WECA set to meet May 8 at Amy Lowell Apartments
The West End Civic Association (WECA) will meet on Thursday, May 8, at 6 p.m. in the Community Room of the Amy Lowell Apartments, 65 Martha Road.
At this time, a member of the MBTA Community Engagement Team will discuss how her team supports and collaborates with neighborhood associations, keeping the community informed about MBTA projects and also gathering feedback about how MBTA services are impacting the residents.
Also at the meeting, a second guest will present an overview of Project Oscar, the city’s program to reduce waste by collecting residential food scraps for composting, and she will discuss options to locate a collection bin in the West End.
All West End residents are welcome. Bring your voice to West End concerns. Masks are encouraged.
Nichols House Museum welcomes back author Frances McNamara
The Nichols House Museum, located at 55 Mount Vernon St., again welcomes author Frances McNamara who will discuss her latest novel, ‘Nutshell Murder Mystery, Joy Street Jail Murder in a Nutshell,’ on Thursday, May 8, at 6 p.m.
Set on Beacon Hill in 1920, this mystery follows sleuth Frances Glessner Lee (the real-life mother of forensic science) and her colleagues as they encounter settlement house workers, city police, and members of the neighborhood’s Jewish community– and features a cameo by the Nichols House’s own Margaret (Nichols) Shurcliff.
Christen Hazel of The Vilna Shul, who will share history of the Vilna Shul and the North Slope’s Jewish community, will also join the conversation.
Also, beginning in May, the Nichols House will be open Wednesday through Sundays for museum tours.
Visit nicholshousemuseum.org for more information.
Neighborhood Coffee Hour set to return May 15
Mayor Michelle Wu will join the Office of Neighborhood Services and the Boston Parks and Recreation Department for the return of her annual Neighborhood Coffee Hours, including an event for the Beacon Hill and Back Bay communities on Thursday, May 15, from 10- 11 a.m. on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall (near the Arlington Street entrance).
The Mayor Neighborhood Coffee Hours, presented in partnership with Dunkin’ and Star Market, offers Boston residents the opportunity to speak directly with Mayor Wu and staff from city departments about city services and resident concerns. Leadership and staff from the Community Engagement Cabinet will attend each Coffee Hour, and attendees will have the opportunity to meet their neighborhood liaisons, who will deliver remarks focused on city improvements in each neighborhood.
In the event of rain, the Mayor’s Neighborhood Coffee Hour for the Beacon Hill and Back Bay communities will take place on Thursday, May 15, from 10- 11 a.m. in the Central Branch of the Boston Public Library, located at 700 Boylston St.
Visit boston.gov/coffee-hours for more information and a complete schedule of Mayor’s Neighborhood Coffee Hours.
Women’s Lunch Place to hold gala at Mandarin Oriental
Women Lunch Place’s annual fundraiser and networking luncheon, ‘eat LUNCH give,’ will take place on Friday, May 16, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Oriental Ballroom at the Mandarin Oriental hotel.
This special luncheon will include a delicious meal, an exciting raffle, and the opportunity to hear about the great work and mission of WLP from some of Boston’s brightest leaders.
Visit womenslunchplace.org/elg to view tickets and sponsorship information.
Upcoming programming at the Athenaeum
The Boston Athenaeum, located at 10½ Beacon St., will offer ‘The Editor’ – an Author Talk with Sarak Franklin – on Monday, May 12, at 6 p.m.
At this time, best-selling writer Franklin will join Boston-based writer Jessica Carbone, for a discussion on Franklin’s newest biography, ‘The Editor,’ about legendary editor Judith Jones, the woman behind some of the most important authors of the 20th century—including Julia Child, Anne Frank, Edna Lewis, John Updike, and Sylvia Plath. The book outlines the decades of Judith Jones’ work, starting with her career-defining publishing of ‘Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl,’ through her role at the forefront of the cookbook revolution.
Tickets are free for members and their guests, and $20 each for visitors. Visit https://events.bostonathenaeum.org/en-US/4W52KhR7/sara-franklin-the-editor-5a2KUm4ORuP/overview to register for and for more information on this event.
The Athenaeum will offer ‘Pressing Matters: The Impact of Print Across the Atlantic,’ featuring UMass Boston students, on Wednesday, May 14, at 5:30 p.m.
Admission is free. Visit https://events.bostonathenaeum.org/en-US/4W52KhR7/pressing-matters-the-impact-of-print-across-the-atlantic-5a2KUm4zjM5/overview to register for and for more information on this event.
The Athenaeum will also sponsor a music offering – ‘Redefining Home,’ with Rasa String Quartet and Brian Shankar Adler, on Thursday, May 15, at 7 p.m.
Spanning from evocative Indian ragas and mysterious Argentine tangos to spirited Celtic fiddle tunes, this concert will culminate in the world premiere of a new work for string quartet and percussion by Brian Shankar Adler, inspired by this unique collaboration.
Tickets for members and their guests are $20. Visitor tickets are $35 and include first-floor admission. Visit https://events.bostonathenaeum.org/en-US/4W52KhR7/rasa-string-quartet-and-brian-shankar-adler-redefining-home-5a2KUm4pJMT/overview to register for and for more information on this event.
Free lessons in American Mahjong at St. Joseph Catholic Church
The Volunteer Instructors for the American MahJong Community are offering free lessons for new and experienced players.
The group meets on Wednesdays from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., on the first and third Wednesdays of each month in the Community Room at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 68 William Cardinal O’Connell Way.
To sign up or for more information, email Audrey Tedeman ([email protected]), or Julia Forbes ([email protected] or Sandy Connor ([email protected]).