By Ellen Walker
Special to the Gazette
Fall has officially arrived though summer appears to be hanging on with both hands this first week of the new season!
September was quite busy in Mission Hill between students returning, new businesses opening and others giving themselves a new look. The students return went smoothly again this year thanks to the combined effort of so many. BPD Community Relations, WIT and NEU Community Relations, Josh Zakim and others have worked closely together over the years to develop a cohesive plan to make this transition work well. Thank you all for your efforts!
A new barbershop, In the Cut, is opening at 1437 Tremont Street this month. Pamela and Wellington have done a wonderful job decorating, outfitting and preparing the shop for opening. The interior also has a mural created by Alvin Acoma Colón that really catches the eye and it is worth checking out. Stop in, welcome them to the neighborhood – and get a haircut!
The former Mission Sushi has renamed itself to Ginger Exchange, which has been around the Boston area since 2005 and has a very strong following. In addition to a facelift and a new wall mural, the menu has changed and offers some great items – Korean BBQ Galbi made with beef short ribs with bones, marinated in a traditional Korean recipe, and seared to perfection to delicious! Their luncheon specials include Bao Bao which is an Asian slider of two stuffy, steamed buns. Mission Hill now has Korean options to add to the already diverse, ethnic offerings that our neighborhood is so well known for. Good luck to owners Kate and Drew as we look forward to hearing more good things about Ginger Exchange!
Our newest business addition to Mission Hill is the Boston Debate League. They are located at 1542 Tremont Street (formerly Green Realty). In speaking with Kimberley Bartlett, director of operations, she stated that the organization was founded in 2005 as a volunteer run program whose mission was to make debate accessible to Boston’s public schools. It has since evolved into a well-established education nonprofit with 11 staff, and hundreds of volunteers and teachers who help them fulfill their mission by providing unique educational experiences inside and outside of the classrooms. If you are interested in volunteering or learning more please visit bostondebate.org or email [email protected].
Speaking of new additions, congratulations to David and Holly Cawley of the Milkweed Café on their new “family” addition – a daughter. Both mother and daughter are doing fine!
On September 14th, the Church of our Lady of Perpetual Help held a 150th anniversary celebration. A beautiful homily was given by the Very Reverend Paul J. Borowski, C.Ss.R. of the Holy Redeemer in Washington D.C. The theme was “And they lived happily ever after.”
Here is an excerpt of what Fr. Paul said: “Today in this magnificent Basilica of Boston, in this Mission Church, in this first Church in the entire world dedicated to Our Mother of Perpetual Help we come to reflect on the beginning of a love story. But not only to reflect on the beginning of this story but to celebrate this present chapter of the tale that we are part of and to look forward to the rest of the story. Every story that ends with “And they lived happily ever after” has to begin somewhere. It began in 1866 in Rome, continued in 1869 here in Boston and now we who gather here continue to write the next chapter of this love story. Every story has a beginning and that is what we celebrate today. Every story has a middle section and that is what we live today.
After the service, everyone went downstairs to the Parish Center for dinner and presentations. The room was beautifully set with white linens, blue, gold and white decorative accents, lovely blue flowers and historical photos of Mission Church posted all along the walls of the room. Several historic pieces from the church were on display in the small altar along with the icon of the Mission Church, Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Student volunteers helped to serve the meal to a capacity crowd while everyone mingled and caught up on old times. A memorable night for all who attended!
Saturday, September 21st saw the Mission Hill Health Movement’s annual health fair that took place from 11:00am-3:00 pm on the Mission Hill Playground. Many joined MHHM for a Fun Day of Health and Wellness. Later that day, the Senior Prom was held at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. There was a slide show of attendees from the past four years of this event which enjoyed immensely by the audience, raffle prizes were awarded, and a wonderful dinner was served. Attendees included Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz and Representative Nika Elguardo, who took the dance floor later that evening. Another great job done by all the sponsors.
Upcoming events to in and around Mission Hill are:
• Monday, October 14th at 10:00am – Indigenous Peoples’ Day at the Museum of Fine Arts; enjoy free admission and special events.
• Wednesday, October 30th at 5:00pm – Diwali Day at the Museum of Fine Arts; celebrate Diwali an ancient festival of lights.
• Saturday, November 30th all day – Small Business Saturday; please come out and support your local businesses!
Please friend us on Facebook and “like” our page. Check out our website and see our new Feature Section. The link is www.missionhillstreet.com.
Mission Hill Main Streets wishes everyone a beautiful fall! It’s a great time to get out and explore the changes in our neighborhood and welcome newcomers!
“The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.”
~ Tommy LaSorda