Will Marty Walsh become the next Michael Bilandic? Bilandic was the first Chicago Mayor to try to fill the large shoes left when Mayor-for-life Richard Daley died in 1976. Walsh, of course, replaced our own Mayor-for-Life, Tom Menino and is working to make the job his own. Bilandic's first challenges were negotiating the shoals of …
Continue reading Will Marty Walsh become another Michael Bilandic?
Dear Angela, Reams have been written and will continue to be written about your beloved husband, Tom; hours have been spent broadcasting his myriad accomplishments as Boston's longest running mayor. History will reflect on the many things he did to leave his imprint on the city and, indeed, the region. Future generations will marvel at the …
A gorgeous day and a cruise of Boston Harbor celebrates how far we have come in creating a world class destination. A two-hour sail on the 80-foot schooner Adirondack III is a treat accessible to everyone from Rowes Wharf. For me, as a journalist who covered harbor issues during the '80's and '90's, there was particular …
Continue reading Boston Harbor cruise says a lot about the Hub
Southie's traditional St. Patrick's Day breakfast was anything but traditional yesterday. A testament to the new Boston, a majority-minority city, the breakfast was hosted for the first time ever by a woman, a person of color, a Haitian-American, and a resident of Dorchester...all wrapped up in the energetic and charismatic persona of State Senator Linda Dorcena Forry. …
Continue reading St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast: more love-in, less roast
Boston's mayoral election is still up for grabs, but the selections may be crystalizing. Four days with no computer has left me grappling impressionistically with the 12-person field, but things are looking slightly more clear. Thanks to Davcoh Computer Services and a brand new computer, I can return to the task of sorting out this …
Don't tell me the end of summer isn't until the third week in September. Virtually everyone understands summer ends on Labor Day (or the Friday before for those who want to beat the rush.) The leaves are beginning to turn. Crickets are making a racket at night. Returning college students are clogging the streets with …
I have crossed paths with Boston mayoral candidate Charlotte Golar Richie at various times over the last few decades, but without getting a real sense of her as an individual. Certainly, I knew her from her bio: Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya; two master's degrees; two-term member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, where she chaired the Housing …
Continue reading Charlotte Golar Richie: the next mayor of Boston?
When the Boston marathon was bombed, we all shared the grief and noted that "We are Boston." So, too, when the capital city selects a new mayor, the people of Greater Boston, not just its voting residents, have a stake in who succeeds 20-year incumbent Tom Menino. As John Nucci observed in the Boston Herald, what the …
Continue reading Media need to do heavy lifting in Boston mayoral race
How many times after a tragic shooting have we heard politicians say, in the guise of respect for the victims. "this isn't the time" to talk about gun control. White House spokesman Jay Carney used the same language on Friday. “There is, I’m sure, will be, rather, discussion of the usual Washington policy debates, but I …
After 40 hours over 7 days of deliberation, the news is finally in: the jury in the criminal trial of former state treasurer Tim Cahill couldn't reach a unianimous decision about whether he misappropriated public funds for campaign purposes and committed procurement fraud. The judge has declared a mistrial. This outcome raises serious questions about the new 2009 ethics law, …
Marjorie Arons-Barron 