NOV
org
2010
FREE
serving the Fenway, Kenmore Square, upper Back Bay, Prudential, Longwood Area & Mission Hill since 1974 volume 36, number 11 OCTOBER 29-DECEMBER 2, 2010
¡Mucho Gusto!
Some 60 supporters of The Fenway
News enjoyed a memorable brunch at
Casa Romero on Sunday, October 24.
Above, chef-owner Leo Romero.
Does Three-Way Deal Put NU Back on Dorm Track?
N
By Stephen Brophy, editor
ortheastern University announced
on October 22 that it has reached
agreement with the Boston YMCA
and Phoenix Properties to build a
16-floor, 720-bed dormitory on St. Botolph
Street, behind the Y’s main building on
Huntington Avenue. Phoenix Properties will
buy two buildings from the Y—the Hastings
and St. Botolph wings—and replace them
with the new building, which NU will then
lease with an option to buy later. The project
is slated to break ground in spring 2011 with
completion in 2013, assuming neighborhood
support and city approvals.
The announcement was made in the
lobby of the YMCA building by NU President
Joseph Aoun and Mayor Thomas Menino;
Menino is reported to have been involved in
the negotiations. Kevin Washington, newly
installed as president and CEO of the Boston
YMCA, hosted the event.
Phoenix Properties had proposed a
similar project in 2006, but that plan went
down in the flames of universal neighborhood
vote Tues., November 2
Ballot questions
Question 1: repeal tax on alcohol
If passed, Question 1 would remove the
sales tax on alcoholic beverages and
alcohol if they are already subject to an
excise tax under state law (and most are).
Because some alcohol and drug-treatment
programs are funded directly by this tax,
which raised roughly $93 million last year,
these programs would likely end.
> A YES vote eliminates the sales tax on
alcohol and alcoholic beverages.
> A NO vote leaves the sales tax on
alcohol in place.
Question 2: Repeal Affordable-
Housing Law
Question Two would repeal a Mass. law
that allows a qualified organization that
wants to build government-subsidized
housing with a minimum percentage of
low- or moderate-income units to apply for
a single unified permit from a city or town
zoning board of appeals, instead of having
to obtain separate permits from each
agency or official with jurisdiction over any
aspect of the housing. Enacted in 1969, the
law primarily affects suburban communities
in which fewer than 10% of housing units
are affordable; towns that have reached the
10% threshhold are exempt from the law.
> A YES vote repeals the affordable-
housing law, known as Chapter 40b.
> A NO vote leaves Chapter 40b in place.
Rehab work begins on Restaurant row; simplified
plan means some places could re-open next summer
R
By Stephen Brophy, editor
esidents of the West Fens have been
heartened by the sight of workers
cleaning out the vacant shell of
the burned-out restaurants on the
corner of Peterborough and Kilmarnock
streets. A fast-spreading electrical fire gutted
the businesses in January 2009, and a period
of indecision among the partners who owned
the site prevented a more rapid rehabilitation.
The Fenway News caught up with
principal owner Monty Gold recently to find
out what is happening and what’s in store.
“Work started a week ago, Monday [Oct.
opposition. In that plan a 30-story dormitory
would have housed students from several
different colleges, and would have lacked
reliable supervision of its tenants. In this
iteration, the building will house NU students
exclusively and be staffed and maintained
by resident advisors and other university
employees. Jason Runnels spoke for Phoenix
Properties at the press conference.
The announcement comes in the wake
of substantial anger from the Mission Hill
and Fenway neighborhoods, expressed
at community meetings earlier this year.
Residents denounced Northeastern for not
following through on previous commitments
to house more students on campus. The
university itself called the spring meetings
in an effort to win neighborhood support
for an extension of its institutional master
plan. At the meetings, residents assailed
the university for reneging on its promise
to build a dormitory on its own property,
but Northeastern officials asserted that the
economic downturn of 2008 had made it
impossible to get construction financing.
3 4
POLLS ARE
OPEN 7:00 A.M.
TO 8:00 P.M.
Question 3: cut state income tax
This measure would cut the state sales tax
from 6.25% to 3%, beginning in 2011. Such
a cut would eliminate $2.5 billion in revenue
from a state budget of roughly $28 billion,
requiring significant cutbacks in a range of
state programs.
18], and we’re basically going to be putting
back what was there before—a single-story
building with seven 800-square-foot spaces
for small businesses. Right now the workers
are taking out the old floor, replacing joists,
and putting in new sub-flooring. When they
are finished with that, they will start the
roof work, gutting the old one and replacing
the steel beams that hold it up—the heat of
the fire was so intense that it twisted them
out of shape.” Gold has hired International
Construction and Development as contractor.
Gold hopes—but he does not want to
predict—that the work will be finished in
At the press conference, President Aoun
was effusive in talking about Menino’s role
in helping to reach a solution to the dorm-
building problem. Unacknowledged by anyof
the speakers was the role of the Fenway Com-
munity Development Corporation (FCDC)
in suggesting this solution. The FCDC sent
a letter to President Aoun in July outlining a
lease-to-own financing plan very much like
the one in the new agreement (the letter ap-
peared in our August issue). According to
FCDC members present at the press confer-
ence, the July letter has never received any
form of acknowledgment from Northeastern.
Several speakers pointed to a need
for colleges and universities across the
city to make greater efforts to house more
of their students on campus. Menino
asserted that 10,000 new dormitory beds
have been created since 2000, freeing up
approximately 2,500 housing units for non-
student tenants. Members of the Mission
Hill community—who have detailed how
exploitation of demand for off-campus
housing has seriously frayed the social fabric
1 1
2 2
6 Audubon Circle
5 3
4 Fenway center
> A YES vote rolls back the state sales tax
to 3%.
> A NO vote leaves the sales tax rate
unchanged at 6.25%
see polling stations (right) or check
www.wheredoivotema.com
WWW.FENWAYNEWS.
3-4 months so that the spaces can be turned
over to the business owners, who will then
probably need an additional 2-3 months to get
infrastructure and décor ready for opening.
“The biggest potential roadblock is digging up
the street to install new pipes for the sprinkler
system. We will be doing that in the middle
of winter, and if the ground is frozen it will
delay us,” Gold said. He is also planning on
a new configuration for the patio in front of
the stores, but has not yet settled on what
materials will be used for it.
“I’ve got verbal agreements with three
of the businesses to return—Thornton’s, El
Pelon, and Rod Dee. I’m looking around for
other ‘mom-and-pop’ operations for the other
spaces, because I really don’t want to rent to
some chain or other,” Gold said. He hopes
to capitalize on the renown that “Restaurant
Row” has gained since the fire, and hopes
to attract other establishments with an
“international flair.”
Asked about an earlier plan for building
a boutique hotel, Gold replied that “it turned
out to be unworkable. I still think that
something like that would do well here, but
no one could make it cost-effective.” Asked
about the future of the murals that McKinley
High School students, under the guidance of
West Fens resident Kerry Mooney, painted
on plywood to make the burnt-out shell more
attractive, Gold replied that no decision has
been made. “Why don’t you ask your readers
what they think we should do with them?”
Readers, post your suggestions for the
murals at www.FenwayNews.org.
of their neighborhood—cautiously applauded
this new announcement. Almost immediately,
however, they questioned the likelihood
of the university’s living up to a different
commitment to neighbors—to cap enrollment
at 15,000. That hasn’t happened yet.
where to vote
Myles Standish Hall
at boston university
Voter entrance: 30 Bay State Road
Ward 5/Prec 10: Residents of upper
Boylston and Ipswich streets;
Kenmore Square
Boston arts academy
174 Ipswich Street
• Ward 5/Prec 2 = West Fens
residents
• Ward 21/Prec 1 = Residents of the
block of Peterborough between
Kilmarnock and Park Drive;
Simmons college (Park Science Building
Lobby; enter off Ave. Louis Pasteur)
67 Avenue Louis Pasteur
Ward 4/Prec 10 = West Fens
residents, including The Riverway,
LMA, Gardner Museum and Simmons
College areas
Wentworth Institute of Technology (Ira
allen building)
540 Parker Street (use HP entrance
at the rear of the building; vote in
room #18-007)
Ward 4/Prec 9 = East Fens residents,
including part of Huntington Avenue
Northeastern University
77 St. Stephen Street
5 • Ward 4/Prec 5 = East Fens and
St. Botolph Street residents
• Ward 4/Prec 8 = East Fens and
St. Botolph Street residents
morville house
100 Norway Street
6
• Ward 4/Prec 6 = East Fens residents
• Ward 4/Prec 7 = East Fens residents
 2 | FENWAY NEWS |NOVEMBER 2010
Chuck Turner Rests His Case
As The Fenway News went to press, the trial of City Councilor Chuck Turner was
reaching its final phase. The defense rested its case on October 27, which means that the jury
would begin deliberations on October 28. Turner has been accused of extortion and perjury
involving a $1,000 “bribe” that the FBI got an informant, who was paid $30,000, to pass to
Turner. Turner emailed a statement to supporters on the 27th, saying: “The trial is nearly
over. Closing arguments will be made tomorrow. Any and all supporters can attend. See you
tomorrow. —Chuck”
Conservancy Picks up the Tab for Park Horses— for Now
The Jamaica Plain Gazette reports that the City of Boston has agreed to a year-long
extension of mounted police patrols in the the Emerald Necklace—if the Emerald Necklace
Conservancy pays for it. The group will raise $155,000 from private sources to cover the
the annual cost of stabling the seven-horse unit. Conservancy president Julie Crockford told
Gazette reporter David Taber that continuing the mounted patrols “matters to a lot of people....
We were looking at what is the best way for us to keep attention on this issue.” (In a vaguely
related note, the Conservancy is in the midst of renovating of the abandoned Stony Brook
gatehouse in the Fens, which it will house the group’s headquarters and a visitor center.)
BSO Replenishes Trustees and Overseers
The Boston Symphony Orchestra Board of Trustees, led by co-chairmen Stephen Kay
and Robert O’Block, has elected three new trustees and 12 new overseers to terms that began
on September 1. The new trustees are William F. Achtmeyer, Joyce G. Linde, and Theresa
M. Stone. Newly-elected overseers are Richard E. Cavanagh, Jonathan G. Davis, Philip J.
Edmundson, Sanford Fisher, Stuart Hirshfield, John L. Klinck, Jr., J. Keith Motley, Cecile
Higginson Murphy, Wendy Phlibrick, Lina S. Plantilla, Donald L. Shapiro, and Michael Sporn.
Free FCDC Training Focuses on Job-Search Computer Skills
The Fenway Community Development Corporation will sponsor free job-search
workshops over three Saturdays this month. The series, which runs November 6, 13, and 20,
includes “Online Presence for Employment,” “Online Resources,” and “Technology Skills,”
and is funded by the Timothy Smith Network under a grant from Microsoft. To learn more
and to sign up, contact Margarita at 617-267-4637 ext. 10 or cmargarita@fenwaycdc.org. The
workshops runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Participants will need to: bring a resume in electronic
format, be able to format text with Microsoft Word; have an email account; know how to
search the Internet; and be able to read English-language newspapers.
Capuano Headlines Fenway Health Meeting
More than 100 people attended the
photo: Marilyn Humphries
annual Board of Visitors meeting on October planning the night. Co-hosted by the Resident Student Association and Sigma Sigma Sigma
19 at Fenway Health’s Ansin Building at
1340 Boylston Street. The theme of the
meeting was “Healthcare: Real or At-Risk?” Public Relations, Kappa Sigma
Congressman Michael Capuano provided
an update from Washington that focused on Berklee Student’s Hot Idea : Attend Violin Concert, Win Violin
healthcare, HIV/AIDS, and LGBT issues.
Following Capuano’s keynote, Jeffrey
Crowley, director of the White House Office organized the school’s first String Showcase on Thursday, November 4, at 8:15 p.m. in the
of National AIDS Policy and senior advisor Performance Center. One lucky audience member will win a Yamaha electric violin. The
on disability policy, profivded an overview
of the National AIDS Strategy. Crowley then wide vocabulary of Berklee string students. The groups will play in a range of styles, from
joined a panel discussion—moderated by
(Left to right) Panelists Harold Cox, Douglas Harold Cox, associate dean of public health
Brooks, Henia Handler, Jeffrey Crowley, practice at Boston University—with Douglas
and Jean McGuire, panelists at the Fenway Brooks, senior vice president for community Google CEO Helps MIT Media Lab Blow Out the Candles
Health meeting health and public policy at the Justice
Resource Institute; Henia Handler, director of government affairs at Fenway Health; and Jean
McGuire, assistant secretary of the Massachusetts Office of Health & Human Services.
NEC Taps Ann Beha Architects to Draw up Campus Master Plan
New England Conservatory announced last month that it has chosen Boston-based
Ann Beha Architects (ABA) to design its proposed campus master plan. ABA, which will
collaborate with the national firm of Gensler, was chosen from a field of six short-listed firms
invited to make presentations on their ideas and experience. Beha’s firm is familiar with the
Fenway, having completed a four-phase renovation of the Mass Historical Society headquarters assists people recently released from prison by giving them work experience and job
on Boylston Street and designed the 90,000-square-foot Mary Baker Eddy Library for the
Betterment of Humanity at the Christian Science Center on Mass. Ave.
Sox Take a Final Swing at Stadium Renovations
The Boston Red Sox held a community meeting on October 12 to explain the final round
of off-season renovations at the ballpark. The team’s punch list includes repairs of right field 939-6837) or fax to (617-445-0985) by Monday, Nov. 15. For more information, visit www.
seating, flashy new centerfield scoreboards, and safety improvements and utility upgrades
on the Concourse. The scoreboard work will require the use of cranes, some of which will be
stationed on Lansdowne St. near Gate C and on Yawkey Way near Gate D. Fenway residents
with concerns about the work can contact Beth Krudys, Sox director of Fenway affair, at 617-
226-6424. The team also announced that the Boston Landmarks Commission has approved an
application to widen the bullpen by about 9 feet—reducing the right-field wall’s distance from
home plate to about 371 feet. Finally, Red Sox management announced late last month that they
would freeze most ticket prices for the 2011 season.
Nature Goes Electronic in Gardner Landscape Lecture
Eelco Hooftman, an award-winning Scottish landscape architect, will “question
conventional assumptions about urban spaces, landscape and nature” in a lecture in the
Gardner Museum’s Tapestry Room on Saturday, Nov. 20, at 1:30 p.m. “Landscape architecture
is a visual art defined in part by the representation of nature,” says Hooftman. “Landscape
painting was the direct inspiration for the constructed landscape. The digital landscape of the
21st century is about new ways to visualize the landscape and to create a change of scenery.
The pixel is our pigment; the computer screen is our canvas.” Tickets range from $15 for the
general public to free for students. For more information, visit connect.gardnermuseum.org/.
FCDC Launches Tea Parties, But Don’t Expect Sarah Pailin
The Fenway CDC will launch Member Teas, hosted by member Valarie Seabrook,
beginning Friday, November 5. From 6 to 7 p.m. on the first and third Fridays of each month,
Seabrook will be at Pavement Coffeehouse at 1096 Boylston St. in the East Fens. Sip tea or
coffee and enjoy conversation with fellow FCDC members. Current members are encouraged
to bring a friend or neighbor who might want to learn more about the FCDC. The first person
to join the group (as a new member) at each tea gets a free piece of Valarie’s photography (and
we at The Fenway News admit to being partial to her photography, since she volunteers for us).
Prime Timers See the Light—in the Water Colors
Paul Hayward, a retired art teacher, will demonstrate watercolor painting techniques
for the Prime Timers at the group’s November 20 gathering. Hayward will explain, among
other things, why water colors look different from oil paintings and why there is more light
in watercolors than in other types of paintings. Prime Timers—an educational, cultural and
social network of adult gay and bisexual men and their friends—meets at 2:30 p.m. on the
third Saturday of each month at the USES Harriet Tubman House on the corner of Mass. and
Columbus avenues.
Comedian Kevin Hart Leaves Big NU Crowd Laughing
The Xi-Beta Chapter of the Kappa Sigma fraternity at Northeastern University held its
8th annual Comedy Night, featuring Kevin Hart, on October 17. Previous guests have included
such names as Saturday Night Live’s Seth Meyers and the king of funny home videos, Bob
Saget. Hart stopped at Northeastern on his “Laugh at My Pain” comedy tour. stories about his
past and puts a humorous spin on some of the less fortunate events in his life.
Tyler Dillman, major events coordinator for Xi-Beta, spent months organizing and
Sorority, the evening filled Northeastern’s Blackman Auditorium. The event was a complete
success and left everyone in attendance with a smile on their face. —Ian Hadley, Director of
Jakub Trasak, a seventh-semester violin student at Berklee College of Music, has
rest of the audience will have to “settle” for a concert by small ensembles showcasing the
bluegrass, Americana, chambergrass and Irish to jazz, R&B, Latin, and swing. Close to 50
students playing violins, violas, cellos, mandolins, banjos, and harps will share the stage.
Google CEO Eric Schmidt visited MIT October 15 to help celebrate the 25th anniversary
of the Media Lab, MIT’s high-profile facility that explores the edges of new media as both
art and applied science. According to the MIT student newspaper, The Tech, the daylong
celebration of tfeatured Schmidt, TV and radio journalist John Hockenberry, and Media Lab
cofounder Nicholas P. Negroponte.
Haley House Offers Feel-Good Pies for Thanksgiving
Haley House Bakery Café, celebrating its fifth year, is hoping to sell at least 1,000
Thanksgiving pies this year in support of Transitional Employment Program. This program
opportunities. This year Haley offers five pie varieties—apple crumb, blueberry crumb, pecan,
pumpkin, and sweet potato—for $18 each. Orders of 10 or more pies can be delivered; all
others can be picked up at the café, 12 Dade St. in Dudley Square. Pie deliveries will take place
between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., Monday to Wednesday, November 22-24. Pies will be available
from pick-up from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th. Place your order by phone (617-
haleyhouse.org/cafe/ or call 617-445-0900.
contributors: Stephen Brophy; chris viveiros; ellen Pfeifer; liz burg
2008
gazine
Boston
Bost on Ma
Best of
BARy
DIVEks—
Th an Ton
 FENWAY NEWS | NOVEMBER 2010 | 3

vast new wing transforms the MFA; official opening is set for November 18

T
By Stephen Brophy
he long-awaited American wing of the Museum of Fine Arts finally
opens this month, on Nov. 18. Designed by Foster + Partners, a
London architectural firm, the wing is built around the glass-enclosed
Ruth and Carl J. Shapiro Family Courtyard. This courtyard links the
expansion to the main building, maintaining the strong north-south axis
envisioned by Guy Lowell, the MFA’s original architect.
The new construction adds more than 133,000 square feet to the
museum, increasing space for collections of North, Central, and South
American art, and providing new space for special exhibitions and
educational programs. About 5,000 works will be on view, more than
doubling the number of American objects previously displayed. These
works—including furniture, musical instruments, and textiles as well as the
more familiar painting and sculpture—occupy 53 galleries spread across
four floors.
A new Gund Gallery occupies the floor below the courtyard. Sharing
the floor with the Gund are galleries devoted to Ancient and Native American
art and to artifacts of Colonial New England. Older patrons will be delighted but also from Spanish Colonial America. The third level gives space to 19th- and
to hear that the much-beloved ship models will be brought out into light again; their early 20th-century works, and the fourth level completes the tour through American
children and grandchildren will also be pleased. The ground floor accommodate a art creation up to the 1970s. Old friends of the museum will rejoice to see familiar
150-seat auditorium, two studio-arts classrooms, and a seminar room. objects in new settings, and new visitors will likely wander around slack-jawed at the
Moving upstairs (elevators will be available) the next level focuses on 18th- breadth and depth of these collections.
and early-19th-century American arts, mostly from New England and the Northeast, Stephen Brophy is editor of The Fenway News (and ardent fan of the MFA)

Planners of East Fens Park Upgrade Want Your Input at November 3 Meeting
by Tim HORn
Fenway Civic Association (FCA) will
host the third and final community meeting
about Symphony Park on Wednesday,
November 3, at Morville House, 100 Norway
Street, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Like the two previous meetings, this
one will focus on improving the 1970s-era
city-owned park. Landscape architects Jon
Pate and Lisa Esterrich of Carol R. Johnson
and Associates are providing pro bono
landscape design services as a result of an
FCA application for services to Community
Outreach Group for Landscape Design
(COGdesign).
The landscape architects have taken
community input provided so far to arrive
at a design that enhances the park, reflects
its users and focuses on community needs.
A primary open space for many of the East
Under the most recent version of the plan, the revamped park would sport new plantings,
an area that could host small concerts, ornamental gates, and an area for dogs.
Fens’ elderly resident, FCA has worked
with existing park partners and the City to
address safety and health issues over the
past four years, with the goal of eventual
park restoration. “Everyone deserves to
have peaceful, beautiful and well-cared for
parks, especially those who cannot physically
travel outside their neighborhood,” said
Marie Fukuda, a member of FCA’s board of
directors.
All residents are welcome to attend and
provide final input at this meeting, which
will result in an agreed-upon plan for park
redesign. Coffee and light refreshments will
be provided. Special thanks to COGdesign,
landscape architects Pate and Esterrich and
to Morville House for making this project
possible.
Tim Horn lives in the East Fens.
Visit www.fenwaynews.org

Susan Bailis Assisted Living Educating Elders Series

Veterans Elder Resource Benefits
Patty Servaes, Founder & CEO of
Elder Sources Benefits Consulting,
helps families understand the costs
of senior care, the State and Federal
Programs which are available to help
people pay for long term care in an
assisted living, nursing home or at home
and secure the
VA’s Aid & Attendance Pension.
“Are All Your Ducks in a Row?”
Would your loved ones know necessary
information during a medical
emergency? Would they be able to
manage your affairs without confusion
at a critical time in life?
The Susan Bailis Assisted Living
Community offers: Lori Salzman, owner and founder of
Private & spacious apartments...
fine dining...companionship... Room to Improve, presents the
supportive services...art events...
Grab N’ Go System that custom organizes
wellness, social, musical, cultural
and educational programs. all your key items and important

Located in the heart of Boston’s documents. Be prepared for any of life’s

Wednesday, November 10th cultural district, steps to emergencies, transitions and challenges.
Symphony Hall, Museums,
1:30pm - 4:30pm - Open House Shopping, Restaurants and
Public Transportation. Sunday, November 14th
4:30pm - Program
Refreshments will be served. 352 Massachusetts Avenue 2:00pm -4:00pm
Boston, MA 02115
Refreshments will be served.

You are invited to a tour of Tel 617 247-1010

The Susan Bailis Assisted Living Community www.susanbailis.com Please call Maria Barbosa-Santos
after each program. for more information.
4 | FENWAY NEWS |NOVEMBER 2010

Wrong-Headed Ballot Questions All Deserve a NO vote

T
hree ballot questions on the November 2 ballot
threaten to destroy state services and decimate the
building of affordable housing in Massachusetts.
housing—that’s 80% of the affordable housing built in
Serving the Fenway, Kenmore Square, Audubon
the Commonwealth in the last ten years outside of major Circle, upper Back Bay, lower Roxbury, Prudential,
cities. 12,000 housing units now in the pipeline would be Mission Hill, and Longwood since 1974

The Fenway News urges our readers to vote No! scrapped if the question were to pass, taking thousands of
No! No! on these referendum questions. construction jobs with them. (Imagine the impact that would
Question 1 would eliminate the sales tax on alcoholic have on the state’s wobbly economy.) The Fenway News joins Fenway News Association
Board of Directors
beverages. Not only would this pull nearly $100 million religious and business leaders in urging a NO vote on 2. Steve Chase • Helen Cox • Tracey Cusick • Joyce
out of state drug- and alcohol-treatment programs (revenue Question 3 would cut more than $2.5 billion from the Foster, president • Steven Harnish • John Kelly •
Barbara Brooks Simons • Steve Wolf, treasurer
from the tax by law funds these services), but it would state budget by reducing the sales tax rate from 6.25% to
give alcohol a special tax-free status traditionally reserved 3%. In real terms, that’s the same as cutting every public Editor: Stephen Brophy
WEB EDITOR: Jonathan Kim
for essential consumer goods like food and basic clothing. school budget in the state in half. Although that likely Production Designer: Steve Wolf
Abuse of alcohol already costs the Commonwealth wouldn’t happen, we would see drastic cuts in funding for Writers: Liz Burg, Helen Cox,
significant money—lost productivity and extra health care schools, parks, roads, youth programs, and services for Tracey Cusick, Dharmena Downey, Lisa
Fay, Lori A. Frankian, Joyce Foster, Marie
costs for alcohol-dependent residents and the victims of seniors—many of which have already endured steep budget Fukuda, Galen Gilbert, Elizabeth Gillis,
drunk drivers. The purchase of alcohol does not deserve cuts over the last two years. In short, it would be a disaster Katherine Greenough, Steven Harnish, Erin
Harper, Rosie Kamal, John Kelly, Ruth
special tax-free status. The Fenway News urges you to Vote that would affect everyone in the state. While it’s true that a Khowais, Jonathan Kim, Shirley Kressel,
no on 1. sales tax cut most benefits the poorest people, we think the Marc Laderman, Lauren Landry, Aqilla
Question 2 would eliminate the primary law that loss of vital services and safety-net programs is to high a Manna, Erica Mattison, Richard Pendleton,
Camille Platt, Mike Ross, Barbara Brooks
encourages the construction of affordable housing. price to pay to put a few extra bucks in anyone’s pocket. Simons, David Hugh Smith, Matti Kniva
Chapter 40B has helped create 58,000 units of affordable The Fenway News urges you vote no on 3. Spencer, Anne Tobin, Chuck Turner,
Fredericka Veikley, Clyde Whalen,
Margaret Witham
Dear constituents: Street in the West Fens. We have had a break young men and women took on the most PhotographerS: Lois Johnston, Patrick
THANK YOU! I am profoundly grateful in sewer line in front of our building for heavy and difficult tasks with enthusiasm O’Connor, Valarie Seabrook, Matti Kniva
and humbled by the results of September’s almost three years and the City’s water and and humor. They were an absolute joy. For Spencer, Steve Wolf
primary election. sewer department has not fixed it. Because the three hours gardeners of all ages shared CALENDAR: Helen Cox, Stephen Brophy,
effluent seeps into the ground water, the smell backgrounds, stories, hopes, and visions for Penina Adelman
In September, the Democratic voters of
Proofreader: Tracey Cusick
the Second Suffolk and Middlesex District has been leaching in through our basement. the future with these well-spoken, generous
Subscription Coordinator:
sent a clear message. They approve of my We have had to put up with the smell of sewer students. What a delight. Cathy Jacobowitz
representation of their inside our home on and off for three Jane Hartmann, East Fens BOOKKEEPER: Cathy Jacobowitz
interest and concerns
on Beacon Hill.
LETTERS years. Our building manager has done
all that he can to coerce the sewer Dear Neighbors:
Distribution: Nicole Auberg, Della
Gelzer, Aqilla Manna, Lauren Dewey Platt,
Registered Democrats in Allston-Brighton, department to address the problem, but they We live in a beautiful area here in the Reggie Wynn
Cambridge, Watertown, Belmont, the Fenway have not. I’m concerned that the city may Fenway. There are a lot of green spaces, nice The Fenway News is published monthly by the
and the Back Bay want a senator who is not have issued permits for the larger buildings playgrounds and lovely gardens. We have a Fenway News Association, Inc., a community-
afraid of standing up for them and who works in the Fenway without adequately upgrading wonderful neighborhood. owned corporation dedicated to community
everyday to make Massachusetts a better the sewer systems to handle the extra flow. I The problem we face is the litter. The journalism. If you would like to volunteer to
place to live and work. think there may be a genuine story here and I write, edit, photograph, lay out, distribute, or sell
dumpsters are never closed, so there is a advertising on commission, please contact us at:
I am extremely grateful to the voters for wanted to bring to your attention. lot of litter on the ground. The rats, mice,
their confidence in me, and look forward to Sincerely, The Fenway News,
roaches and birds feed on this garbage. You PO Box 230277, Astor Station
continuing to represent our neighborhoods for Douglas McClennen, West Fens
should realize that these rodents can go in Boston, MA 02123
two more years. your building and right into your apart- 617-266-8790
Please remember to vote in the General to the Editor: ment. Please put your trash directly into the editor@fenwaynews.org
Election on Tuesday, November 2nd. www.fenwaynews.org
Early last Saturday morning an army dumpster. If the dumpster is not closed, it is
In friendship, of absolutely wonderful NEU student everybody’s responsibility to close it. Subscriptions $24/year ($15 for limited income)
Steven A. Tolman volunteers appeared at the Symphony Road Please make this your concern. Keep
Community Garden fall cleanup. Wearing our neighborhood clean. ©2010 Fenway News Association, Inc.
to the Editor: bright red NU shirts, and armed with rakes, Claire Flury, West Fens
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For further information, call 617.450.3790
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 FENWAY NEWS | NOVEMBER 2010 | 5

Boston Should Invest in Banks That Invest in Boston

years but are at risk of losing it to foreclosure. years and simply need a loan for reasonable • lending to qualified homebuyers

L
by Felix G. Arroyo
ast month I filed the “Invest in
Boston” ordinance. When passed,
this ordinance will ensure that the
City of Boston only invests in banks
that invest in Boston.
We are in the worst economic recession
of our lifetime. People
are losing their jobs and
unable to find new ones.
We are experiencing more
foreclosures in Boston
than ever before, and small
business owners are having a
hard time simply staying open.
Jimmy Coyle of the
Boston Building Trades
Council informed us that the An 1888 check drawn
trades are facing 50 percent
unemployment, and the difficulty in gaining
access to loans for construction projects is a
major reason for the high unemployment rate.
Lifelong Boston residents Nancy and
Abby Cook have lived in their home for 39
There are thousands of other Boston families upkeep and expenses.
in the same situation. Not only do those Every taxpayer in this country bailed
families face the possibility of homelessness, out the banks, and we were told that as the
but foreclosed properties often stay vacant or, banks got bailed out they would invest in
worse, become dens of criminal activity. our communities. Yet, while Wall Street was
In tours of more than 20 small business bailed out our Main Streets were not. Most
economists agree that we will
not get out of this recession until
banks start making credit available
to qualified applicants.
When banks invest in our
city again, we’ll see more jobs, a
stronger housing market, fewer
foreclosures, and vibrant small
business districts. This is why I
authored the “Invest in Boston”
on Boston-based Blackstone National Bank. ordinance. As of December 31,
2009, the City of Boston had over
districts over the last three months, I heard $1 billion dollars deposited in various banks. I
firsthand of the difficulties small business believe that the public money—your money—
owners are facing and, in particular, how should only be invested in banks that invest in
hard it is for them to get credit. Many of these your community.
small businesses have been operating for Investing in Boston means:
• refinancing loans
• lending to small businesses
• investing in development projects
• participating in foreclosure-prevention
programs
In addition, this ordinance would create
a Municipal Banking Community Investment
Commission that would rank the banks. This
commission would hold its meetings in public
and issue public reports ensuring that the
process by which the City of Boston chooses
who to bank with is completely transparent.
I look forward to working with all
my colleagues in government to pass this
ordinance. However, the most important voice
in this process is yours. Please feel free to
call us at 617-635-4205 or email me at felix.
arroyo@cityofboston.gov.
Together, we can ensure that the City of
Boston only invests in banks that invest in
Boston.
Felix G. Arroyo is an at-larger member
of the Boston City Council.

BU, Audubon Circle, and the Future of Non-student Housing on the rental market. The paper identifies

T
his column should not be about
Boston University, an institution
that has largely been a great partner
with the City of Boston. Sixty-five
percent of its students live on campus and it
payment in lieu of taxes in 2009 reached $4.9
million, the most of any higher education
institution in our city.
Yet, despite having good relations with
many of its neighbors, for years Boston
University has ignored a smaller one.
Audubon Circle—a small neighborhood
of several thousand people—has been
expansion for decades. To the extent
you marginalize one neighborhood, you
marginalize all of them.
The history is long here. In 1980, B.U.
agreed not to expand to the south side of
Beacon Street, where it already owned 11
apartment-style residences. According to
the agreement the university signed, these
buildings would have to comply with existing
city zoning. Zoned as multifamily housing,
they should have remained as such.
Fast-forward 30 years and those
residences are now being utilized as “small
177,000 students currently living off-campus
by the same rules as all other institutions. in Greater Boston, and predicts tens of
The residents of Audubon Circle and thousands more will move here in the years
I believe that this community can be home to come. The vast majority of these students
to a wide range of people. We believe that live in areas like Mission Hill, the Fenway,
it is a place where longtime residents can Audubon Circle, Allston, and Brighton. “As
continue to live. the number of students grows in the face of
It’s a place where little new housing supply, rents will almost
recent graduates can certainly continue to climb almost regardless
put down roots in of economic conditions,” the report states.
our city, becoming The Boston City Council will hold a
the next generation hearing, tentatively scheduled for November
of innovators and 22 at 4 p.m., to hear from residents in
business owners. these neighborhoods about the effect that

contending with the impact of BU’s dormitories,” as Boston University likes
to call them. They house undergraduate
students, a situation that violates a Boston
ordinance in effect since 1982 that prohibits
institutions from housing more than 25
percent of students, faculty or staff in a
single building without its being licensed
as a dormitory. This also violates the 1980
agreement as well as existing zoning, yet the
city’s recent approval of Boston University’s
instituional master plan allows this misuse to
continue.
It’s in the nature of institutions to
expand—it’s what they do. It is the role of
government to place reasonable regulations
on that expansion—it’s what we do. We’ve
Roof Deck done it with other schools. Fisher College
•KENO also owns property in an area zoned for
Now Open multifamily housing, but unlike BU it is not
ESPN Game Day
•Memorial Plan allowed to house undergrads in the building.
Northeastern University was also required to
end its practice of master-leasing apartments
•Draft Specials
to Labor Day! in the Fenway. B.U. should be required to play
The Ross
Audubon Circle is a ballooning numbers of students living
wonderful place for off-campus has had on the rental market.
families to thrive. Professor Bluestone, author of the Housing
And, yes, it’s a
community in which
Report Report Card will be invited to testify,
and representatives from the BRA will
students should also The Fenway attend to inform the Council and residents
be able to live. News has invited about the agency’s plans for increasing the
Boston is a elected officials housing stock—both on-campus dorms and
college town, and we who represent the affordable rental units—in our city.
should celebrate that neighborhood to Boston cannot be a world-renowned
fact, but it doesn’t contribute columns college town without a long-term plan to
have to come at the on issues of accommodate its students while protecting
expense of residential concern. These will the affordability and quality of life for other
communities With appear on a regular residents. Our city continues to get older—
additional housing basis in FensViews. Boston lost 1.5 percent of its 20-24 year
creation and olds in the past ten years, while the top 25
responsible planning we can and should do most populous cities gained an average of
both successfully. 11.7 percent in this age range. By building
The Boston Foundation recently released more on-campus housing and setting
its 2010 Greater Boston Housing Report Card, reasonable limits on our institutions, Boston
written by Professor Barry Bluestone. For can maintain its unique neighborhoods and
the first time, this report dedicated an entire accommodate the students who bring so
chapter to the effect off-campus students have much energy to our city.

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 6 | FENWAY NEWS |NOVEMBER 2010
Record Haul Funds City Music Program
M
By Liz Burg
ore than 800 guests filled the ballrooms and event spaces of the Westin
Copley Place on Saturday, October 23, for Berklee College of Music’s
16th Encore Gala to benefit the Berklee City Music Program. Berklee
City Music brings year-round music education and individualized
mentoring to underserved fourth- through twelfth-graders. The Boston-born grants—
photo: Phil Farnsworth
Entertainers at the Berklee
City Music fundraiser last
month included singer/
songwriter Patty Larkin, a
Berkleee alum.
for The Simpsons; a VIP package for Lady Gaga’s 2011 concert in Boston; and top-of-
the-line musical equipment.
Liz Burg is part of the Media Relations staff at Berklee College of Music.
Visuals Match Music as Met Opens New HD Opera Season
F
by Barbara Brooks Simons
rom the depths of the Rhine River to
the Great Wall of China to a frontier
saloon — once again local opera
fans can travel the world and the
world of music with HD broadcasts from the
Metropolitan Opera. Best of all, they’re in the
Fenway!
The fifth season of high-definition (HD)
simulcasts from the Met began at the Regal
Photo: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera
Fenway 13 theatre on Saturday, October 9.
Met Music Director James Levine, returning
after health problems, was the conductor.
Critics across the country had already
raved about the stunning new staging of
Das Rheingold, the first opera in Richard
now in 29 cities nationwide—secure a music
education for talented young people regardless
of financial means or location, and awards
scholarships for summer and full-time study at
Berklee’s Boston campus.
This year’s event set a record, raising $1.4
million for the program. Emmy Award-winning
actor and Berklee parent John Larroquette served
as master of ceremonies. Berklee City Music
alumna, Berklee graduate, and American Idol
veteran Ashley Rodriguez performed as a guest
vocalist with the City Music Allstars. Other
guest performers included singer-songwriter
Patti Larkin, a Berklee grad, and the original
Tower of Power. Partygoers had their choice of
musical styles: world music, rock, neo-soul, salsa,
folk, Middle Eastern fusion, jazz, classical, and
bluegrass, performed by more than 150 faculty,
alumni, and student musicians.
Beyond the usual array of sports tickets
and exotic vacations, the live and silent auctions
feautred prizes with a musical focus—trips to the
Monterey Jazz Festival and to the 2011 Grammy
Awards; an opportunity to attend a scoring session
Wagner’s “Ring of the Nibelung” cycle.
Fenway audiences agreed.
Although great singing is the heart of any
opera, this spectacular production also fea-
tured a massive (45-ton!) moving set and di-
rection by Robert LePage of Cirque du Soleil.
Digital technology allowed Rhinemaidens to
swim, dragons to fly, and Nordic gods to cross
a rainbow bridge to Valhalla. At least ten
cameras are used in the HD productions, giv-
ing viewers many angles, from
close-ups to full-stage images.
That was just the be-
ginning. This season of HD
simulcasts from the Met Satur-
day matinees includes twelve
performances. The satellite
broadcasts are sent live to
hundreds of movie theatres in
North America as well as many
in Japan, Australia, and several
European countries. The “live”
season continues until May 14,
and each Saturday simulcast has
an encore performance, usu-
ally on a Wednesday night two
or three weeks later. The HD
season will close with the second opera in the
“Ring” cycle, Die Walküre.
This simulcast season includes two op-
eras that even longtime opera lovers may not
know: Rossini’s Le Comte Ory, with superten-
or Juan Diego Florez (April 9), and John Ad-
NEC, Handel & Haydn join forces to put
apprentice conductors at the podium
I
By Ellen Pfeifer and performances. At the end of the concert
n what may be a first of its kind, the schedule, the apprentice will write a short
Handel and Haydn Society and New essay detailing the experience.
England Conservatory have inaugurated In the second year of the program, H&H
a conducting apprenticeship in hopes to offer one candidate the opportunity
Historically Informed Performance (HIP). to conduct one piece on a Handel and Haydn
The project pairs students in NEC’s elite Society subscription concert or in the
Orchestral Conducting program with Handel Society’s education program. The conductor
and Haydn Society (H&H) Artistic Director must be a second-year master’s candidate who
Harry Christophers and guest has worked
Photo: Luc Delisle
conductors. French-Canadian Through the with the
conductor Bernard Labadie NEC program, Society in
and NEC master’s degree Canadian the previous
candidate Joshua Weilerstein conductor season.
kicked off the program as Bernard Labadie Repertoire
part of preparations for worked with H&H will be
Handel and Haydn’s concerts on its October selected
of music by Haydn and concerts. by mutual
Beethoven, Oct. 29 and 31 at agreement
Symphony Hall. between NEC
The program offers and H&H.
student conductors practi- Follow-
cal experience working with ing Weiler-
a stellar period instrument stein’s ap-
orchestra and chorus on core prenticeship
Baroque and Classical rep- this week,
ertoire under the tutelage of Aram Demir-
world-renowned specialists jian will work
in the genre. Each appren- with Chris-
tice will study a program’s tophers for
repertoire in advance, meet the concerts
with Christophers or the guest conductor for in February 2011 of Handel’s Israel in Egypt;
at least one 30-minute session to review re- and Andres Lopera will work with Richard
hearsal plans and address artistic questions, Egarr for Mozart and Beethoven concerts
and assist H&H’s conductor during rehearsals scheduled for March 2011.
Now in its second year, NEC’s
Orchestral Conducting program is one
facet of the school’s effort to take orchestral
performance to the next level of eminence. In
ams’ Nixon in China (February 12). But it also
2009, internationally recognized conductor
includes traditional favorites such as Boris Hugh Wolff became the Stanford and Norma
Godunov, Don Pasquale, Don Carlo, Lucia di Jean Calderwood Director of Orchestras and
Lammermoor, and Il Trovatore. Other produc- began putting his stamp on the program.
tions feature superstar singers such as Placido Last year, Wolff initiated the two-year
Domingo in Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride; Orchestral Conducting program, choosing
Renée Fleming in Richard Strauss’s delicate two extraordinary young musicians—Weiler-
Capriccio; and Deborah Voigt in La Fanciulla stein and Demirjian—for intensive, hands-on
del West, a romantic tale of cowboys, outlaws, training. This year Lopera was invited to join
and a lovely saloonkeeper. the program. Each young conductor works
Tickets for many simulcasts at Fenway closely with Wolff and rehearses weekly with
sold out during advance sales in August. a specially created Lab Orchestra, honing
Some become available on the day of perfor- his craft and gaining critical experience. The
mance; tickets may also be available for the H&H program supplements this training by
encores. Other local theatres carrying the offering the apprentices an opportunity to
Met broadcasts are in Burlington, Dedham, observe and study the conventions and styles
Framingham, and Revere. More information of earlier musical eras.
is at www.metopera.org. Ellen Pfeifer is the Public Relations
Barbara Brooks Simons lives in the Manager for New England Conservatory
East Fens.
J
ust in time for Halloween: a show about one of the scariest TV characters of all
time. Alison Arngrim has turned her experiences playing bratty Nellie Oleson
on Little House on the Prairie into a one-woman show, Confessions of a Prairie Bitch.
The comic, multimedia evening promises an inside look at making the show and “off-
color jokes about child stars and TV icons of the 1970s and 80s.” That sounds like
a trip down Memory Lane we’d especially enjoy taking. At Machine, 1254 Boylston
Street. Fri-Sat, Oct. 29-30, at 8 p.m. and Sun., Oct 31, at 5 p.m. Tickets are $35-45
from www.brownpapertickets.com/event/118693
ART CLASSES
at Kaji Aso Studio
 FENWAY NEWS | NOVEMBER 2010 | 7
☞ f e n wa y h I S T O R Y ☜

A Peaceable Kingdom in Copley Square

2 – may 7
‘A
by Elizabeth Gillis
re you crazy?” asked his wife. “Have you lost your senses?”
Patrick Gilmore had a dream of organizing a massive National Peace
Jubilee. It was supposed to celebrate the end of the Civil War but there was a
long road in getting the financial support he needed, since many agreed with
his wife.
It wasn’t until 1869 that Gilmore, after many refusals, attracted those who could
make it happen. Eben Jordan, head of the Jordan Marsh department store, realized that

season october
the proposed Jubilee would be a boon to local businesses. He agreed to help organize
it and serve as treasurer. Others stepped up with financial contributions—hotel owners
and others who felt they would benefit.
Plans had to be changed when residents of Beacon Hill complained about the
proposed setting on Boston Common, since that was a playground for children. So the
area called St. James Park, now occupied by the Copley Plaza and Trinity Church, was
chosen. The Back Bay had recently been filled in, so the space was available.
The great day came on June 15. It had taken three months to build what was
FrühbECK dE burgoS rafael Frühbeck de Burgos,
called the Temple of Peace. The 500-by-300 foot building would hold 50,000 people.
conductor
For a $2 general admission ticket crowds came for the five-day performances. The nov 4 thur 10:30am
Alexandra coku, soprano
ten-thousand-member choir sang beneath an arch of two angels. One hundred firemen nov 4 thur 8pm nathalie stutzmann, contralto
dressed in red shirts and brass helmets banged on one hundred anvils to the music of nov 5 fri 8pm philip cutlip, baritone
Verdi’s Anvil Chorus. There was a drum that was eight feet in diameter. There were nov 6 sat 8pm ryan Williams, boy soprano

2010–2011
one thousand musicians, many from Europe, and there were cannons outside along nov 9 tue 8pm tanglewood Festival chorus,
with church bells ringing across the city. The noise must have been deafening, but the
John oliver, conductor
crowds were enthusiastic. The city was electrified.
FALLA Suite from Atlàntida
There was a tent city surrounding the coliseum where people could get lodging, BRAHMS Symphony No. 2
food and souvenirs. People came from all over the nation to see the spectacular show.
One of Gilmore’s dreams came true when President Ulysses S. Grant strode down the
main aisle followed by his cabinet members. So Gilmore had his finest moment but he
never reached that kind of success again. haydn & mozarT christian Zacharias, conductor
and piano
There wasn’t much in the Fenway at that time but there were a few later nov 11 thur 8pm HAYDN Symphony No. 80
connections. Eben Jordan housed some of his horses in a horse barn on Lansdowne nov 12 fri 1:30pm MOZART Piano Concerto No. 15
Street and Eben Tourjee who supervised the recruiting of the choir was the founder of nov 13 sat 8pm in B-flat, K.450
the New England Conservatory of Music. MOZART Piano Concerto No. 16
Elizabeth Gillis lives in the West Fenway. in D, K.451
HAYDN Symphony No. 95

aLL-SChumann kurt Masur, conductor

nelson Freire, piano
Program

Y
SCHUMANN Symphony No. 1, Spring
ears ago, when I had quit high life. Greek and Roman literature contain many nov 18 thur 8pm SCHUMANN Piano Concerto
james levine music director

school to become a stand-up references to magic elixirs for living longer nov 20 sat 8pm SCHUMANN Symphony No. 4
comic, I was working in Maine and often equally important, improved sexual
when a young lady presented me potency. Immortality was something only to be
with a poem she had written and asked if I found among the gods.
would mind reciting it for the audience. It was The key to reversing aging is the ability
SChumann, harbISon James levine, conductor
an instant hit and I’d like to pass it on to you. to alter our hormones. Why are we living SCHUMANN Symphony No. 3, Rhenish
longer? That’s a good question. Genetically, & WagnEr HARBISON Symphony No. 1
The Alcoholic Alphabet man hasn’t changed much in the last 100,000 nov 26 fri 1:30pm WAGNER Prelude and Love-death
A is for adultery—the sport of adults years, so the answer can’t be better genes. nov 27 sat 8pm from Tristan und Isolde
B is for you know the results What else may explain our increased nov 30 tue 8pm
C is for chastity, no longer taught longevity? An average life-time is simply
D is for divorce after couples have fought the average age at which fifty percent of a
E is for eunuch, no good on a date given population have died. Obviously, if you open rehearsals are noted in light type .
F is for fun, fortune and fame (fooled you that have a lot of childhood mortality, the average
time) lifetime would be short. Next is maximum life 617-266-1200 • bso.org TICKETS: $20 – $118
G is a gigolo, a young man with strong glands span, the upper limit of age that is unlikely to
Visit bso.org for entire schedule. All programs and artists subject to change.
H is for husbands, not much in demand be surpassed. The third is longevity, which is
pre-concert tAlks Pre-concert talks are offered in Symphony Hall prior to all BSO concerts and
I is for innocence, way out of date how close you get to the maximum life span Open Rehearsals. Free to all ticket holders, these talks begin at 6:45pm prior to evening concerts,
J is for jitters, that passionate before you die. 12:15pm prior to Friday afternoon concerts, and one hour before the start of each Open Rehearsal.
state Let’s go back to our basic there is a $5.50 per ticket handling fee for tickets ordered by phone/internet.
K is for kale, a word known as question. Why are we living tdd/tty 617-638-9289. For services, ticketing, and information
money longer? for persons with disabilities call 617-638-9431.
L is for love, or a lust for a honey The best estimates are the av-
M is for marriage, because erage life span of neo-Paleolithic,
sometimes we must ten to fifteen thousand years ago
N is for no, a word to disgust was approximately eighteen years.
O is for often, but not by the hour Can you imagine that? However,
P is for pregnancy, potency,
power
Q is for quintuplets, a very fine
this is very misleading, since high
childhood mortality, primarily
at birth, skewed the figure much
Season Sponsor: Ab
inning lower. Obviously, you have to
R is for remorse, but not for our West Fens resident have a long enough time to give
sinning Clyde Whalen gives birth to the next generation and
S is for seduction, a matter of “The Fenway Report” raise the young in order for a con-
speech every other week tinuation of the species.
T is for triumph, a matter of on cable channel The maximum life span for supporting partner official hotel official chauffeured
transportation provider
reach 9’s Neighborhood humans appears to be 120 years,
U is for urge, which one cannot Network News. which probably hasn’t changed in
abate the last 100,000 years. And it is
V is for virgin, any girl under unlikely to change soon.
eight It turns out the maximum life span of
W is for willingness, when it comes night any species can be predicted by the relative
X is for ex-husband, ex-lover, ex-wife size of the brain compared to the body weight.
Y is for yen, a passion untamed The brain size of man has been constant for
Z is for zest, confirmation of same. the last 100,000 years. The number of people, 2010
with legitimate verifiable birth records, who
This obviously wasn’t the young poet’s have reached the age of 120 in the past centu-
first poem. I thanked her and joined her in a ry can be counted on the fingers of one hand. the boston pops orchestra
the boston pops esplanade orchestra
drink. If you could understand what I just wrote,
keith lockhart conductor
Since the beginning of written history, you’re better off than I am. So let’s hope it
the quest for a longer life has been a constant comes out a big plus for the people anyway. tanglewood festival chorus
john oliver conductor
theme. The average life span through Roman In case some of you people, who’ve been

december 8–26
times was about 22 years of age. Transform- digesting my inedible script, may think it was
ing an old man into a youth of 20, written written by somebody else—it was, by Barry
nearly 2,600 years ago, the promise to change Sears, Ph.D.
the aging process, not to achieve longer life. See you next month, if I get past the
on sale now!
Women nearly 2,600 years ago sought to 91 goal. Thanks to Mary for making all this 617-266-1200 • bostonpops.org season sponsor

reverse the aging process, not to achieve longer possible.

8 | FENWAY NEWS |NOVEMBER 2010

+
This symbol indicates a free
event. For even more listings,
visit www.fenwaynews.org

begins at 6:45 p.m. Tickets $27-47-67-87 at

A Peek in Those Big Windows on Ipswich St. the box office or www.bostonphil.org/cgi/

pick of the month

Through Sun, Nov 21: Annie continues its
family-friendly run at Wheelock Family
Theater. Fri-Sat at 7:30 p.m., Sat-Sun at 3
p.m. 200 The Riverway. Tickets $20-25-30.
Info at www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/776935
or call 617-879-2300.
BPO.cgi?action=concerts&season=2010-
Every year art lovers eagerly await the Open Studios Celebration at Fenway 2011&concert=2
Studios, which takes place Saturday, Nov. 6, and Sunday, Nov. 7. The event Sun, Nov 21: BU’s College of Fine Arts cel-
offers a taste of la vie bohème, Boston-style, and a showcase for the beautiful ebrates the 100th birthday of violinist and
work created in the live/work studios. The building itself, built in the Arts professor Roman Totenberg in a special
& Craft style, deserves special attention. A National Historic Landmark, concert at Symphony Hall. The BU Sympho-
it’s the oldest structure in the country built for and continuously operated ny Orchestra, conducted by David Hoose,
as artists’ space. The units offer will play works by Beethoven, Bartók, and

photo by Adam Lenhard

MON, Nov 8: British journalist Nick Bunker
vast open work spaces lit by Elgar; journalist Cokie Roberts will present
delves into the earliest history of Mas-
enormous north-facing windows a special tribute (the choice of Roberts—not
sachusetts in “The Mayflower Compact:
looking out on Ipswich Street immediately an obvious one—may have to
Where It Came From and What It Meant”
and the Mass Pike. Sleeping do with the fact she has long worked with
at Mass Historical Society, 1154 Boylston
quarters and living space are Totenberg’s daughter Nina, at NPR). Tickets:
Street. The lecture will draw on Bunker’s
tucked onto two levels next to free to BU community; $10 for non-BU stu-
research for his recent book about the
and below the entrance. To keep dents; $25 general admission. www.bu.edu/
Pilgrims voyage to New England, Making
rents affordable, artist/residents cfa/totenberg100/
Haste from Babylon. Co-sponsored by the
cannot profit when they sell their
British Consulate and Plimoth Plantation. Tue, Nov 23: William Drury leads NEC’s
unit, save for an adjustment to
5:30 p.m. reception, 6:00 p.m. lecture. Jordan Winds in music by John Adams and
reflect inflation.
Reservations at 617-646-0560 or
+ www.masshist.org/events. FREE. From 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. on +
Jerzy Sapieyevski, with viola soloist
William Frampton ’08. At Jordan Hall,
both days you can visit more 8 p.m., FREE.
Mon, Nov 8: If you love the jaunty
than two dozen artists and view
marimba (and who doesn’t?), this Sun, Nov 28: Boston Conservatory’s String
their work—and, of course, buy something if you’re inspired to. The Friends
concert’s for you. Students from marimba Masters Series presents faculty member
of Fenway Studios, who organize the annual affair, ask request that visitors
classes taught by Berklee’s Nancy Zeltsman Sharan Leventhal, violin, and guest Ran-
this year bring a nonperishable food item to contribute to the studios’ food
perform at David Friend Recital Hall,
+ 921 Boylston. 4 p.m. FREE.
drive for the Greater Boston Food Bank. dall Hodgkinson, piano, performing works
by Copland, Wheeler, Seymour Shifrin,
For more information about the Open Studios or the building, visit www. and Thomson. 5 p.m. at Seully Hall, 8 The
Mon, Nov 8: Fenway’s Women’s Health Pro-
friendsoffenwaystudios.org/events.php. The studios are at 30 Ipswich Street. Fenway (4th floor)/. More information and
gram screens Eggsploitation, a documentary
about the fertility industry in the United tickets at www.bostonconservatory.edu or
States directed by Jennifer Lahl. Following from the box office, 617-912-9222. Free to
the film, join a discussion with Our Bodies Planets; Philip Glass’s Heroes symphony; Light fare, soft drinks, wine and beer will be Conservatory members, $10-15 for everyone
Ourselves co-founder, Judy Norsigian. At and two pieces by Berklee professor Neil served.  RSVP requested, but not required, to else.
Chris Chernicki at cchernicki@fenway-
Fenway Health, 10th floor auditorium, 1340 Leonard. 8 p.m. at Northeastern’s Fenway
Center (the former St. Ann’s Church at +
health.org. FREE
Boylston, 6-8 p.m. $5. + Gainsborough and St. Stephen) 8 p.m. Wed, Nov 17-Sun, Nov 21: The School of the
Wed, Nov 10. Architect Robert F. Gatje, FREE
who worked with both Marcel Breuer and Museum of Fine Arts holds its 30th Annual
Richard Meier, has turned his attention to Sat, Nov 14: The Boston Civic Symphony Art Sale. Free parking with a purchase of The following events take place at the
what makes a public gathering space tick. works to appeal to a broad audience with $50 or more. Nov. 17, 18, 10 a.m.–8 p.m.; Peterborough Senior Center, located two
Drawing on his new book, “Stories About popular programming and moderate ticket Nov. 19–21, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. For more infor- blocks from Boylston between 100 and 108
Squares—and What Makes Some of Them prices. BCS presents an all-Beethoven mation, visit www.smfa.edu/artsale or call Jersey St. (walk down the alley and look left).
Great,” Gatje explores why certain public program at NEC’s Jordan Hall: the Egmont 617-369-3204. For more information, call 617-536-7154.
places are memorable and how each fits its Overture; Largo from Oboe Concerto, fea- Wed, Nov 17: Berklee grad Joe Mardin
context, from the energetic piazzas of Rome turing Andrew Price; the Piano Concerto screens a The Greatest Ears in Town: The Recurring
to Boston’s prim Louisburg Square. Book- no. 1 in C, featuring David Deveau; and Arif Mardin Story, a documentary about Mondays
signing to follow. 7 p.m. at Trinity Church Symphony No. 6, the Pastoral. 2 p.m. $27-32 his legendary father, Arif. Mardin senior • 9:30 a.m: Breakfast Club with Matti
in Copley Square. Tickets at the The Shop at (adults); $22-27 (seniors); and $14 (students).
produced a gold-plated roster of pop music • 11 a.m: Films—Nov 1: The Invention of
Trinity ($15 or $10 for students) or through Purchase tickets at 617-923-6333 or from stars, ranging from Aretha Franklin, Bette Lying (2009); Nov 8: Juno (2007); Nov 15:
www.eventbrite.com (enter “Gatje” in the www.csob.org/tickets.html Miller, and Queen to Norah Jones, Willie The Terminal (2004); Nov 22: Om Shanti
search box at the top). Tue, Nov 16: Fenway Health marks Transgen- Nelson, and the BeeGees (he “discovered” Om (2007); Nov 29: The Hours (2002)
Wed, Nov 10: Adam Richman, host of the der Awareness Week with an open house, Barry Gibbs’ falsetto). The film also delves Tuesdays
Travel Channel series “Man. v. Food” and 6:30-8:30 p.m., featuring a brief overview of into Arif’s final project, a recording in • 11 a.m: Exercise with Mahmoud
author of America the Edible: My Hungry Fenway Health’s Transgender Health Pro- which he collaborated with many of his
• 12 noon: Documentaries—Nov 2: Mozart:
History, from Sea to Dining Sea, appears at gram, Alternative Insemination Program, superstar protégés. Q&A with Joe Mardin
Requiem (2002); Nov 9: New Year’s Gala
the BU Barnes & Noble in Kenmore Square Health Navigation Program, Sidney Borum, after the film. 7 p.m. at Berklee Performance
1996; Nov 16: Coal Miner’s Daughter
Jr. Health Center, Violence Recovery Pro- Center; tickets required and available
+
to discuss and sign his book, America
the Edible. 660 Beacon St., 7 p.m. FREE gram, and The Fenway Institute. Fenway +
only through the box office. FREE.
(1980); Nov 23: NO FILM—Thanksgiving
Potluck; Nov 30: The Miles Davis Story
Health board member Joanne Herman will Sat, Nov 20: Benjamin Zander and the es-
Fri, Nov 12: The Berklee Contemporary (2001)
emcee the event and free HIV testing will timable Boston Philharmonic Orchestra
Symphony Orchestra performs a program be offered. After the formal program you Wednesdays
that includes Mars and Jupiter from Holst’s tackle Bruckner’s Eighth Symphony in
can socialize or tour of the new biuilding. Jordan Hall at 8 p.m. A pre-concert talk • 9:30 a.m: Yoga with Carmen
• 10 a.m.-noon: Blood pressure check with
Joyce
• 12 noon: Indian lunch with Santosh
6:30-8:30 p.m., Harvard Vanguard, 131 Brookline Ave., Annex
Sun, OCT 31: Safe trick-or-treating and Halloween party sponsored Bldg., Room 3D. For more info, call 617-262-0657. SPECIAL EVENTS
by Fenway CDC. 4:00–6:00 p.m. Fensgate Community Room, 73 Mon, Nov 15: LMA Forum, 6:30-8 p.m. For location or to verify if Nov 2, 10 a.m., Planning meeting
Hemenway St. (use side entrance), Family-oriented fun and re- meeting will be held, email Laura at lfogerty@masco.harvard.edu.
freshments. For more info, call Sarah at 617-267-4637x19. Nov 3, 11 a.m. Short story discussion—
Tue, Nov 15: East Fens Community/Police meeting, 6 p.m. Mor- Garcia Marquez and Vargas Llosa
Tue, Nov 2: GENERAL ELECTIONS. See voting information on • 1 p.m. TAXI COUPONS
ville House, 100 Norway St.
page 1 and see The Fenway News recommendations on the ballot
Tue, Nov 15: Ward 5 Democratic Committee meeting, 7 p.m. Nov 4
questions, page 4.
Community Church of Boston, 565 Boylston St., Copley Square. • 11 a.m. Berklee singalong
Wed, Nov 3: State Sen. Steven Tolman’s representative holds office • noon. Russian artists discuss current
hours: 9-11 a.m., 9th fl, Fenway Health, 1340 Boylston St. Let the Wed, Nov 17: Fenway liaison for the Mayor’s Office of Neighbor- exhibit
rep know if you need help with a state agency or have concerns or hood Services, William Onuoha, holds office hours, 3:30-5:30
p.m. YMCA, 316 Huntington Ave. No appointment necessary. Nov 9, 10 a.m. Senior Task Force meeting
questions re: a statewide or legislative issue. Constituents who are
unable to drop by during Office Hours, should not hesitate to call Nov 10
Wed, Nov 17: West Fens Community/Police meeting., 5 p.m.
Senator Tolman’s Office at 617-722-1280. • 10 a.m. SHINE counselor
Landmark Center (Park Drive and Brookline Ave.), 2nd fl, District
• 11:30 a.m. NEC concert
Wed, Nov 3: Fenway liaison for the Mayor’s Office of Neighbor- 4 police Substation, next to security desk.
hood Services, William Onuoha, holds office hours, 3:30-5:30 Nov 11, VETERAN’S DAY—CENTER CLOSED
Wed, Nov 17: Fenway CDC honors Sajed Kamal, local solar hero.
p.m. YMCA, 316 Huntington Ave. No appointment necessary. 6-9 p.m., Susan Bailis Center, 352 Mass Ave. RSVP required. For Nov 17, 11 a.m. Short story discussion—
Wed, Nov 3: Emerald Necklace Conservancy annual meeting, 5:30- tickets or info, call 627-267-4637 after 10:00 a.m. Pirandello and Babel
6:30 p.m.; reception follows. RSVP to: annualmeeting@emerald- Thu, Nov 18: Congressman Michael Capuano’s staffer holds Nov 18
necklace.org or call 617-522-2700. Watson Auditorium, Went- office hours, 1-2 p.m. Fenway Health Center, 1340 Boylston St. • 10 a.m., ESL Coffee & Conversation
worth Hall, Wentworth Institute, 550 Huntington Ave, FREE. Questions/concerns about federal agencies, issues or legislation. • noon, Wingate Thanksgiving
TUE, Nov 9: Crime watch meeting, East Fens, 6:30 p.m., Commu- Fri, Nov 19: State Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz’s rep holds office hours,. Nov 23, noon, Thanksgiving Potluck. guests:
nity Room, 73 Hemenway St., (use side entrance). For more info, 8-9 a.m., at Espresso Royale Cafe, 44 Gainsborough St. For info, Mike Ross and Peter Sougarides
call 617-238-0833, and someone will call you back. call Melina Munoz at 617-722-1673 or email melina.munoz@ Nov 24, 1 p.m. Center closes for
Tue, Nov 15: Audubon Circle Neighborhood Assoc. board meeting, state.ma.us. Thanksgiving
Nov 25, THANKSGIVING—CENTER CLOSED