Week in Review: New Public Art Coming to South End
In case you missed them, here are this week's top headlines from the South End. South End Patch News
Public Art Coming to South End
Find out what's happening right here in the neighborhood on Wednesday, August 7, 2013. South End Patch News
New Art and Lights Display Coming to BCA Plaza
Swipe your Charlie Card to see historical art by day, and a light show at night. (Don't worry, it's free.) South End Patch News
Controversial Dewey Square Mural Coming Down
The large, colorful mural located along the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway at Dewey Square Park, which has drawn some controversy since it was created in July 2012, will be coming down this fall. The 70-by-70-foot mural painted on the air intake structure between Summer and Congress streets has reportedly begun deteriorating and is due to be replaced soon, Greenway Conservancy director Charlie McCabe told Boston Magazine recently. While no new artist had been selected, McCabe told the magazine he expects to announce what project will replace the mural by August, calling the space “a great and very visible canvas.” Created by Brazilian twin brothers Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo, known together as Os Gemeos, the mural was designed in coordination with the brothers’ first solo exhibition in the United States, which was on display at Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art from Aug. 1 through Nov. 25, 2012. The colorful mural depicts “a giant, yellow-colored character in brightly mismatched clothes who appears to have squeezed himself in between the towering buildings that surround him,” according to the description posted on the Greenway website. “These yellow-colored characters are an iconic and recurrent feature in Os Gemeos’s work, and are depicted in a wide variety of situations.” The artists have said the image is that of a young boy wearing pajamas, with clothing wrapped around his head. But shortly after the mural went up, some individuals began commenting online about the figure looking like a “terrorist.” The racially charged comments reportedly first appeared on Fox 25 Boston’s Facebook page but have since been repeated, discussed and argued against around the Web. As recent as May of this year, Universal Hub reported that a Boston resident had complained about the “terrorist mural on the front of the building across from the Federal Building” via the city’s Citizens Connect, calling the artwork “a disgrace” and “extremely offensive.” The mural was always intendend to be temporary, according to the Greenway website, and had a tentative end date of October 2013 “dependent on its condition.” SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Coming Soon! South End Patch Gets a New Look
Hi, everyone! I have some exciting news to share about Patch – we’re getting a whole new look! It’s coming soon and it’s going to make South End Patch easier to use, and a better place to connect and share. The best part? You’ll be able to see it all on your mobile phone! Here’s what you need to know: Our site is being rebuilt from the ground up! The news will look better and be easier to comment on. And, you’ll find more local voices to keep you in the loop with the latest know-how and opinion. We’re adding Boards to make it easier for you to connect with each other, debate an issue, or announce your garage sale, graduation, or find a lost pet. More to say? It will be easier to start your own blog, too. You’ll soon be able to start your own blog anytime, so you can have a stronger voice in the community – or just share your expertise and opinion. And if you’re already a Local Voices blogger, you’ll find the tools are much more streamlined and straightforward. You’ll see all of this (and more) on Patch real soon. For a sneak peek, check out Fairfield Patch. Questions? Please e-mail Senior Editor Sara Jacobi sara.jacobi@patch.com. As always, thanks for being part of the South End Patch community. South End Patch
Is West Nile Virus Coming to the South End?
After a particularly tough year for the West Nile virus in 2012, Massachusetts health officials are bracing for what could be another busy summer for the mosquito-borne illness. Although, with so many factors playing into the problem, the track of West Nile is not an easy one to predict, said Kevin Cranston, director of the Bureau of Infectious Disease for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. “We can’t pin down all of the elements that go into why one season is bad and another season is not,” Cranston said. But if this summer is similar to last summer—marked by extended periods of very hot weather—some parts of the state could see a high number of cases as occurred in 2012. To give residents a sense of West Nile’s prevalence in the South End, Patch has pulled together county-level 2012 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Different factors play into outbreaks Long periods of warm weather can help accelerate the maturation of the type of mosquitoes known for spreading West Nile virus, Cranston said. Rainfall also might play a part in the problem, as these mosquitoes thrive in pools of stagnant water. But there are other factors, too, related to mosquito abundance and activity and the amplification cycle of the virus. The West Nile virus “season” lasts from around mid June until the first “killing frost”—when temperatures drop below 32 degrees for several hours in the local environment, effectively killing that area’s mosquito population, Cranston said. Testing to begin soon The Bureau of Infectious Disease begins collecting and reporting on mosquito samples the week of June 17 and continues testing throughout the season, Cranston said. West Nile virus is reported through two main processes. First, the bureau works with the local mosquito control projects to trap and sort mosquitoes by species—different species are known for spreading different viruses. A pool of about 10 to 15 mosquitoes is then tested for the presence of viruses such as West Nile and Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or EEE. “If even one mosquito in that pool has the virus it is considered to be a positive pool. We assemble that data over time to show how a given region of the state is more or less likely to have infected mosquitoes in the environment,” Cranston said. Information also comes in from physicians when patients report symptoms that may be caused by West Nile virus. Samples are taken from the individual and tested at the state lab in Boston’s Jamaica Plain. This not only helps the physician make a diagnosis and treat the patient but also assists the state in establishing risk […]
Improvements Coming to I-93 Overpass
Some important safety changes are coming to one of the sketchiest places in the South End: the area under the I-93 overpass. Don’t just take our word for it being sketchy – a fatal stabbing occured earlier this year. According to State Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation is working towards improving the area in hopes of finding another use for the space besides an empty gravel pit. “We’re hoping that we’ll do some type of construction paving sometime in the early spring, within the month,” said Michlewitz. “And once they start moving forward on that they’ll have an RFP process on what should go there in terms of parking, or other potential usage.” MassDOT plans to spent about $ 1-2 million improving the lot, by paving and putting in additional lighting, with the idea that it will help make it viable for developer interest. With significant developer interest already secured in the area through apartment complex and retail developments on Albany Street, Traveler Street, East Berkeley Street and Harrison Ave, the corridor between the South End and the Broadway MBTA stop in the South End will have an increased importance. “The Broadway T stop is closer to Harrison Ave and lower Washington than any other South End stops, and that surprises a lot of people,” said Rep. Michlewitz. “We want to make that as accessible and as friendly as possible.” Michelwitz said the commuter interest in the corridor is a great sign of where the city has gone and is moving in the future. “A lot of the barriers between neighborhoods have started to come down,” he said. “South Boston and the South End are two different neighborhoods, but they are working and collaborating with each other.” SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Categories: Arrests Tags: Coming, Improvements, Overpass
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
News Nearby: Clio Chef Fired for Stabbing, JT and Jay-Z Coming to 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. Back Bay: Clio Chef Charged With Stabbing Friend, Fired from Restaurant – Clio chef Doug Rodrigues was charged with stabbing a man while showing a woman how to use a folding knife while at Crossroads (495 Beacon St.) on Feb. 17. Rodrigues was arrested and charged him with assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon. Following his arrest, a PR representative from Clio informed the Phoenix that Rodrigues was no longer employed at Clio and that the firing was tied to the knife incident. Beacon Hill: Comm. Ave Fire Does $ 5 Million in Damage: Investigators say that in-floor radiant heating caused the three-alarm fire in a Commonwealth Avenue brownstone Wednesday morning that resulted in $ 5 million of damage but no injuries. Firefighters responded to the five-story, three-condo building at 9:18 a.m. and quickly called for backup. “They were here in a matter seconds,” John Walsh, who lives on the third floor of 17 Commonwealth Ave. and was the only one of the building’s occupants who was home when alarms sounded, said of the Boston Fire Department. Fenway-Kenmore: JT and Jay-Z to Perform at Fenway Park This Summer: It’s official: Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z are touring together this summer, and one of the stops on their “Legends of Summer” stadium tour will be Fenway Park. A sure-to-sell-out show will be held on Aug. 10th at Fenway Park. Jamaica Plain: Il Panino Opens in Jackson Square: A new Italian restaurant has opened in Jackson Square. Il Panino Café and Grill opened last week at 270 Centre St. in a space that used to house Gail’s Café & Grill, according to Boston Restaurant Talk, a blog about Boston restaurants opening and closing. The blog reports the new restaurant is owned by the same people who own Trattoria Il Panino in the North End. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch