Condolences to the family of Tommy Tucker, who passed away last month. Tommy was a laborer and a jack-of-all-trades with his hands. Although he sometimes carried himself with a blustery facade, Tommy had a heart of gold. By coincidence, my brother, Dan Martin, was reminiscing about Tommy shortly before he died. Dan and Tommy...
Youth jobs rally brings 1,000 teens to Boston
Over 1,000 teens from 12 cities across the state, including locals organized by MissionSAFE and Sociedad Latina, took to the streets to participate in an annual rally to boost support for youth jobs on Feb. 20. The rally gathered at the Old South Church, then marched to the State House to ask for state...
What’s Happening on Main Streets
The proverb, “March comes in like a lion” certainly applies this year, and let us hope that by the end of the month it lives up to its ending and “goes out like a lamb.” Thousands of daffodils and tulips planted in Mission Hill over the past few autumns will certainly be a welcome...
NU seeks students for youth development program
Northeastern University is seeking local sixth-graders from housing developments around the university for a youth development program and will hold a March 1 information session. The Youth Development Initiative Project offers academic and counseling services after-school, as well as a six-week summer program focused on career ideas, life skills and academic courses. Among Mission Hill’s housing...
Man charged with attempted B&E
A Roxbury man was charged with attempted to break into a Delle Avenue apartment building early this morning, according to the Boston Police Department. Decosta Turner, 23, was arrested following a report of a breaking and entering in progress at 56 Delle Ave. around 2 a.m. According to BPD, Turner was seen emerging from...
Positive reaction to Art Park plan
The reaction was mostly positive during a meeting to discuss a slightly changed plan to turn the Art Park site, which is City-owned land between Parker and Terrace Streets, into community gardens and residential and retail space. About 40 people attended the Boston Redevelopment Authority meeting on Jan. 23 at the Tobin Community Center....
Mission Hill documentary to debut
The diverging paths of two Mission Hill basketball-playing brothers are the centerpiece of a documentary, “The Mission,” set to debut next month. Focusing on two brothers who grew up in Mission Hill, Wayne and Baron “Tiny” Turner, “The Mission” covers the divergent paths they took from their old neighborhood. The premiere will take place...
Officials lay out 2014 agendas
Schools, public safety and affordable housing are among many items on the 2014 agendas of Mission Hill’s elected officials. State Rep. Jeffrey Sánchez said he has “a full plate” this year. He will be working on legislation to further regulate the pharmaceutical industry, following the distribution around the country of tainted drugs made in...
Líder de New Bostonians quiere más servicios para inmigrantes
Alejandra St. Guillen, un nativo de Mission Hill y el antiguo director ejecutivo de la organización política latina Oiste?, empezó su trabajo como la directora interina para el ONB (Office of New Bostoniano) la semana pasada. La oficina ayuda a los inmigrantes acceder servicios de la ciudad, clases de idiomas, y formación. También ayuda...
BIDMC, Baptist team on orthopedics
New England Baptist Hospital (NEBH) and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) announced Feb. 5 that they are teaming up to offer orthopedic care. NEBH, at 125 Parker Hill Ave. in Mission Hill, is the only hospital in New England specializing in orthopedic care and already has a strong reputation in the field. BIDMC,...
Clutch Works project to start soon
Construction should began soon to turn the Clutch Works property at 1486 Tremont St. into residential apartment units and retail space, according to Mitch Wilson and Jason Savage, two developers for the project. “We are anticipating starting construction in the next few months,” said Savage. Wilson said that the project is expected to take...
Landmarks Commission future unclear
By Peter Shanley and Rebeca Oliveira/Gazette Staff With the Boston Landmarks Commission (BLC) involvement in a recent controversy in the Longwood Medical Area, the Gazette reached out to Mayor Martin Walsh’s administration to see whether the commission will undergo any changes moving forward. But the Mayor’s Office and the BLC did not respond to...
Oreo forces J.P. Licks to change flavor name
The word “Oreo” is being scrubbed from any J.P. Licks ice cream shop flavor names after the cookie’s parent company demanded a fee for use of its brand. Oreos will still be used in the store’s recipes, but such flavor names as “Oreo Cookie Dough” have to go. The Jamaica Plain-based store, which has...
O’Malley seeks better trash cans, less litter
City Councilor Matt O’Malley filed an order to reduce litter and promote recycling last week. O’Malley said he believes that the city needs to expand its use of public trash compactors and recycling bins, explore the use of cutting-edge receptacles, and reevaluate litter fines. “I’ve been working with the City for a better schedule,...
RTH community center to open by summer
A 28,000-square-foot community center, set to replace an outdoor basketball court and parking lot in Mission Park, is slated to open by the summer, according to Roxbury Tenants of Harvard (RTH) Executive Director Karen Gately. “It’s going great,” she told the Gazette this week. “It’s going along pretty quickly.” The community center, being built...
Renovated playground to open in spring
The Gibbons Playground, which is located at Delle Avenue and Sewall Street and is undergoing a $311,000 renovation, will reopen sometime in the spring, according to Boston Parks and Recreation Commissioner Antonia Pollak. The Boston Parks and Recreation Department (BPRD) held a series of meetings early last year for recommendations for the renovation of...
New Bostonians chief wants more services for immigrants
Alejandra St. Guillen, a Mission Hill native and former executive director of the Latino political organization Oiste?, took up her post as interim director of the City’s Office of New Bostonians (ONB) last week. The office helps immigrants access City services, language learning and training. It also helps develop the mayor’s immigration policy, St....
Mayor reorganizes his cabinet
Mayor Martin Walsh released a plan last month for a reorganization of the cabinets under his leadership, according to a press release. The reorganization includes elevating arts and culture to a cabinet-level position, a pledge Walsh had made during the mayoral race. “Our role as a government is to improve people’s lives, and the...
Election reform backed by Chang-Díaz passes
The state Senate on Jan. 16 passed election-reform legislation that authorizes early voting for state and federal elections and primaries; allows residents to register to vote on Election Day; and creates an online voter registration system, according to a press release. Local state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz has pushed for many of the reforms contained...
Hill History: Parker Hill Library has ‘church-like’ feel
The Parker Hill Branch of the Boston Public Library (BPL) is housed in a historic building that gives off a vibe similar to its neighbor, the Mission Church. Parker Hill refers to the name of the hill that most of the Mission Hill neighborhood sits on. People began calling the neighborhood Mission Hill in...
Hill History: Local history group keeps fighting for landmarks
In 2001, the historic Mission Church complex was under threat. A developer had purchased its southern campus, comprising of three buildings, and planned to demolish them all. Thanks to the Friends of Historic Mission Hill (FHMH), that never happened. Those buildings were designated as historic landmarks in 2005, thanks to FHMH volunteers’ efforts. “That...
Hill History: This Month in Hill History
The Gazette’s top headlines from this month in local history: 5 Years Ago: 2009 “CAC meeting ‘off the record’” A Boston Redevelopment Authority official declared a public Mission Hill Citizens Advisory Committee meeting to be “off the record,” meaning the press could not write about its discussion of redevelopment of former Mission Church...
Mission Hill Wanderings
Local artist Tina Pankievich made these watercolor paintings of Mission Hill, which were on display last month at the Mission Bar and Grill as the exhibit “Mission Hill Wanderings.” See Richard Rouse’s “What’s Happening on Main Streets” column for more details.