‘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
Home Sales for the Love of Rescued Animals
Three years ago Weston real estate agent Leslie Mann read a story on the Internet that horrified her. What she read was the story of Turtle, a female pit bull-type dog who had been abandoned in a wooded area of Hyde Park in the middle of winter. She was badly injured and barely clinging to life — showing all the signs of a bait dog, one used to test the fighting instinct of a potential fight dog. The Animal Rescue League of Boston stepped in to help Turtle — she was found near Turtle Pond Parkway — nursing her back to health through six months of treatment at Tufts Veterinary Hospital in Walpole. “I was just horrified by [the story] and said, ‘We have to do something for her,’” Mann said. At the time, she held a Spin class fundraiser and sold T-shirts, efforts that brought in about $ 6,000 for Turtle’s treatment. Today, Turtle is happy, healthy and living blissfully with her adopted family, all facts that make Mann smile. “I think it’s just something about how sweet she is after everything she’s been through, it just caught people’s attention,” Mann said of her affection for Turtle. “It certainly caught my attention.” But Mann’s appreciation for the work of the Animal Rescue League continues even now. “They just are so amazing,” Mann said. “Turtle is alive today because … people raced out in the middle of the night and got her help. They go and rescue animals nobody else would rescue.” Even though Turtle doesn’t need her help anymore, Mann and her husband, Kyle, both agents with Gibson Sotheby’s Realty in Weston, want to continue supporting the Animal Rescue League of Boston. For the remainder of the year, they will donate $ 1,000 to the league from every home sale they make, in Weston and beyond. “They’re just such an amazing place,” Mann said. “They don’t just put the animals in the shelter and hope somebody comes and adopts them. They do a lot to help them get adopted. “I’m really excited about the organization.” More information on the Manns’ efforts is available here. South End Patch
‘One Boston’ Tumblr Page Shares the Love
As the city of Boston attempts to go back to normal following the horrific events at this year’s marathon, it isn’t ready to just clean up and move on. Not when there was an outpouring of support from residents, children and people far and wide left at the site of the bombing and other sites around Copley Square. In order to preserve the well-wishes and notes left for Boston, the city has created a Tumblr page to document it all to effectively memoralize the memorial. Browse through and see the artwork and adorably misspelled letters from children, and the uplifting messages of hope and faith left by adults. Remember how it felt to go through that week and to have an outpouring of support from friends, relatives and even strangers. And if you have something to share, you can submit it through the Tumbler page to be included. South End Patch
Menino: ‘I Will Leave the Job That I Love’
After 20 years of serving as mayor of Boston, Mayor Thomas M. Menino officially announced on Thursday he would not seek re-election. Menino, who after two decades is the city’s longest-serving mayor, announced his decision in front of a large crowd of family, friends and supporters at Faneuil Hall’s Great Hall. “I am here with the people I love, to tell the city I love, that I will leave the job that I love,” Menino said. “I can run, I can win, and I can lead, but not ‘in-the-neighborhoods-all-the-time,’ as I like,” he said. Menino said that over the last few months, his health has greatly improved, but he’s not still up to his normal pace and not able to spend the amount of time in the neighborhoods that he’s used to. “I miss hitting every event, ribbon cutting, new homeowner dinner,” he said. “Spending so much time in the neighborhoods gives me energy… It may not be the only way to lead Boston, but it’s the only way for me.” Menino said he feels humbled and grateful to have served as mayor of Boston “during its best days.” “Boston is the greatest city on earth,” he said. “It is a buzzing, amazing, history-making place. It gets better every day because of you, and as long as you work together, that will never change.” SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
Five Dream Cars You Would Love to Drive
There are thousands of cars available in the countless dealerships that dot the highways of Eastern Massachusetts, but there aren’t a lot of cars like these vehicles. Here are five dream cars that you would love to have in your garage, but they will cost you a lot of money (in some cases, as much as a house): 1. 2013 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT, $ 220,055 The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT is a 7-speed automatic with auto-shift transmission with a 6.2L V8 32V MPFI DOHC engine. The exterior color is obsidian black and the interior color black. The car has 25 miles on it. Mercedes Benz of Boston in Somerville is selling the vehicle, according to cars.com. 2. 2010 Ferrari California, $ 199,900 The Ferrari California convertible is a 7-speed automatic with auto-shift transmission with a 4.3L V8 engine. The exterior color is rosso corsa and interior color is beige. The car has 7,650 miles. It’s being sold by Ferrari-Maserati of New England in Norwood, according to cars.com. 3. 2013 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe Base, $ 507,800 The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe is an 8-speed automatic transmission with a 6.8L V12 48V GDI DOHC engine. The exterior color is midnight sapphire and the interior color is seashell. The car has 23 miles. It’s being sold by Herb Chambers Rolls Royce Motor Cars of New England in Wayland, according to cars.com. 4. 2008 Bentley Continental GTC, $ 129,700 The Bentley Continental is an automatic transmission with a 12-cylinder engine. The car has 30,005 miles. The car is being sold by Lawless Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Woburn, according to AOL Autos. 5. 2012 Audi R8 4.2 quattro, $ 149,174 The Audi is a six-speed manual transmission with a 4.2L V8 32V GDI DOHC engine. The exterior color is ibis white and the interior color is black. Tracy Audi VW in Hyannis is selling the vehicle, according to cars.com. South End Patch