Boston Common

A little First Night frisson

adamg — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:26:17 +0000

No doubt there's an excellent reason why the people putting on tonight's family fireworks at 7 p.m. on the Common didn't want First Night to include information about them in their schedule or even answer questions about them, so just because I can't think of what that reason might be doesn't mean it's not perfectly sane and reasonable.

One-percenter problems

JohnAKeith — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:04:38 +0000

Walking up Tremont Street across from the Boston Common, earlier today, we came across an unusual occurrence, even in this economy: a downtown Boston real estate auction. It was taking place in front of The Grandview, a "luxury" (is there any other kind?) condominium building completed in 2004.

There were four or five people with $10,000 certified bank checks in hand, ready to bid (and also one person who brought a personal check, which is no good in these situations).

After reading some disclosure statements and a description of the property, the guy in charge said the auction would be begin, with a price of (if I remember correctly) $1,018,400.

No one made any move indicating they were interested in making a bid at that price, and then it was over. The representative said that the bank would "probably" buy the property (and, presumably, resell it on the open market, after that).

The public record shows that the (ex-) owner, a real estate investor, purchased the property for $1,325,000 back in 2007, with a mortgage loan of $1,060,000. A second mortgage loan was taken out in May of this year, for another $240,000. Second mortgage holders don't usually get paid back until first mortgage holders are paid off. So, very little chance they'll see their $240,000 again.

Singing Spare Change Guy

adamg — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 06:02:17 +0000

Photographynatalia captured George, the guy who sings his requests for money, on the Common the other day.

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

Did you ever scream over NKOTB?

adamg — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 21:39:55 +0000

Joey McIntyre will help usher in the city's official Christmas tree on Dec. 1.

McIntyre will perform during the pre-lighting ceremony on the Common at 7 p.m. before the tree - an annual gift from Nova Scotia - is switched on. Other performers include American Idol finalist Siobhan Magnus, the Radio City Rockettes, Rockapella, the Boston Ballet, the Boston Children's Choir and saxophonist Grace Kelly.

Mayor Menino, Santa Claus, Deputy Nova Scotia Premier Frank Corbett and some Mounties will throw the switch to light up the 45-foot white spruce donated this year by Ken and Donna Spinney of Central Argyle. The province donates a tree to the city in honor of the medical aid Boston sent to Halifax after an explosion in Halifax harbor in 1917 caused by a collision between two ships, one fully loaded with munitions.

Too warm to formally open Frog Pond

adamg — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:13:02 +0000

Open-night skating festivities scheduled for Nov. 18 have been indefinitely postponed due to warm weather.

Cops wade into mass of protesters, make arrests

adamg — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:20:03 +0000

Saul being led away.

It was a different era - police hired stenographers to record protesters instead of using video cameras - and on the Common instead of Dewey Square, but the events of Feb. 25, 1931 sound familiar: People protesting unemployment gathered in a public space, were told to disperse because they didn't have a permit and when they stood their ground, were dragged away by police.

Benjamin Saul, 23, of 76 Walnut Park, Roxbury, was captured in a series of photographs by news photographer Leslie Jones as he tried to evade police and address a crowd of several thousand from the top of a tree, after another protester was arrested for "speaking without a permit."

Organize an occupation

adamg — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:33:31 +0000

The first "Boston General Assembly" of the effort to organize an Occupy Boston movement is tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Parkman Bandstand on the Common.

Boston Police tweet they want to help:

We look forward 2 working w/ u 2 ensure a peaceful event which respects ur right 2 protest & maintains safety.

Former men's room on Boston Common could become sandwich stand by next spring

adamg — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:14:54 +0000

Photo by Boston Parks and Recreation Department.

The city today announced a 15-year lease with Earl of Sandwich that will see the dilapidated old comfort station by the tennis courts turned into a sandwich stand.

The chain, started by descendants of the original Earl of Sandwich, will pay $50,000 annual rent to the city - and pay for renovating the building:

The Earl of Sandwich plans call for the interior of the building to be renovated for use as a kitchen with storage and prep areas. Service will likely be through a walk-up window and the renovation may include the addition of removable outdoor seating.

Renovations could begin this fall; the chain hopes to begin selling sandwiches in the spring.

Boston Common, Public Garden hit hard by storm

adamg — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 23:53:52 +0000

RecipeCan walked around Beacon Hill, the Common and the Public Garden today, taking photos of the destruction, including this downed tree on the Common.

Tropical storm damages tropical plants at the entrance to the Public Garden.

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

Court says public has right to video police in public places

adamg — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:29:00 +0000

A Boston lawyer suing the city and police officers who arrested him for using his cell phone to record a drug arrest on the Common won a victory today when a federal appeals court said the officers could not claim "qualified immunity" because they were performing their job when they arrested him under a state law that bars audio recordings without the consent of both parties.

In its ruling, which lets Simon Glik continue his lawsuit, the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston said the way Glik was arrested and his phone seized under a state wiretapping law violated his First and Fourth Amendment rights:

Parks at night

adamg — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 15:19:29 +0000

Viewsofthenortheast captured the underside of the Public Garden bridge while Historygradguy took in the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's performance of "All's Well that End's Well" on the Common.

Copyright Viewsofthenortheast and Historygradguy respectively. Tagged as universalhub on Flickr.

Citizen complaint of the day: Why did I have to spend 30 minutes cleaning up the Common near Park Street?

adamg — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:59:34 +0000

An alert and now grumpy citizen complains:

Cleaned up this area, along with many other parts of the Common, with nothing but my bare hands and a pair of rubber gloves. Took me about 30 minutes. Imagine what a fully equipped cleaning crew could have done. However, I am now 30 minutes late for work. The sun has been out for nearly 4 hours and no evidence of a crew ever being here. Why are private citizens compelled to clean a park their tax dollars are paying for? Cleaning the high traffic areas, especially along the Freedom Trail, should be priority one. ... I am tired of doing your job.

Don't try taking pictures at Frog Pond

adamg — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 12:33:12 +0000

Cat posts a cool photo of kids under the spray at Frog Pond, then adds this account:

as we were taking some pictures, a member of the staff, guarding the pond came up to tim saying it is "not cool" to take pictures of kids. they told him he was not allowed to take pictures, "especially of the children". he then asked to see the regulations for that, and the guy answered "do you really want that?" "well, yes" so then he was brought to another guy, who simply stated the same. they then even said that he "could get into serious trouble". well, thats just sad.... do they also prohibit parents taking pictures? another kid might end up on their picture! and what about people without cameras, but also without kids, watching all those kids play, because it is such a lovely sight? can they get into serious trouble as well?

Tim himself reports the intimidation worked - he stopped taking pictures.

Court ruling could determine whether you have the right to record police in public

adamg — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 14:29:39 +0000

Ars Technica reports a federal appeals court this week heard arguments in a lawsuit involving the arrest of a Boston lawyer who used his cellphone to record what he said were police punching a suspect on Boston Common in 2007.

Many states have "one-party notification" wiretapping laws that allow any party to a conversation to secretly record it. But under the strict "two-party notification" laws in Massachusetts, it's a crime to "secretly record" audio communications unless "all parties to such communication" have given their consent. The police arrested [Simon] Glik for breaking this law. For good measure, they also charged Glik—who did no more than stand a few feet away with his cell phone—with "aiding the escape of a prisoner" and "disturbing the peace."

After the charges were dismissed, Glik, with help from the ACLU, sued the city and the officers. The appeals court will decide whether the officers have "qualified immunity" from the suit because they were performing their duties at the time.

Sea of flags on the Common

adamg — Fri, 27 May 2011 00:21:16 +0000

Historygradguy photographed the Memorial Day flag display on Boston Common.

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