On Jan. 6, Marty Walsh was sworn in as the mayor of Boston and Josh Zakim as the District 8 city councilor. On Jan. 15, Kenneth Fong was named captain of the Boston Police Department Area A-1. On Feb. 1, the Beacon Hill Civic Association held its annual Winter Gala entitled ‘There’s No Place...
Ring Out The Old….
The New Year always provides us with a time of reflection, both upon the year that has passed and upon the one to come. The opening lines of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem, Ring Out, Wild Bells, sums up what we all feel at this time of year: Ring out, wild bells, to the wild...
Letter to the Editor
Goodwill among men and women of Beacon Hill Dear Citizens of and Visitors to Beacon Hill, This letter is addressed to the honest and kind person who found my wallet somewhere on Beacon Hill last Thursday evening. I had no idea where I had left it, despite my retracing my steps… my father’s tried...
BHCA Supports Rehab of Spaulding Hospital
The Beacon Hill Civic Association (BHCA) board of directors wrote a letter to the city Wednesday in support of Massachusetts General Hospital’s plan to convert the former Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital into administrative offices, but expressed concern with MGH’s seemingly incremental approach to expansion of its Boston campus. According to an amendment to its...
Children’s Books About Careers
When our children were young, they asked what their father, a lawyer, did at work. I told them, “He gives advice to people.” But that was hardly an adequate explanation. They eventually learned what lawyers do through family discussions, visits to his office, and their expanding notions of the world as they grew older....
BHCA Traffic and Parking Recommends Unique Parking Plan
With several stipulations, the Beacon Hill Civic Association (BHCA) Traffic and Parking Committee voted last Tuesday to recommend to its board of directors a unique parking change proposed in conjunction with the residential redevelopment of the former Beacon Press/Unitarian Church offices. Daniel René Capital Partners, a Greater Boston real-estate investment, development and property-management company,...
Charles St. Holiday Stroll on Thursday
The Beacon Hill Business Association (BHBA) will hold its annual “Holiday Stroll” on Thursday, Dec. 11, from 6 to 9 p.m. At this time, participating neighborhood businesses will help rein in the holiday, and the event features the Apollo Club Singers, a brass ensemble, two horse-drawn carriages and Victorian carolers. Also, the neighborhood tree-lighting...
Thank You To All The Volunteers
Walking along the streets on Beacon Hill, on Monday morning, the lampposts are all decorated with garlands and bows. Every year this happens but not without effort. This effort is the work of countless local volunteers who climb ladders and carry the garlands up and down the streets of our neighborhood. For some residents,...
Letter to the Editor
Advent is upon us Dear Editor: As consumerism reaches the manic pitch of Black Friday and post-Thanksgiving sales, Christendom marks the beginning of Advent—a time designated for slowing down and preparing ourselves internally. I asked staff at King’s Chapel about their own experiences in Advent and about some of the clashes between liturgical teachings...
Don’t do Stupid Stuff
Hillary Clinton distanced herself from President Obama’s cautionary guide to international relations. But I thought his motto was good advice for most matters. Not that I’ve always avoided doing stupid stuff, and you can probably think of a few times you’ve not followed that advice either. When individuals do stupid stuff, it’s usually a...
DCR Announces Plans for Spray Deck on Esplanade
The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) announced plans to build a spray deck on the Charles River Esplanade and sought public input on the project at a meeting at the Shriners Hospital for Children Auditorium on Thursday. Design team members said the new structure would replace the exiting wading pool located in the...
Zoning Changes Approved
The city’s Zoning Commission voted on Wednesday to approve a zoning amendment intended to limit the number of professional offices on Charles Street and the south side of Cambridge Street at the ground- and basement-levels. The amendment, sponsored by City Councilor Josh Zakim, designates professional offices, including banks and real-estate brokers, in those locations...
21st Amendment Launches its Winter Cocktail Series
To commemorate the 81st anniversary of the ratification of the 21st Amendment, which mandated a nationwide prohibition on alcohol, the popular Beacon Hill tavern of the same name launches a 12-week cocktail series on Dec. 5. “We began as a speakeasy tavern during the Prohibition era and wanted to tap into history,” Darius...
Boston Common Tree Lighting Scheduled for this Thursday
An updated talent lineup for Boston’s 73rd Annual Official Tree Lighting has been announced. Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Honourable Stephen McNeil, Premier of Nova Scotia will host the festive event on Boston Common on Thursday, December 4, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The celebration is hosted by the Boston Parks and...
BHCA Zoning & Licensing will meet on December 3rd
On Wednesday, December 3rd, the Beacon Hill Civic Association’s Zoning & Licensing Committee will hold a meeting to continue the discussion of the proposed parking at 39-41 Mount Vernon and revised plans for the rear of 58 Beacon. Additionally, there will be a discussion of a business moving into space at 125 Charles Street. ...
Volunteers Needed to Decorate Beacon Hill
Nothing signals the beginning of the holiday season more than the annual Holiday Decorating Days sponsored by the Beacon Hill Civic Association. It is a way to enjoy friends and neighbors while hanging 2,680 yards of laurel garlands and 2,400 red bows on Beacon Hill’s 1,100 gas lamps. Every year it takes hundreds of...
Still Time to Enter Home Holiday Contest Here
The Holiday Season on Beacon Hill is special. So many neighbors decorate their door, steps and window boxes. “Beautify Beacon Hill” is your chance to recognize those who are dressing the neighborhood to celebrate the holidays. The Beacon Hill Civic Association, the Beacon Hill Garden Club and The Beacon Hill Times are hosting the...
Downtown View Interesting Passageways are Returning
In 2010 in this column, I urged developers to create permeability at the ground level of big buildings. I especially wanted them to replicate the historic little lanes of downtown Boston—Spring Lane, Pi Alley, Winthrop Lane—or to create Boston versions of the Burlington or Prince’s Arcade in London and Paris’s passage couverts. These covered...
Garlands and Green at Hampshire House
Nearly 200 guests were on hand Wednesday when “Garlands and Green: A Holiday Gathering” returned to Hampshire House. Thomas A. Kershaw, owner of the Hampshire House Corporation, sponsors the annual party for the Beacon Hill Civic Association, which helps the organization defray about one-half of the $12,000 needed to adorn 1,100 lamp-posts in the...
Suffolk University Law Receives $1.1M Grant
A new $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will allow Suffolk University Law School to expand its fight against housing discrimination, in part through the creation of new online courses. The additional grant funding for Suffolk Law’s Housing Discrimination Testing Program will bring total HUD support for the...
TEA Receives Award
On Tuesday, Nov.18, The Esplanade Association was honored with the Helmsman Award at Community Boating Inc.’s annual “Raise the Sails Gala.” Community Boating Inc. presented the award to the Esplanade Association in recognition of their commitment to the good stewardship of Boston’s Charles River Esplanade and their support of “Sailing for All.” The Esplanade...
Marinovich Named as Director
The Esplanade Association, the non-profit friends’ group that helps to support the landmark Charles River Esplanade park, has named Tani Marinovich to be its new Executive Director. Tani has formally been with the Association for over three years as the Director of Development, and has been serving as the organization’s Interim Executive Director since...
Full Print Edition
