Academy of the Pacific Rim holds 10th graduation at Faneuil Hall
(Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com)
The 2012 graduating class of the Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter Public School posed for an informal group portrait outside Faneuil Hall before their commencement ceremony.
On Friday, seniors from the Academy of the Pacific Rim became the Hyde Park-based charter school’s 10th graduating class and prepared to move on — every single one of them — to college in the fall.
The 38 students, who make up the largest graduating class so far for the 15-year-old school, will go to colleges and universities as close as Chestnut Hill and as far away as Los Angeles. Collectively they have been awarded $3.5 million in financial assistance.In addressing the students during the commencement ceremony in Faneuil Hall’s second-floor Great Hall, Principal Jenne C. Grant encouraged them to take their passions, ideals and their acceptance of the differences of others with them as they move into the next phase of their lives. Grant quoted Eleanor Roosevelt’s famous exhortation to simply be oneself.
Speaking before the ceremony, students expressed excitement and a touch of nerves as they prepared to say goodbye to classmates from the small, tight-knit school.
“It’s like a family, basically,” said 17-year-old Meagan Badohu, a Roslindale resident who will be attending Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill in the fall. Badohu said she selected the small women’s college in part because it reminded her of the academy.
“I’m going to be crying,” Badohu said, and when she took her seat inside the Great Hall half an hour later, she was indeed wiping away tears.
Valerie Hartnett is planning to attend Hunter College in New York City to pursue two very different passions — theater and physics. She’s looking forward to a bigger city where she’ll have more opportunities to explore her admittedly esoteric interests.
“I’m a little tired of Boston, just because I’ve lived here my whole life,” said the 18-year-old Roslindale resident. She’s also looking forward to the challenge of being on her own so far away from her family.
“It’s time to spread my wings,” she said.
One of those traveling the farthest for college is Dalin Celamy, who will attend Occidental College in Los Angeles. Celamy, 18, said he’d first become interested in the liberal arts school when representatives from the college visited the academy when he was in 10th grade.
He said his counselor had advised that students should have an “aha!” feeling about the college they selected, and that’s how he felt about Occidental. Still, he confessed to a little trepidation about moving 3,000 miles from home.
“I am a bit nervous, even though I’ve been thinking about it ever since sophomore year,” the Randolph resident said. “[But] I’m ready to take in the new people and the new environment.”
Email Jeremy C. Fox at jeremycfox@gmail.com.
Follow Jeremy C. Fox on Twitter: @jeremycfox.
Follow Hyde Park on Twitter: @YourHydePark.
The MBTA - not much to tweet home about
(Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com)
Are all these people unhappy? Maybe.
Email Jeremy C. Fox at jeremycfox@gmail.com.
Follow Jeremy C. Fox on Twitter: @jeremycfox.
Follow Downtown on Twitter: @YTDowntown.
Boston Natural Area Networks to lead walk along Neponset, talk about future of trail
Nature advocates will be hiking along the Neponset River this weekend as they eagerly wait for the U.S. Department of Transportation to announce the recipients of a Tiger grant, which could provide money to complete portions of the trail.
The federal money matched with local funds would be a big boost for the Neponset River Greenway, which is widely used among residents, although portions of the trail in Hyde Park, Dorchester, and Mattapan/Milton are not yet completed.
With the application the Department of Conservation and Recreation and Massachusetts Department of Transportation, a partner with DCR on the project along with the Boston Natural Areas Network, hope to get the funding to complete the trail that connects a network stretching from the Boston Harbor to Hyde Park.
FULL ENTRYRiverside Theatre Works to host casino night fund-raiser
(Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com)
Riverside Theatre Works, photographed on March 13, 2011.
The following is an announcement from Riverside Theatre Works:
A Hyde Park theater will be transformed into a casino this Saturday night, in a fund-raiser for Riverside Theatre Works that includes a chance to win a trip for two to Las Vegas.
For one night only, casino tables will fill the theater and lounge in Riverside’s home, in the former French’s Opera House on Fairmount Avenue. The evening will also include a silent auction, a raffle, and performances from acclaimed cabaret singer John O'Neil and Mixed Emotions, Riverside's own teen performing troupe. Tickets cost $50 and include $1,000 worth of chips.
All proceeds will benefit Riverside Theatre Works, one of Boston's most cherished community theaters. Now in its 30th year, Riverside offers professional shows, summer camps, and classes for children, teens, and adults. Riverside’s programs have launched some students into professional theater careers -- alumni have performed on Broadway and in national tours -- and have built the skills and confidence of hundreds of others.
Doors open at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 2; tables open at 8 p.m. Riverside Theatre Works is located at 45 Fairmount Ave., Hyde Park.
For tickets or more information, call 617-361-7024, extension 100, or visit http://www.rtwboston.org.
Follow Hyde Park on Twitter: @YourHydePark.
City Councilor Matt O'Malley announces June district office hours
The following is an announcement from Boston's District 6 City Councilor Matt O'Malley:
Boston City Councilor Matt O’Malley holds his district office hours at different locations in Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury each month.
O’Malley’s office hours will be held on:
Friday, June 15 from 8 to 9 a.m. at Millenium Restaurant and Grill Jamaica Plain. Latino liaison Fernando Mercedes will also attend.
Friday, June 29 from 8 to 9 a.m. at Starbucks, 1810 Centre St. in West Roxbury. West Roxbury Liaison Bill MacGregor will also attend.
Councilor O’Malley’s City Hall office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. To reach Councilor O’Malley’s office, call 617-635-4220.
--
For the latest Jamaica Plain updates:
Follow @YTJamaicaPlain on Twitter, here.
And connect via Facebook by clicking the "Like" button on the top left hand corner of the Jamaica Plain homepage, here.
For the latest West Roxbury updates:
Follow @YourWestRoxbury on Twitter, here.
And connect via Facebook by clicking the "Like" button on the top left hand corner of the West Roxbury homepage, here.
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.
Email Jeremy C. Fox at jeremycfox@gmail.com.
Follow Jeremy C. Fox on Twitter: @jeremycfox.
Follow Downtown on Twitter: @YTDowntown.
Boston Renaissance Charter School in Hyde Park offers summer program
(Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com)
Children play on the playground at the Boston Renaissance Charter Public School in Hyde Park.
A Hyde Park charter school is offering a summer day camp that includes academic subjects, sports, martial arts, technology, and arts and crafts activities for students from grades K-1 to 6.
The Boston Renaissance Charter Public School’s Summer Enrichment Day Camp will also include daily trips around Hyde Park and Boston, including sites such as the New England Aquarium, the Boston Children’s Museum, and Castle Island.
“More than a traditional day camp, campers will develop leadership and life skills,” the school announced in a press release. “Activities will help enhance children's self-esteem, independence, social values and build self confidence in the academic areas of literacy and mathematics.”
The program will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, from July 9 to Aug. 24 at a cost ofr $175 per week per child. Before-camp care from 7 – 8 a.m. and after-camp care from 4 – 5 p.m. are available for an additional $10 each per week.Students will receive breakfast, lunch, and a snack each day, and transportation is available for an additional fee.
Boston Renaissance Charter Public School is located at 1415 Hyde Park Ave. in Hyde Park. For more information or to register a child, call 617-357-0900, ext. 1191, or visit http://www.bostonrenaissance.org by July 2.
Follow Hyde Park on Twitter: @YourHydePark.
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.
Sing a song of public transit
(Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com)
The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round.
Email Jeremy C. Fox at jeremycfox@gmail.com.
Follow Jeremy C. Fox on Twitter: @jeremycfox.
Follow Downtown on Twitter: @YTDowntown.
Hyde Park REAL ESTATE
75Homes
for sale14
Rentals available7
Open houses this week1
New listings this week
Adventure, sports, theater, music, arts or technology—find the perfect camp for your child at boston.com/campguide.
Waiting for Twitter to feed in the latest...