Special to Sun
The City Council adopted a resolution last week supporting the Boston Transportation Department’s efforts to transform New Edgerly Road in the Fenway into a pedestrian plaza while earlier this week, the Council adopted a resolution in support of dedicating that same road in honor of the late Fenway neighborhood activist, John Bookston.
The City’s Public Improvement Commission Policy for Name Changes and Square Dedication for Public Way and Private Way in the City of Boston states that a square dedication “can be used to honor any person, living or deceased, who has had a great impact on the surrounding community,” according to a press release from the city.
An active member of the Fenway neighborhood, Bookston, who died at age 76 on Oct. 8, was a strong advocate for our schools, affordable housing, and food justice. He served on the board of the Fenway Civic Association between 2016 and 2023, serving as a powerful voice for affordable housing and childcare in the neighborhood. His background as a lawyer demonstrated his commitment to social justice and uplifting the voices of the vulnerable through his years of work with the Environmental Protection Agency.
Additionally, as a math teacher, Bookston taught his students with compassion and an innovative approach to mathematics as problem solving, which served to uplift students’ confidence and abilities,
“He participated in his community with an intense and earnest optimism that he demonstrated in countless volunteer efforts across a variety of initiatives, which at the very least brought a smile to those he helped and at the most created meaningful and significant positive change in his community<” according to the city.