What Sold in the South End: Upton Street Condo for $1.3 Million
Realtors & Homeowners: Add your photos of recently sold homes to this gallery! It’s easy—just sign into your Patch account (or sign into Patch using your Facebook account). Click the “Upload Photos & Videos” button below the photos and follow the directions. The property’s address, sale price, listing agent and other details can be included in the photo’s caption. Below is a sampling of five home sales this week. Look at the photo gallery or the easy-to-scan chart below. Don’t forget to check out our Real Estate section. Neighborhood Address Details Sale Price List Price Listing Agent Charlestown 60 Mystic St #1 Condo, 2 Beds/1.5 Baths, 1111 sq. ft. $ 449,000 $ 449,000 Keller Williams Realty International – Boston – Charlestown, The Jane Reitz Team North End 65 East India Row #38D Condo, 1 Bed/1 Bath, 757 sq. ft. $ 515,000 $ 565,000 Meridian Realty Group, Amy Bofman Beacon Hill 21 Lime St Single Family, 3 Beds/4 Baths, 2675 sq. ft. $ 1,975,000 $ 2,475,000 Brewster & Berkowitz R. E., Sally T. Brewster Back Bay 100 Belvidere Street #8 B/C Condo, 3 Beds/2.5 Baths, 2842 sq. ft $ 3,705,000 $ 3,695,000 Otis & Ahearn – Newbury St, Elisha Pierce South End 16 Upton St #4 Condo, 3 Beds/2.5 Baths, 1831 sq. ft. $ 1,300,000 $ 1,395,000 Keller Williams Realty International – Boston – South End, Linda Ciborowski “Sold!” is a weekly column featuring the latest real estate sales in and around Boston. Photos and information compiled using MLS data, courtesy of Century 21 North Shore and Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Five Submit Required Signatures for U.S. Senate Race
Two Democrats and three Republicans submitted the required number of signatures to run in the special election for U.S. Senate, according to the Boston Globe. U.S. Reps. Edward Markey (D-Malden) and Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston) each filed more than double the 10,000 certified signatures required. Markey led the way with nearly 34,000 signatures, while Lynch had just over 25,000. On the Republican side, former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan filed nearly 19,000 signatures, followed by former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez of Cohasset at almost 17,000 and state Rep. Daniel Winslow of Norfolk at more than 13,000. Those totals only include those signatures submitted to the Secretary of State’s office by Wednesday’s 5 p.m. deadline. City and town clerks have until Monday to deliver all signatures. Both primaries are scheduled for April 30. The special election is set for June 25. FENWAY-KENMORE PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Commonwealth v. Campbell (Lawyers Weekly No. 11-037-13)
NOTICE: All slip opinions and orders are subject to formal revision and are superseded by the advance sheets and bound volumes of the Official Reports. If you find a typographical error or other formal error, please notify the Reporter of Decisions, Supreme Judicial Court, John Adams Courthouse, 1 Pemberton Square, Suite 2500, Boston, MA 02108-1750; (617) 557-1030; SJCReporter@sjc.state.ma.us 10‑P‑1087 Appeals Court COMMONWEALTH vs. ALVIN CAMPBELL. No. 10‑P‑1087. Middlesex. December 5, 2012. ‑ February 28, 2013. Present: Cypher, Brown, & Cohen, JJ. Due Process of Law, Presence of defendant in courtroom. Constitutional Law, Waiver of constitutional rights. Practice, Criminal, Motion to suppress, Presence of defendant, Waiver. Indictments found and returned in the Superior Court Department on July 26 and September 29, 2005. A pretrial motion to suppress evidence was heard by Ralph D. Gants, J., and a motion for reconsideration was also heard by him; the cases were tried before Diane M. Kottmyer, J., and a motion for a new trial was considered by her. Derege B. Demissie for the defendant. Anne Pogue Donohue, Assistant District Attorney (Marian T. Ryan, Assistant District Attorney, with her) for the Commonwealth. CYPHER, J. The defendant, Alvin Campbell, appeals from his convictions by a jury on indictments charging accessory after the fact (armed robbery), accessory after the fact (larceny over $ 250), and carrying a firearm without a license. In a separate proceeding on the next day, the jury also convicted the defendant of being an armed career criminal. The defendant filed a motion for a new trial, alleging ineffective assistance of counsel and deprivation of his right to be present at a critical stage of the proceedings, specifically at a hearing on the motion to suppress. The new trial motion was denied without a hearing. The defendant brings this consolidated appeal from his convictions and the denial of his new trial motion. Although the defendant raises several issues on appeal, we need only address his claim that he was deprived of his right to be present at the hearing on the motion to suppress, which is a critical stage of the proceedings. Procedural background. A codefendant’s counsel in this case had filed a timely motion to suppress and, at the time set for the hearing, his client was transported from the jail for the hearing. The defendant, however, had not been transported from the jail because his counsel had neglected to file a motion to suppress. The motion judge instructed the clerk to telephone defense counsel for the defendant, and defense counsel appeared in court before the judge began the hearing on the motion to suppress. The judge asked […]
Chris Christie Coming to Boston on Friday
New Jersey Gov. and possible 2016 GOP presidential hopeful Chris Christie will be in Boston on Friday for a fundraiser, according to the Boston Globe. The fundraiser, for Christie’s 2013 gubernatorial campaign, will be held at the Boston home of Christopher and Jean Egan. It is being hosted by former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, former GOP gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker and former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan, among others. Christie is popular among Republicans and toyed with a run for president in 2012 before deciding not to run. He made numerous visits to key early-voting states like New Hampshire to stump for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. FENWAY-KENMORE PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Boston’s New Rules to Curb Aggressive Solicitors
Looking to curb aggressive public solicitors, Boston banned solicitation in places such as bus shelters, parking lots, and within 10 feet of an ATM or financial institution. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino pushed for the city’s soliticitation rules to be updated and created a task force with police, neighborhoods leaders, and emergency personnel to stop solicitors from doing things like walking up and down traffic lanes. “This measure does not (just) go after homeless people, but also aggressive solicitors,” said District 6 City Councilor Matt O’Malley, who led a recent hearing on the issue as chair of the Government Operations committee. O’Malley, as well as other city councilors, including District 8’s Mike Ross, wanted to make it clear the changes were not criminalizing panhandling or homelessness. Specifically, solicitation was banned at the following: bus shelters, bus stops, parking lots or garages, sidewalk cafes, a line waiting to be admitted to a commercial establishment, or in a crosswalk. Language was changed to also ban solitication within 10 feet of an ATM, facility entrance or exit of a bank, or check cashing business. “This isn’t a homeless matter, this is people taking advantage of a gray area of the law and asking money from every day citizens,” said Ross. “(This is) not the poor soul on the side of the street asking for funds. This is people really pushing the limit, and not asking for money, but demanding money from every day commuters… and when you say no you get asked by a second or third person…” District 4 Councilor Charles Yancey asked whether the updated ordinance bans people from handing out flyers in public, such as candidates. O’Malley said he asked the same question during a Feb. 19 hearing, and added, “This seeks to prohibit who could be someone to themselves or others, darting in and out of traffic. (This could be) people selling flowers or newspapers in between lanes, (which) would be prhobited. Handing out flyers would be allowed and protected by the freedom of speech.” Regarding the homeless, O’Malley said that Pine Street Inn personnel testified they were 100% in support of the legislation. Included in the new language is a mechanism to collect data and analysis to increase outreach to homeless and link them to non-profit partners to help them. What do you think of the crackdown on aggressive solicitors? What areas do you have problems with aggressive solicitors in the South End? Tell us in the comments. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Categories: Arrests Tags: Aggressive, Boston's, Curb, Rules, Solicitors
What Did You Think of ‘Boston’s Finest?’
Editor’s note: We’ll avoid any major plot details in this post, but we can’t swear the comments will remain spoiler free. If you want to comment about specifics, please be kind and add a spoiler alert to the top line. After weeks of hype, “Bostons Finest” finally premiered Wednesday night. The TNT reality series follows Boston Police officers as they patrol the city. The show opened to strong reviews and a litany of excited tweets from the department itself. The first episode focused on a fugitive hunt in Southie and Dorchester, a melee in Hyde Park, and an officer’s bittersweet field trip to Lynn. And while other cop-based reality shows you’ve heard of focus on foot chases and shirtless arrests, “Boston’s Finest” took the time to introduce officers and tell their stories before getting into the nitty gritty of arrests and manhunts. What did you think? Were you impressed by the first episode or did you find it wanting? Does the show reflect well on Boston and its police department? Tell us what you think in the comments below. And please, flag any spoilers before you begin! South End Patch
Things to Know in the South End Today, Feb. 28: Grand Opening at K9strolls Shop and Play
1. Weather: The National Weather Service is a cloudy day with a chance of rain in the morning. Temperatures will hover around 47 degrees. 2. K9strolls Shop and Play Opening: Check out the new space for your four-legged companions at K9strolls Shop and Play (83 Pembroke St.) Daniel and Jim Avila-Batty, the owners, had run their business out of their South End home for several years, and recently opened up on Pembroke Street. Tonight they are holding a grand opening celebration from 6-8 p.m. See here for more information. 3. Live Music at Darryl’s: Elevation Theory, who got their start at Berklee College of Music, will be playing will tonight at 7 p.m. at Darryl’s Corner Bar & Kitchen (604 Columbus Ave.) Their style is described as “definitive tones and sweet, pocketed grooves.” See here for more information. 4. For Middle Schoolers: An “Art Journaling for Fifth-graders and Up” workshop will be held today at the South End branch library between 4 and 5 p.m. It’s free and materials will be provided. See here for more information. 5. Poetry Competition: Happening this weekend in the South End is the Boston edition of the statewide “Poetry Outloud” competition for teens. Poetry Out Loud (POL) is a national recitation competition that celebrates the power of the spoken word and a mastery of public speaking skills while cultivating self-confidence and an appreciation of students’ literary heritage as they take poetry from the page to the stage. You can catch the action at the Boston Center for The Arts 539 Tremont St. starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday. Things you can do every day on South End Patch: Share your news with the rest of the community. Click here to add an announcement. Add your events to our events calendar. Click here to sign up for breaking news updates. Want up-to-the-minute news? Click here to follow us on Facebook or Twitter. Share your thoughts on your community in a blog. Click here to get started. South End Patch
K9strolls Dog Daycare Opens on Pembroke Street
If you had asked Daniel Avila eight years ago if he would own his own dog care business — “I would have said, ‘What!?’” he said. But what started out as a side job as a dog walker for Avila turned into k9strolls, a South End doggie daycare, walking, grooming and retail service. Avila and his husband, Jim, started the buiness in 2009, and for the last three years, have been running the business out of their home. “We used to have the dogs in the living room and put blankets down, and it was this big routine,” said Avila. “It was great because our neighbors were teachers and doctors and they were gone all day and would come back when teh dogs were gone, so they didn’t even know we had 18 dogs there,” he said. “We swept and mopped and cleaned — and it was cleaner then than it is now,” he said with a laugh. The business opened in its Pembroke Street location in November. The bigger space is lending itself to an expanded business; the couple now can offer grooming and retail for dog owners. “We focus on products made in the USA and I do a lot of research for products made in Massachusetts,” Jim Batty said. “We really value small businesses and locals, and locals helped push us along, so we want to do the same thing for others,” he said. Batty said what the couple specalizes in is helping dog owners provide an extension of their own home for their pets when they can’t care for them themselves, complete with comfy chairs and a TV. “The pet population is huge in the South End, and I know how well we treat the dogs, so we hope to be able to provide that continually while the owner is at work or out doing errands,” he said. “We focus in on that one-on-one relationship, and it helps so much. A lot of the time dogs haven’t been socialized so it helps them a lot, and we’ve seen a lot of dogs really come out of their shell,” he said. The two will celebrate the business’ grand opening on Thursday night at the 83 Pembroke St. store, with a “We Love Locals” party from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the store. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Crime Down Overall in South End Since Last Year
Crime in the South End area is down overall, but there have been several recent house breaks in the area, according to the Boston Police Department. Captain Paul M. Ivens of the D-4 district said that crime in 2012 was down compared to 2011, which was down compared to 2010. According to Boston Police statistics, in the South End area, overall crime was down 10 percent. Captain Ivens said the area around Peter’s Park has been improving based on a concerted effort to interrogate everyone seen hanging around the area. “They didn’t do anything wrong, but we know they were in this area on this date, and sometimes it helps us in other investigations,” he said. “People that don’t belong here, we make it uncomfortable for them to be here anymore. Once they are no longer anonymous they tend to leave.” Captain Ivens said there were some recent house breaks in the South End, near Warren Avenue, and several suspects were arrested. “It has gotten better,” he said. “Is it perfect? No, but we keep striving and we keep hammering away.” In the D-4 district, there were six homicides in 2012 compared to 2011. There were 29 rape cases or attempted rape cases compared to 33 last year, and robbery and attempted robbery were also down, 273 to 308. Burglary was also down, 524 in 2011 to 317 cases in 2012. Do you notice improvements on your street? Are you happy to hear that crime is down in the neighborhood? Tell us in the comments. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch