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Spring is in the muggy, fetid air on the MBTA

May 3, 2013 03:24 PM

Orange Line approaching Roxbury Crossing March 2013.jpg

Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com

The setting sun shone down as an outbound Orange Line train approached Roxbury Crossing.

Spring is in the muggy, fetid air on the MBTA

Storified by Jeremy C. Fox· Fri, May 03 2013 12:32:56

As April turned into May this week, the weather finally turned warm and sunny, which can only mean one thing: five months of overheated buses, subways, and stations on the MBTA.

Like the first songbirds of spring, already a few commuters have begun to complain about the moving saunas ferrying them home from work:
@mbtagm seriously, it's 65 degrees out and the heat is on on the commuter rail? So brutal. #mbtaannoyMichelle
Should of had a really big drink before starting this commute! #hot #overcrowded #mbtaannoyRed Line Commuter
But don't people always say that it's not just the heat that gets you? With warmer weather come many changes, including a wider array of aromas:
It smells like warm stale subway on this tube where's Febreze when u need it #mbtaannoyTeesh
As the city heats up, everything seems to move just a little bit more slowly, even things you thought couldn't get any slower:
After half an hour of waiting... "The next red line train to braintree does not take passengers..." Passes empty #mbtaannoySweetadelinevt
@mbtaGM If the B stands by at Park for a schedule adjustment EVERY MORNING, shouldn't you just permanently shift the schedule? #MBTAannoyChristopher
The red line made it a whole 8 hours into May before their first major delay! Good job guys! @mbtagm #mbtaannoyMike Tremblay
Also, one of these days, my bus will arrive. #MBTAannoyKathryn Kinzel
. @mbtaGM did you change the orange line schedule? What about the oak grove construction? No notification? WTF! #mbtaannoy #fail #latePatrick Mattson
"We are experiencing delays blahblahblah..." #mbtaannoy @mbtaGMSammy Gorin
You weren't in any hurry were you? Let's hope not, because there's no room for you:
Red line inbound full at N Quincy station. 7-9 minute headway clearly not enough @mbtaGM #mbtaannoyMike Tremblay
At least a few riders lucked out:
Brand new double decker trains for the ride home #winning #mbtabragNatalie Leveille
Thought I was going to be super late but the heavens opened and sent me an on time train right as I was coming up the escalator. #mbtabragRhiannon Gorham
BREAKING NEWS: the 70A is running on time! #mbta #MBTAbragerod
But many weren't so fortunate, and some are too jaded to believe the MBTA's reassurances:
"There's another train right behind me" - best mbta green line lie. Drivera never get tired of saying it. @mbtaGM #mbtaannoyD
In these days of tracking apps why do they continue to say another train is right behind? #mbta #mbtaannoyrev8056
These next few tweets, all posted less than an hour after the one above, may show why the mysterious Twitter user known only as rev8056 has become so jaded:
So @mbtaGM how many 43 yo trains disabled today? 3-4 so far and nothing ordered to replace them #mbta #mbtaannoyrev8056
Parking @ Andrew & next train in Braintree Why? Another disabled of course! #mbta #mbtaannoyrev8056
@mbtaGM sounds like this train will drop the last car at any minute Maybe that would get the T to replace decrepit trains #mbta #mbtaannoyrev8056
Last train got to Braintree 20 mins ago so let's park @ Quincy Adams for a while Let me guess signal system broke again #mbta #mbtaannoyrev8056
Still parked @ Quincy Adams @ mbtaGM will trains actually be moving today? #mbta #mbtaannoyrev8056
This week Christina and Matt stood in the sunshine of their local bus stops, wondering just how they could get the drivers' attention:
@mbtaGM #mbtaannoy Had to chase down bus # 2178 due to him driving by me, saying bc I was looking at my phone. I was, bc he 10 mins lateChristina M. Smith
Once again - a #1 bus blows by mass ave and beacon without stopping bus #2210 this time. Getting very sick of this!!!!! #mbtaannoyD. Matt Brothers
Natalie opted for the Orange Line but was no happier with the level of service:
Another slow orange line driver #killingme #mbtaannoy #idonothaveallnightNatalie Leveille
At least Sonia found that she and her trolley conductor were on the same page:
My #greenline driver just sounded so annoyed that he had to stand by for a schedule adjustment. We're with you on that. #mbtaannoySonia Rose
And James got a driver who made his commute better, then had another good experience on the same bus line just three hours later:
Tobin traffic sucked but our 111 driver sped up after the tolls to make up for it! #mbtabrag #idontonlymentiongripesJames
Just used my weeky pass to board the 111 via the Rear Door for the first time. And I got a seat. #mbtabragJames
Kyle, though, had a bus ride that veered toward danger:
My bus & a train almost had a head-on collision at Packard's Corner. Don't know who had right of way... @universalhub @mbtaGM #MBTAannoyKyle W. Kerr
And several riders had complaints about broken or malfunctioning equipment:
@mbtaGM Any idea when countdown clocks will work at Harvard Station again? Going on 3+ weeks now of no arrival times. #mbtaannoy #mbtafailSteve
@annnndkim Ih was told my pass exp'd 28(Mar) & went all the way to DWTN Xg only to be told it was fine. #mbtaannoy @mbtagm @universalhubStateless Anima
Hey, @mbtaGM, how much extra cash are you making from people whose May passes didn't reload? #mbtaannoyKatie Hamill
Out of tunnel where you get 5 bars of 4 G & no available data how does the T connect Red Line to Internet ? Dial up? #mbta #mbtaannoyrev8056
What, are Daleks making announcements on the #MBTA now?!? I expected to hear "Destroy!!" on the PA system. #MBTAAnnoyKen Cuffee
Sean pointed out that some equipment just needs a little help:
The T @mbtagm really needs a door closing announcement like @wmata. Took six attempts for Red Line train to close doors. #mbtaannoySean Smyth
While several commuters said their fellow riders needed help with their manners:
Seriously considered asking for the autograph of the guy who thought he was too important to move out of the door. #MBTAannoyMBTA Rider
@RhiannonJulia: People that hug the poles, wear backpacks, have no sense of pers space should have their own train. #mbtaannoyRhiannon Gorham
There should be a sobriety check to ride the train during rush hour. #mbtaannoy.Sean Fahey
Dear Men on Public Transportation: Learn to put your knees together. #MBTAannoysnowgray
love when people stare at me on the T... not #MBTAannoyKyla McCabe-Corrow
At least some fellow passengers are amusing, or fun to be around, or thoughtful:
"The destination of this train is Riverside" // Child on train: "Ugh I HATE Riverside!" #mbtabragArthur Liu
Girl waiting for the bus with me actually told me to go first because she had cash and it would take her longer. #stunned #MBTAbragKyle W. Kerr
To the boy playing air guitar on the green line - I play a mean air bass. Let's jam. #MBTABragJessica Chahanovich
Young people jammin to a street musician at Govt Ctr. So much fun. #mbtabragNeenah Estrella-Luna
Got a compliment about my hair today on the T. Made my morning. We need more complimenting. #mbtabragNeenah Estrella-Luna
But no one was charming out Ellie or Mabel out of their frustration with unspecified issues:
Unreal commute this am. Thanks orange line. #mbtaannoyEllie Rounds
The T is really grinding my gears today #mbtaannoymabel
Are your gears getting ground by the MBTA? A tweet with the hashtag #MBTAannoy could be just the thing to grease those cogs and make you feel better. And the next time someone says, "Hey man, nice bangs," don't forget to #MBTAbrag about it.

Jeremy C. Fox can be reached at jeremy.fox@globe.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @jeremycfox.
Follow Downtown on Twitter: @YTDowntown.

Boston's New Urban Mechanics initiative named one of top 25 in nation by Harvard

May 1, 2013 06:46 PM

downtown Boston with Custom House Tower.jpg

Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com

Downtown Boston.

A City of Boston initiative has been named one of the top government innovations in the country by an institute at Harvard University.

The Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics is among 25 semifinalists for the Innovations in American Government Award, presented by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

“These top 25 innovations in government offer real, tangible ways to protect our most disadvantaged citizens, educate the next-generation workforce, and utilize data analytics to enhance government performance,” Stephen Goldsmith, director of the center’s Innovations in Government program, said in a statement Wednesday.

“Despite diminishing resources, these government programs have developed model innovations that other struggling agencies should be inspired to replicate and adapt to their own communities,” Goldsmith said.

The Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics works to deliver an array of transformative city services to residents, ranging from enhancing public spaces, to increasing civic participation, to improving educational outcomes, according to Harvard.

The 25 initiatives were selected by a panel of researchers, practitioners, and policy specialists, Harvard said. The Innovations in American Government Award winner and four finalists will be announced in the fall.

In the list released Wednesday, the programs are presented in alphabetical order and are not ranked.

The Ford Foundation created the award in 1985 to draw attention to effective government programs, Harvard said. The awards program has since recognized more than 400 government initiatives at the local, state and federal level, as well as tribal governments, and provided more than $22 million in grants to support efforts to help disseminate those programs.

A full list of the Top 25 programs is available here.

Jeremy C. Fox can be reached at jeremy.fox@globe.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @jeremycfox.
Follow Downtown on Twitter: @YTDowntown.

Video | MBTA takes steps to boost safety, security throughout system

May 1, 2013 06:41 PM

(Matt Rocheleau for Boston.com)

The temporary extra patrols of well-armed police officers and soldiers in MBTA stations are gone. But the quest to bolster the long-term safety of the public transit system is far from over.

The T still has $80 million in unspent federal homeland security grants, which have been doled to public transportation systems across the country since 2002.

The $60 million in federal grants spent by the T over the past decade has helped make the agency a national leader in the industry of public transit safety.

“The efforts toward security and policing that the MBTA has had in place for a number of years have really been looked at as a benchmark for the industry,” said Greg Hull, director of operations, safety and security for the American Public Transportation Association.

And, when the bombs went off at the Boston Marathon two weeks ago, officials at the MBTA said that, while shocked and devastated like the rest of the city, they were prepared, largely due to the new equipment and training acquired in recent years.

“It was controlled chaos,” said Randy Clarke, senior director of security and emergency management for the MBTA and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

He described the atmosphere of the T’s central hub for dispatch and communications, or Operations Control Center, as officials scrambled to secure stations and stop some service after the explosions at Copley Square, and then again several day later when the system was shut down during a lengthy manhunt.

“I hate to say we’re used to crises and trained for them, but we are,” Clarke said.

On Monday, two weeks after the Marathon bombings, MBTA officials gave a tour of the control center, which includes some of the transit industry’s most sophisticated technology for daily operations and security.

FULL ENTRY

Some pay phones in Boston to offer free Wi-Fi Internet hotspots this summer

April 30, 2013 12:05 PM

Free Wi-Fi Internet access will soon be broadcast from 16 existing pay phones in Boston.

And officials from companies leading the effort hope to, pending city approval, rapidly expand the service so that a total of about 100 existing pay phones across Boston will offer free wireless Internet hotspots by the end of this summer. By the end of next summer, they hope they will have reached a total of about 400 payphones citywide.

The effort, called “FreeBostonWiFi,” is being carried out on a trial basis, company officials said.

So far, the city’s Department of Innovation and Technology has approved Wi-Fi installations at 16 pay phones, located around City Hall, Faneuil Hall, Downtown Crossing and Long Wharf, according to Tyler Kratz, president of DAS Communications, which is one of four private companies partnering on the effort.

RCN Business Services, LCC International Inc., Pacific Telemanagement Services and DAS Communications announced their plan at a conference in Boston last week.

Four temporary demo sites were set up at pay phones near the Hyatt Regency hotel where the conference was held, the companies said.

One site at Cambridge and Court streets near City Hall Plaza was heavily used even though nothing was done at the site to advertise that the Wi-Fi signal was there.

“People had no idea it was there unless they saw it on their phone,” or other mobile device, said Kratz. “People were using it quite a bit. It blew my mind.”

Over about a 24-hour span last week, about 18,000 mobile devices “noticed” the Wi-Fi. About 2,000 devices connected and more than 200 people spent and average of 17 minutes using the Internet connection, he said.

“There’s a demand for this,” said Kratz.

He said the Wi-Fi service at that payphone by City Hall was supposed to be permanent. But, last week it was struck by some bad luck. A vehicle rammed into and damaged the booth. But, Kratz said the companies plan to have it replaced and restore Wi-Fi service within a couple of weeks.

The other 15 pay phones in line to get Internet hotspots are also located in downtown Boston and in areas that draw a high number of pedestrians, including commuters, business professionals and tourists.

Kratz said another focus will be to add the service to pay phones in low-income areas of Boston where some people cannot afford their own Internet access.

“Boston is a great city. With all of the college students and the young people it’s perfect demographically,” he said. “And we really want to make sure this is not just clustered in one spot.”

The Wi-Fi hotspots will offer around-the-clock Internet access for an unlimited amount of time at no cost to users or taxpayers.

The signal is usually accessible within 100 to 200 feet of the kiosk, though range can vary depending on whether there are objects or structures around the kiosk that could interfere with the signal.

To connect to the Wi-Fi hotspots, users need to select FreeBostonWiFiSSID on their mobile device and then accept the connection’s terms and conditions. No password is needed and no personal information gathered.

The companies that own the kiosks and run the service pay for installing and maintaining the new infrastructure at the payphone stations.

Some of the kiosks themselves have advertisements on them to generate revenue for the companies, but Kratz said the Internet service will not display ads on users devices.

"The partnership is giving new life to telephone booths that have almost become extinct due to the evolution of the cell phone," said a statement from Jeff Carlson, vice president and general manager of RCN Boston. “Small cell and Wi-Fi technology deployed through this partnership is another step toward delivering high quality wireless by lighting up hotspots in Boston using RCN's unparalleled fiber network."

The payphone kiosks will broadcast Wi-Fi in part by using small cell technology, which allows mobile devices, such as cell phones, to work.

"It's interesting and a little ironic that capacity demands from the cellular market has allowed for the repurposing of existing phone infrastructure, like payphone kiosks,” said a statement from E.J. von Schaumburg , vice president of Advanced Mobility Solutions at LCC International. “Utilizing small cell technology, we can take advantage of the excellent kiosk locations throughout an urban area and deliver high quality cellular capacity at the street level."

Last summer, a pilot program launched in New York City in which free public Wi-Fi Internet hotspots were emitted from routers installed at about 10 payphones.

Kratz said his company has been involved with the efforts in New York City and that his company now runs Wi-Fi from about 20 payphones there and plans to soon add the service to about 40 more payphones.

City officials in New York have said they plan to have Internet service added to all 12,000 payphones there.

Several weeks later after the program debuted in New York, two at-large City Councilors in Boston – Felix G. Arroyo and Ayanna Pressley – proposed doing something similar here.

Kratz said he has since met with Arroyo to discuss replicating the service in Boston and that he and other city officials have been instrumental in helping it launch.

Use of payphones has become rare because of cell phones. Some payphones no longer function to make calls. Others have been removed entirely.

Wi-Fi hotspots will help restore some use to the old payphone kiosks, officials have said.

The first-ever payphone was installed at a bank in Hartford in the late 1800s.

Since 1997, the number of payphones nationwide has dropped from an estimated peak of about 2.2 million to about 400,000, according to a petition that the American Public Communications Council, which advocates for payphone use, sent to the Federal Communications Commission last spring.

Kratz said the roughly 400 payphones in Boston his company hopes to bring Wi-Fi to are all owned by Pacific Telemanagement Services. He said there are few others in the city.

Kratz said his company is also in talks with city officials about the possibility of having free wireless Internet access broadcast from key municipal buildings, like police and fire stations, as well as from old-fashioned fire alarm boxes around Boston. But, Kratz said, no agreement has been reached and other companies are pitching similar ideas to the city.

E-mail Matt Rocheleau at mjrochele@gmail.com.
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Community leader honored at ribbon cutting of Frieda Garcia Park

April 29, 2013 01:49 PM

RibCutFredaGarciaParkSouthEnd.jpg

(Photo by Isabel Leon/City of Boston)

The South End’s Frieda Garcia Park buzzed with activity Monday as dozens of neighborhood residents, local and state officials, and community leaders gathered to officially open the park and honor Garcia.

Children spun, jumped, and climbed on the new blue and yellow playground equipment at the corner of Clarendon and Stanhope streets before a ribbon cutting ceremony at the 12,000 square-foot park.

“Our hope is that this park will forever honor Frieda’s extraordinary leadership in our community and serve as a constant reminder of the strength, the resilience, and the beauty of our city and this community,” said Craig Bromley, president of John Hancock Financial Services. John Hancock funded the development of the park.

“We wanted to provide them with a safe outdoor play place where they could be active, a place where they could feel safe, a place where they could simply be kids,” Bromley said. “That vision is now a reality.”

The park will now be cared for by The Friends of Frieda Garcia Park, which already has $1.2 million for regular maintenance.

Garcia, originally from the Dominican Republic, moved to Boston from New York in 1965 and has been a longtime community activist and leader in the South End and Roxbury.

She has served as a United Way board member, a founding member of the Alianza Hispana, and as executive director of the United South End Settlements for 20 years.

“When I accepted the job at USES…I had no idea how I would be stretched by the philosophy of settlement houses and its focus on neighborhoods and its residents,” said Garcia, who praised the neighborhood organizations working to improve the community and the lives of its residents.

But the praise remained focused on Garcia.

“I was always impressed and amazed of her graciousness and pleasantness every time we would talk, but then I learned a whole lot more about this lady in terms of her commitment to her community,” Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo told the crowd. “I’ve seen her commitment to her family, and her love of the city of Boston, and that’s why this honor is so greatly deserved.”

And Garcia continued to focus on her commitment to the city even as she celebrated the park’s opening.

“Knowing that building a community doesn’t come naturally and that we all have to work at it--particularly in these difficult times—means that I may come by and sit at this beautiful park with some friends and have a cup of coffee, but there’s more work to do,” she said.

E-mail Kaiser at Johanna.yourtown@gmail.com. For more news about your city, town, neighborhood, or campus, visit boston.com’s Your Town homepage.

South End through a lens: BCA artist in residence captures spirit of the neighborhood

April 29, 2013 11:46 AM

IMG_8523.jpgPhotographer Edie Bresler with Fred Watson and Bob Beck, two subjects of a portrait from her Exchange Economy project for the Boston Center for the Arts.

Photo by Olga Khvan

Edie Bresler, a Canon camera strapped around her neck and a plastic pinhole Holga camera tucked away in her blue equipment bag, was just wandering down Shawmut Avenue in the South End when her smile caught resident Bob Beck’s attention.

Intrigued, Beck invited Bresler into his home, where he and his partner Fred Watson told the photographer about the history of the neighborhood. 

Nearly three hours later, Bresler left with a photograph of the two — light streaming in from a window, casting a soft glow on the faces of Watson, seated in an armchair, and Beck, perched on its arm.

It was a new experience for the pair, but not for Bresler, the artist in residence at the Boston Center for the Arts. She is documenting people in the South End through photography and finds her subjects by doing something she has always loved — wandering.

On April 6, the portrait Bresler had created of Beck and Watson was one of many hanging on the walls in the lobby of the Boston Center for the Arts’ Artist Studio Building, where she was hosting a community photo day. The two stopped by to claim their photograph, exchanging it for a voucher Bresler gave them.

“We took our calendar and put a big red circle, saying ‘Edie’s Day,’” said Watson. “She’s a very comfortable person to be with. She had a beautiful smile and a very friendly persona. She just looked as though you should say hello and talk to her, so I did.”

Now a Somerville resident, Bresler grew up in New York City, where she and a friend would frequent the Port Authority Bus Terminal or Penn Station, looking for new places to explore.

“We’d say, ‘This is how much money I have. Where can I go and get back?’ and the people at the ticket counter would be like, ‘Is this a joke?’” she recalled.

When she was 13, her mother was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, an aggressive muscle deterioration disease. Looking for a way to cope, Bresler turned to photography.

“It became an antidote to what was going on,” she said. “And then it stuck.”

But she did not take a direct path to a career in photography. Her first choice, while attending the University of Vermont, was to major in science.

One day, her chemistry professor questioned her passion for the subject.

“He said to me, ‘When you come into the lab, you’re never as excited about what you’re working on as when you come in after you’ve been photographing. So what do you want to do with your life?’” Bresler recalled. “Nobody had ever asked me that before.”

Bresler dropped out of college, spent six months in Israel, went on to travel around Europe and eventually returned to New York to attend the School of Visual Arts and study photography.

Now, she spends Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays teaching photography and digital imaging courses at Simmons College. 

But on Mondays, Saturdays and Sundays, she walks the streets of the South End, looking for subjects.

One Saturday in April, she stopped by a Syrian grocery store, bought some figs, then tried to engage the owner in conversation. The ambiance was just not right, the scene was not natural enough. Vowing to return, she continued down Shawmut Avenue and stopped at the entrance to Peters Park to watch a man working the grounds with a rake.

“When you’re new to a scene, everybody notices you. The longer you hang out and just watch, people forget you’re there and you become part of the scene,” she said, as she eyed her potential subject.

When Bresler eventually approached South End resident Bernard Petersen, he explained that all the gardening in Peters Park is done by volunteers, motioning to the daffodils he had planted, his “pride and joy.”

Through Petersen, Bresler met and photographed Rolf Frank, the “master gardener,” as Petersen described him, as well as Tom Payzant, former superintendent of Boston Public Schools, his wife Ellen and their dog Jaxon.

“Everybody you meet in the neighborhood leads you to another person and everything becomes familiar,” said Bresler.

While Bresler hopes that an institution will purchase the project, which ends June 15, the real value of it for her is not monetary.

“The best [pictures] are the ones that you can give back to somebody,” she said. “My sincere hope is gifting it back out to the community.”

Back at the Artist Studio Building, Bob Beck and Fred Watson raved that Bresler, though not a neighborhood resident, had captured the “spirit of the South End.”

They admired the collection of portraits hanging alongside theirs —store clerk Yulia at the front desk of a dry cleaning and tailoring place on Shawmut Avenue, local vendor Leo in front of his fruit and vegetable stand, postal worker Peter on his regular route consisting of the South End’s traditional brick row houses.  

The people that Bresler painted were not all residents, but all dependent on the neighborhood for their livelihood. 

They were not all smiling, but all clearly at ease in a moment captured by a stranger.

This article is being published under a partnership between The Boston Globe and Boston University.

A Twitter tribute to MBTA Officer Richard Donohue

April 26, 2013 04:09 PM

Donohue and Collier.jpg

AP Photo/Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

In this 2010 photo provided by the MBTA, Richard Donohue Jr., left, and Sean Collier pose together at their graduation from the Municipal Police Officers' Academy.

A Twitter tribute to MBTA Officer Richard Donohue

Storified by Jeremy C. Fox· Fri, Apr 26 2013 13:26:34

Each week in this space, Twitter users respond to the joys -- and, more often, the frustrations -- of riding the T.

But the events of the past 11 days have shifted many perspectives, and it seems in bad taste to mock the MBTA for running a few minutes late while a Transit Police officer lies in Mount Auburn Hospital, struggling to recover from a bullet wound incurred as he pursued two men suspected of murdering a colleague and friend. 

This week's column will feature no complaints, only messages of thanks, support, and of the joy of being alive and safe in a great city. 

It is dedicated to Officer Richard "Dic" Donohue Jr. and his fellow Transit Police and MBTA staff, who work harder than they get credit for. It is also dedicated to the other law enforcement officers who risk their lives to make all residents of Greater Boston safer, and to Donohue's police academy classmate and friend, MIT police Officer Sean Collier, killed in the line of duty.

To begin, here is just a sampling of many messages of appreciation and support for Officer Donohue, who graduated from the Virginia Military Institute and served in the Navy before joining the Transit Police:
picture of cadets at VMI signing a flag for MBTA officer Richard Donohue, '02 VMI grad, injured in Boston shootout. pic.twitter.com/YA3oI5gDZKAnne McNamara
Dic Donahue, one of VMI my classmates, was seriously wounded by suspect. Pls RT this site to support Dic's family: indiegogo.com/projects/injur…John Noonan
Our thoughts & prayers are with MBTA Transit Police Officer Richard Donohue Jr. who was shot last night in Watertown, MA. #bostonmarathonbretmichaels
Send prayers toward #MBTA Officer Richard Donohue who was shot and seriously injured last night. Get well, brother pic.twitter.com/OKgBgFxpj8Brian Austin
Thank you to everyone who has sent us well wishes from around the world! Please keep Officer Donohue in your prayers! #BostonStrong #MBTAMBTA Transit Police
Please pray for our hero Officer Richard H. Donohue's recovery #MBTACamille Collins
Thinking about MBTA Transit Officer Richard H. Donohue Jr., who was shot and critically injured Thurs. night by Marathon bombers. @nleomfCraig Floyd
#BostonStrong Honor a hero - Boston MBTA officer indiegogo.com/projects/injur…Conor Evans
Officer Donohue and Officer Collier... Graduation day at the MBTA Police Academy. Please keep both in your prayers pic.twitter.com/Aii90KrJZOBraintree Police
Wishing for a full recovery for wounded MBTA Transit Police Officer Richard Donohue, Jr. @MBTATransitPDMiddlesex Sheriff
Praying for MBTA Officer Richard Donohue to make a full recoveryMegan
Please help a fellow #VMI grad and wounded #boston hero! indiegogo.com/projects/injur…Matt Howard
Here is me with MBTA Officer Richard Donohue who is in critical, but stable condition. Hopes he makes a full recovery pic.twitter.com/LrLndc0mGUAdolfo Gonzalez
Police Officer & Navy Veteran Dic Donahue and his family are in need of support after he was critically wounded... fb.me/NEGT2vgSFenix281
Here's a name that should be remembered: Richard Donohue. latimes.com/news/nation/na…StarFortress
@NHLBruins thank you, shirt to be presented to #MBTA TPD Officer Donohue & his family. #bostonstrong pic.twitter.com/gr4sFL0U3qMBTA Transit Police
Please take a moment today to remember MBTA Officer Richard Donohue and all those recovering from last week's terrorist attack in Boston.Greenfield Police
Please consider supporting Boston hero and VMI graduate Dic Donahue Jr. All proceeds go to him and his family: indiegogo.com/projects/injur…Taylor S. Evans
Virginia Military Inst. honor TPD Officer Donohue for his heroic actions. #MBTA #bostonstrongtpdnews411.com/2013/04/virgin…MBTA Transit Police
Just made donation to new fund for wounded Officer Donohue (MBTA) @ officerricharddonohue.comMichael DeGrosky
Please keep MBTA OFFICER RICHARD DONOHUE in your prayers as he continues to recover in the hospital after being shot in BostonMike Brooks
Please support Injured MBTA Officer Dic Donohue #VMI '02 Grad & all around great guy! igg.me/p/injured-mbta… #indiegogo via @indiegogoKayla Lane
@vmialumni hero and fallen brother. indiegogo.com/projects/injur…David Dixon
MBTA Transit Officer "Dic" Donohue needs our help; he is gravely injured from the shootout with the Boston... fb.me/2335fuOm3David Smith
Dic Donohue is a hero who put his life in danger to stop the bad guys! Hope he makes a full and quick recovery. Best #MBTABrag ever.Sara F.
@YTDowntown thank you to all our officers in Blue and our first responders! R?I?P Sean Collier #MBTABragDiana Hill
All around Boston this week, there were signs of a resilient city recovering from the horrors of the Marathon bombings and the subsequent pursuit of the alleged bombers, during which Collier was killed and Donohue wounded:
#bostonstrong #CT2 #MBTAbrag pic.twitter.com/UMJJUSPh69Rachel Heaton (Ryan)
Took a ride down Boylston on the 39. Crowded with gawkers and pilgrims alike. Glad I was on the bus. #mbtabragNeenah Estrella-Luna
And there were simple acts of kindness:
I was running for the #OrangeLine at Back Bay and a guy put his hand out to make sure the door didn't close. Boston is the best. #MBTAbragJeremy C. Fox
Thank you to the sweet bus driver on the #66 who waited for me to cross the street to catch the bus & w a smile! #mbtabrag Little things..._veritaserum
Got a moth dying to get out of my red line train today, out. Gratitudes. #mbtabragJules Wang
Slowly, here and there, life began to return to normal:
A dude on my train is eating something called "perky jerky." Is that caffeinated jerky? #mbtabrag? #dontevenwanttoknowSara F.
And sometimes even better than normal:
All connections made, no disabled trains, air conditioning, & not too cramped. A good day for sure. #MBTAbragAndrea Still Gray
There’s a puppy on my train! #MBTAbragMelinda
Donations to Donohue and his family can be made at www.officerricharddonohue.com, or by mailing checks payable to the “MBTA Police Association Benevolent Fund Inc.” to MBTA Police Department, c/o Officer Donohue Fund, 240 South Hampton St., Boston, MA, 02118.


To donate to The One Fund Boston, established by Governor Deval Patrick and Mayor Thomas M. Menino to benefit those injured in the bombings and the families of those killed, visit onefundboston.org or send a check to One Fund Boston Inc., 800 Bolyston St. #990009, Boston, MA 02199. 

Next week, this page will return to its usual purpose of cataloging your frustrating, exciting, and just plan confusing experiences on the T, so keep using #MBTAbrag and #MBTAannoy to let everyone know how you feel. And stay safe.

Jeremy C. Fox can be reached at jeremy.fox@globe.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @jeremycfox.
Follow Downtown on Twitter: @YTDowntown.

South End Historical Society celebrates Jazz Week with open house

April 26, 2013 01:46 PM

The South End Historical Society is offering a look at the history of jazz and hosting musical performances as part of Boston’s annual Jazz Week.

The South End Jazz Open House scheduled for Saturday, May 4, is the historical society’s first event in its Inaugural Richard O. Card History Series, and will celebrate the neighborhood’s musical history.

“The South End had a rich history and played an important role in shaping Boston’s jazz scene,” the society’s Stacen Goldman, said in a statement. “World-famous musicians like Count Basie and Thelonius Monk played in the Savoy, the Hi-Hat, and other South End clubs. We want to showcase that history, and also draw attention to what is still here today.”

The open house, which is set to run from 12 to 5 p.m., will allow visitors to learn about various sites near the intersection of Massachusetts and Columbus avenues, known as the “Jazz Corner of Boston.”

The society will provide a guidebook and map, allowing people to travel between sites at their own pace. Talks and performances will run throughout the day.

“The South End is the original home of jazz in Boston,” Richard Vacca, author of The Boston Jazz Chronicles, said in a statement. “The clubs were here, and so were the best of the musicians—drummers Roy Haynes, Alan Dawson, and Tony Williams all got their starts right here.”

Vacca will speak several times during the afternoon. The presentations will also mix video, portraits Winthrop photographer Nick Puopolo, and conversations with South End resident who lived through the era.

Tickets for the open house can be purchased online or the day of the event at the historical society located at 532 Massachusetts Ave. All proceeds benefit the South End Historical Society.

E-mail Kaiser at Johanna.yourtown@gmail.com. For more news about your city, town, neighborhood, or campus, visit boston.com’s Your Town homepage.

Patriots player Steve Gregory to support United Way at 'old Hollywood' gala at Revere Hotel

April 25, 2013 06:04 PM

More than 400 young philanthropists from Greater Boston and the Merrimack Valley are expected to attend the upcoming United Way Emerging Leaders Spring Gala at The Revere Hotel’s Space 57.

The “old Hollywood”-themed celebration for the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley will include appearances by honorary event chairs New England Patriots defensive back Steve Gregory and his wife Rosanne.

The United Way encourages attendees to dress in the formal-wear fashions of the Golden Age of Hollywood glamour, from the 1920s to the 1950s, to help set the mood.

Volunteers in the United Way’s Emerging Leaders program support its Youth Venture initiative, which provides assistance to entrepreneurs ages 12 – 20 to help them launch small businesses intended to create lasting changes in their communities.

The event will include hors d’oeuvres; beverages, with complimentary wine and beer provided by Narragansett Beer and Berkshire Mountain Distillers; dancing, with music provided by KISS 108 radio personality and gala host Rich DiMare; and a silent auction to support local youth.

The gala will take place at the Revere Hotel, 200 Stuart St., from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, May 18.

Tickets are $100 when sold individually, $90 each for a pair, and $85 each for groups of six or more. They are available at el.supportunitedway.org/gala13. Contact el@supportunitedway.org for more information.

Jeremy C. Fox can be reached at jeremy.fox@globe.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @jeremycfox.
Follow Downtown on Twitter: @YTDowntown.

Deep Thoughts fills Jamaica Plain's vinyl needs

April 24, 2013 05:15 PM

DEEP THOUGHTS PHOTO.jpg

Lauren Moquin/Globe Correspondent

Co-owner Pete Negroponte with two of his favorite finds in his store: “Pregnant Babies Pregnant With Babies” by Fat Worm Of Error and “False Relationships And The Extended Ending/The Viola In My Life” by Morton Feldman.

When Nick Williams and Peter Negroponte opened a new a record store in Jamaica Plain on April 1, they had no marketing plan.

UPDATE: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Jamaica Plain did not have another record store.

But they’ve seen a steady flow of customers at their store Deep Thoughts, located at 138b South St.

“We thought people would just figure it out. We made a Facebook page and we made some flyers that we forgot to give out. Things have been going really great. One guy came from New Hampshire already. People figured out that it exists,” Williams said.

On the third day the store was open, just six months after the two came up with the idea for the store, Negroponte was home with food poisoning, but Williams filled the little store with his energy. He looked around the store and the six people sifting through items in different areas of the room.

“A store like this that has some of the more oddball stuff, it just attracts people,” he said. “They just want to come from wherever.”

People walking down South Street are drawn to the whimsical colors and shapes in the window and in the store. The store has already become a comfortable hang-out.

Customers linger on the white couch in the middle of the room either looking over their finds or conversing.

The variety of merchandise that draws customers to come in and hang out derives from the co-owners.

Williams had been the manager of Feeding Tube, a record store in Northampton, for a year and half and sold records on Discogs, a website for dealing vinyl. When it came time to build variety for Deep Thoughts, the two pulled all of their resources together.

“I’ve been dealing records for three or four years now,” Williams said, “so I already had a bunch of records. We used to work with about seven distributors, and we’ve been buying off people of the street,” Williams said. “No matter what the economic crisis or whatever may be happening, people always buy records.”

“Or cassettes,” a customer chimes in.

“Or cassettes, or books. I’ve actually been surprised that young people are coming in and buying books. I just thought that it didn’t happen as much anymore,” Williams said.

Deep Thoughts has also established itself as a place for live music and a place to hang out from 12-8 p.m. on any given day. Williams and Negroponte have worked to cultivate an environment of creativity and community, and Williams hopes it grows beyond their shop.

“There’s a couple stores for rent just a block away from us,” he said. “I encourage anyone who wants to open a bookstore, coffee shop, or whatever, to come down to South Street because things are just nicer here.”

This article is being published under an arrangement between the Boston Globe and Emerson College.


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