I'd never make it as a Dolittle.

On the way to work today a hawk swooped down and landed on a large stone gate about 20 feet in front of me. It was the first time I've ever seen a hawk in my neighborhood - and so close - let alone with fresh kill in one of its talons! I kept walking toward it since I had to go that way to get to work, but I kept an eye on it...you know, just in case. Well, the hawk didn't like that. It noticed that I was looking at it. In return, it stared back and we locked eyes for a few seconds.

When I was about 10 feet away, I decided to be neighborly and half-jokingly said, " What's up, birdie?" In a flash the hawk spread its wings, took off in the opposite direction, dropped the squirrel with a dull thud onto the sidewalk, and perched itself in a high tree. When it saw that I was about to walk under that tree, it took off again and flew across the park.

On the return home hours later, I saw the dead squirrel still on the ground where it had been dumped.

So much for fearless birds of prey. Even pigeons and seagulls will come back for their food. Then again, with so much fresh prey around here, I guess there was no point bothering to come back for old meat.

One of the great things about living in Massachusetts is the passion and the commitment people have to celebrating the state's art and heritage. Although most people think that the Boston area gets the most attention and publicity, I think state and regional officials do a great job at making sure that a balance exists between the metro area and the rest of the state.

That said, I was surprised to read today's Globe article about the state wanting to create a commission that would create an official list of 1000 great places in Massachusetts. As the article implies, the list great places would be subjective. I didn't see any mention of an official criteria for determining greatness, which adds to the dubiousness of this project and the commission. Besides, if a place is truly great (in whatever way that eventually becomes determined), wouldn't most people already know about it and take advantage of it? Do we really need a list of great places just for the sake of having a list? State officials could save time and money by mandating that the Massachusetts Office and Travel and Tourism (MOTT) take a poll of residents statewide and then create the list. Anything else just seems like reinventing the wheel.

Besides that, what are they going to do with this list? Is it for tourism? Will it help residents become more aware of what's around them? Is it for preservation purposes? Rep. Turkington is quoted as saying that, "It's sort of the equivalent of a UNESCO World Heritage site, in a much more modest way." By referencing UNESCO's World Heritage program, surely he's aware that their compilation is about more than having a list of sites. UNESCO sites are protected. Furthermore, that protection is funded and there are reporting, technical assistance, and training programs in place. Is he suggesting that Massachusetts' 1000 official great places would receive the same protection, funding, and safeguards? Or, is the "much more modest way" his euphemism for saying that it's just a list?

C'mon, state officials. Stop looking for ways to keep yourself busy when there's real work to be done regarding the state budget and the current economic downturn. If you want a list, leave it to MOTT and ask residents to make their suggestions. We don't need to be told which places around us are great. Plus, residents would most likely develop a list which is relevant to how they actually use and appreciate the state's great places. Opening up the discussion to the wider public may have the added benefit of boosting knowledge and patronage of lesser known attractions without stealing the thunder of better known ones.

Boston Media Makers meetings are the first Sunday of every month at 10 AM at Doyle's Cafe in Jamaica Plain, MA

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