Port Norfolk
Port Norfolk
Winery rolled out as Port Norfolk’s latest hidden gem
May. 1, 2009
Editor's Note: The Dorchester Historical Society will host a special event on Sunday, May 3 at The Boston Winery in Port Norfolk from 2-5 p.m. Back in 2007, the Reporter's former news editor Brian Denitzio visited the Winery — run by the Bruno family, who also own the Venezia restaurant next door. Enjoy! Read more
Dot merchants get mayoral run-through on budget woes
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Just days before he submits his budget to the City Council, Mayor Thomas Menino gave some insights into his priorities and challenges in his annual address to the Dorchester Board of Trade on Tuesday afternoon.
Menino — who is widely expected to run for re-election this fall — said he foresees a $78 million cut in local aid, money that comes from the state and goes to city coffers for local programs, in the fiscal 2010 budget, on top of a $23 million cut this year.
Menino said he hopes to extract additional revenues from the city’s own contractors. Read more
Port Norfolk says nay to billboard, cash payment
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A billboard at Dorchester Avenue and Hoyt Street: Photo by Pete Stidman. Click to expand.It just got a little tougher to put up new billboards in Dorchester.
John McLaughlin, a principal of Sullivan McLaughlin Companies, offered the Port Norfolk Civic Association $50,000 up front and 8.3 percent of net revenue for 20 years in exchange for permission to erect a billboard on his property next to the Southeast Expressway on Tuesday night. A relatively generous offer from a man well respected and trusted in the Port. But neighbors turned it down flat.
"I've been fighting for 30 years against billboards," said Ben Tankle, who helped start a civic group in the waterfront village in 1958. "The money is just them dangling the carrot, saying 'Come on… I'll give you 50 grand.' Well I'm not going to sell my vote." Read more
Port Norfolk Civic considers billboard deal
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Plans to erect a new billboard on the Southeastern Expressway stalled this week after Port Norfolk neighbors demanded more time to review the proposal, which would divert an unspecified percentage of profits back into the community in return for their acceptance. Read more
Port Norfolk park dream gets $7m boost in bond bill
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Up to $7 million would be provided for the cleanup of an abandoned Port Norfolk lot under an environment-focused borrowing bill lawmakers are attempting to get to Gov. Deval Patrick's desk this week. The funds would go towards a long-awaited revamp of the blighted 14-acre area, where chemical levels were discovered to be lower than expected in the waterfront soil. The site's best-known occupants were the Shaffer Paper company.
"This is something that is a long time coming, and it'll provide opportunity to clean it up and create waterfront public space," said state Sen. Jack Hart. Read more
Some see new 'value' to billboards
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Over a dozen years ago, Dorchester's self-appointed billboard king, Joe Chaisson, and a handful of other diehards were fighting hard to stanch a flow of the giant roadside signs into the neighborhood. They managed to create some tough obstacles for advertisers, such as forcing property owners to get a city zoning variance if they want to add a new billboard next to federaly-assisted highways in the city, or modify an existing one.
Before that, neighborhoods had little say in it. Read more
Night to remember a giant of Port Norfolk
May. 14, 2008
On Friday, Dec. 14, 2007 lifelong Port Norfolk resident Michael "Porpar" Leahy suffered a massive heart attack after working a long shift plowing snow at Logan Airport.
In a coma, Michael was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital. Family, friends, and Massport coworkers spent the greater part of a week trying to cheer him up by telling stories and playing his favorite music. When it was clear that Mike would not survive, everyone who loved him had a chance to say good-bye. Read more
Neponset 'Esplanade' gets $5m OK
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Three miles of bike path starting in Mattapan Square, a revamped Martini Shell for performances, and a new canoe and kayak launch in Hyde Park will be part of a new "Neponset River Esplanade," Gov. Deval Patrick announced last week, approving $5.18 million for the work.
The park will be another step in the state's long-term master plan to build parks and paths along the entire coast of Dorchester and the banks of the Neponset, connecting Boston Harbor to the Blue Hills Reservation in Milton. Read more
