Want to Ride Your Bike On the Common? City Still Says No
After discussions among top city officials and leaders, you still can't ride bikes in three major Boston parks. South End Patch News
Bosstones to Headline Festival on Common This Weekend
By: Jake O'Donnell A brand new free performing arts festival is coming to Boston Common starting Saturday, with headliners including the Mighty Mighty Bosstones South End Patch News
Fallen Service Members Honored on Boston Common
With over 33,000 small American flags planted in the ground on Boston Common, dozens gathered nearby Thursday to pay tribute to the men and women who gave their lives in service to their country. Each flag represented a U.S. serviceman or woman from Massachusetts who has died in uniform since the American Civil War, and each flag was planted by volunteers with the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund. “This display stops people directly in their tracks,” said Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund President Steve Kerrigan. “And that, of course, is exactly the point.” “We shall never forget the sacrifices made by those who gave us our freedom today,” said Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. The names of 187 military members who died in service were read aloud by family members of those lost, and an additional 187 flags were planted at the tribute. Gov. Deval Patrick called the display at the Sailors and Soldiers Memorial “an extraordinarily powerful silent tribute to the cause to freedom.” Patrick recalled the recent bombings attacks at the Boston Marathon in his remarks. “Out of the dust of that tragedy emerged a stronger sense of community, in some respects, than we’d ever seen,” Patrick said. “I hope today we’ll remember not just that sacrifice but the living remnants of sacrifice, that sense of togetherness and common cause.” The flags will remain in place until Monday evening at sunset, Kerrigan said. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Thousands of American Flags Planted on Common
You may have noticed a very patriotic sight in Boston Common starting Wednesday afternoon: thousands of small American flags planted not far from the intersection of Beacon and Charles Street. The flags were planted by volunteers with the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. According to their website, the volunteers planned to plant 33,000 flags this year for each military service member from the Bay State who has given their lives in service to America since the Civil War. On Thursday, Gov. Deval Patrick will honor those lost in a ceremony at the site at 10 a.m. The ceremony will include the reading of names of those who have died during Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle by their families. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Gun Rights Rally on Boston Common Draws Hundreds
Taking aim at Democrats, the media and others they say are attacking the Second Amendment, hundreds of gun rights activists gathered on the Boston Common Wednesday afternoon to rally to fight a bill that would tighten gun control. “Every time the government passes new gun control laws it creates a problem,” Ying Li, an engineer who participated in the 1989 pro-democracy protests centered on Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, told the crowd. The rally was organized by the Gun Owners’ Action League and was partly in response to new gun control measures being considered at the State House, including Gov. Deval Patrick’s bill to limit firearm purchases to one a month, reduce access to high-powered rounds of ammunition and require background checks before buying weapons at gun shows. Li compared gun control with tyranny, calling on the crowd to “kill (tyranny) in its infancy.” Alan Gottlieb, the founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, followed Li on stage at the Parkman bandstand, echoing the concern that the movement to undo the Second Amendment, as he sees it, is just beginning. “The attempt to ban so-called assault weapons is only the beginning of their attack on the Second Amendment,” Gottlieb said, calling the dismantling of the amendment the “ultimate goal of the Democratic Party.” To stop Patrick’s plan, protesters marched to the State House to meet with lawmakers and urge them to vote against the bill. “The only thing that stands in their way is us and the Republican Party,” Gottlieb said. “Gun control is going to cost (Democrats) control of the Senate. Democrats never learn from history and we gun owners never forget it.” SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
News Nearby: Off-Leash Areas for Dogs on Common, Second JT and Jay-Z Show at Fenway
While we do our best to focus on news and events directly concerning the South End, sometimes it’s nice to know what’s going on in other Boston neighborhoods. Welcome to the weekly regional news roundup, which will bring you the top news from other Boston neighborhoods this week. Beacon Hill: Parks Department OKs Off-Leash Dog Areas on Common – The city’s Parks Department approved a plan Monday to designate parts of the Boston Common for off-leash dog recreation areas, but a date hasn’t been set for when the program will begin. Back Bay: Back Bay Hotel Now Officially a Loew’s Property With a champagne toast, the iconic Back Bay Hotel officially became the Loews Boston Back Bay Hotel Thursday. The Loews Hotels & Resorts chain announced plans to buy the building, at the corner of Berkeley and Stuart streets, last month. It had been owned since 2009 by the Doyle Collection, a Dublin company specializing in upscale hotels. Fenway-Kenmore: Second Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z Show Added at Fenway The first concert sold out in about 20 minutes, prompting the organizers to announce a second show at Fenway Park in August. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch