On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month the armistice was declared ending the Great War 100 years ago. We celebrate this occasion as Veterans Day. To all who have worn the uniform…Thank you for serving America.
Each year, I bore friends and family with my ardent affection for the Thanksgiving Day holiday. A concept deeply ingrained in our nation’s history, this feast celebrates the first harvest in 1631 at Plymouth, which was attended by 90 Native Americans and 53 of the Pilgrims. Documenting the account at the time was Edward Winslow (a relative of my wife, and by extension, my children…Wasn’t that clever Christmas gift to my beautiful bride… an ancestry kit?)
During the American Revolution various days of Thanksgiving were held, the most notable being General George Washington’s victory over the British at Saratoga in December of 1777. The first one by the national government of the United States was proclaimed by President Washington in November of 1789 and many more occurred in various years. Despite horrible hardships and boundless bloodshed at the time, President Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving an official holiday in 1863 to be held annually on the fourth Thursday of November. In the present day, football, road races, parades, protests, and the presidential pardoning of an overweight turkey fills the newscasts. What I enjoy is gathering loved ones, feasting on home cooking and humbly thanking the Almighty for his blessings. T’ain’t nuthin’ better.
The entire community admires the astounding facelift given to our Parker Hill Branch Library. Without question the most attractive among the many Boston Public Libraries, this restoration brings out the classic beauty of the design. The closure of the building over the past year made neighbors appreciate this handsome gem in our midst. Congrats to Librarian Katrina Morse and her helpful staff and thank you to Mayor Walsh for making the rehab a priority.
Looking for experienced and highly-trained local day care for your little ones? The YMCA sponsors a charming program at Roxbury Tenants of Harvard (RTH) in the RTH Early Education Center at 82 Fenwood Road for children aged 6 weeks to age six. Call (617)851-8226 or contact [email protected] for more information and costs.
Recently, hundreds of little ghouls and ghosts haunted Tremont Street at “Halloween on the Hill” sponsored by the Mission Hill Youth Collaborative (MHYC). Goblins and werewolves large and small shivered a spooky sojourn through the meandering haunted house constructed inside the Tobin Center. Outside, little ones enjoyed pony rides while costumed mobs of kiddos solicited bags of candy at local businesses manned by college volunteers from Wentworth Institute of Technology, MassART and graduate students from Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health. The Tobin Center’s John Jackson and his outstanding staff devote countless hours putting this event together. New England Baptist Hospital, RTH, Parker Hill/Fenway ABCD, Sociadad Latina, Mission Safe, and the Phillips Brooks House Assn. play leading roles with the activities and making a marvelous Mission Hill’s masquerade.
Face painting, dancing, games, music, pumpkins and apples from our Farmers Market and the Health Movement, and free toothbrushes are given by Great Hill Dental (moms appreciate this). Local Main Streets businesses opening their decorated doors this year include the Mission Bar, Lilly’s Gourmet Pasta, Kush Groove Apparel, The Puddingstone, Boston Green Realty, Sully’s Barbershop, Halal Indian Cuisine, Mike’s Donuts, the Milkweed Bistro and Penguin Pizza. Thank you to the wide array of institutions and groups who donated money and volunteers to make our 2018 “Halloween on the Hill” such a success for the children. Nobody does it better.
New business ventures are popping up in the area. East Boston Savings Bank, a rock solid community bank serving our city since 1848 opened a branch office at 1614 Tremont St. Nestled between JP Licks and Great Hill Dental at the One Brigham Circle complex, the branch has opened and is ready to tend to all of your local banking needs with friendliness with more than a century and a half of customer-focused service.
A Pakistani/Mexican Restaurant called Real Taste is soon opening shop at 1443 Tremont St. between Dunkin’ Donuts and Metro PCS near the corner of Parker Street. The Real Taste Hyannis store is a popular dining destination on the Cape. Our diversity of cuisine is making the neighborhood a fashionable feasting locale. The Community Alliance supported their common victual license. The eatery’s owner Mian Saeed is sure to become a local vestige with his impressive long whiskers.
Nails on Huntington opened last week at 35 South Huntington Ave. operated by the Tran family from Dorchester. Carpenter Tommy Tran and his family are the quintessential immigration success story having arrived with nothing, fleeing communist Vietnam as boat refugees three decades ago. Opening a new business in their adopted city, they are offering a wonderful promotion to their neighbors in Mission Hill. Prices for their services in November will be cut in half for you to see if you like the shop. Spread the word!
Don’t you hate it when your belly button piercing gets infected? True or not, pitchers are unusual, to say the least. How exciting was it watching our beloved Red Sox in the World Series. Notwithstanding the terrible toll television profitability inflicts on our children’s circadian rhythms, Major League Baseball still captures our Boston psyche like nothing else. Manager Alex Cora and the boys of summer have given our city a welcome respite from the hurly-burly of tumultuous times. Thank you and Hooray!
Finally, this coming March will mark the end of my tenure as your Main Street director. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, let me thank you for this wonderful opportunity. Originally, I accepted the role for half a year back in the summer of 2010 and the post has been a welcome surprise and a joy throughout. Penning this monthly column is an ancillary benefit that I appreciate very much. I inherited this role from an erudite and gracious gentleman named Barry Twomey and I hope I never disappointed him. Thank you to all at the Mission Hill Gazette and everyone involved with this amazing volunteer organization. A new and very fortunate person will assume my position and I hope he or she will have as much fun and laughs as I. Happy Thanksgiving!