Both Ends of Dudley

Angling Under the B.U. Bridge

2011-10-10T00:00:00.001-04:00

It's all angles on the bridge under the BU bridge.

Two Really Good Signs in Dudley

2011-10-07T14:01:00.000-04:00

Walking to the Eustis Street ribbon cutting on Wednesday there was this sign on Warren Street.

And pre-construction testing being done at the Ferdinand's, er, Dudley Municipal Office Building site.

Hubway Day in Roxbury This Saturday

2011-10-06T15:48:00.000-04:00

Learn what those Hubway bikes in Dudley are all about. Sign up for a discounted membership (if your income is low enough). Take a ride. Everyone, including people who have their own bikes or already have Hubway memberships, is invited.

From "Madison Park's Complete Streets":

"Have you seen the new Hubway bikes downtown and in Dudley Square?

Did you know you may qualify for a $5 membership for the whole year – including a free helmet?

Want to know more about it how it works?

RIDE THE HUBWAY IN ROXBURY!

Madison Park’s Complete Streets team invites you to our firstHubway Day
Saturday, October 8th
10:30 am - 12:30 pmto promote access to Boston’s new bike sharing system

Join us to…
à Get your $5 membership & a FREE bike helmet!*
à Learn about bike safety & how the Hubway works.
à Take a ride on a New Balance Hubway bike!
à Enjoy raffles, refreshments, and more.

Meet at Madison Park Public Internet Center (40 Raynor Circle, near Ruggles & Tremont) for refreshments, resources, and membership sign-ups before we head to the Hubway Station at Ruggles T and take a ride together on a nearby bike path.

RSVP and spread the word on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=266192360087757

Contact Angela to RSVP or learn more: akelly@madison-park.org, 617.849.6234, or 508.345.4699 (day of event).

Individuals who already have a bicycle and/or a Hubway key are encouraged to attend!
Walkers and new-bicyclists / non-bicyclists are welcome to participate, as well!

*Subsidized $5 memberships and free helmets are only available to low-income individuals (aged 17+) who qualify. Visit www.TheHubway.com for details or call 1-617-534-5690 to learn more. *PLEASE NOTE: You will need to know your cell phone #, email address, and have your credit/debit card with you in order to activate your membership. If you don’t have an email address, you can create one at the event."

Eustis Street Firehouse Ribbon Gets Cut

2011-10-05T17:43:00.000-04:00

A ribbon cutting and open house of the newly renovated Eustis Street Fire House were held today in Dudley Square. The building is the new headquarters for Historic Boston, Inc. and Timothy Smith Network.

Sculpture fence by Boston artist John Tagiuri.

The view from Eliot Burial Ground.

Ayanna Pressley, Felix Arroyo, Byron Rushing, Gloria Fox, Mayor Mennino listen to HBI Executive Director Kathy Kottaridis

Grilled Cheese Nation grilled lunch.

And the Winner Is...

2011-10-04T07:50:00.000-04:00

Sasaki Associates was the top pick in the Ferdinand building or rather, "Dudley Square Municipal Office Facility" charrette. As the architectural community has known since mid - June, Chan Krieger NBBJ Ltd.took spot number two and new Roxbury Neighborhood Police Station designers Leers Weinzapfel came in third. None of this is official, of course, until the fat lady s.., er, City makes an announcement. It has been conducting its due diligence since June 13 when "A Request for Qualifications for Owner's Project Manager Services (was) made available at the City of Boston Public Facilities Dept. Bid Counter, " according to the BRA's development website. This means the City and Sasaki are determining whether or not they really are able and want to work together on this project.

Ferdinand's Building in August at the golden hour

Art Rox Roxbury

2011-10-01T17:46:00.002-04:00

It's not too late to catch Roxbury Open Studios tomorrow from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Olde Town Trolley is running a FREE shuttle all through the neighborhood. The trolley runs up Huntington Ave with stops at Northeastern, the MFA, MassArt, and Brigham Circle. It cuts down Tremont to Roxbury Crossing, up Roxbury Street through Highland Park, over to Amory Street and Egleston Square, up School Street to Walnut, then Crawford and Quincy Streets and part of Blue Hill Ave., back to Warren and down through Dudley Square, across Northampton Street to the Piano Factory, the Mass. Ave T stop and more. In short, you can get a ride.

Derrick Z. Jackson (yes, that Derrick Z. Jackson) is showing photographs of nature and historical figures. Proceeds from his sales go to youth groups.

Here's a teensy sampling of some artists, their work, and some guests.

Kirsten Borror of Marshfield and artist Deta Galloway at the Edward Everett Hale House, owned by Napolean Jones-Henderson

James A. Pierre, Discover Roxbury Program Manager with his work

"Celebutard" by teacher and artist Barrington Edwards

Kirsten Borror and Napoleon Jones-Henderson with his work

Another " Zombie Free Zone" work by Barrington Edwards

Rufus Faulk and "The Wedding"

Wendy Ellertson with some of her magical creatures

The following pictures are from last year's ROS but these artists are exhibiting this year, too.

Lee Farrow of Do Right Ministries with art made by prisoners serving life terms. Proceeds of art sales go to victims' families.

Derek Lumpkins

Eada Fashions

Roxbury Discusses Walmart

2011-09-27T20:56:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday, there was a discussion at the library in Dudley Square about Walmart coming to the neighborhood. This Thursday, at the Haley House, 12 Dade St., in Dudley Square there will be movie screenings and more discussions of Walmart.

Neighbor Jen Rose-Wood wrote this report from last week's meeting:

"I wrote up the below report for those interested in following the question of whether or not we support a Wal-Mart store in our neighborhood. The Forum was very well-attended and people participated in it with passion and heart. In particular I felt compelled to give a report of the evening after reading the Globe's coverage of the event which I did not feel painted a fully accurate picture.

-Jen Rose-Wood

Report on the Roxbury Community Forum on Wal-Mart

Sponsored by the We Want Good Jobs Coalition

Dudley Library

9/22/11

About 100 people attended last Thursday’s forum. Speeches were fiery and focused on justice. Most of the panelists had a connection to Roxbury with the exception of Joe Grafton, who spoke for the Somerville Local First, a coalition fighting Wal-Mart in Somerville , and Kenny James, who worked as an associate at Wal-Mart in Seattle for 10 years. See below for a listing of the presenters—they were fantastic. After the panelists presented, audience members shared their views. Most people who spoke agreed with the speakers that Wal-Mart’s dead-end jobs and small business-smashing impact is not what Roxbury needs. One audience member felt the other side needed to be heard, and that local politicians needed to share more of their views and plans vis a vis a potential Wal-Mart store. Another audience member felt that unemployment, education, illiteracy and other social ills needed to be addressed aside from focusing on Wal-Mart. Despite the fact that the vast majority of comments made in the comment period were critical of Wal-Mart, the recent Globe article on the event devoted more than a third of its coverage to comments that were supportive of Wal-Mart, including two lengthy paragraphs quoting Steven Restivo, senior director of Wal-Mart community affairs—who wasn’t even present at the forum! (Wal-Mart was invited to send a representative to the forum; they did not attend). Below are some “quotes of note” to give those unable to attend a flavor for the evening. Many are paraphrases—if other attendees reading this feel they are not fully accurate, please feel free to write back and make edits!

Quotes of Note

Councilor Jackson said that we need to look at the “net job gain” when Wal-Mart enters a community. When Wal-Mart adds new jobs to a community economy, almost as many jobs are lost due to small businesses folding in Wal-Mart’s shadow. Jackson also shared that Wal-Mart has not come forward to his office or the offices of other Roxbury politicians. “And I think that’s very problematic.”

Joyce Stanley of Dudley Main Streets said that 60% of the jobs in this country are from small businesses—and Wal-Mart and big box stores in general are bad news for small business. She cited the example of Harrison Supply, which closed after 75 years due to not being able to compete with Home Depot. Joyce said, “We want [businesses] who want to be here for the long term.”

Joe Grafton of Somerville Local First had some hard statistics to back up Councilor Jackson and Joyce Stanley’s points about small business. He said for every 2 jobs Wal-Mart creates, 3 are eliminated from local business. And the Wal-Mart jobs tend to be lower wage, lower skill, and more challenging due to poor working conditions. Joe also shared the example of Chicago , which lost 80 businesses within the first 16 months of a Wal-Mart opening—this amounted to ¼ of the local businesses in the area. Joe said this gives the lie to the idea that Wal-Mart promotes competition. You can’t compete with companies that you’ve put out of business.

Jamarhl Crawford, a community organizer affiliated with the Blackstonian, spoke his truth from the beginning: “I’m gonna speak from a place of total distrust of rich corporations.” Jamarhl said corporations like Wal-Mart make us “second guess ourselves” and lose track of our values. He characterized them as having a “sense of entitlement” and lacking any sense of caring or investment in the community. Building on the points of previous speakers, Jamarhl pointed out that small businesses cannot compete with Wal-Mart, because Wal-Mart buys in bulk. “The little guy cannot compete.”

Kenny James, a former Wal-Mart associate is part of an organization that advocates for associates. He lost his job as a manager at Wal-Mart after 10 years because he was told that he was “too nice” to the associates. Kenny shared the story of a hard-working associate who was denied a full raise because she was not available for customer service in her department. Her “department” was actually multiple departments of clothing lines, very difficult to cover all at the same time. She also was constantly called up away from her department to the front of the store to cashier when the store got busy. Kenny also said Wal-Mart has made promises of bonuses to associates that never appeared. He said he seriously doubts most Wal-Mart employees are able to follow Wal-Mart’s slogan of “save money, live better”—the living better part in particular.

Several more speakers followed these presenters, including community activist Claire Allen and Jean-Claude Sanon of Jobs with Justice. Horace Small, of the Union of Minority Neighborhoods, played the part of MC with gusto and humor. In this writer’s view, the evening was an undeniable example of a neighborhood coming together and speaking truth to power."

Melnea Cass Rec Center Grand Opening Celebration This Thursday

2011-06-28T15:57:00.001-04:00

Commonwealth Of Massachusetts

Governor Deval L. Patrick

Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray

Energy And Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr.

Department Of Conservation And Recreation

Commissioner Edward M. Lambert Jr.

Friends Of Melnea A. Cass Recreation Complex

Invite You To Attend

DCR’s Melnea A. Cass Recreation Complex

Grand Opening Celebration

Thursday, June 30, 2011

2:00 P.M.

DCR’s Melnea Cass Recreation Center

Washington Street And Martin Luther King JR. Boulevard

Roxbury, Massachusetts

For More Information, Please Call (617) 626-4973

Directions: From Boston: Take 93 South to exit 18 (Mass Ave./Andrew Square). Keep right at the fork in the road and merge on to Mass Ave. Connector. Take slight left to stay on Mass. Ave Connector. Continue on to Melnea Cass Boulevard. Turn left on to Washington Street. The Melnea A. Cass Recreation Complex will be on your left.

Hats Off to the Dudley Square Hokey Man

2011-06-28T15:07:00.000-04:00

Every Tuesday for the past eighteen months a bunch of bigwigs from the BPD and Transit Police and ISD and even Rep. Capuano's office troll Dudley Square to make a statement: we care, we are paying attention, and we intend to make Dudley cleaner and safer.

But the brooms-on-the-ground-people who do the cleaning rarely get credit so today, it's hats off to the Dudley Square "hokey man", Jimmie Ammons of Mattapan, who, he said, "works for District 10 in the Department of Public Works". For five years, Ammons has wheeled his hokey, a trash barrel on wheels with broom and dustpan, and cleaned the streets in other neighborhoods. This is the first time he's worked in the neighborhood where he grew up so, "It's kinda special," he said.

A seasonal worker, Ammons is usually hired from June through September but this year, thanks to an infusion of money for summer jobs in the city he came back to work in April. Though the $12.87 per hour, "good money", he said, that he was earning was cut to $8 and some change, he's not complaining.

"I love it," he said of his job. "I like it. I grew up around here so it's like keeping your house clean." His work area runs from Washington Street at Dudley Street down to Williams and then back up Warren to Dudley.

Ammons is really proud that in five years of seasonal work he has never missed a day or been late. One day a few weeks ago a car backed into him and he refused to go to the hospital, he said, because he didn't want to miss a day of work. In five years, he's never been late or missed a day, he repeats more than once, so the point is not lost.

Ammons turned 50 on Father's Day and as we talk a DPW truck drives by and honks. "See those two?" he said. Both of the men in the truck are full-time workers in their early 70's, he said, and it's his hope that one of them will retire soon and he'll fill that place. "In a perfect world," he said, "I'll fill that place. In a perfect world." He pauses a beat. "But it's not a perfect world," he says and smiles.

At least it's a little bit cleaner.

Mr. Jimmie Ammons of Mattapan is keeping it clean in Dudley Square

Salmagundi of Streetlights

2011-06-27T21:11:00.001-04:00

The new Dudley Square police station is really, really good looking. And the new Dudley Square police station has those antique-looking "acorn" street lights in front of it. But within a couple hundred feet of the acorn lamps, at the corners of Washington, Dudley, and Malcolm X, are the George Jetsons, those streamlined round silver lamps, as well as the Flat-tops, the matte black flat square lamps.

The whole of Dudley Square is a gallimaufry of different types of lamps. Washington and Warren have acorns. Streets off of it have George Jetsons or Flat-tops. Dudley Station has its own giant dual, square, flat faced lamps. What's up with that?

"George Jetson" lamps on Marvin St. and "acorns" in front of Central Elder Services on Washington

Corner of Washington and Dudley Streets and Malcolm X Blvd., left of the new police station with, from left to right, a traffic surveillance camera, a flat-top lamp, George Jetson lamp, and an acorn lamp - then a double George Jetson


"Flat face" lamps in Dudley Station, acorn lamps on Washington

Maybe the mix is an unintentional nod to some kind of modern historical authenticity and each type of street light speaks to a different era of development and construction or financial or environmental constraint. Or maybe the hodge-podge of street lights is a symbol of an era of neglect and sloppiness where things were done in the Square with an "it's Roxbury, who cares?" attitude. Maybe there simply has been no cohesive overarching aesthetic vision of what Dudley might best look like.

The Roxbury Strategic Master Plan, published in 2004, a "community-based Plan (that) is the product of a three-year partnership with community members, resident groups and city and elected officials," according to the preface by Mayor Menino, has all kinds of recommendations on how things should be done in Roxbury. I think we are the only neighborhood to have such a "plan".

Though I found no mention in the 119 page document specifically of street lights, on page 75, the RSMP does state that "Rigorous development standards and design guidelines are critical to ensure high quality development desired by the Roxbury community." Just sayin'.

They Are Coming Back to Dudley

2011-06-25T16:09:00.003-04:00

It was a smallish neighborhood turnout but what they lacked in numbers they made up for in enthusiasm in Dudley Square today. Organized by coalition of municipal, state, and law enforcement groups and spearheaded by Roxbury business owner Clayton Turnbull, Dudley Main Streets coordinator Joyce Stanley, and former District 7 neighborhood liaison Angela Yarde, Come Back to Dudley was a celebration of the positive changes happening in Dudley Square.

Many of the big guns were present: Mayor Menino, Police Commissioner Davis, MBTA G.M. Rich Davey, B-2 Captain John Davin, Transit Chief Paul MacMillan, Tito, and Felix. The mayor acknowledged that the changes coming to Dudley are the result of collaboration between many city, government, and neighborhood forces and said a cleaner and safer Dudley will help to draw people with disposable income to the district.

Anticipating that disposable income were several artists hawking their wares.


Janeen St. Louis of Roxbury poses with some of her her jewelry line

Carol D. Carter of Dorchester was passing through the station on her way to the health fair at the Hynes when she was drawn by the crowd and the music. She paid three dollars for a little hand paint and then exhorted others to do the same.

"We got to support each other," she said.

Carol D. Carter shows off her hand with its painted butterfly

Building Buildings, Building Youth. YouthBuild in Highland Park

2011-06-22T06:42:00.002-04:00

Twenty-seven Centre Street, an old firehouse, is being gutted and rehabbed by YouthBuild into office and training space additional to their main space at 504 Dudley Street. Not only is a long-abandoned building being renewed but skills are being acquired, jobs earned, and lives changed through the YouthBuild program.

Mando, 19, originally from Puerto Rico, said that YouthBuild "gives me something to do besides being in the streets." What would he be doing if he wasn't working with YouthBuild? "Honestly, I really don't even know. Trying to survive, trying to eat. YouthBuild gives me something to learn, something I can build for my later future."

A young man from Hyde Park who identified himself as YB ("that's my nickname," he said), 23, said of YouthBuild, "It's a good program. It's a tough program. It's good for helping you gain experience. They give you stipends to help you get through. They try to steer you on the right path and keep you there. If you come here and you work hard they see that and they help you get a job."

Which is what happened to Angel De Jesus, 27, of Grove Hall. He graduated from the program in '09 and was placed with Wellington Construction after 6 months of working with Youth Build. While with Wellington Construction, he worked on a house restoration on Woodbine Street with This Old House.

He said that YouthBuild is "great for people that want to turn their life around. It's geared toward youth that's been through certain experiences and want to turn their life around."

"I love it," De Jesus said. "YouthBuild really care about young people and genuinely really want to help youth in Boston. It's like a family. You're always part of YouthBuild. Always."

Asked what he'd be doing if he wasn't working with Youthbuild, De Jesus said, "maybe I'll still be in the streets. YouthBuild put my life in a positive direction".

Tukrong, 20, from South Boston, said that if he wasn't working with YouthBuild for the summer he'd be doing "nothing" but "maybe playing video games and training" at Tai Kwon Do. He plans on going to college to be a personal trainer and physical therapist and he said Youth Build is helping him with the college application process.

The 27 Centre Street building rehab should be finished in one and a half to two years. Hopefully these guys will stay on track for the rest of their lives.

YouthBuild workers in 27 Centre Street

27 Centre St. YouthBuild crew takes a morning break

YouthBuild crew Lorenzo Robinson, Joseph Dixon, Angel De Jesus, and Raymond take a break

Kickin' It in Kittredge, Part 4: Powahouse

2011-06-17T10:11:00.003-04:00

The design has morphed over time and is different from this version but Powahouse won zoning relief for "off-street parking, side and front yards, visibility across the corner, and floor area ratio," according to neighborhood business placetailor spokesperson Simon Hare. Two doors away from the Kittredge Mansion on Linwood Street, Powahouse has already sold unit "Z" and units "X" and "Y" are still for sale. Hare still plans to build these units to strict Passivhaus standards which will make them unique in the city of Boston.

Hurdles to an early fall ground breaking are a design review with the BRA, a code review with ISD, and how sales go. The architect is East Boston based Schneider Studio.


Powahouse artist's sketch - Kittredge House to the right.

Powahouse lot, June 2011.

Kickin' It in Kittredge, Part 3: HBI and the Kittredge Mansion

2011-06-17T08:36:00.003-04:00

In March, Historic Boston, Inc. acquired ownership of the Kittredge Mansion, which had languished for years and though they plan on turning it into condos, that will take a couple more years. Still, most in the neighborhood are delighted that something will be done with it. Some neighbors think the first floor would make a great restaurant. Many of us still haven't given up on the restaurant idea, Jonas Prang et al.

Kittredge House June 2011


Kittredge House from Kittredge Park

Kittredge Park Before

This last picture is from the BPL Roxbury Flickr Photostream

Kickin' It in Kittredge, Part 2: BHA to Develop Asphalt Lot

2011-06-15T07:54:00.004-04:00

The Boston Housing Authority will be constructing housing on the chain-link enclosed asphalt lot at 74 Highland Street and 13 Dorr Street, which abuts Kittredge Park on the diagonal. They also plan on making facade and entryway improvements to 52-68 Highland Street, which overlooks the park.

Edit, 26 June 2011: During meetings in the winter of 2010 with the BHA, the neighborhood expressed a pronounced interest in exclusively market rate housing for what will probably be eight new units. Given that there are already 26 two and three bedroom BHA units at 50-68 Highland Street, immediately across from the undeveloped lot, the BHA agreed. The BRA had suggested a denser build of up to 16 units but that idea went away. There was also discussion of mixed use development on the lot but that, too, got shot down. Profits from the market rate housing would be utilized in the low-income units across the way.

This isn't "news" in that nothing "new" seems to be happening with the lot since the meeting two winters ago. There is simply a lot of stuff happening in and around Kittredge Park now and for the foreseeable future and I thought each project warranted its own pictures and post.

The flowering crabapples in May made it look much nicer than it is.

KIIK, Part 3: HBI and the Manse

Kickin' It in Kittredge, Part 1: Park Re-Do

2011-06-14T13:23:00.001-04:00

Ch-ch-ch-changes happening in little Alvah Kittredge Square.

Neighbor Chris McCarthy wrote grants and received copious funding to re-do the park. According to the January Parks Department press release,

"The restoration of this popular neighborhood park is made possible by the generous contributions of the following private foundations, firm, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Edward Ingersoll Browne Fund ($100,000); George B. Henderson Foundation ($100,000); Harold Whitworth Pierce Charitable Trust ($50,000); Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities (PARC) grant by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs ($310,648); and pro bono conceptual landscape design services provided by Carol R. Johnson and Associates, Inc."

Allston artist Ross Miller has been commissioned to create permanent public art for the park. Ground will be broken this year.

I have photos of the square from this morning but you can see more in these taken in February '10 because there's no tree cover.

Facing north, the Pru in the distance

Kittredge Mansion in the upper left hand corner

Kittredge Park mural

Turbankey or Urban Roxbury Turkey

2011-06-13T08:57:00.008-04:00

These ~~guys~~ hens are everywhere (not the same ones, I assume). I've seen them in the Fens and here in Highland Park I usually see them on quiet Sunday mornings but this one was boldly basking in the sunshine on a Saturday afternoon, evidence of the thin green line between urban and nature.

Blame it on the Henney

2011-06-09T09:28:00.014-04:00

There is a recurring element in the memorials raised to young people felled by senseless violence. Among the pictures of the deceased, plush toys, fake flowers, candles, and poignant personal notes and drawings, there is always at least one Hennessy bottle. Sometimes (not in these memorials pictured below) the empty Henney bottles outnumber the candles.

The Mateo Memorial in Mission Main:

The memorial at the corner of Dudley and Mt. Pleasant Streets:

Ok, it's not always Henney but it is usually Henney. I can't make out what the bottle was from this 2008 David Jones memorial on Bartlett St.

The Gun Thing

2011-06-08T16:02:00.007-04:00

Picture taken on the SL4 or SL5.

Community gun: a gun that is hidden under a porch or behind a dumpster or in an abandoned building or lot (anywhere, really, in the community) so that (usually) a group of gang members know it's there and can grab it when they want it, dump it when they need to, and not have it on their person the rest of the time.

Many years ago, thanks to Michael Moore, the concept of community guns, and some guy interviewed on NPR, I decided I needed me some gun educatin'. (It's really hard not to 'talk' like Sarah Palin when talkin' guns).

Moore in Bowling for Columbine made guns seem like no big deal. If a guy that far left could be a card carrying NRA member what was I missing? I grew up believing, without any explicit lecturing, that guns are evil. Moore made me see that lots of people grow up around guns, with guns and still somehow manage to lead long healthy lives. A gang/youth worker in an interview on NPR told of one day being confronted by a frightened and angry gang kid with a gun. The youth worker talked the kid calm but realized at some point that the kid knew nothing about the weapon he was brandishing - except how to fire it - he couldn't unload or reload it, had no concept of the safety - all he knew how to do was press the trigger. Living in the city, this country with guns all around me, I thought, Jesus, I need to learn about guns. Why not? What if someday I somehow have to deal with a gun - like the youth worker? It was time I cozied on up to the Second Amendment.

A brochure on an NRA gun course for women came to my attention and I signed up. The Saturday of the course I arrived in Acton or Athol or Avon - one of those A towns west of Boston - to meet the husband and wife team of Tammy and Jim (their names have been changed to protect me - they own hundreds(!) of guns). Jim seemed rather vulnerable and shy. I wouldn't be surprised if, as a kid, he was regularly beaten up on the playground. Scores and scores of different sizes and types of guns were laid out on a table for show and touch - some of them antiques, some quite beautiful - but I couldn't quite help but feel that all these guns and the many others he had left at home were shoring up the manly bits of Jim which couldn't stand up on their own.

While Jim's vulnerability couldn't be erased by tables full of weapons, Tammy definitely wore the strap-on in the family. They taught us the gun rules, taught us the guns, and then we went outside and got to fire them.

Shooting that first shot on a pistol was absolutely mind blowingly thrilling. It's that same high that people experience once, the first time, with drugs with love with guns, and then spend a lifetime chasing, never to recapture. Firing that pistol, I understood a big part of the allure and even the fun of guns.

Shooting guns is unbelievably exciting. Maybe for a bored, angry, unemployed young person with way too much time on his hands, it's even more thrilling. Any effort to reduce shootings in Boston is worthwhile but the cute picture above of Willie Kelsey is more likely to inspire cooing among grandmothers and broody breeders. Will listless, alienated young people with myelin sheathing development too immature to make rational choices respond to the cute kid picture when the option is the seductive rush of shooting a gun?

Ferdinand's/Dudley Designer Selection Interviews

2011-06-03T14:51:00.006-04:00

The interviews to select the designer for the municipal office building on the Ferdinand's site in Dudley Square will be open to the public and held on Sunday (so we can watch) June 5, 2011, from 12:00 p.m. to 5:35 p.m. and again on Monday, June 6, 2011, from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at the Community Room of the Central Boston Elder Services Facility, 2315 Washington Street, Roxbury. The Sunday date is a concession by the BRA to community members who complained that the original design charrette was held on weekdays when most people were working and could not attend.

The short list includes:

ADD Inc
Finegold Alexander
Chan Krieger
CBT
Sasaki Associates Inc
Leers Weinzapfel Associates Architects
and
Jacobs Consultancy

There's Gold in Boston Shines

2011-05-03T13:15:00.005-04:00

This past Saturday, while mining trash in Dudley as part of Boston Shines, among the scores of empty fruity rum and vodka nips, hundreds of cigarette butts; chicken bones and fast food containers, there was this little piece of gold.
It reads:

"Free writing

Sneakers is a big part of my world. I start collecteing tham when I was 16. My mother always have told me to stop spending my money on sneakers and save start saving. I till this day havn't listened. One day I will call it quiest and stop with the sneaker head life"

Riding a Bike on Mass. Ave. Boston, Pre-Bike Lane

2011-04-15T19:07:00.004-04:00

The meeting Thursday night about bike lanes on Mass. Ave. inspired me to ride Mass. Ave., which I usually avoid. This ride was late in the morning so there's not very much traffic.

Bike's Eye View: Riding the BU Bridge

2011-04-15T15:13:00.004-04:00

Ever wonder, while you're in your car crossing the BU Bridge, what the perspective is like for the people on bikes? Here's a peek. The dutch angle is not deliberate - there's no viewfinder on my camera so it's catch as catch can. Plus, I can't ride and shoot, silly!

Numbers Man Gets Viscera(l)

2011-04-15T10:25:00.003-04:00

Back in December, the sculpture Alchemist (2010) by Jaume Plensa appeared at MIT on the lawn of the Stratton Student Center on Mass. Ave. As the MIT List Visual Art Center website will tell you, the work was "commissioned by an anonymous donor, and lent by the artist and Galerie Lelong to MIT for one year in celebration of the Institute’s 150th anniversary".

But someone apparently thought numbers man was lacking content and inserted offal: red heart, pink intestine, yellow liver (or gall bladder?). My camera does not do the viscera justice. They were removed a short time after being inserted. This photo was taken on 2 February 2011.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude in Dudley Square?

2011-03-31T10:20:00.001-04:00

Ok, ok, mebbe not. It's the new headquarters of Historic Boston, Inc., under wraps.

HBI, under wraps.

HBI, March 2011, under construction.

Torrent Six from the BPL Archives

This is supposedly what it used to look like but this picture always confuses me because the Eliot Burial ground should be visible immediately to the left of the building and I don't see it.