UH
FOR THE RECORD. MY NAME IS HENRY SANTANA, AT-LARGE CITY COUNCILOR AND I AM THE CHAIR OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION.
TODAY IS MARCH 4TH 2025. WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL. EDUCATION BOSTON DOT GOV AND WE'VE MADE PART OF THE RECORD AND AVAILABLE TO OUR.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TESTIFYING IN PERSON PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME TO THE SIGN UP SHEET NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE CHAMBER. PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKING AT THE END OF THIS HEARING. INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED ON
IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED UP AND WILL HAVE 2 MINUTES TO TESTIFY. TODAY'S HEARING IS ON THE DOCKET NUMBER 0265. ORDER FOR A HEARING TO DISCUSS
THE PRESERVATION OF HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS IN BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT ARE SLATED TO CLOSE OR MERGER. THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY COUNCILOR AARON MURPHY AND
COUNCILOR ED FLYNN AND REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON JANUARY 15, 2025. TODAY I AM JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL COUNCILOR ED FLYNN.
AND I KNOW THAT COUNCILOR MURPHY WILL BE HERE SHORTLY. I WOULD LIKE NOW TO INTRODUCE TODAY'S PANELISTS ON BEHALF. WELL, ACTUALLY BEFORE THAT I
WOULD LIKE TO GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MY COLLEAGUES TO GIVE OPENING REMARKS. COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. AND THANK YOU FOR CONDUCTING
THIS HEARING AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AS WELL, MR CHAIR. THANK YOU TO COUNCILOR MURPHY FOR SPONSORING THIS HEARING ORDER AS WELL. BEFORE I BEGIN, I DO WANT TO
SAY THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATION PANEL FOR BEING HERE AND FOR THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING IN THE CITY . AGAIN, WANT TO HIGHLIGHT AND
SAY THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL MURPHY. THE CLOSING OF EXCEL HIGH SCHOOL WHICH IS FORMERLY SOUTH BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL. I WAS A FORMER SUBSTITUTE SCHOOLTEACHER.
THERE IS JUST A SHORT WALK FROM MY HOME IN THE MIDDLE OF SOUTH BOSTON AS WELL. I KNOW WHAT I KNOW. WE ALL AGREE THAT IT'S A HUGE
LOSS TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY. THIS WILL IMPACT FAMILIES. IT WILL IMPACT RESIDENTS AT SOUTH BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL, EXCEL HIGH SCHOOL AS WELL AS THE
COMMUNITY AT LARGE. THIS IS A SCHOOL COMMITTEE WITH A COMMUNITY WITH A DIVERSE POPULATION AND AS IT CLOSES IT IS IMPERATIVE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE CITY TO PROVIDE
CLEAR INFORMATION TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY ON THEIR PLANS TRANSITIONS WHILE ALSO EXERCISING TRANSPOWER AND SEE WHAT THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH BOSTON REGARDING THE FUTURE OF THE
BUILDING. AND I KNOW I HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT AND I AM CONFIDENT IN THE PLAN GOING
FORWARD AS IT RELATES TO ENSURING THAT HISTORY IS PRESERVED. I DID RECEIVE THAT COMMITMENT FROM SUPERINTENDENT SKIPPER AND
HAVE A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH HER AS WELL. I ALSO KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE VETERANS COMMISSIONER HERE AS WELL COMMISSIONER
SANTIAGO DOES AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB FOR THE CITY AND I HIGHLIGHT THE VETERANS COMMISSIONER BEING HERE IN THE IMPORTANT CONNECTION THIS
SCHOOL BUILDING AND THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY HAS 12 VETERANS IN MILITARY FAMILIES NOT JUST IN SOUTH BOSTON BUT REALLY ACROSS THE CITY AS WELL.
THERE'S PROBABLY BEEN MORE MEN AND WOMEN THAT HAVE GONE ON TO THE MILITARY OUT OF OUT OF SOUTH BOSTON WHETHER IT'S IN WORLD WAR TWO OR THE VIETNAM
WAR KOREA WAR THAN PROBABLY ANY ANY HIGH SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY. IN MY OPINION ONLY. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
IN WORLD WHILE ONE ESPECIALLY I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PRESERVE THAT HISTORY BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE COMMUNITY HERE IN SOUTH
BOSTON BUT ALSO IT'S A RESPECTFUL WAY TO ENSURE THAT THAT VETERANS ARE REMEMBERED DURING DURING THIS PERIOD
OF TIME. COMMISSIONER SANTIAGO, YOU AND I OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS REALLY HAVE WORKED WITH THE JUNIOR ROTC PROGRAM AS WELL AT SOUTH BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL AND
WE'VE DEVELOPED A WONDERFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM AND KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE TO THE COMMUNITY NOT JUST HERE IN SOUTH BOSTON BUT REALLY ACROSS THE CITY. AND I, I HIGHLIGHT SOUTH BOSTON
BUT IT COULD BE EAST BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL. IT COULD BE OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS AS WELL. CHARLESTOWN HIGH SCHOOL AS A JUNIOR ROTC PROGRAM IN WHAT I
LIKE ABOUT THE ROTC PROGRAM AMONG OTHER AMONG OTHER THINGS IS HOW DIVERSE THAT GROUP OF STUDENTS IS. THE STUDENTS IN THE ROTC PROGRAM AT SOUTH BOSTON HIGH
SCHOOL YOU COULD NOT POSSIBLY GET A MORE DIVERSE GROUP OF STUDENTS IN THAT IT'S NOT ABOUT GETTING THEM INTO THE MILITARY. WHAT I SEE I SEE ABOUT THEM IS
THEM LEARNING ABOUT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, ACCOUNTABILITY, RESPONSIBILITY AND IN THEIR ACADEMICS AS WELL. SO AS WE DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF THE SCHOOL OUR TEACHERS, OUR
STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL BUILDING, WE ALSO WANT TO ENSURE THAT THE VOICES OF VETERANS ARE ALSO HEARD HERE IN SOUTH BOSTON AND ACROSS THE CITY.
THANK YOU TO THE VETERANS COMMISSIONER TO KRISTEN FROM THE CITY OF BOSTON ARCHIVES AND FOR BRIAN FROM THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT WHO HAS BEEN VERY ENGAGED ON A LOT OF A LOT
OF ISSUES THAT COULD BRIAN. I KNOW THIS THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME PUBLIC TESTIMONY AS WELL. I DO WANT TO THANK THE CITY COUNCIL MURPHY FOR SPONSORING
THIS AND WOULD AND THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING ME. THANK YOU, MR CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR FLYNN. I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILOR DURKIN AND ALSO WE'VE
BEEN JOINED BY THE LEAD SPONSOR COUNCILOR MURPHY. WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW UP IN HER REMARKS. WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM THE LEAD SPONSOR AND I GO TO I'M COUNCILOR DURKIN. SO COUNCILOR MURPHY, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
THANK YOU, CHAIR AND THANK YOU PANELISTS FOR BEING HERE. I THINK OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS BRIAN, YOU'LL PROBABLY BE THE NUMBER ONE ATTENDEE AT OUR
HEARINGS BUT THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE ALSO THE DAY THAT SOUTH BOSTON HIGH EXCELL HIGH THEY ANNOUNCED THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE CLOSED I KNOW PEOPLE REACHED RIGHT OUT TO
COUNCIL OFFLINE ABOUT YOU KNOW THE CONCERN THAT ARTIFACTS THAT THEY KNOW ARE THERE IN THAT BUILDING THAT HONOR OUR VETERANS LIKE WHAT WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
AND AS A FORMER TEACHER I SAID WHEN I FILED THIS HEARING ORDER I MEAN BACK PROBABLY 20 YEARS NOW WHEN THERE WAS CHANGES IN FIRE CODE, THEY WENT THROUGH A
LOT OF THE SCHOOLS AND THAT WAS WHEN THE READING PROGRAM SWITCHED TO YOU KNOW, WHOLE WHOLE NO READING AND TEACHERS WOULD BUY RUGS AND THEY WOULD BUY COUCHES AND THEY BOUGHT
THINGS TO DECORATE THEIR OWN CLASSROOM AND CAME BACK, YOU KNOW, OVER A VACATION PERIOD AND FOUND OUT EVERYTHING HAD BEEN TAKEN FROM THEIR CLASSROOMS AND THEY WERE BROUGHT TO THE KIMBALL RESOURCE
CENTER AND THEN PEOPLE WERE GOING AND JUST TAKING THEM. SO THERE'S YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT OUR STAFF AND FAMILIES AND TEACHERS WHO WORK IN THESE BUILDINGS WHO WILL
NEED TO BE CLOSED TEMPORARILY, PERMANENTLY WHATEVER WE DO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE RESPECTING THAT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME MORE IMPORTANTLY FOR ME IS THAT WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT ARTIFACTS I MEAN WE HAVE THE
HISTORY OF BEING THE FIRST FOR MANY REASONS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND LOTS OF OUR SCHOOLS. IF YOU GO INTO SOME OF THESE OLDER MIDDLE SCHOOLS, HIGH SCHOOLS, THEY HAVE WONDERFUL,
YOU KNOW, AUDITORIUMS WITH, YOU KNOW, JUST DIFFERENT DIFFERENT ARTIFACTS THAT WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE RESPECTING SO LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER WITH JUST KIND
OF PROACTIVELY RESPECTING THIS AND ALSO JUST WORKING WITH YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT HOWEVER WE CAN SUPPORT TO MAKE SURE AND I'VE BEEN TO YOUR FACILITY I HAVEN'T BEEN THERE SINCE YOU'VE BEEN IN CHARGE I LOOK FORWARD
TO GOING BACK. BUT WHEN I VISITED THERE WITH THE CLERK WE WENT OUT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO JUST REMINDED ME THAT YOU STORE A LOT OF THESE RIGHT IN LIKE AFTER
THE 911 BOMBING NOT I'M SORRY NOT THE NIGHT OF THE BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING. THERE WAS LIKE A WHOLE SECTION THAT HAD I THINK BEEN ON DISPLAY AT OUR BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR SOME TIME. SO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE
STORING IT PROPERLY IF THAT'S WHERE OUR FINDING A NEW HOME FOR SOME OF THESE THINGS AND FOR MANY PEOPLE THEY'RE NOT EVEN AWARE OF THE AMAZING HISTORY THAT IS IN OUR SCHOOL BUILDING. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THIS CONVERSATION TO
SUPPORT THAT. SO THANK YOU CHAIR I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO A CONVERSATION TODAY. THANK YOU COUNSELOR MURPHY COUNCILOR DURKIN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I JUST WANTED TO THANK THE LEAD
SPONSORS. I SAW THIS HEARING ORDER AND I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING SO I WANTED TO BE HERE. I ALSO JUST HAVE SOME OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT MERGERS AND
CLOSURES AND WHAT USES ARE POTENTIALLY POSSIBLE FOR ALL OF THE BUILDINGS THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF BUILDINGS IN OUR IN MY DISTRICT THAT ARE ALREADY SCHOOLS THAT ARE CLOSED
SO JUST CURIOUS SORT OF WHAT THAT PROCESS LOOKS LIKE AND YOU KNOW SO SAY ONE OF THESE SCHOOLS OR ONE OF THESE PLACES
WERE TURNED INTO HOUSING, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THE PRESERVATION OF SOME OF THESE ARTIFACTS MIGHT BE WITHIN THAT FUTURE USE OF THAT BUILDING OR IF IT'S AN ADMINISTRATIVE USE FOR OFFICE. AND I JUST I'M CURIOUS TO GET A
LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW WE ENSHRINE THAT IN SORT OF ALL THE CONVERSATIONS WE'RE HAVING IS WHAT IS THE FUTURE USE OF THESE BUILDINGS AND HOW CAN WE AND I KNOW THAT THE
ADMINISTRATION IS WORKING ON A PLAN FOR THAT BUT I THINK IT'S JUST AN IMPORTANT POINT TO ENSHRINE IN ALL THE CONVERSATIONS WE'RE HAVING SO THANK YOU TO THE LEAD SPONSORS
AND THANK YOU TO THE CHAIR THANK YOU COUNSELOR AND I WOULD NOW LIKE TO INTRODUCE TODAY'S PANELISTS ON BEHALF OF THE ADMINISTRATION. WITH US HERE WE HAVE KRISTIN
LAFFERTY, CITY ARCHIVIST, CITY OF BOSTON ARCHIVES RYAN FORD, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER FOR BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMMISSIONER ROBERT HARDING. THIAGO OFFICE OF VETERAN
SERVICES AND WITH US ON ZOOM I BELIEVE WE HAVE JESSICA BENTLEY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH WITH THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY. WITH THAT IF YOU CAN ALSO JUST
INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND SAY THE NAME OF YOUR TITLE AND THEN YOU CAN PROCEED WITH THE OPENING REMARKS OR THE PRESENTATION THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE. GOOD MORNING COUNSELORS.
MY NAME IS KRISTIN LAFFERTY AND I'M THE CITY ARCHIVIST IN THE ARCHIVES AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT DIVISION. GOOD MORNING COUNSELOR SANTANA
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE COUNSELOR FLYNN, COUNSELOR MURPHY AND COUNSELOR DURKAN FOR BEING HERE. MY NAME IS ROBERT SANTIAGO. I'M THE COMMISSIONER OF VETERAN SERVICES HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON.
GOOD MORNING, COUNCILOR. MY NAME IS BRIAN FORD, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER FOR BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. HAPPY TO BE HERE. HI EVERYONE. I'M JESSICA BYERLY. I'M THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
OF RESEARCH COLLECTIONS FOR THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY AND I APPRECIATE YOU ALL INVITING ME TO ATTEND THE THANK YOU. YOU MAY PROCEED WITH ANY OPENING REMARKS OR PRESENTATION YOU ALL HAVE PERFECT.
THANK YOU. SO FIRST I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE AND THANK YOU FOR DISCUSSING THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC ABOUT THE KIND OF FUTURE OF OUR BUILDINGS, THE HISTORY OF OUR BUILDINGS. I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT
HISTORY, ARTS, CULTURE, ARTIFACTS, MONUMENTS ARE ALL VERY IMPORTANT TO US AND DEFINITELY HELPS MAKE US STRONGER AS A COMMUNITY AND AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
OUTLINE THAT WE DO HAVE A PLAN AND WE HAVE MANY PARTNERS THAT ARE HERE WITH US. AS YOU CAN SEE WE'RE JOINED ON THE PANEL BY MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT HELP US SUPPORT IN THE PRESERVATION OF OUR ARTS
AND ARTIFACTS MONUMENTS AS WELL AS WE GO THROUGH THE MERGERS AND CLOSURES OF ANY OF OUR BUILDINGS. I LIKE TO REPHRASE THE WAY THAT WE SEE THINGS LIKE THIS BECAUSE
IT'S THE MERGERS AND CLOSURES OF PROGRAMS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN A NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE BUILDING IS GOING TO BE LOST TO US AS A WHOLE WHEN WE HAVE A BUILDING
THAT CLOSES LET'S SAY THAT WE'RE REFERRING TO EXCEL. THE ARTIFACTS THAT ARE WITHIN THE BUILDING WILL CONTINUE TO BE MAINTAINED. WE WORK WITH OUR OFFICE OF INSPECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY.
WE WORK WITH OUR CAPITAL PLANNING TEAM AND WE WORK WITH OUR FACILITY STAFF MEMBERS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THOSE ITEMS ARE PRESERVED WITHIN THE BUILDING AND THE BUILDING AS LONG AS IT REMAINS PART OF OUR PORTFOLIO IS ALSO MAINTAINED.
ANYTHING THAT IS OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING WE WORK WITH OUR ENTITIES THAT ARE HERE BUT WE ALSO WORK TO PRESERVE THEM AND TO MAKE SAFE WATER TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE CAN CONTINUE TO SEE
THE HISTORY AND THE CULTURE, THE ARTS AND THE ARTIFACTS THAT ARE WITHIN THE DISTRICT. IF AT ANY POINT IN TIME THE USE OF OUR BUILDING DOES CHANGE, THAT'S WHEN WE START REACHING OUT TO OUR PEERS HISTORIC SOCIETY, ARTS ARCHIVISTS,
VETERANS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN PLAN FOR THE FUTURE. WHEN WE LOOK AT EXCEL AGAIN WE HAVE FROM 26 TO 27 IS THE YEAR THAT THAT BUILDING IS SLATED TO CHANGE.
IT GIVES US A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME FOR US TO PLAN FOR WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH ITEMS THAT ARE WITHIN THIS BUILDING IF THEY NEED TO MOVE AT ALL. AND WITH THAT OUR CAPITAL PLANNING TEAM AND OUR
FACILITIES TEAM WILL GO IN AND TAKE A RECORD OF ALL OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE WITHIN THESE BUILDINGS AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE A PLAN FOR USE IN THE FUTURE. WHEN IT COMES TO THE SPECIFIC CASE OF THE EXCEL BUILDING
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE DETERMINED THAT IS GOING TO BE USED FOR ANOTHER SECONDARY. UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT EXACTLY WHICH SECONDARY THAT'S GOING TO BE OR WHICH PROGRAM THAT'S GOING TO BE AND BP'S IS WORKING TO
PROVIDE A LOT MORE FLAHERTY WHEN WE START PLANNING WITH OUR FUTURE INITIATIVES. THANK YOU. AWESOME SAID HE WOULD ALSO WANT
TO REMARKS AND ALSO GET SOME QUICK REMARKS I I, I JUST WANTED TO ECHO WHAT BRIAN SAID ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP AND AND ALSO IN HONORING AND CONTINUING TO RECOGNIZE ALL OF OUR
VETERANS HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON ESPECIALLY THOSE WHOSE LIKINGS AND PICTURES ARE UP IN THE VARIOUS SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF BOSTON AND THE GREAT WORK THAT THEY DO IN MAINTAINING THOSE GOING BACK
SO MANY SO MANY DECADES SO LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE PARTNERSHIP. SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY SO THE ARCHIVES WAS NOT ESTABLISHED
UNTIL 1989 BUT WE'VE HAD A VERY GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT. WE GOT OUR FIRST EXTENSION FROM THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT IN 1991 SO WE'VE HAD A LONG HISTORY OF WORKING WITH THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
WE DO HAVE STUDENT RECORDS FROM OVER 142 CLOSED SCHOOL PROGRAMS OR SCHOOLS DISTRICTS AND THAT INCLUDES ABOUT 24 CLOSED HIGH
SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND WE ALSO DO HAVE LARGE COLLECTIONS OF MEMORABILIA FROM THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS INCLUDING THINGS LIKE YEARBOOKS, PHOTOGRAPHS, DIPLOMAS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND WE'VE RECEIVED BOTH
OF THOSE ITEMS FROM WE RECEIVE THOSE ITEMS FROM BOTH PUBLIC DONATIONS BUT ALSO FROM THE SCHOOLS THEMSELVES. THANK YOU, JESSICA.
ON ZOOM, DO YOU DO YOU HAVE ANY REMARKS YET PRIMARILY THAT WE ARE EXCITED TO SUPPORT OUR COLLEAGUES AT LIPSON ARCHIVES WITH ANY COLLECTIONS CARADVICE
THAT'S NEEDED BUT WE DO FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT THE ARCHIVAL PROCESSES IS PLACE ARE APPROPRIATE AND ALL PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE. SO PRIMARILY WE ARE HERE TO PLAY A SUPPORTING ROLE TO OUR
COLLEAGUES. AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. REALLY APPRECIATE THOSE OPENING REMARKS AND THAT BACKGROUND I'M NOT GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES.
I'M GOING TO START WITH THE LEAD SPONSORS AND THEN GO TO REST OF MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL. SO I'M GOING TO START WITH COUNCILOR MURPHY.
I'M NOT GOING TO PUT A TIMER ON BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK YEAH, YEAH. SO YOU HAVE THE PHOTOGRAPHS FROM MURPHY THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU BRIAN FOR SAYING THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE SELLING OFF OUR ASSETS OR OUR
BUILDINGS. WE'RE GOING TO BE KEEPING THEM SO THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW. BUT JUST THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT LIKE IF THE FUTURE USE OF THE BUILDING MAY NOT BE SUITABLE TO
YOU KNOW WHEN IT WAS WHEN THESE ARTIFACTS WERE FIRST PUT IN KNOWING IT WOULD BE A HIGH SCHOOL YOU KNOW, MANY OF THE SOUTH BOSTON HIGH VETERANS THAT WENT OFF SOME WERE STILL SENIORS IN HIGH SCHOOL.
RIGHT LIKE SO IT WAS VERY MEANINGFUL FOR THEM TO PUT THESE ARTIFACTS, THE VETERAN ONES INTO THAT BUILDING. IS THERE AN OVERALL INVENTORY ACROSS THE CITY?
DO WE KNOW OF ALL OF ARTIFACTS THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER AS IMPORTANT IN SAVING? DO WE HAVE THEM BY SCHOOL LEVEL OR CITYWIDE? I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S A CURRENT INVENTORY BUT
INVENTORIES HAVE BEEN DONE IN THE PAST. IS THAT SOMETHING WE COULD CONSIDER ESPECIALLY AS WE GO INTO AN AGGRESSIVE MUCH NEEDED BUT AN AGGRESSIVE PLAN FOR OUR
MERGERS AND KNOW SWING SPACES AND SCHOOLS? I WOULD SAY YES, IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CONSIDER GOING FORWARD AS THE SCHOOLS START TO CLOSE WE
CAN DOCUMENT WHAT IS IN THEM. A LOT OF TIMES IT'S IDENTIFYING WHAT EXACTLY WE HAVE. YES, BECAUSE I KNOW I SHARED IT WITH COUNCILOR FLYNN BECAUSE MARY'S A NEIGHBOR OF HIS BUT
SHE SENT AN EMAIL STATING LIKE SHE'S AWARE OF LIKE SEVERAL ARTIFACTS THAT WERE LIKE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT SOLD THE HOUSE. SO I THINK FOR MANY TIMES IT'S LIKE WHEN YOU VISIT A SCHOOL YOU MAY NOT EVEN REALIZE THAT
THAT ARTIFACT WAS THERE AND SO AN INVENTORY WOULD BE GOOD AN OVERALL INVENTORY JUST TO HAVE A BETTER IDEA AND IF SCHOOLS ARE GOING TO SIT EMPTY FOR A
WHILE TOO LIKE IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DECISION ON WANTING TO MOVE IT KNOWING THAT YOU KNOW, THIS ARTIFACT MAY HAVE A BETTER HOME
SOMEWHERE ELSE THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO BE, YOU KNOW, HONORED AND SEEN OR IF YOU KNOW YOUR COMMISSION COMMISSIONER SANTIAGO, YOU MAY SEE SOME ARTIFACTS UP.
YOU COULD THINK WOULD BE WONDERFUL IN DIFFERENT MORE PUBLIC SPACES ACROSS THE CITY THAT WE COULD WORK ON MOVING THEM TO HAVE A NEW HOME. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
I DO THINK THAT REHOMING SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN SCHOOLS THAT ARE CLOSE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. IF WE DO KNOW THAT THERE'S AN INTENTION FOR US TO MAINTAIN IT AS A SCHOOL, WE DO BELIEVE THAT
HAVING THESE ITEMS THAT ARE RELATED TO OUR HISTORY, ARTS AND CULTURE IN AND AROUND THOSE SCHOOLS EVEN WHEN THEY'RE REBUILT OR REUSED IS IMPORTANT AS WELL IN DO WE HAVE A PROCESS
YET OR JUST YOU AGREE THAT IT'S A GOOD IDEA? NO. SO I WOULD SAY WE DO HAVE A PROCESS SO WE DO HAVE OUR OUR ARTS DEPARTMENT WITHIN VP'S WHAT A BUILDING CLOTHES THEY GO AND TAKE A LOOK AT ALL OF THE
ITEMS THAT ARE HERE. THEY WORK WITH A COUPLE OF THE PANEL MEMBERS THAT YOU SEE TODAY AS WELL AS THE CITY OF BOSTON ARTS, BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND HAS THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION TO MAKE
SURE THAT IF ANY ONE OF THESE ITEMS IS HERE WE CAN EITHER GET IT TO AN ARCHIVE STATE OR WE KEEP IT WITHIN A BUILDING AND PRESERVED UNTIL WE IDENTIFY A USE FOR IT.
SO GOOD IDEA ALSO. YES A PROCESS THOUGH SOMEWHAT INFORMAL IS ALREADY IN PLACE. OKAY. AND CHRISTINE, I APPRECIATE THAT. YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED RECORDS TOO.
IT'S NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, THEM THE MONUMENTS OR THE PLAQUES WE SEE AROUND THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS WHEN I VISITED I KNOW I DID GO THROUGH TO SEE IF I COULD FIND MY OLD REPORT CARDS FROM BELLA WHEN IT USED TO BE
DOWN AT FENWAY THEN YOU KNOW IT WAS IT'S NOW BOSTON ARTS ACADEMY SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO LIKE THE RECORDS OLD YEARBOOKS. WHEN I VISITED CHARLESTOWN HIGH I REMEMBER THE PRINCIPAL IN HIS
OFFICE HAD LIKE FOR, YOU KNOW, MANY YEARS BACK OF YEARBOOKS. SO I WAS SEEING LIKE DO YOU HAVE THE YEAR 1961 THE YEAR MY DAD GRADUATED AND SURE ENOUGH IT WAS ON YOU KNOW THE THE SHELF THERE AND I WAS LOOKING
THROUGH WHICH IS YOU KNOW I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO THAT OBVIOUSLY HONORING IN NOT JUST THE VETERAN ARTIFACTS I MEAN THOSE ARE VERY IMPORTANT BUT THERE'S OTHER YOU KNOW, HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS THAT REALLY TELL OUR STORY THAT I
THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. SO OTHER THAN RECORDS, CAN YOU THINK OF OTHER THINGS THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE WE MAINTAIN LIKE YEARBOOKS, CLASS PHOTOS, ANYTHING ELSE?
SO WE DO COLLECT A VARIETY OF MEMORABILIA FROM THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT. UM, SO YEARBOOKS OBVIOUSLY ARE
ONE THING THAT WE DO LIKE TO GET WE GET CLASS PHOTOGRAPHS, PROGRAMS, GRADUATION PROGRAMS, STUDENT MAGAZINES WE EVEN HAVE
THINGS LIKE A SCHOOL CADET UNIFORM. UM, WE HAVE A TIME CAPSULE THAT WAS FOUND IN ONE OF THE SCHOOLS
THAT INCLUDE IDS SOME EXAMPLES OF STUDENT WORK. SO WE HAVE OLD TEXTBOOKS AS WELL. UM, JUST DIFFERENT THINGS THAT DOCUMENT HOW THE SCHOOL SYSTEM
RAN YOU KNOW HOW CHILDREN STARTED AT THAT TIME. YEAH. AND BRIAN I DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARY TO MICROMANAGE BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE
HAVE YOU KNOW THAT WE SHARE THE PLAN OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD AND WHO YOU KNOW AND WHO GETS TO DECIDE. RIGHT. BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHEN PEOPLE
VISIT AND IT PROBABLY IS VERY INNOCENTLY SOMETIMES PEOPLE MAY TAKE THINGS WITH THEM THINKING WELL, THE SCHOOLS CLOSING, I CAN TAKE THIS HERE BACK HOME AND IT MAY THEN END UP YOU KNOW ,OUT OF GOODWILL OR IN THE
GARBAGE AND IT WASN'T REALLY YOU KNOW, WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE KIND OF GO THROUGH THESE BUILDINGS FIRST WITH PERSONNEL WITH STAFF THAT CAN MAKE THOSE DECISIONS AND THEN NOT TO GIVE
YOU MORE WORK BUT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE WHO THEN WOULD DECIDE BECAUSE I KNOW THE LIBRARY DOES STORE AND IF YOU COULD TOUCH ON THAT LIKE WHAT WHAT ARTIFACTS DO YOU STORE
SEPARATELY FROM THE OUR ARCHIVIST WE HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF RECORDS WE TEND NOT TO COLLECT CITY DOCUMENTS
ANYMORE BECAUSE THAT IS THE PURVIEW OF THE ARCHIVES BUT WE HAVE YOU KNOW, PHYSICAL
OBJECTS, 3D OBJECTS, PAINTINGS, PRINTS I WOULD HESITATE TO TAKE ON RECORDS THAT HAVE A MORE
APPROPRIATE HOME IN AN ARCHIVAL COLLECTION THAN AT THE BPL AND I'LL I'LL JUST ADD ON A PERSONAL NOTE ABOUT TEN YEARS
NOW I WAS DOWN AT THE MURPHY SCHOOL VISITING AND I SAW THAT THE NEW PRINCIPAL HAD TAKEN THE PORTRAIT OF THE PRINCIPAL THAT WAS PAINTED BACK IN 1970 WHEN KEVIN WHITE WAS MAYOR AND IT
WAS IN A DUMPSTER AND THAT IS MY GRANDFATHER AND I REALIZED LIKE THAT IS REAL HISTORY SOMEONE YOU KNOW, KEVIN WHITE, THE CITY YOU KNOW, HAD SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, PAINT THE PORTRAIT
OF THESE YOU KNOW, NAMES OF THE SCHOOLS WE WERE GIVING AND IT WAS THROWN IN THE TRASH SO I DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT HAPPEN TO ANYTHING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO OUR HISTORY HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON.
I'M ALL SET FOR NOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR MURPHY, COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR AND THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. AND I.
I PARTNERED WITH COUNCILOR MURPHY ON THIS BECAUSE WE RECEIVED A LOT OF CALLS AND EMAILS FROM SOUTH BOSTON NEIGHBORS AND MANY
OF THEM WERE GRADUATES OF SOUTH BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL WHICH IS NOW CALLED THE EXCEL HIGH SCHOOL AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE ISSUES THEY WANTED US TO HIGHLIGHT IS
HOW DO WE PRESERVE THE IMPORTANT HISTORY IN SOUTH BOSTON? I HEARD FROM CONGRESSMAN STEPHEN LYNCH WHO'S A GRADUATE
OF SOUTH BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL. I HEARD FROM TOM LYONS WHO'S GRADUATE OF SOUTH BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL AND BOB ELLISON WHO'S A PROFESSOR AT SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY. I HEARD FROM MY FRIEND
KEVIN CONROY GRADUATE AND UNITED STATES MARINE. I HEARD FROM A LOT OF BOSTON FIREFIGHTERS INCLUDING PAT BYRNE, MY FATHER AS A GRADUATE OF SOUTH BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL AS
WELL. I HEARD FROM A FRIEND OF MINE MARY RYAN WHO COMES FROM A LONG AND DISTINGUISHED MILITARY
FAMILY AND I RESPECT HER FAMILY AND THEIR SERVICE BUT SHE SHE MENTIONED TO ME AND I WANT TO GET THIS ON THE RECORD THE IMPORTANCE OF SOUTH BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL AND I KNOW SHE'S
PROBABLY GOING TO TESTIFY ON ZOOM BUT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME ISSUES SHE ALREADY TALKED TO ME ABOUT. BUT THERE'S A 100 METAL
PORTRAITS OF MEN WITH SOUTH BOSTON TIES THAT DIED IN SERVICE DURING WORLD WAR ONE AND THEY ARE GRADUATES OF SOUTH BOSTON SCHOOL.
THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER AND THAT ALSO MEANS THAT THERE'S 100 FAMILIES THAT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT AND IT'S THAT'S IT'S
SOMETHING TO ME AS A NEIGHBOR AND IN RESIDENT IN CITY COUNCIL I WANT TO PRESERVE THAT EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY THAT I
WANT TO RESPECT THOSE FAMILIES FOR THEIR SERVICE BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING WORSE THAN HAVING YOUR AS COUNCILOR MURPHY MENTIONED, SEEING SOME TYPE
OF PORTRAIT OF A OF A FAMILY MEMBER DISCARDED AND I KNOW IT HURTS WHEN WHEN FAMILIES SEE THAT AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT
STAYS WITH THE FAMILY AND I KNOW THE PEOPLE ON THIS PANEL ARE COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN. THAT'S WHY THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY TO GET A LOT OF THIS
ON THE RECORD. SO WE WE CAN TALK ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT RESPECT IS AS PART OF THE PROCESS SO THAT'S THAT'S
WHERE I'M FROM AND EVEN IN CALLING FOR THIS HEARING TO IS TO GET THIS ON THE RECORD BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE MIGHT MAKE MISTAKES THAT THEY DON'T
REALIZE ARE VERY HURTFUL AND AND WOULD HARM A COMMUNITY EVEN THOUGH THERE'S NO INTENTION TO DO THAT. SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THIS TYPE OF DISCUSSION.
MY FRIEND MARY RYAN ALSO MENTIONED TO ME A LARGE CARVED WOODEN WALL MOUNTED MONUMENT DEDICATED TO THE SOUTH BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES AS I MENTIONED THAT SERVED IN WORLD
WALL ONE. THIS IS A MASSIVE STRUCTURE INSTALLED INTO THE WALL AND SHE IS CONCERNED AND OTHERS ARE CONCERNED THAT WE WANT IT
PRESERVED IN PROPERLY INSTALLED SOMEWHERE WHERE RESIDENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY CAN VIEW IT IN A PUBLIC MANNER AND THAT'S THAT'S
MY NEXT QUESTION IS WHETHER IT'S WORKING WITH THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY OR OUR CITY OFFICIALS THAT WORK IN THE SCHOOLS OR THAT WORK AT THE BCI
FACILITIES. IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY PRESERVE THIS WHERE RESIDENTS CAN ACTUALLY VIEW IT AND SEE IT AND HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO
SHARE THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION WHAT THEIR WHAT THEIR FAMILY AND NEIGHBORS? BUT WHAT DO YOU WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? IS IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO PARTNER WITH SOME CITY
DEPARTMENTS? I WOULD SAY THAT'S NOT AN EASY QUESTION TO ANSWER AND I ONLY SAY THAT BECAUSE DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF INSTALLATION
PRESERVATION IN AN EXTERIOR PLACE MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT HARDER FOR US. AND THEN AS WE LOOK AT LOCATIONS WHERE THIS ARTWORK COULD GO THAT WOULD ALSO, YOU
KNOW, PRESENT A CHALLENGE. I'M NOT SAYING IT'S IMPOSSIBLE. I'M NOT SAYING NO. I DO THINK WE COULD WORK TOGETHER TO FIND A SOLUTION. I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT A CHALLENGE.
OKAY. THE THE REASON I'M FOCUSED ON THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE SOME ASSETS IN THE CITY ASSETS
SUCH AS THE PUBLIC LIBRARY OR THE CURLEY COMMUNITY CENTER OFF OF OFF OF L STREET ON THE BOULEVARD AS WELL AS PROBABLY SEVERAL OTHER MUNICIPAL
BUILDINGS. BUT HOW DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD TO ENSURE THAT THAT HISTORY IS PRESERVED RESPECTFULLY? WHAT ARE SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WITHOUT SAYING
WHERE IT SHOULD GO, WHAT CAN WE DO TO TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS A PROCESS IN PLACE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO FIND TO FIND A HOME FOR
THESE FOR THIS HISTORY? SO I WOULD SAY FIRST JUST LIKE COUNCILOR MURPHY MENTIONED TO US IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD INVENTORY
OF WHAT'S IN OUR BUILDINGS AND AROUND THEM AND HOW THEY WOULD NEED TO BE PRESERVED AND THAT'S GOING TO BE BY REACHING OUT TO OUR PARTNERS THAT ARE FAMILIAR WITH SPECIFIC DIFFERENT TYPES
OF ART FROM THAT POINT ON I THINK IS GOING TO DEPEND ON THE TYPE OF ARTWORK AND THE ENTITIES THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH WHETHER THAT CAN GO TO
ANOTHER CITY ENTITY IF YOU LIKE IF IT'S YOU KNOW CYF THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF BOSTON BUILDING THOSE PARTNERSHIPS ARE VERY EASY TO GET SOMETHING RELOCATED IF THEY HAVE A SPACE ALLOCATED
IF NOT OUR GOAL IS TO PRESERVE THEM WITHIN OUR EXISTING BUILDINGS IF THEY'LL HAVE A FUTURE KIND OF PUBLIC SCHOOL OR EDUCATIONAL USE. I THANK YOU.
I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE PAT BYRNE AS A SOUTH BOSTON VETERAN AND A MEMBER OF THE PERKINS POST IN SOUTH BOSTON ALONG WITH
TIMMY MURPHY AND MANY OTHER PERKINS POST AND FITZGERALD POST MCDONOUGH POST REACHED OUT TO ME SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD SO
. I GUESS MY MY FINAL QUESTION I WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL TO MY COLLEAGUES HOW WOULD WE PHYSICALLY DO A INVENTORY OF WHAT IS IT WHAT IS ACTUALLY
AN EXCEL HIGH SCHOOL, SOUTH BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL WHO WOULD DO THAT TYPE OF INVENTORY AND IS IT JUST LIKE A INVENTORY YOU'D SEE ON A SPREADSHEET OR IS IT
SOMETHING MORE AND I APOLOGIZE IT'S MORE OF A TECHNICAL QUESTION BUT IS IT SOMETHING MORE DETAIL THAN THAT? BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW PHYSICALLY THEY DO THE
INVENTORY AND WHAT IS THE METRIC. SO WHAT IS THE SYSTEM TO CAPTURE THAT? YEAH, SO GREAT QUESTION. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND SO THE INVENTORY IS GOING
TO BE CAPTURED BY THREE DIFFERENT TEAMS THAT WE HAVE FOR TECHNICALLY. SO IT'S GOING TO BE OUR TEAM WHICH IS GOING TO CAPTURE A LOT OF THE RECORDS AND THAT WOULD BE LIKE YEARBOOKS, STUDENT
RECORDS, ANY IDENTIFICATION BASED RECORDS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE BUILDING. THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR CAPITAL PLANNING TEAM WHICH WILL WORK WITH BUILDINGS AS THEY START TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE NEXT STAGES
OF BUILDING GOES THROUGH A CLOSURE OR MERGER DOCUMENTING ALL OF THE PHYSICAL ARTIFACTS OR PHYSICAL ITEMS THAT MIGHT BE IN OR IN PROXIMITY TO THE BUILDING THAT HAVE A USE FOR
THE FUTURE OR NEED TO BE STORED FOR THE FUTURE. WE THEN HAVE OUR FACILITIES TEAM WHICH FOR THE MOST WORKS WITH THE MOVING ENTITIES RELOCATION ENTITIES ARTS, PEACE
ARTS AS WELL ON FIGURING OUT WHERE THE ITEM WILL END UP NEXT IF IT NEEDS TO BE MOVED AND SO THE WAY THAT WE WOULD KEEP ALL OF THESE KIND OF ORGANIZED
WOULD BE IN PROJECT PLAN BUT MORE OR LESS AN EXCEL SPREADSHEET. OKAY AND THEN WE WOULD START WORKING WITH OUR PARTNER ENTITIES ON THE IDENTIFICATION OF SIGNIFICANT VALUE OR RELOCATION.
SO MY MY FINAL QUESTION I GUESS FOR THIS ONE. SO ON THE INVENTORY ITSELF, IF I HELD A KNOT A CITY COUNCIL MEETING I HELD A COMMUNITY MEETING WITH WITH
RESIDENTS MAYBE AT THE PUBLIC LIBRARY AND ASK INVITE YOU BRIAN IN THE TECHNICAL TEAM THAT WOULD BE THAT WOULD BE PART OF CAPTURING THIS HISTORY.
BUT IF I INVITED YOU YOUR TEAM TO COME AND TALK TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT HOW PHYSICALLY YOU CAPTURE THAT DATA COULD WE DO THAT?
IT MAY BE LIKE AS A LISTENING SET, NOT A LISTENING SESSION. I'M SORRY BUT LISTENING TO YOU AND HOW YOUR TEAM WOULD CAPTURE IT NOT FOCUSED ON WHAT'S THE
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, WHAT THAT BUT JUST HOW WE CAPTURED. I THINK THAT WOULD BE INFORMATIVE FOR THE RESIDENTS. MAYBE IF WE DO THAT SOME TIME MAYBE BEFORE THE END OF MAY SO GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY A
COUPLE OF MONTHS ANYWAYS. BUT IS THAT SOMETHING YOU ARE COMMITTED TO DOING? YEAH, I'M DEFINITELY OPEN TO THE IDEA OF THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU MR CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR FLYNN.
COUNCILOR DURKAN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH CHAIR AND I JUST WANT TO THANK AGAIN THE CO-SPONSORS. THIS IS REALLY INFORMATIVE
OF OF JUST LIKE HOW CITY ARCHIVES WORKS WITH BEEPS IN THESE TYPES OF SITUATIONS. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE I THINK SOME OF MY QUESTIONS ARE NOT
REALLY FITTING THE CURRENT PANEL BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS A VERY VERY SPECIFIC HEARING. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK THOSE THAT SPONSOR THIS HEARING. I KNOW I HAVE AN 11 A.M.
MEETING BUT I JUST ALSO WANT TO JUST SAY THAT WE ARE AN IRISH OR IRISH-AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH IN SOUTH BOSTON. HISTORY IS IRISH HISTORY SO IT'S JUST SUCH AN IMPORTANT
CONVERSATION TO BE HAVING RIGHT NOW AND AS THE CHAIR OF PLANNING DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION WE'RE ALSO WE ALWAYS ARE TALKING ABOUT LANDMARKS AND PRESERVATION AND THIS IS JUST ANOTHER FACET,
ANOTHER ANGLE OF PRESERVATION WHICH IS SO INTERESTING SO SO REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THEM FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND JUST HERE TO LEARN MORE AND IT'S
REALLY NICE TO MEET THE CITY PANEL AND OBVIOUSLY OUR COMMISSIONER ROB SANTIAGO, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO TO PRESERVE FOR THE HISTORIES AND AND I KNOW WE HAVE EVEN MORE TO DO.
I KNOW THERE WAS A HEARING RECENTLY AND I KNOW THERE'S POTENTIALLY EVEN MORE WE COULD DO TO TO TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF OUR SERVICE MEMBERS IN BOSTON SO SO I GUESS I'LL LEAVE
I'LL LEAVE IT THERE FOR ME JUST SINCE I DON'T REPRESENT SOUTH BOSTON BUT I'M GRATEFUL THAT THAT MY COLLEAGUES ARE ARE UNDERGOING THIS WORK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR DURKIN,
I'M NOT GOING TO GO PASS IT OVER TO THE LEAD SPONSORS AGAIN FOR ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE KNOW COUNCILOR MURPHY, YOU HAVE A FLOOR. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU,
COUNCILOR DURKIN. WE ALSO DID FILE A SEPARATE HEARING TO TALK ABOUT THE LONG TERM FACILITIES PLAN WHICH I KNOW YOU AND I THINK ALL OF US HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AROUND THAT. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT
HEARING TO TALK MORE. WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN AT THAT ONE TO BRIAN COUNCIL OF FLYNN TOUCHED ON IT AND HE DOES DO A GREAT JOB OF BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER AND NOT JUST
IN THIS TYPE OF, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL HEARING SETTING SO I DO KNOW IT WILL BE WELL ATTENDED WHEN HE SCHEDULES THIS BUT HOW MUCH CAN THE COMMUNITY ADVOCATE LIKE HOW MUCH IF THEY'VE
IDENTIFIED LIKE YOU KNOW MARY DID IDENTIFY SPECIFIC ARTIFACTS THAT REALLY MEAN A LOT TO HER AND MANY OTHER PEOPLE AT THAT ONE LOCATION HOW MUCH CAN THEY
ADVOCATE IF THEY'VE IDENTIFIED AN ARTIFACT? AND ALSO BECAUSE ONE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT OUR CONSTITUENTS, OUR RESIDENTS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON, MANY NOT JUST
PRESENT YOU WITH THE PROBLEM THEY ALSO PRESENT YOU WITH THE SOLUTION AND WILL BE WILLING TO WORK LIKE THE HOME TOWN BANNER HEARING WE HAD RECENTLY WHICH I THINK WAS VERY IT WAS A GREAT
HEARING BUT HOW MUCH CAN THEY ADVOCATE TO SAY HEY MAYBE THE LIBRARY THERE'S THE WALL RIGHT THERE. IT HAS YOU KNOW, IT NEEDS TO BE PAINTED ANYWAY AND IT'S EMPTY LIKE IT IS. I WOULD LIKE TO EMPOWER TO OUR
RESIDENTS WHO REALLY FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT THIS LIKE IF YOU THINK OF ANOTHER SPACE IN BUT I WOULDN'T WANT TO LEAD THEM DOWN A PATH AND FIND OUT THAT YOU KNOW, THE CITY OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS ALREADY KIND
OF HAVE A PLAN TO EITHER JUST STORE IT OR KEEP IT KNOWING THAT IT'S STILL IN OUR PORTFOLIO. YEAH, I, I WOULD SAY THAT THEY CAN ADVOCATE FOR LIKE WHEN WE
HAVE THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS WHERE WE GO THROUGH THE COMMUNITY PROCESS I DEFINITELY DON'T WANT ANY INDIVIDUAL OR ANY MEMBER OF THE CITY TO FEEL AS IF THEY DON'T HAVE A VOICE AND BEING HEARD.
I WOULD SAY WE AS PEEPS DEFINITELY STRIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN GIFTED TO US CREATED BY US OR IN PARTNERSHIP WITH US DO REMAIN WITH US FOR THE MOST PART AND WE CONTINUE TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE EXERCISE THOSE KIND OF DIFFERENT PIECES OF ARTS AND CULTURE WITHIN OUR BUILDINGS AND MAKING SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY DOES KNOW THAT THEY'RE THERE AS WELL.
BUT I WOULD SAY ADVOCATE OUR CAPITAL PLANNING TEAM, OUR FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, OUR COMMUNITY PLANNING OUR COMMUNITY TEAMS ARE WELL AS WELL ARE VERY GOOD AT MAKING
SURE TO TAKE THE OPINION OF THE COMMUNITY AND MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION. YOU ALSO MENTIONED IDENTIFYING OF SOMETHING LIKE HAS A VALUE BUT SOME OF THESE MAY NOT HAVE
LIKE A MONETARY VALUE BUT THEY HAVE A REALLY STRONG HISTORICAL EMOTIONAL LINK IMPORTANT HISTORICAL VALUE, RIGHT. ESPECIALLY SOUTH BOSTON, YOU
KNOW HAD THE MOST PEOPLE DIE RIGHT IN THAT AGE GROUP DURING THE VIETNAM WAR AND SO HOW DO WE DECIDE WHAT ARTIFACTS WE'RE
GOING TO THEN MAKE SURE WE PRESERVE? YEAH, I THINK I THINK MAYBE VALUE IS THE WRONG WORD AND I'M SORRY FOR USING IT THAT WAY BUT I WOULD SAY THAT WHEN WE LOOK
AT ITEMS THAT ARE WITHIN THE BUILDING IT'S US REALLY REACHING OUT TO OUR ARTS PARTNERS, FIGURING OUT WITH THEM DOES THIS HAVE A PLACE
MOVING FORWARD OR WAS THIS A MACARONI PAINTING FROM SOMEBODY LAST YEAR THAT TRIED TO MAKE IT LOOK OLD AND MAYBE THAT'S A REALLY EXAMPLE BUT JUST AS WE TRY TO FIGURE OUT IF THE ART
HAS PLACE EVERY CHRISTMAS I TRY TO PUT MACARONI BACK ON MY SON'S FROM 30 YEARS AGO WHEN HE WAS IN KINDERGARTEN. YOU KNOW THIS CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS THEY MAKE THEY DON'T
STORE WELL DON'T TELL JOHN BUT THE MICE LIKE TO GO THROUGH IF YOU HAVE MACARONI ON YOUR OWN DECORATIONS BUT KNOW THAT THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW THOUGH THAT
ONE THING ALSO YOU KNOW IT'S 2025 DO IT THE I.T. TEAM LOTS OF THINGS ARE BEING DIGITIZED AND IF YOU KNOW RECORDS OTHER THINGS ARE NOW DIGITAL WHICH IS
GREAT THAT WE CAPTURE THEM THAT WAY. WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE BOOKS, THE OLD PHOTOS? DO WE ALSO STORE THEM EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW WE'VE PROTECTED THEM?
YES, WE WOULD PREFER THE ORIGINAL COPIES. WE DO HAVE A DIGITAL REPOSITORY WHERE WE STORE DIGITAL RECORDS FOR LONG TERM PRESERVATION BUT
GENERALLY THE ORIGINAL COPY WOULD BE THE MORE STABLE, LONG LASTING IF YOU DON'T PROPERLY MAINTAIN DIGITAL ITEMS THEY COULD BE LOST IN THE FUTURE.
JUST THINK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT OBSOLETE FORMATS THAT HAVE BEEN USED THAT ARE NO LONGER ACCESSIBLE JUST BECAUSE OF ALL THE FREQUENT CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGY.
SO WE ARE IN TERMS OF THE SOUTH BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL WE'RE VERY EAGER TO FIND OUT IF THEY DO HAVE A COLLECTION OF YEARBOOKS THERE BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD WANT TO BRING
INTO THE ARCHIVES AND ARCHIVES WHEN YOU DO APPRAISAL OF AN ITEM TO DETERMINE WHETHER WE SHOULD KEEP IT PERMANENTLY OR NOT, THERE'S DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU LOOK AT. IT COULD BE ADMINISTRATIVE
VALUE, FISCAL VALUE, LEGAL VALUE BUT ALSO HISTORICAL VALUE OR INTRINSIC VALUE WHETHER THE ITEM ITSELF HAS HISTORIC HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE. SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT WE LOOK INTO IN
DECIDING WHETHER TO KEEP THINGS PERMANENTLY OR NOT. THANK YOU. AND BRIAN, YOU'VE MENTIONED THE ARTS AND I ASSUME HISTORY DEPARTMENT TOO AND YOU'RE REFERRING TO BEEPS, CORRECT?
MORE THAN JUST BEEPS. SO THE ENTIRE ARTS AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON ARE THEY INCLUDED IN THIS ALSO WHERE WILL THEY BE? WE DO HAVE OUR OUR PEEPS ARTS DEPARTMENT REACHES OUT TO THEM
ON A REGULAR BASIS AS WELL AS OUR FACILITIES TEAM. SO WHEN I SAY ARTS OUR ARTS AND OTHERS THAT EXIST WITHIN CITY ENTITIES THANK YOU AND I WILL
END ON THE IMPORTANCE IS WITH THE RESPECT TO THE COMMUNITIES AS YOU KNOW THERE IS ALWAYS STRONG EMOTIONS AND IT'S OFTENTIMES THE COMMUNICATION
AND HOW WE SET A NEIGHBORHOOD, A COMMUNITY, A SCHOOL COMMUNITY UP TO THE TRANSITION IF IT'S GOING THEIR SCHOOL IS GOING TO CLOSE IF THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE. AND SO I DO THINK IT'S
IMPORTANT FOR THEM, YOU KNOW, TO KNOW THAT WE AND THE CITY ARE REALLY RESPECT ING THAT WE MAY BE MOVING THIS PROGRAM, WE MAY BE CLOSING THE SCHOOL FOR
NOW, IT MAY BE REPURPOSED BUT THAT WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, DISRESPECTING THE FEELINGS OF THE COMMUNITY. AND I THINK THAT WILL GO A LONG WAY IN IN A SMOOTH TRANSITION
AS WE DO NEED TO CLOSE SCHOOLS AND MERGE SCHOOLS AND DO A LOT OF FACILITIES WORK ON OUR BUILDINGS AND SO THAT THAT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE GET THIS RIGHT.
I THINK WE'LL MAKE IT EASIER IN THE LONG RUN THOUGH IT WILL BE BETTER FOR US IN THE LONG RUN IF WE REALLY COMMIT TO RESPECTING THE ARTIFACTS THAT ARE IN OUR BUILDINGS. THANK YOU.
ONE LAST THING SO I DON'T NEED ANOTHER ROUND BUT JUST ALSO THINKING IN THE LAST FEW HEARINGS WE HAD WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE HOMETOWN BANNER WE HAVE A COMMISSION FOR THE 250TH
WE'RE DOING WORK ABOUT PRESERVING HISTORY AND IT MIGHT BE ALSO SOMETHING THAT THAT COMMISSION SHOULD LOOK INTO OF YOU KNOW, SCHOOL BUILDINGS CLOSING, MERGING AND IF THERE'S OTHER CITY ASSETS THAT MAY BE
CLOSING THAT THAT COMMISSION ALSO LOOKS AT MAYBE HOW THAT GETS BROUGHT INTO EVEN THE CELEBRATIONS THAT WE'LL BE HAVING HERE IN THE CITY. SO I WANT TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD ALSO.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR MURPHY. COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR KRISTEN. CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THE CITY ARCHIVES COULD POSSIBLY DO TO HELP PREPARE SOUTH BOSTON HIGH
SCHOOL AND THE SOUTH BOSTON COMMUNITY TO PRESERVE WHAT IS AT EXCEL HIGH SCHOOL? SOUTH BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL? WHAT WHAT CAN THE CITY ARCHIVES TEAM DO TO BE TO BE HELPFUL TO US?
SURE. SO GENERALLY WHEN WE GET CALLS WE CAN GO OUT AND DO SITE SURVEYS TO SEE WHAT IS ON SITE WHAT USUALLY IT'S RECORDS BUT
YOU DO COME ACROSS HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND WE CAN DO AN INVENTORY. WE OPERATE UNDER THE MASSACHUSETTS PUBLIC RECORDS
LAW SO WE HAVE WE FOLLOW THE MUNICIPAL MASSACHUSETTS MUNICIPAL RETENTION SCHEDULE WHICH GIVES GUIDANCE ON HOW LONG TO KEEP DIFFERENT TYPES OF RECORDS. THERE IS NOT AN ENTRY ON THE
MUNICIPAL RETENTION SCHEDULE FOR ARTIFACTS BUT THERE IS ON THE STATE RETENTION THAT SAYS THAT ARTIFACTS SHOULD BE RETAINED FOR AS LONG AS
ADMINISTRATIVE USE IS NECESSARY AND THEN CAN BE RETAINED AT THE DISCRETION OF THE ARCHIVIST. SO THAT'S WHEN WE WOULD APPRAISE ITEMS TO SEE WHAT THE VALUE IS, WHETHER IT IS WORTH
KEEPING. SO IF THINK OF LIKE A TROPHY CASE WE COULDN'T WE DON'T HAVE THE SPACE OR THE RESOURCES TO STORE EVERY SINGLE TROPHY THAT MIGHT BE IN A SCHOOL BUILDING
BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING SIGNIFICANT WE WOULD LOOK FOR HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE IN TERMS OF SOUTH BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL ITSELF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE VERY INTERESTED IN THOSE
PORTRAITS THAT YOU MENTIONED AND WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO BRING THOSE INTO THE CITY ARCHIVES IF THEY NEED A PLACE FOR STORAGE. BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE
BELIEVE SHOULD BE EXHIBITED AND SO WHAT WE COULD OFFER IS TO DO LIKE A VIRTUAL EXHIBIT, DIGITIZE THE PHOTOS AND HAVE THEM AVAILABLE VIRTUALLY.
WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE SPACE. OKAY. SO AS PART OF THIS PROCESS YOUR TEAM IS ABLE TO DOCUMENT THE
EXHIBITS AND ARTIFACTS DIGITALLY AND PRESERVE THEM DIGITALLY. IS THAT ACCURATE? WE COULDN'T WE DO I MEAN WE WORK MOSTLY WITH RECORDS
DOCUMENTS WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY FOR LIKE LARGE SCALE ITEMS SCANNING OF LARGE SCALE ITEMS BUT I HAVE SEEN PHOTOS
OF THE DISPLAY AT SOUTH BOSTON HIGH AND I BELIEVE WE COULD SHOWCASE THOSE BUT WOULD YOU DO PHYSICALLY TAKE PICTURES OF THEM AND THEN PUT THEM PUT THEM ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
IS THAT HOW YOU WOULD STORE THEM? SO WE HAVE IF THEY'RE ABLE TO BE ON A SCANNER WE WOULD SCAN IT AND WE HAVE STANDARDS FOR THAT SCAN AND WE ALSO CAN
PHOTOGRAPH ITEMS AS WELL AND THEN WE DO STORE DIGITAL IMAGES IN OUR DIGITAL REPOSITORY AND THEY CAN BE VIEWED ONLINE AND SO THEN THAT DIGITAL IMAGES
RETAIN PERMANENTLY AS WELL IN A PROTECTED SPACE. HAS YOUR TEAM HAD ANY EXPERIENCE DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS AT A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL IN THE PAST DOING VIRTUAL EXHIBITS?
NO. WE HAVE TAKEN IN RECORDS FROM A NUMBER OF SCHOOLS. WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT COLLECTION FROM THE HORACE MANN SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND WE HAVE
DIGITIZED SOME OF THOSE PHOTOS IN THAT COLLECTION AND THOSE ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AND COULD COULD YOU SHARE FOR THE PUBLIC HOW THEY COULD ACCESS THE
HORACE MANN SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF? HOW THEY COULD ACCESS TO ACCESS THAT INFORMATION JUST AS AN EXAMPLE. SURE.
SO ON OUR WEBSITE BOSTON DOT GOV SLASH ARCHIVES WE HAVE WE HAVE BOTH AN ONLINE CATALOG WHICH LISTS ALL OF THE RECORDS THAT WE HOLD WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF THAT AND THEN PROVIDES LINKS
TO THINGS THAT WE HAVE DIGITIZED AND WE ALSO HAVE OUR DIGITAL REPOSITORY HAS A PUBLIC FACING SITE THAT YOU CAN GO IN AND SEARCH FOR THE DIGITAL ASSETS THAT WE HAVE.
AND THEN MY MY FINAL QUESTION BOTH TO KRISTEN AND TO THE INTO THE COMMISSIONER AND I ASKED BRIAN THIS EARLIER BUT IF I HELD A KIND OF A SESSION SOMETIME LATE MAY, MAYBE WOULD
SOMEONE FROM YOUR TEAM BE AVAILABLE TO LISTEN TO THE PUBLIC AND WEIGH IN WITH WITH BRIAN AS WELL JUST ON HOW WE PHYSICALLY CAPTURE AND DOCUMENT
WHAT'S UP AT SOUTH BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL AND THEN MAYBE AFTER WE DO THAT MAYBE SOMETIME IN THE FALL WE COULD HAVE ANOTHER LISTENING SESSION.
WE COULD HAVE A LISTENING SESSION IN THE FALL LISTENING TO RESIDENTS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD. IS THAT SOMETHING BOTH OF YOU GUYS WOULD AGREE TO ABSOLUTELY BE HAPPY TO HELP? MOST DEFINITELY. JUST TELL ME WHEN, WHERE AND TIME WE'LL BE THERE.
EXCELLENT. WELL THANK YOU THANK YOU TO THIS ADMINISTRATION TEAM FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO WORK WITH ME AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH BRIAN
AND TO IN TO WORK CLOSELY WITH ROB AS WELL AND LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AS WELL. KRISTEN SO THANK YOU AND I ALWAYS HAD A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH WITH WITH ROB
AND WITH BRIAN SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS WORKING RELATIONSHIP. MR CHAIR I DON'T HAVE ANY COMMENTS BUT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM MY
VIRTUAL TESTIMONY TO. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR FLYNN I'VE BEEN INFORMED BY CENTRAL STAFF THAT WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE ON ZOOM AND TWO INDIVIDUALS ON ZOOM FOR
PUBLIC TESTIMONY SO WE WILL GO AHEAD AND DO THAT AS WE TRANSITION WHICH MAKE SURE WE ALSO GET SO WHEN YOUR NAME IS
CALLED PLEASE COME DOWN OR WE HAVE TO VIRTUAL SO PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION AFFILIATION AND PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO
THESE FEW MINUTES. OKAY.
SO WITH US WE HAVE MARY RYAN ON . HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEAH, WE CAN HEAR YOU OKAY. HI, MARY RYAN.
DID YOU WANT ME TO GO AHEAD AND SPEAK? YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. OKAY. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR DOING THIS. I APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS
OF COUNCILORS FLYNN AND MURPHY AND ALL THE PANELISTS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING THE THE PORTRAITS IN THE HIGH SCHOOL AND SOUTH BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL ARE A VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO ME OF COURSE
BECAUSE ONE OF THOSE PORTRAITS IS OF MY GREAT UNCLE. MY FATHER'S UNCLE. MY FATHER WAS A PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR AND HIS UNCLE DIED IN
IN FRANCE FROM WOUNDS THAT HE SUFFERED IN WORLD WAR ONE AND HE ALSO HAS A HERO SQUARE ACROSS FROM THE PERKINS POST IN SOUTH BOSTON. BUT I HAVE ALWAYS WORRIED I'M
ALSO A SOUTH BOSTON. I'M ALSO A SOUTH BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE. I GREW UP ON G STREET AND I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN VERY WORRIED ABOUT THE DAY THAT THAT I KNEW
THAT SOUTH BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL WOULD CLOSE AND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THESE PORTRAITS OVER 1100 OF THESE PORTRAITS WERE ORIGINALLY COMMISSIONED.
SO MY AROUND 1930 IN A TWO YEAR EFFORT BY MAYOR CURLEY TO GET PHOTOS OF ALL THE WAR DEAD ACROSS BOSTON AND THEN
THESE 1100 PLUS PORTRAITS WERE PLACED IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS ALL OVER THE CITY. I THINK THE ORIGINAL INTENTION WAS TO CREATE A WAR MEMORIAL FOR THEM BUT THAT NEVER REALLY
CAME TO FRUITION. SO THESE WERE SCATTERED ALL ABOUT THE CITY. I'VE DONE A GREAT DEAL OF RESEARCH ON ALL THESE PORTRAITS OF I'VE ALSO RESEARCHED WHAT WAS DONE IN
CAMBRIDGE. CAMBRIDGE DID A SIMILAR EFFORT AND THERE WERE HUGE LAWSUITS IN THE THIRTIES AND THE PORTRAITS WOUND UP IN THE TRASH. THESE ARE SIMILAR METAL PORTRAITS.
AND SO SO THAT'S MY CONCERN THAT THERE WILL BE ONGOING AN APPROPRIATE HOME FOR THESE WHERE THEY CAN BE SEEN AND VISITED IT IT BE YOU KNOW AFTER
WHEN THEY WERE ORIGINALLY PLACED INTO THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS PEOPLE HAD FREE ACCESS TO COME AND GO FROM THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. BUT OF COURSE WE KNOW THAT IT TAKES AN ACT OF CONGRESS THESE
DAYS TO GET INTO A PUBLIC SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY'RE LOCKED DOWN SO TIGHT FOR SECURITY REASONS. SO IT'S BEEN VERY DIFFICULT TO GO UP AND SEE THESE PHOTOS TO
VIEW THEM. AND SO MY CONCERN IS THAT THEY DO HAVE A MORE PERMANENT LOCATION BECAUSE I DO I DO STILL I'M SKEPTICAL THAT SOUTH BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL WILL NOT BE
USED FOR OTHER PURPOSES IN THE FUTURE. I MEAN WHETHER OR NOT IT REMAINS A SCHOOL I GUESS I GUESS TIME WILL TELL BUT EVEN IF IT DOES REMAIN A SCHOOL, I
THINK IT'S A DIFFICULT LOCATION FOR THESE PORTRAITS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT REALLY ARTWORK. THESE ARE WAR MEMORIALS. THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PAINTING AND A MEMORIAL THAT
WAS DEDICATED IN FRONT OF A CROWD OF THOUSANDS AT SOUTH BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL ALMOST 15 YEARS AFTER THE WAR ENDED. THAT'S HOW STRONG THE SENTIMENT WAS ABOUT WORLD YOU KNOW, THE
GREAT WAR AND ALL THE ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT LOST THEIR LIVES IN SERVICE. SO THAT'S MY BIG CONCERN. I'M I JUST WANT TO KIND OF GO ON THE RECORD AND LET YOU KNOW THAT IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT I
CAN DO TO HELP THE EFFORT, WHETHER IT'S TO SHARE MY RESEARCH TO ASSIST WITH IN ANY WAY THAT I CAN, I'M AVAILABLE AND I HAVE DONE A GREAT DEAL OF RESEARCH.
I KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN SOUTH BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL THAT HAS A PORTRAIT THEIR THEIR MILITARY RECORD, THEIR NAME WHERE THEY CAME FROM, ETC. LET'S SEE.
SO YEAH, THOSE ARE I THINK THOSE ARE MY MAIN CONCERNS. I'M I'M AGAIN I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO TO TO
SPEAK TODAY AND THAT THIS IS BEING THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT BEING PAID ATTENTION TO BECAUSE I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT AND IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME.
AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH MARY AND FOR YOUR TESTIMONY, FOR YOUR RESEARCH AND FOR BEING WITH US HERE TODAY.
NEXT UP WE HAVE KEVIN CONROY ON
ZOOM.
EXCUSE ME, MR CHAIR. YES. WHILE WE WAIT, I WOULD LIKE TO RESPOND TO MARY, BUT THAT'S OKAY. YES, ABSOLUTELY. MARY. HI, THIS IS ROB SANTIAGO, COMMISSIONER FOR BOSTON VETERANS FIRST AND FOREMOST.
THANK YOU AND YOUR FAMILY FOR YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY GOING WAY BACK TO TWO WORLD WAR ONE. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR FOR FOR YOUR PASSION AND DEDICATION
TO ALL THOSE MEN WHO ARE MEMORIALIZED ON THAT WALL AT SOUTH BOSTON HIGH. I WOULD LOVE TO SIT DOWN AND HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOU OVER COFFEE SOMETIME TO GO OVER YOUR RESEARCH AND YOU KNOW WHAT
YOU HAVE SO FAR WITH REGARDS TO TO ALL THOSE THAT ARE MEMORIALIZED ON THAT WALL IN OUR SOUTH BOSTON HOME. YOU KNOW ONE THING THAT THAT THAT THAT I'M VERY PROUD OF BEING THE COMMISSIONER HERE
AT CITY OF BOSTON WHICH IS SERVICES THAT WE NOT ONLY MEMORIALIZE THE SERVICE OF OUR NEIGHBORS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS THROUGHOUT THE GENERATIONS BUT WE PERSONALIZE THOSE MEMORIALS
AND JUST BY YOUR TESTIMONY ALONE IT FURTHER PROVES THAT HERE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON THAT THESE MEMORIALS ARE THEY NEED TO BE PERSONALIZED BECAUSE THEY STAND UP THERE NOT JUST FOR THE
SERVICE MEMBERS BUT ALSO IN RECOGNITION OF THOSE FAMILIES THAT HAVE THAT THAT HAVE ALSO SERVED OUR COUNTRY AND HAVE ALSO SACRIFICED FOR OUR COUNTRY. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IF YOU CAN, I'LL GET YOUR
INFORMATION SO MAYBE WE COULD HAVE A COFFEE AND A CONVERSATION AT SOME POINT. I WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT. AND IF I COULD JUST ADD ONE OTHER THING ABOUT THOSE MEMORIALS ALSO CONTAINED WITHIN THOSE MEMORIALS ARE KNOWN AS
TWO OF ME UP THERE. SORRY. I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. MY MY EVIL TWIN. THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY UP THERE HAD
THERE'S A STORY BEHIND EVERY ONE OF THOSE PORTRAITS. AND INCLUDED AMONG THOSE PORTRAITS ARE OUR MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT. OF COURSE.
AND OF THE NAMESAKE OF THE FITZGERALD POST AND MICHAEL PERKINS, OUR MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT FROM SOUTH BOSTON. SO THAT'S THAT'S ALL. BUT I WOULD I WOULD WELCOME THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN AND TALK TO YOU SOMETIME. MR SANTIAGO THANK YOU VERY MUCH . ALSO SOUTH BOSTON HIGH THERE'S A TABLET WITH 22 NAMES. WHERE I'M FROM NEIGHBORS IN
SOUTH BOSTON THAT ALSO PAY THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE OF YOU KNOW, THOSE NEIGHBORS IN SOUTH BOSTON DURING THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. MM HMM.
WE THANK YOU COMMISSION AND THANK YOU MARY AND ALL, COUNSELOR FRED AND IF YOU HAVE A FEW WORDS THAT YOU HAVE
GATHERED, DID YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO. WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH ACTUALLY WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH KEVIN CONROY. DO WE HAVE YOU? YES. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US. WITH US. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR? YES. THANK YOU. MY APOLOGIES FOR THE MIX UP THERE. I'M JUST KIND OF MIRRORING WHAT MARY RYAN HAD JUST JUST BY JILL
WITH BACK IN 2018 WE PUT TOGETHER ALONG WITH THE SOUTH BOSTON OUR ALLIED WAR VETERANS COUNCIL AND A NUMBER OF OTHER VETERANS POST A CENTENNIAL TO
MARK THE END OF WHAT ONE AND THAT WE THE ACCESSIBILITY WAS A PROBLEM JUST TRYING TO GET IN THERE AND JUST DO SOME YOU KNOW JUST GET IN THERE AND GET READY FOR ANA.
SO ACCESSIBILITY IS A VERY IMPORTANT THING THAT I THINK HAS TO BE INCLUDED IN WHATEVER HAPPENS WITH THE PORTRAITS AND THE ADDITIONAL IDEAS A ONE
WOULDN'T I GUESS FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD A CENOTAPH IN THE FIRST AND FIRST FLOOR CLASSROOM OFF OF THE MAIN LOBBY WHICH LISTS ALUMNI FROM THE HIGH
SCHOOL THAT SERVED DURING WORLD WAR ONE AS WELL AS THOSE LOST THEIR LIVES IN SERVICE ARE IN COMBAT. AND THAT WOULD BE DENOTED WITH A AT THE ENGRAVED IN THE WOODEN
CENOTAPH THESE THESE TWO PARTICULAR MEMORIALS AS WELL AS THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR ONE. I THINK THEY JUST NEED TO BE THEY NEED TO BE EASILY ACCESSED BY THE PUBLIC WITHOUT AS MARY
SAID, GETTING AN ACT OF CONGRESS BECAUSE I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A LITTLE OVER THE TOP. THESE ARE WAR MEMORIALS THAT THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE VISITED BY ANYBODY AT ANY ANY
REASONABLE TIME. OTHER THAN THAT I'D LIKE TO BE INCLUDED IN ON ANY FUTURE PLANS OF WHAT YOU I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THIS AND I GUESS THAT'S
MY I'LL CONCLUDE THAT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. THANK YOU SO MUCH, KEVIN. REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TESTIMONY. COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO MY NEIGHBORS MARY RYAN AND AND KEVIN CONROY. I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR BOTH OF YOU.
AND YOUR FAMILIES AS WELL. AND YOU CAN'T GET TWO MORE DETERMINED ADVOCATES FOR AN EFFECTIVE ADVOCATES FOR VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES
THAN THAN MARY RYAN AND HER FAMILY AND KEVIN CONROY AND HIS FAMILY AS WELL. SO I WANT TO THANK MY NEIGHBORS. BUT KEVIN, WE WANT TO ENSURE
THAT YOU ARE PART OF THE PROCESS. YOU BRING GREAT EXPERIENCE TO WHAT WE COULD DO HERE WITH THIS
WITH THIS ARTIFACTS AND HOW WE HONOR OUR VETERANS ALONG WITH MARY AS WELL AS WELL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND CAPTURING A LOT
OF THIS HISTORY ALREADY AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH BOTH OF YOU. MARY, YOUR FATHER WAS CAPTAIN CARL RYAN, IS THAT.
THAT'S CORRECT, ISN'T IT? MY BROTHER WAS CAPTAIN CARL RYAN AND HE SERVED DURING VIETNAM AS A AS A PILOT. MY FATHER WAS CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER CARL J.
RYAN AND HE WAS A PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR. THAT'S RIGHT. HE WAS HE WAS AT PEARL HARBOR. HE SERVED ON THE USS PENNSYLVANIA AND IT WAS IN
DRYDOCK AT THE TIME A PEARL HARBOR AND THEN HE WAS A PLANK MEMBER OF THE USS MASSACHUSETTS AND SERVED THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH PACIFIC. WHAT?
WELL, THANK YOU, MARY, FOR YOUR FAMILY'S SERVICE AND AND SACRIFICE. I AND MARY, YOUR BROTHER YOUR BROTHER CARL, HE WAS THE COMMANDING OFFICER AT ONE TIME
OF NAVAL AIR STATION SOUTH WEYMOUTH. IS THAT IS THAT CORRECT? YES, IT IS. THAT IS CORRECT. WELL, I THINK YOU KNOW THE STORY BUT I WANT TO SHARE WITH MY COLLEAGUES HERE.
WHEN WHEN I ENLISTED IN THE NAVY IN 1987, I WENT TO BASIC TRAINING IN THE SUMMER OF 1987 AND I WAS STATIONED AFTER THAT
TO NAVAL AIR STATION SOUTH WEYMOUTH AND CAPTAIN RYAN WAS THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE NAVAL AIR STATION AT THAT AT THE SAME TIME I BELIEVE IT WAS.
I HOW LONG WERE YOU THERE? HE WAS THERE I KNOW AROUND 1990, 91, MAYBE EVEN 92. YEAH, I WAS THERE. I THINK YOU WERE THERE AT THE TIME.
YEAH, I WAS I WAS AT WEYMOUTH NAVAL AIR STATION WEYMOUTH FROM 1987 TO 1993. THEN I WENT TO A DIFFERENT UNIT . I WAS IN A SQUADRON CALLED THE HELICOPTER SQUAD SQUADRON
CALLED HL SEVEN FOUR BUT WE ALWAYS HAD A GREAT RESPECT FOR CAPTAIN CARL RYAN AS A AS A AS A LEADER AND SO ON TO SAY THANK
YOU TO CAPTAIN RYAN BUT ALSO TO THE ENTIRE RYAN FAMILY TO MY TO MY FRIEND AS WELL KEVIN CONROY UNITED STATES MARINE RETIRED
UNITED STATES POST POST OFFICE AS WELL SOMEONE SOMEWHERE I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR. MR CHAIR, I HAVE NO FURTHER COMMENTS. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR FLYNN.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER PUBLIC TESTIMONY SO I'M GOING TO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE LEAD SPONSORS AGAIN FOR ANY CLOSING REMARKS STARTING WITH COUNSELOR MURPHY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND
LOOK FORWARD TO OUR WORK AHEAD TOGETHER AND WHEN MARY AND KEVIN SPOKE IT TO ME, IT MADE THE POINT THAT THERE MAY BE MANY ARTIFACTS THAT WE'RE JUST
NOT EVEN AWARE OF BUT IT'S THOSE WHO UNDERSTAND AND KNOW LIKE WHEN I MENTIONED MY GRANDFATHER'S PORTRAIT SOMEONE'S LIKE WELL WE NEVER KNEW WHO THAT WAS. LIKE I KNOW THEY NEVER PROPERLY YOU KNOW, DISPLAYED THE NAME
UNDER OR YOU KNOW, THERE'S HISTORY THAT MANY TIMES THIS YOU KNOW THE NEW GENERATION I THINK IT'S ON US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T FORGET OUR PAST
AND WE CONTINUE TO PRESERVE THE HISTORY EVEN WHEN IT'S HARD, EVEN WHEN WE'RE NOT ALWAYS PROUD OF ALL OF IT. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DON'T JUST A RECENT I DON'T BELIEVE IN THAT AT ALL.
WE HAVE TO FIND WAYS TO MEMORIALIZE ESPECIALLY OUR VETERANS ALSO. AND WHEN KEVIN AND I THINK MARY ALSO MENTIONED THE SCHOOL WAS THE PLACE THAT IT WORKED AT THAT TIME WAY BACK WHEN.
BUT I THINK IT ALSO MAKES THE POINT THAT SCHOOLS ARE PLACES WHERE THE PUBLIC DOES NOT GO TO AND DOESN'T SEE SO THINKING REALLY WHERE WE CAN PUT SOME OF THESE AMAZING ARTIFACTS,
BEAUTIFUL PIECES OF ART AND MEMORY IN MORE PUBLIC SPACES LIKE OUR LIBRARIES OR CYF CENTERS I THINK YOU KNOW ACROSS THE CITY IS IMPORTANT TO TO REALLY ADVOCATE FOR BUT LOOKING
FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE WORK LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT IMPORTANT MEETING IN SOUTH BOSTON AND AS AN AT LARGE COUNCILOR I WILL PROBABLY TRY TO ADVOCATE TO HAVE OTHERS ACROSS THE CITY IF NEEDED OR
SHARE THE INFORMATION WE GET FROM THAT. BUT I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE ALL WILLING TO BE THERE AND HELP US OUT IN THIS. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR MURPHY, COUNCILOR FLYNN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR. AND BEFORE I BEGIN, MR CHAIR, MAY I ASK COUNCILOR MURPHY ONE BRIEF QUESTION AND MY QUESTION WOULD BE COUNCILOR MURPHY WHEN
I DO HOLD THIS HEARING IN SOUTH BOSTON PROBABLY WILL HAVE IT AT THE SOUTH BOSTON LIBRARY. BUT I WANT TO ASK IF YOU COULD CO-CHAIR THAT MEETING WITH ME.
WE CAN WORK ON A SCHEDULE BUT I JUST WANT TO ASK IF YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO CO-CHAIR WITH ME. ABSOLUTELY. I'D BE HONORED. THANK AND THANK YOU. COUNCILOR MURPHY, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE
FORWARD. THANK YOU, MR CHAIR, FOR SPONSOR FOR HOLDING THIS MEETING FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AS WELL. MR CHAIR. AND I KNOW I KNOW YOU ARE ALSO
COMMITTED AS WELL TO SUPPORTING OUR VETERANS IN MILITARY FAMILIES IN SOUTH BOSTON BUT ALSO ACROSS THE CITY AS WELL. SO I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU, MR CHAIR, AND I WANT TO SAY
THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM THAT'S ALSO HERE. WE HAVE SOME WORK TO DO. LET'S CONTINUE WORKING TOGETHER. THANK YOU. AWESOME. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR FLYNN, I WANT TO
THANK BOTH COUNCILOR MURPHY AND FLYNN FOR SPONSORING THIS HEARING. I REALLY WANT TO THANK OUR AMAZING PANELISTS FOR JUST I LEARN A LOT TODAY AND JUST SEE THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE COLLABORATING AND WORKING
TOGETHER TO GET THIS DONE AS YOU KNOW, MAKES ME FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE. SO AGAIN THANK TO THE LEAD SPONSORS I WANT TO THANK BOTH
MARY RYAN AND KEVIN CONAWAY FOR FOR THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY AND THE WORK WILL CONTINUE. SO THIS HEARING ON DOCKET
NUMBER 0265 IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU