The Boston Fire Department reports a fire at 49 Mather St. late last night quickly went to three alarms and sent two residents and two firefighters to the hospital. One resident was rescued from a top floor of the multi-family building via a department aerial ladder.  Read more

Updated on Feb. 12, 12 noon— Boston Public Schools will re-open tomorrow, Wednesday, February 13. The Parking Ban and Snow Emergency will be lifted today at 6 p.m.

“Our snow removal teams did great work throughout the night last night,” Mayor Menino said in a statement. “Our crews will be out there all day and again tonight as we continue to widen roads, make our schools safe for students, and respond to residents’ concerns about residential areas.”  Read more

Rep. Linda Dorcena ForryRep. Nick CollinsThe field of candidates aiming to replace former state Sen. Jack Hart solidified this week as Democratic state representatives from Dorchester and South Boston announced they were in the running. Linda Dorcena Forry and Nick Collins will be scrambling over the next several weeks to gather supporters and nomination signatures.

Unless a Republican or an Independent candidate joins them, the April 30 primary, which will be held the same day as the Democratic primary for the US Senate special election, will likely determine the next occupant of the First Suffolk District Senate seat. The general election is set for May 28.  Read more

Mary Mdden: Math “is divinely created”Veteran Boston College High School Principal Stephen Hughes doesn’t play favorites at the prestigious all-boys Jesuit prep on Morrissey Boulevard in Dorchester, an institution rooted in the 16th century teachings of the Spaniard St. Ignatius Loyola. Unless, of course, Hughes is talking about the best teacher he has encountered in his 30 years at the school.

Hands down, that would be Mary Madden. One of BC High’s first female teachers, Madden, a Dorchester native, taught math at all levels for three decades in a character-building environment that, by her own admission, put a far greater focus on getting students into Heaven than into Harvard. So what does math have to do with God? “Math is a divinely created language that unlocks the mysteries of the universe,” she says.  Read more

St. Mark’s Area Main Street (SMAMS) presents Oscars on the Avenue, a community celebration of the Academy Awards, on Sun., Feb. 24, 8 – 12 p.m., at Tavolo Ristorante, 1918 Dorchester Ave. in the Carruth Building at Ashmont Station. The evening will feature Tavolo’s hors d’oeuvres, the Academy Awards on the TV screens, an auction, a local awards ceremony, and more.   Read more

The Irish Social Club of Boston is back and offering a thousand welcomes to members, guests, and inquisitive minds alike at its West Roxbury home. The club acquired a permanent liquor license early last month and so the 119 Park St. fixture, which earlier had obtained an entertainment license, is once again open for business.  Read more

Two Dorchester health centers have been recognized for their high-quality care by a committee charged with reviewing patient care across the country. Codman Square Health Center and the Dorchester House Multi-Service Center both were awarded Level 3 Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMH) status by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The designation is the highest level awarded by the committee, which reviews health centers nationwide.  Read more

Mayor Thomas Menino on Tuesday asked for the advisory panel eyeing a school assignment overhaul to again delay their vote, scheduled for Saturday, and wrap up their work by before the end of the month.

“I ask that you continue your work past this weekend,” Menino wrote in the letter, which was obtained by the Reporter. The advisory panel had aimed for a December vote, and that was pushed back into January, and then to this weekend.  Read more

Democrats from across the state on Thursday night converged at the Boston Teachers Union headquarters in Dorchester and heard from the two Congressmen hoping to succeed U.S. Sen. John Kerry. Expecting to face off against one another in the April 30 primary, Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston) and Ed Markey (D-Malden) pitched their candidacies to a roomful of dozens of activists.

While is his official campaign launch isn’t until Saturday, Markey told the crowd, “It begins now. The primary is, believe it or not, in 90 days.”  Read more

Larry Marino: Loved Dorchester and promoting it through social media.Dorchester lost one of its most passionate and energetic volunteers last Saturday night. Larry Marino, 56, died suddenly from an apparent heart attack at his home in Lower Mills. His death sparked a wave of grief and disbelief across his adopted neighborhood, which Mr. Marino had dedicated himself to promoting — often through social media projects— in recent years.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend Larry’s Funeral Mass, which will be said a week from Saturday, Feb. 9, at 10 a.m. at Saint Gregory’s church. A celebration of his life will be held after the Mass at Florian Hall.

Mr. Marino, who ran his own small business— Lower Mills Web Designs— had become a fixture in that part of Dorchester since moving there several years ago. The Lawrence native and Navy veteran lived most of his last 19 years in Dorchester, including Fields Corner. Last year, Mr. Marino co-founded Cash Mob Dorchester, a Facebook-based group that sought to support small businesses in Dorchester by organizing coordinated shopping trips on a chosen day. The group, which he launched with close friend Carlos Vargas of Vargas and Vargas Insurance, quickly drew a strong response online and helped new merchants find a toe-hold in a tough economy.  Read more

When Khiet Tran bought the property at 1188 Dorchester Ave. in 2006, the Vietnamese immigrant was hoping to build a supermarket. But he discovered its grounds were soaked with chemicals, and he was forced to sink hundreds of thousands of dollars into the property to get them out.

After millions of dollars, and the removal of two underground oil tanks, the Phu Cuong Market is open for business. “I did not realize there was so much clean-up,” Tran, 46, said in his sparse second-floor office, which overlooks the rows of food.  Read more