2007 Presidents' Messages
February 2007
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Over the last few weeks I have seen many of you at various meetings around the neighborhood. I
thank all of you who took time out of your busy schedules to attended meetings on issues that
affect our area. Both the UMass Strategic Plan meeting and the Metropolitan Beaches Commission
meeting, which was hosted by Sen. Jack Hart, were heavily attended by CSHCA members.
We have a lot of business on the agenda for the February meeting, so I encourage you to come
early so that we can start the meeting promptly at 7:00 pm. Among other agenda items, Viet-AID
will be with us to present their preliminary intentions for the St. Williams property. The
Edward Everett Square Committee will be giving us an update on their progress in the Square.
Additionally, Leslie Moore will be introducing herself to the group and giving us a brief
overview of her role as the new manager of the Little House.
I would like to extend my appreciation to the members who turned out to take part in the
election last month. There were many new faces in the crowd, as well as some that we have not
seen in a while. I encourage all of you to come back and remain actively involved in the
organization.
I look forward to seeing you at the Little House at 7:00 pm!
~ Deirdre Habershaw
March 2007
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I hope you have noticed that the [printed version] newsletter has a new look this month. Please
let me or a member of the newsletter staff know if you have any comments; both positive and
negative.
If you were unable to join us for the February meeting, you missed the announcement that Bill
Cotter has stepped down as chair of the Planning Committee. Bill has done a great job in this
role and thankfully will remain a member of the Committee. Eileen Fenton has agreed to take on
the role as Committee Chair. I am extremely happy that Eileen has volunteered to take on this
very busy committee. Eileen’s experience and commitment to the neighborhood makes her an ideal
person to keep the committee on track.
In addition to our regularly monthly representatives from our various police forces, Judi
Wright will be joining us from the Boston Police Department’s Crime Watch Unit. She will be
giving us a demonstration of the Whistle Alert Program, and some crime prevention tips. So, be
sure to come to receive your safety whistle and hear her useful tips.
I would like to extend a huge "THANK YOU" to Gloria Vieira, Frank Baker and his
beautiful family, and Cathleen McDermott for volunteering their time to handout the walking
safely pamphlets at the JFK train station last week. As well as Capt. Greland, Sgt Daly, and
Judi Wright for providing the pamphlets and police detail for our volunteers.
Unfortunately, I have some sad news to share at this time. John Cavanaugh passed away in his
apartment on February 14th. This information came as a shock to me, as I assume it does to
you. John was a very active member of the association, and was a current member of the
Executive Board as well as the By-laws Committee. I would like to extend my deepest gratitude
to those of you who made the trek to John’s wake, which was located in Haverhill, where his
family resides. I know his family was very touched by our effort to attend the services.
John’s wisdom and his willingness to volunteer will be sorely missed by the association.
Please keep John’s family in your prayers.
On a happier note, the plans for the Savin Hill Celebration of Friendship are moving along.
This is going to be a great night to reconnect with old friends, and make some new ones.
Make sure to see a member of the committee for tickets, or if you are interested in
volunteering or donating an auction item.
As usual, it has been a very busy month since we last met. Please come to the meeting to hear
what has been keeping all of our committee members busy. There may be something going on that
you want to become a part of.
I look forward to see you at the Little House on Monday, March 5th at 7pm!
~ Deirdre Habershaw
April 2007
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
It has been another very busy month since were last together. Winter finally decided to roll in
under the wire. Hopefully we are done with the slush and icy drizzle and spring is on her way!
This month we will have nominations for officers, and elections will be held at the Annual
Meeting in May. If you have any interest in serving as recording secretary (or any other office)
please make sure to be at this month's meeting to be nominated, although we will take
nominations at the May meeting as well.
The role of recording secretary is very important in order for the association to conduct
business in the most efficient manner. Please strongly consider volunteering your time to
conduct this extremely critical task. We are not looking for an exact transcript of the
meetings, but rather a brief record of the business details like reports, motions, and votes.
The Friends of Leo Lydon fundraiser was a HUGE success! Thank you to the many of you who have
supported this effort. We hope you enjoyed the event!
I look forward to seeing you at Little House on Monday, April 2nd at 7 PM!
~ Deirdre Habershaw
May 2007
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Whew, we have had a busy month! Since meeting last we have had many active committee meetings
and community events. Kevin Waterman of Bay Street cooked a delicious chili for the first
annual Dorchester Chili Cookoff. Although we did not take home the chili pot, we did win the
award for the association with the most spirit, which was mostly due to the fabulously
decorated table and energy which were both provided by Sudan Street's Maureen MacQuillen.
There is always next year!
Thank you to all of you who volunteered and participated in Boston Shines and the Annual Savin
Hill Park Clean-up. I have never seen so many volunteers at the clean-up. The park looks like
it has had a professional landscaping job!
I would like to extend my gratitude to our elected officials for attending the Red Cedar (Savin
Tree) dedication, as well as Arthur Donovan for supplying the refreshments. Mayor Menino,
Sheriff Cabral, Senator Hart, Representative Walsh, and Councilor Feeney all had toughing
things to say about Richie Pacitti. Which made for a beautiful and well-deserved dedication.
Additionally, a special thank-you to Bill Walczak for procuring the funding for the four new
trees, and for continuously protecting and maintaining our park.
At this month's meeting we will have the election of officers. The By-laws committee will be
re-submitting the by-laws for consideration with the intention of ratifying the changes at
the June meeting. Ryan Woods from grampian Way is now working for the City of Boston parks
and Recreation Department. He will be with us to talk about the Parks Department Partnership
Program as well as a fun event that is coming to McConnell Park this summer!
I look forward to seeing you at Little House on Monday, May 7th at 7 PM!
~ Deirdre Habershaw
June 2007
Dear Neighbors,
I hope everyone enjoyed a safe and fun-filled Dorchester day! Thank you to
all of the Parade Committee members who put so much time and effort into
this event so that the Dorchester community can come together to show a
little pride.
Thank you as well to Sen. Jack Hart, his staff, and all of the volunteers
who spent Saturday May 11th cleaning up Savin Hill beach. I personally
thank you because my puppy just loves to eat trash!
We will have a special guest at this month’s meeting. Congressman Stephen
Lynch will be joining us to share what he has been working on in Washington
D.C. Additionally, Boston Water and Sewer Commission will be presenting the
plans for the Morrissey Blvd project which will commence this summer. BWSC
presented preliminary plans to the e-board several months ago. It appears
the plans will have less of impact on the Columbia Savin Hill Neighborhood
than we initially expected. Hopefully this remains to be the case. If you
are unable to attend this month's meeting, details can be found on
www.bwsc.org. Click on
"In Your Community" and then "Sewer Projects."
As usual, we will not be meeting in July or August. If you have an issue
that needs to be addressed during the summer months, please contact me so
that I can make sure it is placed on the E-board meeting agenda. My e-mail
address and phone number are on the monthly newsletter.
I look forward to seeing you at Little House on Monday, June 4th at 7 PM!
~ Deirdre Habershaw
September 2007
Dear Neighbors,
I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing summer. I don't know about everyone else,
but I enjoyed a number of community events this summer. The Fat City Band concert
that the parks Department sponsored back in July was a great time. Mary Hynes,
Dianne Kerrissey, and Ryan Woods from the Boston Parks and Recreation Department
as well as Lauren Smyth from the Mayors office of neighborhood services deserve a
great deal of thanks for all of the hard work that went into bringing this great
event to our heighborhood. Thank you as well to City Council President Maureen
Feeney for sending her ice cream truck, and Sheriff Cabral for sending a
representative from the Ident-A-Youth program.
Please indulge me for the moment: another McDermott has entered the world! My
brother Liam and his wife Tara welcomed their daughter Maeve into the world on
August 30. So, if you see my parents around the neighborhood, please congratulate
them for being grandparents for the first time!
Those of you who travel on the Red Line from Savin Hill will notice the recent
installation of resident artist Jim Hobin's artwork on the platform. This new
addition goes a long way in putting the finishing touches on the new station.
Thank you to jim forhis beautiful work and the MBTA for the installation.
I look forward to seeing you at the Little House, September 10th at 7:00 pm.
~ Deirdre Habershaw
November 2007
Dear Neighbors,
Winter weather has finally decided to descend on Boston, but that is OK by me
because with it came the Boston Redsox seventh World Series Title! And with the
four game sweep the boys of summer have given us a week to recover from late
night games in order to be rested for our monthly membership meeting. Wasn’t
that thoughtful?
At this months’ meeting will be joined by another candidate for the Boston
City Council. Election Day is November 6th. Polls open at 7 AM and remain open
until 8 PM. Please remember to get out and vote. In the election for City Council
you are allowed up to four votes for candidates running for the four
at-large/citywide seats, and one vote for your District City Council seat.
Columbia Savin Hill is made up of three Council District Seats, predominantly,
District 3 followed by District 2 and District 7. Both incumbents in district 3 and
and 7 have opponents in this years race. For more information about where you vote,
which district you are in, or how to vote absentee, please visit the city’s website
at
www.cityofboston.gov/elections
or call 617-635-4635.
Due to Veteran’s Day falling on the evening that our E-board meeting would usually
be held, it will be postponed to the following Monday: November 19th at 7 PM at the
McLaughlin Center.
Requests for the electronic newsletter have been rolling in. Please remember to let
me know if you want to receive the newsletter through your e-mail. Please remember
to bring a non-perishable food item to our next meeting for the Little House Food
Pantry.
I look forward to seeing you on the 5th at 7 PM!
~ Deirdre Habershaw
December 2007
Dear Neighbors,
It was very nice to see so many of you braving the weather at the polls on Election Day! I
hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
This month’s meeting should be a busy one. We will have a presentation on the current
proposal for the St. William Church property on Dorchester Avenue. The St. William
Property Re-use Committee has had several meeting over the last few months and has
worked very hard with Viet-AID and the abutters. If you are interested in seeing what the
plan is at this time, and weighing in on the concept, please attend this month’s meeting.
I was unable to attend either of the UMass Boston public meetings regarding their
Master Plan. However, I have heard from the few of you who were able to attend that each
of the proposed plans incorporates dormitories. In the past the association has opposed
dorms on the UMass/Boston Campus. At this month’s meeting we will be having a brief
discussion on this issue and possibly reaffirming our position based on the membership’s
current feeling on the issue.
We will be having a special raffle this month benefiting the CSHCA Beautification
Committee. Priority Parking, Larry Baker, has generously donated two tickets to the
December 16th football game between the 2007 AFC East Champion New England Patriots
and the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium. Football Raffle tickets will be $5 each.
After our official business is done we will be having our Annual Holiday Party. I
encourage you to bring a holiday dessert to share with our fellow members. We will supply
beverages, and paper goods. Please bring any necessary serving-ware and kindly label
anything with nuts for those with food allergies. There will be holiday music and raffle
items donated by local businesses.
I look forward to seeing all of you on December 3rd at 7 PM at the Little House. Please
remember a non-perishable food item for the Little House Food Pantry!
~ Deirdre Habershaw
