A recent theft from a student living on Gerald Road in Brighton included bags from Prada, Tumi and Chanel, three(!) coats from Burberry, and a few other items that ring in for a total of $6050. Ka-ching, ka-ching, the girl likes to shop. Just don’t ever complain about your student loans, OK?
That little old lady in your yoga class may be up to no good
Last Wednesday a woman had her wallet lifted while she was taking a yoga class at the Oak Square Y. The elderly suspect had an enormous purse, “overflowing” with stuff, according to the victim. Leaving her wallet on a bench in the yoga studio, she noticed the gray-haired possible perp sitting there. The loot included credit cards, passports for the US and Canada, and $400. Theft has been a problem at the facility since the day it opened. In another incident, Monday of this week a member returned to his locker to discover that his gym bag had been taken, containing his wallet, credit cards and iPhone.
Not so secret ballot
Voting used to involve entering a big, gray metal contraption at your polling place, closing the curtain and casting your votes by moving levers. The whole show concluded when you pulled an oversized lever, thus recording your selections and opening the curtain with a satisfying “thunk.” It was the sound of democracy. When the state flipped to paper ballots that changed. You stand at a table which is somewhat shielded from observation, mark the form, then feed it into something that looks unfortunately like a shredder. Election officials used to give you a folder that was supposed to provide privacy as you slipped the ballot in the black box recording device. This year, in Oak Square at least, you add your ballot in full view of the police officer or election official who is attending the machine. How about putting the secret back in ballot?
Hostages to be seized in Cleveland Circle
While the neighborhood wrangles with the developer over the future of the long-closed Circle Cinema, the Boston Police will be using the place for a simulated bank robbery and hostage taking this Saturday. It’s part of a 24-hour training operation that will have the BPD, and other police agencies from the area (staties, the Coast Guard, and more) contend with pretend emergencies across the city. The show is paid for by the Department of Homeland Security. Maybe they could do a training exercise involving MaryAnn’s.
Columbus Weekend Tweets
@invisiblelady65: Overheard on the #57 #Allston/”I had to break up with her, her over- enunciating drive me f*cking nuts!”
@zeynepx: I hear people outside my window screaming in a new language every morning #Allston
Jesi @messyjesi I’m at Boston Police D-14 (Brighton, MA)
(editorial note: no explanation as to why the mess was there)
Missing person alert
Jonathan Dailey, a 23 year old resident of Gardner Street, has been missing since the evening of Tuesday, October 2. His absence was first reported by his roommate on Friday. Contact the Boston Police if you have information.
Foot traffic
The New Balance headquarters planned for the Market and Guest Street area may sport a rooftop running track, according to the company’s director of real estate. Construction is scheduled to start in the spring of 2013.
Not so fast
The hotel/high-end condo/office/retail complex proposed for Cleveland Circle ran into a roomful of opposition at a meeting last night. It’s too big, will create traffic and parking problems, and some people just think it’s damn ugly. Boston, and Brookline, will need to sign off before anything gets built.
New saloon owner looking for support
Mike Conlon, the new owner of the now closed Stockyard Restaurant property, will be attending the Brighton Allston Improvement Association meeting on Thursday, August 2. Also on the agenda are requests to open a massage spa, a medical office and convert a two-family to a three-family.
Over someone’s dead body
The former McNamara Funeral Home at 460 Washington Street, Brighton will be the focus of a BRA hearing tonight, June 19 at 6:30PM, at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 321 Washington Street. The most recent iteration of the plan is to convert the existing structure to four residential units, and build 24 new units behind it. There would also a parking garage and outdoor parking.
Used records vs. gourmet wines: which is more hip?
The Oak Square space now home to a used record and book store will have a new groove as a fine wine and gourmet shop come September, if all goes according to plan. Currently the space is occupied by Diskovery, whose owner announced earlier this month she will be closing. Too bad she isn’t staying and the new upscale shop moving into another space in the square.
On the hipness scale, does Oak Square move up a notch or is it a demerit? Maybe these crusaders for coolness can let us know.
No cure for ugliness
What is perhaps one of the ugliest buildings in Boston is about to get bigger. The BRA has approved a three-story addition to the emergency and urgent care building at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center. The expansion will add 23 beds to the current 252. A bit of landscaping is also planned, but it will be behind the new addition. Can’t have greenery disturb the fortress-like structure looming over Brighton Center.
Years ago, when the hospital was seeking another expansion, the architect of the Cardinal Medeiros pavilion admitted he “wasn’t proud” of it. No kidding. (photo via Boston Public Library)
Back to school
The official opening of the former Presentation school building in Oak Square as a community center is this Friday, May 19 from 3:30 to 8PM. The ceremonial ribbon-cutting, speeches and whatnot will begin at 4. The Presentation School Foundation has been working for eight years to raise money, renovate the building and attract service providers.
Blame Steve Jobs
Diskovery, which has been purveying used records and books for thirty years, is closing its doors. Digital media has pushed out paper and vinyl, knocking out retailers big and small.
We sell plants for cash
Need some green? We all need more cash, but the Brighton Garden Club is offering the next best thing, plants. Their annual plant sale will be held at the Presentation School Community Center in Oak Square on Saturday, May 19 from 10AM to about 12:30PM, rain or shine. This collective of green thumbs is looking for donations and volunteers. Contact Wilma at w /dot/ wetterstrom /at/ comcast /dot/ net if you can help.
New health facility planned
The Joseph Smith Health Center hopes to consolidate its operations into a new, $19.1 million facility. The center was recently awarded $5 million under a federal government to build new community health care sites. So far the center has not announced any details on where it might be located or what the timeline is.
One more one-family
This property at the corner of Gerrish and Brooks Street, Brighton was recently sold and the lot subdivided. A single family is going up.
Build it and they will buy
The demand for single-family homes in Brighton continues, despite a generally still-weak housing market. This Thursday the the Brighton Allston Improvement Association will be hearing from the owners of two different addresses, 82 Presentation Road and 46 Gerrish Street, both looking to construct one-family houses. As always, the meeting starts at 7PM at the Elks, 326 Washington Street, Brighton Center.
A real (so far) crack-down on absentee owners
The city is continuing its push against irresponsible landlords. The initiative started in response to a fire at 81 Linden Street, Allston that left one student with a brain injury after he had to jump from the second story to escape from the flames.
It’s good that the city is encouraging the students who live in these buildings to know their rights and file complaints about the unsafe conditions they live in. Another option they have is to withhold rent, depending on the circumstances. That will get the attention of owners like Joseph Ciliberti of Newton, who has over $37,000 in unpaid fines for code violations and a disconnected phone.
Here’s to hoping that the city continues to make this a priority, and doesn’t drop it as it did in the past.
Watch where you toss that butt
A fire hit a three-family home at 737 Cambridge Street, Brighton (opposite St. E’s) just after midnight today. According to the Boston Fire Department, apparently someone tossed a cigarette onto a mattress in the back yard, it caught fire and the flames then climbed the porches to the top floor.
Investigators noticed lots of cigarette butts in the yard, so someone in that house was not paying attention. And obviously, the landlord wasn’t either. The property, assessed at $543,500, is owned by Peter Nowd of Needham. Three units rented to a total of 12 people must generate a nice income. Every room must be used to sleep in, though, only six bedrooms among all three apartments. Peter has been using the property as a piggy bank, opening a $150,000 equity line against it in 2006. He has had an interest in the property, through a real estate trust or directly with his wife, since at least 1980.
Photo via Boston Fire Department.
