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CITY HALL
A law for the birds
BY LYNN DOAN

Alfred Hitchcock, step aside. City Councilor Paul Scapicchio claims to be dealing with his own version of The Birds right here in Boston. Last week, the North End councilor complained that birds — pigeons, to be precise — are taking over the Paul Revere Mall, or " the Prado. " Last week, Scapicchio proposed an ordinance punishing anyone caught feeding pigeons in the city of Boston.

All persons responsible for " food that is deliberately discarded and that would in any likelihood be consumed by pigeons " will be subject to a fine, according to Scapicchio’s spokesman, Joe Arango. The fines would start at $50 for first-time offenders and increase to $100 for repeat offenders. " He’s doing it because pigeons now occupy parks and push people out of them, and you can’t sit on a park bench because of all the pigeon poop. "

Indeed, Scapicchio estimates that " roughly 500 pigeons or more feed at the Prado and go to the bathroom on the church next door, " meaning Saint Stephen’s Church. " There’s a cute little restaurant at the corner, Maurizio’s, that used to be green on the outside, and now it’s green and white because of the droppings, " he said.

A Saint Stephen’s employee, who has worked near the Prado for three years, said the pigeons make a mess in the church’s alleyway, bell tower, and rooftop. Worse yet, " all of the birds flock to one area because it’s one particular person who keeps feeding them, " she said. Scapicchio notes that he’s considering carving out a designated feeding area for the 80-year-old North End resident who dumps out bags of bread and rice for his winged friends at exactly 11 a.m. every morning.

The Committee on Government Operations has yet to schedule a public hearing on the proposal. Until then, it’s still safe to make like Mary Poppins and " feed the birds. "

Issue Date: April 17 - 24, 2003
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