Dear Neighbors,

It cannot get much worse than this. When a cherished neighbor, a friend to so many and a wonderful person who devoted her life not only to her own family but also to the health and well being of the general public by the life career she chose is attacked and killed in her own home, it changes everything. Yes, we all like the idea that in South Boston, if we want to, we can probably choose not to even lock our doors because we feel so comfortable living among long time friends. But what happened to Barbie Coyne absolutely must shake us loose from this false sense of security. For the benefit of all, it's time to take on a defensive posture to make sure nothing like this ever happens in South Boston again. On this, ALL OF US must work together. The word now must go out to all would be home invaders that this neighborhood is ready for them and to break into/invade a home in this community could and probably will be hazardous to THEIR health and safety. Harsh? Well, this is what times like this call for. Are we to sit back passively and wait for our homes to be next? Not a good idea, not a smart course of action.

The police: These are good people who take their jobs seriously. And though they are dedicated public servants and protectors of the public's safety, they will be the first to admit, they cannot be every where every minute. There is a saying: "when you need a cop in seconds, they are only minutes away." It's true, it's a fact of life so we must be prepared to protect our homes and families in a crisis until the police do arrive. And by ALL means, if anyone has any information that will help police catch who committed this vicious act, please, come forward. They must be caught.

As one of your neighbors who enjoys living in South Boston with all the wonderful things it has to offer, I would never attempt to try to tell you what you should do. What I will do is update you on what myself and some other locals will be doing to make sure we provide as much safety for ourselves and families as possible in our own homes.

Security: If your door locks and windows are weak and unreliable and dated, replace them with newer, stronger locks. Alarm systems are always a good idea, some of the inexpensive ones are very effective. If you are an animal lover, nothing deters a burglar more than the sound of a large dog. Talk with your neighbors and try to work out a mutual plan to watch each others homes and back yards and exchange cell phone numbers with each other so you can make contact at the first sign of anything or ANY ONE suspicious. Do not be afraid to call 911 at the first sign of unusual activity in your area. You wont be bothering the cops - they want you to call.

And finally, what to do if, after you have taken all the above precautions and more but you find yourselves faced with a dangerous intruder in your home anyway. What I'm about to say will get me some criticism in certain quarters I'm sure - so what. Better safe than sorry. My opinion is this: Having a method of defending yourselves in your home is critical. Whether it be one of your children's baseball bats or hockey sticks strategically located in the home for quick and easy access or if you choose to, excercise your Second Amendment right and purchase a gun (always kept out of reach of children of course) or even Mace or Pepper Spray, these things are what some neighbors are doing now or at least giving some very serious thought. Again, we cannot allow another tragedy like this to happen in South Boston. It may be common in other places. Some communities long ago lost the ability to keep their streets safe. But not here. We as a neighborhood have never given it to predators. From now on, let the word go out to the animals who consider peaceful people their prey: Not in South Boston - Never Again!!

Thank You,

John Ciccone

Coaches Applications for the 2012 - 2013 season are now available. Click on "Forms" above and download it. Fill it out and return it to:

John Picariello

C/O SBYH

764 East Fifth Street

South Boston Ma, 02127

All applicants must fill out a Cori form as well. This can also be found under "Forms"

All Coaches MUST be certified and have the correct Age Specific Modules completed in order to be considered for any team.

Deadline is April 1, 2012