East Boston

The East Boston Tree Pit Project is raising funds to clean up and beautify the areas around street trees in the neighborhood:

The East Boston Tree Pit Project advocates for sustainable beautification of tree and post pits in East Boston. Native perennials, bulbs, tubers and self-seeding annuals will be used to support native pollinators, green the neighborhood and beautify the urban landscape.

East Boston Residents will adopt a local tree or post pit and attend a tree part workshop series. The workshops will provide the know-how and materials at renovate the pits.

Via EastBoston.com.

The Globe reports the teen is expected to survive, as is the dog a police officer shot this afternoon in Maverick Square.

Federal officials say Suffolk Downs bettors who wanted to avoid taxes on their winnings knew they could count on Gary Boyar to help them out - by cashing in their tickets and filling out the required tax forms with his dead father's social-security number, in exchange for 10% of the receipts.

Boston Police report arresting one of the two people found at a fire on a vacant lot in August on a charge that he attacked the other victim of the fire - who remains hospitalized.

Walter Castellon, 27, was scheduled for arraignment today in East Boston District Court for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, police say, adding he could face additional charges.

Police say firefighters responding to a fire across from 169 Condor St around 10 p.m. on Aug. 30 found two people: Castellon, who had facial injuries, and a woman, who had both facial injuries and serious burns.

Innocent, etc.

The Boston Fire Department reports no injuries in a fire that erupted shortly before 10 a.m. at 35 White St. The fire apparently started in a third-floor deck and spread to the roof, the department says, estimating damage at $500,000. Investigators are still working to determine the cause.

Boston Police report women were attacked in East Boston last night and this morning.

Assessing the damage. Photo by BFD.

The Boston Fire Department reports the fire, called in around 6:35 p.m., quickly spread from the basement. One resident and one firefighter were taken to the hospital to be checked out. Damage was estimated at $400,000.

The American Red Cross reports the fire made eight residents homeless.

The Blue Line ran out of juice around 5:30 p.m., just in time for the afternoon rush.

Boston Police are looking for a pregnant woman who, they say, robbed somebody at knifepoint around 1:45 p.m. today on Havre Street in East Boston - after apparently finishing up some business in the clerk's office at East Boston District Court.

She's described as white, with long hair and long fingernails - and the sort of belly one gets from being six months pregnant. She was wearing black pants and a white top.

Last week:
The pregnant bank robber.

Boston Police report arresting an East Boston man on charges he'd arranged to have several hundred Oxycodone pills delivered to him in aspirin bottles.

In 1995, the House of Compassion opened its doors taking in people living with HIV and AIDS to live in a welcoming home environment. The House now faces closure, with a looming 30,000 in debt threatening the homes of their ten residents. Find out more about the House of Compassion!

State Police report an "overheight" truck tried to get into the Sumner Tunnel in East Boston around 11:15 a.m. but didn't get far after causing some damage to the tunnel roof and shutting one lane.

The truck that struck the ceiling is a 2008 Freightliner owned by McCoy National Lease Inc. of Green Bay, Wisconsin. It was towing a trailer owned by Primestar Trucking LLC of Postville, Iowa. The overhead strike was observed on camera by Massachusetts Department of Transportation Highway Operations Center personnel, who notified State Police Troop E personnel, allowing for an immediate response.

Mass. DOT personnel have notified State Police that there was no structural damage to the tunnel. The tractor-trailer was removed from the tunnel after lowering its tires. It will be inspected by the State Police Troop E Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit. All Sumner lanes were reopened shortly before noon.

The East Boston Times reports on the impending suit over a fuel spill apparently caused by a worker falling asleep while he was "jamming the dead man."

The Boston Licensing Board yesterday ordered a Meridian Street Chinese restaurant to shut for seven days after police once again found it serving food after it was supposed to be closed for the night.

In East Boston, that is.

A Revere woman was charged with stealing copies of some of her criminal records out of East Boston District Court this week, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office reports.

Nicole DiFazi, 24, allegedly entered the clerk's office Monday and asked for copies of some of the records in her criminal file. The DA's office says:

Scott Eisen was at Logan this afternoon to watch the president arrive on Air Force One en route to fundraisers at Symphony Hall and in the South End.

Not everybody was pleased to see Obama in Boston. Mediacrity photographed protesters, who included Occupiers, Palestinian supporters and some Republicans.

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

The Globe interviewed the father of Elexson Hercules, who was stabbed to death at Marion and Bennington streets late Thursday.

Hercules, 19, a former member of the MS-13 gang, had been shot in 2010 - after another incident in which he'd been stabbed seven times.

Police are on alert for possible retaliatory violence.

Hercules, 19, leaves a young daughter - who was part of his effort to try to turn his life around last year, according to a 2011 article on his participation in an anti-violence program run by Mass. General:

Ms. Breen knows how seriously Mr. Hercules, her 18-year-old client, is taking his new role in life. Recently, he delayed follow-up surgery to remove the bullet in his side. He wanted to be able to help his girlfriend during the birth of their daughter and in the exhausting weeks afterward.

Friends say farewell on Twitter.

Boston Police report a 19-year old found at Marion and Bennington streets shortly before midnight was rushed to Mass. General, where he was pronounced dead.

Boston Police report officers monitoring a possible drug transaction wound up arresting a Randolph man on weapons charges instead.

MBTA Transit Police report a man who "suddenly entered" the tracks at Maverick shortly before service ended early this morning died. Police say he was white, 47.

Shortly before 9 a.m., workers replacing a water pipe on Princeton Street broke the main, making Brooks Street eponymous, Matthew Neave tweets.

As of 10 a.m., Christopher tweets, that means brown water trickling out of taps on Eagle Hill and a flooded Saratoga Street.

EastBoston.com is aggregating Suffolk Downs news.

Suffolk Downs has put up renderings and justifications for its proposed $1-billion resort hotel which, to the untrained eye, looks like something you'd expect to see at the airport, rather than as a destination.

Looks like the track and Mayor Menino will be fighting a proposal for Milford for the one eastern-Massachusetts gambling license. If successful, Suffolk Downs wants to install 4,000 to 5,000 slot machines, 200 table games and a poker room, along with "six fine dining concepts," food for those with less refined tastes (a buffet and food court) and 300 hotel rooms.

Promotional video - watch past the intro to be reassured that no, they're not planning to put it in Copley Square:

Mike Ogden posted this photo of snow-like stuff piling up on an East Boston corner this evening.

Karen Zgoda posted a photo of similar accumulations at Maverick station tonight, says she doesn't know what sort of plant is producing this pollen, but that just taking the photos was enough to induce a sneezing fit - and that she's now spent almost as much on allergy medications as she did on heat this past winter.