L Street Brownies to take the plunge

By Globe Staff

Snow tumbling out of the sky, wind chills plummeting below zero -- how many layers do you think you should put on?

For the participants in the "L Street Brownies New Year's Day Swim," the answer is zero. Or maybe one-half, if you count the bathing suit.

Members of the oldest "polar bear" swimming club in America will take a dunk Thursday at the Curley Community Center on Columbia Road in South Boston. It has been a New Year's Day ritual for more than 100 years.

Freddy Ahern, the community center director, said he expected 300 to 400 people to show up, despite the cold temperatures. The temperature is expected to drop to 8 tonight, with a wind chill of 11 below, and only rise to 21 tomorrow.

Ahern said the water temperature in Dorchester Bay has been about 38 degrees in recent days. "Tomorrow's going to be ideal conditions for a real L Street Brownie," he said. "Its going to be warmer in the water than out of the water."

"Celtic Pride" is the theme this year, celebrating the fortitude of the Brownies and South Boston residents. Organizers are encouraging people to come in creative costumes.

"We invite everybody to come down and have fun and on New Years Day everybody who jumps into the water is an official L Street Brownie for the day," Ahern said.

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