Ward 22 Democrats will be caucusing this Saturday, February 18 to select delegates to the state convention. The twenty-two political junkies who win will get to spend the first Saturday of June in Springfield. Smith Senior Center, 20 Chestnut Hill Avenue, be a registered Democrat and get there no later than 2 PM to be eligible to vote. If you prefer to run on your own two feet, New Balance is giving free stuff and advice on winter running that morning from 9 to 12 near the Hatch Shell, according to Boston.com.
February 16, 2012
When it takes more than a genius
February 15, 2012
Option 1, Option 2, Option 3: which will the MBTA choose?
The wait may get longer. The ride will be more expensive.
The MBTA Advisory Board has proposed an alternative to the MBTA’s two service-slashing, fare-raising plans, according to Universal Hub’s Adam Gaffin. Fares would go up 25% but service would remain the same. To raise even more revenue, there would be fees, including: $10 per year per college student and 50 cents per ticket for sport and entertainment events. So maybe the T can collect some of the lost fares from students who think the B-line is free for undergrads.
Monday, March 12 there will be a hearing in Brighton on the various proposals.. Veronica Smith Senior Center, 20 Chestnut Hill Avenue, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM.
February 15, 2012
Adios to Big City, Hola to Patron’s
Big City, the Allston pool hall at the corner of Brighton and Harvard Avenues, is going to become Patron’s Mexican Kitchen & Watering Hole, according to Boston Magazine. No mention in the article if the cue balls will disappear, or if it is just a menu change.
February 15, 2012
That Beauty Factory on the Charles
“Harry, the planning we’ve done led to the approval of Stone Hearth Pizza and Swiss Bakers,” – BRA Chief Planner Kairos Shen
Wow. A dire need has been filled.
Harvard’s presentation Monday night on its plans for the untilled acres it owns in Allston left residents underwhelmed. The lack of a timeline was particularly troubling.
Ah well, if the science center doesn’t work out, they can always fall back on their reputation as that Beauty Factory on the Charles.
UPDATE – A follow-up article in the Crimson cites more dissatisfaction with the university’s plans, this time centered on proposed housing.
February 14, 2012
Lost Puppy
This dog ran away from Ringer Park on Friday, February 10 and was last seen on Harvard Avenue and Cambridge Street. She answers to the name Chloe and is a rescue dog, recently arrived from Puerto Rico. Chloe is eight months old, weighs about 30 pounds and is a Doberman-looking mix. She also has a microchip embedded in her. If you have any information, please contact her owner, Elise, at 908-461-3852.
February 13, 2012
Fire victim starts long recovery process
Josh Goldenberg, the BU student who jumped from a window to escape a January 22 fire at 84 Linden Street, Allston, has come out of his coma and started rehab, according to BU’s Daily Free Press.
UPDATE – The owners of the house are listed as Chitz Sung and and Sue Hua Chang, of Clinton, Massachusetts. They purchased the property in September of 2011 for $572,500, well above its assessed value of $434,800. There were reports at the time of the fire that the house had been converted to a multi-family dwelling.
February 12, 2012
Fire hits 160 Chestnut Hill Avenue
The commercial block at 160 Chestnut Hill Avenue has been destroyed by a fire that broke out just before 6 this morning. (photo via Boston Fire Department)
UPDATED at 2 PM: The fire is continuing, due to a gas line. National Grid has been called in to excavate the street and shut off the line. Apparently the fire started in the pizza parlor on the right in the photo below. (photo via Google)
February 12, 2012
Neighbors didn’t feel the music
An Allston wanna-be DJ drew the ire of his neighbors and the attention of police late Thursday afternoon. The pounding music from his third floor apartment at 109 Brainerd Road led to calls to 911, attitude from the offender, and finally his arrest for disturbing the peace.
February 9, 2012
Yes, Harvard still owns a huge hole in Allston
Paul Alford of Allston urges Mayor Menino to use the same strategy with Harvard that he used with Vornado at the old Filene’s site. Meanwhile, Paul Berkeley, head of the Allston Civic Association, sounds pretty happy with some new businesses on university property along Western Avenue.
February 9, 2012
Brighton hearing on MBTA cuts
The MBTA has decided to hold a local hearing about the proposed service cuts and fare increases on Monday, March 12 from 5:30 to 7:30PM. It will be held at the Veronica Smith Senior Center, 20 Chestnut Hill Avenue, Brighton.
February 6, 2012
They’re serving frozen yogurt in hell
The Licensing Board will consider the application of Dante’s Frozen Yogurt for a common victualer’s license on Wednesday, February 8. They hope to operate out of 1236 Commonwealth Avenue, Allston with hours of 12 noon to 9 PM. I was hoping the manager would be named Beatrice, but no such luck.
February 5, 2012
Kevin who?
The paper that pretends to cover Allston Brighton, the Tab, didn’t think that Kevin White’s death and legacy as mayor deserves coverage. Not a word. Are they unaware that our neighborhood was, in fact, part of Boston during his tenure? That we live with many of his decisions, good and bad, to this day? Friday I spent $1.50 to buy it and sixty seconds to scan it. Not a word. Their lead story? Geckos. As in the little green reptile.
February 5, 2012
What next for old MDC property?
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The site of the former MDC property at the corner of Western Avenue and Soldiers Field Road, Brighton is getting some attention from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation, Historic Boston and the Boston Preservation Alliance. Originally part of the Charles River Speedway complex, it has been unused and steadily falling apart for many years. There will be a public meeting to present a draft report on options for future uses of the property on Monday, February 27 from 6 to 7:30PM at the Honan Allston Branch Library.
The Brighton Allston Historical Society website has a history and photos of the Speedway. The Boston Landmarks Commission did a study of the building that describes the structure in detail, and provides maps and photos. (Photo via Google Maps)
February 5, 2012
Fred Salvucci on Kevin White
Widely credited as the “father of the Big Dig,” Fred Salvucci is also a life-long Brighton resident who got his start in public life as the manager of the East Boston Little City Hall under Kevin White. He later served as his transportation advisor. His take on the late mayor is here.
February 3, 2012
Neighborhood Heroes, then and now
Who is your local hero? Since 1994, neighbors have recognized neighbors for their dedication, decency and hard work on behalf of the people of Allston Brighton through the Unsung Heroes Awards. The committee that oversees this process wants to know about the people who do the things that few people hear about. Make your nomination by contacting Bill Margolin at 617-783-2267 or email him at wehbgclub@aol.com.
Perhaps Brighton’s first hero was Col. Thomas Gardner, who organized a regiment at the beginning of the American Revolution and died from wounds he suffered at the Battle of Bunker Hill. George Washington attended his funeral. You can see the painting above, “The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill,” at the Museum of Fine Arts. Gardner is said to be the figure on the ground in the lower right.
February 2, 2012
Fourteen acres of healthy people
New Balance presented its vision for a “Health & Wellness District” for the 14 acres it owns along Guest Street, Brighton in a letter to the BRA today. It will include a new world headquarters, hockey and track and field facilities, and a boutique hotel, as reported on Boston.com. Presumably this will be the largest “no smoking” area in the world. (photo courtesy of Coolcaesar)
February 2, 2012
Bridge restoration ensures Cambridge remains connected to the real world
The Larz Anderson Bridge, which spans the Charles River between North Harvard Street, Allston and JFK Street, Cambridge, will be rebuilt and reconfigured at a cost of $20 million. Construction will this spring and end in the summer of 2014. If all goes to plan, the chaos of cars, runners, rollerbladers, bicycles and other travelers will be tamed by reducing the current four lanes to three, expanding sidewalks, adding a bike lane and other improvements.
February 1, 2012
Bus to nowhere, the latest
Mayor Menino has asked that the MBTA hold a hearing in Allston Brighton on the proposed service cuts and fare increase. For now, the best opportunity to express your view in person is Monday, February 13 from 6 to 8 PM at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square.