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serving the Fenway, Kenmore Square, upper Back Bay, Prudential, Longwood Area & Mission Hill since 1974 volume 37, number 4 APRIL 1-28, 2011

tenants, Backers crowd council Kaji Aso Artists Raise $10K for Japanese Relief
hearing, but Kargman won’t budge Kaji Aso Studio on St. Stephen St.

photo: john ziemba

recently organized a benefit for victims

O
by Lori Frankian
n March 14 City Councilors
Michael P. Ross and Rob Consalvo
convened a public hearing at the
Susan Bailis Assisted Living
Center on Mass Ave at St. Botolph Street.
Prior to the hearing, a well-organized group
of over 40 people marched from the Edgerly
Road Playground in the East Fens down
Mass Ave to the Bailis Center, carrying
colorful signs and chanting: “Shame on you
Bill Kargman”, “Help us Keep the Fenway
Affordable for the Long Term” and “Don’t let
Bill Kargman convert subsidized homes in the
Fenway to market rate!”
The Kargman and his family own First
Realty Management (FRM), which in turn
owns the Burbank Apartments, a collection of
Last year Kargman, announced that of the Japanese earthquake and
he planned to opt out of the project-based tsunami. Artists, musicians, performers,
Section 8 program that had helped FRM and helpers donated their works and
purchase the apartments in the first place efforts to Artists Aid for Japan. In the
and had kept rents affordable to working photo, calligrapher Michiko Imai takes
tenants. This decision would convert all 173 part in the program. Symphony Sushi
units—nearly 10% of all affordable housing Restaurant, on Gainsborough Street
in the Fenway—into market-rate rentals. around the corner from the studio,
The current agreement ran out at the end donated food for the two-day event,
of March. When tenants complained that which raised more than $10,000. All
significant rent hikes would force many proceeds will go to the victims thanks to
to move, Kargman’s answer was to offer assistance of the Japanese Consulate in
“enhanced vouchers” (through a HUD Boston. Kaji Aso Studio plans to keep the
program) for any tenant who qualified. This fund open for further gifts; visit www.
still left many tenants facing a doubling or kajiasostudio.com for details on the
more of their rents and even the “qualified” benefit or to donate.
tenants facing future disruption if they lost
a job. With this jarring news, tenants started

Senior Center Begins a Serious

buildings in the East Fens with a total of 173
units. The Kargmans’ decision to withdraw
from a federal program that helped pay for
their purchase of the apartments and kept
rents at lowe levels for tenants sparked the
organizing.
In a September 2010 interview, Kargman
told The Fenway News that, “what we are
trying to do is provide a subsidy to everyone
that is eligible. We’ve done this in other
Search for New Partners, Funding
properties and have had good results. We feel

march and the City Council hearing.
The hearing began with four panels: one
with members of the Burbank Apartments
Tenant Association (BATA); a second with
Fenway residents; a third with experts on fair
housing (laws that ensure equal access to
housing to all Americans, regardless of race,
color, national origin, religion, sex, familial
status or handicap); and a fourth on expiring
use and affordable housing. With every seat
in the meeting room taken, people of all ages
and capabilities lined the back wall, sat on the
floor attentively listening to each panelist, and
spilled out the doors at the back of the room.
The Kargman family purchased Burbank
Apartments in March 1970 with a mortgage of
that we are protecting all of our tenants in
this process.” Kargman also stated that, “the
owners have worked with HUD to provide
housing to people with subsidies since 1971,
and will continue to do so.”
Kargman argues that the enhanced
vouchers will solve the problem for his
tenants. However, the National Law Housing
Law Project states that “enhanced vouchers
may require some tenants to pay a higher
proportion of their income in rent.” Another
important detail is that the subsidies expire
when current tenants move out of these units, CDC needs to focus on what it does best, housing for low-income residents in the neighborhood
turning the units over to market rate.
At the hearing, “everyone has a story
O
by Chelsea Brown
lga Goldus, 67, is an active participant in short story discussion groups, painting
seminars and yoga sessions. For the last three years, Goldus has participated in
these activities for free at the Peterborough Senior Center (PSC). The center,
located in the West Fens, helps enrich the life of seniors through free arts and
cultural activities, intergenerational programs, and educational programs, according to
Penina Adelman, program director. On average, between 75 and 100 seniors participate in the
programs each week.
“The senior center’s activities and folks are incredibly important to this neighborhood and
the CDC,” said Joanne McKenna, president of the board of director of the Fenway Community
Development Corporation (CDC). Since 1998, the Fenway CDC has been the sole sponsor and
primary source of funding for the center, according to McKenna.
However, the Fenway CDC can no longer fund the senior center. “The board decided the
and real estate,” said Penina Adelman, PSC director. Although the CDC is unable to continue
its funding, it is looking
photo: Olivia Postma-Kelly

nearly $3 million. For 40 years, the Kargmans
greatly benefited from the subsidized housing
program, financed by the federal Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
to tell” as City Councilor Ayanna Pressley
put it. Panelists and community members
who spoke during an “open mic” session
Burbank Apartments on page 3 >
for groups to partner the
senior center with. “We
love and cherish the seniors
who go there, and believe
in the programming,” said
McKenna. “We are looking

Nipping and Tucking, Red Sox Continue to find partners who will
provide services to the

Making Incremental Upgrades at Ballpark elderly and increase their

by Richard Kiley
Opening day at Fenway Park is a
major event in the baseball world, but also
has additional meaning for those in the
Fenway who live with the park year round.
The Fenway News spoke with Paul Hanlon,
director of planning and development fror
the Red Sox, about the last year of the ten-
year improvement plan for the park and the
conversation focused on game day fans,
quality of life.”
Adelman is intent
the exterior of the park, and how game day on finding funding. Last
affects the neighborhood. week, she held a funding
Fenway Park—which Hanlon says has meeting with colleges and Above, Olga Goldus and Elvira Castillo, senior center
one of baseball’s highest percentages of fans universities that collaborate regulars; Kenyora Johnson, a student intern; and Santosh
arriving by public transportation—has in- with the senior center. “All Sharma, senior aide a the center.
stalled new bike racks for general public use, were very helpful in terms
an MBTA Charlie Ticket machine in the park, of leads on where we may find funds, in terms of people and institutions,” said Adelman.
and “maintained a Red Sox theme signage” “They hope they will be able to participate in keeping the senior center going.” Also, Adelman
in the Kenmore Square T station. Hanlon also has reached out to businesses in the neighborhood.
promised that the popular Ambassador guides Kenyora Johnson, a Boston University intern, believes the senior center provides more
would continue to be available to residents than just internal support for the seniors. “Being surrounded by people who automatically
walking on Yawkey Way between Van Ness embrace you, feels like being welcomed into the family,” said Johnson.
St. and Brookline Ave., which is closed during Goldus said the senior center “is an inviting place that penetrates you.” For Goldus, the
home games. center is more than a place of recreation. “When I first started to come here my English was
The most noticeable changes for Fenway improved and I felt the benefits,” said Goldus. “As they say in my country, the ice started
residents will be elm trees planted on Yawkey melting.” One of Goldus’s favorite programs is the short story discussions, led by Stephen
Way and Landsdowne Street and lights under Brophy, editor of The Fenway News and an instructor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
the Green Monster. Additionally, street-facing Brophy believes this program is beneficial because it sharpens the mind. “A group of
windows have been installed in the brick wall people of varying academic capacity can sit down and talk about something they have read
of the WEEI studio, providing some visual together,” said Brophy. “I always come out of it with more insight than I had going in.”
relief in what had been a solid, unbroken Although the fate of the senior center is unknown, Brophy believes Boston City Councilor,
surface facing pedestrians on the street. Mike Ross will do all he can to save it. “He is vigilant about making sure everything is tried
On Yawkey Way, the windows of the before it falls apart,” said Brophy.
building were replaced with period-style However, Adelman is confident the senior center will sustain itself, and has ideas for
windows so that “it will look like it always future programs. “We would like to do more in the wellness area, we already do yoga and
has been there,” according to Hanlon. Around exercise, so we would love to add Reiki,” said Adelman. Also, Adelman would love to add
the corner at VanNess and Ipswich is a new programs that connect children with seniors. “We used to have a gardening programming with
team statue of Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, children at the Victory Gardens, I would love to see that program come back.”
Dom DiMaggio and Johnny Pesky. Chelsea Brown, a graduate student at Emerson College, lives in the West Fenway.
Now it is time for our readers to pass
judgment on the improvements and how they
feel in our neighborhood. This article will be On Thursday, May 5, the Peterborough Senior Center will hold a fund-raising and
separately posted at Fenway News Online, so awareness walk. The walk begins at the corner of Jersey and Boylston streets
you can leave comments there. and will be followed by a potluck lunch at the center. For more details and contact
Richard Kiley lives in Chinatown. information, see the may 5 listing in the Community Meetings box on page 8.
2 | FENWAY NEWS | APRIL 2011

Fenway High’s Panthers Stalk State Finals

Red Sox Unveil Final Fenway Park Improvements

Photo: patrick o’connor

On March 16, the Red Sox held a community meeting in the Absolut Clubhouse, next to
Fenway Park, to update its neighbors about changes in the ballpark. Larry Cankro, Beth
Krudys, and Paul Hanlon represented the team, with Hanlon handling the bulk of the
presentation. “This was the tenth straight year of major ballpark renovations …and the last,”
he stated, “and we’re proud of the way it looks.” He showed many before-and-after shots of
the Green Monster, the Gate B Concourse, the new Jumbotrons, and other improved elements.
After the meeting, attendees were given a tour of part of the stadium, which was still showing
signs of work in progress. The seats in the grandstand were impressively clean and no
longer chipping, which is pretty amazing if you’ve attended games in the past several years.
—Camille Platt

New Protections (and Respect?) For Christian Science Plaza

City of Boston officials announced on March 25 that the plaza at the Christian Science
Center, including its signature reflecting pond, has received historic landmark designation
from the Boston Landmarks Commission. The designation does not affect the Mother
Church or the Monitor Building, but it will impose tighter guidelines on future development
on the plaza. Last year the church administration unveiled a plan to develop its campus more
intensely, and the plan called for changes in the depth and configuration of the reflecting
pool. Landmark designation may force the church to rethink that part of its plan.

A Conversation Between Generations at Northeastern
Students from the Northeastern University Cape Verdean Student Association met on
March 13 with the Boston chapter of the NAACP to discuss how to enhance dialogue
between generations of the black community and discuss how to handle civil rights in
the 21st century. “Racism exists everywhere, in every institution,” said Boston NCAAP
President Michael Curry in his opening remarks. “It is essential that we have a discussion
of the struggle of racism—between young and older folks—in our colored communities”
he said. “Why aren’t there more college students stepping up on the issues?” asked James
Wallace, a 19-year-old Northeastern student. A retired Boston school teacher, Bob Marshall,
quickly answered, “The older generation—we haven’t educated our kids, we haven’t shared
with you Black history. As a result, you aren’t conscious and have difficulty being engaged.”
Curry, elected to the post last fall, concluded the meeting with the following admonition:
“We need each other more than ever to combat racism and educate our youth about our
history, and give them a forum so they can propose new ideas to fight against the oppressors
of civil rights.”—Daniel Alfaro
Three Fenway Colleges Win Awards for Historic Preservation
Preservation Massachusetts will give the Paul Tsongas Award to three area institutions—
Emmanuel College, Mass. College of Pharmacy, and The New England Conservatory—for
Congratulations to the Fenway High School girls basketball team for another
great season. In February, the won the Boston North title trophy and defeated
New Mission in a city league play-off game to advance to the final. At the state
tournament in March, the team defeated three teams (Presentation of Mary,
Mt. Alvernia, and Whittier) to advance to the final round for the Div. 4 north
title only to lose to New Mission. The Fenway Panthers end the season at 19-4.
—Patrick O’Connor
“embracing or incorporating preservation into their educational identity.” The awards,
given annually, will be conferred at a May 4 ceremony in the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel.
Nonprofit Preservation Massachusetts works to preserve historic and cultural heritage
across Massachusetts.
Gardner Nabs Art-World Equivalent of Top Draft Choice
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum announced last month that it has named Dr. Oliver
Tostmann to become William and Lia Poorvu Curator of the Collection. In that role he
will oversee the collection, organize exhibitions, prepare publications generated from new
scholarship on the museum’s holdings, and present the history of the museum and its
founder. Before joining the staff in April 2012, Tostmann will spend a year as a research
fellow, studying the Gardner’s history and holdings.

Fenway Students Join March to NEC Alumna Wins Operatic Equivalent of ‘American Idol’
Michelle Johnson, a soprano from Texas who received undergraduate vocal training at the
Protest School Budget Cuts New England Conservatory of Music, ended the 2011 Metropolitan Opera National Council
Auditions as one of five winners. She collects a $15,000 prize and—far more important—
the chance to launch a major career with the preeminent American opera company. The

O
by Daniel Alvaro
n March 2, a crowd of Boston
Public School students, including
participants from three Fenway
high schools, gathered at the Hyde
Park Education Complex to march against the
Boston School Committee budget proposal
and the controversial plan to close under-
performing schools in the district. The march
culminated at a School Committee meeting at
Boston English High School.
At the event, Sasha De La Cruz,
Hyde Park student and organizer from El
Movimiento, described the $60 million
budget cut that will close down schools,
lay off school employees and limit parents’
decisions about where their kids should
attend school.
The event was supported by the Boston
Youth Organizing Project, which also
organized teachers, parents, and ordinary
citizens to support the students in their march
by chanting “SOS—Save our Schools.”
“Eventually all the schools are going
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to get overpopulated and the drop-out
rates are going to dramatically increase,”
said Lissette Deleon, a student at Fenway
High School. “This means that very well-
performing schools like my own, will soon
become schools that will struggle to continue
to perform well, and then it will be next on
the list to be closed down,” she added. Many
other students expressed similar sentiments.
“[The proposed budget] is problematic
because it’s hard for a teacher to focus on
one child’s need when he or she has 30 other
children in the same class,” said Karen Mejia,
a student at O’Bryant High School. She also
worried that her brother, a student at Parkway
Academy, one of the schools that will be
merged, will be greatly affected by a new
school environment, which might limit his
academic opportunities.
The Coalition for Equal Quality
Education plans to protests at upcoming
School Committee budget hearings.
Daniel Alvaro is a student at Roxbury
Community College.
winners were selected from eight finalists who performed arias with the Met Orchestra on
the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House. Writing in The New York Times, critic Anthony
Tommasini called Johnson the “clear audience favorite,” saying she “brought gleaming
sound to the meltingly lyrical aria Io son l’umile ancella from Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur,
then sang a clean-lined and lyrically arching account of Dove sono from Mozart’s Nozze di
Figaro.” Despite “some breathy notes in her midrange,” Tommasini wrote, “Ms. Johnson
seems to have the vocal goods as well as star power.”
Fenway Health’s Ken Mayer Will Receive Studds Award
Dr. Kenneth H. Mayer will receive this year’s Congressman Gerry E. Studds Award during
Fenway Health’s black-tie fundraising dinner, The Men’s Event, on April 9. Medical research
director at the center and co-chair of The Fenway Institute, Mayer led the Fenway team
involved in the groundbreaking iPrex study. The research demonstrated that high-risk
individuals who took a single daily anti-HIV pill dramatically lowered their risk of HIV
infection. The approach, known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), has the potential to
lower HIV infection rates worldwide, saving millions of lives. The 2011 Men’s Event takes
place at the Marriott Copley Place and is expected to draw 1,300 people.
Conservancy Wants a Few Good Men and Women
You walk in and through the Back Bay Fens all the time, but beyond the fact that Frederick
Law Olmsted designed it, what do you really know about the historic park that shapes
our neighborhood? The Emerald Necklace Conservancy wants to smarten you up with a
program that will prepare you to lead interpretive tours in the park. The program includes
independent study, park tours, and four class sessions taught by Conservancy staff and
experts on the history, design, landscape, and restoration of the Emerald Necklace, with
particular emphasis on the Back Bay Fens’ gardens, historic structures and changes over
the years. Classes meet on April 5, 12, 19, and 26 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the new
Emerald Necklace Visitor Center on The Fenway. Class size is limited, so if you’re interested,
the Conservancy advice you to apply early. Downloaded an application from the Emerald
Necklace website, www.emeraldnecklace.org.

Tremont Credit Union Adds an LMA Branch

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Tremont Credit Union will hold a grand opening this month of its new branch at 342
Longwood Avenue (at press time the opening date had not been finalized). The full-service
branch offers a convenient location for Tremont members in the Medical Area—including
employees of Children’s Hospital, Wheelock and Simmons colleges, the MFA and the Gardner
Museum. Tremont says its members receive most of the services offered by large banks, but
often at lower costs, since the institution is a non-profit organization owned by its members.
Local elected officials have been invited to the opening.
Regime Change at Operation P.E.A.C.E.
After serving as executive director of Operation P.E.A.C.E in the West Fens for several years,
David Zermeno recently left the organization—and was expeditiously replaced by David
O’Connor. Look for a profile of O’Connor in next month’s Fenway News.
—Newslines compiled by Stephen Brophy and Steve Wolf
 FENWAY NEWS | APRIL 2011 | 3

Officials Remain Mum on Apparent Death of Homeless Person

Despite two inquiries by The Fenway
Fri., April 8 2:05 p.m.

Photo: steve wolf

Sat., April 9 1:10 p.m.
Sun., April 10 8:05 p.m.
Mon., April 11 7:10 p.m.
Tues., April 12 7:10 p.m.
Wed., April 13 7:10 p.m.
Fri., April 15 7:10 p.m.
Sat., April 16 1:10 p.m.
Sun., April 17 1:35 p.m.
Mon., April 18 11:05 a.m.
Fri., April 29 7:10 p.m.
Sat., April 30 7:10 p.m
News, as we went to press the Boston
Police insisted they had no information
about a possible death at the John
Boyle O’Reilly monument on March 28.
Around 9:30 that morning, a van from
the Commonwealth Medical Examiner’s
Office joined an EMT ambulance
(pictured) and a Boston Police patrol
car parked in front of the memorial
at the corner of Boylston Street and
The Fenway. Behind police tape and
the ambulance shown in the photo lay
a white plastic bag or sheet draped
across what appeared to be a human
body. Homeless men sometimes sleep
on the memorial’s benches overnight.

Burbank Apartments Are the Tip of the Iceberg

Arbor Day brings Help for Fens trees
S
ince the Fenway became part of my Since the owners of the Burbank
district, I have watched Boylston Apartments announced their plans last year,

Street bloom as a result the Fenway CDC has gone to great lengths
of the Fenway CDC’s to organize Burbank tenants,
Urban Village plan, and new and marshal public support for
restaurants and cafes move retaining this affordable housing.
into the neighborhood. The Senator Chang-Díaz and I sent a
Fenway is a vibrant community letter to the owners of the Burbank
where residents from different Apartments in March expressing
backgrounds with diverse ideas our disappointment with their
and interests mix seamlessly. actions and our hope that they
It is close to downtown Boston would maintain their relationship
and has the historic character
and close community that many Tolman with HUD. We have yet to receive
a response.
Bostonians seek. But, this
special community is in danger. Talks Unfortunately, this will
not be the last time the Fenway
community and its friends will
Late last year the owners
of the Burbank Apartments de- The Fenway be forced to fight to maintain
cided to leave the U.S. Depart- News has invited affordable housing. In the coming
ment of Housing and Urban elected officials years additional affordable
Development’s (HUD) project- who represent the housing providers may exit the
based Section 8 program. This neighborhood to affordable housing business,
contribute columns leaving their low-income tenants
decision—coupled with the ex-
on issues of to fight to remain in their homes.
piration of an agreement which
concern. These will In many ways the Fenway is a
the owners had with HUD for
appear on a regular victim of its own success. There
a preferred mortgage rate—
basis in FensViews. is tremendous demand for quality
means that on April 1, 173
housing in Boston, and the Fenway
apartments will lose their af-
fordable designation. The residents who live offers proximity to downtown, diversity
in these units will be forced out of a neigh- and convenience. The current Burbank
borhood where some have been for decades Apartments situation should serve to spur
action so we can come together to find long-
in search of housing they can afford.
term solutions.
Affordable housing is a critical part
I hope that the Burbank Apartments will
of Boston’s urban fabric and is necessary
be retained as affordable housing long into
to build strong and lasting communities.
the future. These units are part of the reason
As a result, we all must be alarmed by the
that the Fenway neighborhood has become a
impending loss of affordable housing units
desirable place to live. I remain committed to
in this great neighborhood. For years, the
working to save the Burbank Apartments and
Burbank Apartments provided a place where
to keeping the Fenway affordable. As we work
people from all walks of life could make
to save the Burbank Apartments, we also must
a home in the Fenway regardless of their
income. The owners’ desire to leave the HUD be aware of other possible impending threats
program puts the health and long-term vitality to affordable housing in our community and
prepare to respond.
of the Fenway community at risk. Renewal
Steven Tolman is one of two state senators
of the project-based Section 8 contract could
keep nearly 200 units affordable for families, who represent the neighborhood in the state
legislature.
elders and working professionals.
MassArt Taps RISD Dean for President
awn Barrett, dean of Architecture and Design at Rhode Island School of
Design, has been selected as president of Massachusetts College of Art
and Design. She succeeds Dr. Kay Sloan, who will retire after 15 years as
president. A search committee of the board of trustees recommended Barrett
to the full board, which unanimously approved
her selection—as did the state Board of Higher
Education, last month.
“Barrett comes to MassArt with an unwavering
commitment to advancing the disciplines of art
and design,” said Richard Shea, chair of the
trustees. “As a designer, faculty member, and
administrator, Barrett is able to see through multiple
lenses and facilitate collaboration among diverse
constituencies. Having lived and worked in Europe
for many years, Dawn’s international outlook will
help MassArt expand its reach locally and globally.”
Sloan, the departing president, launched a $140
million fundraising campaign—the largest in the
school’s history—intended to transform MassArt’s curriculum and campus. “Mas-
sachusetts College of Art and Design has been very fortunate over the last fifteen
years to have benefitted from the dedication and exemplary leadership of Kay
Sloan,” said Richard Shea. “Her unparalleled vision has led us to unprecedented
growth. Enrollment is at an all-time high, the endowment has tripled, scholarship
dollars are up, and new campus buildings are rising along Huntington Avenue.”
The trustees named Sloan president emerita by the board of trustees.
O
by fredericka veikley
n April 30, Maltby and Company and Natural Tree & Lawn Care will donate the
services of a team of 20 tree professionals to improve the safety, aesthetics and
health of trees and plants in the Back Bay Fens. Coordinating the work with the
Boston Parks and Recreation Department, Maltby and Company will perform
corrective and structural pruning to repair winter-damaged trees. Hazardous trees or those in
decline will be removed, and replacement trees will be provided by Boston Parks Department
and planted by Maltby’s landscape construction crew. Complimenting this work, Natural Tree
& Lawn Care will apply organic fertilizer to existing trees to keep them healthy and beautiful.
The two companies plan to cover the Fens from the Victory Gardens to Avenue Louis
Pasteur. The Emerald Necklace Conservancy, Fenway Civic Association, and Fenway Garden
Society have undertaken separate tree-improvement projects of their own.
For Arbor Day, the Massachusetts Arborists Association (MAA), organizes teams of
arborists and “green” companies for a day of service on an MAA-selected property. The goal
is to improve the safety, beauty, and health of the plants and trees on the selected site. Previous
beneficiaries of the program include Franklin Park, the Crane Estate in Ipswich, and Larz
Anderson Park in Brookline.
Fredericka Veikley lives in the West Fens.
> burbank apartments from page 1 This is about the long-term affordability of
the neighborhood and the city—we don’t want
did share personal stories, appealing to the
a neighborhood that working people can’t
councilors at the hearing—Ross, Consalvo,
afford.” Dharmena Downey, FCDC executive
Pressley, and Felix Arroyo. Attendees seemed
director, said she believes that “the need to
cautiously hopeful and even more empowered
produce and preserve affordable housing has
to continue their fight.
never been greater. Twenty-five percent, or
Panelist Conrad Ciszek, one of the orga-
30 million, American households face severe
nizers of BATA, has a wealth of knowledge
housing challenges. We’re not talking only
after a year spent researching his rights.
about the poorest among us or those without
“Bill Kargman, in his repeated statements,
jobs, but also teachers, clergy, librarians,
keeps arguing that there is nothing to worry
firefighters, health-care workers, and many
about and the enhanced vouchers are a prime
others who make significant contributions to
solution.” According to material from the
our community.”
National Law Housing Law Project, Ciszek
On March 25 Councilor Ross shared his
said, “tenants who are deemed eligible may
thoughts on the lack of positive progress to
risk loss of their voucher if their household or
that point: “I am sad to see no compromise
income changes. As enhanced vouchers are
on the part of the owners, even after so much
more expensive than regular vouchers, they
compelling testimony at the recent City
are more of a target for cuts in funding—thus,
Council hearing....I hope that the owners of
the outcome is clear, affordable housing in the
the building will still come to the table with
Fenway will be reduced.”
residents to work out a deal that will preserve
Sheila Dillon, Mayor Menino’s advisor
this valuable resource in our city.”
on housing, provided some necessary context:
On March 29, Associate Justice Jeffrey
“Of the 908 affordable apartments in Boston
M. Winik, a judge in the Boston Housing
lost permanently over the past five years,
Court, handed down a decision in Burbank
896 were properties owned by William
Kargman”. These include High Point Village Apartments Tenants Association v. Landlord,
in Roslindale, Camelot Court in Brighton William Kargman. BATA’s lawyers had
and Brandywine Apartments in East Boston.
Ms. Dillon continued, “it is very, very hard to
asked him to enjoin FRM from beginning
to charge market rents while a lawsuit was
create new affordable units.” heard. Sarah Horsely, FCDC’s director of
Michael Stone, professor of community civic engagement, has been working with the
planning and public policy at the University BATA tenants. She returned from court with
of Massachusetts, cited results from a disappointing news: “The judge did not grant
colleague’s study, “The loss of the project- the injunction to maintain the project-based
based Section 8 subsidies at Burbank Section 8 program while the main lawsuit
Apartments will also have a disparate impact proceeds.”
on the ability of people of color, seniors, Since Kargman refused to work out
families, and people with disabilities to a settlement, as the lawsuit continues in
afford to live at Burbank Apartments.” federal court all Burbank Apartment units
After conversion to market rate, “less than will begin renting at market rates, except for
one-fifth (19%) of households of color (with those where tenants are eligible for enhanced
2-4 persons) would be able to afford a two- vouchers. “For the longer term,” Horsely says,
bedroom unit at Burbank, compared with over “we can join the efforts of Mass Alliance of
half (52%) of white, non-Latino households.” HUD Tenants to get the home rule petition
Stone pointed out that “if the rents [a proposed law that would give the city
charged at Burbank Apartments are permitted stronger tools for intervening in situations
to be set by the speculative market, housing like the one at Burbank Apartments] passed
opportunities for low-income Boston residents by the Mass state legislature. And in the even
will be further reduced. And Boston will be- longer term and bigger picture, we are joining
come even more segregated.” the thousands of people across the U.S .and
On another panel, FCDC Board President the world who are demanding that society
Joanne McKenna said that “The thought of prioritize people’s needs over greed.”
losing this diversity is heart-rending to me. Lori Frankian lives in the West Fenway.
4 | FENWAY NEWS | APRIL 2011

Serving the Fenway, Kenmore Square, Audubon

Circle, upper Back Bay, lower Roxbury, Prudential,
Mission Hill, and Longwood since 1974

Use Delay on YMCA Plan to Find Solution That Works for Everyone Fenway News Association
Board of Directors
Steve Chase • Helen Cox • Tracey Cusick • Joyce
By Stephen Brophy, Editor of the 1,200-bed International Village on Tremont Street; the

T
Foster, president • Steven Harnish • Barbara
he saga of the YMCA’s future—will a high-rise planned dormitory would add another 720 beds. Brooks Simons • Steve Wolf, treasurer
dormitory replace its gymnasium?—has developed Mission Hill breathed a big, if tentative, sigh of relief when
Editor: Stephen Brophy
another twist. Last month the Boston Landmarks the plan was announced last October, because it has suffered most WEB EDITOR: Nicole Aubourg
Commission ordered a 90-day delay in the plans, at the severely the problems, like rising real estate prices and property Production Designer: Steve Wolf
end of which the YMCA and Northeastern University are expected taxes, associated with concentrated off-campus student housing. Writers: Penina Adelman, Daniel Alfaro, Iory
to prove they have considered all other options before getting the The Fenway was more wary, considering the noise, litter, and Allison, Liz Burg, Bob Case, Helen Cox,
landmarks commission’s approval. public drunkenness that 720 more students close to Gainsborough Tracey Cusick, Dharmena Downey, Lisa
Fay, Lori A. Frankian, Joyce Foster, Marie
But that’s not all. The Massachusetts Historical Street would add. Fukuda, Galen Gilbert, Elizabeth Gillis,
Commission also weighed in, arguing that the current plan would But as good as this plan seems for its neighbors, it may not Katherine Greenough, Phyllis Hanes, Sam
have an adverse affect on remaining parts of the YMCA, abutters be good, at least not immediately, for YMCA members. They are Harnish, Erin Harper, Sarah Horsley, Rosie
like Jordan Hall, and the nearby historic districts of the South understandably upset at the loss of their gym—for many the central Kamal, Richard Kiley, Shirley Kressel,
End and Lower Roxbury. The state commission also must give its value of their membership. Concern about that loss motivated a Aqilla Manna, Erica Mattison, Richard
Pendleton, Camille Platt, Karla Rideout,
approval before destruction/construction can commence, and so very successful petition drive that helped lead to the Landmark Mike Ross, Barbara Brooks Simons, Matti
must the Boston Redevelopment Authority. Commission’s order for the 90-day delay. Kniva Spencer, Anne Tobin, Steve Tolman,
Different parts of the Fenway and Mission Hill have Now the involved parties should be working to find solutions Chuck Turner, Fredericka Veikley, Chris
different feelings about what should happen. The dorm plan satisfactory to all. YMCA members should recognize that the Viveiros, Clyde Whalen, Margaret Witham
PhotographerS: Aaron Barrera, Lois
comes in response to long-term neighborhood dissatisfaction communities and institutions have been working on this for a long
Johnston, Patrick O’Connor, Valarie
over the effects of too many off-campus students on the quality time. And those who want to keep moving in the same direction Seabrook, Matti Kniva Spencer, Ginny Such
of community life. Northeastern promised both communities five should be sympathetic to another group of people trying to protect CALENDAR: Penina Adelman, Helen Cox,
years ago that it would house more undergraduate students on their own “community.” Ruth Khowais, Steve Wolf,
campus. That commitment was partially fulfilled by the opening Proofreader: Tracey Cusick
Subscription Coordinator:
Cathy Jacobowitz

letters
BOOKKEEPER: Cathy Jacobowitz
Distribution: Nicole Auberg, Della
Gelzer, Aqilla Manna, Lauren Dewey Platt,
Resident Applauds Development America in which to rent an apartment, As HUD discontinues the mortgage- Reggie Wynn
of Symphony Garage according to the 2010 Greater Boston based subsidies that comprise the majority
This letter was sent to the BRA as a citizen The Fenway News is published monthly by the
Housing Report Card. Our city—especially of funding to keep these 173 units Fenway News Association, Inc., a community-
comment on the proposal to turn the garage in the downtown areas—is losing the young affordable, First Realty Management—the owned corporation dedicated to community
at 41 Westland Ave. into housing. people, senior citizens, and working families owners of the Burbank Apartments—have journalism. If you would like to volunteer to
Dear Mr. Fitzgerald: that keep Boston vibrant. elected to voluntarily opt out of the Section write, edit, photograph, lay out, distribute, or sell
8 program. They will only offer “enhanced advertising on commission, please contact us at:
As a life-long metropolitan Boston Burbank Apartments—on Haviland
resident and a current apartment rental Street in the Fenway—have been a resource vouchers,” which do not maintain the long- The Fenway News,
PO Box 230277, Astor Station
tenant on Westland Avenue in East Fenway, for low- and middle-income Bostonians term affordability of these units. Boston, MA 02123
I am pleased to finally see new interest in for the past 40 years, thanks to grants and You can read more about this critical 617-266-8790
improving this neglected (Westland Avenue, subsidies from the U.S. Department of issue at www.mikerossboston.com/?l= editor@fenwaynews.org
Burbank & Norway Streets) neighborhood. Housing and Urban Development (HUD). rossreport&id=115. www.fenwaynews.org
Frankly, it often seems that only the Burbank Apartments represent 10 percent of Sincerely, Subscriptions $24/year ($15 for limited income)
ticketing meter maids give us any attention affordable units in the Fenway neighborhood, Mike Ross
here. and it’s critical that we preserve this resource. ©2010 Fenway News Association, Inc.
With regard specifically to the
development of #41 Westland Avenue, I “Comforting the afflicted and
welcome the opportunity to file this citizen afflicting the comfortable.”
comment under Article 80 Provisions of the
City Building Code. After reading through
the March 11 (expanded) PNF, I am excited by BOSTON RESIDENTS The founders of The Fenway News adopted this
motto to express their mission of exposing and
opposing the dangers the neighborhood faced
the prospect of this important improvement,
and home ownership opportunity on Westland
Avenue.
Leaf & Yard Waste in the early 1970s—including rampant arson,
unscrupulous landlords, and a destructive
urban renewal plan. If the original motto no
Many residents and small businesses
I’ve spoken with informally are hopeful that
4-Week Collection longer fits today’s Fenway, we continue
to honor its spirit of identifying problems
Mr. Christopher Kaneb and his colleagues Boston Public Works will collect and compost residents’ yard waste
and making our neighborhood a better
can parlay their local investment interests and and safer place to live.
influence to help us achieve some additional Four weeks: April 25 - May 20
fairly minor public and private improvements ON YOUR RECYCLING DAY.
in the area. > Frequency <
Thank you for your attention to these The Fenway News reaches the stands every
Place leaves in large paper leaf bags or open 4-5 weeks, usually on the first
concerns. barrels marked “yard waste.”
Sincerely yours, or last Friday of the month. Our next issue
William Johnson For free “yard waste” stickers, call 617-635-4500 will be appear on Friday, April 29.
(up to 2 stickers available per household). > Deadline <
Mike Ross Wants Burbank The deadline for letters, news items, and ads
Apartments Kept Affordable Cut branches to 3’ maximum length is Friday, April 22.
City Councilor Mike Ross e-mailed the and 1” maximum diameter. > Advertising <
following letter to his constituents. Tie branches with string. Contact our business manager at
Dear Friend, ads@fenwaynews.org
Boston is the fifth costliest city in Place leaves and yard waste
at the curb by 7:00 AM
ON YOUR RECYCLING DAY.
The First Church of Christ, Scientist Yard waste will not be collected
NO PLASTIC BAGS
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Lock Co.
Sunday Church Services & Sunday School during the two weeks before
10 am and 5 pm (no evening service July & Aug.) the April 25 start date.
Wednesday Testimony Meetings Please hold onto
your yard waste
12 noon and 7:30 pm (2 pm online)
Sunday & Wednesday Live Services Online
from April 11 to
April 25, when
24-HOUR
ChristianScience.com/OnAir collection begins. EMERGENCY SERVICE
BONDED LOCKSMITH
125 St. Botolph Street
Phone 247-9779 • Fax 536-8709
Police Locks • Doors Opened
Mailbox Keys • Master Keys
Systems • Padlocks
Near the corner of Huntington & Mass. Ave. Free Parking at all services. Door Closers
Hynes, Prudential, Symphony, or Mass. Ave.
T
For further information, call 617.450.3790
Thomas M. Menino, Mayor Keys Made by Code
or visit www.ChristianScience.com

As Chuck Turner’s Successor Takes Office, Time to Ask: What Happened Here?
by Shirley Kressel
This essay first appeared in the March 16,
T
2011, issue of The South End News.
he race for Chuck Turner’s District
7 City Council seat has been fraught
with bitter ironies and troubling
questions about the future of
Boston’s black community.
As the media have amply reported,
Senator Dianne Wilkerson and City Councilor
Chuck Turner, long-time black leaders, have
recently been sent to prison for accepting
money from a paid FBI informant in a liquor-
license imbroglio. What does this signify for
their fragile community?
The candidates, both black men,
represent different visions for the District.
Cornell Mills is the son of Wilkerson, who
broke the color barrier at the state senate
in 1993 and pursued an activist legislative
career, while Tito Jackson, son of a labor-
rights activist, is endorsed by Turner, an
old-school firebrand. Interestingly, Mills
echoes Turner’s spirit of fighting to protect
the poor and disadvantaged, while Jackson
pushes further Wilkerson’s talk about
business incentives to attract job creation and
developers’ gifts to the community.
Jackson has enjoyed far more funding
and voter support. However, his experience is
in mainstream politics and his campaign chest
is filled heavily by white contributors and
business interests outside the district. This
has sparked concerns about the dilution of the
black community’s power to defend against
economic and political exploitation.
Indeed, some suspect a larger strategy
to neutralize minority defenses against
discriminatory governmental policies.
On March 6, I attended a forum in
Roxbury titled, “The Attack on Black
Leadership: Is there an ongoing effort by
the US Government to destabilize the black
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community by targeting its leadership?” In
impromptu remarks, Wilkerson talked about
documents she had read indicating that the
FBI had been targeting her and Turner for
seven years, looking for reasons to prosecute
them. Finding none, she said, the Bureau
finally hired a black informant to bait them
with money.
If her account is accurate, it is extremely
alarming. It is at least suspicious that in the
FBI’s lengthy investigation of the license
issue, only two black officials were (literally)
“caught,” leaving unbaited and uncharged
seven white officials implicated by FBI
documents. Turner accused the US attorney
of racial bias and, because there was no
evidence of previous wrongdoing by him to
constitute probable cause, entrapment. The
FBI informant, a black man, expressed anger
at this apparently biased outcome and tried to
refuse to testify at Turner’s trial.
This week, I came across a 2003 South
End News bit on now-deceased City Councilor
Jimmy Kelly, reporting his acceptance of
unlawful financial contributions: “Infractions
included accepting individual contributions
over the $500 limit and accepting corporate
contributions, which is not allowed at the
city level.” The full report (pdf) at the Office
of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF)
website listed numerous violations. Kelly paid
a $1,000 fine and made a charity donation of
$7,500, equaling the contributions he got from
business corporations, excess contributions,
excess cash contributions, and money from a
federal PAC. The matter was never sent to the
attorney general for further action.
Kelly was proven to have committed
financial violations worth about $11,000. He
simply settled up financially, with no criminal
prosecution.
Turner was never proven committing
any offenses—before the FBI created
street Cleaning is back
The city cleans Fenway residential
streets between 12 and 4 p.m. on
the first and third Wednesdays of the
month (odd-numbered side) and the
second and fourth Wednesdays (even-
numbered sides). Get more info at
617-635-4900 or www.cityofboston.
gov/publicworks/sweeping. The state
cleans streets that border the Fens on
this schedule:
• Second Thursday
The Riverway, 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
• Second Friday
The Fenway (includes inside lane),
Charlesgate Extension, and Forsyth
Way, 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
• Second Friday
8 to 54 The Fenway (includes inside
lane), Charlesgate Extension, 12:00–
3:00 p.m.
• Third Tuesday
> Park Drive (includes inside lane),
upper Boylston Street, 8:00 a.m.–
12:00 p.m.
> Park Drive, from Holy Trinity
Orthodox Cathedral to Kilmarnock
Street and from the Riverside
Line overpass to Beacon Street,
12:00–3:00 p.m.
www.mass.gov/dcr/sweep.htm has a
complete schedule and maps.
FENWAY NEWS | APRIL 2011 | 5
one. The informant himself later told the ... But he has spread unreality among his
Boston Globe that the money (an amount supporters for decades. And that may be his
the FBI said, but never proved, was $1,000) greatest crime. In a Boston neighborhood
that he handed unbidden to Turner while that so desperately needs sensible leadership
expressing his “gratitude” (with this word, to address crime, joblessness, and poor
turning Turner’s scheduling of a hearing education, Turner has fed his constituents a
on licensing discrimination into a crime, as steady diet of political fantasy.” Do our media
the FBI instructed), “could have been a gift leaders believe that Turner’s punishment
or a campaign donation.” As a contribution for an unproven bribe was justified by his
reporting error with no criminal intent, a discomfiting politics? The newspapers
civil fine would have ended the story. Instead: endorsed Jackson; is he their “sensible
felony conviction and three years in federal leader”—bringing practical compromises
prison. to counter Turner’s audacity of unbending
Unlike Kelly’s violations, Turner’s case aspirations?
was all over the media, inflaming a wave of Selective justice is a great injustice, and
public venom. The City Council enacted an one well known to the black community.
ordinance to expel him. The two young new What really happened here? And what will
minority Councilors, Felix Arroyo, Jr., and be the impact on a District ripe for—or
Ayanna Pressley, cited him as their mentor as vulnerable to—radical change?
they voted him out. Shirley Kressel is a landscape architect.
Why such disparate fates? urban designer, and a founder of the Alliance
Perhaps the answer lies in a Boston of Boston Neighborhoods. She can be reached
Globe editorial: “Turner... isn’t a venal man. at Shirley.Kressel@verizon.net.
In Service Festival, Berklee Students
Engage Neighborhoods Through Music
T
by liz burg
he Movement@Berklee, Berklee College of Music’s student-led community
service group, devoted the third week of March to providing music education
in neighborhoods where economic challenges often prohibit accessibility
to such programs. The Lead the Change Festival began March 22, when
Berklee students, faculty, staff, and alumni volunteers—and special guests
like Aerosmith’s Tom Hamilton—shared music with the group’s partner organizations
in the Fenway, Jamaica Plain, Brighton, and Dorchester in addition to an on-campus
event geared toward young girls from Boston. The Fenway partner was Morville House,
where the Berklee Oldies Ensemble performed for residents on March 22. A handful
of outreach
photo: shea mavros
activities
were designed
by Berklee
students who
won $500
grants to
produce their
event.
Led
by student
Shea Rose,
a Mattapan
resident and
Braintree
High School
graduate, and
Berklee student Ernesto Diaz at the Hyde Square Task Force coordinators
and Arti Gollapudi, The Movement@Berklee encourages and enables the Berklee
Carla Martinez
community to collaborate with partner organizations to conduct a broad range of
activities, including youth mentorship, performance outreach, and musical instruction.
Aiming to create the greatest access possible to music and to music education for a
wide range of people and cultural groups, The Movement@Berklee connects Berklee
volunteers to community outreach programs that are already making a difference, like
the Music Clubhouse programs at the Hyde Square Task Force; Sociedad Latina; and
Boys and Girls Clubs in Allston, Roxbury and Dorchester.
“We want to infuse the idea of volunteering and giving back into the Berklee
Community,” said Rose. “Through Lead the Change Festival, we want Berklee to know
that The Movement@Berklee is a vehicle that, through our resources and relationships
with partner organizations, can help take an idea and turn it into a program that can
have long-lasting positive effects on a community.”
“During my first year at Berklee, I focused only on myself and on getting good
grades,” said Gollapudi. “I later realized that I can use my time to do more than the
‘business’ side of music. I work with a senior citizens’ home, and the residents are so
appreciative of a performance. Performing for them not only gives seniors a form of
entertainment, but it’s a great place to perform. It’s a mutually beneficial situation.”
Liz Burg is a publicist at the Berklee College of Music.
Designers!
Do you run a business in the Fenway, Audubon
Circle, or Mission Hill? Turn neighbors into clients
with a business card ad in The Fenway News.
Thousands of readers will see it each month—
including your next new clients.
Email advertise@fenwaynews.org for more info.
6 | FENWAY NEWS | APRIL 2011
H&H Goes to Town With Its New Program of Religious Music...and to Church
O
by Stephen Brophy
n April 1 (the publication date
of this issue of The Fenway
News) the Handel & Haydn
Society will step out of its usual in Spain but went to Italy as a
venues—Symphony Hall, Jordan Hall, and
Sanders Theatre in Cambridge—to present
a concert of choral music in a local church.
The program will include choral music
by Renaissance composer Tomás Luis de
Victoria and his 20th-century follower Francis composer, devoted to God and
Poulenc, and be delivered in St. Cecilia’s
Church on Belvidere St in the East Fens.
The Fenway News spoke with H&H
Music Director Harry Christophers by phone (1899-1963), Christophers
recently about this program and about the
coming season. He was at home in London
at the time. “When I first came to Handel &
Haydn, I felt that I wanted to take the chorus man—socializing with all the
back to its roots,” he said. “And no better way arty people—until a tragedy
to do that than to have it sing Renaissance
music.” Christophers began his career as a
choirboy in England, and found that “music is going on a pilgrimage in 1936,
a great journey.”
In looking for churches to which he
might take the chorus, he started with Trinity tophers muses that “Victoria has a very per-
Church. “It looked right, but I didn’t like
where the chorus would have to stand,” he
argued. “St. Cecilia’s has just undergone a
renovation, and it has a space that is very
open. This gives a nice warmth to the sound.” statement, but much more electric. In three
The all-choral a capella program is
return of a native: stephen Lord Raises
Baton as director of Opera Studies at NEC
I
by Barbara Brooks Simons
n “the best of all possible worlds,”
Stephen Lord returned to Boston to
conduct his first opera performance at
New England Conservatory. The semi-
staged production of Leonard Bernstein’s
sparkling Candide, on February 28, featured
a cast of both students and Broadway
professionals.
Lord was named NEC’s Artistic Director
of Opera Studies in May of 2010. At the time,
he was music director of Opera Theatre of St.
Louis as well as a frequent guest conductor
for other companies in the United States,
Canada, and Great Britain. Previously, he
was music director of Boston Lyric Opera for
sixteen seasons. Before being appointed to the
NEC faculty, Lord had also conducted master
classes there.
Lord was born in Concord. Before
called “Harry’s Vocal Voyage.” Christophers
put it together as “a great excuse to explore Switching subjects to the upcoming new together—to make old music sound new.
old music in relation to the music of our time. bicentenniel (the Handel & Haydn Society We’ve got a nice mix of experience and youth
And I’m always fascinated by influences.” was founded in 1815, and is the oldest in the orchestra and chorus and we will use
Victoria (1548-1611) “was born it in ways that allows the
Photo: stu rosner
audience to hear things
young man and stayed for 20 that they never expected.”
years. He was influenced by Handel & Haydn
other Renaissance composers, recently announced
like Palestrina, but he was its 2011-2012 season,
absolutely, more than any other and highlights include
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons;
the Church. All of his music is J. S. Bach’s St. Matthew
sacred, not secular.” Passion; Mozart’s
Switching to Poulenc Coronation Mass;
Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater;
noted that “while he was born and, of course, the annual
Catholic, he lived a very gay, presentation of Handel’s
hedonistic lifestyle as a young Messiah. Beethoven will
be represented again
with a performance of
Handel & Haydn’s Christophers likes the warmth of the sound his chorus his “Eroica” Symphony,
happened. A friend was killed in produces in the newly renovated St. Cecilia’s sanctuary.
a car accident, and he ended up and another Mozart
program will include
and soon after started writing sacred music.” continually operating musical organization in his Piano Concerto #22 and Symphony #40.
Comparing the two composers, Chris- the United States), Christophers enthuses “it With all this goodness, perhaps you should
staggers me just how legendary this society subscribe. For more information, visit www.
sonal expression. Unlike with Palestrina—you is. We will continue to try to bring old and handelandhaydn.org
have to do what he says—I find that I can in-
terpret Victoria’s music in all sorts of different
ways. With Poulenc it’s also a very personal
After Exciting Regional Win, RCC Lady Tigers
minutes he can have eight different ideas.” Miss National Junior College Title in Minnesota
T
by Erin Harper
he Roxbury Community College (RCC) women’s basketball team advanced
to the National Junior College Athletic Association’s (NJCAA) Division III
national tournament with a 64-53 victory over Manchester Community College
on February 27. The Lady Tigers traveled to Rochester, Minnesota, to take part
in the eight-team national tournament March 10-12. They reached the finals there only
to lose to the Golden Rams of Anoka-Ramsey Community College, which claimed its
making the transition to conductor, he had
seventh national title.
a successful career as an accompanist and
In the February tournament, sophomore Tommia Davis paced Roxbury with 15
coach of opera. He made his conducting
points, while captains Sequetta “Butta” Samuels and Jesika Holmes added 13 and 12
debut at New York City Opera in 2004 with
points, respectively. Roxbury took a 36-26 lead into the locker room at halftime, with
Puccini’s La Rondine. In the 2009–2010
Head Coach Mark Leszczyk electing to play a much taller line-up than the traditional
season, he made his first appearances with
small and quick line-ups for which RCC is known.
three major opera companies, conducting
Freshman forward Tyler Kimball grabbed 14 rebounds for Roxbury while playing
Rigoletto at English National Opera and San
tight defense on Manchester’s point guard Shenielle Duncan-Clarke—who did not score
Francisco Opera, and Tosca at Lyric Opera of
a field goal in the first half and finished the game with 13 points. Sophomore Erika Sagay
Chicago. Opera News magazine included him
led Manchester with 15 points.
as one of the “25 Most Powerful Names in
“Winning this tournament was the ultimate definition of team effort,” said Coach
U.S. Opera.”
Leszczyk. “These players worked so hard over the entire season to prepare for a game
At the time of his appointment, Lord
such as this and they truly rose to the occasion. We look forward to representing Region
commented, “Ever since I was a young
XXI at the National Tournament.”
person, I remember going to NEC and
Roxbury, 27-2, finished the regular season ranked third in the NJCAA national
Jordan Hall and hearing great performances,
poll. This is the fourth tournament title for the Tigers this season; the team was also
including John Moriarty playing for the
victorious at the RCC Invitational Tournament, the Passaic County Tournament, and the
Metropolitan Opera Auditions. I was always
Massachusetts Community College Athletic Conference tournament.
interested in what was going on at NEC and
Erin Harper, a Northeastern alumna who has written for Fenway News for the past
it was always an aspiration to play in Jordan
four years, lives in the suburbs of Boston
Hall, so I’m honored and flattered to be
considered to enter into this pantheon.”
Lord promised intensive training for
professional careers, with individual attention
and “more one-on-one work in the vocal Huntington heralds upcoming Season
studio.” Besides overseeing the opera training The Huntington Theatre Company’s 2011-2012 season will offer an intriguing
program, he will conduct one mainstage mix of old and new. The season opens with Candide, the beloved musical comedy
production a year. Lord also plans to do with music by Leonard Bernstein, principal lyrics by Richard Wilbur, and additional
operas in concert, giving both singers and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, John LaTouche, Lillian Hellman, Dorothy Parker, and
orchestra musicians more chances to perform. Leonard Bernstein (and that, ladies and gentlemen, is what they call an “impres-
“We’re going to try to do what doesn’t happen sive artistic pedigree”). Mary Zimmerman, who has both a Tony Award and a Mac-
at other music schools.” Arthur “Genius” Grant to her credit, will direct her own adaptation of the show.
Lord’s appointment was part of an NEC The season will also include Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom by August Wilson; God of
effort to enhance the opera and vocal studies Carnage, a Tony- and Olivier Award-winning play by Yasmina Reza; and Molière’s
program. Mezzo-soprano Luretta Bybee, who Tartuffe, all at the BU Theatre on Huntington Ave. The Huntington will offer two
has been a member of the voice faculty since world permieres at the Calderwood Pavilion in the South End: Before I Leave You
2004, was named Executive Director and by Huntington Playwriting Fellow Rosanna Yamagiwa Alfaro and The Luck of the
Chair of Opera at the same time. Irish by Huntington Playwriting Fellow Kirsten Greenidge. For more information,
Barbara Brooks Simons lives in the East visit http://www.huntingtontheatre.org/season/subscribe/1112/index.aspx
Fens.
Therapists!
Are you self-employed?
Turn your neighbors into
clients with a business card
ad in The Fenway News.
Thousands of readers will see
it each month—and you could
find yourself some new clients.
Email advertise@fenwaynews.
org for more info.
 FENWAY NEWS | APRIL 2011 | 7

through thrilling musical story telling,
brilliant arias, and grand and vibrant
choruses. The featured soloists in this epic
work include students and faculty from the
BU School of Music, who will be conducted
by Ann Howard Jones, Professor of Music
and Director of Choral Activities. Visit
www.bu.edu/cfa for more information.
8pm. Tickets $25, ($10 student rush,
available at door on day of performance).
Tue, Apr 12: Boston Conservatory presents
Jung-Ja Kim as part of its popular Piano
Masters series of internationally renowned
pianists in solo engagements, delivered
under the artistic direction of Michael
Lewin. The performance takes place at 8
p.m. at Seully Hall, 8 The Fenway. Tickets
are available by phone at 617-912-9222 or
at http://bostonconservatory.ticketforce.
com/. $15, $10 for seniors and FREE for
students with valid ID.
Tue, Apr 12: The train wreck known as
Charlie Sheen pulls into Agganis Arena,
925 Comm Ave, for his improbable live
show. 8:00 p.m. Tickets $89.50-69.50-
49.50 (plus hefty service fees if purchased
through Ticketmaster; also available at the
box office). Information at 617-353-4638 or
www.agganisarena.com/events/calendar/
arena-search.asp.
Thu, Apr 14: An international conference,
When Disaster Strikes: Reporting and
Responding, will explore the collaboration
and tension between journalists and
public health workers at times of crisis.
The event, featuring a keynote speech
by NBC’s Kerry Sanders, will mark the
first annual collaboration of the Pulitzer
Center on Crisis Reporting and Boston
University’s Center for Global Health and
Development, School of Public Health and
College of Communication. A wide range of
experts in global health, non-governmental
organizations, and journalism, as well as
citizens and volunteers, will focus on the
many layers of crisis in post-earthquake
Haiti, to establish strategies for journalists
and aid workers to function collaboratively.
8:30am-5pm. For more information, please
+
call Kasey Oliver at 617-638-5887 or
kloliver@bu.edu FREE and open to
the public.
Fri, Apr 15-May 1: Boston Playwrights
Theatre presents last final play written by
Jon Lipsky, who died in March. Walking
the Volcano features actors Gabriel Kuttner
and Paula Langton. From a meeting in an
airplane bathroom above the Pacific to a
tryst in a seedy Saigon hotel room during
the Tet Offensive, Lipsky’s characters are
complex, compelling, and in a search of
the truth. Directed by Elaine Vaan Hogue;
information at bostonplaywrights.org; 949
Commonwealth Ave. Tickets $10 (students),
$25 (seniors), $30.
Fri, Apr 15-Sun, May 15: Hard to imagine
anyone having the nerve to try a staged
version of Aladdin after the Disney movie,
but Wheelock Family Theatre takes a crack
with Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp. See
if theatrical magic can trump old-school
animation. Fri 7:30 p.m., Sat & Sun 3:00
p.m. School vacation matinees Tue, Apr 19-
Fri, Apr 22 at 1:00 p.m. No performance Fri
Apr 22. Tickets $20-25-30. Info at 617-879-
2000 or www2.wheelock.edu/wheelock/
x1934.xml.
Tue, Apr 19: At this year’s Berklee Middle
Eastern Festival artist-in-residence Simon
Shaheen—a Palestinian-American oud/
violin virtuoso—plays solo and joins the
students of the Berklee Middle Eastern
All-Stars. 8:15 p.m., Berklee Performance
Center. Tickets $10 through www.
information at www.berklee.edu/events/ floor pop confections to Agganis Arena.
detail/8260/middle-eastern-festival. Hefty ticket prices won’t likely entice the
Wed, Apr 20: Friends of the Libraries at marginally curious, but Minogue fans don’t
BU hosts an evening with Walter Mosley, let a few bucks stand between them and
author of more than 30 critically acclaimed the “Princess of Pop.” 8:00 p.m. Tickets
books, including the bestselling mystery $125-85-55 (plus service fees at www.
series featuring Easy Rawlins. RSVP to 617- tickemaster.com ; also at the Agganis
353-3697; for more information, please call box office). Info at 617-353-4638 or www.
agganisarena.com/events/calendar/arena-
617-353-3696 or visit http://www.bu.edu/
archives. $25 (free to students). search.asp.
Fri Apr 30-Sat May 21: The Factory Theatre
Sat, Apr 23: Edward W. Gordon, president
in the Piano Factory hosts its third show
of the New England chapter of the
Victorian Society in America, conducts this month, The Monster Tales, a fable
an architectural tour of Copley Square about a young woman who discovers her
and the Back Bay, part of a Boston by Foot humanity when she meets a monster from
lecture series. Meet at Boston Architectural under her bed and the two fall into a tale-
College, 320 Newbury St., at 10 a,m. telling competition. This production is the
Visit www.bostonbyfoot.org for more work of Jamaica Plain’s Mill 6 Collaborative.
information. $35. Tickets $20-10 (students). Various dates
and times; check www.brownpapertickets.
Thu, Apr 29: Australian Kylie Minogue, as com/event/166921 or call 617-240-6317 for
big a worldwide star as Madonna—except details.
in the U.S.—brings her shimmery dance-
Joy Ride
by lisa fay
They traded their rings for another one. Walking on the sidewalk, I could see her
punching him with both hands, jabbing him all over the shoulder—only he was
driving with the other hand and doing everything to stay in control and still veering
away from the yellow line and into the whites of my eyes, which seemed as large
as my open mouth, my life ready for casket. The grass, healthy after a rain, stopped
the car.
Lisa Fay lives in the West Fens. Writing workshops often use “flash fiction”
as an exercise to develop narrative skills, directing the writer to describe a full
narrative arc using a strictly limited number of words.

I
ticketmaster.com or at the box office. More
was going to tell you my name is Clyde You can tell by my appearance, I was
Whalen, in case you don’t know who once fashion editor of the Hobo News.
Clydesides is. I’m 91 years old and still For those of you who are having trouble
poetry

kickin’, but not as high as I used to. At getting rid of your garbage, gift wrap it and
my age you forget the romance thing, so I somebody will steal it.
stuck with my favorite pastime—writing. Isn’t it wonderful that the human body,
I started out by being born in Nova nature ‘s greatest scientific achievement, can
Winter Sun Waning Scotia, which in Latin means New Scotland. be produced by unskilled labor? Get all the
Bet you didn’t know that, huh? At an early unskilled labor while you’re young, I’m too
A pale, washed out winter sun age, I came to Boston to be brought up by old.
an aunt and uncle, who ran an apartment If you want to taste something delicious,
coasts on his sled of time; building on St. Mary’s Street, at the Boston- try the frozen yogurt at the Hidyan Café
down the snow covered slope Brookline line. Went to school for six years on Kilmarnock Street, at the corner of
of this late and lavender afternoon. at William McKinley, during the era when Queensberry Street. I am so addicted, I get
Charles Lindbergh flew the one every day.
He slurs into winter’s still early dusk; Atlantic to Europe, becoming the During my lifetime, I
slips into the silence of the longnight dark. first person to cross the Atlantic have written songs. One very
by plane. I also did two years at popular one went—If I had it
Eager, I strike a wooden match; the Prince School, near Copley all to do over, I’d do it all over
hold it to the tightly crunched paper Square, and graduated. you. Awful, huh? I was the
I was then accepted into happiest youngster that anyone
and kindling; watch the slow spread Boston Latin School without an ever did see, till I found Daddy
of blue and deep orange flame; entrance exam, but quit after two sleeping with Mother—oh, how
years, during which time the Great could they do that to me? Here’s
feel on my face a growing, welcomed warmth Depression was in high gear and another: I’ll be seizing you in all
of fire on my hearth this late February night. in order to make things easier, the old familiar places.
I started singing at contests at Here’s one: Oh don’t the
It catches; lights up; scatters the dusk, local theatres, where the winner wind blow when you’re lonely;
West Fens resident
even as dark deepens beyond the windows; got applause from the patrons. It Clyde Whalen gives how it moans and groans from
beyond the sturdy, thick granite skin was my start in show business, “The Fenway Report” above; if your heart needs a meat
which was making the rounds at every other week tenderizer, then you don t know
of this well loved centurion building. local nightclubs and bars where on cable channel the meaning of love. Another: I
I added humorous talks to make 9’s Neighborhood said, Mother, how did I get here;
Anne M. Tobin (east fens) people laugh. This graduated into that stuff ’bout the stork is all
Network News.
march 1, 2011 nightclubs around New England, wet. She said Dad and I put you
where I worked as master of ceremonies, to together one night with an Erector Set. ’Twas
handle shows, and finally wound up on cruise a Mattel, it was swell. (Did you get a bang out
ships like the Statendam on Holland America of that one?)
Lines, circling the world. The best way to keep from stepping on
Station WBZ in Boston had me on a other people’s toes is to put yourself in their
show to get ready for a sponsor. When the shoes.
draft came along, I wound up in the in the Some of the best arguments are spoiled
Air Force; volunteered for overseas duty, but by people who know what they’re talking
was turned down for reasons they kept to about.
themselves; and spent the rest of my time at A person with one watch knows the time.
Westover Field in Holyoke-Chicopee, mostly A person with two watches is never sure.
entertaining and singing with the bands. After One of the happiest times in my
an honorable discharge, I continued in show education was in barrooms, where people
business, going from club to club around drink and get together discussing the
New England. Never made the big time, but problems of the world. It was a place you
enjoyed myself and managed to get by. At 91, could come in and learn how other people felt
I still enjoy making people laugh and hope I about whatever was happening in the world
still can. that day, solve it by talking about it and then
Root-de-toot, root-de-toot we are the staggering home.
boys of the institute. We don’t smoke, we Well, that’s it for now, folks. Hope I
don’t chew, we don’t go with girls that do. made you laugh. See you next month.
 8 | FENWAY NEWS | APRIL 2011

+ This symbol indicates a free

event. For even more listings,
visit www.fenwaynews.org

the Parker Quartet and the Jupiter Quartet,

two stellar young ensembles, alumni of
pick of the month

NEC’s Professional String Quartet Training

How Does Your Gardner Grow?
While construction continues on a futuristic addition out
back, the Gardner Museum dug into its past to find a theme
for the spring display in its interior courtyard. Working
from hand-tinted photos documenting the Gardner’s floral
displays in the 1930s, the museum has created “April in the
Courtyard” with a profusion of bulbs and flowering trees,
ranging from daffodils and hyacinth to tropical orange-
The following events take place at the
Peterborough Senior Center, located two
blocks from Boylston between 100 and 108
Jersey St. (walk down the alley and look left).
For more information, call 617-536-7154.
Recurring
Mondays
• 9:30 a.m: Breakfast Club with Matti
• 11 a.m: Films—Apr 4, Cat on a Hot Tin
Roof (1958); Apr 11, The Joy Luck Club
(1993); Apr 18—Center closed; Apr 25,
Harold and Maude (1971)
• 1:15 p.m.: Yoga with Simmons students
Tuesdays
• 11 a.m: Exercise with Mahmoud
• 12 noon: Documentary films—Apr 5,
National Geographic: Inside North Korea
(2006); Martial Arts Master: The Life of
Bruce Lee (1994); National Geographic:
China’s Lost Girls (2004); Apr 26,
Unmistaken Child (2008)
Wednesdays
• 10 a.m.-noon: Blood pressure check with
Joyce
• 1 p.m: Yoga with Carmen
THURSDAYS
• 10 a.m. ESL, with Rudy Corvo
• 11 a.m. Berklee sing-along
• 12 noon. Bingo
and yellow-flowering clivia miniata (pictured). Thanks to
“unfortunate growing conditions,” as the museum delicately
puts it, nasturtiums are a no-show this year, and the
museum has turned to miniature Asian orange trees known
as calamondin. The display opens on Tuesday, April 5—and
this being Boston, it may be the only place you can be sure
to experience spring in April. The Gardner is open 12 to 5,
Tue-Sun. Entrance is $12, $10 for seniors or students, free to
members. www.gardnermuseum.org
SPECIAL EVENTS Through Fri, Jun 3: Abolitionists, soldiers,
Wed, apr 6: 11am—Short story discussion— even a Brahmin’s pet dog figure in the
Haruki Murakami images from the Mass Historical Society
Thu, apr 7: noon—Dental screening vault organized into History Drawn
with Light. In addition to dozens of early
• noon—Current events: Earthquake in
photographs, you’ll find a recreation of a
Japan—the aftermath
Wed, Apr 13: Boston photo studio and an 11-foot-wide
panorama of the waterfront from the 1870s.
• 9:20-10:50am - Poster session at Berklee
1154 Boylston Street. More information at
• noon-Mass College of Pharmacy and
617-536-1608 or www.masshist.org. M-F,
Sciences presentation
+
9:00 a.m.–4:45 p.m., except Thu until
thu, Apr 14: 11am—Berklee singalong;
7:45 p.m.; Sat 9:00 a.m.–4:45 p.m.
rehearsal at Berklee FREE.
Sat, Apr 16: 3pm—Award presentation for
PSC and Berklee Singalong group Fri, Apr 1-Sat, Apr 16: Jamaica Plain’s
Mon, Apr 18: CENTER IS CLOSED
Footlight Club, billed as the oldest
community theater in the US, presents Rent,
Wed, Apr 20: 1
an updating of La Bohème as the story of
• 11am—Short story discussion—Edith
young artists squatting in lofts on the Lower
Pearlman East Side in the 1980s. At Eliot Hall, 7a Eliot
• noon—Easter celebration
Street, JP. Tickets $24-19. Fri-Sat at 8:00
• noon—Art Class p.m.; Sun, Apr 10 and Sat, Apr 16 at 2:00
Thu, Apr 21: 12:30pm—Art exhibit at Kaji p.m. Information at 617-524-3200 or www.
Aso Studio footlight.org/store/commerce.cgi.
Tue, Apr 26: 10:30am-12:30pm—Haiku, brush
Fri, Apr 1-Sun, Apr 3: Boston Conserva-
painting, and tea tory’s opera department mounts Gilbert &
Wed, Apr 27: noon—Monthly birthday Sulivan’s 1885 comic operetta The Mikado
celebration (or the Town of Titipu) in the Conservatory
Thu, Apr 28: noon—Poetic Lunch: Bring your Theatre at 31 Hemenway Street. Fri-Sat 8:00
favorite poem!
p.m.; Sun 2:00 p.m. Tickets $25-20-15-10.
Information at http://bostonconservatory.
ticketforce.com/ or 617-912-9222.
Mon, Apr 4: First Monday at Jordan Hall.
Program directed by Paul Katz, will return
to perform individually (quartets by Haydn
and Beethoven) and then together in
Mendelssohn’s sublime Octet. This one is
not to be missed. http://necmusic.edu/first-
monday-jordan-hall-2 FREE.
Fri, Apr 8: DanceBrazil premieres a new
piece entitled Batuke during a performance
at Northeastern’s Blackman Auditorium.
For more than 30 years, DanceBrazil has
thrilled audiences across the U.S. and
throughout the world with its dazzling
artistry, inspired by the cultural tapestry of
Brazil. Visit www.centerforthearts.neu.edu
Tickets, $20 General, $10 Seniors/Students
Fri, Apr 8-Sun, Apr 10: From one classic to
another: Shifting from Gilbert & Sullivan
to the Who, Boston Conservatory presents
Tommy, the rock opera that begat all rock
operas. Fri-Sat 8:00 p.m.; Sat-Sun 2:00
p.m. At 31 Hemenway Street. Tickets
$25-20-15-10. Info and tickets at http://
bostonconservatory.ticketforce.com/ or
617-912-9222.
Fri, Apr 8-Sun, Apr 16: Wouldn’t the Gardner
Museum’s infamous theft make a great
subject for a musical comedy? The 11:11
Theatre Company thinks so, and the proof
is in The Great Heathersby Heist at the
Factory Theatre (in the Piano Factory, just
beyond the Mass Ave stop on the Orange
Line), 791 Tremont Street. Apr 8, 9, 14-16
at 8:00 p.m. and Apr 10 & 16 at 3:00 p.m.
Tickets $17, $15 for seniors. Information at
www.1111theatre.com/season.html.
Fri, Apr 8–Sat, Apr 9: Last year 6,000
people turned out for the regional FIRST
Robotics Competition at Agganis Arena.
The organizers describe it as sophisticated
robots competing “in a highly energized,
rock concert atmosphere,” and who doesn’t
like the sound of that? Doors open both days
at 9:00; final competition occurs Saturday
+
from 1:30 to 4:00. More information
at www.bostonfirst.org. FREE.
Mon, Apr 11: BU College of Fine Arts
musicians perform Mendelssohn’s choral
masterpiece, Elija at Symphony Hall.
Perhaps the composer’s most endearing and
embracing work, Elija is a vivid depiction
of the prophet’s dramatic life, expressed
calendar on page 7 >

Sat, Apr 2: Huge Book Sale sponsored by Sat, Apr 9: Potluck hosted by the Fenway donation at the door. if meeting will be held, email Laura at
City-Wide Friends of the Boston Public CDC. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Morville House, 100 Tue, Apr 19: East Fens Community/Police lfogerty@masco.harvard.edu.
Library to benefit the library. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Norway St. For more info, contact Callie mtg., 6 p.m. Morville House,100 Norway St. Tue, Apr 26: Symphony Neighborhood Task
Boston Public Library, Lower Level, McKim Watkins at 617-267-4637x16 or email Force mtg., 6:30 p.m. Site TBD. For info or
Tue, Apr 19: Audubon Circle Neighborhood
Bldg, Dartmouth St. entrance. For info, call: cwatkins@fenwaycdc.org. for meeting site, call City Councilor Mike
617-859-2341. Assoc board mtg., 6:30-8:30 p.m. Harvard
Tue, Apr 12: Ward 4 Democratic Committee Vanguard, 131 Brookline Ave., Annex Bldg., Ross’s office at 617-635-4225.
Mon, Apr 4: Berklee Task Force meeting. meeting South End Branch Library, 685 Rm 3D. For info, call 617-262-0657. Tue, Apr 26: Fenway CDC Urban Village
6-8 p.m., Boston Public Library, enter from Tremont St. Community invited. Committee, 6 p.m. Get involved in
Tue, Apr 19: Ward 5 Democratic Committee
Dartmouth St., turn left to Orientation Thu, Apr 14: BRA/EDIC board meeting on monitoring development in the Fenway and
Room. For info email Gerald Autler at meeting 7 p.m., First Church, 66 Marlboro
Northeastern Univ/YMCA project. 5:30- St., corner of Berkeley and Marlboro St., advocating the kind of neighborhood you
gerald.autler.bra@cityofboston.gov. 7:30 p.m. City Hall, 9th fl, Room 900 (after 5 want. 73 Hemenway St., side door. For info:
Wed, Apr 20: Fenway Liaison for Mayor’s email Callie at cwatkins@fenwaycdc.org or
Tue, Apr 5: Classes begin for training to lead p.m., enter from Congress St.)
groups on tours of the Back Bay Fens. Spon- Sat, Apr 16: Muddy River clean-up in the Office of Neighborhood Services, William call her at 617-267-4637x16.
sored by Emerald Necklace Conservancy, Onuoha, holds Office Hours: 3:30-5:30
Back Bay Fens. Sponsored by Emerald p.m. YMCA, 316 Huntington Ave. No Thu, Apr 28: 5th Annual Muddy River Sym-
4-6 p.m. Classes held at Emerald Necklace Necklace Conservancy. 9-12 p.m. Volunteers appointment needed. posium: “Sustainability, Public Health, and
Visitor’s Center, 125 The Fenway (diagonally wanted, gloves and tools provided. For the Politics of Urban Parks” Panel includes
behind the MFA). For more info, call 617- information, visit www.emeraldnecklace.org Wed, Apr 20: West Fens Community/Police former Gov. Michael Dukakis. 4:30-7:30pm.
522-2700. New volunteers welcome. or call 617-522-2700. mtg., 5 p.m. Landmark Center (corner Park Light dinner and refreshments. Wheelock
Wed, Apr 6: Liaison for Mayor’s Office of
Drive & Brookline Ave.), 2nd fl, District 4 College, 43 Hawes St. Registration is open.
Sat, Apr 16: Kevin Lee Hepner addresses Police Substation (next to security desk).
Neighborhood Services, William Onuoha, To RSVP, contact Michael Berger at 617-521-
Prime Timers on the United South End
holds office hours, 3:30-5:30 p.m., YMCA, 316 Settlements (USES) and the settlement Thu, Apr 21: Congressman Capuano’s rep 2722 or at bergerm@simmons.edu.
Huntington Ave. No appointment needed. movement. Hepner is president and CEO holds office hours, 1-2 p.m. Fenway Health Sat, Apr 30-May 1: Open House weekend

Boston Cab
Thu, Apr 7: Northeastern Task Force of USES. Prime Timers, a support network Center, 1340 Boylston St. Residents’ at Emerald Necklace Conservancy Visitor
meeting. 6-8 p.m., Parish Center, Mission of gay and bisexual men, meets monthly at questions/concerns about federal agencies, & Volunteer Center. 125 The Fenway.
Church, 1545 Tremont St., Mission Hill. 566 Columbus Ave. For info phone 617-447- national issues or legislation welcome. For info, email Conservancy at: www.
For info, email Gerald at gerald.autler.bra@ 2344 or visit www.bostonprimetimers.org Mon, Apr 25: Longwood Forum, 6:30-8 emeraldnecklace.org or call the Center at
cityofboston.gov. or email bostonprimetimers@uses.org. $2 p.m. Site TBD. For location or to verify 617-522-2700.

boston cab 617-536-5010

For a trip to the aiport or a night on the town, don’t call any cab, call Boston Cab—your neighbor for 50 years and a proud supporter of The Fenway News.