feb WWW.FENWAYNEWS.

org
2011
FREE

serving the Fenway, Kenmore Square, upper Back Bay, Prudential, Longwood Area & Mission Hill since 1974 volume 37, number 2 JANUARY 28-FEBRUARY 25, 2011

Disgruntled ‘Y’ Members Threaten to Block Plan for Northeastern Dorm

P
by Stephen Brophy ready for occupancy by fall 2012. Others
eople who braved the threat of a wanted to slow the process down so that
snowstorm to attend a January 26 replacement of exercise facilities that would
meeting of the Northeastern Task be removed could be planned in other space
Force got a lesson in “hurry-up/ in the remaining building. When I left the
slow-down” politics. The official topic was a meeting, an impasse was building.
preview of architectural plans for the 16-floor Some history: The YMCA building
dormitory proposed for space directly behind that faces Huntington was built in 1912,
the YMCA Central Branch building on and Northeastern grew out of a school that
Huntington Avenue, which would be built started in that building. An extension called
on land freed up by the demolition of the the Hastings Wing came a little later, and
Y’s current gymnasium. And therein lies the the gymnasium was added last of all. (NU
conflict. officials announced during the meeting that
Many members of the Y feel threatened the acquisition of the Hastings Wing had been
by the announced plans, and some of these separated from the dorm-building project,
members also feel a resentful that their and that they are working out the details
needs were not considered before transfer of of a separate purchase of Hastings for $11
the property to a developer was initiated. It million.)
doesn’t help that this developer had already Until about two decades ago, NU was
been run out of town a few years earlier a commuter school that accepted pretty
Northeastern grew out of a school that began shortly after the YMCA was built just
after announcing plans to construct an much any applicants, especially if they came
before World War I. The university’s proposal for land behind the building would require
even taller building on the same site, or that from the Boston area. But since then it has
demolition of the fitness facility, which has angered a segment of the members. More than
Northeastern University is mixed up in the grown into a university with a world-class
one-sixth have signed a petition criticizing the institution’s handling of the deal.
deal (the dorm would house its students). reputation, substantially increased its student
But the construction of this building also body, and inescapably had the sorts of impacts called, has approximately 2,700 members, and that members should be able to see what
fulfills commitments the school has made to on its surrounding neighborhoods that all many of them suburbanites, who use its the options are, before the demolition of the
the community to house more of students on giant institutions wield. The Boston Globe facilities before or after they go to work at gymnasium takes place. “Ideally the new
campus. reported on January 24 that Northeastern had jobs in the city. 420 of these members have facility would be constructed and already in
Hence, some people at the meeting— 15 applicants for each spot in its freshman signed a petition asking the organization’s use before the old one is demolished.”
frustrated for years by Northeastern’s class, a ratio comparable to demand for first- board and administration to reconsider its Kelly Rice, communications director
perceived disinclination to move forward year spots at Ivy League colleges like Yale plans—and that petition drive only started on of the Huntington Branch, told The Fenway
on its student-housing promises (university and Brown. January 20 (see box for full petition text). News “we consider it to be a wonderful thing
officials blamed the economic downturn)— Meanwhile, the YMCA has been slowly The Fenway News talked with Calvin that we have so many impassioned members
were champing at the bit to keep the process losing membership. The building houses the Arey, an East Fens resident and leader in the who like the building just the way it is.”
moving forward quickly so that construction administration for the entire Greater Boston petition drive. Arey, a realtor, has been a Y She defended the Y’s communication with
could start in time to have the new building YMCA, but the Huntington branch, as it is member for 14 years and says he understands its members, noting posters put up in the
the issues involved. He does not want the building and a regular bulletin that is e-mailed
efforts of his ad hoc group seen as obstruction to them, but also indicated that she understood
Members’ Petition to YMCA Board & Management of a worthwhile goal. “We are not anti-dorm, that the “many unknowns about this project
and we are not anti-student,” he asserts. have been adding to their concerns.”
1. The sale and/or to address fund raising, We demand the board
“But we think that the Y is going about this At the meeting, the Huntington Branch’s
demolition of all or board participation, and management cease
all backwards. It should be working with its executive director, Wendy Zinn, explained
part of the YMCA-HB volunteer efforts, and and desist from all such
members to come up with the best plan to take that a marketing survey that commenced
[Huntington Branch] hard work to create and efforts.
care of everyone’s interests.” soon after the announcement last fall of the
will result in the execute a plan for an
4. YMCA and HB He argues for a design charrette in impending sale of the gymnasium had just
irretrievable loss of a improved YMCA-HB.
members kindly request which a bid goes out to interested architects been delivered that morning, and that it will
unique institution with
3. We believe the efforts that non-members of to look at the available space and suggest help guide the conversation between the
a diverse membership
of the YMCA board, the community respect how it could be used to replace the threatened administration and the disaffected members.
that has been a part of
management, and that the facility is the facilities. He believes that this should happen, YMCA on page 3 >
the neighborhood since
affiliates to quickly sell property of a non-profit
1912 when President
the facility without proper organization whose
William Taft helped place
the cornerstone of the
member consultation mission is to serve its
and after strong member members. We kindly
Snow-Removal Problem? Call 617-635-4500
building.
Photo: ginny such

oppostion of prior failed request non-members

2. We understand the efforts is a breach of to withdraw from
constraints of the current fiduciary duty, poor efforts to acquire its
facility and are willing and governance and violates assets or property or
able to develop a future its charge to serve the otherwise interfere in the
plan/charrette that will members and community relationship between its
preserve and grow the under the YMCA mission members and governing
YMCA-HB. We will work and stated purpose. bodies.

Burbank Tenants Step Up Heat on

Landlords as Deadline Approaches
By Stephen Brophy
To publicize a campaign to convince
their landlords to remain in a federal program
that keeps their apartments affordable,
members of the Burbank Apartment Tenants
Association (BATA) took part a press
conference on January 13 held by Action! for
Regional Equity in its Beacon Street office.
BATA used its appearance to argue
affordability expires on April 1 of this year.
At the same time, the Kargmans plan to leave
HUD’s “project-based” Section 8 program,
which further subsidizes the development. In
all, the changes would affect the residents of
173 apartments—approximately 10% of all
affordable housing throughout the Fenway.
Burbank Apartments on page 2 >
At press time, this pile covered a sidewalk on the corner of Burbank Street and
Edgerly Road, a half block from Morville House, a mid-rise residence for seniors
and people with disabilities. People from Morville House wishing to shop at Whole
Foods, just south of the pile, have to walk or wheel out into the icy street. Wheelchair
users are forced to travel in the street—which is unsafe for them and for drivers—
until they get to the front of the store. Our photographer reports that in ten minutes
of observing the intersection she “ found that the corner has a fair bit of car traffic,

that the owners of seven East Fens buildings,
Robert and William Kargman, should not
pull out of a Department of Housing &
Urban Development (HUD) program they
used to redevelop the buildings decades
ago. HUD underwrote the mortgage for
the buildings—known collectively as the
Burbank Apartments—in the 1970s, and the
brothers Kargman agreed in return to offer
the apartments as low-cost housing. But
the agreement maintaining the apartments’
Vote
not to mention trucks unloading for local stores, as well as pedestrians of all ages.”
More obstacles, in other words, for elderly and non-elderly residents trying to get
to a food store. Boston’s Department of Public Works, which no doubt created this
pile, was notified of the problem on January 25, but as we weny to press on the 26th
the pile had not been removed, and more snow was on the way. In the West Fens, two
six-foot-tall piles of snow have blocked a sidewalk on the south side of Boylston near
February 15 the Sunoco station since January 17. Call 617-635-4500 to report unplowed streets,
sidewalk-blocking piles left by plows, sidewalks unshoveled more than 6 hours after
Special Election a storm, or other issues created by snow. Stay safe!
City council/Dist. 7
2 | FENWAY NEWS FEBRUARY 2011

District 7 Voters Face First of Two Special Elections on Feb. 15 area’s vehicular traffic but have a significant impact on pedestrian traffic. Several task force
members presented a proposal to limit to 15 stories both this project and a second building
A special preliminary election to fill the seat vacated by Boston City Councilor Chuck
that Berklee has long discussed building at the southeast corner of Mass Ave and Boylston
Turner will take place Tuesday, February 1,5 for registered voters who live in City Council
Street. The proposal would also put a cap on Berklee enrollment; and require that any
District 7. That includes three East Fens precincts (5, 8, and 9) that are part of Ward 4.
dorm buildings the college sells be developed into mixed-income housing, with some units
Those precincts cover residents on the west side of Symphony Road; all of Gainsboro
sized for families. The task force meets again on February 7 at 6:00, although its location
Street; Hemenway Street from Gainsboro to the Museum of Fine Arts; part of Church
has yet to be announced.
Park on Mass Ave; and Huntington Ave, beginning near its intersection with Mass Ave and
continuing down toward Mass College of Art. Precinct voting sites:
• Precinct 5—Symphony Plaza East, 334 Mass Ave
Registration Opens for Summer Jobs for Youth, But Don’t Dawdle
• Precinct 8—Symphony Plaza West, 333 Mass Ave The City of Boston will open HOPELINE—a hotline for summer City jobs for young
• Precinct 9—the Ira Allen building on the Wentworth campus, 540 Parker Street. residents—on Tuesday, February 1. Registration will end on Friday, March 4. Residents of
Because this is a preliminary election (the nonpartisan equivalent of a primary under Boston between the ages of 15 and 18, or their parents, must register with the HOPELINE
Massachusetts law), voters will choose the two finalists among six candidates on the ballot: to be eligible for a summer job with the City. For complete details or an application, call
Natalie Carithers, Althea Garrison, Cornell Hill, Tito Jackson, Roy Owens and Valerie 617-635-4202 or visit www.bostonyouthzone.com/teenzone/employment/byf/.
Williams. Initially 16 people notified the City’s Election Department that they would run
for the seat, but only 13 submitted signature sheets. Of those 13, only 6 were certified. The Mike Ross Picks His Rahm Emmanuel
special final election takes place March 15. For more info, call City of Boston Election Dept City Councilor Mike Ross has hired George R. Greenidge as his new chief of staff.
at 617-635-3747. If you’re not certain whether you are in one of the three precincts, visit Greenidge served as executive director of the National Black College Alliance, an
www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.php and enter your address. organization of alumni and students from historically black universities that mentors
young civic leaders. He had served as a program officer at the Boston Foundation and
Turner Receives Jail Term ; Judge Mulls a Stay Pending Appeal as board chair for the Boston Empowerment Zone, a nonprofit that distributes HUD
Former City Councilor Chuck Turner received a sentence of three years in prison on Jan. resources to economically challenged neighborhoods. Greenidge received a bachelor’s
25 after being found guilty of accepting a $1,000 bribe during an FBI sting. He was also degree in political science and international affairs from Morehouse College and a master’s
sentenced to three years of supervised release after imprisonment and ordered to repay degree from the Harvard School of Education. A longtime resident of the Boston area,
the federal government the $1,000 with which it set him up. US District Judge Douglas P. Greenidge lives in Ashmont (and his father lives in the district, on Mission Hill).
Woodlock set the prison date at Mar. 25, but Turner’s lawyers asked for a stay, pending an
appeal. Woodlock indicated that he would consider the request. Conservancy Chooses a Cold Day to Hold a House-Warming
The Emerald Necklace Conservancy opened its new Visitor and Volunteer Center to the
Task Force Looks at Berklee Drawings, Hears Appeal on Height public on January 14, welcoming the curious to the former Stony Brook Gatehouse on the
At the January 24 meeting of the BRA’s Berklee Task Force, panel members absorbed edge of the Back Bay Fens near the Museum of Fine Arts. The quirky stone structure was
presentations on the urban design of Berklee’s proposed 16-story building at 168 Mass designed by H. H. Richardson, America’s most influential 19th-century architect, best
Ave and saw the first drawings of the project. They also heard Berklee’s traffic consultant known for the design of Trinity Church in Copley Square. The Conservancy now turns its
report that preliminary studies show that the project would produce little change in the attention to a Valentine’s Day fund raiser in which it will offer donors an opportunity to
sponsor a “historic rose” in the Kelleher Rose Garden in the name of a loved one. To learn
more about the name of the rose, and for a glimpse of what you missed if you skipped the
> burbank apartments from page 1 area; it’s a transit hub with lots of jobs and open house, visit www.emeraldnecklace.org. The center will be open weekdays 9-5 and will
educational and cultural opportunities. One announce weekend hours after Earth Day in late April.
The Kargmans’ plan would have several key way to maintain fair housing in such
serious consequences. First, enhanced communities—that is, to make sure people Washburn Will Direct Choral Activities at NEC
replacement vouchers that the landlords have of color can live in a higher-opportunity area New England Conservatory has appointed mezzo-soprano and conductor Erica Washburn
promised will only be available to current like the Fenway—is to preserve existing as director of choral activities. Washburn, who has served as interim director since fall
tenants who qualify and not to any future affordable housing, such as Burbank 2009, has led NEC performances of the Fauré Requiem and Saint-Saens’ Oratorio de Nöel,
tenants. This would price all future middle- Apartments. These areas tend to attract more works of Charles Ives, and a premiere by Anthony Maglione.
and low-income renters out of the buildings— development because of their opportunities,
and of a neighborhood with major economic, and that in turn often forces up rents, BIDMC Wins First-in-Nation Hospital Technology Certification
educational, transit, and cultural advantages. squeezing out lower-income residents, who
Second, enhanced vouchers expose are often people of color. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is the first hospital nationally to meet new federal
current tenants to new risks: all tenants must What is the right balance between a electronic health record requirements with its own software, winning certification that
be rescreened, and not all will necessarily community’s need for affordable housing and its technology supports all quality, safety and efficiency goals spelled out in the American
qualify for a voucher. As of January 18, the an owner’s goal of maximizing profit? In this Recovery and Reinvestment Act. BIDMC was one of five hospitals chosen for a pilot
Boston Housing Authority has indicated case, BATA argues, that trade-off doesn’t program for the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology.
that only tenants who earn less than 80% have to be made, because the Kargmans could
of area median income (AMI) will qualify. keep Burbank Apartments affordable and still
(Elderly and disabled tenants must meet a get market rents, maintaining their profits.
less-stringent threshold of 95% of AMI.) For BATA called on the owners to maintain
a household of one person, the 80% figure is affordability by 1) renewing the project-based
$45,100; for a household of four, the figure is Section 8 contract and 2) keeping the rents
$64,400. Many families now in the Burbank in the non-Section 8 units affordable for low-
Apartments fall in the 80%-95% range; they and moderate-income tenants for the long
would lose the subsidy and be forced to pay term. The tenant association has gathered
market rate or, more likely, to move. over 350 petition signatures from community
In addition, if a tenant’s income exceeds residents and nearly two dozen letters of
program limits, or if they experience an event support from Boston organizations, including
that makes them ineligible, they can lose the the YMCA (Huntington branch), City Life/
voucher, even if they requalify later. Beyond Vida Urbana, and the Boston Archdiocese’s
that risk, funding for vouchers has historically Planning Office of Urban Affairs.
been a target for government budget cutting. “We must keep these apartments
A report released at the press conference affordable,” said Patrick Murphy, a BATA
addressed the choice that the Kargmans’ member. “I work at the MFA, a nonprofit
decision will force many tenants to make. organization. The lower rent at Burbank
The report used data gathered by the state’s is the only way I can afford to live in the
Department of Housing and Community same neighborhood as my job.  People
Development to categorize communities as of all incomes should be able to live in a
“lower opportunity” and “higher opportunity” neighborhood with the opportunities of the
areas. The Fenway is a higher-opportunity Fenway.”

With New Guide, City Aims to Light a
Fire Under Solar-Energy Installations
T
By Peter Flannery
he City of Boston, under the
guidance of Mayor Menino
and Environmental and Energy
Services Chief James Hunt,
released the Solar Boston Permitting Guide
in October. The guide is the culmination
of a process that involved the Inspectional
Services Department, the Fire Department
and the Mayors
Environmental Task
Force.
The guide offers
a brief overview
of Solar Boston, a
program begun by the
City to assist with the
development of solar
energy resources in
Boston to meet the
mayor’s goal of achieving 25 megawatts of
solar-generated electricity by 2020.
The major points of the guide include
the need for a structural engineer’s drawings
and specifications for all solar energy systems
that produce electricity. (The guide does not
include solar thermal systems that generate
domestic hot water or building heat.)
The areas of interconnection with
NSTAR are also pointed out due to the
presence of different electrical grid systems
in parts of the city that require a more
sophisticated interconnection. Permits must
be approved by Inspectional Services, the
Boston Fire Department and NSTAR for a
project to be approved.
The guide also discusses the technical
details of a solar energy system—
components, wiring and mounting. A system
consists of the panels, each approximately
3-by 5-feet and made by companies such as
Evergreen Solar and Schott Solar; structural
components that hold the panels to the roof;
wiring; and the interconnection with the grid,
comprising the electric meters, inverter and
NSTAR connection.
A complete chapter is dedicated to
incentives and financing designed to promote view, below), the group has been promoting
solar installations. Various financing packages the use of solar energy in the neighborhood
are available to help an owner install a
system. One package allows an owner to lease one on the Fenway Views condominiums and
a system for as little up front as $1,000 and
reduce their electricity costs by an average of in the West Fens. Solar Fenway’s current fo-
20% per year. There are other incentives and
monies available and pointed out in the guide. under which it hopes to install ten more solar
To get assistance with system
installation, the
guide includes
list of reputable,
experienced
contractors
such as Borrego
Solar, NEXAMP, and surrounding communities work out the
GroSolar and
many others
provided by the
Boston Area
Solar energy Association. These companies
can perform all aspects of an installation.
Will Planet Choose the ‘Revolutionary’ Road in Time?
I
by Bob Case
f we keep on the present path, we will
drain the earth of the energy sources
we have been using for the past two
centuries—coal, oil, gas. These
increasingly poison the environment and
turn people in violence against each other.
As these fuels become scarcer, they become
more expensive, more polluting, and riskier to
extract. The Gulf oil spill and the Middle East
wars are recent and catastrophic examples
of the slow march of humanity down the
dead-end road of nonrenewable fuels and the
grasping-at-straws of nuclear power. Finally,
there is no business case to be made for these
fuels, since they require enormous subsidies
to a few large corporations.
But another path points the planet
toward the limitless and daily renewed energy
from the sun, through its great systems
of light, heat, wind, water movement, and
FENWAY NEWS |FEBRUARY 2011 | 3
If you’re interested in installing a solar
energy system in the Fenway, Solar Fenway
systems in the Fenway by 2012.
The city’s Solar Boston Permitting
can provide guidance and a helping hand Guide provides a comprehensive introduction
(www.solarfenway.org). Led by Sajed Kamal, to the nuts and bolts of installation and
solar energy expert and author (see book re- should help smooth the path for those
25 megawatts the mayor hopes to see by
2020. The Guide is available on the City of
since 2002. It has installed two solar systems, Boston website at www.cityofboston.gov/
environmentalandenergy.
the other on the Boston Arts Academy, both Peter Flannery is a member of Solar
Fenway and lives in the East Fens. Other
cus is its Solar Community Pioneer Project, members of the group include Rosie Kamal,
Ted Joyce, Samina Ali, and Kathy McBride.
> YMCA from page 1 improvement over the bad old days when
Some of this will be discussed again at a institutions and the government agencies that
Boston Landmarks Commission meeting on coddled them could bulldoze whatever they
February 22. And the revived Northeastern wanted to get their way. If you want to have a
Task Force will continue to meet as the school say in how your neighborhood is developed,
you will want to pay more attention to this
details for extending the existing institutional democracy in action.
master plan, and begin working on a new IMP To receive notice of future task force
in a couple of years. meetings, send an email to Gerald.Autler.
As contentious and occasionally bra@cityofboston.gov, and he’ll put you on
frustrating as these meetings and the process the list; he can also do this for the Berklee
they guide can be, they represent a great and Wentworth task forces.
photosynthesis. East Fens resident Sajed back to the sustainable planet we were given.
Kamal has written a detailed manual Sajed analyzes the steps toward reaching a
lucidly explaining the ways that individuals, sustainable economy.
communities and nations can move onto Finally, The Renewable Revolution
this path. Renewable Solutions: How We calls us all to individual action as well as
Can Fight Global Warming, Prevent Energy to regional and national policy change,
Wars, and Transition to a Sustainable Future by putting forward actual models that
(Earthscan: 2011) is a book filled with creative have changed things and that can be the
hope. And the power of the basis for further change and
book lies in this: the hope is not Book review innovation, from the German
a dream, but is built on a down- goal of becoming entirely based
The Renewable
to-earth account of what people on renewable energy (and the
revolution: How We
and organizations have already remarkable steps the country
Can Fight Global
accomplished. has already taken) to Richard
Warming, Prevent
It is a story that badly Hansen’s work in the Dominican
Energy Wars, and
needs to be told, in view of Republic, where 10,000 solar
Transition to a
the enormous propaganda electric units were supplied
Sustainable Future
machinery of the oil companies without any connection to the
(Earthscan: 2011)
and their influence on the U.S. electric grid. (The reliability of the
Congress, which continues to solar energy path in emergencies
refuse to deal with the crisis of was vividly on display when
global warming. Hansen’s company, Soluz, was
Dr. Kamal, after laying able to get photovoltaic units
out the urgency of addressing across the border to hospitals in
the challenge, explains Haiti when the electric grid was
already-existing technologies disabled in last year’s earthquake.)
for capturing the energy that This remarkable book, into
comes to us from the sun. These which is poured the experiences
technologies transform sunlight and reflections of a longtime
into usable energy forms. They Fenway resident, illumined for
take us from light to electricity me two basic themes. The first
to its use in illumination, is that the Fenway appears to be
communication and transportation, including an incubator of creativity and innovation
automotive transportation; and from heat to that can support and encourage someone
comfort and cooking. These technologies like Sajed Kamal. People seem to be able to
are photovoltaic systems (light directly live here and devote themselves to a diverse
converted into electricity); wind generators; set of interests that deepen life for all of us
solar thermal systems; hydroelectric systems residents. Freed from the consumerism and
(using waterfalls and wave energy); and solar many of the distracting interests of the society
cookers (using biogas). as a whole, a unique sort of contribution, as
Kamal’s book then follows up with a exemplified by this book, is possible.
marvelous 30 pages of photographs of homes, The second line of thought suggested by
institutions, skyscrapers and boats powered the book is that the Fenway is an apt crucible
by solar energy, as well as photos of solar for changing the direction of society and,
energy institutions the world over. The reader eventually, the planet. There are many Fenway
is left with the conclusion that there is indeed solar examples in the book: photovoltaic
a worldwide silent revolution in the making, installations on the rooftops of the Boston
and that it is a race against time to make this Arts Academy and the FCDC’s solar-
revolution break out into the open. equipped Fenway Views building; plans for
Together with a new emphasis on a major solar-powered development on Mass
energy efficiency, solar energy produces the Pike air rights by John Rosenthal; even Sajed
comfort and enjoyment and transportation and Rosie’s solar cooker, which produces
of the nonrenewable system, but with much delicious meals: all these are harbingers of
less waste. And with much less cost in the fundamental change. And they were built by
long run. Nonrenewable energy is profoundly coalitions of citizens... Solar Fenway and the
intertwined with a dysfunctional economy. Solar Committee of the FCDC blossomed
So Sajed then analyzes the road from a outward to local neighborhoods and linked
collapsing economy to a sustainable economy. with other solar, wind, and heating projects,
The most fundamental fact of society is that so that Mayor Menino could declare he wants
the economy is based on the environment, “Beantown to become Greentown”.
and yet we have treated the economy as a The time is short. The issues are
separate entity. We have an energy system profoundly spiritual. They have to do with
which we have paid for by borrowing from the future of the planet. Sajed Kamal’s book
our children’s future, a system weighed connects the spiritual issues with practical
down by “externalities” such as the true and effective action. It is a handbook of
cost of the pollution caused by the present models for the fundamental change that is
system. These externalities have largely gone required to move from a path of depletion and
ignored. Our imprint on the earth has been destruction to one of sustainability and equity.
more than the earth can bear, and we must go Bob Case lives in the East Fenway.
4 | FENWAY NEWS FEBRUARY 2011
After Tucson, Congress Needs toWake Up and Smell the Gunfire
guest essay by John Rosenthal
un violence in America results in over 30,000
deaths a year; more than 80 deaths and 200 gun-
related injuries every day.
In the wake of the mass shooting in
Tucson Arizona, where a mentally unstable 22-year-old
gunman bought a semi-automatic pistol and large-capacity
ammunition clip at a gun store and killed 6 and wounded 14,
including a congresswoman and a federal judge, members of
Congress say they’re “shocked.”
That such a tragedy could happen to one of their own
“just doing her job at such a commonplace event” outside a
supermarket, seemed surprising to the very group responsible
for allowing criminals, terrorists and anyone, no matter how
mentally unstable, to legally purchase guns in Arizona and in
most states without detection.
After more than 15 years of being a lead advocate
for gun-violence-prevention laws and putting up huge
provocative billboards on the Massachusetts Turnpike near
Fenway Park, attempting to change the debate in Congress
and bring about reasonable national gun policy, maybe we’re
reaching a tipping point.
Congress has allowed federal gun policy to be dictated
by the special-interest National Rifle Association in exchange
for tens of millions of dollars in campaign contributions.
The NRA virtually owns the Republican Party and has
intimidated the Democrats, including the president, into
submission. The NRA has also mastered hate speech—
viciously targeting members of congress who support
reasonable gun laws and accusing all law enforcement of
being “jack booted thugs” simply for trying to do their job
and enforce what few national gun laws exist. As a result,
Congress has embraced a dangerously failed gun policy.
In fact, if Congress actually tried to further increase
gun violence in the US, it could hardly be more effective than
the gun policies that exist today. For instance;
• There is no federal law requiring a criminal background
check or even proof of ID for all gun sales.
• In 33 states and at thousands of gun shows, criminals, the
mentally ill, and even terrorists can legally buy firearms
from private gun dealers—cash and carry, no background
check, no ID required, no questions asked.
• Congress prohibits the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from regulating gun
shows, maintaining gun purchase records, or inspecting
gun dealers more than once a year.
letters
Editor:
You are publishing a terrific newspaper!
My only minor complaint is that occasionally a writer will leave
out an important detail that would help your readers.
In the January issue, for example, under the Neighborhood
Newsline section, “Lockhart Leads Off Lowell Lectures Line-up,”
there is no mention of where the lectures take place. And in Kat Nich-
olson’s good article about Spike’s hot dog place, she tells us that it is
located on Boylston Street in the East Fens but does not give an exact
Serving the Fenway, Kenmore Square, Audubon
Circle, upper Back Bay, lower Roxbury, Prudential,
Mission Hill, and Longwood since 1974
Fenway News Association
Board of Directors
Steve Chase • Helen Cox • Tracey Cusick • Joyce
• Congress prohibits the National Consumer Product Safety Foster, president • Steven Harnish • Barbara
Commission from regulating the manufacturing and Brooks Simons • Steve Wolf, treasurer
marketing of firearms. Editor: Stephen Brophy
• Congress allowed the 1993 federal ban on assault WEB EDITOR: Nicole Aubourg
weapons, including high-capacity ammunition clips like Production Designer: Steve Wolf
those used in Tucson this weekend, to expire. Writers: Iory Allison, Liz Burg, Bob
Case, Helen Cox, Tracey Cusick, Dharmena
• Congress gave the gun industry immunity from lawsuits. Downey, Lisa Fay, Peter Flannery, Lori
Welcome to the “hood,” Congress—you have finally A. Frankian, Joyce Foster, Marie Fukuda,
reaped what you’ve sown. Galen Gilbert, Elizabeth Gillis, Katherine
For decades most victims of gun violence in the US Greenough, Phyllis Hanes, Steven Harnish,
have been urban non-white Americans living in our poorest Tim Horn, Sarah Horsley, Rosie Kamal,
Jonathan Kim, Shirley Kressel, Aqilla
neighborhoods where it’s nearly impossible to find a job and Manna, Erica Mattison, Richard Pendleton,
all too easy to access firearms. These “commonplace” people Camille Platt, Karla Rideout, Mike Ross,
and communities have been ravaged by the irresponsible gun Barbara Brooks Simons, Matti Kniva
policies enacted by Congress. Spencer, Anne Tobin, Chuck Turner,
For black teens and young adults in the US, homicide Fredericka Veikley, Chris Viveiros, Clyde
Whalen, Margaret Witham
is the leading cause of death. Blacks represent 13 percent PhotographerS: Brian Clague, Lois
of the nation’s population yet account for 49 percent of all Johnston, Patrick O’Connor, Valarie
homicide victims of which, 82 percent were killed with guns. Seabrook, Matti Kniva Spencer, Ginny Such
According to the FBI, in 2007 the homicide rate for black CALENDAR: Penina Adelman, Helen Cox,
male victims was 20.86 per 100,000 population compared to Ruth Khowais, Steve Wolf,
Proofreader: Tracey Cusick
3.11 per 100,000 for white males. For blacks aged 15 to 24, Subscription Coordinator:
40 percent of all deaths were homicides and 89 percent of Cathy Jacobowitz
these homicides were perpetrated with a firearm. BOOKKEEPER: Cathy Jacobowitz
he death toll that homicide with firearms has Distribution: Nicole Auberg, Della
exacted on black teens and young adults in Gelzer, Aqilla Manna, Lauren Dewey Platt,
Reggie Wynn
America is disproportionate and undeniable.
It’s unconscionable that Congress has ignored The Fenway News is published monthly by the
this disparity for so long, and it can’t be surprising that Fenway News Association, Inc., a community-
owned corporation dedicated to community
gun violence is finally reaching rich and powerful white journalism. If you would like to volunteer to
Americans as well. write, edit, photograph, lay out, distribute, or sell
Certainly no simple solution will reduce all advertising on commission, please contact us at:
gun violence and improve urban strife in our poorest The Fenway News,
PO Box 230277, Astor Station
neighborhoods. Maybe now that members of Congress and Boston, MA 02123
Judges are becoming victims of gun violence too, Congress 617-266-8790
just might consider following Massachusetts’ lead by editor@fenwaynews.org
www.fenwaynews.org
enacting effective gun laws aimed at reducing rather than
increasing gun access for kids, criminals, and the mentally Subscriptions $24/year ($15 for limited income)
ill.
©2010 Fenway News Association, Inc.
From time to time The Fenway News publishes guest
editorials. John Rosenthal founded Stop Handgun Violence, “Comforting the afflicted and
which sponsors the gun-control billboard (below) that hangs afflicting the comfortable.”
above the Mass Pike at Kenmore Square. He is also the
developer of the Fenway Center project between Brookline
Avenue and Beacon Street. A version of this essay appeared on
The founders of The Fenway News adopted this
motto to express their mission of exposing and
The Huffington Post website in January and is reprinted with opposing the dangers the neighborhood faced
permission. in the early 1970s—including rampant arson,
unscrupulous landlords, and a destructive
urban renewal plan. If the original motto no
longer fits today’s Fenway, we continue
to honor its spirit of identifying problems
and making our neighborhood a better
and safer place to live.
> Frequency <
location or address. Boylston is a long street even in the East Fens. The Fenway News reaches the stands every
Not all your readers know all these details, and not all of them 4-5 weeks, usually on the first
care to Google the info. or last Friday of the month. Our next issue
will be appear on Friday,FEBRUARY 25.
George Draper, west Fens
> Deadline <
The Editor replies: We love feedback, both positive and negative, The deadline for letters, news items, and ads
and always strive to do better. As an all-volunteer organization, is Friday, FEBRUARY 18.
we could always use more help—including writers who will make
> Advertising <
sure their stories include crucial details, and gimlet-eyed proof- Contact our business manager at
readers. We’d welcome your help or that of any reader! ads@fenwaynews.org
The First Church of Christ, Scientist Mass Ave
Lock Co.
Sunday Church Services & Sunday School
10 am and 5 pm (no evening service July & Aug.)
LIVE online: www.ChurchofChristScientist.org
Wednesday Testimony Meetings 24-HOUR
12 noon and 7:30 pm
EMERGENCY SERVICE
BONDED LOCKSMITH
125 St. Botolph Street
Phone 247-9779 • Fax 536-8709
Police Locks • Doors Opened
Mailbox Keys • Master Keys
Near the corner of Huntington & Mass. Ave.
Free Parking at all services. Systems • Padlocks
T Hynes, Prudential, Symphony, or Mass. Ave.
For further information, call 617.450.3790
Door Closers
or visit www.ChristianScience.com Keys Made by Code
 FENWAY NEWS |FEBRUARY 2011 | 5

In the Depths of Winter, Seed Catalogs Bring a Promise Spring (and Free Movie Popcorn)

H
By Iory Allison
ello one and all; my name is Iory
(pronounced “yori”) Allison I
am the new vice president of
the Fenway Garden Society. My
husband, Leo Romero, and I have been active
members at FGS for 20 years. Our garden
is the first
images: johnny’s select seeds
Leo and I love to go to the movies in
the winter and we sneak in our own popcorn
(don’t tell a soul). I am thumbing through the
veggie section of Johnny’s and what catches
my attention but “Zea May’s” popcorn, which
looks like multicolored “Indian corn” popular
for autumn decorations. I like the idea of
Technicolor
colorfully printed packets depicting the flowers
and plants to be grown. Printed packets became
the industry norm followed by W. Atlee Burpee
Company, J. C. Vaughan (both in 1876) and
many others to this day. Leo and I staple our
old seed and bulb packages to the inside lid of
our tool boxes and these are a great reminder of
past years in the garden.
beets they all came out the same size.” Phyl-
lis continued, “I like to get my zinnias from
Burpee because they have the bright old-
fashioned colors. I also buy my little yellow
Sungold tomatoes there. They bear fruit in
large clusters that are quick and easy to grow.
I always save a few plants for Arthur Rose.”
(Arthur is our very own

garden on popcorn I called up Phyllis Hanes, nonagenarian gardener,

your right for movie a friend and fellow gardener meaning that he is in his
as you pass watching in the Park Section of Fenway 90s and still going strong)

down the pedestrian path after
the Boylston Street Bridge.
You are all welcome to stop by
and visit with us any time we
are there.
Winter snow has us in its frozen grasp
for the moment, allowing gardeners a
welcome respite from the constant toil of the
growing season. I am all curled up in a cozy
chair with a cup of steaming lemon balm tea,
grown in our herb garden, and I am studying
my Johnny’s Selected Seeds catalog. Talk
about “soup to nuts” inclusively, Johnny’s
is a cornucopia of all things “green” even if
they are bright red strawberries and yellow
daffodils.
so I have tagged this item.
Later we will go over our
lists and pare them down to
a reasonable collection, not
always an easy editing process because the
catalogs dazzle us with all their luscious color
photos and enticing descriptions.
The Shakers invented the packaged
garden seed industry, beginning with herb
seeds sold from their New Lebanon, New
York, community in 1784. The Shakers
dominated the business nationally until
after the Civil War, gaining the trust of their
customers by maintaining a reputation for
fertile and abundant seeds. Around 1868
George W. Park entered the business with
Gardens
to ask her
about seed
catalogs.
“Oh yes, I get about 30 catalogs in the
mail. I like Johnny’s because they are from
Winslow, Maine, and can be grown in our
rugged New England climate. But I also
like the Burpee catalog. They are located in
Pennsylvania but they are also a generational
company that has good reliable vegetables. I
remember Mrs. Burpee once told me (Phyl-
lis is a retired journalist from The Christian
Science Monitor and The Boston Herald) that
she liked the Cylindra red beets because they
grow long and narrow so when she sliced her
I also
spoke about
seed catalogs
with my garden
neighbor Philip Bibb. He likes the Nichols
Garden Nursery from Oregon because he can
get unusual vegetables there such as Chinese
bok choy, mizuna and heirloom tomatoes.
Philip went on to say that he gets his basic
seeds—ettuce, beans, radishes, etc.—from
Home Depot because he goes there anyway
and the seed packets are a smaller size and
less expensive.
Every gardener I spoke with about
catalogs mentioned the spectacularly
beautiful catalog from White Flower Farms
in Connecticut. But on a cautionary note,
they also mentioned that White Flower Farm

Senior center meeting seeks answers to Funding Woes

by Suzanne Comtois
The future of the Peterborough Senior
Center (PSC) is up in the air. A tough
funding environment has forced the Fenway
is expensive. However, the nursery provides
hardy stock with big roots that arrive at
your home at the time of planting and they
Community Development Corporation architectural help and renovation services for guarantee to replace any problem plants.
(FCDC) to consider whether several worthy a larger space at 110 Peterborough St, if the Winter is the time of dreams. Gardener’s
programs, including the PSC, will have to find center decides to move to that space. Mike dreams are seeds of hope patiently waiting for
new sources of support. Members of the PSC Ross has been instrumental in keeping this the days to grow longer as we spin around our
and the FCDC project going. smiling star.
photo: lois johnston

met on January Fenway Health Iory Allison lives in the West Fens.
18 to discuss also has plans
ways to meet the for an aging-in-
center’s financial place program
challenge, and the
FCDC said that
that might prove
to be a source Painters!
it can no longer of support, Are you self-employed? Do
support the and several you run a business in the
center’s programs nearby colleges Fenway, Audobon Circle, or
after the end of are in talks to Mission Hill? Turn neighbors
this year. support more into clients with a business
The center programming for card ad in The Fenway News.
has already begun seniors. Thousands of readers will see
to make changes David it each month—and you could
Roof Deck in response to Zermeno, of find yourself some new clients.
•KENO the financial Operation
Now Open problems. Director P.E.A.C.E., made
a heartfelt plea at
Email advertise@fenwaynews.
org for more info.
ESPN Game DayPlan Penina Adelman
•Memorial will focus much the meeting for
more aggressively everyone to use
•Draft Specials
to Labor Day! on fundraising,
which has not Jesse Biegel, group coordinator for Practicum
their neighborhood
relationships to Designers!
traditionally 3 in Berklee’s Music Therapy Department, sings drum up financial
•Great seafood been part of the and chases away the blues for an audience at support.
We have a
Do you run a business in the
Fenway, Audubon Circle, or
director’s job.
Swing
and on in
steak for
tips the Peterborough Senior Center. A partnership
The delicious and between Berklee and the senior center takes the year to work on Mission Hill? Turn neighbors
into clients with a business
lunch & enjoy Tavern healthy weekly form of a lively group sing-along held during the this, and help can
card ad in The Fenway News.
•BuzzTime
favorites including
lunches will now
occur monthly, and
academic year every Thursday at 11 a.m. turn up in some
unlikely corners. Thousands of readers will see
it each month—including
interactive
hot dogs for only Santosh Sharma, Readers of this
the senior aide who prepares them, has started newspaper may well have some of the keys to
your next new clients.

television
$1.50 during Red requesting donations of food as well as cash.
Samuels Associates has promised some
resolving these problems.
Suzanne Comtois lives in the West
Email advertise@fenwaynews.
org for more info.
Sox Away Games! Fens.

1270 Boylston Street

Boston, MA 02215
617.867.6526

Visit us online at:

se
TheBa ballTavern.com
6 | FENWAY NEWS FEBRUARY 2011

At Jordan Hall, Bach’s Brandenburg Concerti

photo: Brian Clague

Prove Able to Focus Even a Wandering Mind

J
by Stephen Brophy, editor
ordan Hall is pretty near to being thinking about such things I was not being
a perfect place to listen to baroque compelled to listen to what was all around me
chamber music. It is just ornate as much as I am used to.
enough to help audience members will That idea got me to thinking
themselves back to the 18th century, and it’s comparatively—what is my usual experience
intimate enough that they can easily feel as if at concerts compared to what is happening
they are attending one of the salons that we’ve at this one? That seemed to put an additional
read about in our history books. barrier between me and the music, so I tried to
The Handel & Haydn Society took good turn off my thinking and just feel—and was
advantage of moderately successful.
image: wikimedia commons

the grace of So while I listened

this space in a to the two familiar
concert on Jan. Brandenburgs with
21 that was built considerable pleasure,
around two it was not the same as
of J. S. Bach’s the delight I have felt in

My First Seventy Years*

Brandenburg the presence of Robert
Concerti, the Levin’s piano playing
3rd and 4th. or some of the choral
Conducted by works conducted by
Ian Watson, who Harry Christophers. A birthday planted deep
also played along Other than the two In the heart of Winter Solstice;
on a harpsichord, familiar Bach works my well-seasoned sun turns dancing
the shifting and the Avison, my
out beyond the winterblack skeletons
ensemble made favorite piece of the
its way through evening was a viola of bleak, leaf barren trees of the Fens.
works by Vivaldi, concerto by Georg The day slides west; slips below
Telemann, A formidable-looking J.S. Bach. Philipp Telemann. the horizon. The disappeared sun casts
Purcell, and two David Miller did
lesser known baroque composers, William excellent work as the soloist, and the musical
one last blaze of brilliant rosegold fire across
Boyce and Charles Avison. conversation between him and his fellow the low edge of the western sky.
Each half of the concert culminated players was completely engrossing. Although The crescent sliver of the new moon slides
in one of the Bach works, so for audience it came in the middle of the first half of west and downward, tethered
members with only a limited knowledge of the concert, this piece prepared the way
the repertoire (like me), a definite sense of for the final piece of the evening, the 3rd to the sun, which reels it in for the night.
anticipation was built in. My biggest surprise Brandenburg. In that composition, a theme
was how much I enjoyed the work by Avison, can go from instrument to instrument chasing But the stars! Oh the stars! In their wild riot
Concerto Grosso No. 5 in D, after Scarlatti. itself around the stage in a delightful game of
of billions; widely broadcast, they scatter,
I’m fairly sure I’d never heard it before, but it catch-me-if-you-can. It was the kind of work
truly made me listen more carefully. that sends the listener back out into the streets then spill out of the pockets
I was all the more aware of this because I feeling that life can be tolerable, after all. of the deep night sky.
found my mind wandering from time to time, The next Handel & Haydn Society
mostly to memories of French movies of the performance will be at Symphony Hall Anne M. Tobin (east fens)
1970s and ’80s, especially ones by François on March 18 and 20. British keyboardist January 11, 2011
Truffaut that made effective use of baroque and conductor Richard Egarr will lead
themes either to underscore or to highlight Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony as well as *Title taken from the autobiography written by Sister Madeleva Wolffe CSC, born in 1887,
emotions being evoked by the development of works by Haydn and Mozart. Visit www. president of St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana, and my mentor.
their plots. Eventually I realized that if I was handelandhaydn.org for more details.

maple syrup with your miusic? Berklee breakfast honors diane Patrick

B
by Nick Balkin
erklee City Music honored Massa-
chusetts First Lady Diane Patrick at
its eighth Unsung Heroes Breakfast
on January 22, recognizing people
who have made significant contributions to
the community as educators, artists, and men-
tors. Patrick, a lawyer, teacher, and active
member of her community, delivered the key-
note address and was honored for her many
contributions in early childhood development
and to the legal system.
Special guests for the breakfast included
Keith P. Jones, a disability-rights consultant,
composer, producer, and hip-hop artist; and
Clifford Weeks, director of the Berklee City
Music Faculty Outreach Program and the
second African American educator to teach in
South Boston. They joined a panel moderated
by Krystal Banfield Ed.D., senior director
of Berklee City Music, on Boston’s busing
era, its impact on the city, and the ways the
community has since worked to heal itself.
The event also featured performances by
the Berklee City Music Preparatory Academy
Choir, City Music All-Stars, and the Hyde
Square Task Force Dance Troop. Award and the school’s Outstanding Graduate Sarah, the Patricks moved to Massachusetts.
Patrick spent her early childhood in Award. She received her law degree in Diane Patrick took a position at Harvard as
Brooklyn. Her grandfather 1980 and was university attorney in the Office of General
was the first African admitted to the Counsel, where she spent six years before
American elected to public California Bar becoming director/associate vice president for
office in Brooklyn and co- the same year. human resources. In 1994, she took a job with
authored the nation’s first law Patrick the Washington D.C. firm Hogan & Hartson,
prohibiting discrimination in joined the firm where she worked in both the education and
public housing. She received of O’Melveny labor and employment law practice groups.
her BA in early childhood & Myers, and in She joined Boston’s Ropes & Gray law firm
education in 1972, graduating 1983 was asked in 1995.
with honors from Queens to assist in the Berklee City Music uses contempo-
College of the City University opening of a rary music to reach underserved fourth- to
of New York. New York City twelvth-graders with instruction by expert
After graduation, Patrick office. Recently faculty, individualized mentoring, after-
spent five years teaching engaged to school classes, Saturday schools, summer
elementary school in New Deval Patrick, study, and full scholarships to attend Berklee.
York City. When the city’s Diane Patrick (center) joined City Music the young couple City Music has provided educational and
bankruptcy of 1976-77 senior director, Krystal Banfield, left, and relocated to mentoring opportunities to more than 1,000
eliminated her job, she crossed executive director J. Curtis Warner Jr. the East Coast, urban teens since 1991. Four years ago, Berk-
the country to study at Loyola onstage at Berklee City Music’s Unsung where Mr. lee’s City Music Network expanded to include
Law School in Los Angeles. Heroes Breakfast January 22. Patrick took a partnerships with community groups nation-
At Loyola, she studied labor position with wide that share the goal of changing teenage
and employment law, which she practices the NAACP Legal Defense and Education lives with contemporary music education.
today. Her academic performance and public Fund. They were married in 1984. In 1986, Nick Balkin is a publicist at Berklee
service won her an American Jurisprudence a year after the birth of their first daughter College of Music.

Therapists!
Are you self-employed?
Turn your neighbors into
clients with a business card
ad in The Fenway News.
Thousands of readers will see
it each month—and you could
find yourself some new clients.
Email advertise@fenwaynews.
org for more info.
 FENWAY NEWS |FEBRUARY 2011 | 7

This symbol indicates a free

+ event. For even more listings,
visit www.fenwaynews.org

> Continued from page 8
Sat, Feb 12: Boston Conservatory presents
Read Our Lips: A Juventas Jam. An
energetic concert brings “classical” music
influenced by pop, rock and funk to the
stage. Seully Hall, 8 The Fenway, 4th floor.
To learn more, call (617) 912-9240 or visit
www.bostonconservatory.edu. $15 general
admission, $10 students.
Sat, Feb 12: Kaji Aso Studio presents a
Valentine cabaret, an evening of romantic
entertainment, including love songs, art
songs, opera arias, sweet treats, and doo
wop surprises! 7:30 p.m. $10 suggested
donation/$8 seniors. At 40 St. Stephen
Street. Info at 617-247-1719.
Wed, Feb 16-Sat, Mar 5: The Boston Center
for American Performance presents Athol
Fugard’s The Road to Mecca. Inspired by
the life and works of Helen Martins, the
play follows an eccentric sculptor who
quietly struggles against restrictive societal
and religious norms. Directed by Judy
Braha, the production features BU faculty
members Elaine Vaan Hogue and Mark
Cohen. Boston University Theatre, 264
Huntington Ave. Tickets $15-$20; at www.
bostontheatrescene.com, at 617-933-8600,
or in person at the box office.
Fri, Feb 18: How do you throw a 100th birth-
day bash for the most influential bluesman
ever? If you’re Big Head Todd and The Mon-
sters, you gather some of the greatest living
blues musicians and record a tribute album,
100 Years of Robert Johnson, and then tour
the U.S. At the Berklee Performance Center,
7:30 p.m. Tickets are $50, $35, and $25, at
the box office, or through Ticketmaster.
com. For more information, call 617-747-
2261 or visit berkleebpc.com.
Wed, Feb 20: Fun for Families Day at the Isa-
bella Stewart Gardner Museum. Bring your
kids for interactive storytelling, puzzles, art
projects, and scrapbooking. Activities are
recommended for ages 8 and above. 1 p.m.
to 4:30 p.m., $12, $10 for seniors, free for
ages 18 and under, 617-566-1401. gardner-
museum.org
Wed, Feb 23: From Anancy the Spider to The
People Who Could Fly, story teller Valerie
Stephens offers interactive tales, songs and
games from West Africa, the Americas and
the Caribbean geared for the whole family.
Comedy and drama with lessons about
mothers, lovers, worshippers, and betrayers,
along the way considering the larger themes
each kiss suggests and the ways artists
have rendered this single action to convey
multiple meanings. Starts from Scharf
Visitor Center at 6 p.m. Free with museum
admission.
Sun, Feb 27: The Gardner Museum contin-
ues its Sunday concerts at the Pozen Cen-
ter on the MassArt campus with the Trio
Cavetina, winners of the 2009 Naumburg
Chamber Music Competition. Adults $23;
seniors $18; members $15; college students
$10; ages 5-17 $5. Your concert ticket also
gets you into the museum before or after
the concert. Ticket sales (cash and check
only) at the Pozen Center (directly behind
the museum) from 12:30pm. Seating begins
at 12:45pm.
Mon, Feb 28: NEC’s new artistic director

Just Add Coconut: Exhibit’s Hot Colors, Carnival history, strength, knowing yourself, and
just plain fun. At the Boston Public
of opera studies, Stephen Lord, conducts
students, faculty and guests in a concert
Costumes Deliver a Welcome Taste of Caribbean + Library in Copley Square. 10:30-11:20
a.m. FREE
staging of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide.
Cast includes Broadway/television star Ron

T
by Matti Kniva Spencer
Wed, Feb 23: MFA gallery talk, Tales of
Raines; Jennifer Caraluzzi ’11 M.M., winner
he Muddy River Gallery, at the Peterborough Senior Center in the West 1001 Kisses, led by Beth Pugliano, explores of the 2010 Jenny Lind Competition; and
Fens, will feature photographs by Wallace Grant Tilford. The show kissing...and its implications. Sometimes mezzo soprano Luretta Bybee, chair of

+
will honor Black History Month and will feature photographs of the amorous, sometimes devious, always opera studies at the conservatory. 8
Caribbean Carnival, an event held yearly in Massachusetts that models compelling, participants will look at p.m. in Jordan Hall. FREE
itself on the carnivals commonly held throughout the Caribbean.
For many years, Tilford has been attending Boston-area carnivals, and his
show has captured the beauty and diversity of the people who take part. The
annual Cambridge Carnival International Festival uses the Trinidad and Tobago
model to bring together Cambridge’s diverse community for a spectacular parade
and celebration. The Caribbean carnivals all share several themes based on

I
folklore, culture, religion and tradition.
photo: matti kniva Spencer

Tilford, known to many in the West n 1999, Boston Neighborhood Network Now for a little change and add some
Fens as a crime watch coordinator for printed “Public Access Television light-hearted stuff. Think where we’d be
the Boston Police Department, became is the best thing that ever happened today if the Wright Brothers had been sisters.
involved with acrylic painting while a to the city of Boston. My age is 80 Is it proper for a gentleman to stand up
teenager and won the National Scholastic years.” This quote is by me, Clyde Whalen, in the tub when a lady enters the room? The
Art Award Gold Key in his home state Allston-Brighton-Fenway correspondent for answer is, Only if the gentleman is taking a
of Illinois. He attended college as an Neighborhood Network News, and a local hot bath at the time. Otherwise it could be
advertising design major, then switched comedy performer. Since that quote, I have very embarrassing.
over to philosophy. moved into the Fenway, where I reside. As you walk down the streets of life
He always enjoyed a passion for As an observer in the Fenway, I have emanating love for all God’s creatures, people
photography, and about three years ago come to the conclusion that will point at you and shout, “Look
started taking photos of the many people Channel 9 would go a long way at him. He just emanated right in
who took part in the Caribbean Carnival. toward bettering their position, the middle of the street. Did you
“I’ve always attended the carnivals and if they would stop sitting around see that?”
have always been struck by the beauty of like a bunch of school children Now is the time for all good
the costumes people wear,” Tilford says. “I call my work with these carnivals... and get with the realities of life. men to come to the aid of the rest
the two-second interview: I walk up to the person...ask them if I can photograph The most important of which is of us.
them...then take the photo. This is what you will see when you view my exhibition.” standing when you deliver. It’s all How many of you carry
Islands that inspired the carnivals featured in the show include Barbados, right to sit down until your name guns for protection? Hold up your
the Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Antigua, Dominica, Trinidad, Tobago, Dominican is called, then you stand up and hands.
Republic, Panama, and Haiti. take over, using the table to lean Life is a song that goes on
This will be Tilford’s first major exhibition and he feels honored to hold it on. forever.
in a community as diverse as the West Fenway. “My show is about diversity... Obviously, when people are She fell in love with a stable
and I want people who view my show to realize how many cultures, traditions standing, they can move their West Fens resident boy, and I got wind of it.
and histories are involved in celebrating these Caribbean traditions. There body and not just their hands. Clyde Whalen gives The CDC has the same
are 36 million people of West Indian and Caribbean descent...and my show Today the audience is faced with “The Fenway Report” initials as the Centers for Disease
demonstrates the pride, joy, excitement, beauty and diversity some of these watching people sitting down, every other week Control.
countries have to offer the world.” talking by waving their arms, like on cable channel Speaking of initials, Barack
In addition to having worked for the BPD for 17 years, Tilford enjoys traveling they’re battling off flies, when 9’s Neighborhood Obama’s are B.O.
to the Virgin Islands annually. what they should do is stand up Network News. Welcome to the backpack
The Muddy River Gallery is open to the public Monday through Thursday, and let their whole body talk generation—a pain in the neck,
from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For best viewing hours, call the center at 617-536- and rest their hands on the table in front of back, and a pain in the butt.
7154. The opening reception for Tilford’s show takes place on Sunday, February 6, them—a perfect setting for speaking that Not wanting to scare you folks, but I feel
from 1 to 4 p.m. Everyone is welcome! Anyone who would like to connect with Mr. would not be lost on the audience. about the weather that this is going to be a bad
Tilford more can reach him at ga22@aol.com The only other way to get rid of arm winter. Thirty-two degrees feels like a heat
Matti Kniva Spencer lives in the West Fens. swinging, while sitting down, is to adapt wave.
what you’re saying, word by word, so that The troubles of our proud and angry dust
your meaning will transfer and give the are from eternity. Bear them we can and if we
arm waving some continuity. This new can, we must. So shoulder the sky, my friend,
presentation, in my mind, would go a long and drink your coffee.
way toward pushing Channel 9 up to the level He used to ask people questions to which
it should reach for neighborhood news. only he knew the answers. Now he didn’t
Another weakness in Channel 9’s local learn much this way, but he dominated every
approach is the repetition of subject material. conversation.
The guy in charge asks a question, which Prior to getting out of show business,
is answered at some length to the person I was working radio, television and the
familiar with the subject, over and over again. newspaper. I have been in nightclubs all
Neighborhood problems are publicly aired in over the United States, cruise ships that
the fond hope that clever answers will lead to have been around the world, and newspaper
a successful conclusion. columns that have been read by many;
In conclusion, Channel 9 is a great idea. and yet I have called Channel 9, who have
Here’s hoping they will see their weakness been broadcasting, and broadcasting, and
and do something about it. And one last thing: broadcasting that they want people for their
Have a sense of humor. It doesn’t have to be shows. Yet when I contacted them, they
funny, just light-hearted. Let Channel 9 go never got back to me. Could this be a case of
down in history, as a communications project discriminating against the elderly?
under control for what may one day be a Until next time, if there is a next time,
brilliant future. ’bye for now.
8 | FENWAY NEWS FEBRUARY 2011
Fri, Jan 28-Sun, Feb 27: The new year blooms
with Wheelock Family Theatre’s production
of The Secret Garden, an original musical by
WFT founders Susan Kosoff and Jane Staab.
School vacation week (Tue, Feb 22–Fri,
Feb 25) matinees at 1:00 p.m. Call 617-879-
2300 or visit wheelockfamilytheatre.org/
feature-performance.aspx for times and
ticket information.
Tue, Feb 1: Cortright McMeel, author of
Short, a fictional recount of the subculture
of Boston energy traders, will read, discuss
and sign his book at the Trident Booksellers
+ and Café, 338 Newbury St. at 7 p.m.
Call 617-267-8688 for info. FREE.
Wed, Feb 2: Mass Historical Society, at 1154
Boylston Street, screens Hit & Run History,
a series of short documentaries created for
WGBH about the men behind the voyage
of the Columbia, the first American ship
to circumnavigate the globe (in 1787).
+
Refreshments at 5:30 p.m., film at 6
p.m. RSVP: 617-646-0560. FREE.
The following events take place at the
Peterborough Senior Center, located two
blocks from Boylston between 100 and 108
Jersey St. (walk down the alley and look left).
For more information, call 617-536-7154.
Recurring
Mondays
• 9:30 a.m: Breakfast Club with Matti
• 11 a.m: Films—Feb 7: Sister Act (1992);
Feb 14: To Sir, With Love (1967); Feb 28:
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999)
• 1:15 p.m.: Yoga with Simmons students
Tuesdays
• 11 a.m: Exercise with Mahmoud
• 12 noon: Films—To Kill a Mockingbird
(1962); Feb 8: A Raisin in the Sun (1961);
Feb 15: Amistad (1997); Feb 22: The Color
Purple (1985)
Wednesdays
• 10 a.m.-noon: Blood pressure check with
Joyce
• 1 p.m: Yoga with Carmen (new time)
THURSDAYS
• 10 a.m. ESL, with Rudy Corvo
• 11 a.m. Berklee sing-along
• 12 noon. Bingo
SPECIAL EVENTS
Wed, Feb 2
• 11 a.m. Short story discussion—Flannery
O’Connor’s “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”
• 12 noon—Black History Month kick-off,
Kwanzaa style
Thu, Feb 3 Mardi Gras—History of mask
making
Sun, Feb 6 1-4 p.m. Exhibition opening—
Wallace Grant Tillford, artist and
photographer
Wed, Feb 9 noon. Poetic Lunch Hour
Thu, Feb 10
• 10 a.m. Valentine’s Day card making for
children with cancer
• 12:15 p.m. Jackie and Michelle, mother/
daughter singing duo
Wed, Feb 16 11 a.m. Short story discussion—
Chinua Achebe and Bessie Head
Thu, Feb 17 10 a.m. Highlights of developing
countries
Mon, Feb 21 Center is closed for holiday.
Wed, Feb 23 11 a.m. Spirituality in the Deep
South
Thu, Feb 24 noon. Soul Food lunch
boston cab 617-536-5010
For a trip to the aiport or a night on the town, don’t call any cab, call Boston Cab—your neighbor for 50 years and a proud supporter of The Fenway News.
Wed, Feb 2: E. Barry Gaither, director of the
National Center of Afro-American Artists,
interviews artist and poet Gary Rickson
at 7 p.m. at Haley House Bakery Cafe for
the History Speaker Series: Black Arts
Movement. Dinner available for purchase at
5 p.m, program at 7 p.m. First-come, first-
+
served seating. Call 617-445-0900 for
information and directions. FREE.
Thu, Feb 3: Denise Doxey, curator, Ancient
Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern Art at
the MFA leads a gallery talk on Living with
the Dead in Ancient Egypt. Tour starts from
Sharf Visitor Center at 11 a.m. Free with
museum admission.
Fri, Feb 4: Bead+Fiber celebrates its new
yarn boutique with an all-day yarn party,
featuring prizes and special discounts.
Known for its selection of gemstones, ethnic
beads, findings, and supplies from around
the world, the only bead store in Boston
expands its fiber offerings to include a
wide variety of natural fibers, colors and
textures. Store hours, Tue-Sun, 11–6, Weds
until 8pm. 460 Harrison Ave. Visit www.
+ beadandfiber.net or call 617-426-
2323.
Sat, Feb 5: The August Wilson Monologue
Competition for Boston high school sopho-
mores, juniors, and seniors focuses on the
plays of August Wilson’s Century Cycle. The
top three competitors win all-expense-paid
trips to compete against winners from other
regions in national finals on Broadway at
the August Wilson Theatre in May. On the
Huntington’s main stage, beginning at
+ 9 a.m. Open to the public. RSVP at
617 273-1504. FREE.
Sat, Feb 5: The Citywide Friends of the BPL
holds a midwinter book sale from 10 a.m. to
4 p.m. The new location is the lower level of
the historic McKim Building on Dartmouth
Street. The Friends have expanded their
selection, with new and used hardcovers
and paperbacks, most selling for $2 or less.
Open to the public and all proceeds benefit
+
the off-budget and programming
needs of the Boston Public Library
system. FREE.
Mon, Feb 7: Classes begin at Kaji Aso
Studio for arts, ceramics, Japanese arts and
Tue, Feb 1: Boston’s summer youth job
program hotline opens. Registration Feb.
1-Mar. 4. Call 617-635-4202 for info or
registration forms.
Wed, Feb 2: Fenway liaison for the Mayor’s
Office of Neighborhood Services, William
Onuoha, holds office hours 3:30-5:30 p.m.,
YMCA, 316 Huntington Ave.
Thu, Feb 3: Info session on affordable housing
at risk in the Fenway. 6:30 p.m. Fensgate
Community Room, 73 Hemenway St. Enter
on side and ring bell marked “Community
Rm.” Info from Sarah at shorsley@fenwaycdc.
org or 617-267-4637 x19 .
Sat, Feb 5: Ward 4 Democratic Caucus
meets at 10:30 a.m. for District 7 City
Council endorsement, noon; South End
Branch Library, 685 Tremont St; Ward 4
registered Dems invited.
Mon, Feb 7: Berklee Task Force meeting, 6-8
p.m., Site TBA. For info or meeting site,
email gerald.autler.bra@cityofboston.gov.
Tue, Feb 15: Fenway CDC Urban Village
Committee meets. Get involved in monitor-
ing development in the Fenway and advocat-
ing for the kind of neighborhood you want.
6:30 p.m., Community Room, 73 Hemenway
St., side door. Email Callie at cwatkins@fen-
+
This symbol indicates a free
event. For even more listings,
visit www.fenwaynews.org
Digging Down into Boston’s Black History
pick of the month
Over the years, Boston’s black community migrated from the North End to
Beacon Hill, the South End, and later to Roxbury. On Saturday, February 12,
dig a bit deeper into that migration on Discover Roxbury’s Black History trolley
tour. Guides will cover three centuries of Boston’s historic black neighborhood,
focusing on influential residents—from William Monroe Trotter and Louis
Farrakhan to Melnea Cass and Elma Lewis—whose work in politics, the arts,
and social activism helped shape a future very different from the times they
lived in. The tour, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., will also touch on early black
support for the Underground Railroad
and the community’s impact on laws
against slavery; the Boston Riot of 1903;
urban renewal and gentrification; and
the Civil Rights era, which encompassed
figures like Melnea Cass, Martin Luther
King, Jr., Louis Farrakhan and Malcolm
X. Join the tour at
• 12:30pm: Roxbury Heritage State
Park, 183 Roxbury Street
• 12:50pm: Hotel 140, 140 Clarendon
Street (YWCA building)
Buy tickets at www.brownpapertickets.
com/event/141500 for $25. For more information, contact Jacquinn Williams,
617-4271006, or jacquinn@discoverroxbury.org and www.discoverroxbury.org
culture, and the tea ceremony. Visit www. Hűsker Dű, Joy Division, the Pixies, and My
kajiasostudio.com. Bloody Valentine. 8:15 p.m. at Berklee Per-
Wed, Feb 9: “Deadly Medicine in the Nazi formance Center, 136 Mass Ave. Call 617-
Era: What Turned Physician Healers into 747-2261 or visit berkleebpc.com for more
information. $10 (and well worth it!)
Killers?” Why so many German physicians
participated in the criminal actions of the Fri, Feb 11: NEC’s piano majors celebrate
Nazi regime and how their actions changed the Liszt bicentennial in Lisztmania!, an
professional codes and ethics in medicine. evening of performances that focus on the
Featured speakers include Patricia Heberer, composer’s transcriptions, paraphrases and
Ph.D., a historian at the U.S. Holocaust potpourris of the works of other composers,
Memorial, and Matthew Wynia, M.D.,
M.P.H., director of the Institute for Ethics + including Beethoven, Schubert,
Tchaikovsky, and Wagner. 8 p.m. in
of the American Medical Association. 7 Jordan Hall. FREE
p.m. in the Rabb Lecture Hall of the Boston Thu, Feb 10-Thu, Mar 3: The Museum
Public Library’s main branch. FREE School’s Student Annual Exhibition
Wed, Feb 9: Heavy Rotations, Berklee’s stu- celebrates artists on the threshold of their
dent-run label, presents its 11th annual Epic creative futures. Features works by 2010–11
Event, showcasing artists on Under the In- award recipients alongside pieces selected
fluence, the upcoming compilation by HRR, by an independent jury from hundreds of
Berklee’s student-run label. Berklee students entries by an independent jury. Opening
and alumni pay tribute to some of rock’s reception: Feb 10, 5–7 p.m.; artist talk on
biggest names, including REM, Green Day, Feb 14, 12:30–2 p.m. For more information,
+
U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Radiohead, Contact Brooke Witkowski, 617-369-
along with covers of seminal bands that in- 3605 or bwitkowski@smfa.edu FREE
fluenced their sounds—Mission of Burma, > Calendar listings continue on page 7
waycdc.org or call her at 617-267-4637x16. holds office hours, 1-2 p.m., at Fenway
Health, 1340 Boylston. Residents’ concerns
Tue, Feb 15: Special election for District 7
on legislation, issues, services welcome.
City Councilor. Polls open 7 a.m–8 p.m.
Six candidates: Natalie Carithers, Althea Sat, Feb 19: Ward 5 Democratic Caucus
Garrison, Tito Jackson, Cornell Mills, Roy elects delegates to the June 4 state Demo-
Owens, Danielle Williams. In the Fenway, cratic Convention. 10 a.m. First Church,
only voters from Ward 4, precincts 5, 8, 9, 66 Marlboro, Berkeley at Marlboro streets.
may vote. For more info, call city Election Registered Democrats from Ward 5 invited.
Dept at 617-635-3767. Mon, Feb 21: Fenway CDC Civic Engagement
Tue,Feb 15: East Fens Community/Police Committee meets. Help support Burbank
meeting., 6 p.m. Morville House, 100 Apts Tenant Association’s efforts to save
Norway St. affordable housing and other community
Tue, Feb 15: Audubon Circle Neighborhood efforts. Email Sarah at shorsley@fenwaycdc.
Assoc board meeting., 6:30-8:30 p.m. org or call her at 617-267-4637 x19.
Harvard Vanguard, 131 Brookline Ave., Tue, Feb 22: Symphony Neighborhood Task
Annex Bldg., Rm 3D. For more info, call Force meeting., 6:30 p.m. Site TBD. For
617-262-0657. info or for meeting. site, call City Councilor
Tue, Feb 15: Ward 5 Democratic Committee Mike Ross’s Office at 617-635-4225.
meeting. 7 p.m., First Church, 66 Marlboro Thu, Feb 24: Fenway Family Coalition, 6:30
St., corner of Berkeley and Marlboro streets. p.m. Get to know other Fenway families;
help us plan for a multicultural spring
Wed, Feb 16: Fenway liaison for the Mayor’s
Office of Neighborhood Services, William potluck. For info, call K.D. Thurman or
Onuoha, holds office hours 3:30-5:30 p.m., Sarah at Fenway CDC, 617-267-4637 or
YMCA, 316 Huntington Ave. email Sarah at shorsley@fenwaycdc.org.
Wed, Feb 16: West Fens Community/Police Mon, Feb 28: Longwood Medical Area
Boston Cab
meeting., 5 p.m. Landmark Center (corner Forum, 6:30-8 p.m. For location or to verify
if meeting. will be held, email Laura at
Park Drive/Brookline Ave.), 2nd floor, Dist. 4
lfogerty@masco.harvard.edu.
Police substation (next to security desk).
Thu, Feb 17: Cong. Michael Capuano’s rep.