor cleanup: Rain can overwhelm the city's combined system of storm drains and sewers, pushing untreated waste straight into the harbor. The nearly $300 million project includes a 2.1-mile tunnel near the shoreline in Dorchester and South Boston to collect the mix of storm water and sewage and hold it for processing. It also includes an odor control station at Carson Beach and a 10-million-gallon-per-day pumping station to be built at Conley Terminal in South Boston.

The system, designed to handle all but the most extreme storm conditions, is expected to prevent pollution from closing the beaches to swimmers. "When there's a big rain, it's still going to be bad on the beach, but those rains are very infrequent," said Bruce Berman, spokesman for Save the Harbor /Save the Bay, an advocacy organization that has been fighting for better use of the beaches. "Compared to once a week, you're looking at a home run here."

The project will raise combined water and sewer rates for larger MWRA customers from $835 this year to $1,407 in a decade, according to the authority. An earlier version of the plan was blocked four years ago by opposition from South Boston residents worried about the enormous new pumping station slated for their neighborhood. The new plan reduced the size of the station to win neighbors' approval.

If approved by state environmental officials, the project would launch an around-the-clock "Little Dig" under Day Boulevard and Columbia Road, with a purpose-built tunnel-boring machine burrowing through 2.1 miles of soft ground to create a conduit 17 feet wide. The tunnel is expected to start processing water when the station is completed in 2011. The compromise proposal emerged after MWRA officials, pressured by a federal judge to satisfy their commitment to treat both sewage and storm water, changed the expectations and the designs of their original plan. The first plan would have eliminated any discharge of the combined rainwater-sewage mixture that now overflows the system. The new plan would allow discharge in hurricane and flood conditions, expected on average every 25 years. During certain large storms, of a severity occurring about once in five years, storm water will bypass the tunnel and discharge on the beaches so the system's capacity will be saved for the more concentrated sewage. A recent analysis by Save the Harbor/Save the Bay found that storm water, though less potent than raw sewage, is more often responsible for delivering bacteria to the beaches. Some advocates and lawmakers are still concerned about the timeframe and the diversion of dirty water. Under the plan, some untreated storm water would be diverted to Patten's Cove in Dorchester, which is used for boating but not swimming. That concerns Senator Jack Hart, who represents both communities, and the Conservation Law Foundation, a plaintiff in the original Boston Harbor suit. Those critics worry that the proposal simply shifts pollution from one area to another. Stephanie Ebbert can be reached at ebbert@globe.com.


Cash for Class - To help benefit the Edward Everett School
Every time you, your family, and friends shop at South Shore Plaza, have your receipts stamped at the Simon Marketplace (Customer Service), to help the Edward Everett School get closer to winning valuable prizes. Your school can win prizes ranging from $300 to #3,000 !!

Receipts must be dated between July 15, 2003 and May 15, 2004.

Bring your original cash register receipt from any South Shore Plaza store to the Simon Market Place (Customer Service) and they will credit the Edward Everett School. Your receipt will be stamped and given back to you. The Edward Everett School will receive five (5) points for each dollar that you spend.

For more information about the program call Lynda Howland the Cash for Class Coordinator at (617) 635-8778.

~Lynda Howland
Boston Public Schools
Office - Edward Everett School
71 Pleasant Street
Dorchester, Massachusetts 02125


CSHCA Meeting Childcare Reminder
At our general meetings we offer free childcare for our membership. Please bring along any personal items that your child may need during the course of the evening. Make sure you arrive on the early side to give your child some time to adjust and settle in.


6th Annual Mothers' Coffee Hour with the Mayor
Wednesday, May 5th at 9:30 AM at the Martin Tot Lot on Hilltop Street. Java, light refreshments and a free planter for the ladies. It's a great opportunity for an informal chat with the Mayor!


Student Assignment Community Forums for Dorchester ~Molly Dunford
Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services


Yard Waste Collections - Spring
The City of Boston, DPW, will be collecting seasonal yard waste on the first four Saturdays of May. Items to be collected: leaves, grass, weeds, clippings and bundled twigs. Please place your yard waste in large paper bags or open barrels.(No household trash or dirt) Plastic bags will be refused. Deposit your yard waste curbside by 7 AM. Note that yard waste will not be collected with the regular trash day pick-ups during those four weeks of May.

For more information about the yard waste collection program, recycling or about home composting call: 617-635-4959.


The Little House - Spring Leadership Program Registration
The Little House's Leaders in Progress Program (L.I.P.P.), a co-ed adventure based leadership program for teens between the ages of 12 and 14 will having its' Spring registration starting Tuesday, May 25, 2004 @ 1 PM. Spaces are limited for this program. First come...first served. Call John M. (afternoons) at Little House, 617-282-2180, for more information.


Click here for CSHCA Super 88 Committee Updates


Little House Food Pantry
The CSHCA collects nonperishable food, toiletries and household cleaning items at our monthly meetings to donate to The Little House Food Pantry. We have our collection basket located at the sign in desk . Thanks so much !!!


Click here for A Parade of Seniors Luncheon Application


Click here for CSHCA Beautification Committee Updates


Dorchester Recycling Coalition:
To receive your FREE blue recycling bin or for more info about how to recycle call (617) 635-4959.


Click here for A Little Miss Dorchester Contest Application


Dorchester Historical Society
This Place Is My Home:Dorchester Oral History Project
With the support of many local organizations, the Dorchester Historical Society and the Edward Everett Square Project Committee have started a project to collect oral histories from Dorchester residents. By recording the voices of people whose stories are underrepresented in traditional histories, the project aims to celebrate and bridge Dorchester's diverse communities with a sense of common history expressed through public art.

Participants will be asked to recall events, experiences, personal or family memories and ethnic/cultural traditions to describe the fabric of everyday life in Dorchester. Interviews will be conducted through June 2004 and will take place either at the Dorchester Historical Society, UMass Boston, or locations mutually convenient to the interviewee and interviewer. Special efforts are being made to include older residents and to initiate contacts from all corners of Dorchester, old and new.

With the consent of the participants, oral history stories will be archived at the Dorchester Historical Society to create a permanent record of the local experiences, history, and cultural traditions in Dorchester. In addition, selected excerpts from the interviews will be included in permanent public artwork planned for installation in Edward Everett Square.

All Dorchester residents - past or present - are encouraged to participate, either by interviewing someone or being interviewed. Training will be provided for volunteers; there is no minimum commitment involved. If you are interested in joining the project or can recommend people who should be interviewed, please contact the Dorchester Historical Society @ 617-265-7802.
~Ellen Kuhl
Interview Coordinator


20th Annual Savin Hill Park Cleanup
Saturday, May 1, 9 AM to 3 PM at the top of the hill by Rockmere. Refreshments and gardening tools will be available. For more information call Bill at 617-282-0609 or email bill.walczak@codman.org See you at the "Dome"!
~Bill Walczak


50/50 Raffle
The CSHCA runs a 50/50 raffle at each of our general monthly meetings. Please participate. Tickets are only $1 each and three for $2 and can be purchased at the front desk when checking in. The winning ticket will be drawn at the conclusion of the meeting.


Remember your CSHCA dues must be paid for a minimum of thirty days prior to our monthly general meetings in order to be a voting member in good standing.
~Nora McDonnell


Support Our Local Businesses who Support the CSHCA!

Below is a list of the Columbia Savin Hill Civic Association's Merchant Members.
Remember, the folks who run these businesses support us and have invested in our community. Please extend the same support to them by shopping in their stores, seeking their services or eating in their restaurants.
A Hohmann Oil Co. Inc. 1146 Dorchester Avenue
Anna's Bakery, Inc. 1035 Dorchester Avenue
At Home Real Estate Group 109 Savin Hill Avenue
Avenue Auto Wholesales, Inc.  1121 Dorchester Avenue
The Banshee Pub 934 Dorchester Avenue
Bayside Exposition Center 200 Mt. Vernon Street
The Boston Globe 135 Morrissey Blvd.
C.F. Donovan's Restaurant 120 Savin Hill Avenue
Coleen’s Flower Shop 912 Dorchester Avenue
Corcoran Jennison Mgmt 150 Mt. Vernon Street
Creative Wrappings 22 Carson Street  
Dorchester Avenue Auto Repair  887 Dorchester Avenue
Dorchester Tire Service 1160 Dorchester Avenue
Dorchester Market 951 Dorchester Avenue
Gately Insurance Co. 983A Dorchester Avenue
Lee Myles Transmission 1110 Dorchester Avenue
Lee's Store & Bakery 982 Dorchester Avenue
McKenna’s Café 113 Savin Hill Avenue
Murphy Funeral Home 1020 Dorchester Avenue
Nash’s Pub 1154 Dorchester Avenue
NEALCO Environmental Svcs. 5 Caspian Way
P. Gioioso & Sons Construction 50 Sprague Street, Hyde Park (BWS project)
Pat Jay’s Pharmacy 940 Dorchester Avenue
Savin Hill Variety 110 Savin Hill Avenue
The Shanti Restaurant 1111 Dorchester Avenue
Spire Printing 65 Bay Street
Sports Lab 1152 Dorchester Avenue
Venice Pizza 39 Savin Hill Avenue
Vina Realty/MSC Travel 988 Dorchester Avenue

Merchant Memberships are $25.00 a year. Please note that this is a non-voting membership. If interested in becoming a Merchant Member please print out and complete the membership form at the bottom of this online newsletter and forward with your check in the amount of $25.00 made payable to the Columbia-Savin Hill Civic Association. We will list all Merchant Members each month in our newsletter.




CSHCA Membership Renewal/Application for Membership
Please keep current with your annual membership dues if you wish to remain a voting member in good standing and continue to receive a copy of the newsletter, "The Neighbors". NOTE: Check address label for your membership expiration date. It would be greatly appreciated if your memberships were renewed early.

CSHCA Annual Memberships are only $5 per person ($25 Merchant Sponsor - non-voting member) Checks can be made payable to: CSHCA

Simply print out the form below and give with payment to our Treasurer, Nora McDonnell at our next meeting or mail to:

CSHCA Membership
c/o Ms. Nora McDonnell, CSHCA Treas.
7 Buttonwood Court
Dorchester, MA 02125

Individual membership(s) ____
Merchant Sponsor _____


Name(s): ____________________________________________

Street: _____________________________ Apt: __________

City/Town: ___________________________ State: _____

Postal Code: ____________

Phone: ______________________________

Email: ______________________________

Merchant Sponsor Name: _____________________________

Dot Day Weekend - Yard Sale
The Columbia Savin Hill Neighborhood Yard and Plant Sale will be Saturday, June 5th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This event is held in conjunction with the Dorchester Day Celebrations Committee's Landing Day ceremony on Savin Hill Beach at Noon. The rain date for the yard sale will be Saturday, June 12. Come mingle with your neighbors and make some money. The fee is $5.00 per household and will cover the cost of printing and advertising. Also, don't forget to check out the plants for sale at the Saint William's School on 100 Savin Hill Avenue. Proceeds from this event will go towards neighborhood improvement projects. For questions call Anne Riley (617) 825-9859 or email beautifuldot@excite.com.


Rock the Night
A benefit for the maintenance of the New Edward Everett Schoolyard.
You're Invited!!
Join the Friends of the Schoolyard on Saturday, May 1, 8 p.m. - Midnight at the James J. Rice Am Vets Post 28, 33 Romsey Street. Featuring music by CatBasket and The Mood Swings. Donations: $15 per person (Adults Only) Cash Bar. Checks can be made payable to: Edward Everett Schoolyard. For advance ticket purchase (please include your name, address, and phone number) or donation mail to: Edward Everett Schoolyard Benefit, 71 Pleasant Street, Dorchester, Ma 02125. Hope to see you there.


Many thanks to SPIRE and UMass for helping us get this newsletter to your door.


May is
National Bike Month, National Book Month, Senior Citizens Month (Mass.), Older Americans Month (National), Women's Health Care Month, Haitian Heritage Month (Boston), Clean Air Month, Family Support Month, National Egg Month, National Salsa Month, National Burger Month and National BBQ Month!


Kit Clark Senior Services
Celebrating 30 years of dedication to making a difference in the lives of senior citizens in Boston, we are planning special events each month in 2004.

MAY
May 18th is Haitian Flag Day.
May 21st is Senior Bake-Off.
May 25th is Remembrance Day.
May 27 is Volunteer Recognition Day.

Visit Kit Clark Senior Services at 1500 Dorchester Avenue or call Dolores Miller at (617) 825-5000


Newsletter Submissions
Have you something you'd like to share in our newsletter "The Neighbors"?
We welcome all appropriate submissions. Letters to the Editor, local events, announcements, meetings...etc. You can email us at janderson@uusc.org call (617) 282-1277 or fax (617) 868-7102 attn: John (call (617) 868-6600 - John -in advance).

The next Newsletter Deadline for submission is May 19th, 2004!





© 2004 Columbia Savin Hill Civic Association