Posted June 2, 2005

     Obviously, the weather has preoccupied almost everyone.  Isn’t it interesting how much attention the bad weather in May has gotten, even though it’s the one thing that we can’t do a single thing to change.  At least no one has been talking about global warming.

     The beach cleanup has helped appearances all along Day Boulevard, but there are still eyesores.  The temporary cyclone fencing along the beach near the yacht clubs surrounding the subsidence in back of the seawall has been there too long.  Where is the DCR?

     And will there ever be a reliable vendor in the grille at the McCormack Bathhouse?  We have gone through Girard’s and Chesley’s.  What’s next?  It would be a fine amenity for that end of the beach.  Otherwise, it’s a long, two-and-a-half mile trek to Sullivan’s.  Here again, it’s a DCR facility.  Surely, they can find someone who can run a beach concession on a regular basis.

     Pretty soon, there will be Resident Parking in South Boston, but problems will still exist.  For one thing, delivery trucks never pull in to the curb – they are constantly double-parking.  It’s only an impression, but UPS seems to be one of the worst offenders, second only to the MBTA bus drivers who refuse to pull over at bus stops, even when the stops are clear of other parkers.  We believed those drivers were employed to serve us.  How stupid of South Boston Online to think that.

     Aren’t you bored with hearing endless opinions about the Red Sox, especially on sports radio and in newspaper columns?  It’s really very simple – the two top pitchers in their rotation are injured, and the Sox aren’t hitting consistently.  That’s it.  End of story.  Nothing more needs to be said.

     Another topic that has become boring is the constant reportage about church closings.  After peering through the smokescreen generated by diocesan scandal, parish vigils, and the shortage of priests, the truly central problem becomes obvious:  most lay people stopped going to church decades ago, and they haven’t returned, despite all the whining about church closures.  There’s more noise on the picket lines outside of churches than there is in the pews (where it belongs).  It’s very easy to prevent any more closures.  Just go to church every Sunday.  Return to the “Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.”  And who knows, maybe that’ll improve the weather as well.

     Have you noticed that the litterbugs are back, even though the “Boston Shines” day made a real difference?  What is it about pizza boxes, cheeseburger cartons, and styrofoam coffee cups that makes people want to throw them in the gutter?

     It’s hard to imagine the number of complaints we hear about the dogs in South Boston.  Yes, we have written about this problem before, but it’s getting worse.  Dogs run unleashed across Medal of Honor Park and along the beaches.  Even after the park cleanup on Armed Forces Day, the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit stepped in dog droppings on their line of march.  How rude can our dog owners be?  And it is the lifelong residents of South Boston, not the newcomers, who are the worst offenders.

     To end on a positive note, weren’t you impressed by the men and women from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit who marched in the Armed Forces Day Parade?  Why doesn’t South Boston adopt them?  They are slated to return to Iraq for their third (!) tour of duty.  Cards, letters, e-mails, phone calls, and small gifts, particularly during the holiday season, would be a nice remembrance.