Boston sampler
For all the gnashing of teeth about the disappointing designs for the Rose Kennedy Greenway, it is beyond amazing how we have turned over fully 10 percent of this precious space to two mom-and-pop consultants, crossed our fingers, and are hoping for the best.
Yesterday, two interesting and well-developed proposals -- a city museum and an arts center -- competed head-to-head for the last available parcel on the Greenway. Meanwhile, urban planner Linda Haar and her husband, Jonathan, don't have to compete for a place on the Greenway at all: They are sitting on three parcels that were designated 13 years ago for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society for a much-hyped dream, a "Garden under Glass."
But the wobbly Mass. Hort. has walked away from the project. "We are out of it," says Keith Hutchins, cochairman of Mass. Hort.'s board of trustees. "If I had my way I would like to read on the front page of The Boston Globe that Mass. Hort. has nothing to do with Garden under Glass. . . . Any monies that come into Mass. Hort. do not go to Garden under Glass. Not one penny."
Maybe we should be thankful Mass. Hort. handed off its rights to nice people like the Haars rather than to Wal-Mart. But you have to wonder: Is this any way to run a $15 billion highway project?
(Startling aside: John Peterson, the snake oil salesman who ran Mass. Hort. for years, has a new job as chief executive of Turtle Bay Exploration Park, a financially struggling museum and garden complex in Redding, Calif. Sell Turtle Bay short -- now.)
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The sexual-abuse scandal that rocked the Catholic Church around the world began in Boston. But the first made-for-TV movie about the scandal will not be made in Boston. The city, the filmmakers say they were told, is closed for business because of the Democratic National Convention and the high tourist season.
"They haven't treated us very well," says Emmy winner Dan Curtis, the director of "Our Fathers," Showtime's adaptation of David France's book. The movie stars Ted Danson as Boston lawyer Mitchell Garabedian, who takes on the archdiocese; Christopher Plummer as Cardinal Bernard Law; and Brian Dennehy as Father D. George "Spags" Spagnolia, who tries to work from inside the church.
"Our Fathers" began filming in Toronto this week and wanted to film in Boston around the Fourth of July and then later in the month before the convention. But Curtis, whose credits include "War and Remembrance," said his plans to film in the Public Garden and the North End were dashed when word "came down from on high" that there would be no permits because of security issues. "I don't think Boston had anything to do with this. Orders came down from Washington."
A city spokesman said "Our Fathers" first date, July 2, would have been too disruptive. "They would be putting two of the heaviest traffic areas out of commission during the city's highest tourism week," said Seth Gitell. Said Curtis: "By the time they will allow us in Boston, we'll be done with the movie."
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It is not often you see a bank facing eviction. But OneUnited Bank never has been your ordinary bank. Boston banker Kevin Cohee built OneUnited into the fastest-growing African-American bank in the country through a series of mergers. But now Cohee, a bulldog of a chief executive, is in a fight with the landlord of one his branches in Compton, Calif. The landlord, Compton Master LLC, says in a lawsuit that OneUnited's lease expired in 2002 and that it owes thousands in back rent. A Compton spokesman said his company has written or called OneUnited more than 50 times. "All went unanswered except for one phone call in which Kevin Cohee said, 'You will never get us out,' " said Kenneth Jakubowski. OneUnited declined to comment.
Steve Bailey is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at bailey@globe.com or at 617-929-2902.
