By Dan Murphy Area A-1 has seen a 3-percent drop in violent and property crimes this year from 2015. According to Boston Police, 1,278 Part One crimes were reported in the district, which includes Beacon Hill, Chinatown and downtown, between Jan. 1 and July 17, 2016, as opposed to 1,320 incidents during the same...
New Security Cameras Watch Over Monument in the Boston Common
By Beth Treffeisen Looming over the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the Boston Common, four new security cameras were installed recently providing safety and protection for those who visit. Sitting on top of existing light poles, the cameras are paid for and maintained by the Boston Police Department, who are also monitoring the activity...
Downtown View:Jaywalking is Safest
By Karen Cord Taylor Karen is on a break. We’ve not heard much about this bill since last winter. But jaywalking is still a Bostonian’s best bet. It gladdened my heart last week to read that state Senator Harriette Chandler, a Democrat from Worcester and the Senate Majority Leader, proposed raising the fine for...
Councilor Zakim Votes Not to Oppose Initiative to Raise Charter School Cap
By Beth Treffeisen The Boston City Council voted 11–2 to support the charter cap resolution filed by Councilors Tito Jackson and Matt O’Malley opposing the Question 2 ballot initiative to raise the charter cap in Massachusetts. By voting against it, the city council went on record to prevent the raise of the state’s charter...
Walsh’s Movie Nights Continue Through September 23 on Common
Mayor Martin J. Walsh’s Movie Nights, part of the Boston Parks and Recreation Department’s ParkARTS program, give residents and visitors the opportunity to enjoy popular films under the night skies in city parks in August and September. All shows begin at dusk (approximately 7:45 p.m.) and are sponsored by the Boston Parks and Recreation...
Boston Center of the Arts Welcomes New President and CEO
By Beth Treffeisen Bouncing from desk to desk as his new office gets some new carpeting, Gregory Ruffer, the new president and CEO of the Boston Center for the Arts (BCA), was at the end of his second week of work at his new job. “It’s just been two weeks that I’ve been here...
Lantern Tours Explore the Freedom Trail After Dark Starting on Sept 22
Discover the Freedom Trail in a new light – after dark – on the official Freedom Trail® Lantern Tours. Freedom Trail Foundation announces the return of the unique Freedom Trail® Lantern Tours, offering visitors and residents the opportunity to experience the dark history and mystery of the Freedom Trail by lantern-light! After a successful...
Police Briefs 08-23-2016
Beacon Hill Beat From Boston Police Area A-1 Larceny from Motor Vehicle 08/14/16 – A victim reported she parked her rented 2016 Nissan Sentra at Charles and Revere streets on Aug. 13 at around 10:30 p.m., but when she returned at about 9:11 a.m. the next day, the front passenger’s side window was smashed...
Drought Lowers Ground Water Table Causing Concern for Underground Wood Pilings
By Beth Treffeisen Holding up many of the buildings that are found in neighborhoods like the Back Bay and flat of Beacon Hill are underground wood pilings that provide the support needed to keep them from sinking into the marshlands that once surrounded Boston. But, with a drought in effect, the water table that...
National Parks in Boston Ready to Celebrate 100 Years
By Seth Daniel The National Park Service (NPS) is about to turn 100 years old this summer, and the Boston Parks are planning a major celebration on Aug. 25- 27 in and around the three major Boston parks – including a huge celebration on Aug. 25 in Christopher Columbus Park. The Boston National Historic...
More Closings Announced Around Longfellow Bridge
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and the Longfellow Bridge Rehabilitation Project design/build contractor, White-Skanska-Consigli JV (WSC), announce that all vehicle, pedestrian, bicycle, and MBTA Red Line travel near the Charles Circle staging area of the Longfellow Bridge will be halted for a brief period of time. The temporary halt is necessary to complete...
State Approves Six-Year Urban Renewal Plan for BRA,City
By Seth Daniel The state Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has approved the six-year extension of 14 urban renewal districts in the City of Boston – per request of the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) – and the state agency has an eye to the future of those areas. While the public debate...
Boston Center for Adult Education and Whole Foods Partner for Various Unique Events
By Seth Daniel Adult Education and a health conscious supermarket have shaken hands recently, and the result is a partnership that looks to endure. Last month, the Boston Center for Adult Education (BCAE) in the Back Bay partnered with area Whole Foods Supermarkets in the Ink Block and in Charlestown to bring innovative, food-oriented...
Gas Leaks Continue to Spark Uproar Among Residents
By Beth Treffeisen Underneath the battered Boston streets, miles of gas lines, some more than 100 years old, are spewing out natural gas and causing consequences that often go unnoticed. “One thing is to highlight it to make the indivisible, visible,” said Steven Hamburg, the chief scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund. With more...
Drought Has Left Its Mark On Street Trees In Boston
By Beth Treffeisen A severe drought has taken over most of Massachusetts, including Boston, where many of the trees that line the sidewalks may need a bit more love. The city of Boston planted 1,424 new trees during the spring, leaving the younglings as the most vulnerable in the hot heat. The city takes...
Programs At The Boston Public Library West End Branch
Color Your World: Coloring for Adults — Fridays 2-4, September 9th –December 16th. Join us for a relaxing time of coloring. We’ll supply coloring pages, colored pencils, markers, and crayons. Bring your own supplies if you prefer. Feel free to drop-in between these hours. Author Talk & Booking Signing Get a Grip on Business...
Boston Election Department Approves Early Voting Plan
In response to Boston City Council Order # 0387, an order for a hearing regarding the 2016 Presidential and State Elections procedures sponsored by Councilor Bill Linehan, the Boston Election Department approved an early voting plan. During the 2012 Presidential Election, some of the most populous precincts in the city experienced long lines and...
Police Briefs 08-16-2016
Beacon Hill Beat From Boston Police Area A-1 Larceny 08/05/16 – A female victim reported she was inside a Beacon Street restaurant and bar at around 11:05 p.m., when her wallet was stolen. The victim stated her purse was on the back of her chair, and a surveillance video showed an unknown female suspect...
Letters to the Editor
Trees need watering Dear Editor: You may not realize it, but Boston, like many cities across the country, is in a severe drought. We have had a quarter the rain we normally have by now and are down by 12 inches of rain. During a drought it is very important to water city trees. And not just with one...
National Night Out
By Mayor Martin J. Walsh Last Monday and Tuesday night, I visited neighborhoods across Boston, from Hyde Park to Brighton, from Mattapan to East Boston, for “National Night Out” with members of the Boston Police Department and Commissioner William Evans. We spent time with residents of all ages in nearly every neighborhood, playing games,...
Yes,We Are In A State Of Drought
Many regions in Massachusetts are facing drought or near-drought conditions. According to federal drought authorities, about 62 percent of the state is considered to be under “severe drought” and some areas northwest of Boston are in “extreme drought.” Water restrictions are in place in just about every community in the state which is not...
Diner En Blanc
Thousands, donned head-to-toe in white, gathered for the Diner en Blanc event, the worldwide epicurean phenomenon.
A Beacon of Diplomacy:Kitchens Concludes Distinguished Tenure as Consul General
By Cary Shuman Susie Kitchens is concluding her term this month as the British Consul General to Boston, bidding farewell to the city and the countless people whom she helped during her reign in the prestigious diplomatic post. Kitchens has served in the position for four years, which is the standard term for those...
Full Print Edition
