TAGGER ARRESTED IN SOUTH END
At about 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday, July 24, an officer assigned to the Boston Police Auto Theft Unit was on patrol in the area of West Dedham and Tremont streets in the South End in a concerted effort to prevent vandals from spraying graffiti and tags on public property, residents’ property, businesses’ property, and vehicles throughout the city. From his training and experience, this officer had specific knowledge of characteristics and common behaviors exhibited by taggers and, on the above date and time, observed an individual, later identified as 19-year-old Logan O’Keefe of Mattapan, exhibiting those behaviors.
The officer’s attention was first drawn to O’Keefe when he observed him standing awkwardly near a larg,e green mailbox while holding what appeared to be a whiteout marker in his hand. The officer observed O’Keefe briefly turn toward the mailbox, then walk away. At no time did the officer ever observe a piece of mail in O’Keefe’s hand, nor was this a working, blue mailbox. As O’Keefe walked farther away, the officer approached to inspect the mailbox and observed a fresh graffiti “tag” on it. The officer observed a similar tag on a second nearby mailbox. The officer followed O’Keefe as he walked onto Montgomery Street, watching as O’Keefe took out a cell phone and took a picture of a third similar tag, this one larger on the side of a residential building. The officer continued to follow the suspect observing him make several more tags, while requesting an additional unit so that he may affect a safe arrest. O’Keefe was in the process of tagging a silver vent pipe in the area of 671 Tremont St. when the officers were able to arrest him without further incident. O’Keefe is charged with six counts of felony tagging/graffiti and will be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court.
COUNCILOR FLYNN BAY VILLAGE HOURS
Councilor Ed Flynn will take his Neighborhood Office Hours program to Mike & Patty’s, 12 Church St. in Bay Village this Saturday, Aug. 4, from 10 a.m. -11am. Residents are encouraged to bring constituent and neighborhood issues directly to Councilor Flynn and his staff.
“As the District City Councilor, it is important for me to continue this program and bring City Hall services to each of our neighborhoods. Oftentimes, people are unable to take the time from work or too busy to travel into the city to deal with a particular issue. This is an opportunity for us to come to the neighborhood over the weekend and hear from our residents directly about their concerns regarding our parks, public safety, development, and our libraries,” said Flynn. “My belief is that every part of District 2 deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, as well as having the same access to basic city services as everyone else. I will continue to bring City Hall services to each of our neighborhoods.”
For more information regarding future neighborhood office hours or constituent service issues, please contact Councilor Flynn’s office at 617-635-3203 or [email protected].
POLICE CATCH HOUSE BREAKER
At about 11:20 a.m. on Tuesday, July 24, officers from District D-4 (South End) responded to a call for a man climbing through a first-floor window in the area of 6-10 Blackwood St. Upon arrival, officers were provided with a photo taken on a cell phone of a suspect climbing through a window at the above location. Officers in the area observed a male fitting the suspect’s description exit a building on Blackwood Street. When officers attempted to stop the suspect, he fled on foot and a brief foot chase ensued. Officers were able to apprehend the suspect at the end of the block near Saint Botolph Street. While speaking with the suspect, officers were approached by a witness who reported having video of the same suspect removing items from another building in the areas several hours before he was stopped. The suspect, identified as Alexis Rodriguez-Perez, 27, of Mattapan, was then found in possession of four stolen laptops and other stolen personal items. Officers arrested Rodriguez-Perez and charged him with breaking and entering in the daytime and buying/receiving/concealing stolen property.
BACK BAY HAPPENINGS
- Summer movies at the Pru. With free, family-friendly movies shown under the stars, the Magic 106.7 Family Film Festival is a great summer night out. Entertainment, children’s activities and giveaways will start at 6 p.m. All movies will start every Saturday at sundown. Rain dates will be held the following Tuesday. 2018 remaining movie Schedule:
- Aug. 4: The Incredibles
- Aug. 11: Mulan
- Aug. 18: Tarzan
- Aug. 25: A Wrinkle in Time
Picnic blankets and beach chairs are welcome. Spend just $10 at the Pru and receive discounted parking in the Prudential Center Garage. Closed captioning will be provided for all movies.
- The Friends of the Public Garden are looking for champion volunteer weeders to help maintain the beautiful Boylston Street border and the Beacon Street border in the Public Garden. ‘You supply the enthusiasm, we supply the gloves, kneepads, and some brief instructions on weed identification!’ Volunteers meet up on alternating Thursdays, starting April 26, 5-7 p.m.
SOUTH END DATES
- Enjoy free outdoor yoga every Sunday morning at 8 a.m. in Blackstone Square through the month of August, compliments of Coolidge Yoga South End. Bring a mat and water, and enjoy an hour of all-levels vinyasa.
- Castle Square Tenants Organization (CSTO) will hold their 22nd annual National Night Out event in the Village Court (464 Tremont St.) for the entire South End on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 5-8 p.m. Mayor Martin Walsh is expected to attend.
- The OneHood Basketball league will play on Friday, Aug. 3. Playoffs start on Wednesday, Aug. 8. in the Blackstone Community Center courts (outside). The OneHood All-Stars vs. Boston Police will play on Friday, Aug. 10. The games go from 6-8 p.m. and feature some fast-moving action.
- The ParkArts Neighborhood Concert Series will feature Them Apples in Blackstone Square (1535 Washington St.) on Wedsnesday, Aug. 8, at 7 p.m.
- BCYF Blackstone will have a Summer Block Party on Thursday, Aug. 9, from 5-7 p.m. at the community center, 50 W. Brookline St.
- The next quarterly project construction update for the Harrison Albany Block project will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 21, at 6 p.m. in the Suffolk Construction trailer at East Dedham Street. Some of the work coming in August includes the slurry wall finalization for the foundation and the erection of the tower crane in mid-August.
FENWAY TIMES
- New summer hours for Fenway Community Center. Monday through Saturday open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, also open 5-8 p.m. Close Sunday.
*Thursday, Aug. 2, P.S.C. Book Club, 1:30 p.m.
*Monday, Aug. 6, Red Sox Neighborhood Advisory Meeting, 6 p.m.
*Tuesday, Aug. 7, Exercise with Mahmoud Gamil, 11 a.m. Seated and low-impact exercises.
*Tuesday, Aug. 7, Social Dance, 1-3 p.m.
- Upcoming Red Sox Home Games: 8/2, 7:10 p.m. vs. Yankees; 8/3, 7;10 p.m. vs. Yankees; 8/4, 4:05 p.m. vs. Yankees; 8/5, 8:05 p.m. vs. Yankees. Red Sox will be on the road until Aug. 17.
The Fenway Victory Gardens is having a Community Participation Day on Saturday, August 18 from 9 a.m. to noon. This is an opportunity for members to satisfy their service hours and for other community volunteers to clean, weed, and turn compost in the Gardens! Snacks are provided before 9 a.m. Join us in The Victory Gardens for our annual harvest festival, “Fensfest” on Saturday, Sept. 8 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Celebrate with food, music, raffles and lot’s of fun stuff. Learn about butterflies, bees and other pollinators. Are you a City of Boston resident and interested in joining our waitlist for a garden plot of your own? If so, send an e-mail to [email protected] with your name, preferred contact e-mail, phone number, and waitlist request!
FOG X FLO BEGINS AUGUST 11
Japanese artist Fujiko Nakaya will mark the five decades of her career with “fog sculptures” along five different sites at the Emerald Necklace parks. Nakaya created these sculptures in response to Frederick Law Olmsted’s visions for the landscapes and waterways in the parks. From Aug. 11 to Oct. 31, visitors can see these shape-shifting water forms in the Back Bay Fens, Olmsted Park, Jamaica Pond Park, Arnold Arboretum, and Franklin Park from dawn to dusk.
CONCERTS AT TITUS SPARROW PARK
The Friends of Titus Sparrow Park have once again brought a slate of great summer concerts to the South End park. Below is the remaining lineup of concerts for the summer – including kids’ concerts in the mornings.
- Weds. evenings at 6:30 p.m. (unless noted):
Aug. 8, Pan Neubean Steel
Aug. 15, Gretchen and the Pickpockets
Aug. 22, Slim Jim and the Mad Cows (6:15 p.m. start)
Aug. 29, TBD (6 p.m. start)
- Childrens’ Concerts, Tuesdays at 10 a.m. (rain location, unless noted, basement of Union United Methodist
Aug. 7, Kira Helper
August 14, Wayne Potash
BPL COURTYARD CONCERTS CONTINUE
Boston Public Library’s Concerts in the Courtyard series continues through Friday, Aug. 31, bringing a range of free music to one of Boston’s most beautiful spaces during one-hour concerts throughout the summer. Concerts are held twice each week on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and on Fridays at 12:30 p.m.
Wednesday concerts are presented in partnership with Berklee College of Music and sponsored by Brookline Bank. Concerts will be moved to the newly renovated Rabb Hall in the event of inclement weather.
- Properly Unprepared, Friday, Aug. 3, 12:30 p.m.
- Abigail Lim-Kimberg, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 6 p.m.
- Grupo Fantasia Quartet, Friday, Aug. 10, 12:30 p.m.
- Tyson Jackson, Wednesday, Aug. 15, 6 p.m.
- Boston Saxophone Quartet, Friday, Aug. 17, 12:30 p.m.
- Autumn Jones, Wednesday, Aug. 22, 6 p.m.
- Cold Chocolate, Friday, Aug. 24, 12:30 p.m.
- Mariano Escalona, Wednesday, Aug. 29, 6 p.m.
- Boston Lyric Opera, Friday, Aug. 31, 12:30 p.m.
SLOW STREETS APPLICATIONS
Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced that applications for the 2018 Neighborhood Slow Streets program are now available. The Neighborhood Slow Streets program is a community-based effort to reduce speeds and improve the quality of life on Boston’s local streets. Neighborhoods associations, community groups, faith-based institutions and other organized groups of neighbors are invited to apply to the program.
All completed applications will be evaluated using the same objective criteria. The top-scoring three to five neighborhoods will be selected, and the community process and design of each new zone is expected to be completed by early 2020. Applications must be submitted, or postmarked and mailed, by no later than Friday, August 24, 2018.
Please note that returning applicants only need to supply contact information and signatures from community members, and returning applicants may submit a new map if they choose to make adjustments to their zone.
JUNIOR LEAGUE OF BOSTON EVENTS
- Nov. 10 – Moonlight Masquerade, Aloft Boston Seaport
The night will include dancing, drinks and a raffle to raise funds for the League’s community programs.
- February 28, 2019-March 2, 2019
LBDI (Little Black Dress Initiative), Kick off TBA. LBDI is an advocacy campaign that seeks to raise community awareness on the issues of poverty in Boston. During the week, LBDI advocates will wear the same black dress for five consecutive days to illustrate the effects poverty can have on a woman’s access to resources, her confidence and professional opportunities.
- March 30, 2019 – Annual Charity Gala, JFK Museum.