In a neighborhood like Dorchester that increasingly relies on e-mail, texting, and social media direct messaging, the Clam Point enclave in Dorchester has taken a more traditional way to get their messages across – the old-fashioned community message board, and it has been a hit for everyone.
The Clam Point message board is at the corner of Mill and Everett Streets in Byrne Playground, and is a highlight for those in the neighborhood and those from other neighborhoods who might be passing through gathering neighborhood news or occasional funny quips.
“We’ve had one or two kids invited to the prom – one of the boys in the neighborhood asking a girl to the prom – all of them saying ‘yes,’” said Paul Doherty, a Clam Point neighbor and builder of the message board. “That was nice. We did have one marriage proposal, but I don’t know what became of it. I don’t know, that’s maybe not as nice as going out to a restaurant and getting down on one knee, so I’m not sure how that went. There was one put up there that came from an aggravated neighbor. It said, ‘If you like windchimes so well, why not bring them inside your house and turn on a fan?’ Obviously, that neighbor didn’t like windchimes very much and wanted to make sure to get the message out there.”
For the most part, though, the message board has been a fun way to get the word out about what’s happening in Clam Point, and to celebrate occasions, post sympathy messages, announce graduations, mark the change in seasons or even cheer the achievements by the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, and Bruins.
Doherty, a retired carpenter from the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, got the idea for such a board about nine years ago when he was asked to build one for a spot in Brighton next to Boston College. He thought it would be a good idea for the corner of Byrne Playground, and so he built one on his own soon after. The board is two-sided, so there are messages for those in the park, and those driving or walking on the street. The white boards are protected inside and slide in and out with no trouble – making them very easy to update and very environmentally friendly since the board uses marker and not paper.
“I always saw over the years the signs made out of 8-by-11 paper and stapled to poles or trees and they just sit there in the weather and become a problem,” he said. “Over the years, this has worked very well for us.”
For the first six years, Doherty operated the message board using the tried-and-true word of mouth method – meaning that someone would tell him something to put up, and he would walk across the street and put it up.
A few years ago, he passed the duties on to neighbor Gregg Sullivan, who now takes submissions by email, text, and face-to-face.
The message board has also gotten a good deal of use for neighborhood events and meetings – especially in the Covid-19 era when it has been hard to get the word out. This past weekend, Doherty and Sullivan said they were able to utilize the board to get people to sign up for the annual Fall Yard Sale. They had 12 homes sign up to attend.
Then there is the function of getting people rallied against a neighborhood concern or a development issue.
Over the last year, a major issue emerged when the Floor & Décor store going into the old Bradlees location closed off access to Clam Point for construction. Fences had gone up that prevented people from being able to walk safely by the site, and also prevented neighbors from being able to drive back to Clam Point if they went to the area around Lamberts. You could get there okay, but getting back required going all the way around to Neponset Avenue.
The neighborhood used the message board to publicize the numbers to call to get some action.
“It’s become a great way to get the troops together,” said Doherty. “That situation very quickly became a topic of conversation over the past year because people were driving the wrong way on the access road. There was also nowhere to walk because of the construction, and it was becoming dangerous. We posted some stuff on the board. The company doing the work was pretty understanding once everyone contacted them.”
As for the curious commuters passing through, who often slow down to see what’s written on the board, it’s a mixed bag, said Doherty.
“One of the good side effects is that it slows down some of the traffic coming through the intersection when people try to read it,” he said. “One of the bad side effects is it distracts people while they drive through the intersection.”
