Where to Celebrate Memorial Day 2013 in Boston
Boston is hosting several Memorial Day observances throughout Memorial Day weekend. Events start on Thursday, May 23 with a service on Boston Common. The Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to the families of military service personnel from Massachusetts who have died while in service to the United States, will host a service at 10:30 a.m. at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. The event will include the reading of the names of Bay State soldiers killed as a result of current military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan among a flag garden with thousands of miniature American flags honoring the sacrifices of all fallen Massachusetts service men and women. On Sunday, May 26, a Memorial Day ceremony will be held at Mount Hope Cemetery (355 Walk Hill St.) in Mattapan from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will include a short parade from inside the cemetery gate up to the World War I and World War II Monument where the ceremony will be held. On Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, there are several services planned. In the morning, there will be an 8 a.m. service at the Fogg-Roberts American Legion Post 78 (56 Harvard Ave.) in Hyde Park. From there, participants will march to a Mass at Most Precious Blood Parish (43 Maple St.) and then return to the post for the start of a tour of local veteran’s squares. The procession will end up at the Civil War Memorial at Fairview Cemetery for the closing ceremony at 11 a.m. In the afternoon, a Memorial Day observance will be held in Brighton from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Evergreen Cemetery (2060 Commonwealth Ave.). Later on, there will be a free concert featuring the Metropolitan Wind Symphony and the Boston City Singers to honor veterans. The show, called “Remembrance 2013: A Musical Tribute to Our Heroes,” will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Christopher Columbus Park (110 Atlantic Ave.) in the North End. For more information on each of these services, call, Arthur Smith of the American Legion at 617-298-7509, Andy Murphy of the Fogg Post at 617-364-1636 or the Boston Cemetery Division at 617-635-7361. South End Patch
‘Love and Mourning’ at Copley Marathon Memorial
Crowds continued to gather at the makeshift memorial in Copley Square commemorating those impacted by the Boston Marathon bombings Wednesday, which marked one month since the attacks shook the city. There was no special occasion, no moment silence as 2:50 p.m. came and went, which was the time on April 15 when two bombs exploded near the finish line, killing three and injurying 260 others. Instead, those at the memorial shared their own moments of quiet reflection as the memorial continues to grow. Ed Starbuck of Hyannis has been coming to the area nearly every day since shortly after the bombings. What started as a few flags he put down grew into the memorial which has been moved four times, most recently to its current locale. “I would say it’s love and mourning,” Starbuck said of the continually-growing memorial. “People leave a little bit of grief here. And that’s why it’s important. It’s a place where people can come and after they look at Ground Zero, they can come here.” SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
British Prime Minister Visits Marathon Bombings Memorial
British Prime Minister David Cameron is spending time this week in Boston to offer his condolences to Gov. Deval Patrick on the Boston Marathon bombings and also discuss the lessons learned from the tragedy, according to WCVB.com. The news station reported Cameron arrived in Boston Monday and went into a private meeting with Patrick. While Cameron didn’t address the meeting with reporters after the meeting, WCVB reported Patrick said the meeting “was great.” Early Tuesday morning, Cameron and Patrick visited the makeshift Boston Marathon bombings memorial in Copley Square, according to an Associated Press report on WBUR.com. Cameron met with President Barack Obama at the White House Monday before coming to Boston, according to WBUR. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Museum of Fine Arts Free over Memorial Day Weekend
Admission to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston will be free all three days of Memorial Day weekend, the museum announced this week. The free days are the museum’s way to celebrate “Boston I Love,” a special set of exhibitions now on display, community art activities and an opportunity to donate to the One Fund. Those special exhibits now on display include “To Boston With Love,” an installation of hundreds of hand-sewn quilt squares with messages of love and peace sent from the around the world, Special Loans from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, three special paintings lent by New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art in honor of the people of Boston, and Community Art-Making Activity: Boston, I Love, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., where messages of hope, community, and love will be made to contribute to a collaborative project. The MFA will be open from May 25 to May 27 from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. all three days. The offer extends to residents of Boston and visitors. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
PHOTOS: Memorial at Copley Square Grows
The memorial at Copley Square continues to grow, with more candles, hats, stuffed animals signs and other well-wishes appearing by the day. Have you left anything at the memorial? Does it encourage you to see the support from around the country? Tell us in the comments. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Live Blog: Memorial Service for Sean Collier Begins at Noon
Sean Collier will be remembered at an MIT memorial service at noon on Wednesday. Collier, who was killed Thursday, was laid to rest on Tuesday morning. Police believe the Boston Marathon bombing suspects shot Collier as he responded to an unrelated robbery. Patch will provide updates throughout the memorial service. We welcome you to add your condolences and memories of Sean in the chat above once the live chat begins. South End Patch
One Week Later: Memorial Scenes from Boylston, Newbury Streets
South End Patch
BU Memorial Highlights the Life of Lu Lingzi
A memorial service for Lu Lingzi at Boston University’s Marsh Chapel on Monday night celebrated the way the graduate student lived life, not how it was taken away from her. “(Lingzi) is gone but our memories (of her) are very alive,” eulogized her father, Lu Jun, who flew in from China on Friday night with his wife. His words were translated. His daughter, Lu, 23, was one of three victims who died from the Boston Marathon bombings. “She was the family’s Shirley Temple if you will,” said her father, recounting stories of how his only child confidently entertained through dancing, playing the piano and smiling – always smiling. Jun said his daughter was never shy, gave congratulatory speeches at family members’ birthday parties on behalf of the entire family, and never wavered in her desire to study abroad. Musical selections such as ‘Pie Jesu’ from Requeim by Gabriel Faure, and ‘Sarabande’ from Cello Suite No. 1 by Bach, were played as Gov. Deval Patrick and Lt. Gov. Tim Murray looked on. Zheng Minhui, Lu’s classmate, also recalled her friend’s smile, “Her infectious smile… and she smiled so much.” “She was a truly sweet girl and always wanted to express her gratitude for her friends,” said Minhui, adding that Lu had recently bought her lunch to thank her for helping her with an exam. Jing Li, Lu’s roommate said she and Lu thought they were long-lost sisters being from the northern part of China, and having many similarities such as their passion for the piano, and being gradute students in the Statistics program. “We both didn’t have a boyfriend… We were sad we were too busy to go out and meet some nice boys,” said Li. Lu’s name meant “wonderfulness and beauty” in ancient Chinese, said Li, which she found out after asking her best friend. A Boston University scholarship in honor of Lu Lingzi, which was endowed this past Friday, was mentioned several times as how Lu’s dreams will live on. “I know Lingzi needs us to be brave and strong,” said Li. “… and try to realize your unfinished dreams.” South End Patch
Categories: Arrests Tags: Highlights, Life, Lingzi, Memorial
PHOTOS: Boston Marathon Memorial Relocated
With more gifts being added daily, the makeshift memorial to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings has been relocated from Boylston Street to the nearby sidewalk. The pile of flowers, cards, posters, flags, T-shirts, teddy bears and other items is now set up at the corner of Boylston and Berkeley streets, against the corner of the Bank of America building in anticipation of the Copley Square area being reopened to the public later this week, once the FBI finishes its investigation. South End Patch
PHOTOS: Boston Marathon Memorial Grows
The memorial at Boylston and Berkeley streets was just starting to take shape on Wednesday, as people dropped off flowers, cards, posters, marathon medals and other items throughout the day in tribute to those injured in Monday’s bombing at the Boston Marathon. By Thursday, the memorial had grown quite a bit, and developed a look of organization, as a velvet rope was placed around the site, keeping the memorial from getting crushed by the crowd of people who continue to flood in—some bringing their own gifts to add to the pile and others just coming to watch. Nantucket resident Ed Starbuck said he wanted to come help out at a memorial event but ended up helping out at the memorial site instead. With his beagle Rosie keeping watch on the growing pile of gifts, Starbuck organized bouquets as they arrived, straightened posters, arranged stuffed animals and handed out individual flowers for children to place as they wanted. South End Patch