By Phil Orlandella
Should have been a North End Museum
A cultural and credible proposal to create a North End Museum at Lovejoy Wharf space, on Beverly Street, was scrapped by the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) in favor of a visitor’s bureau was simply a bad choice.
Certainly, a historic museum depicted the long history of North End culture would have been a much better choice.
Presenting the history of the North End and all it had to offer and its diversity seems to be more suitable than providing visitor’s information and directions.
This was another grave mistake by BPDA just like when they approved a highly controversial 125 Room Hotel on the outskirts of the North End on Cross Street claiming more residents favored it than those that opposed.
That number was based on one BPDA hearing that apparently had more pro-hotel supporters than those opposed and certainly did not reflect the pulse of the neighborhood.
Support was overwhelmingly obvious with no real sign of opposition. Like the hotel decision, more in favor, less opposed, then why didn’t a North End Museum get the okay to move forward?
Make sure the visitor’s bureau has good directions advising visitors and others how to get to the North End.
Gangs Spend Summer in the North End
This past summer, underage teenage gangs roamed the North End basically unchecked, at times creating some havoc, enough to generate residential public safety problems and other concerns.
Usually moving in groups of 20 or more, they found their way into the areas public places to hang out and consume liquor, while leaving their trash and using the area as a toilet.
For fun and entertainment, the gangs like to toss trash barrels on the sidewalks and streets creating health and rodent problems.
Traveling in large numbers they can be intimidating as they have shown to be in the local feasts.
This is not the first-time teen gangs have made their way into the North End and it won’t be the last, unless everyone involved starts planning now to manage this situation.
This is the first time ever that backpacks have been opened and checked before a carrier was allowed to enter a feast location.