City attorneys are rooting around Inspectional Services Department documents to see if the department went too far in approving expansion at the Bicon building off the Emerald Necklace, the Jamaica Plain Gazette reports.

Lyss, who is both a Bicon patient and a nearby resident, doesn't get the root cause of opposition to the building:

I understand the desire to keep Boston's neighborhoods leafy and keep them from getting overrun by rampant, soulless development. Let's be realistic here - it's not in a park in the proper sense - it's not surrounded by parkland in the traditional sense (ex: Tavern on the Green in Central Park). It's on a high-traffic rotary that isn't too attractive itself, save for the leafy entrance to Franklin Park.

Mark cracks the mystery of the location of a long-abandoned reservoir in the park.

After several months living near the park, Hondo reports:

We have lived here for the entire summer, and have been walking in this part of Franklin Park for close to a year now. We currently walk in the park two times a day.

Would we walk in Franklin Park at night? No. But, we wouldn't walk in the Commons at night either. Do we feel comfortable and safe walking during the day? Yes. ...

Evan and Amanda walk nine miles, from Franklin Park to the Common. His account is complete with photos.

Jennifer Forman Orth reports from the front lines of the battle against the Japanese knotweed that is choking off native plants in Franklin Park and elsewhere in eastern Massachusetts:

Turns out zookeepers harvest the stuff in the park and feed it to the giraffes, who respond to it like kids at a self-service softserve machine. In fact, zookeepers credit the knotweed with helping save the life of one giraffe who had come down with a wasting disease - it was the only thing he'd eat.

Jim Sullivan lets us know that July 8 is Paint Like a Gorilla Day at the Franklin Park Zoo - discuss (in hushed, erudite tones) the work of artists like Little Joe (a true break-out talent, we hear), then see how well you can do. Starts at 11 a.m. Free with regular zoo admission.

Boston Police report on the alleged incident around 3 p.m. on Saturday:

The suspect came into the park and sat down on a bench next to the victim's family. The victim's mother stated that her son had dropped a basketball and the suspect picked it up. The victim's mother then stated that the suspect appeared to be leading the child towards the basketball court. According to the family, they yelled to the suspect to stop. At that time, the suspect walked away. The child was unharmed in this incident.

Police have a possible suspect in protective custody and report they are continuing to investigate.

The Boston Bulletin reports Boston Police told city councilors and nearby residents that they have no plans for a formal helipad in Franklin Park, but that they have used the park for helicopter landings and takeoffs three times for "convenience."

The paper reports city councilors Charles Yancy and Chuck Turner didn't find convenience a good reason to land copters in the park.

City Councilors Chuck Turner, Charles C. Yancey and Sam Yoon hold a hearing on Tuesday, May 1 on why the city decided to put a police helipad in Franklin Park.

Liz writes:

... Please come out to show that this is unacceptable in our park. The hearing offers an opportunity to question how city officials could've considered Franklin Park's Playstead as "vacant land" suitable for helicopter landings in the first place. A big showing on Tuesday protesting the helicopters will help send the message that Franklin Park - and all parks - must be treated as protected land, not as available space for whatever's needed. ...

The hearing is at the Franklin Park golf-course clubhouse.

Charles Swift was on hand this morning to watch a crane take the tops off the columns, which, you may recall, originally held up the roof of the Custom House downtown:

... It is a sad end for an important piece of Boston's architectural history. ...