Charles River

The Globe reports the state will use $30 million in federal stimulus funds - plus another $30 million that's been sitting in a Big Dig account for years - to erect a Colossus-size statue of Kraft bestriding Boston Harbor build long promised footbridges across and near the mouth of the Charles River, by the Zakim Bridge.

The Globe doesn't say if any of that money will go toward the skate park that state planners have been promising is about a year away for roughly 10 years now.

Matthew I. watched the sun go down over the Charles - and a heron - along the Esplanade the other day.

Copyright Matthew I. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

Dan Tobin was facing the Citgo sign on the way home from Cambridge this evening:

... It's a landmark I invariably associate with the Red Sox and tonight I realized that, no matter how the season ended up - with us as champions or the hated Yankees taking the crown - this is the time of year when baseball is in hibernation. It won't be long before being outside itself is a chore and means braving the nasty winter that comprises half the Boston year. It made me a little sad facing up to this reality. But it also made me thankful to know that one day the Sox will come back, the cold weather will lift, and the city will become a beautiful place once again.

Los Angelenos not used to 50-degree temperatures making a movie:

Chris Devers watched the moviemakers near between Watertown and Brighton today as they filmed some faux rowers for the movie about Facebook.

Posted under this Creative Commons license and in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

Paul Keleher watched the Head of the Charles Regatta this morning, including these alumni of Belmont Hill. He reports: "The sun was out on Saturday morning, a nice surprise."

Posted under this Creative Commons license and in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

William Hurley, 24, of Quincy disappeared after last Thursday's game. Police recovered his body from the Charles near the Nashua Street jail around 2:30 a.m. today.

Channel 4 reports two Boston police boats searched the Charles River near Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital today, looking for William Hurley, a Quincy man who disappeared after last Thursday's Bruins's game.

Just a dad carrying a tuckered daughter after some fun along the Charles near Harvard Square yesterday, as captured by Kate Mitchell.

Copyright Kate Mitchell. Tagged as universalhub on Flickr.

Saul Blumenthal captured the particularly vivid sunset over the Charles on Monday evening.

Copyright Saul Blumenthal. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

But that's what somebody did early this morning - and after he was fished out of the Charles, he was taken away in the custody of the State Police, Boston_Fireman tweets.

Schuyler Ortega took this cool shot of the underside of the Zakim Bridge.

Copyright Schuyler Ortega. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

Saul Blumenthal captured the setting sun setting railings afire over the Broad Canal in Cambridge.

Copyright Saul Blumenthal. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

Penny Cherubino provides an account of August efforts by the Charles River Cleanup Boat.

Channel 5 reports the two alleged yutzes charged with selling 91,000 pounds of ornamental scrollwork from the Longfellow Bridge as scrap last year are expected to plead guilty.

Mike Mennonno notes somebody was recently critically injured by a rotted-out tree limb that fell from a tree in Central Parks and that the DCR has been ignoring him for more than two years when he calls to complain about dead trees along the Charles River bike path. He posts photos from a copse of tree corpses:

... As I rode by this morning I realized there were actually three dead or mostly dead trees in the space of a few hundred yards along this well-traveled portion of the path near the new work-out station. I also noticed that each of the dead trees seemed strategically placed where a large overhanging dead limb could best fall on someone: over a park bench, above a water fountain on the main path, at the intersection of the main path and a pedestrian overpass. ...

Downside: It took a West Roxbury man six hours to kayak down the Charles.

First we learned state officials listened to their inner thetans and gave TC his multi-million-dollar tax credit back. Now Sam Baltrusis reports:

As production moves forward with "Wichita," the upcoming spy flick starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz set to film in Boston this September, the latest rumor is that pre-production crews are currently hashing out an elaborate water-based chase scene slotted to be shot on the Charles River and will involve closing down several landmarks along the way including a few bridges. ...

Kathy reports there's a gaggle of geese under the BU bridge. By itself, no big deal, except the goslings are now big enough to notice that while some are obviously the spawn of the white adult geese that watch over them, some have the black legs of Canada geese:

... So it looks like maybe some Canada gooselings imprinted on domesticated parents. So what type do you think these Canadas will try to mate with when they grow up?

Penny Cherubino reports the Boston Landmark Commission has voted to designate the stretch along the Charles as a landmark. It's now up to Mayor Menino and the city council as to whether the Esplanade becomes a landmark, which, among other things, could make it harder for the state to dig it up or pave it over as it rebuilds the Storrow Drive tunnel.

It's not that the swimmers are afraid of getting wet, but that all the rain has meant lots of yucky runoff flowing into the river, and that means the Charles River Swimming Club has had to cancel the annual swim, scheduled for tomorrow, June 21. Race Director Ulla Hester says:

It was an unfortunate reminder of the fact that the river is not yet as clean as we would like it to be. There is no rain date, but the club is looking forward to next year's event.

Seems Brady was kayaking in the Charles and he fell in and this woman helped fish him out, thus saving the entire 2009 Patriots' season.

Hey, remember when Nomar Garciaparra dived into Boston Harbor to save some woman who'd fallen in?

Photos from the Dragon Boats festival on the Charles River today.

More photos.

We went to Echo Bridge in Newton today, and it really is amazing - you can basically whisper and hear your voice echo back from the other side of the Charles (so you can imagine what it was like when an exuberant kidlet decided to yell). Up river, near the old mill, we spotted the above large bird (so for those of you who know the distance, yes, it pays to have a zoom lens). Anybody know what it is?

The Boston Landmarks Commission tonight considers officially designating the Esplanade a landmark, at a hearing that starts at 7 p.m. at City Hall. Sarah Kelly, executive director of the Boston Preservation Alliance, explains why it should.