Beacon Hill

A judge today ordered a psychiatric evaluation for a Quincy woman charged with tossing yellow paint at the 54th Massachusetts memorial across from the State House, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports.

Rosemine Occean allegedly told park rangers who found her sitting nearby the newly despoiled bas-relief with yellow paint on her face, hands and clothing that the memorial was an "improper depiction of history."

A Boston Municipal Court judge ordered her sent away for a 20-day psych evaluation, the DA's office reports, adding three children from Little Suamico, WI had their iPads and Kindle damaged by the paint and that their mother told authorities they children were "devastated" by the incident.

The Dorchester Reporter reports another group of sad people are local 54th Massachusetts re-enactors:

"I think I feel a little sad for her because she may not know what the monument really stands for," [one re-enactor] said. "I won't judge her, that’s not my place. But I would like to see that person get some kind of a training course about what these men went through during the Civil War."

Innocent, etc.

Photo by Matthew I.

Boston Police report arresting a Quincy woman on charges she threw yellow paint at the memorial across from the State House this afternoon.

On arrival, after confirming damage to the memorial, officers were able to locate the suspect who was still on scene being detained by Park Rangers. Officers observed yellow paint on the suspect's face, hands and clothing. Additionally, a can of yellow paint was seized as evidence.

Rosemine Occean, 38, of Quincy, was charged with willful and malicious destruction of city property.

Innocent, etc.

An aggrieved citizen reports:

Distasteful ad on beautiful public sculpture-MBTA station.

In a forest-trees situation, the city marked the complaint "closed," because:

This isn't graffiti. the markings on the street are for construction.

Note to Mayor's Hotline folks: Look up. And then mark the complaint closed because the MBTA is not under city jursidiction.

Jump in the Frog Pond, of course. Photographynatalia snapped kids cooling off at the Common pond.

Copyright Photographynatalia. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

A Proper Bostonian spots and photographs the mystery Tesla roadster of Beacon Hill:

[I]t's a very rare, very quiet, all-electric sportscar for people who like to go sneaking around at high speeds without being heard.

Down in one of the hollows that surrounds Beacon Hill, Penny Cherubino spots and photographs the mystery generic crapster of the Back Bay, so filled with stuff the driver can barely squeeze in.

A jogging citizen stops long enough to take a photo of a tipped over tree on Staniford Street.

A member of the House of Saud who faces arrest if he ever steps foot in the US for violating probation after he killed a man with his car in 2002 has asked a federal court to let him back in the country to argue why the arrest conditions should be lifted.

In 2005, Bader al Saud pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of motor-vehicle homicide for the death of Orlando Ramos of Cambridge and was sentenced to a year in jail - on Martha's Vineyard. After six months, the state parole board agreed to release him - and he was promptly turned over to federal officials, who put him on a plane to Saudi Arabia.

The Frog Pond wading pool will officially open on Friday at 11 a.m.

The celebration will feature a special visit from official mascot Frog Pond Freddie, entertainment, arts and crafts activities, Fuel Up to Play 60 program activities featuring Hood Milk, face painting, ReadBoston book giveaways, and activities and giveaways from media sponsor Mix 104.1. Children of all ages are eligible to enter a summer raffle for a chance to win great prizes.

Purple glass isn't the only reminder Beacon Hill homes have been around awhile, as Mike the Mad Biologist shows us.

State troopers recovered the body of a Boston man around 9 a.m. from the river on the Museum of Science side of the Longfellow Bridge, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports.

The man was 36, according to the DA's office, which declined further details. An autopsy will be performed to try to find out how he died.

UPDATE, 6:10 p.m. Firefighters confirmed fire is out, get off tracks, T to restore power.

Today's track fire is by Charles/MGH and, of course, it's causing delays - not to be confused with the morning delays caused by signal problems as JFK/UMass (maybe the T needs to stop giving stops dual names).

This is the first Red Line fire since last Thursday.

Dennis Ebacher attended Memorial Day commemorations in Reading today.

Ed Hatfield took in the 33,000 flags on the Boston Common:

David Parsons also photographed the Common flags.

The Dorchester Reporter covered the Dorchester parade and commemorations.

Truck Stop Tea Party photographed the Somerville Memorial Day parade.

Copyright Dennis Ebacher and Ed Hatfield, respectively. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

Neil the roving UHub photographer captured some of the 33,000 flags planted in the Common to commemorate Massachusetts servicemen and women who've died in the line of duty since the Civil War.

NorthEndWaterfront.com reports somebody's gotten permission to shoot off fireworks over the Charles by the Museum of Science for about 10 minutes tonight, starting around 9:30 p.m.

Steve Annear at BostInno posts a photo of chained Ride riders across Beacon Street today, protesting fare increases scheduled to go into effect on July 1. Alternatives for Community and Environment has more photos.

State Police have asked the city DPW to send somebody over with a bolt cutter.

Some photos from the Make Way for Ducklings parade.

It's one of Boston's most endearing celebrations - the annual Make Way for Ducklings parade from the State House to the Public Garden. Today was an almost perfect day for a waddling procession - the only problem was it was so warm some kids were getting out of their costumes even before they made the turn from Beacon Street onto Joy.

Boston Restaurant Talk reports the Zoning Board of Appeals squashed Villa Mexico's request to move from its current location in a Cambridge Street gas station around the corner. Maybe a bank could move in instead.

City Councilor Mike Ross (Beacon Hill, Back Bay) wants to make it tougher for banks to open along Beacon Hill's main shopping street.

The City Council tomorrow considers a request from Ross for a hearing on a measure that would require banks to go before the zoning board for permission to open new branches. Currently, any bank can just waltz right in, sign a lease and open up, which created a neighborhood brouhaha recently when a Charles Street landlord proposed kicking out a beloved convenience store for a Capital One branch. Under Ross's plan, banking would become a "conditional use" along the five blocks of Charles Street through the heart of Beacon Hill, which would require banks to explain themselves to the zoning board.

In his hearing request, Ross said Beacon Hill is "a vibrant neighborhood with a diverse business community consisting of non-franchised, locally owned businesses that meet the needs of residents" and that "the proliferation of many large banking institutions that would replace small retail stores threatens to erode the character of Charles Street."

Something fishy: State Police detective with recovered Cod.

Late in the evening on April 26, 1933, a call came into the State House press room - the Sacred Cod was gone. The reporter who took the call at first thought it was just a joke, but he alerted security guards, who checked the House of Representatives. And sure enough, the 4'11 pine carving of a cod, which had overseen legislative affairs since 1784, was missing. As the Globe reported at the time:

It's orange and white.

Somewhere on Beacon Hill in 1941, a boy had a white duck as a pet, and Leslie Jones was there to chronicle it.

From the BPL Leslie Jones collection. Posted under this Creative Commons license.

The Greater Boston Tea Party wishes it known it has nothing to do with - and wants nothing to do with - the Mass Tea Party Coalition that is organizing a rally on the Common this Sunday:

For nearly three years, Greater Boston Tea Party has been strongly focused on the serious fiscal issues facing the Commonwealth and this country. Our organization does not take positions on social issues, such as gay marriage or abortion. While these issues are important to many people, including some of our members, they do not apply to our mission of advocating for personal responsibility and individual Liberty.

The Mass Tea Party Coalition has a radically different view on tea party activism. Their main focus appears to be the above social issues, as evidenced by the speakers they have chosen for their rally, including two well known anti-gay activists. The coalition claims to represent 40 groups but there is little evidence of this being accurate. We know of at least one legitimate Tea Party group that has asked repeatedly to be removed from the "coalition", but to no avail.

In advance of a visit by the Brazilian president today, the Secret Service no less ordered Occupy MBTA evicted from the State House steps last night. State Police provided some trucks so the protesters could move their stuff; they'll be allowed back today after the departure of Dilma Rousseff, her eyes protected from the sight of Americans clinging to the quaint idea they have a right to peacefully assemble.

AmberPaw reports from the scene.

Suspect. Photo via BPD.

Updated, 6 p.m.

Boston Police report a man who robbed the CVS at Charles Circle this morning handed workers a note that said there were bombs both there and at the nearby West End branch of the BPL and to give the man all their good drugs.

Bombs were not found at either location, police say:

The note further stated that someone would be watching the store in the event police were called. Provided police weren't called, in 2 1/2 hours time, bombs would be deactivated in the pharmacy and the library. After receiving an undisclosed amount of prescription drugs, the suspect fled the store on foot.