Library renovation or relocation?

An article in today's Globe on the future of the Boston Public Library and its branches had this line: "Library officials ... are looking into consolidating two small East Boston libraries into one larger building."

My understanding is that a renovation is planned of the Meridian Street branch, the older and bigger of the two, but the article seems to imply that both branches would relocate to a new building. However, maybe the expansion of the building is what is referred to here.

Connolly takes City Council spot

Though little fanfare preceded it, there was an election today. All 13 spots on the Boston City Council were on the ballot, and one incumbent was dumped.

Felix Arroyo, an at-large councilor since 2003 and a long-time community activist, was knocked out by John Connolly. a lawyer and former teacher who lives in West Roxbury.

Incumbents have won easily in all of the district seats, except in Allston-Brighton, where Jerry McDermott isn't running for re-election. In that race, Mark Ciommo topped Gregory Glennon.

Tyranny at home

One may disagree with the function of a panel like the US Commission on Civil Rights, but the Bush Administration's complete disregard for the agency's mission -- which is to prevent discrimination due to race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin -- and the way the commission was set up to operate -- an equal split between members of both parties -- is more evidence of this president's tyranny of our government.

A story in today's Globe outlines how two of the commissioners switched their party affiliation from Republican to independent so that Bush could appoint two more members of the GOP without going against the letter of the law, which holds than no more than four of the eight members can belong to one party. The president effectively spit at the spirit of the law.

Time and again, the inner workings of federal agencies have been tinkered with in order to politicize the infrastructure and tip the balance toward conservative ideology. These actions are beyond the scope of any previous administration. Amazingly, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recently told Congress that the agency was not interested in receiving increased funding to help it do a better job. This in the wake of recall after recall of dangerous products from China!

The Bush Administration has proven again and again to be clearly and unabashedly on the side of big business in every facet of government. The president's behavior and that of his minions is tyrannous and we, the people, should have ousted him from power long ago.

Goliath comes to town

Friends of mine have often wondered when Starbucks would come to East Boston, debating the meaning of the ubiquitous coffee chain's arrival in our decidedly blue-collar neighborhood. Well, it seems as though the wait is over.

The international java giant is in the process of opening a site at the Honey Dew Donut shop on McClellan Highway, a spot that would include a drive-through window. True, this location wouldn't be typical for Starbucks, which often positions itself in high-foot traffic areas, but I don't see Meridian or Bennington streets as optimal locations for the company. Plus, where in Eastie could they set up shop and not be 20 feet from a Dunkin' Donuts? It seems that out on the highway, with most patrons remaining in their vehicles, makes the most sense.

According to a notice forwarded to me by Joe Mason, there is a Zoning Board of Appeal hearing on Starbucks (in tandem with the Logan Chautaqua Corp., which is apparently a group in a licensing agreement with the coffee chain) at 9:30 a.m. on November 27 at City Hall.

A chance to speak up

The City of Boston Licensing Board has scheduled a hearing to discuss problems with Tequila's Mexican Bar & Grill, which a number of people have written negative comments about in recent months on this blog. Located at 964 Bennington Street -- at the site of what used to be the Kailua Hawaiian Restaurant -- Tequila's seems to be a late-night trouble spot. One web site also notes that the food and service are pretty bad as well.

The hearing will be held on Nov. 15 at 6:15 p.m. at the St. Lazarus Church hall on Ashley Street. On the agenda will be proposals to roll back Tequila's closing time to midnight rather than 2 a.m., to confine the service of alcohol to those customers who are dining, and to suspend the restaurant's liquor license for a period of time.

Also of interest, the Cosmopolitan Lounge in Day Square -- formerly Logan's Lounge -- is applying to extend its license to include live entertainment seven nights a week. The city's Zoning Board of Appeals will hear the request at City Hall on Nov. 13 at 11:30 a.m.

Finally, word is that Cafe 303 on Sumner Street is applying for a liquor license.

Eastie company poses risk to local environment

A company with facilities in East Boston has been fined for failure to comply with hazardous waste management laws, posing "a significant risk to human health and the environment."

The Environmental Protection Agency levied a $116,331 fine against Amex Inc., which operates sandblasting facilities at 256 Marginal Street, along Eastie's waterfront and right next to Piers Park.

According to an EPA press release, Amex "failed to determine whether the wastes it generated were hazardous, conduct inspections of its hazardous waste storage area, have satisfactory emergency preparedness planning and properly label hazardous waste containers. The company also lacked adequate training for handlers of hazardous waste, had an incomplete hazardous waste training plan and improperly diluted sandblast grit containing hazardous concentrations of lead as a substitute for appropriate treatment of the waste."

The company's failure to train its personnel properly "created the potential for mismanagement of hazardous waste, which could have resulted in the release or improper disposal of hazardous waste," according to the EPA.

Basile takes office today

Carlo Basile, the newly elected state rep. from East Boston, is scheduled to be sworn in today at noon at the State House. Basile topped a field of four candidates in the Democratic primary and ran unopposed in the general election.

Basile was selected by 1022 of the 1079 people who turned out for the Oct. 23 election, while 51 voters wrote in candidates and six left blank ballots, according to the city's web site. He takes the seat that was occupied by Anthony Petruccelli, who won election to the state senate after Robert Travaglini resigned from that office in the spring.

In Theo we trust

Mike Lowell is an excellent third baseman, and I'd love to see him back in that spot for the Red Sox next year. He was our most consistent hitter this season and led the team in RBIs, while in the field he makes every play, looking smooth and confident. He was our World Series MVP and is universally regarded as a class act.

However, those who are leaning on Theo Epstein and Sox management to re-sign Lowell, now a free agent, seem to be ignoring some facts. The team's current ownership took over in 2002 and has moved forward since then with strategies that have resulted in two championships, ending an 86-year drought that many New Englanders considered a birthright.

It's clear that principal owner John Henry is willing to shell out cash to sign key players. What should also be recognized is that management is willing to move people whenever they feel it's what is best for the long-term health of the franchise -- a policy that includes not signing older players for too many years. They were right on Johnny Damon, who batted .316 in 2005 with the Sox and then fell to .285 last year with the Yankees and .270 this season. They were right on Pedro Martinez, who has won a total of 27 games with the Mets since leaving here.

It appears that the Sox want to offer Lowell a two-year contract, probably with a nice raise, but some believe that he will look around the league for a three- or four-year deal. Lowell will turn 34 in the off-season. It's quite unlikely that he will ever again have a year as good as this one and for the 2010 season will we want a 36-year-old with deteriorating skills to be eating up a big chunk of payroll?

I'm a big fan of Mike Lowell, and I hope he stays around, but it is somewhat hypocritical to cheer this year's World Series win at the same time that one is demanding that the Sox go against the strategy that brought them to victory.

Body found in Eastie dumpster

The body of a man was found yesterday afternoon in a dumpster on Border Street in East Boston, according to Boston.com. The story says that the police are offering few details except that foul play is not suspected. That seems to imply that the deceased, whose name has not been released, made his way into the dumpster himself.

Two-timers

Nothing can ever top the Red Sox embarrassing the Yankees, breaking the curse and sweeping the Series in 2004, but this year's team had the nicest balance of hitting, pitching and defense of any Boston squad I can remember. They were fun to watch and -- except for a three-game stretch against Cleveland -- they obliterated their opponents in the post-season.

The Sox finished sweeping Colorado aside a short while ago, and the TV cameras showed a small crowd gathering not far from Fenway. Police in riot gear seemed to have things under control. In East Boston, I heard a few car horns beep after the last out and then there were a half-dozen teenage boys walking down Bennington Street screaming. Hopefully, they avoid doing anything really stupid.

One reason I'm happy that the Series only lasted four games is that I don't have to watch the Fox telecasts any more. In particular, Jeanne Zelasko was loud and obnoxious, forcing me to avoid the pre-game show. Some people don't like Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, but after the imbeciles in the booth for the ALDS on TBS, the Fox duo was a breath of fresh air. Seeing the same commercials for the past week is rather annoying, too.

One down side to the baseball season coming to a close is that the focus will now completely shift to the Patriots, who are tearing up the NFL. They are admittedly an impressive team and have been a powerhouse for several years, but I'm not a fan of Bill Belicheck. While he is certainly an excellent coach, he appears to lack personality, charm, warmth, friendliness, sense of humor, etc. He is no Terry Francona.

"You talkin' to me?"

The Globe reports today on the difficulties that East Boston residents sometimes encounter when trying to take a cab home from other parts of the city. As the anecdotes in the article point out, taxi drivers don't want to come here because they have to pay the $4.50 tunnel toll going back, even though they're not allowed to tack it on to the fare.

Eastie's city councilor, Sal LaMattina, has been on top of this issue for a while, and on Tuesday there was a hearing at City Hall on a proposal to codify in a "rider's bill of rights" some of the regulations governing cabs, including "printed receipts; clean passenger and trunk areas; air-conditioning, heat, and window control; and smoke-free, radio-free, cellphone-free rides," says the story.

Taxi drivers are required by law to take passengers where they want to go, but they sometimes tell those who are Eastie-bound to get out of the vehicle. On other occasions, drivers will attempt to add on all or half of the toll, which violates regulations. I don't take cabs that often, but the one time I did in recent months the driver was planning to charge me half the toll until I explained that he couldn't. He was nice about it, and said he didn't know any better, which may or may not have been true.

Sox on brink

It wasn't too long ago that the historic heartbreak of being a Red Sox fan continued in the modern era. Remember the Aaron Boone home run that KO'd the hometown team from reaching the World Series in 2003? And then the following year the hated Yanks went up 3-0 against the Sox in a repeat match-up of the ALCS, and it looked like our woes would continue.

Everything changed that October. Dave Roberts stole second and the Olde Towne Team began a successful and unforgettable comeback against the Bronx Bombers, following that up with a sweep of the Cardinals for Boston's first World Series win in 86 years.

Now, just three years later, the Sox are in position to sweep Colorado and win another title. Even if the Rockies come back to take Game 4, it seems assured that Boston is going to win it all. Almost no one can come back from 3-0.

Community info

Two e-mails came to me this afternoon asking that information be passed along:

***There was an armed robbery at about 9 p.m. last night "on Orleans Street near the Greenway." According to a Boston Police press release, a 5-foot-5 Spanish-speaking man with a thin mustache and heavy build approached a woman who was entering her home and showed her a gun, demanding money.

***The city's Licensing Board has officially denied the application to open a Burger King in Maverick Square.

Thanks to those active in the community for keeping the rest of us informed.

City policy needs to change

We'd all like to see cleaner streets, but the city's practice -- instituted this year -- of towing cars that aren't moved for street cleaning is ridiculous. The City Council will hold a public hearing on the policy at City Hall on Monday at 6 p.m.

More than 20,000 vehicles have been towed from Boston streets since the summer street-cleaning season began in mid-April, resulting in a windfall of more than $2 million for local towing companies.

I wrote about this back in July, noting that Dennis Royer, who runs the city's public works department, said in a Boston Globe story, "I don't want to tow a car. But we're still towing, because there always seems to be people who forget or don't know what's going on."

Should we really be penalizing people this much because they forget or don't know about street cleaning? Towing should be reserved for people who block hydrants, driveways, handicap ramps or who double park and leave the car. The hassle of retrieving one's car and paying $130 for the fine and the tow are exorbitant compared to the infraction. Raise the price of the ticket, but don't tow the car.

Election Tuesday

Though it is anticlimactic, the special election for East Boston's open state rep seat will take place on Tuesday. Carlo Basile, of course, won the Democratic primary on Sept. 25 and is running unopposed.

In the campaign finance statement that was filed with the state last week, the Basile campaign indicated that it raised $11,000 from Sept. 8 to Oct. 5. The campaign spent almost $23,000 in that period. Candidate Gloribell Mota took in $9,500 and spent more than $14,000. Mary Berninger raised $700 and spent less than $3,000. There is no report by Jeff Drago for the time period.

There's also a regularly-scheduled election on Nov. 6 to choose Boston's city councilors. Be sure to vote.