As I read that recent news story on a recent meeting of the West Roxbury Civic Improvement Association (WRCIA discusses car thefts, new E-5 Captain), I couldn't help but chuckle a bit about residents who park their cars facing the wrong direction. Why do people even do this? Why are so many neighbors so upset over this? Over here in East Boston, we have all sorts of issues we are dealing with. I wish that having cars parked facing the wrong direction would be the least of my concerns.

Over here we have parking issues where too many motorists are parking on our streets; and they are not East Boston residents. Those ‘East Boston Residents Only’ parking signs have so many loopholes. Why do commercial-plated vehicles get neighborhood parking stickers?

Just because the driver of these vehicles lives in the neighborhood doesn't mean the car is registered to that person. Commercial registration is normally registered to a business, corporation or company. These vehicles shouldn't be sporting parking stickers issued by the city. Parking over here in East Boston is hell. Remember over here we rarely see a driveway. Alright 'nuff said on this pet peeve of mine.

Moving on to more positive things. I wanted to congratulate the brand new police captain of E-5 Nicole McMullin. News of her new assignment was announced shortly after Sunday, March 8 which was International Women's Day. I was a member of the Boston Metro Area DMH police for 28 years and retired less than two weeks after the Boston Marathon bombing back on April 15, 2013.

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When I first joined the force, I believe that there were only two, maybe, three female officers in the whole department. By the time I retired, that number had grown but when it came to moving up the ranks, it still seems like a man's world. Things have been getting much better, slowly for sure, since I retired. I was also glad to see BPD Superintendent Nora Baston attended that meeting with the new E-5 captain. I've known Nora for almost 20 years. Met her the first time over at Fuller Mental Health Center in the South End when I was the sergeant on duty the day she came in for a meeting. Someday I suspect she might become a future police commissioner too.

Once again congrats to Captain Nicole McMullin. Folks from West Roxbury and Roslindale have a good leader at the helm. I think President Jimmy Carter must have had someone like McMullin on his mind when he designated March 2-8, 1980 as National Women's History Week.

Sal Giarratani East Boston