At a Mass followed by a breakfast reception at Our Lady Help of Christians Parish in Newton, Cardinal Séan O’Malley of the Archdiocese of Boston inducted the fifth class of Peter Lynch (PL) Scholars. Mattea del Peschio and Maggie Gohlmann from St. John School, Boston were two of approximately 173 students from across the...
Preparing for climate change was the topic of the evening at the Friends of the Public Garden Members Reception, which was held in the Carver Ballroom of the Revere Hotel on Thursday, Oct. 9. Chair of the Friends Board of Directors Anne Brooke kicked-off the meeting by thanking members for their involvement and...
With the countdown on, many Beacon Hill residents are getting ready for the annual night of fun and fright on Friday. Some residents have already taken the time to decorate their houses in scary spiderwebs or witches or goblins. In the next few days many other homes will be decorated that will transform Beacon...
The Boston Ward 5 Democratic Committee last Tuesday endorsed positions on each of the four ballot questions facing voters in Massachusetts on Nov. 4. The committee endorsed: Keeping the current law regarding the gas tax; voting no on question 1. Expanding recycling deposits on bottles and other containers; voting yes on question 2. Repealing...
Charlie Baker has intrigued some of my Democratic friends. They worked with him in government or insurance and admire his management acumen. But he has problems if he expects Democrats to turn tail or Independents to support him. Many of them speak to his character. Let’s name them. Smart enough? In his 2010 gubernatorial...
The man who allegedly stabbed two park rangers in the Boston Common last Tuesday was held on $1 million cash bail at his arraignment on attempted murder and related charges, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said. Boston Municipal Court Judge Robert McKenna imposed that bail on Bodio Hutchinson, age 34, at the...
The Storrow Drive eastbound offramp for the Fenway, Boylston Street, and the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, across the the Bowker Overpass will be closed between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. through October 24. The closure will also be on Saturday, Oct. 25, the closure will be in effect between the...
Fenway Park filled to the brim with plastic bottles. That dramatic image conveys the volume of bottle litter we throw away in Massachusetts each year. Most of it gets deposited in landfills. Some litter lingers in our gutters, along the roads, across the beaches and on the sidewalks. It’s pretty gross. It is irresponsible...
City Councilor Josh Zakim estimates that 90 percent of the issues that Beacon Hill constituents bring to him during his monthly office hours can be resolved with a phone call. “It’s a nice forum for people to talk about parking, traffic, public safety and other issues we’re working on,” Zakim said. “There are usually...
If Beacon Hill could talk, it would tell you stories — stories of unique individuals and groups, past and present — who’ve had a lasting impact on the community throughout its history. Beacon Hill resident Karen Cord Taylor shares many of these stories in her new local history book, “Legendary Locals of Beacon Hill.”...
EPA has given a grade of “A-” for water quality in the Charles River during 2013. It is the highest grade EPA has issued since the 1995 inception of the Clean Charles River Initiative. Reflecting nearly twenty years of focused efforts by EPA, state and local officials, private environmental advocacy groups and concerned citizens,...
The state issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) on Wednesday for the design and development of an air-rights project at Boylston Street and Massachusetts Avenue. Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and the MBTA are seeking development proposals for Parcel 13, which consists of approximately 54,500 square feet of air rights over the Massachusetts Turnpike...
The Beacon Hill Times has neighborhood competition, but not competition that should cause much concern. “I call it the world’s smallest newspaper, with the world’s smallest circulation,” says Bowdoin Street resident David Trumbull, who, since January of 2011, has published the Bowdoin Street Times, a miniature newspaper (about the size of a matchbook) for...
Don’t miss the neighborhoods biggest party, this Sunday, September 14! The Beacon Hill Civic Association will once again host the Neighborhood Block Party from 12noon to 4pm in-front of The Firehouse, 127 Mt. Vernon Street. The annual event welcomes back the community after each summer for a fun-filled afternoon of hot dogs sizzling on...
Maura Healey for state AG Maura Healey is also running as a Democrat to be Attorney General of Massachusetts. Healey has represented Massachusetts citizens for the past several years, fighting on the front lines as a lawyer in the AG’s office for causes we all care about. She advocated to keep the buffer zone...
Let’s suppose your mother has Alzheimer’s. You’ve found her a lovely Assisted Living Facility with an Alzheimer’s Unit and a view of the ocean—that eases your mind. One evening, you visit her at dinnertime. She’s sitting in the sunroom, waiting (as she explains to you) for your predeceased father. What do you say to...
Effective Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2014, MassDOT will be implementing a lane restriction on the Turnpike/I-90 in the westbound direction between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the area of the Commonwealth Avenue bridge. These restrictions will be in effect on weekdays in the westbound direction. These lane restrictions are in addition...
The city’s Board of Appeals voted last Tuesday to grant zoning relief to the Somerset Club allowing it to fill in its exterior courtyard for the purposes of creating a chef’s office and storage space. The Somerset Club, a private organization located at 42-43 Beacon St., intends to enclose an approximately 458 square-foot area...
Beacon Hill resident AK Goodman, an obstetrician and gynecologist, will discuss sexual and gender violence around the world at tonight’s meeting of the Beacon Hill Women’s Forum, an organization formed last year to connect and inspire neighborhood women. In addition, Hilary Hickok, owner of Hilary House Interiors, will present this month’s 5-minute Neighborhood Narrative....
Everyone knows the Longfellow Bridge is being rebuilt. It is scheduled for completion in late 2016. But other bridges across the Charles and other waterways are also undergoing changes. Here’s an update of what is happening, starting with the bridge farthest away from the downtown and moving east. Prepare yourself for lots of new...
I want to show you what a good job the City of Boston’s Public Works Department can do. I learned this several years ago when I was a member of a committee that worked to improve Cambridge Street. City employee Peter Scarpignato, now retired, was exceptional in judgment, sense of street design and safety...
The Beacon Hill Architectural Commission met on Thursday, September 18. The following determinations were made: APPROVED WITH PROVISIONS Application 15.366 BH Putnam Avenue Applicant: Lawrence Hayden (property manager): Replace gate at West Cedar Street outlet of Putnam Ave APPROVED Application 15.367 BH 5 Louisburg Square Applicant: Dola Hamilton Stemberg (owner): Construct garden gazebo on...
Reader says ‘no’ to Question 2 It is my hope that all Beacon Hill residents are taking a close look at Question 2,which will appear on this November’s ballot. The referendum seeks to add 5-cent deposits to countless additional beverage containers. As someone who cares greatly about our environment, I’ve concluded that this...
After failing to reach a compromise on bringing the neighborhood’s sidewalks into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Beacon Hill Civic Association (BHCA) announced last week that it would proceed with litigation against the city over the ongoing construction of curb-cuts. “We understand and share the city’s commitment to the disabled...
