By Phil Orlandella
North End will continue to change
Is the North End what it used to be? In name, only.
When a piece of property becomes available, it usually becomes a restaurant or high price condominiums, changing the cultural flavor of the North End from strong Italian occupancy.
Development, after development, after development, has changed the once close-knit community forever.
In just a few years the old structure of the neighborhood is now in the history books. The future of the neighborhood will continue to change until all the property availability has diminished.
Once that occurs, the next step is up, additional floors to existing buildings. The 55-foot height limitation will somehow get changed or altered making room for more housing with no parking available for new comers or existing residents.
Hopefully, this article is just a fantasy, but don’t count on it.
Mr. North End: Ted Tomasone
Former North End resident Ted Tomasone, Clerk Magistrate Somerville District Court, has once again spearheaded several North End benefit events and supported many others.
For well over 50 years, Ted has been directly involved with several neighborhood fundraisers, endeavors, programs, events and activities that have made a great difference to the North End community.
Some of the things that Ted has done over the years that stand out include: a benefit golf tournament, a holiday benefit luncheon for families and seniors and the famous North End Christmas Parade.
There are too many other community activities that Ted is involved with like sponsoring a Little League team and supporting local non-profit agencies.
Mr. North End, Ted deserves to be recognized and commended for never forgetting the community he was born and raised in, and loves.
Deb DeCristoforo has the stuff to make seniors happy
New North End Younger Seniors Club President Deb DeCristoforo appears to be eager to make the social organization bigger and better while operating out of the Nazzaro Community Center on North Bennet Street.
Deb has a lot of experience working with other non-profit agencies and hopes to apply that knowledge to help local seniors have fun and participate in several events throughout the year on a regular basis.
Caring for the welfare of North End seniors is a must. Deb DeCristoforo has the stuff to make seniors happy and feel wanted.
MassDOT on the right track with MBTA service and improvements
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has done a credible job of improving the MBTA, making it safer and financially responsible not to mention reliable service.
Sure, there is much more to do to satisfy its tens of thousands of regular customers, however, the T is on the right track to change things for the better.
For so many years, there has been no public confidence for the management of this important public transportation service but things are gradually beginning to change for the better. Management is no longer considered a train wreck.
Information coming out of MassDOT clearly indicates a major effort to make public transportation throughout the city and state a top priority and a real desire to make things happen in a positive way as soon as possible.
This is a clear indication of Governor Charlie Baker’s commitment to reorganize things that need to be initiated to the system to improve the MBTA.