District 8 Candidate Debate
On Tuesday, May 21, at 6:30 p.m., Berklee College (160 Massachusetts Ave.), there will be a District 8 candidate debate. Join the Boston Wards 4 and 5 Democratic Committees, Fenway CDC, Fenway Civic Association, Greater Boston Young Democrats, and MassVOTE for a community conversation with the Boston City Council District 8 candidates. Margaret McKenna, President Emeritus of Lesley University and a civic and philanthropic leader in Boston, will be moderating. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at bit.ly/BostonD8Forum.
Mayor’s Coffee Hours
Mayor Martin Walsh announced his Coffee Hours for the coming spring and summer months. All Coffee Hours run from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
The schedule is as follows:
•Tuesday, April 30, South End, O’Day Playground, 75 West Newtown St.
•Tuesday, May 5, Bay Village, Elliot Norton Park, 295 Tremont St.
•Tuesday, May 14, Fenway, Symphony Park, 39 Edgerly Road.
•Thursday, May 23, Back Bay, Comm Ave Mall, 15P Comm Ave.
Participants will enjoy coffee and breakfast treats provided by Dunkin’ Donuts and fresh fruit from Star Market. In addition, each family in attendance will receive a flowering plant grown in the city’s greenhouses as a gift from Mayor Walsh. Residents at the event will also be eligible to win a raffle prize from Dunkin’ (Donuts). Information will be available on City programs from the Boston Public Library, Boston Public Schools, Boston Police Department, and Boston Centers for Youth & Families.
Update on IBA Arts Center
The IBA Cultural Center on West Newton Street has hit a delay in its presentation to the South End Landmarks, they reported. The Center was discovered last year to have significant damage, and the extent was far greater than anyone imagined. There seem to be few options for the Center, but IBA is currently exploring all of them – including tearing it down and building a new Center.
IBA said they are waiting on a structural engineering assessment that needs to be presented to Landmarks. They expect that some time in June now, rather than April.
SOWA Market Returns May 5
The SoWa Open Market, on 460-540 Harrison Ave., will kick-off its 16th season on Sunday, May 5. Every Sunday, from May through October, more than 175 makers and thousands of visitors converge in SoWa, amidst a vibrant backdrop of artist studios, galleries, boutiques and vintage shops.
This season will feature the return of the SoWa Beer Garden. Created in partnership with Craft Collective, a different local brewer will take over the taps each Sunday. Brewers will include Fiddlehead Brewing Company, SingleCut Beersmiths, Finback Brewery, Banded Brewing and many more. Keep an eye out for special events and guest appearances, such as our Mother’s Day rosé pop-up with The Urban Grape and our annual Oktoberfest party hosted by Schilling Beer Company. The family and pet-friendly beer garden will also feature live music, lawn games, and Boston’s favorite food trucks. In addition, SoWa will continue to host a DIY Workshop series, where visitors can sign up for instructional classes led by a SoWa vendor, and will continue partnerships with local charities via collaborative activations, such as performances by Urbanity Dance, interactive painting with Artists for Humanity, a More Than Words book swap, and kick’n it with South End Soccer.
For information on weekly happenings, please visit: www.sowaboston.com/calendar/.
Two Incidents in EBNA
Area D-4 Police reported two astonishing incidents over the last month to members of the East Berkeley Neighborhood Association (EBNA) on Tuesday.
•First, on March 27, a man in a mask and brandishing a gun forced his way into the CVS on Tremont Street as employees were closing up. He ushered them into the office and took $20,000 from the safe. He did mention he might have been a former employee of the store. In the end, he took the cell phones and identification of the employees and fled the store. They were reported to be terrified.
•Second, on April 9, a resident of the new 345 Harrison Ave. building reported that someone came into her apartment in the evening. She said her door was locked and someone had taken several expensive items. They included a Louis Vuitton handbag at $2,000; a Club Monaco jacket at $5,000; and a Gucci hat at $5,000. Detectives are working on the case.
Marijuana Meeting on Columbus Ave.
There will be an outreach meeting to the South End for a proposed marijuana establishment at 552 Columbus Ave. The meeting will take place on Thursday, May 2, at 6:30 p.m. in Union Church, 485 Columbus Ave., South End.
Red Sox Home Games
The Red Sox kicked off the home season this month. Other upcoming home games include:
4/22: Red Sox vs. Detroit Tigers at 7:10pm
4/23: Red Sox vs. Detroit Tigers at 7:10pm
4/24: Red Sox vs. Detroit Tigers at 7:10pm
4/25: Red Sox vs. Detroit Tigers at 7:10pm
4/26: Red Sox. vs. Tampa Bay Rays at 7:10pm
4/27: Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays at 4:05pm
4/28: Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays at 1:05pm
Back Bay Happenings
•The Garden Club of the Back Bay, the Boston Parks Department, and the Boston Fire Department will be dedicating a cherry tree and installing a memorial plaque at 298 Beacon St. to Honor Edward J. Walsh and Firefighter Michael Kennedy who lost their lives fighting a fire at that address on March 26, 2014. The dedication will be on April 18 at noon.
•The Back Bay Association will hold its 96th annual meeting on May 13, 9 a.m., in the John B. Hynes Veteran Memorial Convention Center. Keynote speaker will be Mayor Martin Walsh.
•Commonwealth Avenue Mall Lighting: Dark stretches of Commonwealth Avenue Mall will stay bright year round, thanks to the launch of a plan to design and install permanent lighting of the statues on each block of the Mall. The first project will be the Morison statue in the Spring of 2019, followed by the Garrison and Collins statues. We are currently raising funds for the Commonwealth Avenue Mall Statue Lighting. If you’d like to help, you can donate online at friendsofhtepublicgarden.org or by sending a check in the mail. For more information, email Margaret Pokorny at [email protected], or call 617-723-8144.
•On April 30, Jody Adams will be honored with the Women Who give Award at the Women’s Lunch Place eat LUNCH give luncheon. The longtime WLP kitchen volunteer and award winning chef and restaurateur has a strong commitment to hunger relief and is an active philanthropist in Boston.
•The NABB Police Panel/Public Safety Forum will take place on April 25, 6 p.m., in the sanctuary of the First Church in Boston, 66 Marlborough St. For more information, contact [email protected].
•SAVE THE DATE: A NABB Homelessness Forum will take place on May 20, at 6 p.m. The discussion will focus on homelessness and how it affects the Back Bay and many neighborhoods in the city.
•Hop over to Fairmont Copley Plaza on Sunday, April 21, and celebrate Easter in a grand style this year. The Fairmont is hosting an extravagant, family-friendly brunch buffet with multiple seating options at 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. As a special treat for the little ones, children can hunt for over 1,000 Easter eggs throughout the hotel, interact with adorable farm animals from Enchanted Animal Parties, enjoy an arts n’ crafts section, and get creative at a decorate-your-own-cookie station. Plenty of family photo opportunities inside the luxurious setting of Fairmont Copley Plaza.
South End Dates
•Claremont Neighborhood Association, 4 Wellington St., 7 p.m.
•The Titus Sparrow Friends will have an Easter Egg hunt in the park on Saturday, April 20, at 10 a.m. sharp. Bring your own bag and come join the fun.
•The annual Friends of Ringgold Park Easter Egg Hunt will take place on Sunday, April 21, at 10 a.m. sharp. The park will be divided into ages 0-3, and ages 3 and over. Bring your own basket.
•More than 1,700 Easter Eggs are being filled for the 12th annual South End Library Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday, April 21. Be there at 11 a.m. sharp. The event is in Library Park and lasts until 1 p.m.
•Councilor Michelle Wu Earth Day Celebration. Join environmental leaders for a fundraiser for the councilor at Banyan Bar + Refuge, 553 Tremont St., South End, 5:30 p.m. To R.S.V.P., please visit: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/wuearthday.
•The Ellis South End Neighborhood Association Board of Directors will meet on Tuesday, April 23, at 6:30 p.m. in 1 Chandler St.
•The next Eight Streets Neighborhood Association will be on Tuesday, May 14, in Project Place at 6:45 p.m. in the second floor.
•The East Berkeley Neighborhood Association (EBNA) will meet on May 21 in Project Place, 6:30 p.m. On the docket is State Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz with a legislative update.
•The Worcester Square Area Neighborhood Association will meet on Tuesday, April 23, in Boston Medical Center’s Menino Pavilion at 7 p.m. New location, look for the signs to the surgical suite. Also WSANA will be holding elections on May 28 for the executive board. Anyone interested can send an email to the nominating committee, Peter Sanborn, [email protected], and Sahar Zaheer, [email protected].
•Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the South End Community Health Center’s providing comprehensive health care that is culturally and linguistically sensitive to every patient. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and live music. Guests are invited to don their favorite “kicks” (a/k/a sneakers) and bring a new pair to donate to an adult or child. The fun begins at 6 p.m. on Wednesday., May 8, in the Grand Lobby of the Ink Block, 300 Harrison Ave.
•The South End Forum will have its quarterly meetings before the summer break on May 7 and June 11.
•The South End Forum Opiate Working Group has released its meeting schedule for Winter/Spring 2019. The group will meet at 4 p.m. in the Crosstown Hilton on April 23 and May 21.
•Boston Ward 4 Caucus will be Saturday, May 11, at 11 a.m., in the South End Library. The Boston Ward 4 Democratic Committee will be hosting its caucus to elect delegates to the Massachusetts Democratic Party convention in Springfield in September. Doors will open at 10:30 a.m.. All registered Democrats in the Ward 4 (which includes parts of Back Bay, Fenway, and the South End) are welcome. Questions? Email [email protected].
•Josiah Quincy Elementary School 172nd Anniversary Celebration Fundraiser. Enjoy a fun-filled night with a 10-course traditional Chinese banquet, student performance, and online/live auctions. Event to be held on Wednesday, May 15 at Empire Garden Restaurant from 5:30-9 p.m. at 690 Washington St. Online auction items being added daily. All proceeds to fund the school pool and enrichment programs. Visit www.supportjqes.org for more information and to purchase tickets, donate, or view online auction items. Last year’s event was sold out.
•USES will have continuing community conversations with its president, Maicharia Weir Lytle at the Tubman House, Weds., April 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; or on Thursday, May 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
•SAVE THE DATE: The City’s Love Your Block clean-up effort for the spring will take place on Saturday, May 4, at several locations across the South End, Back Bay and Bay Village.
Fenway Times
•The Peterborough Senior Center holds bingo at 12:30 and a Tech Café at 11 a.m. every Wednesday. Come play bingo and meet new people, or can get help with your phone or tablet/computer.
•The Fenway Victory Gardens will have their first Community Participation Day on April 20 from 10am-1pm. Beverages and snacks will be available at the start in the Butterfly/Teaching Garden.