The MBTA - not much to tweet home about
(Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com)
Are all these people unhappy? Maybe.
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Charlestown library to close during 4-month construction project
The Charlestown branch of the Boston Public Library will be closed for four months starting in July as it undergoes a variety of renovations..
The Boston Public Library announced Friday it will close on Friday, July 6, and begin making improvements to its Charlestown branch starting Monday, July 9. It expect construction work to last until November.
The construction and closure of the branch will allow for the replacement of the building’s gas heater and the electric cooling rooftop unit and fans. The building’s roof and windows will also be replaced. New controls and room temperature sensors will also be installed.
Library users will see a new early literacy nook in the children’s area and a self check-out machine once the repairs are complete as well as concrete repairs and new landscaping.
The library suggested Charlestown residents visit the North End branch located at 25 Parmenter St. or any other location, during the closure
“We look forward to unveiling the improvements in the fall and thank our users in advance for their patience while we make upgrades to the building,” Christine Schonhart, Director of Branch Libraries, said in a statement.
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Boston City League baseball all-star game to return to Fenway Park
The Boston City League baseball all-star game will return to Fenway Park next month after a short hiatus at Harvard’s O’Donnell Field.
The annual City of Boston All-City Baseball Classic will be at 5:30 p.m. on June 10 at Fenway Park.
The game is organized by the Boston Center for Youth & Families and held in partnership with the Boston Scholar Athlete Program and sponsored by the Boston Red Sox.
The game was held at Harvard the last two years. Three years ago it was scheduled to be played at Fenway but had to be moved to Harvard due to inclement weather. It was last played at the iconic ballpark in 2008.
In the last three years the all-star game has struggled to garner full participation due to a lack of interest, lack of transportation to Harvard or conflicts with graduations and proms.
Boston schools Athletic Director Ken Still said Fenway Park should help remedy participation issues.
“Fenway Park is a lure because it’s Fenway park, you have people coming from all over the world to sit in Fenway Park,” Still said during a telephone interview on Tuesday morning. “To have a chance to play there as a youngster and baseball person, that’s overwhelming.”
Still announced that the game will be back at Fenway during the Boston City League championship baseball game on Monday morning at Boston English High.
On Tuesday morning, he said he hopes the weather cooperates this year.
“[Fenway is] very tough to get but when we’re able to I say take advantage and let’s do it,” he said. “I hope they are able to get on the field and represent."
The BSA’s new Athletic Director, Chris Rooks, said “It’s an amazing opportunity for the kids.”
Justin A. Rice covers Boston Public school athletics. He can be reached at jrice.globe@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeJustinRice or @BPSspts.
A hot week on the MBTA
(Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com)
Will these unsuspecting passengers be greeted by waves of heat once they board their bus? Many commuters were this week.
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Boston City Championship contenders up in the air after baseball and softball is rained out
Tuesday's full slate of Boston schools' baseball and softball games has been canceled due to inclement weather, wreaking havoc on the race for the city championships. The softball and baseball city championships are slated for this weekend but mother nature is making it difficult to determine who will be playing.
In softball, East Boston (9-6, 8-0) and O’Bryant (7-5, 7-3) are poised to represent the North conference in the city championships while Latin Academy (9-10, 7-0) and South Boston (9-3, 9-3) and Dorchester (8-3, 8-3) are fighting for the South conference slot.
The forecast isn’t much better for Wednesday, when Brighton and Latin Academy are slated to square off in a baseball battle that could be the key to determining who represents the North conference in the baseball city championships.
In baseball, the top two teams from the North conference qualify for the tournament so
English High is also in the running to make cities.
The top team from the Central and South also qualify for cities. East Boston is looking like the runaway leader in the Central conference while Boston International and Fenway are battling to represent the South conference.
International (8-3, 5-1), which has already had eight or nine rain outs this year, has several conference games to make up this week. They are slated to play a double header against Charlestown on Thursday and back-to-back games against Snowden and Burke on Friday.
Boston International coach Christian Irizarry said he has plenty of pitching to get his team through the nonstop schedule of games.
“I have five arms besides my regular pitcher,” he said. “So for our league we are pretty good in terms of pitching.”
Fenway (9-7, 7-3), which clinched the state tournament for the first time in eight years on Monday, feels like they deserve to be the South representatives in the city tournament, especially because they defeated Boston International, 8-4, on Saturday. International beat Fenway 6-5 earlier in the season.
First-year Fenway coach David Walsh said his team would go to cities if the tiebreak came down to runs scored.
“We would definitely do damage in the cities,” he said. “If we don’t get in at least I know we’re in states.”
If the remainder of Boston International’s league games are rained out, it’s unclear how they will be counted in the standings.
“If I don’t play anyone because of the weather why should [Fenway] be on top?” Irizarry said.
The baseball city championship semifinals will be at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday at English High. The title bout will be on Monday at 10 a.m.
The softball semifinals will be at 11 a.m. at Clemente and Cobe Fields in the Fens. The championship game will be at 10 a.m. on Monday at Cobe Field.
Justin A. Rice covers Boston Public school athletics. He can be reached at jrice.globe@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeJustinRice or @BPSspts.
Fenway slides into state tournament with Charlestown victory
Fenway stole 12 bases en route to defeating Charlestown, 8-2, at Ryan Field Monday afternoon to qualify for the state tournament for the first time in eight years.
The Panthers (9-7, 7-3 Boston City League South) even stole home. Junior infielder Eddie Santos avoided the tag at the plate to tie the game at 2 in the fifth inning.
“It’s mad exciting,” said Santos, who logged three steals on the day. “It’s really exciting. You’re out there on third and you don’t know when coach will tell you to run. You don’t know when you’re going to get the call. If his windup is slow you just go. It’s not expected. Nobody thinks you are going to steal home plate.”
Anyone who has watched Fenway, however, should expect it from Fenway.
The Panthers, who average 10 stolen bases a game, have stolen home 10 times this season and have only been caught once.
“We’re aggressive on the base paths,” Santos said. “That’s how we win games. If we run bases well it’s always going to be a good game. It brings us momentum and it changes the game.”
Santos started the game on the mound but was replaced by senior pitcher Jeff Pena after he allowed Charlestown senior pitcher Frank Rosabal to knock in runs in the first and third innings. Rosabal recorded the loss for the Townies (5-8, 5-6) after striking out 10 batters, dropping to 3-4.
“That was the strongest he had pitched this year up until that last inning there,” said Charlestown coach Matt Sances. “There was a couple of errors there. He almost carried us.”
Fenway sophomore outfielder Julian Gonzalez knocked in Pena in the sixth inning to go up, 3-2, Fenway broke open the game in the final inning with five runs, including Pena’s 3-run triple.
“I was just winging it, I had to hustle it out,’’ Pena said. “I was a little winded — I’m not going to lie. I felt like we needed those runs.”
Pena entered the game with his team down, 2-1, with the bases loaded in the fourth and no outs. He struck out nine in four innings, including the first three batters he faced. Charlestown also left the bases loaded in the sixth.
Sances said he's proud of his team, which features seven underclassmen.
“This is a big jump, there’s a big — obviously — skill level jump as you get older in baseball,” Sances said. “It’s tough for freshman to play against seniors in there. The fact that they even hang in the games is a credit to how they play.”
Pena improved to 6-3 and has struck out more than 80 hitters. He said he's looking forward to being the underdog in the state tournament.
“That’s a big deal to us because we haven’t been in eight years,” Pena said. “I feel like we can do it though, I don’t feel the pressure [of being the ace]. I feel the pressure is on the other team to beat us.”
Justin A. Rice covers Boston Public school athletics. He can be reached at jrice.globe@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeJustinRice or @BPSspts.
Sing a song of public transit
(Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com)
The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round.
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Underground cell service expected to reach all of T this year, but carriers still limited
(Courtesy)
A diagram showing where T-Mobile currently offers, and expects to offer, below ground service along the MBTA subway in Boston.
By year’s end, all underground portions of the MBTA subway system are expected to be wired to allow mobile carriers to provide cell phone reception, the company installing the cellular infrastructure says.
That will make Boston’s subway among the first in the country where some riders can text, call, check e-mail, and browse the web no matter where they are in the below ground transit system, according to Joe Mullin, vice president of engineering and operations at InSite Wireless, LLC.
Individual cell phone carriers must each work out agreements with InSite Wireless, which charges them to connect and gives a cut of that revenue to the MBTA.
Both AT&T and T-Mobile are expected to broadcast voice and data reception throughout subterranean areas of the subway system shortly after InSite Wireless finishes its work, officials said.
But customers of other carriers might have to wait longer: no other major mobile carriers have immediate plans to introduce or expand their underground coverage.
The T expects the deal will net the agency about $5.3 million altogether over the course of a 15-year contract with InSite Wireless. That figure will rise as the areas where cell service is offered expand and as more carriers sign on, spokesman Joe Pesaturo said.
In March, T-Mobile added service along the entire Blue Line and on the Green Line, except at Prudential and Symphony stations, according to spokeswoman Patty Raz.
AT&T expects to add service to the Blue Line and that same portion of the Green Line “later this summer,” spokeswoman Kate MacKinnon said.
Both companies have offered service on the entire Orange Line and some of the Red Line since 2010.
Subway cell reception launched in 2007 at four downtown stations – Government Center, Park Street, Downtown Crossing and State Street – and the connecting tunnels between them. Verizon offers service there. It is the only below-ground section where a carrier other than AT&T and T-Mobile offers service.
Verizon spokesman Michael Murphy said the company “remain[s] in discussions” about the potential for expanding service within the subway system.
MetroPCS spokesman Drew Crowell said the company is “interested and looking into,” joining the below-ground mobile network.
Sprint spokesman Mark Elliott said the company is "evaluating our options" for providing underground cell service along the T. None of the spokesman commented further.
InSite Wireless began its efforts in 2005 when the company signed its contract with the MBTA. Mullin said the company expects two five-year renewals will be used, extending the partnership through at least 2030.
The company is completing the final part of a four-phase installation process.
By the end of the year, carriers will be able to broadcast their service from untapped areas of the Red Line, between Kendall and Alewife stations and between Shawmut and Ashmont stations, as well as inside Prudential and Symphony stations on the Green Line’s E branch, according to Mullin.
FULL ENTRYCharlestown Boys & Girls Club to host annual golf tournament
The Charlestown Boys & Girls Club is hosting its annual golf tournament to raise money for the club and its programs.
The Dennis Borden Memorial Golf Tournament is scheduled for Friday, May 25 at the Windham Country Club in New Hampshire.
Tee off is set for 8 a.m. with registration beginning at 7:30 a.m. Teams of four pay $150 per golfer to receive breakfast, golf fees, golf cart, barbeque, a commemorative Boys & Girls Club item, and a goodie bag.
Golfers can find a registration form online and interested sponsors can contact Greg Jackson gjackson@bgcb.org or Derek Gallagher at dgallagher@BGCB.org.
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Small Business Week events to offer networking, resources to local owners
The series of events, coordinated by the state’s Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business, are set to be held from May 21 through May 25 in coordination with National Small Business Week and are designed to highlight the contributions of small businesses to the Massachusetts economy and draw attention to the resources available to them.
“I am looking forward to meeting with Charlestown residents and local entrepreneurs to see how the legislature can further support small businesses in our community,” state Sen. Sal DiDomenico, co-chair of the committee and a Democrat whose district includes Charlestown, said in a statement.
“I would like to extend an invitation to all Charlestown residents and business owners to participate in Small Business Week to not only honor our community’s small businesses for their vital contributions to our state’s economy but also to promote economic growth for our district,” he said.
The week’s events include an committee hearing at the State House at 10 p.m. Tuesday to discuss legislation that affects small businesses, including legislation that requiring state agencies to publish small business impact statements.
Business owners will also be able to network on Tuesday when the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston hosts a Get Konnected! networking event from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Business owners and aspiring business owners will also be able to learn about programs that assist small business across the state at the free Small Businesses Resource Fair Wednesday at the State House from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in the Great Hall.
A full schedule of the week’s events is available here.
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