By Sandra Miller
Beacon Hill Times
Despite it being 2pm on a Monday, usually a dead time for eateries, the Upper Crust on Charles Street had a line nearly out the door. Almost all the seats in the 20-ish seat pizzeria were filled, mainly with a remarkable number of thin adults of all ages apparently not on a low-carb diet.
Around the restaurant, on the floured window that allowed a peek into the dough-making process, and on the door were the various awards and accolades from the usual foodie establishments and publications. But the real award is that Monday afternoon line that forms to get some Neapolitan-style pizza – thin, crispy crust, chunky tomatoes with fresh basil and oregano for a zesty sauce, a thin sprinkle of cheese, and perhaps topped with the day’s special of artichokes, sundried tomatoes and basil, or the “Lexington” – lobster fra diavolo pizza, or perhaps “The Newbury Street” with veal parmesan. The slices are huge, 1/5 of a pizza. They also offer whole-wheat crusts.
More customers file in. “I’m not going to complain,” says General Manager Barry Proctor. Proctor’s been GM of Upper Crust for about 7 years, when he left his line cook job at Grill 23 for something with more customer interaction. “It’s been a great experience for me, to get in on the ground level and watch it expand so quickly,” says Proctor.
A pair in hospital scrubs recognized Proctor and said hello; after chatting a bit, Proctor noticed that they had been waiting a while for their pizza and checked on the order. Upper Crust has accounts set up with MGH and other area businesses, and is always donating pizza to neighborhood events such as an MSPCC fundraiser, Hill House and Make a Wish Foundation events, neighborhood cleanup volunteers, area school parties, and a Boston Children’s Hospital bowling contest in Malden. “We try to get as involved as possible in the community,” says Proctor.
He recalls sending pizza after pizza over to the set of “The Departed,” which was filming across the street. Proctor’s a big Scorcese fan, and he also seemed a little sad when recalling that Leo DeCaprio was on a special diet and couldn’t eat his pizza. “I’ll really miss Manny,” Proctor says, recalling the former Red Sox player Ramirez who with his wife would eat with Proctor. “Say what you will about him, but he was a really good customer.”
In 2001, Jordan Tobins opened Upper Crust on Charles Street. Upper Crust has since expanded to Brookline, Lexington, Newbury Street, Hingham, Waltham, Watertown, Financial District, South End, Harvard Square, Salem, and Key West, Fla. (!) Next up is Newburyport and Plymouth, with Wellesley under consideration. A customer chimes in a vote for a Natick location.
“It’s great pizza,” says Proctor. “All of the ingredients are fresh and the best quality. We make dough fresh on location. We use a light amount of cheese and sauce, so it doesn’t feel like you have a brick in your stomach.” They also bake it on a stone in the pizza oven, not in a pan, for a crispy crust. The pizzas are made to order, and don’t sit around for more than 10 minutes, he says.
Deliveries are made by bikes equipped with wooden crates secured to the back. The crates can be a little unwieldy for experienced delivery professionals; it proved too much for one deliver-bike thief, who apparently lopped off the crate onto Storrow Drive a while ago. One of Upper Crust’s loyal customers was in traffic when he spotted the unique crate, and returned it to the pizzeria. “That’s somebody who liked us a lot,” Proctor recalled. “He was rewarded with a lot of pizzas, needless to say.”
The flagship store makes about 2500 pizzas a week and employs 15-20 regular staffers. “Our A-team works on Fridays,” Proctor says. “Friday is like pizza night for everyone in America.” And when the economy gets rough, people still order pizza because it’s an economical treat, he says. “We won’t empty your wallet,” he says.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Charles Street to get bike racks
By Sandra Miller
Beacon Hill Times
Back Bay Sun
Charles Street may soon see three new bike racks, as part of Mayor Menino’s ambitious Boston Bikes program.
Nicole Freedman, bike coordinator for Mayor Menino’s new Boston Bikes program, showed her bike racks to the Beacon Hill Architectural Commission on Thursday, hoping to get approval to install three of them in front of the Charles Street Animal Clinic, the Starbucks at 97 Charles St., and Room With a Vieux antiques.
Boston has 250 bike racks, which resemble cast-iron lollipops, and can be seen around the Back Bay. She said that the Back Bay was even considering removing some parking spots to install the bike racks.
According to Freedman, they are designed as simple, sturdy racks big enough to secure two bikes when placed parallel to the street. They have a single installation point for minimal sidewalk damage. The model she showed to the BHAC was the modest black, but she said it also comes in other colors. The racks would only feature the mayor’s bike program logo stamped on top; the mayor turned down $20,000 from an advertiser that wanted an ad along the bottom of the racks.
Freedman also showed other versions of bike racks that she rejected. One looked “historic” but was “bulky and flimsy.” Cambridge’s racks, designed to bolt onto existing parking meters, weren’t safe because they were too easily removable.
The three Charles Street spots were requested by the businesses. Because Charles street sidewalks are narrow, there are only a few choice spots for the racks, Freedman said. Plus she wanted to start slowly in the area. “It’s worse to put in more racks than necessary. We’ll probably need more there.”
Boston Bikes installed 250 this year, and aims for another 250 next year, which is tiny in comparison to other city’s bike rack programs, she said. Vancouver, for example, installed 3,000 racks. “250 is scratching the surface,” Freedman said.
The bike racks need to be placed within 50 to 100 feet of where the riders would work; otherwise, riders begin considering less ideal spots like fences, sign poles, and meters. “There are some gorgeous fences in the historical district,” Freedman noted. “When you see what those fences cost, these racks are much better to clean up.”
Taylor called the Boston Bikes program “commendable”. Fellow commission member Leslie Donovan said she liked the racks, but wasn’t sure how the bikes and cars would coexist on the narrow sidewalks. Freedman assured the board that the racks would be 25 inches from the curb, and that there would be plenty of room for pedestrians.
In general, the application process for a business wanting a rack would be fairly rigorous, so many applications will be rejected based on factors such as space dimensions and other guidelines. The Charles Street racks as proposed “seem to be workable spaces,” Freedman said.
The commission asked that the racks be positioned closer to traffic control boxes and other sidewalk fixtures so “people don’t just see the bike rack,” said acting BHAC chair John Cunningham. Said Taylor, “It’s a positive program.”
The board approved the racks as proposed, but that the BHAC staff needed to review the proposed locations that would be placed closer to other sidewalk fixtures.
Beacon Hill Times
Back Bay Sun
Charles Street may soon see three new bike racks, as part of Mayor Menino’s ambitious Boston Bikes program.
Nicole Freedman, bike coordinator for Mayor Menino’s new Boston Bikes program, showed her bike racks to the Beacon Hill Architectural Commission on Thursday, hoping to get approval to install three of them in front of the Charles Street Animal Clinic, the Starbucks at 97 Charles St., and Room With a Vieux antiques.
Boston has 250 bike racks, which resemble cast-iron lollipops, and can be seen around the Back Bay. She said that the Back Bay was even considering removing some parking spots to install the bike racks.
According to Freedman, they are designed as simple, sturdy racks big enough to secure two bikes when placed parallel to the street. They have a single installation point for minimal sidewalk damage. The model she showed to the BHAC was the modest black, but she said it also comes in other colors. The racks would only feature the mayor’s bike program logo stamped on top; the mayor turned down $20,000 from an advertiser that wanted an ad along the bottom of the racks.
Freedman also showed other versions of bike racks that she rejected. One looked “historic” but was “bulky and flimsy.” Cambridge’s racks, designed to bolt onto existing parking meters, weren’t safe because they were too easily removable.
The three Charles Street spots were requested by the businesses. Because Charles street sidewalks are narrow, there are only a few choice spots for the racks, Freedman said. Plus she wanted to start slowly in the area. “It’s worse to put in more racks than necessary. We’ll probably need more there.”
Boston Bikes installed 250 this year, and aims for another 250 next year, which is tiny in comparison to other city’s bike rack programs, she said. Vancouver, for example, installed 3,000 racks. “250 is scratching the surface,” Freedman said.
The bike racks need to be placed within 50 to 100 feet of where the riders would work; otherwise, riders begin considering less ideal spots like fences, sign poles, and meters. “There are some gorgeous fences in the historical district,” Freedman noted. “When you see what those fences cost, these racks are much better to clean up.”
Taylor called the Boston Bikes program “commendable”. Fellow commission member Leslie Donovan said she liked the racks, but wasn’t sure how the bikes and cars would coexist on the narrow sidewalks. Freedman assured the board that the racks would be 25 inches from the curb, and that there would be plenty of room for pedestrians.
In general, the application process for a business wanting a rack would be fairly rigorous, so many applications will be rejected based on factors such as space dimensions and other guidelines. The Charles Street racks as proposed “seem to be workable spaces,” Freedman said.
The commission asked that the racks be positioned closer to traffic control boxes and other sidewalk fixtures so “people don’t just see the bike rack,” said acting BHAC chair John Cunningham. Said Taylor, “It’s a positive program.”
The board approved the racks as proposed, but that the BHAC staff needed to review the proposed locations that would be placed closer to other sidewalk fixtures.
Beacon Hill Architectural Commission August meeting
By Sandra Miller
Beacon Hill Times
A co-op treasurer for a Chestnut Street home asked the Beacon Hill Architectural Commission for permission to change the building’s hallway from ugly brown to a prettier linen white. Not so fast, said the BHAC.
The applicant, Jeannine Randolph of 5 Chestnut Street, says her building has long been rehabbing the formerly neglected building for years. “Monkeys built the addition,” she said of work done a hundred years ago. “It took us 18 months to renovate it.” All they were asking at this meeting was to change the color of the building’s drab brown pine doorway to linen white, like neighboring homes that have walnut or mahogany wood frames.
After looking at Randolph’s photos, however, BHAC member Leslie Donovan called the doorway a “beautiful Romanesque arch,” and declared that there is no way that it was ever painted white. “It’s just not an appropriate color,” she said.
Donovan suggested that the coop come up with some Victorian colors, such as black, reds, greens, blues, maybe even a dark mustard. Commissioner Kenneth Taylor suggested that the coop members look at similar Victorians in the South End, Back Bay and Beacon Hill to get some color ideas.
The board approved Randolph’s application, but said she needed to submit the new color to the staff before they start painting.
The board also noted the window frames should be painted the same color, but since they had been painted just two years ago, it wasn’t an immediate priority.
Sometimes changes are made to historical homes without consulting the BHAC first. The owner of a Chestnut Street building is paying the price for an illegal chimney that had the BHAC scratching their heads.
Derek Coulter, a contractor for 19 Chestnut St., requested approval to remove a crumbling, unlined brick chimney that apparently was built years ago without proper approval and not according to code. “Removing it would be an iimprovement, to bring back the historic sense of the building,” agreed Taylor.
Coulter said he would cap it in a way that would not be visible from the street. The board expressed concern about a neighboring wall, which belonged to a neighboring building. Coulter noted that soot may need to be removed, or the wall may even need repairs, something that would be discovered after the chimney was removed.
The board noted that this was a legal issue that would need to be worked out with the neighboring building. Coulter agreed that his priorities were “safety first, historical second” regarding working around the wall and tearing down the chimney.
At 13-27 Bowdoin St., property manager John Thiboudot was back before the board to amend his application to replace a decorative iron balcony. Apparently he and the BHAC staff exhaustively hunted through pre-cast catalogs looking for ironworks that would match neighboring balconies, but they didn’t have any luck. Creating one from scratch would be an exorbitant $18,000 or more, said Thiboudot. The question became whether to replace the 20-foot section with ironwork similar to nearby balconies, or whether it needed to match exactly. The board approved his application, pending the submission of a catalog photo of what he was considering.
At 88 Beacon St., landscape architect Scott Carman and his partner presented roofdeck plans for a 10-foot metal-framed arbor, and replacement of the guardrail and flooring. The arbor was designed to as to not block the sunlight from a bedroom, and to only be visible along Brimmer Street. However, the BHAC members considered their metal arbor design “extremely visible.” “I love the design,” said Donovan. But she also called it “alien.”
Carman argued that “there are a lot of crazy roof decks” in the area, but the BHAC said that those other rooftop designs weren’t approved, or weren’t as visible as their design, and that approval would set a precedent for the area. The disappointed landscape architects were asked to return with a new design.
The BHAC only had quorum for up to 6:30pm, when two members, Annlinea Terranova and Kenneth Taylor, needed to leave, so the remaining applications were discussed and recommendations made, but no motions were made. In total, Thursday saw 19 scheduled applications, review of three violations, and administrative approval to nine others.
It was also the last meeting for preservation planner Katie McLaughlin, who is moving on, and being replaced by Emily Wolf.
August 21, 2008 BHAC Public Hearing Determinations
Approved with provisos
Application: 09.214 BH Multiple Locations, Pinckney and Charles Streets
Applicant:
Nicole Freedman (Boston Bikes): installation of bike racks
Application: 09.113 BH 19 Chestnut Street
Applicant:
Derek Coulter (contractor): removal of brick chimney
Application: 09.170 BH 16 Charles River Square
Applicant:
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Prevost (owners): install rods and star plates at third floor fire escape;
replace wood balustrade; repair masonry
(The replacement of the wood balustrade was not approved.)
Application: 09.174 BH 64 Beacon Street (King’s Chapel House)
Applicant:
Oliver Egleston (representative): replace sign on front façade
Application: 09.175 BH 116 Myrtle Street
Applicant:
Michael Gilberg (contractor): replace roof; install new copper gutter; install new roof deck
to match existing; install railings
Application: 09.022 BH 5 Byron Street (cont.’d)
Applicant:
Efekta Schools, Inc./Alexander Hult (owners): rebuild previously approved deck and roof
garden (recently removed)
Application: 08.293 BH 13-27 Bowdoin Street (cont.’d)
Applicant:
John Thiboudot (property manager): amendment to application to replace iron balcony
Application: 09.206 BH 113 Pinckney Street
Applicant:
Daniel H. Baker (contractor): repair/replace windows, window lintels and sills, entry door
lintel and lintel brackets, broken face brick and steps; replace metal bay roof cladding with
copper; install aluminum screens; install cedar shutters and propeller shutter dogs
Application: 09.209 BH 5 Chestnut Street
Applicant:
Jeannine Randolph (resident): paint area surrounding front door
Application: 09.207 BH 37 Beacon Street, #41 and 42
Applicant:
Mark Dmytruk (owner): install thirteen true divided light windows
Application: 09.210 BH 81 Beacon Street
Applicant:
Mr. and Mrs. John Keane (owners): replace windows in three openings on western
elevation of structure with true divided light windows
Application: 08.1182 BH 22 Hancock Street (cont’d.)
Applicant:
Lewis Sassoon (manager): repaint portico; install stone curb along edge of garden;
installation of window grilles and front door buzzer box (work done by previous owner)
Denied without prejudice
Application: 09.110 BH 38 Lime Street
Applicant:
Joanne Burke (owner) and Tim Burke: remove metal chimney pots and replace with
ornamental clay chimney pots
Page 2
Application: 09.169 BH 15-17 Brimmer Street (The Advent School)
Applicant:
The Advent School (owner): addition of three roof vents
Application: 09.202 BH 88 Beacon Street, #3
Applicant:
Scott Carman (landscape architect): construct arbor, replace guardrail, and replace flooring
on existing roof deck
Application: 09.208 BH 19 Revere Street
Applicant:
Rick Fallone (contractor): install three double hung windows
Approved as submitted
09.106 BH: 38-40 West Cedar Street: repaint shutters (color to remain the same)
09.108 BH: 76 Revere Street: repaint shutters (color to remain the same)
09.109 BH: 57 West Cedar Street: repaint entryway and front door (color to remain the same)
09.111 BH: 57 Hancock Street: repoint brickwork between stone cornice and uppermost brick string course
09.112 BH: 5 Chestnut Street: repaint basement windows (color to remain the same)
09.115 BH: 19 Joy Street: remove stucco, repoint brickwork at rear and side of structure, rebuild chimney
09.173 BH: 1-3 Chestnut Street: repaint wooden arches at entryway (color to remain the same)
09.144 BH: 17 Louisburg Square: install new copper gutter to match existing
09.211 BH: Multiple Locations: install tree pit guards as previously approved by BHAC
Beacon Hill Times
A co-op treasurer for a Chestnut Street home asked the Beacon Hill Architectural Commission for permission to change the building’s hallway from ugly brown to a prettier linen white. Not so fast, said the BHAC.
The applicant, Jeannine Randolph of 5 Chestnut Street, says her building has long been rehabbing the formerly neglected building for years. “Monkeys built the addition,” she said of work done a hundred years ago. “It took us 18 months to renovate it.” All they were asking at this meeting was to change the color of the building’s drab brown pine doorway to linen white, like neighboring homes that have walnut or mahogany wood frames.
After looking at Randolph’s photos, however, BHAC member Leslie Donovan called the doorway a “beautiful Romanesque arch,” and declared that there is no way that it was ever painted white. “It’s just not an appropriate color,” she said.
Donovan suggested that the coop come up with some Victorian colors, such as black, reds, greens, blues, maybe even a dark mustard. Commissioner Kenneth Taylor suggested that the coop members look at similar Victorians in the South End, Back Bay and Beacon Hill to get some color ideas.
The board approved Randolph’s application, but said she needed to submit the new color to the staff before they start painting.
The board also noted the window frames should be painted the same color, but since they had been painted just two years ago, it wasn’t an immediate priority.
Sometimes changes are made to historical homes without consulting the BHAC first. The owner of a Chestnut Street building is paying the price for an illegal chimney that had the BHAC scratching their heads.
Derek Coulter, a contractor for 19 Chestnut St., requested approval to remove a crumbling, unlined brick chimney that apparently was built years ago without proper approval and not according to code. “Removing it would be an iimprovement, to bring back the historic sense of the building,” agreed Taylor.
Coulter said he would cap it in a way that would not be visible from the street. The board expressed concern about a neighboring wall, which belonged to a neighboring building. Coulter noted that soot may need to be removed, or the wall may even need repairs, something that would be discovered after the chimney was removed.
The board noted that this was a legal issue that would need to be worked out with the neighboring building. Coulter agreed that his priorities were “safety first, historical second” regarding working around the wall and tearing down the chimney.
At 13-27 Bowdoin St., property manager John Thiboudot was back before the board to amend his application to replace a decorative iron balcony. Apparently he and the BHAC staff exhaustively hunted through pre-cast catalogs looking for ironworks that would match neighboring balconies, but they didn’t have any luck. Creating one from scratch would be an exorbitant $18,000 or more, said Thiboudot. The question became whether to replace the 20-foot section with ironwork similar to nearby balconies, or whether it needed to match exactly. The board approved his application, pending the submission of a catalog photo of what he was considering.
At 88 Beacon St., landscape architect Scott Carman and his partner presented roofdeck plans for a 10-foot metal-framed arbor, and replacement of the guardrail and flooring. The arbor was designed to as to not block the sunlight from a bedroom, and to only be visible along Brimmer Street. However, the BHAC members considered their metal arbor design “extremely visible.” “I love the design,” said Donovan. But she also called it “alien.”
Carman argued that “there are a lot of crazy roof decks” in the area, but the BHAC said that those other rooftop designs weren’t approved, or weren’t as visible as their design, and that approval would set a precedent for the area. The disappointed landscape architects were asked to return with a new design.
The BHAC only had quorum for up to 6:30pm, when two members, Annlinea Terranova and Kenneth Taylor, needed to leave, so the remaining applications were discussed and recommendations made, but no motions were made. In total, Thursday saw 19 scheduled applications, review of three violations, and administrative approval to nine others.
It was also the last meeting for preservation planner Katie McLaughlin, who is moving on, and being replaced by Emily Wolf.
August 21, 2008 BHAC Public Hearing Determinations
Approved with provisos
Application: 09.214 BH Multiple Locations, Pinckney and Charles Streets
Applicant:
Nicole Freedman (Boston Bikes): installation of bike racks
Application: 09.113 BH 19 Chestnut Street
Applicant:
Derek Coulter (contractor): removal of brick chimney
Application: 09.170 BH 16 Charles River Square
Applicant:
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Prevost (owners): install rods and star plates at third floor fire escape;
replace wood balustrade; repair masonry
(The replacement of the wood balustrade was not approved.)
Application: 09.174 BH 64 Beacon Street (King’s Chapel House)
Applicant:
Oliver Egleston (representative): replace sign on front façade
Application: 09.175 BH 116 Myrtle Street
Applicant:
Michael Gilberg (contractor): replace roof; install new copper gutter; install new roof deck
to match existing; install railings
Application: 09.022 BH 5 Byron Street (cont.’d)
Applicant:
Efekta Schools, Inc./Alexander Hult (owners): rebuild previously approved deck and roof
garden (recently removed)
Application: 08.293 BH 13-27 Bowdoin Street (cont.’d)
Applicant:
John Thiboudot (property manager): amendment to application to replace iron balcony
Application: 09.206 BH 113 Pinckney Street
Applicant:
Daniel H. Baker (contractor): repair/replace windows, window lintels and sills, entry door
lintel and lintel brackets, broken face brick and steps; replace metal bay roof cladding with
copper; install aluminum screens; install cedar shutters and propeller shutter dogs
Application: 09.209 BH 5 Chestnut Street
Applicant:
Jeannine Randolph (resident): paint area surrounding front door
Application: 09.207 BH 37 Beacon Street, #41 and 42
Applicant:
Mark Dmytruk (owner): install thirteen true divided light windows
Application: 09.210 BH 81 Beacon Street
Applicant:
Mr. and Mrs. John Keane (owners): replace windows in three openings on western
elevation of structure with true divided light windows
Application: 08.1182 BH 22 Hancock Street (cont’d.)
Applicant:
Lewis Sassoon (manager): repaint portico; install stone curb along edge of garden;
installation of window grilles and front door buzzer box (work done by previous owner)
Denied without prejudice
Application: 09.110 BH 38 Lime Street
Applicant:
Joanne Burke (owner) and Tim Burke: remove metal chimney pots and replace with
ornamental clay chimney pots
Page 2
Application: 09.169 BH 15-17 Brimmer Street (The Advent School)
Applicant:
The Advent School (owner): addition of three roof vents
Application: 09.202 BH 88 Beacon Street, #3
Applicant:
Scott Carman (landscape architect): construct arbor, replace guardrail, and replace flooring
on existing roof deck
Application: 09.208 BH 19 Revere Street
Applicant:
Rick Fallone (contractor): install three double hung windows
Approved as submitted
09.106 BH: 38-40 West Cedar Street: repaint shutters (color to remain the same)
09.108 BH: 76 Revere Street: repaint shutters (color to remain the same)
09.109 BH: 57 West Cedar Street: repaint entryway and front door (color to remain the same)
09.111 BH: 57 Hancock Street: repoint brickwork between stone cornice and uppermost brick string course
09.112 BH: 5 Chestnut Street: repaint basement windows (color to remain the same)
09.115 BH: 19 Joy Street: remove stucco, repoint brickwork at rear and side of structure, rebuild chimney
09.173 BH: 1-3 Chestnut Street: repaint wooden arches at entryway (color to remain the same)
09.144 BH: 17 Louisburg Square: install new copper gutter to match existing
09.211 BH: Multiple Locations: install tree pit guards as previously approved by BHAC
Smooth sailing for Community Boating fundraiser
By Sandra Miller
for Back Bay Sun and Beacon Hill Times
More than a hundred guests nibbled on appetizers and enjoyed libations, elbow to elbow along the narrow rail-lined corridors overlooking the funky yet elegant Liberty Hotel’s lobby three floors below, all to help raise money for CBI’s “Raise the Sails for All” fundraiser.
Women in evening gowns, tuxedo’d youths in wheelchairs and with blind canes, and casually dressed teens all gathered to bid on silent and live-auction items that included a flight to Nantucket, a trip to NYC, a stay at a Tuscan villa, various sailing equipment, and gift certificates from Charles Street merchants.
CBI’s goal was to help match last year’s auction fundraiser purse, in order to help pay for its praised Universal Access program. The program, which launched last year, helps 150 sailors who are blind, in wheelchairs, or otherwise experiencing challenges that kept them from sailing independently.
Marcin Kunicki, the Universal Access program director, called the event “very successful.” CBI is still counting up the proceeds as of press time, but he said, “I do believe we met our goals. It was a great team effort.”
At the fundraiser, it was not only an opportunity to raise money, but for members to relax with each other on land. One of the longest members in attendance at the fundraiser was 38-year CBI member Irving Itzkan, of Beacon Street. He has a lifetime membership card, which he says confuses a few of the younger volunteers. “I had one person ask me, ‘When does this expire?’” he recalled with a grin. “I said, ‘Hopefully not for a long, long time.’”
He was living in New York but working for a lab in Boston, and would drive by CBI with longing. He said to himself, “If I ever move to Boston, the first thing I will do is join that club.” When he got a job in Boston back in 1970, that’s exactly what he did. He seems to have chosen jobs that are close to CBI. He’s a consultant at Harvard Medical School, and for years he was a biomedical physicist at MIT. Over the past few years, he’s averaging between half a dozen to 30 sails a year.
“Every opportunity I get, I am teaching newcomers,” he says, estimating he must have taken about 5,000 students sailing over the years. His son became a Junior member and is now a full member.
“I especially love taking people out for the first time, and hearing them say, ‘This is great, I want to do this for the rest of my life.’” But, he warns, “everyone in my boat works.”
Although she’s not much of a sailor herself, Back Bay resident Jessica Mackey. has a father and cousin who are CBI members, so she came out to support CBI. “I think it’s a great program,” she says. “There are so few things that are inexpensive in the summer. I like the idea that this helps kids learn that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, and that lets them learn something outside, that doesn’t involve them sitting home and playing video games.”
Her friend, Taylor O’Neil of Irving Street, also appreciated CBI’s ability to democratize sailing. O’Neil grew up in a sailing environment -- her father was a sailing instructor in a place that “if your parents didn’t buy you a boat, you didn’t have much to work with.” “CBI is very inclusive. The kids are so much fun, they’re from Chinatown, Newton, Brighton, and they’re all interacting. They learn something thaey’ll have for the rest of their life.”
O’Neil, who works as a WGBH fundraiser, understands the need to raise money for a good cause. “CBI is fiscally responsible and down to earth. They’re all about the kids.”
for Back Bay Sun and Beacon Hill Times
More than a hundred guests nibbled on appetizers and enjoyed libations, elbow to elbow along the narrow rail-lined corridors overlooking the funky yet elegant Liberty Hotel’s lobby three floors below, all to help raise money for CBI’s “Raise the Sails for All” fundraiser.
Women in evening gowns, tuxedo’d youths in wheelchairs and with blind canes, and casually dressed teens all gathered to bid on silent and live-auction items that included a flight to Nantucket, a trip to NYC, a stay at a Tuscan villa, various sailing equipment, and gift certificates from Charles Street merchants.
CBI’s goal was to help match last year’s auction fundraiser purse, in order to help pay for its praised Universal Access program. The program, which launched last year, helps 150 sailors who are blind, in wheelchairs, or otherwise experiencing challenges that kept them from sailing independently.
Marcin Kunicki, the Universal Access program director, called the event “very successful.” CBI is still counting up the proceeds as of press time, but he said, “I do believe we met our goals. It was a great team effort.”
At the fundraiser, it was not only an opportunity to raise money, but for members to relax with each other on land. One of the longest members in attendance at the fundraiser was 38-year CBI member Irving Itzkan, of Beacon Street. He has a lifetime membership card, which he says confuses a few of the younger volunteers. “I had one person ask me, ‘When does this expire?’” he recalled with a grin. “I said, ‘Hopefully not for a long, long time.’”
He was living in New York but working for a lab in Boston, and would drive by CBI with longing. He said to himself, “If I ever move to Boston, the first thing I will do is join that club.” When he got a job in Boston back in 1970, that’s exactly what he did. He seems to have chosen jobs that are close to CBI. He’s a consultant at Harvard Medical School, and for years he was a biomedical physicist at MIT. Over the past few years, he’s averaging between half a dozen to 30 sails a year.
“Every opportunity I get, I am teaching newcomers,” he says, estimating he must have taken about 5,000 students sailing over the years. His son became a Junior member and is now a full member.
“I especially love taking people out for the first time, and hearing them say, ‘This is great, I want to do this for the rest of my life.’” But, he warns, “everyone in my boat works.”
Although she’s not much of a sailor herself, Back Bay resident Jessica Mackey. has a father and cousin who are CBI members, so she came out to support CBI. “I think it’s a great program,” she says. “There are so few things that are inexpensive in the summer. I like the idea that this helps kids learn that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, and that lets them learn something outside, that doesn’t involve them sitting home and playing video games.”
Her friend, Taylor O’Neil of Irving Street, also appreciated CBI’s ability to democratize sailing. O’Neil grew up in a sailing environment -- her father was a sailing instructor in a place that “if your parents didn’t buy you a boat, you didn’t have much to work with.” “CBI is very inclusive. The kids are so much fun, they’re from Chinatown, Newton, Brighton, and they’re all interacting. They learn something thaey’ll have for the rest of their life.”
O’Neil, who works as a WGBH fundraiser, understands the need to raise money for a good cause. “CBI is fiscally responsible and down to earth. They’re all about the kids.”
Ross to attend Democratic Convention
By Sandra Miller
for Back Bay Sun
City Councilor Michael Ross seems to be everywhere lately. Over the weekend, Ross drove to New Jersey to attend the wedding of his chief of staff, Reuben Kantor, then flew off to Denver for his first year as a delegate for the 45th Democratic National Convention in Denver, which began Monday.
Ross is among loads of other Mass Dem delegates that also include Mayor Menino, who is a superdelegate, Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, Gov. Deval Patrick, House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, US reps Michael Capuano and Barney Frank, Senators Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, Suffolk Sheriff Andrea Cabral, State Auditor Joseph DeNucci, Secretary William Galvin, and Senate President Therese Murray.
Ross attended the 2004 Democratic Convention, which was here, but wasn’t a delegate. Instead, he said he wandered the convention hall and watched all the speeches. It was at that convention when Obama first made an impression upon him, and led him to be an early Obama supporter. “I was really inspired by him in 2004,” he said. “I was with him when there weren’t a lot of people with him.
“Obama is fresh and new, but that’s what this country needs. When you vote for established leaders, you get Bush and Cheney. Barack knows how to get around government. He knows the harsh reality of what people are dealing with, and barriers. He knows his way around classrooms and communities. He proved he can go to the Middle East and Europe. He’s invested.”
He’s looking forward to Barak Obama’s speech, as well as networking with other elected officials from around the country to “talk about some common issues.”
Ross will also be blogging about the convention at Boston Magazine’s “Boston Daily” blog (See Friday’s fun entry, about the two types of delegates at the convention.) “There will be five more during the convention, most a humorous behind-the-scenes look, as well as substantive issues once it’s under way.”
for Back Bay Sun
City Councilor Michael Ross seems to be everywhere lately. Over the weekend, Ross drove to New Jersey to attend the wedding of his chief of staff, Reuben Kantor, then flew off to Denver for his first year as a delegate for the 45th Democratic National Convention in Denver, which began Monday.
Ross is among loads of other Mass Dem delegates that also include Mayor Menino, who is a superdelegate, Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, Gov. Deval Patrick, House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, US reps Michael Capuano and Barney Frank, Senators Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, Suffolk Sheriff Andrea Cabral, State Auditor Joseph DeNucci, Secretary William Galvin, and Senate President Therese Murray.
Ross attended the 2004 Democratic Convention, which was here, but wasn’t a delegate. Instead, he said he wandered the convention hall and watched all the speeches. It was at that convention when Obama first made an impression upon him, and led him to be an early Obama supporter. “I was really inspired by him in 2004,” he said. “I was with him when there weren’t a lot of people with him.
“Obama is fresh and new, but that’s what this country needs. When you vote for established leaders, you get Bush and Cheney. Barack knows how to get around government. He knows the harsh reality of what people are dealing with, and barriers. He knows his way around classrooms and communities. He proved he can go to the Middle East and Europe. He’s invested.”
He’s looking forward to Barak Obama’s speech, as well as networking with other elected officials from around the country to “talk about some common issues.”
Ross will also be blogging about the convention at Boston Magazine’s “Boston Daily” blog (See Friday’s fun entry, about the two types of delegates at the convention.) “There will be five more during the convention, most a humorous behind-the-scenes look, as well as substantive issues once it’s under way.”
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Energy and environmental bill contains good things for the Esplanade
by Sandra Miller
A lot of sailors and parks enthusiasts breathed a sigh of relief after Governor Deval Patrick signed a $1.64 billion energy and environmental bond bill Thursday.
The bonds will launch Rep. Marty Walz’s $3.7 million amendment to fund new docks for Community Boating (CBI). However, the Community Boating Facility Pier Construction Project amendment approval “doesn’t mean the money is readily available,” said Walz. “This is just the first step in a multi-step process.”
Now it’s a race against time for CBI, The money is an authorization, not an appropriation, so CBI will be especially anxious to get the new docks in time for 2010, when it will host the annual Mallory Trophy. To be co-hosted with MIT and the Mass Bay League, the 80th annual Mallory Trophy will bring more than 100 families around the country to watch their high schoolers compete along the Charles.
CBI needs the new docks to be completed before the Trophy event, which is in May 2010. With such a complicated project, a lot can happen between now and May 2010, when the competition will be held.
“We’ve worked closely with the DCR on design and engineering, and with the Legislature,” said Zechel. “We’ve been advocating for this for five years now. Some of our docks go back to the 1970s and 1980s, and some go further back.” In 2003, CBI also made significant repairs to 50 feet of dock to repair some structural failure. CBI has much experience in seeing projects being held up by delays in obtaining materials.
“The bill takes it one step closer to happening, but we still need to advocate for [the new docks.] We’re not going to do all of it in September.”
Zechel said first the current docks would be demolished, which must happen during the off-season. Then new pilings would need to be driven, and the docks built and installed. “This could start in September to December, if the materials are available, and then the contractors can move very quickly,” Zechel added.
Walz is also a little nervous. “The docks may not even be done by May 2010. We’ll have to factor that tournament into the scheduling, but it’s not the Legislature’s decision to rebuild the docks, it’s ultimately the DCR’s. I will advocate on behalf of Community Boating.”
The Mallory Trophy is a fleet racing national championship among the nation’s private and public high schools, and is school sailing’s oldest trophy. It is administrated by the Interscholastic Sailing Association (ISSA), which governs secondary school sailing in the United States, in both independent and public high schools.
“These trophies rotate through regions of the country,” said Charles Zechel, executive director of Community Boating Inc. “You bid on it, like the Olympics. There’s not many community sailing programs that can host this. We need some help because of the number of boats needed, so MIT and Mass Bay League is helping. It’s a big stepping stone for us because we don’t usually have the ability to host competitive international sailing regattas, because they are usually by people who bring their own boats.”
“We’ve matured to the point we can host a national event. There will be an expense to it,” he said. “We’ll be using our safety launches, staff, our time, our boats. Over the next two years, we’ll be doing some fundraising.”
Zechel and Walz expect that the tournament won’t have a negative impact on the surrounding community, since the student sailors will be split among the MIT and CBI locations. “It’ll be the same numbers when we’re busy,” Zechel said, but he expected that local hotels and restaurants would benefit from the event.
CBI board member Gary du Moulin saidthe new docks will also improve wheelchair accessibility for its new Universal Access program. “Our facility will be 100 percent accessible,” said du Moulin. “The docks are old. Access for wheelchairs is an effort.”
“Community boating as an organization is doing real good things,” said the director, noting its $1 membership for kids and sailors with disabilities.
At $616.3 million, the level of support provided for parks and other DCR assets is more than twice as much as authorized by the 2002 bond bill, said a spokesman from the governor’s office. Included are $205.7 million for DCR parks and reservations, beaches, harbor islands, swimming pools, campgrounds and hiking and biking trails; and $325 million to repair and reconstruct DCR bridges – including critical spans across the Charles River in Boston. This is in addition to the $900 million included in the accelerated bridge program, which will rehabilitate all of DCR’s structurally deficient bridges.
“This is an important investment for residents across the commonwealth,” Senate President Therese Murray said in a press release. “No matter where you live, people place great value on their parks, beaches and recreational areas. It’s a quality of life issue, and this law will make sure that our open space and recreational facilities maintain their appeal and functionality.”
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Woman named to top BPL post
By Sandra Miller
Back Bay Sun
The Board of Trustees of the Boston Public Library today named Amy Ryan as the next president of the Boston Public Library. After a six-month nationwide search, the Trustees chose Ryan citing her extensive knowledge of big city library systems, her management styles, understanding of technology and commitment to community libraries.
“My fellow trustees and I are delighted to welcome Amy Ryan as the president of the Boston Public Library,” said Jeffrey B. Rudman, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, in a press release. “Since the start of this selection process, we have been committed to finding a strong leader with a clear vision to guide the library. Today we accomplished that goal. We look forward with great anticipation to working with her.”
The Trustees have been searching for a president for months, after asking Bernard A. Margolis to leave in June when his contract ended, after 11 years in the post. The search has mostly been done quietly, but at one point a few months ago, Thomas F. Birmingham, the former state Senate president and onetime candidate for governor, was cited as a candidate running against five professional librarians to take over the BPL.
Birmingham, a friend of Rudman, lacked library experience.
The Associates of The Boston Public Library, a nonprofit library support organization that critized Margolis’ ouster, reportedly hoped for a candidate with strong preservation experience to protect the BPL’s rare artifacts.
The new library president reportedly will need to smooth things over, since the Margolis ouster apparently caused many library supporters, including large donors, to threaten funding.
Ryan takes over from Deputy director Ruth Kowal, who had been serving as Acting President since July 1.
Ryan, director of the Minneapolis and Hennepin County library system since 2005, was honored by the City of Minneapolis for her leadership in the merger of the city and county library systems earlier this year.
“Strong leadership of our historic library system is crucial in creating a continuum of learning in our city,” Mayor Thomas M. Menino said. ”I trust Amy Ryan will bring the skills necessary to make our libraries work for everyone – from the magnificent main branch at Copley to our 26 community branches the Boston Public Library should be a treasure for all.”
Ryan was chosen after a six-month selection process conducted by a search committee, led by James I. Cash, Professor Emeritus of Harvard Business School, and John H. McArthur, former Dean of Harvard Business School. Members of the library staff and support groups and residents citywide chose from an initial group of more than 160 candidates attracted by the international search firm of Korn/Ferry.
“I look forward to working with the Board of Trustees, Mayor, staff and residents of Boston to build upon BPL’s many strengths and to provide library and information services that touch and enhance the lives of all the people of Boston,” Amy Ryan said in a press release.
Back Bay Sun
The Board of Trustees of the Boston Public Library today named Amy Ryan as the next president of the Boston Public Library. After a six-month nationwide search, the Trustees chose Ryan citing her extensive knowledge of big city library systems, her management styles, understanding of technology and commitment to community libraries.
“My fellow trustees and I are delighted to welcome Amy Ryan as the president of the Boston Public Library,” said Jeffrey B. Rudman, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, in a press release. “Since the start of this selection process, we have been committed to finding a strong leader with a clear vision to guide the library. Today we accomplished that goal. We look forward with great anticipation to working with her.”
The Trustees have been searching for a president for months, after asking Bernard A. Margolis to leave in June when his contract ended, after 11 years in the post. The search has mostly been done quietly, but at one point a few months ago, Thomas F. Birmingham, the former state Senate president and onetime candidate for governor, was cited as a candidate running against five professional librarians to take over the BPL.
Birmingham, a friend of Rudman, lacked library experience.
The Associates of The Boston Public Library, a nonprofit library support organization that critized Margolis’ ouster, reportedly hoped for a candidate with strong preservation experience to protect the BPL’s rare artifacts.
The new library president reportedly will need to smooth things over, since the Margolis ouster apparently caused many library supporters, including large donors, to threaten funding.
Ryan takes over from Deputy director Ruth Kowal, who had been serving as Acting President since July 1.
Ryan, director of the Minneapolis and Hennepin County library system since 2005, was honored by the City of Minneapolis for her leadership in the merger of the city and county library systems earlier this year.
“Strong leadership of our historic library system is crucial in creating a continuum of learning in our city,” Mayor Thomas M. Menino said. ”I trust Amy Ryan will bring the skills necessary to make our libraries work for everyone – from the magnificent main branch at Copley to our 26 community branches the Boston Public Library should be a treasure for all.”
Ryan was chosen after a six-month selection process conducted by a search committee, led by James I. Cash, Professor Emeritus of Harvard Business School, and John H. McArthur, former Dean of Harvard Business School. Members of the library staff and support groups and residents citywide chose from an initial group of more than 160 candidates attracted by the international search firm of Korn/Ferry.
“I look forward to working with the Board of Trustees, Mayor, staff and residents of Boston to build upon BPL’s many strengths and to provide library and information services that touch and enhance the lives of all the people of Boston,” Amy Ryan said in a press release.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)