Boston Returns to Copley to Show Its Pride
Boston has several reasons to be proud: Whether it’s because of the city’s resilience in the aftermath of the April Boston Marathon Bombings, the fact that its hometown hockey team will return to the Stanley Cup Finals, or the idea that it has one of the most passionate, involved communities around – no one can argue Boston is not a proud city. There is no better proof of that last thought than at the annual Boston Pride Parade. The parade, in its 43rd year, marched through Copley Square, bent toward the South End and wound back uptown toward Government Center, beginning just after noon on Saturday. Thousands lined the streets on a picture perfect day, not only to stand in solidarity with the LGBT community, but to reinforce “Boston Strong” at the very site from which that movement began. South End Patch
Things to Know in the South End Today, May 6: Your Editor Returns
1. Weather: The National Weather Service is predicting a sunny day, with a high near 68 degrees. 2. Back From Vacation: Usually I do a better job explaining ahead of time that I’m taking a vacation, but with the events at this year’s marathon I actually felt quite guilty to leave! As it happened, police located Tsarnaev inside the boat just as I was boarding my plane to Iceland. I had never been so relieved! So if you’ve been missing my regular standard of South End reporting over the last few weeks, never fear, I am back, and I’ll be keeping you informed once again about news and happenings in the South End. I had an incredible vacation in Iceland and then in Paris, and I highly recommend both places. I’ve included just one photo from my vacation. Jealous yet? 3. SoWa’s Back: This weekend marked the beginning of the SoWa season, which will run from now through October, and promises to be even bigger and better than ever. Hundreds of vendors and crafters will be in the neighborhood every Sunday, including about 40 food trucks. See here for more details. 4. Help Finding a Job: If you’re in need of new computer and professional skills, check out the Online Learning Readiness Program at the Boston Neighborhood Network. It’s a training program geared at helping job seekers become more attractive to prospective employers, improve computer skills, create effective resumes, cover letters and more. See here for more information. 5. Add your events: Do you have a great event coming up at your organization or business? If it’s happening right here in the South End, add it to the Events Calendar! I feature great events every single day in the daily email update, on the homepage and on social media, so add yours to the mix and help get the word out to South Enders about what’s happening in their neighborhood.Click here to add an event. 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
VIDEO: One Week Later, Crowd Returns to Boylston Street to Honor Boston Bombing Victims
One week after thousands of people gathered on Boylston Street to cheer on runners as they crossed the finish line of the 117th annual Boston Marathon, several hundred people returned to the area to honor those who were killed and injured in the bombings that forever changed a Boston tradition. At 2:50 p.m.—the time when, one week prior, the first explosion went off, followed 10 seconds later by a second—the city of Boston and communities throughout Massachusetts held a moment of silence. With the Copley Square area still cordoned off as a crime scene, hundreds of visitors gathered behind fencing at the corner of Boylston and Berkeley streets where a makeshift memorial sprouted up in the week following the event. The memorial, which features thousands of tributes such as flags, T-shirts, running shoes, posters, cards, teddy bears and flowers, has been moved off the street to the sidewalk outside the Bank of America building, presumably in anticipation of Boylston Street being reopened to the public—though a date for that opening has not yet been announced. The crowd at Boylston and Berkeley offered more than a moment of silence on Monday, standing quietly for several minutes before and after the appropriated time. At around 2:49 p.m., the crowd began softly singing “The Star-Spangled Banner”—just barely heard over the occasional honk and motorized splutter of the busy city. When the anthem concluded, the crowd went silent again for well over a minute. Some people bowed their heads, some cried or wiped away tears, some took photographs and video of the scene and some stared quietly down the deserted part of Boylston Street, perhaps imagining what it looked like on Monday last. As the crowd began to stir, with people beginning to head off to wherever they needed to be, a man waving a Boston hat with one hand and an American flag with the other began singing “God Bless America” and was soon joined by many others in the crowd. As the singing concluded, a loud cheer went up through the crowd, as people turned and waved to police officers on the other side of the barricade. The crowd began to disperse as, in the distance, church bells rang out and played “Amazing Grace.” South End Patch