Neighborhood's `nonni' mourns one of her kids
By Michele McPhee
Friday, June 24, 2005 - Updated: 10:01 AM EST
In Charlestown's Bunker Hill projects, 78-year-old Phyllis Senna is so well-known nearly everyone calls her ``nonni,'' the Italian word for grandma.
``I know all the kids here, black, white, Spanish,'' Senna said.
Early yesterday morning, one of those kids, 16-year-old Kevin Walsh, a Charlestown High School football player, was stabbed to death outside his family's home at 33 Corey St.
``Kevin was a good kid,'' Senna said. ``This is going to get worse if we don't get some help. We need street workers, jobs for these kids. What's going on has nothing to do with racism. This has to do with hopelessness.''
Tyra Appleberg, 33, said she felt hopeless when she and her three children moved to the ``Bunker Hill bricks'' a year ago after escaping an abusive relationship. But then Senna stepped into her life.
``She told me, `Whenever you need a friend, I'm here,' '' Appleberg said. ``Ever since that day she has been my nonni.''
Senna moved into the development - the largest in the city - 50 years ago, and was quickly dubbed ``the blue-eyed guinea,'' she boasted yesterday.
During the past five decades she has picked up words in seven languages from her multicultural neighbors and hears ``Hey Nonni'' in Cape Verdean, Chinese, Indian and Dominican Republican accents. | | 
Phyllis Senna, right, cries on the sholder of Linda Guerro. (Staff Photo by Mike Adaskaveg) |
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