Beacon Hill

Seems some bicyclists are e-mailing the city Parks and Recreation Department all huffy about the new no-bicycling stencils applied to walkways on the Common last week.

But the ban is actually nothing new - it's just that, unlike in the Public Garden, where bicyclists are also warned to stay out, the previous stencils had faded away, Parks spokeswoman Jacquelyn Goddard says. "This is not a new policy prohibiting cycling on Boston Common. New paint was applied on top of faded paint stencils."

Goddard says her department is referring verklempt bicyclists upset at being told they can't use paths meant for pedestrians to city Bike Program Director Nicole Freedman, who "plans to work with the riders to help them find optional routes for the Beacon/Boylston/Tremont street area."

Boston Police have released new video of the man they say may have attacked three women on Beacon Hill last week.

Frog Pond Freddie will be there to lead opening ceremonies for the spray and wading area at 11 a.m. that day, the city announces.

Anne Frank sapling gets its first mulching.

City and Dutch officials today dedicated a sapling from the chestnut tree that stood outside Anne Frank's refuge and that she wrote in her diary gave her much comfort.

The sapling sits behind some protective wrought iron at the bottom of the hill leading up to the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, on the Earl of Sandwich side.

Boston is one of 11 U.S. cities to get one of the saplings from the tree - taken before it collapsed in 2010 - thanks to Aliya Finkel, a student at Gann Academy in Waltham, who got Mayor Menino's ear and convinced him to apply for the tree. Among the people who raised money to plant the sapling in Boston: Students at the Indian Head School in Hanson.

Finkel helped give the sapling its first mulching this morning, along with officials who included City Councilor Mike Ross, whose father Stephen is a holocaust survivor.

Boston Police have released this video, which they say may show the man responsible for at least one of the three sexual assaults on Beacon Hill Thursday and Friday.

Police describe him as white, in his early 20s, about 5'8" with a thin build and fair skin, dark hair and dark eyes. He was wearing a black or gray flat-brimmed cap and a black shirt and possibly long shorts and sneakers. In the video, look at the top and you can see him walking toward the left and then running to the right.

A peeved citizen on Myrtle Street on Beacon Hill complains:

Resident from down the street put computers out in trash, sanitation dept put a note on them informing the resident they could not be disposed in street trash. Resident carried them up the street five houses crossed the street and put them in this tree pit. Resident is a jerk.

The city marks the case closed, says the monitors have been removed. Other residents of the non-jerk variety on Myrtle Street and, indeed, across Boston, can call the DPW to schedule curbside pickup of old monitors and TVs at 617-635-4500.

Boston Police report one woman was raped and two others groped in attacks that may be by the same man.

In the first incident, around 2:15 p.m. on Thursday on Anderson Street, a woman was about to enter her home when a man came up to her from behind and groped her:

Unofficial city returns show state Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry with roughly 82% of the vote against Republican Joe Ureneck.

So who will host next year's St. Patrick's Day breakfast in South Boston?

Meanwhile, in the Democratic primary in the 8th Suffolk state rep's race, Jay Livingstone beat Josh Dawson roughly 68-32.

Boston woke up on Dec. 8, 1941 a changed, frightened and determined city. With war declared, Boston felt particularly vulnerable, given its position right on the coast. But Boston also rolled up its sleeves to help fend off the Axis. Scores of Leslie Jones photos posted by the BPL this week give a taste of life in wartime.

The State House's golden dome was painted over, to keep Beacon Hill from becoming a, well, beacon for Nazi warships (a skylight at MIT's Great Dome was similarly covered up; MIT only began restoring it last fall):

Good Morning Gloucester shows us the 33,000 flags planted on Boston Common this weekend in honor of service members killed in recent wars.

Wicked Local Cambridge reports on the race between Jay Livingstone and Josh Dawson to replace current state Rep. Marty Walz.

The primary is next Tuesday.

A federal grand jury has indicted a former Whitey Bulger lieutenant on charges he took control of a small Beacon Hill church and then looted the income from an apartment building it owns for a decade.

Edward MacKenzie was arraigned in US District Court in Boston this week on a variety of racketeering, money laundering, wire fraud and extortion charges, all related to his role as director of operations of the Boston Society of the New Jerusalem, which owns the Swedenborgian Church and the 18-story apartment building atop it on Bowdoin Street, across from the State House.

A flood of complaints poured in late this afternoon from downtown, the Back Bay and Beacon Hill, where a large contingent of people on dirt bikes, motorcycles and ATVs briefly took over the streets.

At 5:26, Gabe tweeted:

A legit gang of a couple dozen 4wheelers and dirtbikes just ran the red light at Washington & Essex street...confused.

At 5:47, Caitlin tweeted:

What's up with the gang of dirt bikes, ATV's and motorcycles on Newbury St? Weaving in and out of cars with no helmets?

Bill Ilott reports counting 30 riders tonight and says this is the third Sunday in a row for the activity.

Helmetless dirt-bike and ATV riders have long been the scourge of streets such as Blue Hill Avenue.

At 10:50 a.m., Bobby Main tweeted:

Uhaul stuck at bridge on Storrow heading east by Mass. Eye and Ear.

After a passerby spotted the body around 9:20 this morning by the Teddy Ebersol ballfields, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports.

Detectives have a tentative ID based on his wallet, but have yet to release his name pending notification of next of kin, the DA's office says, adding, however, that he is from the greater Boston area.

There are no immediate signs of foul play, but the exact cause and time of death remain under investigation.

This is the third man's body removed from the river over the past couple of months. On March 27, a man's body was recovered between the Hatch Shell and the Mass. Ave. bridge; on March 15, police recovered the body of a man who had been spotted jumping off the Mass. Ave. bridge on Jan. 1.

Yes, that is a Boston parking ticket on the windshield of one of the trucks that has turned the Charles Street side of the Common into a National Guard encampment. Richard Lynds couldn't believe it, either.

UPDATE: See comment below: The city didn't ticket the truck.

The Celebrity Beacon Hill Town Crier was giving Bostonians on the Common the news they needed today.

David Bernstein reports that with Councilor Mike Ross (Mission Hill, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Fenway) running for mayor, Joshua Zakim, now running Joshua Dawson's campaign to replace Marty Walz in the House of Representatives, will be running to replace Ross. Phew. And yes, Zakim is the son of the late Leonard Zakim, as in the bridge.

He'll be running in District 8 against Greg Timilty, whose own father is also well known in these parts: Former City Councilor, State Senator and mayoral candidate Joseph Timilty.

Boston Strolls admired the hats on the Make Way for Ducklings statues in the Public Garden today.

A perplexed citizen notes conflicting parking signs on Beacon Hill:

The resident parking sign at the corner of River and Chestnut was recently modified to say "7am-7pm", with an arrow pointing forward. But the next sign has an arrow pointing backwards that says "7PM - 7AM". The two signs conflict with each other, creating a very confusing situation.

The Cleveland Circle bar goes before the Boston Licensing Board next week for permission to ditch its food-serving license and just serve hard drinks for men who want to get drunk fast - or BC students who just want to relax, at any rate.

Mary Ann's was one of a number of Boston watering holes dinged by a new city enforcement effort over the past four months against bars with food serving licenses that didn't actually serve food. Like the others, Maryanne's was given an warning.

Bars can go all liquid, but only after explaining to the board why they should be allowed to ditch the food and be granted a coveted "general on premises all alcohol beverages" license that has no food requirement.

Also seeking permission to end the food charade: The Beacon Hill Pub, 149A Charles St.

The board's weekly petitions hearing will begin at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 27, in its eighth-floor hearing room in City Hall.

Time-lapse animation from MassDOT. With bonus new-agey guitar track that fortunately you can just turn off when it gets really annoying. And don't worry - they'll be putting the shakers back on.

Join Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders at our annual Summer Party held outside in the heart of Provincetown, MA on Saturday, July 27 from 4:00-7:00PM. Enjoy the view of the harbor, mingle with other GLAD supporters and learn more about our ground-breaking cases.

Tickets are $75 online | $85 on site | $30 student
Purchase at www.glad.org/events.

Don't miss our amazing auction and celebrity auctioneer Kate Clinton. You don't have to be present to win. Travel packages, restaurants, massages, and much more - something for everyone!

Children are welcome to attend (at no charge) and will enjoy a range of fun activities.

Delicious summer fare and refreshing cocktails provided.

More information, tickets and sponsorships are available at www.glad.org/events.

The Parks and Recreation Commission approved a plan this week to set up a rotating system of dog areas on the Common, to be funded by two private groups.

Under the plan, five areas - three along Beacon Street and two near the Parkman Bandstand - will be designated as dog area, but only two will be in use at any one time. The areas will be marked by signs, rather than fences and dog-poop bag dispensers will be installed. Also:

Rules for the recreation areas will include: all dogs must be licensed and vaccinated, dogs must wear collars, no excess barking, and dog owners/handlers may not bring more than three dogs to the area at a time.

The areas will be set up just as soon as the Friends of the Public Garden and Common Canine raise money for running and maintaining the areas and for restoring "turf damaged at the site of a pilot off leash dog area located on the Beacon Street side of the Boston Common near the steps leading to Joy Street."

Why, yes, a train gave up the ghost at Charles/MGH this evening, following this morning's track problems.