I chose the background for this website because it reminded me of what Wood Island Park must have been like.  I've only seen pictures but the stories I've been told allow me to conjure up images of what life must have been like in "the Good Ol' Days".

 

I'm raising my family here and over the years I've witnessed the unfulfilled promise of East Boston.  About 10 years ago I brought a friend and co-worker who was looking to buy a house, on a tour of East Boston.  As we drove through neighborhood after neighborhood, I recognized the look on his face, "Are you serious?"  I kept mentioning that, sure the area was a little run down but "don't worry big changes are coming."  That friend must have seen something that I didn't see because he ended up buying a house in Charlestown.

 

Well big changes have come and people have asked me why I still live here.  I tell them, that I have moved out to the country (Winthrop).  But the truth is my family and I do everything in East Boston: Church, School (EBCCS), tee-ball, softball and if we ever agree to let our daughters sign up for Pop Warner cheerleading, they'll be wearing "EB Saints", I'm sorry they're the Jets now aren't they?  I was telling someone the other day at Piers Park that we'd love to move back to East Boston with a view of downtown and the opportunity to send my girls to Latin School.

 

Two summers ago, I was on a harbor cruise for a work function.  The executive vice president was pointing out his condo in the Charlestown Navy Yard.  I overheard the conversation and couldn't help but interject, "Isn't it funny", I asked, "you spent all that money to have a view of East Boston" as I waved over to the rotting piers.  I continued as we turned the corner off the shore of Border St., "But my father's house", pointing to the top of Meridian St., "has a beautiful view of the downtown Boston skyline."  There was only nervous laughter from the rest of the group.

 

The point is this is my home town and I don't want to be one of those people you meet who say, "I used to live in East Boston.  Things aren't the way they used to be. I remember we used to go to Wood Island Park..."

 

I want to be one of those people who say, "Yeah, I moved back to East Boston.  Remember that time they tried to build a casino at Suffolk Downs..."

 

John Ribeiro

(with apologies to Jimmy Morse)