Several Beacon Hillers had a rude awakening last weekend when loud noises emanated from the Charles Street/MGH MBTA station, shaking several residents from a sound sleep. But an MBTA spokesman assured them that they’ll get advance warning before it happens again.

Judy Avery, a West Cedar Street resident, said the commotion startled her. “It was so loud that I had to hold my ears because of the screeching,” Avery said. “My neighbor said he couldn’t find a good enough pair of earmuffs.”

Avery and several of her neighbors called the MBTA to find out where the loud noise was coming from. She eventually reached the office of John Lewis, who is in charge of system-wide track maintenance. His office said the screeching was a result of debris that had fallen on the tracks. They assured her the noise would stop Sunday and promised to send a special clean-up crew. Despite these assurances, the noise continued for several more days.

“I don’t know if there is a plan to fix it,” Avery said. “This could go on until I’m in my grave.”

The noise was an expected consequence of construction at the site according to Lydia Rivera at the MBTA public affairs office Last weekend was one of several planned diversions, wherein trains are diverted away from the station, and buses
are used to transport commuters. These diversions allow the contractor to complete work on the Charles/MGH station.

“The community is aware of these diversions, but it does cause some noise,” Rivera said. “In our next diversion we will see if we can minimize the noise pollution.”

While she is not aware of the exact nature of the noise, Rivera said some clatter probably came from a large crane the contractor is using to move equipment. Rivera said the station has quieted down and will work with the contractor to keep it that way. She said her office will use notices and emails to alert the neighborhood the next time a diversion is planned.

Tonight is the night when the debate about whether the former headquarters of the Metropolitan District Commission at 20 Somerset Street should be designated a Boston landmark is scheduled to come to an end.

The Boston Landmarks Commission will discuss and vote on the designation of the building that Suffolk wants to demolish and replace with a 31-story dormitory and student union at 5:45 p.m. in Room 900 at Boston City Hall. The public will not be allowed to speak.

At a public hearing held by the commission two weeks ago, however, the public had a lot to say. About fifty Beacon Hill residents, Suffolk University representatives and government officials lined up to argue their case for or against the designation. The public hearing was prompted by the commission’s recent staff study report that recommended the eastern and northern façades be landmarked.

Most of those arguing for the affirmative were Beacon Hillers who want the building designated a Boston landmark, which would give the commission the last word on proposed changes to its exterior. Landmark opponents, from Suffolk or state government, think the building is not worth saving or is too expensive to do so: Let the university tear it down and move forward with its plans for the new dorm, they say.

According to state legislation, the commission can designate a property a landmark if it has historic, social, cultural, architectural or aesthetic significance to the city or state. Most agreed that its historic value lies in its relation to the Metropolitan District Commission, a pioneering regional agency that was the first in the nation to implement regional management of shared resources and served as a national and international model for regional planning.

“I think this building is significant to Boston’s history,” said Chestnut Street resident Mark Kiefer, speaking on behalf of the Beacon Hill Civic Association which supports the landmarking. “We benefit directly from their accomplishments.”

“It is the work of the MDC—the parks and reservoirs—that should be immortalized, not the building,” said David Perrini, commissioner of Capital Assets and Management. If Suffolk does not develop the building, which its spokesmen say is not affordable, DCAM would have to maintain a vacant and deteriorated building.

Less significance is being given to the architectural design of the building. The staff report suggests the building is architecturally significant because it is the sole survivor of the 1960s urban renewal project that resulted in the construction of the McCormack and Saltonstall state office buildings. The churches, schools, residences and later public institutions surrounding it have long since been obliterated.

“We lament the urban renewal that destroyed others,” said Kiefer. “This building will give future generations a reminder of what [the neighborhood] looked like before urban renewal destroyed the others,” he said.

Architect Martha McNamara of Pinckney Street said the design was significant because it is a good example of a public agency building built during the depression by a prominent architectural firm.

Speaking in opposition, Andrea Gilmore of Building Conservation Associates, who prepared a report for Suffolk, described the building as merely “utilitarian, well-designed with appropriate materials to blend in with its neighbors, but unlike other major civic buildings, it is recognized only as an office building which lacks murals or other decorations that associate it with the MDC.”

CAPTION: Hill House/North End Athletic Association baseball team qualified for the quarter finals held last Saturday in the Mayor’s Cup tournament. Team members are (front row, from left to right) Pearse Martin of South Boston, Nick Iudiciani of Saugus, Matt Garrity of the North End and Jack Ditomassi of Beacon Hill. (Middle row from left to right) are Max Runci of Charlestown, Aaron Wong of Quincy, Ben Knopf of the South End, Jake French of Beacon Hill, Jackson McDermott of Charlestown, Charlie Schwartz of the Back Bay, Michael Rauseo of Beacon Hill and Matt Perkins of Charlestown. (Back Row) Coaches Ralph Indisano and Tom Paladino, both from Beacon Hill.
PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy photo




It was marathon baseball at this year's City of Boston Mayor's Cup Tournament for the Hill House/North End Athletic Association Mayor’s Cup baseball team, made up of nine and ten year olds and coached by Beacon Hillers Ralph Indisano and Tom Paladino.

Powered in Saturday's first game by a fierce hitting attack, the local team rolled past Mission Hill 21-4. Red Sox Nick Iudiciani had five hits and seven RBIs, and Tiger Ben Knopf and White Sox Michael Rauseo each scored four runs.

In Saturday's second game, HH/NEAA fell 9-6 to Cedar Hill, but not without terrific outfield defensive plays by Cubs Charlie Schwartz and White Sox Aaron Wong to prevent big innings, and fine pitching by White Sox Michael Raueso and Tiger Ben Knopf.

In Sunday's first game, the team was edged out by Savin Hill in a 8-7 nail-biter. The team rallied behind Marlin Matt Perkins who struck out seven batters in five innings, with big hits by White Sox Aaron Wong and Mets Jackson McDermott, but fell just one run short with the bases loaded in the last inning. White Sox Jake French, at shortstop, made the play of the weekend: a spectacular catch, pivot and throw from behind second base for the out to prevent a rally.

But HH/NEAA showed great fortitude and character to win the fourth game of the weekend, beating Hyde Park 14-4. Met pitcher Jackson McDermott allowed only two earned runs in three innings of work, and Cubs pitcher Jack Ditomassi threw two scoreless innings, backed by five innings of stellar defensive work behind the plate by Giants Pearse Martin. The team got a big two RBI hit from Tiger Max Runci and, later in the game, two loud hits by Marlins Ross Garrity.

Overall HH/NEAA earned a hard-fought split of two doubleheaders under a relentlessly hot sun at Joe Moakley Field in South Boston. The ball team moved on to the quarterfinals last Saturday. Seeded number six, they were scheduled to play South Boston.

CREDIT: Suzanne Besser

CAPTION: Boston’s tiny tots who came to the Boston Common’s Frog Pond to cool off during the sweltering heat late Tuesday afternoon went home disappointed—and still hot. It seems one mom failed to follow the “must wear swim diaper” rule and her baby pooped in the pool, forcing the Boston Parks and Recreation Department to shut down, drain out and clean the wading pool, all at quite an expense, according to the department’s spokesman Mary Hines. Because the water is chemically treated by the department, it is usually not drained out during the swimming season.

Broken

A friend remembers a time in his life when he was in despair. His washing machine stopped running. The shower began to leak. A cabinet door hinge wasn’t working right. He needed a new briefcase and a new car. To top it all off, he had to go to Mass Eye and Ear to have an infected gland removed.

These things weren’t tragedies. And with attention, things got fixed. A repair man came for the washing machine. A plumber repaired the leak and the plumber’s friend fixed the plaster that had been damaged. His wife fiddled with the cabinet door, and it worked. Then she traded in their old car for a new one. He came through the operation all right. Finally, he got a new briefcase.

Right now Bostonians feel like our friend felt before he attended to his problems. We’re in despair.

It’s not only the Big Dig ceiling tragedy, although that would be enough in itself to put us over the edge. The city has understandably halted street repairs and construction so traffic will be backed up as little as possible. That leaves construction vehicles, jersey barriers and orange cones littering half a dozen major thoroughfares.

It’s not all traffic related. Violent crime is up. We can’t persuade any qualified person to come to Boston and lead our public schools. About 30 percent of the trees planted so far on the new Greenway are dead. The air conditioners on the commuter trains and the new Silver Line buses didn’t work on some of the hottest days of the year. Speaking of the Silver Line, we are at an impasse caused partly, we suspect, by Orwellian T officials who insult the transit-riding public by calling a bus that is stuck in traffic like every other vehicle “rapid” transit.

We can’t muster the courage to pay for an underground Urban Ring that would connect jobs and transportation hubs and outlying communities to one another. We say no to wind farms, LNG facilities and nuclear energy, all the while insisting on heat and air conditioning, not to mention the electricity that runs our computers and recharges our cell phones. The shambles in which we are living right now isn’t helped by Boston’s perennial condition: dirty streets, a 40-year homeless problem that remains unsolved, and patronage-plagued agencies and departments where honesty, energy and efficiency are scorned.

This depressing picture isn’t helped by July’s heat and humidity and the prospect of a couple more years of “leadership” by the cadre of warlords who run our country.

So how do we get to the other side, where our problems are fixed and we are hopeful about the outcomes?

Like our friend, we attack them one by one. Also like our friend, we enlist some help from some effective people, if we can identify them. Our friend didn’t need leaders, but we do.

We need leadership that is not intent on finding scapegoats or targeting people. Good leadership needs to have a long-term vision that shows us where we are going and gives all the citizenry a sense of what we are working toward. It also needs to have the capacity for short-term nuts-and-bolts problem solving.

We haven’t had such leadership for more than a decade at the state’s executive level, although in the beginning we had high hopes for this administration. Over that time span, we’ve also had a vacuum in several city departments. We urge Mayor Menino to be swift about filling the police commissioner’s job and the public works department chief’s tenure. Joe Casazza is still there, even though he has resigned, because there is no replacement yet. We urge Governor Romney to stop seizing this tragedy as a way to bolster his chances for national office and actually create a vision that all of us can get behind to make life better in our city and our state. Only that kind of leadership will fix all that is broken.

FOR SALE
CONDO FOR SALE
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HEALTH
IF YOU USED THE PAINKILLER DRUG BEXTRA between March 2002 and February 2005 AND SUFFERED A SKIN REACTION, HEART ATTACK OR STROKE, you may be entitled to compensation. Call Attorney Charles Johnson 1800-535-5727.
TRADE
CRAFTSMAN SEEKING PRE-OWNED MERCEDES. An S430 or E series in exchange for a new kitchen, new bathroom or other household renovations. Call Lou at 617-605-1726.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
BOSTON MONEY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. Needs adults willing to offer 2-4 hours per month to assist local elders who have difficulty managing day-to-day finances. For more information, call Deborah at 617-522-6700 or email dgrose@ethocare.org.
CAREER COLLABORATIVE. Practice interviewers needed Fridays 9 a.m.-12 noon to run practice interview sessions for low income people seeking permanent jobs. Individuals with extensive interviewing experience please call 617-424-6202 or email Valerie@careercollaborative.org.
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS. The Arlington Boys and Girls Club is coordinating a campaign to support local programs. They are asking people with unwanted cars to donate them for auction with the proceeds going to local clubs. Call 1-800-246-0493.
MADD. Are you or is someone you know the victim of a drunk driving accident? We offer many free services including court-accompaniment, referrals for counseling and literature to help. Call 1-800-633-MADD.
HORIZONS FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN. Volunteers needed to play with children living in homeless shelters in your neighborhood and in Greater Boston. A two-hour weekly commitment for 6 months is required. Call 617-287-1900 ext 314 or visit www.horizonsforhomelesschilden.org.
BECOME A BIG BROTHER OR BIG SISTER. Being a “Big” means simply sharing a little time with one great kid just like someone once did for you. Become a “Big” today. Call 800-412-BIGS or log on to www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org.
PARENTS HELPING PARENTS. Needs volunteers with good interpersonal skills and a commitment to strengthening families to facilitate support groups aimed at assisting individuals who are anxious, overwhelmed, frustrated or feeling isolated in their role as a parent or guardian. A commitment of several hours a week for one year is required. Call 1-800-882-1250 or e-mail www.parentshelpingparents.org.
COMMUNITY SERVINGS. Volunteers needed one Saturday per month to deliver meals to homebound individuals with life threatening illnesses. Shifts are from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Call Jennifer at 617-445-7777 or e-mail JPOCKOSKI@servings.org.
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY. Seeks literacy volunteers to tutor adults with limited English writing and reading skills. Two hours a week, compatible with your schedule. One-year commitment required, must be 21 years old with a minimum of a GED or high school diploma. Contact Nora 617-859-2446 or VolunteerBPL@yahoo.com.
BOSTON MINSTREL COMPANY. Needs singers, musicians, and song leaders to facilitate sing-along songfests at Boston-Cambridge homeless shelters. Amateurs welcome. Call 617-787-2122 or e-mail Bostonminstrel@aol.com.
MATCH-UP. Interfaith Volunteers needs people to commit to making a weekly visit to an elder in need of companionship. Call 617-482-1510 or visit www.matchelder.org.
THE GREATER BOSTON FOOD BANK. Needs volunteers to inspect and sort donated food at the Food Bank's headquarters at 99 Atkinson Street in Boston. Call 617-427-5200, ext. 5030 or visit www.gbfb.org.
AFC MENTORING. Needs volunteers over 18 experienced with adoption/foster care to mentor adopted children. One-year commitment desired. Karlee, 617-695-2441 or karlee@afcmentoring.org.
BLIND AND DYSLEXIC in East Cambridge. Needs volunteers with liberal arts, scientific and/or technical backgrounds to record textbooks. Call Peggy at 617-577-1111, ext 17 for more info. www.rfbd.org/bostonhome.htm.
GENERATIONS INCORPORATED. Needs older adults to volunteer as reading coaches and mentors to children in Dorchester, S. Boston and Roxbury. Training provided. Call 617-423-0408 or see www.generationsinc.org.
WGBH. Needs volunteers to assist with computer projects and office support during weekday business hours, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Call Liz Hagyard at 617-300-5715.
LITERACY VOLUNTEERS OF MASSACHUSETTS. Help an adult learn English. Call 617-367-1313 for information.
VOLUNTEER COORDINATORS. The American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery program. Work from home or in our Weston office. For further information call 1800-ACS-2345.
SPAULDING REHABILITATION HOSPITAL. Boston. Opportunities for volunteers. We match volunteers' skills and talents with the needs of the hospital's patients and staff. Training provided. For more information contact volunteer services at 617-573-2740 or jburke11@partners.org.
BOSTON PARTNERS IN EDUCATION. Volunteers needed to tutor 4th grade students in math. Training and placement will be provided. Join this proven program and be a vital part of a student’s success story. Contact Barbara Harris at 617-451-6145 x 620, or apply online at www.bostonpartners.org.
WALKBOSTON. Volunteers needed for walks, legislation and newsletter/e-news committees. Also occasional office work including membership mailings. Call 617-367-9255, www.walkboston.org.
MASS SUBSTANCE ABUSE HELPLINE. Volunteers needed for phone service to help people affected by alcoholism and substance abuse. Must have computer experience. Call 617-536-0501 ext. 201 or see www.helpline-online.com.
BEACON HOSPICE. Volunteers needed to provide support and companionship to patients and their families. Call Laraine Kohler at 617-242-4872.
COMPUTER TUTORS. Volunteers needed for coaching senior and disabled citizens at the Blackstone Apartments. Daytime and evening hours needed. Call Al at 617-557-9121 or email xAlbert3259@aol.com.
BEACON HOUSE. Housing for elderly needs volunteers for front reception desk, a few flexible hours per week. Training provided. Please apply in person at 19 Myrtle St. to fill out an application.
ANIMAL SHELTER. Donations needed: dog and cat toys and treats, blankets and towels for the cages, paper towels, clay cat litter, postage stamps, animal nail clippers, dog and cat collars and leashes. 617-522-5055.
DR. SOLOMON CARTER FULLER. Mental Health Center in the South End needs volunteers for several committees. Call C. Curtiss Carter at 617-626-8726.
MAB COMMUNITY SERVICES. Volunteers needed to read or shop with a blind neighbor. 2-3 hours per week, flexible hours. Training provided. Call Donna Bailey 800-852-3029 or see www.mabcommunity.org.
SAMARITANS OF BOSTON. Volunteers needed to provide telephone counseling on our 24-hour listening line. Help prevent suicide and alleviate the pain of isolation. Training provided. 617-536-2460.
ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION. Cambridge chapter needs volunteers for its telephone Helpline service to answer caregiver calls. Training provided. Call 617-868-6718.
ADBAR ETHIOPIAN WOMEN'S ALLIANCE. Volunteers needed to help with its newsletter, website, grant writing, special events and fund raising. Near Harvard Square. 617-234-8981.
THE BOSTON HOME. Dorchester seeks volunteers of all kinds in this long-term care facility for adults with physical disabilities. Pet visits welcome. Call Sally Gorman 617-825-3905 ext. 299 or gormansally@aol.com.