Della Melchionda celebrated her 80th birthday at a surprise party held at the Freeport Tavern on Morrissey Blvd. on March 6. City Councillor Maureen Feeney presented Della with a citation from the City Council proclaiming March 6, 2009 as "Della Melchionda Day" in Boston. A well-known resident of Keystone Apartments, Melchionda is also vice president of the St. Brendan's Senior Club and a mother of nine children. Della also has 15 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She is pictured above, center, with Councillor Feeney and her son Rocky. Photo courtesy Councillor Feeney's office

Claiming the success of the Mattapan Library as his inspiration, City Councillor Charles Yancey is charging forward yet again on his quest for a new high school in Mattapan. In the March 11 City Council session he submitted a $105 million loan order for the construction of the school, a move he has made several times over the past decade.

"It's a gaping hole in the system," said Yancey this week. "I've had discussions with members of the school department and others and I expect that will continue."

Yancey said he hasn't had a formal meeting about the school proposal with the Menino Administration or the school department since last year, but has talked informally with Superintendent Carol Johnson and new School Committee chair Rev. Gregory Groover.

A 20-acre piece of land on the grounds of the old State Hospital, pictured in a press release distributed by Yancey's office, was designated as space for the high school back in 2000. But in 2005 the land lost that designation when Boston Public Schools had made no progress on plans for the high school.

BPS spokesman Chris Horan again said this week that the department has no plans for new school buildings.

But Yancey argues that with stimulus money now flowing through the state, the time is ripe to revive the plan. And that as of yet, nothing has been built on the site.

- PETE STIDMAN

Officials from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) will come to next Tuesday's meeting of the Lower Mills Civic Association to discuss a planned pipe repair project that will impact the village and surrounding streets. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on March 24 at St. Gregory's auditorium.

The Dorchester branch of the Red Line will be shut down this weekend as the T completes what it calls the "final phase of demolition" at Ashmont station. Buses along Dorchester Avenue will replace train service on Saturday and Sunday. T officials call this weekend's around the clock work a "major milestone" in the Ashmont construction project. Questions may be directed to the T's construction hotline at 617-222-6757.