Local mothers invited to "Mom's Nite Out" event at Arsenal Mall in Watertown
Locals who want to celebrate Mother's Day next week are invited to the Arsenal Mall in Watertown's national "Mom's Nite Out" event on Thursday, which features an evening of free pampering, food, and giveaways, according to organizers.
The event, which will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on May 9 near Old Navy, will also feature beauty advice and makeovers, fragrance samples, fitness demonstrations, food and drink tasting, shopping discounts, a prize giveaway, and more, organizers said.
The first 100 moms who register at the event will also be given free "swag bags" filled with goodies.
For more information on the event, visit the mall's Facebook or Twitter.
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Jaclyn Reiss can be reached at jaclyn.reiss@globe.com
Road closures in and around Boston Sunday for Walk for Hunger
Road closures and traffic delays are expected in Cambridge and Boston and several neighboring communities Sunday as more than 40,000 people are expected to participate in Project Bread’s 20-mile Walk for Hunger.
The walk to raise money for hunger relief and prevention will start Sunday, May 5, at 7 a.m. at the Boston Common, and will lead to several road closures in the area, including the closing of Charles Street between Boylston and Beacon streets between 6 a.m. and 6.p.m. The outbound side of Commonwealth Avenue from Arlington Street through Kenmore Square will be closed from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m., and other streets around the Boston Common and Kenmore Square will also be closed. The route map can be found here and a full list of the street closures and traffic restrictions can be found here.
In Cambridge, Memorial Drive will be closed between Fresh Pond Parkway and Western Avenue from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, and other closures, parking restrictions and traffic delays are expected.
In Brookline, the outbound side of Beacon Street will be closed between St. Mary’s and Carlton streets from 7 a.m. to noon.
In Newton, Exit 17 from I-90 Westbound will be closed from 10 a.m. until the heavy flow of walkers subsides around 2 p.m. and other closures and delays are expected.
In Watertown, Greenough Boulevard will be closed between North Beacon and Arsenal Streets will be closed to vehicles from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Watertown man recalls being stopped by police the night of manhunt for Marathon bombers
A Watertown man says he is the figure leaning forward against a car in this photo, taken the night of the manhunt for the Marathon bombers. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images
His photograph was seen around the world: palms pressed against a police cruiser, a gun pointed at the back of his bowed head, standing in the darkness of a night illuminated only by lights from emergency vehicles.
On his way home from work some time after 12:30 a.m. on April 19, the 42-year-old Watertown resident found himself commuting through the largest manhunt in New England history.
Phil, who asked that his full name not be used because he doesn’t want the attention, had no way of knowing that the two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings had aimed their stolen Mercedes toward Watertown, after allegedly killing an MIT police officer.
At 12:42 a.m., a Watertown dispatcher warned officers that the stolen SUV was in the area of 89 Dexter Ave., about two blocks from Phil’s home. The infamous shootout followed and at 12:48 a.m., according to authorities, Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev sped away after driving over his older brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who died from his injuries.
Despite being grabbed from his car, searched, and finally released by police, Phil said he is thankful for their vigilance that terrifying night.
“They were rough, understandably, but they didn’t hurt me,” he said in an interview with the Globe. “I’m thankful for them. They were protecting my neighborhood and protecting my family. I have zero ill will at all.”
Phil had finished his shift at a West Newton restaurant and was heading to his home near the corner of School and Boylston streets. As he approached Watertown Square, he saw a crush of police vehicles. Perhaps, he thought, police had set up some sort of sobriety checkpoint.
He drove down Arsenal Street, past several police cars that appeared to be converging there, and turned onto School Street.
Phil made it about three blocks, when police officers noticed him and started yelling. “They were like, ‘Get out! Turn around, get out of here!’ I turned around not knowing what’s going on.”
He reversed direction thinking he could get home via Cypress Street, but as he followed that residential road, he ran into a scene unimaginable in a normally peaceful town.
SWAT teams and state troopers had convened on Cypress, near its intersection with Walnut Street, and Phil apparently took them by surprise, he said. With guns pointed at him, Phil recalled a blur of uniforms and weapons.
Two men in military armor wielding what looked like assault weapons approached his Subaru Legacy. One of them pulled him out of the car.
“Who are you? Who are you? What are you doing here,” he recalled hearing.
He told them he lived around the corner and was just trying to get home, he recalled in the interview. A law enforcement officer, he said, came over, grabbed him, and pulled him over to his cruiser, where the photo, which ran on the front page of the Globe as well as in other media outlets, was snapped. The officer put him against the cruiser and frisked him.
Only later would he learn that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was on the run, searching for a hiding place, around the time Phil was trying to get home.
“I believe he was probably running through that same neighborhood at the same time I was driving,” he said.
Phil said he is grateful to authorities for their actions that night. The same police, who were there to hunt down a suspected terrorist and to prevent any more people from being injured or killed, appeared themselves to be terrified.
“I could see how scared they were in their eyes,” he said. “The military gentlemen, the policemen, everyone was scared.”
After Phil was frisked, an FBI agent, identifiable because of his jacket, told troopers to get him out of there.
The same law enforcement officer who had patted him down grabbed Phil by the belt and shirt collar.
“We’re going to run right now,” the officer told him.
The officer took Phil to Randy’s Car Wash, leaving his car and identification.
The police still wanted information so Phil offered up his social security number, and he sat on the back bumper of an ambulance with his hands up, while another officer ran his number.
After apologies, an officer said, “There’s some severe stuff going down,” Phil recalled.
“I was so scared and discombobulated, I didn’t know what was going on,” he said.
He estimates he stayed at the car wash for about 45 minutes. EMTs tried to talk to him, but he found himself unable to speak. He thought about his wife and his two-and-a-half-year-old son just a few blocks away. Scared and confused, he was thankful nothing had happened to him. “I just wanted to get home,” he recalled.
Finally, he approached an FBI agent and asked if he would walk him home. He did.
It wasn’t until Phil got home and turned on the television that he found out he had been in the middle of the manhunt, which finally ended Friday evening when Dzhokhar Tsarnaev surrendered after he was spotted hiding in a boat, a few blocks from the car wash.
Phil’s wife, wearing earplugs, was still asleep when he walked in.
“I got home and said, ‘You’re not going to believe what just happened to me.”
Newton-Needham chamber extends hand to Back Bay businesses
The Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce is partnering with Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation of Needham to show support for the businesses in Boston’s Back Bay impacted by the April 15 Boston Marathon bombing, according to a press release.
On Wednesday, May 8, Fairway and the chamber will be offering free round-trip bus rides to the Back Bay in an effort to encourage chamber members and others in the community to shop and dine at local businesses that lost income due to shut down of their operations following the attack.
“Like many we were looking for a way to support those impacted by the tragic events on April 15,” said Amy Tierce, regional vice president for Fairway Independent Mortgage. “Reading about the lost revenue, damaged storefronts and inventory and fears that some businesses may not survive really hit home for me as a small business owner.”
“It’s unusual for the Newton-Needham Chamber to be promoting commerce outside of our two communities but this is a very worthy exception,” said chamber president Greg Reibman. “We’re really pleased to be standing in solidarity with the businesses in the Back Bay and we’re grateful to Amy Tierce and Fairway for creating this program and inviting our members to participate.”
Fairway has reached out to 20 businesses on Boylston Street, all of which are interested in participating in some way. Some restaurants will be featuring special menus and drinks, other businesses will provide special promotions or coupons for participants.
The motor coach will depart at 11 a.m. from 375-395 Eliot Street, Newton, across from Echo Bridge Mall at the corner of Eliot and Chestnut (cars may be parked in the overflow lot and left for the day).
Between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. attendees will be free to enjoy all that Boylston Street has to offer; dining, shopping and special offers from some of the businesses.
The motor coach will leave Boston at 3 p.m., returning to 375-395 Eliot Street by 4 p.m.
Transportation, event buttons, gift bags, coupons and promotions will be provided to all who participate For those who may want to participate but do not need transportation, the Charlesmark Hotel at 655 Boylston St. will have the gift bags and pins available for people to pick up there as well.
Space is limited and transportation is first come, first served.
Contact Amy at asteinberg@fairwaymc.com or phone at 781-719-4664 to reserve your space.
Deadline for registration is Monday May 6.
Boys’ gymnastics may get second chance as official high school sport
Boys’ gymnastics may get a second chance to be reinstated as an official high school sport in Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association's board of directors decided today to reconsider its vote in January to drop boys’ gymnastics from its roster of sponsored athletic activities.
The MIAA’s Jan. 16 vote to end sanctioned competition for boys' gymnastics had drawn harsh criticism from coaches, parents, and gymnasts all over the country. That vote had essentially downgraded boys’ gymnastics to a club activity next season.
MIAA officials said then that the decision was driven by low participation rates. There are only seven public high schools — Andover, Attleboro, Braintree, Burlington, Lowell, Newton North, and Newton South — that have boys' gymnastics teams.
The MIAA board of directors is expected to take the issue up again at their next scheduled meeting on June 6, which provides hope that boys’ gymnastics can continue as usual next season.
Michael Denise, the athletic director at Braintree High School, and Rich Ellis, the boys’ gymnastics coach at Braintree High, appeared before the MIAA board of directors today and presented their reasons to reinstate boys’ gymnastics.
“Once they heard some of the facts, they certainly were positive to it,” said Ellis, in a telephone interview. “During the discussion, the board members said, ‘Why are we dropping them?’”
Ellis said the board voted 7-2 to revisit the issue at their next meeting on June 6. As it stands, if the MIAA board of directors does not act to reverse their original decision, there will be no MIAA-sanctioned high school gymnastics competitions for boys next season, and no boys’ state championship. The seven schools with boys’ gymnastics teams would be able to offer boys’ gymnastics as a club sport.
Ellis said he was “hoping something would be resolved” at the May 1 meeting, but he was otherwise pleased with how it turned out. He said he’s looking forward to the next MIAA meeting, and plans to reach out to other coaches, parents, and athletes to join him in voicing support for boys' gymnastics.
“I’m going to have to rally the troops," he said.
Emily Sweeney can be reached at esweeney@globe.com.
5 things to know in baseball this week
1. Chelmsford knocks off Billerica – The Lions went to Billerica’s home diamond Monday and knocked off the previously unbeaten Indians. Chelmsford struggled out of the gate against pitcher Robby Gambale but put everything together in the third inning. After watching the Lions collect three extra-base hits and drive in nine runs in that inning, there’s no reason to leave them off ths list.
2. Down goes Newton North – Newton North also saw its undefeated streak end Monday, losing to Natick, 9-8. The Tigers committed five errors and couldn’t finish a rally in the ninth inning. Newton North had the tying run on base but couldn’t drive it in. The Tigers got close to keeping their undefeated streak alive ... but a loss is a loss.
3. Walpole next on Natick’s list – The Rebels are not undefeated, as Newton North was, but they’ll take on Natick today in what should be a fun game at the Redhawks' home diamond. The Rebels' only loss in their 9-1 season was on the road against none other than Newton North. Natick will be looking not only to improve its 2-5 league record but also knock off the No. 1 team in the Bay State’s Herget Division after knocking off the top one in the Carey Division.
4. Xaverian fighting to get to .500 -- While Walpole and Natick are jockeying for position in the Bay State Conference, Xaverian will be hoping to get back to .500. The Hawks have split their last four contests. They defeated Natick and Brockton before dropping two straight games against Catholic Memorial and BC High. Xaverian will have to knock off the new top dog in the Catholic Conference, St. John’s Prep, to get to 6-6 today. The Hawks have their work cut out, but a win against the Prep would be a huge confidence boost.
5. North Reading continues dominance – While the list of undefeated teams in the state continues to dwindle, North Reading continues to march on. The Hornets trounced Trition, 10-0, in their latest game after defeating Hamilton-Wenham, 7-2, on April 25. The closest call came April 23 against Masconomet, a 6-5 victory. Other than that, it’s been relatively smooth sailing for North Reading, with little reason to doubt the team going forward.
Fatal fire in Newton probably caused by smoking, officials say
Smoking is believed to have caused a fire in Newton on Friday that took the life of an elderly woman, according to local fire officials and the state fire marshal’s office.
The victim was sitting on her back porch at 30-32 Rowe St. when the fire occurred that morning, said Newton Fire Lieutenant Eric Fricke. Investigators concluded she probably ignited her clothes with her cigarette by accident, Fricke said.
The flames spread to a few areas on the porch itself, but did not extend into the house, Fricke said. “It wasn’t a large volume of fire,” he said.
The fire department got a call from a neighbor who saw flames coming from the victim’s residence at 11:47 a.m. Firefighters arrived at the scene four minutes later and put the flames out with water extinguishers.
“They walked around back and unfortunately, the only thing they found was the poor woman,” he said. “Her clothes were on fire.”
Fricke said that the cause of death was probably trauma from burns.
The Medical Examiner’s office will make a formal identification of the victim and will determine the cause of death.
High school scholarships available
The Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce will be awarding two scholarships to deserving high school graduates who reside in Newton or Needham and who will be attending an accredited college or university in the 2013 - 2014 academic year, according to a press release.
Deadline to apply is May 8.
Full information can be found at www.nnchamber.com/2013-scholarship-application.
Nominations wanted for the Newton-Needham Green Business Awards
The Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce is looking to recognize business that have make significant contributions towards protecting the environment, according to a press release.
If you’d like to nominate a business submit a one page (or less) description of any a business that is based in either Newton or Needham and has: 1) made significant progress toward reducing energy, or other environmental strategies toward sustainability; or 2) supplies green products or services.
Email your nominations to Peter Smith at psmith@igc.org on or before April 30.
The businesses will be recognized that the Newton-Needham Chamber’s Annual Green Business Breakfast on June 26 at the Newton Marriott Hotel.
Guest speakers will be Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley and Mark Buckley, vice president of Environmental Affairs at Staples.
Smoother drive ahead for bumpy Needham Street in Newton
The state has been repaving Needham Street in Newton this month after hearing years of complaints from businesses, city officials and drivers about the shabby condition of the heavily used roadway.
The milling and paving project, which costs $600,000, stretches from Highland Avenue and Webster Street in Needham to Needham and Dedham streets in Newton. It is a distance of about 1.8 miles, said Michael Verseckes, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
“There has only been some remedial work to this corridor for quite some time,” Verseckes said in an email. “This should be a major improvement to what folks are accustomed to driving on.”
Drivers have hit potholes on Needham Street, causing them to lose hubcaps and other cargo for years, said Bob Rooney, Newton’s chief operating officer.
But last year, several utility companies also did work along the road, causing even further deterioration, he said.
“There were a lot of patches that were causing an unpleasant experience, or in some cases unsafe experience,” Rooney said. “It’s been a long time coming.”
Greg Reibman, the president of the Newton Needham Chamber of Commerce, said this state project will at least address the short-term problems with Needham Street, a commercial corridor off Interstate 95.
“Although what we need is a good long-term solution,” Reibman said. “It will be nice to have a smoother ride as we wait for the next step.”
The next step, a redesign and reconstruction of the corridor, has been in the works for decades. The state is currently working on 25 percent design plans to increase the capacity of the roadway and improve safety, Rooney said.
State transportation officials will present their preliminary ideas and plans to local businesses in June, Rooney said.
A roundabout and a reduction of the multiple entrance and exits from businesses are among the proposals being discussed, Rooney said.
In the meantime, the current paving project, will help, Rooney said.
Crews are working from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. from Sunday through Thursday. They still have two more days of work in each Newton and Needham before the project is finished, Verseckes said.
Reach Deirdre Fernandes at deirdre.fernandes@globe.com.
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