OPIATE WORKING GROUP TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING IN NOV
The South End Forum Opiate Working Group has announced that it will have a community-wide public meeting on the week before Thanksgiving, likely on Nov. 15 or 16, to unveil more than a year’s worth of ideas and suggestions
Those ideas and suggestions will center on how to best deal with the opiate epidemic that has exacted great consequences on the community and those who are addicted and frequenting the neighborhood.
The Working Group is comprised of numerous experts and entities who have been brainstorming and discussing ideas for more than a year – meeting once a month at the Hampton Inn on Mass/Cass.
The time will likely be at 6 or 6:30 p.m., and there was no place yet secured.
SAUDI SHIEK TO RENOVATE AMES WEBSTER MANSION
As detailed in the Wall Street Journal last week, Sheikh Fahad M.S. Al Athel of Saudi Arabia announced that he will convert the Ames Webster Mansion on Dartmouth Street in the Back Bay into three ultra-luxury condos.
The renovation is expected to cost $35 million, and will be completed in 2019. The three condos, including a triplex penthouse, are expected to sell for beyond $20 million each.
Construction inside is already underway with restoration work on existing murals, stained glass, mosaics and chandeliers.
They are also currently constructing an underground parking garage, the Journal reported.
Al Athel acquired the property in 2013 for $14.5 million.
LANDWAVE WILL GET MEETING OCT. 16
Members of the Eight Streets Neighborhood Association (ESNA) and the Friends of Peters Park announced Tuesday night – during the ESNA meeting – that there will be a city hearing on the potential removal of the failed LandWave sculpture in Peters Park.
Ted Pietras of the Friends said the meeting will take place on Monday, Oct. 16, in Project Place, at 6:30 p.m.
It is a procedural step, he said, but one that could finally cut through the daunting bureaucracy that has washed over neighbors for about a year as they try to rid the park of the dangerous LandWave.
“It’s falling apart, and it doesn’t work the way it was supposed to,” said Pietras. “It was supposed to be lit up and have plants growing around it. The wave was supposed to represent this spot being the only piece of land in the old days. It just didn’t work out. It needs to be removed.”
The call for removal has been universal for more than one year, but the slow churning of City Hall has frustrated neighbors who have resorted to good, old-fashioned letter writing.
Now, Pietras said the Friends are looking for a large crowd to come out to support the effort of removal at the Oct. 16 meeting.
MAYORAL DEBATE SHUFFLEBOARD
After a lively evening of exchanging letters between the two mayoral campaigns last Thursday about the status of debates, an Oct. 10 debate on WBZ was scrapped and a debate last night, on Oct. 11 at RoxVote, was on the table.
Debates between Mayor Martin Walsh and Councilor Tito Jackson have been hard to come by, and there seemingly have been more starts than stops.
A debate on Oct. 24
FOLEY’S UP FOR HEARING
J.J. Foley’s Café in the South End will have a hearing Oct. 17 before the Licensing Board regarding an alleged assault and battery on a patron – an incident which reportedly happened on Sept. 9.
A Foley’s employee is accused of choking, punching and kicking a patron; failing to call police; and serving a minor. The charge of assault and battery on a patron stems from an incident where a man was removed from the establishment, and then returned to get his cell phone. When he knocked several times on the window, he ended up allegedly breaking it. That, allegedly, brought on the assault.
He reportedly was taken to the hospital with severe injuries to his liver and ribs.
The hearing will take place at 10 a.m. in Boston City Hall, Room 809A.
ENGAGEMENT CENTER LIKELY TO BE EXTENDED AFTER INPUT
City officials are touting the new Engagement Day Center on Southampton Street as a success since opening on Aug. 1 – noting that they will come back to the community for input, but expect that the pilot will continue running through the winter.
Jen Tracy of the Mayor’s Office of Addiction Services told the South End Forum Opiate Working Group on Tuesday that they have had a great response, and are at capacity of 50 to 100 at any given time.
This week, they expect to finally ramp up to operating seven days a week and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
She said the day center program is still a pilot, and city officials would come back to neighbors before extending the program.
“We’re currently developing metrics to present back to this group and other neighborhood groups,” she said. “We will get feedback, but we will approach our planning for winter with the anticipation it has been positive, and it will continue on through the winter.”
She said they have been serving about 300 people per day, and that they have had things such as Smoothie Day – which gave rise to a healthy eating group.
One situation that arose was that third-shift workers began showing up to hang out in the Engagement Center, which is something they will talk more about.
‘NIMBUS’ TO LIGHT UP FRANKLIN SQUARE
Franklin Square is about to get lit up very uniquely on Tuesday, Oct. 17, with a light installation called “Nimbus.”
Artists Claudia Ravaschiere and Michael Moss have been busy installing the lighting all week and will debut 26 orbs in Franklin Square on Oct. 17, with a lighting party at 6:30 p.m. A reception will follow at Anoush’ella, co-hosted by Blackstone/Franklin Square Neighborhood Association and Washington Gateway Main Street.
“Our goal in making art for the public realm is to evoke a sense of discovery as people encounter the unexpected in a familiar space,” said the artists in a statement. “We hope to rouse curiosity in passersby, increasing their capacity to observe what the park offers: a contemplative area to experience the green and the beauty of the earth in an urban setting. We used the iconography of a cloud to create a sculptural light piece above the Blackstone Fountain in Franklin Square. We found our inspiration in one of NASA’s earliest environmental satellite programs, first launched in the mid-1960s, the Nimbus Satellite Missions. The Nimbus program and the data that was collected allowed scientists to measure the Earth’s radiation for the first time and observe solar radiation entering and exiting the Earth’s system. These observations helped to verify and refine the earliest climate models and observation of the polar ice caps. The contribution of the Nimbus satellite program and the study of the data from these missions provide vital information on global warming today. We hope that by making reference to the this early program, those that encounter our “Nimbus” will be inspired to study further the history of this program, global warming and the importance of urban green space.”
AN EVENING OF BRAZILIAN AND JAZZ
Community Music Center of Boston’s 2017-2018 Concert Series begins with an intriguing program presented by Imagine 5, the new Boston based ensemble featuring five leading musicians and composers that bring together a contemporary and fresh sound to Brazilian, jazz and other South American music styles. Fernando Brandão – flutes, Ryan Fedak – vibraphone, Caio Afiune – electric guitar, James Heazlewood-Dale – acoustic bass, Kan Yanabe – percussion
The free event will take place on Thursday, Oct. 12 at 7p.m. at Allen Hall, Community Music Center of Boston 34 Warren Avenue, Boston, MA 02116 www.cmcb.org.
NEVER A DULL MOMENT
Historian and collector Brenton Simons will discuss his favorite adventures (and a few misadventures) in personal and institutional collecting of art and antiques in this exclusive illustrated presentation. As longtime CEO of the nations founding genealogical organization, the New England Historic Genealogical Society, he has help steward and expand its institutional collections, including the identification of previously unknown or unrecognized treasures and recent acquisitions. He is the author, most recently, of Boston Beheld: Antique Town & Country Views, hailed by one historian as “the book Jane Austen might have written has she run into Charles Dickens after his return from his Boston visit of 1842.”
The event will take place Tuesday, Oct. 17 with wine and cheese reception at 6:30 p.m. and presentation at 7 p.m. The event will be held at the Ayer Mansion, 395 Commonwealth Ave.
Tickets are $35 per person and $5 for students. To purchase tickets, please visit www.AyerMansion.org/Donate or contact Christina Sheehan at 617-536-2586.
All proceeds benefit the restoration of the Ayer Mansion.
NEW CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER
Mayor Martin Walsh announced on Tuesday the appointment of South End resident Jeanethe Falvey as Boston’s Chief Digital Officer, in the Department of Innovation and Technology.
Falvey will lead the City’s digital team in building beautiful, welcoming and useful user experiences and helpful tools for the City’s constituents.
Falvey brings more than 10 years of experience in web communications and digital strategy to the City of Boston. Most recently, she served as the Director of Strategy for National Geographic Society.
Some of Falvey’s most notable work includes the resurgence of DOCUMERICA and creation of State of the Environment, which are both platforms that use public photos to showcase changes in the country’s environment and human health conditions since 1970s.
Falvey holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Bates College, and a graduate certificate in environmental studies from Tufts University.
Falvey began work at the city on Tuesday, October 10.
ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE NOW TAKING APPLICATIONS
Building on the commitments made in the Boston Creates Cultural Plan to ensure arts are integrated into all aspects of civic life, Mayor Martin Walsh announced Tuesday, October 10, that applications are now being accepted for the third round of the Boston Artist-in-Residence (AIR) program. The deadline to apply is November 5, 2017.
Boston AIR brings together artists, community members and City of Boston employees to collaborate at the intersection of civil service, social justice and artistic practice to explore and reframe critical social conversations.
The Resilient Boston Strategy, issued in July of 2017, will provide the overarching policy framing for the third round of Boston AIR. The strategy outlines a pathway for Boston to be an equitable, connected city where all residents are connected to each other and to their city through resilient approaches to growth that benefits all families.
“This year, Boston AIR will be a hybrid of the past two residency years. Once again, we are partnering with Boston Center for Youth & Families, an effort that will continue to ground each residency in the local community and meet the needs of Boston residents,” said Julie Burros, the Chief of Arts & Culture for the City of Boston. “At the same time, we are asking artists to connect their residency to one of Mayor Walsh’s key priorities. We are excited to see what they come up with.”
In the third year, artists can apply as an individual or as an artist collective, with up to three artists working together and sharing responsibilities for the work.
An Artist Selection Committee will be comprised of representatives from the City of Boston and local arts professionals.
To learn more about Boston AIR or to apply, visit www.boston.gov/boston-air.
SOUTH END DATES
- The next Working Group on Addiction, Recovery, and Homelessness in the South End will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 19, at 4 p.m. in the Hampton Inn and Suites meeting room. Other meetings will include Jan. 16.
- The Eight Streets Neighborhood Association will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 14, in Project Place at 7 p.m.
- The Old Dover Neighborhood Association will have its next meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 17, in Project Place, 6:30 p.m. Many items are on the agenda, including development updates at 112 Shawmut St. and a discussion of the status of the New York Streets Neighborhood Association.
- The Blackstone/Franklin Square Neighborhood Association will have its Fall Social on Oct. 17, 7 p.m., at Anoush’ella.
- On Thursday, October 12, from 6 – 8:30 p.m. Hayes Park will be holding their annual fundraiser at Woodmeister Master Builders located at 1317 Washington Street. The event will feature wine tasting, appetizers, and neighborly good cheer to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Friends of Hayes Park. Tickets are $40 in advance and $50 at the door. Visit HayesPark.org to purchase tickets.
- Ringgold Park Halloween has been secured for Oct. 31 in the evening, but this year there will be no food served.
- Last day to register to vote for the Nov. 7 City Election is Oct. 18.
HEAVY METAL EXHIBITION
In this fifth installment of the Women to Watch exhibition series, artists enthusiastically investigate the physical properties and expressive potential of metalwork, long considered to be the domain of men. Featuring hand-built sculptures, vessels, and objects for personal adornment, the exhibition comprises innovative works by Massachusetts’s artists.
The exhibit will take place at Gallery Kayafas at 450 Harrison Ave., #37, from October 20 – 27, 2017. Opening reception will till take place Friday, October 20 from 6 – 8 p.m.
UNION PARK EVENTS
The Union Park Neighborhood Association (UPNA) announced its upcoming social events throughout the rest of the year. Some of the events include:
- Friday, December 1, 6-8 p.m., Holiday Party, Benjamin Franklin Institute.
MASSPORT AIRPLANE NOISE COMPLAINT LINE
Residents who are being disturbed by airplane noise are encouraged to call the MassPort Noise Hotline 24 hours a day. The phone number is (617) 561-3333.
CHAMBER ORCHESTRA OF BOSTON
The Chamber Orchestra of Boston will be putting on their first seasonal event on Saturday, October 21, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. at the First Church of Boston located at the corner of Berkley and Marlborough.
Entitled, A Little Night of Music, the program will include works by Mozart, Brian Balmages, Robert Edward Smith, Antonin Dvorak and more.
Tickets range in price from $15 for students up to $50. You can purchase tickets online at chamberorchestraofboston.org.
Another two concerts will follow on Saturday, March 10, 2018, and Saturday, May 12, 2018.