Eastie Watch

by John Lynds

Cafe Italia

There are rumors abound that Cafe Italia, the popular Italian restaurant at 150 Meridian Street, is selling and will reopen as a Colombian Restaurant.
While these rumors have floated around for quite sometime, this time it seems more true than ever.
While Eastie needs another restaurant similar to dozens of other restaurants in the area like it needs a hole in the head, we must remain optimistic and see the plans before we pass judgment.
With that said, we must ask ourselves what we are doing as a community to attract new and exciting businesses to the neighborhood. Perhaps a freeze on restaurants, cafe, bars and grocerias should be put into effect so we can see what kinds of other businesses would like to do business in Eastie.
It just seems like every time a building is up for grabs, we want to put a restaurant or condos in it right away. Is that the only option for us?
I think right now we have enough Italian, Latino and Asian restaurants crowding our streets. I mean, how many places do we really need to eat in?
Unless it’s a new an exciting place like 303 Cafe (perhaps something along the lines as Eastie’s first ever microbrewery would be nice) I think Eastie has to start looking towards things like bookstores, better clothing shops, and other options, besides residential and restaurants.
It’s almost like we have an addiction to these two types of developments and can’t look past stuffing our faces and providing housing.
Now I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but I’m the biggest supporter of new business and love many of the Italian, Latino and Asian restaurants that line our streets - but enough is enough.
There will be some who argue that there is market for yet another Colombian Restaurant, and I say let’s help the ones we already have succeed. Take a walk up and down the streets and peer into some of the new restaurants that you may have never tried. A lot of them are empty. Why? Because there are two dozen others that are exactly the same, with similar menus.
This is not economic progress. It’s allowing business to fail by allowing direct competition over and over again.
I would be saying the same thing if Eastie were lined with dozens of Italian restaurants or Asian restaurants. There is such a thing as overkill, and I think we are experiencing it right now in Eastie.
I think it would serve the community better to have a few different restaurants of varying cuisines succeed rather than having several of the same restaurants that barely get by.

Thwarted armed robbery

On Sunday, March 9, 2008 officers from Area District 7 responded to a radio call for an armed robbery in progress on the corner of Princeton and Marion streets.
As they arrived on the scene, officers observed an individual holding what appeared to be a knife to the neck of another individual.
When the man with the knife saw police, he threw the knife and began to run. After a short foot pursuit and brief struggle, officers arrested Jose Ramiro, 50, of East Boston and charged him with armed robbery.
Officers spoke to the victim who told police that the suspect approached him, held the knife to his neck, and demanded money.

Is Massport becoming a ‘green’ neighbor?

Massport announced last week the installation of 20 building-integrated wind turbines at Logan. Massport has partnered with AeroVironment of Monrovia, Calif. and Groom Energy Solutions of Salem, Mass. to install the 6-foot wind turbines on the roof of the Logan Office Center. The demonstration project is expected to provide electrical output of approximately 100,000 kwh annually, or about 2 percent of the buildings monthly energy use.
With construction scheduled to begin this week, Massport expects the wind turbines to be functioning and generating renewable energy in the spring. If the demonstration project meets its goal of reducing building energy, Massport will consider expanding the turbine installations to other Massport facilities.
Along with wind turbines, Massport is evaluating other proven renewable energy technologies at its facilities including, solar power, geothermal technology, and fuel cell applications.
“We’re very excited to introduce clean energy generating technology at Boston Logan,” said Massport CEO Tom Kinton. “Massport is actively evaluating renewable energy options with the goal of meeting the governor’s ‘Lead by Example’ executive order that seeks procurement of 15 percent of all energy from renewable resources and setting aggressive greenhouse gas reduction goals.”
Massport is a national leader in embracing environmental initiatives. Massport developed the first LEED certified airport terminal in the world; the first ISO 14001 airport, container terminal and bridge in the US; and a number of innovative air quality emission reduction programs, including preferred hybrid and alternative fuel vehicle parking. Logan’s 32 shuttle buses logged their 11-millioneth clean air mile recently and currently, nearly 30 percent of all passenger and employee trips to Logan are in High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV), one of the highest HOV access mode shares among US airports.
“Renewable energy and energy conservation are among Governor Patrick’s highest priorities,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles. “I applaud Massport for the example it is setting today, installing wind turbines to help power the Logan Office Center, and pursuing renewable energy opportunities at its other facilities.”
The 1000-watt wind turbine system provides clean, reliable, non-polluting electric power. Each module fastens to the parapet of a building, weighs approximately 90 pounds and measures approximately 6 feet in height and 8 feet in width. This urban turbine is a unique design, intended to continue to produce electricity under turbulent wind conditions and in both low and high wind speed environments. 
Average monthly demand for electricity at the Logan Office Center is 407kw with an average monthly energy usage of 291,000 kwh. Massport expects that the wind turbines will provide an annual electrical output of approximately 100,000 kwh and save the Authority $13,000 annually in utility costs with additional energy savings to be pursued.