By Maurice ‘Mossy’ Martin
Shopping at the Brigham Circle Walgreens last month, I summoned the clerk to unlock the canister of tubes of Crest toothpaste.
It was a stark reminder of the unpleasantries of modern day shopping due to theft prevention. On a positive note, the Walgreen workers are always polite.
Mission Hill shoppers are fortunate to have the Walgreen Pharmacy at this convenient location. Such is not the case for our Roxbury neighbors who have been without a nearby pharmacy since Walgreens on Warren Street closed its doors last year.
Incidentally, Warren Street is named after Roxbury native, Doctor Joseph Warren, a critical participant in the Revolutionary War, who dispatched Paul Revere for his famous Midnight Ride.
Major General (Dr.) Warren was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill. The Warren homestead was originally built in 1720 by Dr. Joseph Warren’s grandfather and later after being rebuilt, the street name was changed from Muddy River Road to Warren Street in 1825. Dr. Warren’s home still exists at 130 Warren St.
Roxbury was incorporated as a city in 1846 and was later annexed to Boston.
On a personal note thanks to Randace and Kacy for inviting me to The Mission last month for my 75th birthday. The lovely ladies sprung for my delicious burger, washed down with a few Coors Lights. It was a Thursday evening, and the place was packed, good news for The Mission owner, Harry Walsh. Harry has always been a hard worker going back to his days when he peddled his bicycle in Ireland, working as a Messenger boy..
Joe Coppolo, a giant in the real estate business who grew up in Jamaica Plain, died last month at age 90. John was a straightforward businessman, known for his honesty, and he sold many houses to Mission Hill first-time homeowners.
Donations in John’s memory can be made to Mission Grammar School.. Condolences to the family of George McLean, who passed away last month four days shy of his 91st birthday. George, lovingly called ‘The Old Viking,’ was a professional photographer and a Mission Hill icon who grew up on Sachem Street.
Hundreds who never met George bonded with him, seeing his terrific photos on our “I Grew up in Mission Hill” Facebook site. He took hundreds of classic pictures in the old days at Mission Hill watering holes such as Ed Burke’s Tavern, the Hitching Post, and Larry’s Pub, but George was proudest of his outdoor photos depicting nature and beauty.
Last week, Brigadier General Enoch “Woody” Woodhouse visited the kids at Mission Grammar School in celebration of Black History Month.
The kids loved Woody as he regaled them about his aviation days when he was one of the few Black pilots during World War II. Woody previously owned a vintage Mercury Marquis, which he donated to charity. That vehicle, now called the ‘Woodymobile,’ is used to transport veterans and senior citizens to and from medical appointments.
If you need transportation, Barry Twomey can be reached at 857-334-5077. Jim Lennox and Walter Milliken are the other volunteer drivers.
Shortly we will be observing Evacuation Day in commemoration of our troops driving the British from Boston when the Continental Army fortified Dorchester Heights with cannons during the Revolutionary War.
Also on that day, March 17, St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday in Suffolk County. It’s always nice to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day in the Mission Hill taverns with a few beers and a corned beef and cabbage dinner. One piece of advice: don’t lend money to any Leprechauns because they always come up a little short.
Maurice can be reached at [email protected].