Letter From Eastie

Time to say goodbye. . .

2007-07-27T09:37:00.000-04:00

As anyone who reads this blog with any regularity has noticed, I've kind of dropped off the radar. That's mostly because I recently moved out of East Boston. I loved living in East Boston, but I got an offer I couldn't refuse for a great apartment. Therefore, I don't feel like I can write Letter from Eastie anymore, because I'm just not in the thick of it anymore and because. . .well. . .the letter wouldn't be from Eastie. I'm thinking about possibly starting a new blog, but haven't really hit on a premise for it yet. If I ever do, I will post a link to it here. I want to thank anyone who as has ever read and commented on the blog. Writing this blog has been a wonderful experience.

Cheers!

Marilora

Exhibit at the Eastie YMCA.

2007-05-07T08:25:00.000-04:00

Thank you to Gloria Carrigg!

New Show at Atlantic Works and Opening Reception Tomorrow night.

2007-05-03T12:23:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to make it to the reception, but please check it out:

humble, radiant, terrific.

New Members' Show

May 4-26, 2007

In celebration of our newly re-opened gallery space, Atlantic Works Gallery is proud to present the work of five new members. They are:

Laura Baltzell, whose color-charged paintings result from a profound acquaintance with yoga

Donna DeLone, photographer of sublime and subtle nature

Lorin Hesse, figurative painter who challenges social sexual mores about body, gender, and age

Nataysha Lindemann, painter who embodies control through mastery of medium, repetition, and erasure,.

Melissa Tyler, City and Guilds of London goldsmith and ebullient jeweler.

East Boston brims with talented artists and is home to one of the most diverse, creative, and energized art communities in Massachusetts. Please join Atlantic Works in welcoming these new area artists to the Gallery.

Opening Reception: May 4, 7-9 pm

Third Thursday Celebration: May 17, 7-9 pm

Gallery Hours: Fridays and Saturdays, 2-6 pm

Phone: 978 395 1350

Web: www.atlanticworks.org

Atlantic Works Gallery is located on the 4th floor, 80 Border Street in East Boston. It can be reached via the Blue Line, Maverick stop, or by car. Parking space usually ample. For more detailed directions or other information, please contact Lorin Hesse (above) or see atlanticworks.org.

Far be it from me to ignore a meme.

2007-04-23T22:58:00.000-04:00

For those of you unaware of what the word "meme" means, you can find out here. Apparently I’ve been “tagged” by JSpad at 12 Frogs to tell 5 things about myself that people don't know. Since I generally don’t write about personal things, I suppose there is a lot about me that you all don’t know, but I’ll attempt to make this semi-interesting.

1) My day job is reading other people’s mail.

No, I don’t work for the Bush Administration. I’m an archivist and I work mainly with what are known in the biz as manuscript collections. Basically, this involves taking other people’s personal papers, arranging them into some semblance of order and then creating an inventory so that researchers (ie writers, professors, college students, documentary producers, etc., etc.) will be able to use the collections for. . .well. . .research. I’ve held in my hands, to name just a few, letters written by Vladimir Nobokov, Anais Nin, Che Guevara, Jackie Kennedy, Walt Disney and Oprah.

2) My 15 minutes of fame came and went in 9^th grade.

My 9^th grade year was spent at Christopher Columbus High School in the North End. In the spring of that year, Sears selected the Old North Church as a site to film a commercial for Sears paint. The premise was that Sears paint was so good that they were using it to spruce up the Old North Church. The production company needed extras to play a tour group. CCHS, being so close, turned out to be convenient and they contacted the principal to ask for some students to be extras in the commercial. The principal decided that this was a good way to encourage scholarship and allowed the students who had been on the honor roll the previous quarter to have a day off of school to shoot the paint commercial. I only saw it on television once. My theory was that it must have been shown more in non-Boston markets because people in Boston take the Old North Church for granted, but I don’t really know.

3) I did not grow up in Eastie.

What?!!! I hear you say. I know she’s said she grew up in East Boston. Well, it’s not completely untrue. My address was in Revere and that was where I went to school until High School, however, I spent most of my waking hours in East Boston, because my dad owned a restaurant in Eastie, which many long time residents will remember—Morelli’s Café (now currently the site of Kelly’s Square Pub at 84 Bennington St.) My cousins lived in Eastie and most of my friends, so even though I slept in Revere, I feel like I grew up in Eastie.

4) This falls under the category of sad.

I record General Hospital every day. I don’t necessarily watch it every day, but I’ve been watching the show since I was in junior high and I don’t see any reason to stop. Yes it’s hokey and melodramatic, but it’s so much fun. It’s my little guilty pleasure.

5) The Red Sox Organization is my nemesis.

Ok, maybe nemesis is a strong word, but because my birthday is in the beginning of October, the Sox screw up my birthday every year that they are in playoffs. It’s impossible to plan anything, because people either won’t go anywhere near downtown or they won’t go anywhere that does not involve a bar and several dozen TV’s all tuned to “the game.” I had this problem even for my 30^th birthday party! Ever since then, I try to go away for my birthday, so I don’t have to be in competition with the Sox.

I guess I'm supposed to tag 5 other people, but I'm only doing 3 because I'm a rebel:

Breakfast at Tiffany's: This is my buddy Tiffany's blog. She is awesome and she is my fellow Libra, however, I don't think the Red Sox Organization is also her nemesis. She actually likes baseball.

Cynical: A LIfe: Shelly's blog was one of the first Eastie blogs I came across after I started mine.

Webster Street Minutes: Lewis' posts always pop up in my google news alerts.

Upcoming art events.

2007-04-23T08:45:00.000-04:00

Once again, thank you to Gloria Carrigg for keeping me in the loop:

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Connolly Branch Library

75th Anniversary Celebration

_______________________

75 Anniversario de la

Biblioteca Connolly

Celebrating 75th years of

service to the Community 1932-2007

Reception:

Monday April 30, 2007 from 6-9 PM

Carla Osberg and Gloria Carrigg will be Exhibiting

"Faces of JP", Exhibit curator Gloria Carrigg

Connolly Branch Library

433 Centre Street

Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Tel.617-522-1960

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Brookline Artists' Open Studios

April 28 & 29
11 AM-6 PM

Gloria will be exhibiting at the Brookline Senior Center at 93 Winchester St.

You can download a pdf of the studio map here.

Or visit the Brooline Artists' web site here.

It's Friday!! Time for fun.

2007-04-19T23:13:00.000-04:00

You'll notice a theme a certain theme this week.

First, let me introduce you to the new sport of "Pug Bowling." Make sure to watch it all the way through for the end titles.

It's funny. I tend to have the same reaction to "Americas Funniest Home Videos" as this little guy.

And last but not least, to take us to the weekend, a perfect example of why dogs are better than some men.

Zumix Radio Blog

2007-04-18T23:37:00.000-04:00

Just found out that Zumix Radio now has a blog. They've posted some great interviews done by the kids so that you can stream them right through the blog. I swear these kids do better interviews than half the adult interviewers I've heard. It's a nice source for Eastie news. The lastest posting is an interview of Blossom Hoag, Clerk of the Friends of the East Boston Greenway about the progress of the Greenway and the Bremen Street Park. If you are interested in the Greenway, the next council meeting is on April 26th at the Eastie YMCA.

Eastie makes it into the "Paper of Record."

2007-04-11T10:03:00.000-04:00

Eastie made it into the New York Times this week in a book review of T.D. Thornton's book Not By A Long Shot, a chronicle of the 200o season at Suffolk Downs. The reviewer felt that Thornton got a little too focused on the running of the track, while neglecting the human subjects that showed up in his story. However, he points out the strength of the books saying:

The grim pleasures of Mr. Thornton’s book lie in the details of the daily racetrack routine, and the oddities of life at the gritty East Boston oval. When an unidentified carcass appears on the track, it inspires a furious round of betting in the press room. “I’m offering 100 to 1 on it being a mink,” an impromptu bookmaker says. “You also get to keep the pelt if it is.” The animal turns out to be a muskrat (10 to 1 odds).
Best of all are the races. Although he has an unfortunate tendency to use the word “steed,” Mr. Thornton describes horse races with great flair, even when they involve no-hopers like Lonicut, an ancient 10-year-old looking for his second lifetime win after 34 races. This is racing too. They can’t all make it to Churchill Downs in May.

I find this interesting given all the stories lately that have come out about the possibility of turning Suffolk Downs into a casino.

Coastal Development Massachusetts LLC, headed by developer Richard Fields of New York, has purchased the largest ownership interest in the company that runs Suffolk Downs racetrack. He is expected to try to turn the tired horse-racing venue into a modern entertainment complex that would include shops, restaurants, live entertainment, family activities, and -- if state government embraces it -- casino gambling.

I'm not sure how I feel about having a casino right in the middle of Eastie and Revere. I don't have a problem with casinos in Massachusetts as a rule, but it just seems weird to me that you would be able to ride the T to a casino. Also, I wonder what kind of traffic this would generate in the area. I know people feel like it could bring business to the area and that is definitely a possibility, but my experience of casinos is that once people get in them, they don't come out and explore the surrounding area. I wonder if it would actually draw business away from East Boston.

I love Flickr

2007-04-08T11:54:00.000-04:00

I came across photos by a user named jspad, (who also writes 12frogs.) Her photos are really beautiful, but of course, I'm going to point you to her amazing Eastie photos. Check out this slide show. To wet your appetite, this is one of my favorites:

eastie as seen from boston, originally uploaded by jspad.

Friday Fun #3 (almost Saturday)

2007-04-06T23:42:00.000-04:00

Kittens rock!!!

Another great Eastie Blogger

2007-04-06T22:44:00.000-04:00

A great post about what it's like to live in Eastie on Fabulously Out There. She says:

I love leaving my house in the morning and walking by rows upon rows of triple deckers. The funky colors of the triple deckers, the diversity of people living in them.

I live in a neighborhood that's heavily Latino, and I love it. I love seeing parents who walk their kids to the bus stop. I love hearing Spanish all around me.

I love smelling the fresh bread at Spinelli's in the morning and I wonder what the Brazilian BBQ place could possibly be cooking at 8 a.m. when I walk by.

I couldn't agree more. Read the rest of her post here.

New Exhibit in J.P.

2007-04-02T08:45:00.000-04:00

A new exhibit is opening this month curated by Gloria Carrigg. Check it out if you are in the neighborhood:

John Marshall Dike

Watercolor Exhibit

Sweet Christopher's
601 CentreStreet
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

For hours call: 617-522-1277

John Marshall Dike has exhibited in many public libraries, as well as his home studio gallery.

At the age 59, he recently retired from his artist position of fifteen years at the VA Hospital in Jamaica Plain.

John's artwork has received recognition awards from well recognized Artists Association in U.S. and abroad.

Friday Fun #2

2007-03-30T02:17:00.000-04:00

This is fun, but also kind of serious at the same time and a good song to boot:

Inside the Fire House

2007-03-27T22:59:00.000-04:00

Way back in May of 2005 I wrote about the firehouse on Marion St. that was converted into million dollar condos. Now thanks to This Old House, we get to see inside and check out the renovation.

I have to say, I think this place is really beautiful, but all I can think when I look at all that space is, "why?" I think I would feel like I was living in a warehouse if I lived in that apartment. Granted, if I were decorating it, I would not be so minimalist and I would be trying to warm that place up with a lot more fabrics--perhaps and area rug or two. I guess it's just not my style, although if someone gave it to me as a gift, I wouldn't give it back. Wink.

Friday Fun #1

2007-03-23T08:30:00.000-04:00

Ok, I realize this has nothing to do with Eastie, but it's Friday and this is just too cute not to post. Therefore, I'm justifying the post by starting a new series called "Friday Fun." Anyone else wonder why the zoo felt that the Dallas theme was the appropriate song for a cute little polar bear? Dallas used to air on Friday nights, if I remember correctly, so this is even more appropriate for Friday Fun. Without further ado, for your viewing pleasure I present:

"Knut the Cute."

There is actually a whole controversy in Germany about this bear. If you are interested, check out the story here.

Should I take comfort in the fact

2007-03-22T21:21:00.000-04:00

that I will probably just be incinerated instantly? As I previously stated in this previous post, I live within view (from my bedroom window) of oil and gas tankers arriving in Boston daily. Thus, I take great interest in any new studies that can tell me how likely it is that it could all end for me in a blaze of glory. According to the Boston Globe, a new Congressional study has been published about the possible effects of a terrorist attack on an LNG (that's Liquified Natural Gas for the uninitiated) tanker in a populated area. The Globe tells us this cheery fact:

Fire from a terrorism attack against a tanker ship carrying liquefied natural gas could ignite so fiercely it would burn people one mile away. . .

Great! So what the hell does that mean for me when I am only this far away from an LNG tanker:

Yes, this is an actual LNG tanker--I know because of the police boats
and helicopters following it out and surrounding it.

The article goes on to say:

The GAO report examined six unclassified studies about the effects of a major spill and fire aboard a double-hulled tanker carrying liquefied natural gas. Congressional investigators said most experts believe fierce heat from the intense fire -- not explosions -- are likely the biggest threat to citizens.
Most experts interviewed by investigators agreed such a fire could burn people's skin roughly one mile away, depending on variables that include the amount of gas released, size of the tanker breach and winds, the GAO report said.

Although, I couldn't back Mayor Menino in his handling of the recent Mooninite invasion, I support his paranoia when it comes to LNG. I know that we need LNG and the terminals have to go somewhere, but to have one in such a populated area is just such a huge risk, especially considering the Homeland Security Department has basically done didly squat to protect our ports from the possibility of terrorist attacks. It's been 5 years since 9/11 and Congress has only just gotten around to passing a Homeland Security bill that implements the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, which include more screening for cargo containers entering U.S. ports. And guess what folks, the bill may get vetoed by the White House. Is that because the President doesn't think the bill is doing enough to increase the nation's security? Nope. The President may veto the bill because it allows airport screeners to have a union. I'm sure when a one mile radius of Boston and Charlestown has been incinerated, we'll all be thinking, "Well thank goodness, at least those airport security people didn't get to unionize."

Photography at Perlera Real Estate Gallery

2007-03-19T21:14:00.000-04:00

"BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY" by Jake Hart.

Perlera Real Estate Gallery
142 Meridian Street, East Boston, MA 02128
Gallery hours Monday-Saturday 9-6pm.

Jake's photography is on display through the Month of March. Jake's work in this exhibit represent a selection of Gelatin Silver Prints from his many series.

Please come join us at the Closing Reception on Friday March 30th from 6-9 pm. This is a marvelous show that you don't want to miss, Please come meet the artist and enjoy the Black and White photography display.

For more information of the exhibit or purchasing a print, please contact Gloria Carrigg, curator of the show at gloriacarrigg@aol.com.

Atlantic Works will Christen Renovated Gallery

2007-03-16T00:03:00.000-04:00

Atlantic Works will be opening a new show--the first in their newly expanded gallery after a year of construction:

High Tide
80 Border Street East Boston
April , 2007
Opening Reception: Friday April 13, 7 - 9 pm

East Boston, March 5, 2007 - From April 6 to 28, 2007, Atlantic Works Gallery will present High Tide, a members re-opening show of painting, photography, jewelry, mixed media and new media. The show theme, High Tide, celebrates the unique waterfront site, and, more importantly, it marks the reemergence of Atlantic Works as "East Boston's Collaborative Space for Art and Ideas." After a year-long hiatus of building demolition and reconstruction, the space is beautiful and the member artists are overjoyed to be returning.

Participating in the exhibition are Laura Baltzell, Kasia Bytnerowicz, Donna DeLone, Richard Dorff, Todd Fairchild, Elizabeth Hathaway, Eric Hess, Lorin Hesse, Melissa Kulig, Nataysha Lindemann, Charlene Liska, Liz Nofziger, Bo Petran, Peter Pizzi, Laura Rollins, Anna Salmaron, Melissa Tyler and Jaye Woodstock.

The public is invited to attend the OPENING RECEPTION on Friday, April 13, from 7 to 9 pm and to visit the gallery during the following hours: Fridays 2-6pm, and Saturdays 2-6pm.

The public is also invited to attend Atlantic Works Gallery's monthly THIRD THURSDAY POT LUCK GATHERING on Thursday, April 19, from 7-9 pm.

Some Art Events to Check Out

2007-03-15T08:53:00.000-04:00

Here are a couple of ongoing exhibitions sent to me by Gloria Carrigg of the East Boston Artists Group:

Jorge Guzman Salvadoran painter will be exhibiting his Paintings At the Boston Public Library, Connolly Branch in Jamaica Plain. People can view his colorful art exhibit "IDENTITY", which is curated by Gloria, from March 1st through March 31.

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Also Gloria Carrigg will be participating in the "Boston My Neighborhood" collective art exhibit in Hyde Park MA. at the George Robert White Building, 26 Central Ave.Hyde Park, MA 02136. The exhibit runs from March 12 through May 12, 2007. Opening reception to be announced. Please stay tuned

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And last but not least, a little far flung for my Eastie blog, but if anyone happens to be in New York in March Gloria Carrigg will be participating in a Latin group exhibit "United By The Art" in Long Island, NY. The exhibit can be viewed from March 2nd to March 31. Gloria is exhibiting photographs from El Salvador from her many trips to her native country. For more info. please check www.ikarusgallery.com.

A post, a post!!!

2007-03-14T16:47:00.000-04:00

Since yesterday was finally a nice enough day to take a walk, I thought I'd treat the blogosphere to some photos.

Anyone have a waterfront condo they want to build?

Rubble from yet another waterfront contruction project on Sumner St.

Various views of the sunset from Lopresti Park on Sumner Street through various filters on my digital camera. You can see the Zakim Bunkerhill Bridge in the distance in some.

In case you were wondering. . .I AM ALIVE

2007-03-13T16:48:00.000-04:00

If any of my readers are still left out there, I just wanted to post and let everyone know that I'm alive and I hope to start blogging regularly again. I'm sorry that I went away. I don't have any real excuse except to say that life got in the way. Things have calmed down for me, so hopefully I'll be able to keep up with the demands of blogging again.

Nine hispanic artists to be featured at Mass Bay Community College for Hispanic Heritage Month

2006-09-13T16:25:00.000-04:00

Thank you to Gloria Carrigg of the East Boston Artists' Group for the heads up. Gloria is not only showing her art, but is also the curator of this exhibition, so please check it out and support and Eastie artist.

Nine Hispanic artists will be featured at the Felix Juliani Art Gallery on the Wellesley Hills campus of MassBay Community College in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. The show officially opens with a reception on September 21 at 6pm.

Among the artists featured:

* Gloria Carrigg: a Salvadoran photographer who lives in Jamaica Plain, MA and is a member of Boston's Cultural Council. Her works were displayed at the 2004 Democratic National Convention as well as at Northeastern University, Suffolk University and Roxbury Community College.
* Francisco García, a Colombian painter who lives in Boston. Known for his giant size murals, Garcias works have been displayed at Harvard University, Boston City Hall and in galleries in Colombia and Ecuador.
* Mauricio Puente, a Salvadoran painter who lives in Pepperell, MA. His artwork is recognized worldwide with permanent collections in such places as: El Salvador, Brazil, France, Germany and Spain.
* Elkin Echeverri, a Colombian writer and poet whose new book, Pilgrims of Death, comes on the market in conjunction with MassBay's Hispanic Heritage Month celebration. Mr. Echeverri will give a reading from his book at the September 21 opening at MassBay.

Hispanic Heritage Month is part of MassBay's Cultural Alliance. The show runs through October 15.

Salvadoran cultural event June 22nd.

2006-06-20T08:39:00.000-04:00

Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians

The Cultural Awareness Committee

presents:

El Salvador

The palm’s Procession in Panchimalco

Thursday, June 22^nd, 2006

12:00 NOON

Piemonte Room 5^th Floor

Boston City Hall

Presenter:

Isilma Morales, will give you a brief historical perspective on the Republic of El Salvador and the meaning of CUSCATLAN.

An art exhibit by:

Painters Hector Perlera and Mauricio Puente &

Photographer Gloria Carrigg

Songs of our Land, performed by Rosa Abraham

IV. A Video Presentation “Coffee of El Salvador”

Special thanks to the following Restaurants: El Buen Gusto, El Topacio, LaPupusa Guanaca, Mi Pueblito, Tacos El Paso, Tesoro Market, for arranging our delicious lunch.

For more information, please call Armando Silva at the Office of New Bostonians
617-635-1961 or via e-mail: armando.silva@cityofboston.gov

A new exhibit in Cambridge.

2006-06-07T08:43:00.000-04:00

"DANCING IN THE PAINT"

June 11- July 16

Gallery 263 in lively Cambridgeport, MA is happy to announce the opening of it's doors again with "DANCING IN THE PAINT" , a series of new paintings by Rick Berry and Annie Newbold. This art exhibit is free and open to the public. The opening reception will be on Sunday June 11, from 2-6 PM.

We are also inviting you to the closing reception on Friday July 14 at 8 PM, with a special guest musician, BEAU ROLAND BAND. Please come

and do the cheese and wine thing with us. For more information check

web-site, www.gallery263.com

Gallery 263

263 Pearl St.

Cambridge, MA

Tel. 781-393000

www.gallery263.com

Art this weekend.

2006-05-18T22:02:00.000-04:00

This weekend is Brookline Open Studios. For more information go to:

http://www.brooklineart.net/

As part of the open studios, Gloria Carrigg of the East Boston Artists' Group will be showing some of her new works at the Brookline Public Library at 361 Washington Street.

A new exibit to check out in J.P.

2006-04-27T00:06:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Gloria Carrigg for the heads up:

THE EXHIBITION " CHOOSE TO REUSE" will run from May 7- 28, 2006.

Opening Reception Sunday May 7, 2006 from 2-5PM

Free Event

Location: JP Art Market

36 South Street

Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Tel 617- 522-1729

www.jpartmarket.com

Panel on immigration.

2006-04-26T23:58:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow evening, April 27th at the Somerville Museum:

A roundtable discussion on immigration on a
global, local and personal level.

Thursday, April 27 7p.m .

Somerville Museum
One Westwood Road
Somerville

Invited Panelists:

Maria Elena Letona, Executive Director, Centro Presente
Pedro Angel, Vice-Consul of El Salvador in Boston
Aru Manrique, Director of the Multicultural Comission, Somerville

This event is part of the exhibition "From Yucuaiquin to Somerville:
El Baile de los Negritos". There will be interpretation between
Spanish and English. The Museum is located on the corner of Central
Street and Westwood Road and is accessible by bus routes 83, 85, 87
and 88. For more information call 617-953-1654.

This project is supported by a grant from the Somerville Arts
Council, a local agency of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the
Membership of the Somerville Museum, the Tufts University College
Anthropology Department of Citizenship and Public Service and the Tufts University.

Bobby Orr is a nice guy.

2006-04-15T13:46:00.000-04:00

BOBBYORR
Originally uploaded by marilora.

From the Boston Globe:

It all started when Bobby Orr read a column by the Globe's Brian McGrory about Bill Langan, a junior on East Boston's Savio Prep hockey team. Langan's mother, Karen, died right before the team was to play Scituate for the Eastern Massachusetts championship. Langan quoted his mom as saying that he should play in the state title game at TD Banknorth Garden before her funeral because she asked him to ''keep everything routine." Langan told McGrory that his mom attended all of his games and ''she used to tell me she was there when Bobby Orr scored. It was like she was up in the rafters watching." (Although the team lost the state title game, Langan scored a goal.) Orr called Langan after the column appeared to ask if the young hockey player needed anything, according to Savio's coach, Joe Ciccarello. Langan called back and asked Orr if he could attend the season-ending dinner. Orr said he wouldn't promise because he was in the middle of a move to Florida. But Wednesday night, he showed up at Orient Heights Yacht Club. ''No fanfare, no warning, no phone call before," Ciccarello wrote in an e-mail. ''He just showed up and stayed for an hour!"

More on Zumix Radio

2006-04-13T18:57:00.000-04:00

According to the the Boston Globe Zumix Radio will have it's official launch on May 5th, the 15th anniversary of Zumix:

Next month, when the community arts group ZUMIX celebrates its 15th anniversary, one facet of its mission will be heard throughout East Boston, where it is based, and maybe even beyond. May 5 will mark the official launch of ZUMIX radio, a low-power station broadcasting at 1650 AM and via online stream at www.zumix.org/radio. (The celebration, which is open to the public, begins at 5 p.m. at the ZUMIX headquarters, 202 Maverick St., E. Boston. For more information, call 617-568-9777.)

The tiny ZUMIX station, which has been broadcasting for three weeks now, aims to reflect its home base. In terms of what's on air, it swings wildly in its programming, from three hours of jazz (11 a.m.-2 p.m.) to at least three hours of youth issues programming most weekdays, with specialties like the disco oriented ''On the Beat" (Thursdays and Sundays, 6-7 p.m.) or the Latino rock ''Zubterraneo" (weeknights, 9-10 p.m.) filling out the rest of the schedule. But the station, which operates as a noncommercial station under Part 15 of the FCC regulations, really fulfills its mission behind the microphones, where teenagers from East Boston and beyond are trained in every aspect of broadcasting, from producing their own shows to presenting themselves on air. . .

Zumix Radio.

2006-04-07T01:08:00.000-04:00

Zumix now has it's own radio station. Check it out at 1630 on your AM dial or you can stream it online on the web site. The station is staffed by local youth and the studio is right here in Eastie. As the station is non-commercial, they are of course looking for underwriters, so if you have some money to give to a worthy cause, think about it.

More rock en Espanol this Saturday.

2006-04-06T01:17:00.000-04:00

There will be a live show at the Khailua Hawaiian restaurant, located at 964 Saratoga Street, East Boston, to benefit Zumix on April 8th at 9:00 p.m. The show will feature two bands Rojo Illegal and Senderos. Tickets are $10.00 at the door. For more information call 617-568-9777

No te pierdas esta celebracion musical, con covers de las mejores bandas de rock latino, y temas originales, interpretados por las mejores bandas locales Presentando a: Rojo Illegal y Senderos. Donacion Sugerida: $10.00 en la puerta. La cita es en Khailua Hawaiian , 964 Saratoga Street, East Boston. Buscamos mejorar nuestro trabajo con los jovenes de nuestra comunidad, por medio de Zumix. Para mayor info: 617-568-9777.

Exhibición Sobre Comunidad Salvadoreña en el Museo de Somerville

2006-04-02T12:59:00.000-04:00

English Version here.

Exhibición Sobre Comunidad Salvadoreña
en el Museo de Somerville

Somerville, MA marzo 3, 2006- Empezando el 8 de abril y hasta el 21 de mayo, la exhibición De Yucuaiquín a Somerville: El Baile de los Negritos se va a presentar en el museo de Somerville. Esta exhibición mostrará como inmigrantes salvadoreños han continuado las tradiciones religiosas de su ciudad natal en su nuevo espacio, Somerville. Se basará en un baile con una larga tradición, el Baile de los Negritos, el cual se ha celebrado por cientos de años en la ciudad de Yucuaiquín, La Unión, en honor a el Santo Patrón de Yucuaiquín, San Francisco de Asís. Ahora que muchos yucuaiquinenses viven en Somerville, han empezado a celebrar esta tradición acá. Esta exhibición va a explicar, usando un video, fotos, texto y música, como una comunidad transnacional se ha formado y como se están preservando y modificando las tradiciones a través del tiempo y el espacio.

Los salvadoreños en Somerville no solo son importantes por su gran número, sino también por su aporte cultural, político y económico. Uno de los organizadores de la exhibición es Sebastián Chaskel, un estudiante de tercer año en la Universidad de Tufts. Aunque él no es el primero en decirlo, él cree que los residentes de Somerville todavía tienen mucho que aprender sobre los inmigrantes y su aporte. La asociación con el Museo de Somerville tiene el propósito de atraer un público diverso y crear conciencia sobre el aporte cultural de esta comunidad. Chaskel dice que los organizadores “esperan atraer a gente de países latinoamericanos, además de gente que normalmente no iría a un evento sobre cultural latina. El intercambio cultural de los diferentes grupos es lo que hace de esta exhibición algo muy especial.”

La exhibición abrirá el sábado 8 de abril a las 5p.m. e incluirá una demostración de El Baile de los Negritos por parte de gente de Yucuaiquín, quienes también hablarán sobre Yucuaiquín y las tradiciones culturales y religiosas. Después del baile, se servirá comida típica salvadoreña. En mayo, habrá una serie de conversaciones en las cuales se discutirán temas relacionados a comunidades inmigrantes. Estas conversaciones serán en el Museo de Somerville, las fechas están por anunciar.

Esta exhibición esta siendo apoyada por Tufts University Collage of Citizenship and Public Service, el Museo de Somerville, el Somerville Arts Council, una agencia local apoyada por el Massachussets Cultural Council, y miembros de la comunidad. Para mas información, por favor contacte a Cristina Calzadilla por correo electrónico Cristina.Calzadilla@gmail.com o por teléfono 617.459.7717.

Water main break on Meridian St.

2006-03-31T15:47:00.000-05:00

I came home today to find two blocks of Meridian Street blocked off by police cars. It turns out that there was a water main break at the corner of Falcon Street and Meridian Street. The damage was pretty amazing including a large sink-hole and also the road buckled in places. A witness--and by "witness" I mean my landlord's sister--described the water rushing down the street as "like a river." There was debris deposited for a block down Meridian Street.

Here is the kicker. The pipe one block up had been leaking on and off for months. There were wooden saw horses set up for a while, but there was a hole where the leak was coming out and the hole kept getting larger and larger. That leak was eventually fixed. So I'm not sure if this is something that could have been prevented, but it seems kind to suspect to me. Obviously, I am no expert on water mains and their tendencies toward breakage. I took some snaps of the aftermath which follow:

The sinkhole.

Looking up Meridian Street toward
the sinkhole from Condor Street.

Update: My water is now yellow. Whoopie!

April Exhibit at Perlera Real Estate

2006-03-31T08:27:00.000-05:00

Thanks as always to Gloria Carrigg:

Spring is here!

2006-03-29T08:42:00.000-05:00

I noticed this morning that the buds were out on the trees. So exciting. Sorry about the crappy camera phone pics:

Gore in '08? Anyone? Anyone?

2006-03-22T23:45:00.000-05:00

This video of Vice President Al Gore during the 2000 campaing and was allegedly shot by Spike Jonze and for whatever reason was never released. Man, his campaign people should have all been run out of Washington on a rail. It's so sad to me to know that this is the man who was supposed to be president. (That's right. We all know who really won the 2000 election) We can't change history, but shoot, I'd vote for him in 2008 before I vote for any of the other bozos the Dems seem to have in the line-up.

Rock en Espanol in J.P. this Sunday.

2006-03-20T20:52:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Sandra Castillo of the East Boston Artists Group. I'm a little late for the deadline for reservations, but I would guess that if you are interested in going it's worth it to call anyway:

Esta es una iniciativa de la comunidad latina que envuelve a musicos, activistas, intellectualesy artistas de todo Iberoamerica. Queremos pedir el apoyo de nuestros representantes politicos y academicos. Esta iniciativa es sin fin de lucro y nace genuinamente de la comunidad.

This is a community initiative that involves musicians, activists, intellectuals and artists from all of Iberia-America. It is a grass-roots non-profit initiative and we ask for your support along wioth the support of our political representatives and the academic community.

ZUMIX (community arts organization) Casa de la Cultura East Boston, and the CULTURAL AGENTS INICIATIVE at HARVARD UNIVERSITY

invite you to:

ZUBTERRANEO
A Night of Rock en Español

at THE MILKY WAY LOUNGE & LANES

Center Street, Jamica Plain, MA 02130

Sunday, March 26th 9:00 PM

performing live

ROJO ILEGAL

guest performance by

ABACOS

and

LA CHUSMA

$5.00 admission 21+

For Info and reservations call 617-417-2524. Space is limited. RSVP by March 20th.

El cupo es limitado Cada agencia y consulado tiene cuatro entradas de cortezia pero deben reservar a mas tardar el lunes 20 de Marzo

Art by Fernando Di Martino

2006-03-19T14:11:00.000-05:00

I attended the closing reception for the latest exhibit at Perlera Real Estate--the works of Brazilian artist Fernando Di Martino. The art was wonderful and the company was as well. It was great to meet some of the people who actually read this blog. Thank you to the wonderful Gloria Carrigg, who does so much to promote local Eastie artists. Here are some pictures from last night:

Artist Fernando Di Martino and exhibit curator Gloria Carrigg

Two paintings of Mr. Di Martino's home town in Minas Gerais, Brazil

I'm a very bad blogger, because I forgot to right down the titles of
all of these paintings, but here is more art work by Mr. Di Martino.

Exhibit on Salvadoran Culture in Somerville.

2006-03-14T18:20:00.000-05:00

The Somerville Museum will have an exhibit up beginning April 8th about Salvadoran culture. Thanks again to Gloria Carrigg of the East Boston Artist Group for the tip.

Exhibition on Transnational Community to be Held in Somerville Museum

Somerville, MA March 3, 2006 - Beginning April 8^th and lasting until May 21^s, the Somerville Museum will host From Yucuaiquín to Somerville: El Baile de los Negritos. This exhibition is a unique look at Salvadoran immigrants in Somerville and how they have continued to celebrate religious traditions from their home country in their new setting. It will focus on a typical dance, El Baile de los Negritos, which has been performed for hundreds of years in the city of Yucuaiquín to honor the patron saint, Saint Francis of Assisi. Now that a large community of Salvadorans native to the city Yucuaiquín have settled in Somerville, they have begun celebrating this tradition here; the exhibit hopes to explain, through a varied display, how transnational communities are formed and how traditions are preserved and modified through time and space.

The Salvadoran population in Somerville is not only significant in numbers, but also in cultural, political and economic influence. While the main organizer of the exhibit, Tufts Junior Sebastian Chaskel, is certainly not the first to take note of this fact, he believes that greater awareness is still necessary among Somerville residents. His partnership with the Somerville Museum is aimed precisely at increasing awareness of the eclectic cultural atmosphere of the city and hopes to spark the interest of a diverse audience. Chaskel states that he and the Museum “are hoping to attract people from … Latin American countries, as well as people who would not usually attend an event about Latino culture. It is the cultural exchange between the different groups that will make this exhibition special.”

The exhibition opens on Saturday April 8^th at 5p.m. and will include a performance of the traditional dance by members of the community who will also speak about their hometown and cultural and religious traditions. Following the dance, typical Salvadoran food will be served. In May, the exposition will be followed by a panel of scholars and community leaders that will discuss the topic of immigrant communities; the panel will be held at the Somerville Museum, date to be announced.

This exhibition is sponsored by Tufts University College of Citizenship and Public Service, the Somerville Museum, the Somerville Arts Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and local community members. For more information, please contact Cristina Calzadilla at Cristina.Calzadilla@gmail.com, or at 617.459.7717.

Eastie photos.

2006-03-06T21:33:00.000-05:00

Boston, Massachusetts
Originally uploaded by Zakcq.

Zackq, a fellow Eastie blogger whose blog can be found here, has a wonderful set of photos of East Boston on flickr. Check out the set entitled appropriately enough:

"East Boston. Eastie! Eabo?"

P.S. Check out his other photos too, because they are also great.

I love Boston Legal.

2006-03-03T20:55:00.000-05:00

I've just discovered youtube.com so I thought I would post a video. This anti-war speech from Boston Legal is just perfect. So exactly on the money. Go David E. Kelley! And who doesn't love James Spader?

East Boston Police, District 7 Newsletter.

2006-03-03T08:41:00.000-05:00

Did you know that the District 7 police put out a newsletter every month? Well now you do. Here is the newsletter for February. It's in pdf form so you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to in order to read it. If you don't already have it, you can download here. I think it's great that District 7 takes the time to do this, since I'm sure that they are always very busy.

Eating in Eastie.

2006-03-02T18:58:00.000-05:00

The Weekly Dig had a great write up of Eastie restaurants this week:

. . .While dining in out-of-the-way ethnic and old-school restaurants, I routinely run into big-time local chefs, who, I assure you, aren’t just chasing delicious, bargain-priced meals—they’re taking notes.

One rich resource is East Boston, which—as home to continual waves of immigrants—straddles both past and future. While the Irish, French Canadians, and Russian Jews have mostly moved on, a vital Italian-American community remains. Now Southeast Asian enclaves have taken root, as well as a surging Central and South American community that now accounts for a majority of Eastie’s residents. That makes for a proud example of melting-pot America, and a tremendous dining destination.

I’ve barely scratched the surface in Eastie, yet I’ve already encountered everything from shore-town fried seafood and creaky Italian-American to Campanian, Colombian, Salvadoran, Peruvian, Mexican and Vietnamese. Most joints are homely and casual (jeans are the rule), serving meals that are soul-satisfying, gut-busting and cheap. Taken together, they offer both a grounding in some of our oldest local traditions and insight into the Next Big Thing—coming soon to a pricier menu in a tonier venue near you.

I still haven't been to some of places mentioned in the article. There are so many places to eat in East Boston it's hard to get to them all, but it's fun trying.

ARTE DO BRAZIL

2006-02-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

2_20_2006_197
Originally uploaded by marilora.

A new exhibit at Perlera Real Estate:

If you missed Boston's First Annual Carnaval Brasileiro at THE CASTLE, the Carnaval continues at Perlera Real Estate Gallery in East Boston. We have the honor to invite you to view the new exhibition " ARTE DO BRAZIL" colorful artwork by Fernando Di Martino, a Brazilian painter.

Come to meet the artist and explore a cultural evening viewing colorful painting portraying Casarios Do Minas Gerais, Ciudad Do Cocais and more.

At this cultural event we will entertain you with Brazilian music and tasty food. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

"ARTE DO BRAZIL" Exhibition at Perlera Real Estate Gallery, 142 Meridian St. East Boston, MA 02128

Closing Reception: Saturday March18 from 6-9PM

Exhibition runs from February 18- March 18, 2006

Gallery Hours

Monday- Fridays 9-6 PM

Saturdays 10-4 PM

Exhibition Curator Gloria Carrigg

For more information please contact Gloria Carrigg at gloriacarrigg@aol.com

Sell a condo get some IKEA

2006-02-20T22:25:00.000-05:00

I learned this from the The Morning Call of Lehigh Valley, PA. Apparently the developers of Porter 156 were offering current residents $1000 IKEA gift certificates if they could find buyers for still available units. Hmmmm. Isn't a standard real estate commission somewhere around 6%? Seems like somebody was getting shafted.

. . .Porter 156, [is] a 217-unit condo conversion completed last fall in a former bra factory. The building, in East Boston, has about 25 unsold new loft-style units and 25 just-purchased units on the market for $300,000 to the mid-$600,000s, local agent Brian Perry says. That has prompted its developers, ELV Associates and Metric Construction, to turn to residents for help: During the December holidays, the developers left cards in owners' apartments offering a $1,000 gift certificate to Ikea for owners who found buyers for any remaining units.

Premier Exhibition in Medford

2006-02-19T19:30:00.000-05:00

An announcement about a new gallery in downtown Medford via Sand T. of artSPACE @ 16:

Pigmentia Studio and Gallery, a newly opened gallery in downtown Medford is presenting its premier exhibition entitled The Green Show. Nineteen artists were selected by gallery owner Lisa Tang Liu to participate in this show. Artwork on display includes paintings, drawings, photographs, and mixed media work - all of which depict the essence of the color green. While green often symbolizes natural life and the arrival of spring, it can also represent a magical atmosphere and state of mind, an escape from our “sidewalk society” to a natural Eden where we encounter the peace of our dreams and overcome the fears of our past. Among the artists participating in the show are: Adele Travisano (Medford), Jim Fesler (Lexington), Christina Richards (New York), Iris Osterman (Lincoln), Michael Seif (Watertown), Fran Forman (Watertown) , Patricia Saunders (Medford), Soh H. Tan Kalloch (Malden), Nadine Boughton (Medford), Joan McCandlish (Medford), John Schneider (Somerville), Jim Jackson (Cambridge), M. Steve McCauley (Malden), Tim Barner (Medford), Tamara Major (Medford), Carolyn Dinsmoor (Medford), Amy McGregor-Radin (Newton), Jonathan Donahue (Medford), and Lisa Tang Liu (Medford). The public is cordially invited to the opening reception on Friday, March 3, 2006 from 6 to 9pm. Pigmentia Studio & Gallery is located at 13 Forest St, Medford, MA 02155. For suggestions on driving directions please go to: http://www.pigmentia.com/directions.html The Green Show runs through March 31, 2006 and is open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 1-4pm. For more information please visit website http://www.pigmentiagallery.com, call 781.396.0092, or send an email to info@pigmentia.com.

New exhibit at Perlera Real Estate.

2006-01-26T08:46:00.000-05:00

Sorry, I'm a little behind on posting this, but the exhibit will be up until February 10th. Even if you can't get to the exhibit, please check out the artist's web site listed below--some truly beautiful photographs.

"TAKING THE SCENIC ROUTES" a photographic journey through New England and beyond By J. Justin Bates

Pre-Valentine's Closing reception Friday February 10 from 7-10PM

All are kindly invited to do the wine and cheese thing with us. FREE EVENT

Exhibition runs from January 8 to February 10, 2006

Perlera Real Estate Gallery

142 Meridian St.

East Boston, MA 02128

Gallery Hours

Monday - Fridays 9-6 PM

Saturdays 10-4 PM

Exhibition curator Gloria Carrigg

For more information please contact Gloria Carrigg at gloriacarrigg@aol.com or visit Justin's web-page www.jjbates.com

Welcome to OutMO

2006-01-25T14:27:00.000-05:00

Mongolsk hjem
Originally uploaded by bossydk.

There is something I've been meaning to address on this blog for a while. Why is it that when I tell people that I live in East Boston, they have this impression that I live in Outer Mongolia? I always get, "Wow, how long does your commute take you?" or "How can you live so far from Boston?" Huh? And this is from people who live in Allston, Oak Square in Brighton, or Coolidge Corner. I live way the heck closer to the center of Boston than they do. Listen people, Eastie is one T-stop from the waterfront and two stops from the Financial District. I happen to work in the Allston/Brighton area, so it takes me 40 minutes, however, if I worked downtown, it would probably take me 20 minutes, including the bus to Maverick.

I have a feeling that this impression comes from the fact that you can't walk from downtown Boston to Eastie after the bars close. Oops. Was I implying that my friends are drinkers? Yes. Therefore, I propose to the City of Boston that a walking bridge be built from the Boston waterfront to the East Boston waterfront. Thus, elliminating the last impediment to the gentrification of East Boston, known in technical terms as the "I can't get home after the bars close because the T is closed" conundrum.

Save the Brattle.

2005-12-28T10:27:00.000-05:00

The Brattle Theater needs to raise $400,000 by the end of the year to stay open. Please think about making a donation. I know someone out there must be looking for a tax write off at this time of year. There are not enough places like this left that show quality films and it would be such a shame to lose this great istitution. You can find out more about the fundraising campaign and make a donation at: http://www.brattlefilm.org/.

Blah, blah, blah, blah. . .

2005-12-23T08:23:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I write these posts and I think I'm being clear about my points, but then I read my comments and think maybe I'm not speaking English too well. Or maybe my posts just become like the teacher in Charlie Brown cartoons: "wa wa wa wa wa. . .wa wa wah." Anyway, I am now forced to respond to another comment by FirstEvil here. Now just to be clear, just because I'm calling you out "First," it's nothing personal. I'm just using your comments as a jumping off point to talk about issues that I'm already thinking about and I will sometimes be addressing issues that go beyond what you or any other commenter/blogger/news reporter has to say.

First of all, I'm not against beautification of East Boston and I'm not sure what, in any of my posts could ever give you that impression. My point in this and my previous post was a) Starbucks does not necessarily = beautification, nor does it or the presence of yuppies equal lack of crime--if anything there could conceivably be an increase in crime since yuppies actually have something good to steal; and b) the goal in beautifying and improving East Boston should not be to make it into the new South End or the new North End or "EaBo." It should be to make it a better East Boston.

Second of all, I think that your implication that I am not being "adult" by renting my apartment rather than buying a home is really just kind of low. You were able to get your home in the $150,000 range, if I understand your comment correctly. If I could still get a home in that range, I would be thrilled to own one right now. Could you have bought your home for $300k or $400k at the time that you paid $150k? Maybe you could have and, if so, good for you. Unfortunately, I don't have the option of paying $150k for a home if I want to live anywhere near the city of Boston. Exactly how adult of a decison would it be to pay $300,000 (or more) for a one bedroom condo--not even house? How much value could I possibly hope to gain on that deal given that current sellers in Massachusetts are already having to chop their prices to get them sold in a slow market? East Boston is one of the few places in Boston that is marginally affordable. Boston is a town in desparate need of affordable housing. When I talk about my rent going up, I'm just personalizing a larger problem. The truth is, being a professional and having a decent job, I can take a bit of a hit on rent. I could always live with roommates, etc if I had to and you are lucky if you can take the hit in property tax, but not everyone is so lucky. If I had a kid to take care of and my rent went up right now, I'd probably end up homeless. Rising rents need to be taken seriously, they are a major social justice issue--especially given the recent budget cuts passed by the federal govenment. The National Low Income Housing coalition recently reported Boston to be the 4th most expensive market in the United States for housing. In their 2005 report "Out of Reach" they reported that in Massachusetts:

. . .the Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,138. In order to afford this level of rent and utilities, without paying more than 30% of income on housing, a household must earn $3,792 monthly or $45,502 annually. Assuming a 40-hour work week, 52 weeks per year, this level of income translates into a Housing Wage of $21.88. In Massachusetts, a minimum wage worker earns an hourly wage of $6.75. In order to afford the FMR for a two-bedroom apartment, a minimum wage earner must work 130 hours per week, 52 weeks per year. Or, a household must include 3.2 minimum wage earner(s) working 40 hours per week year-round in order to make the two bedroom FMR affordable. In Massachusetts, the estimated mean (average) wage for a renter is $15.33 an hour. In order to afford the FMR for a two-bedroom apartment at this wage, a renter must work 57 hours per week, 52 weeks per year. Or, working 40 hours per week year-round, a household must include 1.4 worker(s) earning the mean renter wage in order to make the two-bedroom FMR affordable.

Monthly Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments for an individual are $708 in Massachusetts. If SSI represents an individual's sole source of income, $212 in monthly rent is affordable, while the FMR for a one-bedroom is $953.

In Massachusetts, a worker earning the Minimum Wage ($6.75 per hour) must work N/A hours per week in order to afford a two-bedroom unit at the area's Fair Market rent. The Housing Wage in Massachusetts is $21.88. This is the amount a full time (40 hours per week) worker must earn per hour in order to afford a two-bedroom unit at the area's Fair Market rent.

A unit is considered affordable if it costs no more than 30% of the renter's income.

And this isn't just a problem for the poor, minimum wage earner. A whole lot of the the "middle class" are being priced out of the markets all over the country.

Third of all, my point about the crime statistics was to point out that although East Boston has a reputation for being a gang, infested war zone, it is really no worse (if not better) than other more "upscale" Boston neighborhoods. If you took a minute to think about it, you would realize that making this kind of comparison may actually attract the urban, professional types you claim to want to bring to East Boston. Do you think pointing out to them that they are paying $600,000 to live in a "slum," as you call it, is the way to attract the element you desire? By the way, anyone who thinks that East Boston is a slum, clearly has never seen an actual slum.

In which I discuss Yuppies and Starbucks yet again.

2005-12-19T18:35:00.000-05:00

I think I should get a commission from Starbucks, because I surely mention their name as often as any advertising campaign. FirstEvil left the following comment in response to my previous post here:

Eastie is NOT hip. There is NO scene. What there is is a proliferation of gang violence and graffiti, like what happened to some buildings in my area over last weekend. MS-13 gangs are running rampant and Eastie needs to clean up it's act! The police have to take notice and start doing something. If developers want to come in and sterilize the place then I'm all for it! Send the bad element away. I've had it with the gangs and the trash and the illegal businesses sprouting up! (oh yes, it happens) Eastie is a slum and that does not translate to hip or cool. It just means SLUM. I can't wait for the yuppies and Starbucks. I wish they got here yesterday!

I basically have one question for FirstEvil and others like him/her. If this is what you really feel about East Boston, then why the hell do you live here? Maybe you don't have any other options at this time and I'm truly sorry about that, but some of the people I hear whining about the lack of "scene" in Eastie have only recently purchased property here. Come on people. Did you really shell out $300,000 plus for a piece of property and do absolutely no research about the place where you were buying this property. I have never said that East Boston is perfect. It has issues. I also have no problem with yuppies and/or Starbuck per se, except for that fact that their arrival may mean an imminent increase in my rent. Where my beef begins, is with people who come into this place from outside and have no inclination or desire to learn anything about the community that already exists here except to try and push it out. The people who live here now are real people. They go to work every day, they own property, they own business, they have kids in school that they worry about. Who are you to wish these people priced out of the neighborhood that they helped to improve? I've said this before on this blog, but I was in East Boston in the late 80s and early 90s. If you think Eastie is a dump now, you should have been here when all the shops were boarded up and the business that were left here were going bankrupt. Three family houses were selling for $175, 000 and nobody wanted to live here. If you find a 3-decker for less than $400,000 now, let me know because I may want to buy it. Have you been up on Eagle Hill lately? There are parts of it that look like San Francisco, with the old Victorian houses painted up in bright colors. Retail space, if I have to guess, is probably at about 98% occupancy. When I was growing up the school yards and the parks in East Boston were a sea of broken glass and useless playground equipment (if there even was any playground equipment). East Boston now actually has parks that you might let your children play in, not to mention a brand new YMCA.

We all want the bad things like the gangs and the drugs and the crime to go away, but if you can find one area of Boston that has absolutely no gang, drug, or crime activity, I would be glad to know where it is. The bottom line is that there are things about this community that I don't want changed. I love that I can actually afford to live here for one thing. I love that people still sit on their front stoops and talk to their neighbors here. They may not necessarily be speaking in English, but that doesn't make for any less of a community. I love that I can get a meal here in a restaurant for $3.50 (2 cheese pupusas) that doesn't have golden arches. I like that on a Saturday you can see people out and about doing their shopping right here in the community, rather than driving out to the mall.

As to the East Boston Police, I think that they are extremely aware of the problem of gangs that exists in East Boston an are doing their best to solve the problem. I find that the officers from Station 7 always respond to problems unbelievably quickly when they are called. I'm not exactly an expert on crime statistics by any stretch of the imagination, but the City of Boston does post those statistics on their web site. Check out the most recent report from July 2005. (You'll need Adobe Acrobat to do it.) Please correct me if I'm reading this wrong, but you'll notice that year to date reported crimes for East Boston is roughly equivalent to Jamaica Plain (JP's is actually greater) and I don't think that you would find anyone who would describe JP as a hotbed of crime. Also notice that the year to date change for East Boston is -2% and -9% overall for the city of Boston. I'm not sure why Eastie has such a reputation for crime. I guess it's all about perception.

At this point, development and the gentrification that goes along with it is a reality. All I'm saying is that people need to consider what gentrification means for the people who already have a life here in East Boston. The South End has become what it is now, for better or worse, because of it's unique history. East Boston will also, hopefully, become something unique and wonderful, because of it's own history and not a carbon copy of any other neighborhood.

Pendeja!*

2005-12-09T08:43:00.000-05:00

From the Washington Post:

Spanish at School Translates to Suspention

*Translation

I'm promoting this from the comments. Jack concurs with my assessment of the principal in this case. She has expressed her outrage far more eloquently than I, however. Here is her comment. Please check out her blog on this subject:

That's funny - I wrote about this in my blog today, and used that exact word (pendeja) for this principal. I went to technorati to see if it had updated and searched for "pendeja" to find my entry and found yours instead.

Attention condo buyers! Eastie is not the South End.

2005-12-05T18:47:00.000-05:00

I keep reading comments on other blogs and news articles about East Boston, which keep harping on this idea of East Boston becoming the next South End or North End. Listen people, East Boston is nothing like the South End and frankly, I don't think it ever will be, despite the real estate hype. Personally, I think that is a good thing. I like my neighborhood neighborly. I like living with other real people and not having tourists trapsing all over my town, but what do I know. The bottom line is that from the day the East Boston Company layed out the plots that would become East Boston way back in 1833, there have been visions of Eastie becoming the playground of the rich. A place where the well to-do would build their summer homes. And right from the beginning, the working class moved in instead. My question is, why on earth does anyone want Eastie to be the South End, or the North End, or Somerville for that matter? Why does everything have to be the cookie-cutter image of everything else. The truth is that the "dive bars" and "ghetto stores," and taco places that line the streets of Eastie make up a scene. It just doesn't happen to be your scene. Instead of trying to force that scene out to create some bourgeois, idea of hip, why not come to Eastie with the idea of creating something new. Why can't Eastie be a place where you can get a latte and a pupusa?

Ejay Khan exhibit beginning December 9th.

2005-11-27T15:00:00.000-05:00

There will be an exhibit of works by Ejay Khan, a wonderful East Boston artist, at Perlera Real Estate. The exhibit will run from December 9th through December 31st. Perlera Real Estate is located at 142 Meridian Street. Hours are Mon.-Fri. 9:00 - 6:00 and Sat. 10-4. There will be an opening reception from 6:00 - 9:30 on Friday, Dec. 9th.

You can visit Ejay's web site at: www.khanstudiointernational.com

Thanks to Gloria Carrigg, who is curating the exhibit, for the heads up.

Cops don't have mullets!

2005-11-24T12:29:00.000-05:00

This is quite possibly the funniest arrest report I've ever read, but I'm glad the kid is safe. From the Boston Herald:

Paul Costa Jr. said he was walking home from a bus stop at Marion and Bennington streets when Hyland rushed him from behind.
“He ran up to me and grabbed my arm and I turned around and balled up my fist cause I didn’t know who he was,” Costa said. “And he was like ‘Oh, I wanted to see if you had any weapons’ and he patted me down. I was like ‘Don’t touch me. Don’t touch me.’ ”

The boy told his father. Quoth the father:

“I ran up to the driver’s side and said, ‘Why you telling my son you need to check him for weapons? What cop are you?’ ” said Paul Costa Sr. “I knew he wasn’t a cop. Cops don’t have mullets like that.”

Full story here:

Dunkin Donuts will be glad to know.

2005-11-04T08:48:00.000-05:00

mbta_sign
Originally uploaded by marilora.

Saw the graffiti on this MBTA blue line sign and I couldn't resist taking a pic. Sorry for the crappy image, but the lighting was less than ideal. The sign is one of the T's "See Something, Say Something" posters. It says "Security isn't about wearing a uniform." Underneath that some clever soul has added, "It's about the donuts."

Salvadoran Art Exhibition

2005-10-31T00:29:00.000-05:00

There will be an exhibition of art by Salvadoran artists Jaime Cruz and Jorge Guzman at Perlera Real Estate, located at 142 Meridian St. An opening reception will be held on November 4th from 6:00 p.m to 9:30 p.m. The exhibition will be open from November 4th through November 30th.

For more information contact Gloria Carrigg at 617-522-5204.

Candlelight Vigil Tonight.

2005-10-26T08:47:00.000-04:00

There will be a Moveon.org candlelight vigil this evening at 6:30 p.m. in Maverick Square to mark the 2000th American death (now actually 2001 as of this morning) in Iraq. Participants are asked to bring candles with them. For more information, go here.

Thanks to Sandra Castillo of the East Boston Artists Group for the heads-up. :-)

Awwwwww.

2005-10-18T08:48:00.000-04:00

Poor Vito. You are welcome back to Eastie any time you want to run with the big dogs again:

My Life is Bullshit: A blog from Vito.

--Hilarous post via Kate Jackson's Pointy Universe

All I have to say about this is

2005-10-13T08:51:00.000-04:00

DUH!!! They really needed to do a study to figure this out? Did anybody actually think that wealthy, white communitites wouldn't have less hazardous waste sites? From the Boston Globe:

Poor areas seen more burdened by waste

The study found that 24 of the 30 communities with the most environmentally hazardous sites have nonwhite populations of 25 percent or more. Areas with minority populations of 25 percent or more also have more chemical pollution and hazardous waste and, as a result, poor and minority residents are more at risk of health problems, the study says.
Charlestown, East Boston, Hyde Park, and South Boston all ranked high for hazardous industries per square mile.
Chinatown, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and the South End were pooled into one area that made the same list partially due to Big Dig pollution.
''I think that racial discrimination gets played out in a number of different ways, that has people of color concentrated in these areas," said Daniel R. Faber, a Northeastern sociologist who helped write the study. ''As communities become more diverse, there's almost a direct correlation between environmental hazards and the percentage of the community which is nonwhite."

Where the streets have no name.

2005-10-09T17:33:00.000-04:00

I visited with nature yesterday and hid out in the desert--in Joshua Tree National Park to be exact. I'm not exactly nature girl, so this was a new experience for me, but the scenery is truly breathtaking. Contrary to U2's song "Where the Streets Have no Name" (Get it? The Joshua Tree album. hehe) the streets in the park do in fact have names. Here are some pics.

This is a Joshua Tree. So named because the early Mormon pioneers believed that the trees resembled Joshua beconing them to the promised land. Joshua Tree's only live in the United States and they only live at certain altitudes of the Mojave Desert. (That means they live in only 4 states.) Can you tell that I watched a fine educational film at the ranger station?

Another Joshua Tree. If you look on the tip of the rock under the arm of the tree you will see a tiny black dot. That black dot is actually a mountain climber who had just reached the top of the rock. Aparently the National Park is a primo site in California for rock climbers. I'm not really surprised as there are some spectacular rock formations in the park. You can camp for up to 14 days in the park, in some of the most beautiful locations I've ever seen. Perfect if you are a star gazer. Camp sites include toilets and picnic tables--you can get showers in the town of Joshua Tree.

Speaking of interesting rock formations. This rock formation is known as Skull Rock--for obvious reasons.

My friend Rachel rocking the Frida Kahlo look and communing with the desert.

A little slice of Mexico.

2005-10-08T12:07:00.000-04:00

California is lovely, but I've discovered that too much sun is unhealthy for us New Englanders. Everytime we drive anywhere I fall asleep in the car and I've come to the conclusion that it's not because I'm sleepy, it's because of the sheer effort of squinting all the time. (Forgot my sunglasses.) We've decided that I'm going to return from to Boston looking 5 years older than when I left because of the crow's feet I am developing from squinting. Even when you avert your eyes from the direction of the sun you find no rest for your eyes, as every surface in Cali reflects the sun, white walls, light colored cement freeways, etc., etc. Anywho. . here are some more pictures

Here is my dinner of Carne Asada tacos at Tudy's, a little dive Mexican place in Corona. My friend assures me that this place is a "little slice of Mexico" with very authentic food. The food was delicious and cheap! We ate there two nights in a row. The tacos are 99 cents, a taco plate like the one shown in the picture is only $4.99. The second night I had a huge bowl of Pozole (hominy and pork soup) also only $4.99. My friend and I ate an entire meal for less than $10.00!

The Mission at San Juan Capistrano. This is the garden. In the background you can see the ruins of the old stone Basilica which was destroyed by earthquake in 1810. (I think. I was a history major, but I'm still lousy with dates.)

Another view of the garden at Mission San Juan Capistrano. (Can you see what I mean when I say every single surface reflects light?)

The old chapel, known as Serra Chapel for Father Junipero Serra, who founded the mission, is the oldest church in California. It is the only building still standing where Fr. Serra said mass.

I will never complain about the Big Dig again. . .

2005-10-06T11:46:00.000-04:00

We in Boston may complain about traffic a lot and the T, but we don't know from Traffic. Los Angeles has some killer traffic. Basically, you can't go anywhere near L.A. without being caught in bumper to bumper. Two exits (about 2 miles) took us about 30 minutes.

On the 110 Freeway from Hollywood to Downtown L.A.

In local news, the T has broken ground on the new Maverick Station scheduled for completion in 2008 (read 2016).

It's Vegas baby!

2005-10-04T15:16:00.000-04:00

Letter from Eastie will be coming to you from Corona, California this week. I'm visiting a friend of mine. Just got back from two days in Vegas. I took about a million pictures since it was my first time in Vegas. (That place is insane!!) Here is a sampling:

The freeway through the desert from Cali to Vegas.

Lion statue in front of the MGM Grand.

Real lions inside the MGM Grand.

The Vegas strip looking toward Paris and Bellagio.

My friend and I playing nickle slot machines in downtown Vegas.

Penny slot machines at downtown Vegas.

I think I finally figured it out.

2005-09-19T08:57:00.000-04:00

Sid Vicious,
originally uploaded by Kerska.

The Herald headlines are all written by 75-year-old guys hanging out at the VFW. That's the only explanation for this:

TROUBLE IN STORE FOR PUNKS

That's the second time this year that the Herald chosen to use the word "Punk" in a headline. It's like the vibe they are going for is that one neighbor guy everyone has that goes nuts when your ball goes into his yard. I'm sure it's my own personal bias, but when I see that word punk, what automatically comes to mind is old school punk rockers and dudes with mohawks.

On a completely different note I saw this beautiful, blonde woman at the bagel store this morning order a bagel with garlic herb cream cheese and fresh onions on top. I almost had to laugh out loud at the poor guy getting up the nerve to talk to his dream woman and then getting a whiff of her garlic and onion breath. I thought maybe that was her way of keeping the men at a distance.

"Columbian Art in Boston"

2005-09-15T08:46:00.000-04:00

Thanks again to Sandra Castillo of the East Boston Artists Group for this:

Colombian Consulate in Boston proudly hosts"Colombian Art in Boston"which will featured 12 great area artists that collectively have exhibited throught the world and have been train in Boston and Colombia' s best art institiutions.

To add to the festivites on the night of the reception Friday, September 23rd, the Consulate has also invited musical guest "Trio Musical" from the Boston Conservatory to peform, starting at 5:30pm and on till 9pm.

The Consulate will be open all day Saturday, September 24th from 1-5pm, giving people a chance to see the exhibit.

However, the best reasons not to miss visiting the Colombian Consulate on Saturday, September 24th is beacause we will be hosting a "Gallery Talk". The artists will present themselves and thier art to visitors giving everyone a chance to learn more about art and especially learn more about what is on display( from classically executed oil paintings to cutting edge video media project and everything in between.)

The Colombian Consulate is located in the heart of Boston.... right in Copley Square, (Trinity Church is right in front of our building ) McCarthy Building, 535 Boylston Street, 3rd Floor. Totally T accessible.All of Boston is invited!

More info: call 617-780-6988 or email medea1234@hotmail.com

Art is everywhere.

2005-09-07T20:05:00.000-04:00

Even in Malden. Who knew? Thanks to Gloria Carrigg of the East Boston Artists Group for the tip. Please check out the show.

!!!OPENS SEPT. 10!!!

artSPACE@16 in Malden presents its 29th exhibit
COLOR BY DIGITAL
a digital photography show juried by Toru Nakanishi

[ FOR THE MEDIA: See http://www.artSPACEat16.com/currentexhibition.htm for News Release. Please contact Sand T at sandt.artSPACEat16@verizon.net or 781-321-8058 for more info or to receive high-res JPEGS for your publication. Your advocating for the arts in Malden is greatly appreciated. ]

artSPACE@16 (Malden, MA) presents its 29th exhibit: COLOR BY DIGITAL - a digital photography exhibit juried by Toru Nakanishi featuring 31 artists who explore and/or abuse the possibility of inkjet printing technology. Exhibition runs September 10 through October 8, 2005. You’re cordially invited to a reception with the juror and artists on Saturday, September 17, 12noon - 5pm. Gallery talk beginning at 3pm. Exhibition opens to the public on these scheduled Saturdays: 9/10, 9/17, [gallery closed on 9/24], 10/1 & 10/8 from 12noon - 5pm. All other days by special request. Free admission. Contributions are welcome. Call 781.321.8058, or send email to SandT.artSPACEat16@verizon.net. artSPACE@16 is located at 16 Princeton Road, Malden MA 02148. For suggestions on driving directions please go to: http://www.artSPACEat16.com/contactus.htm

f e a t u r i n g 3 1 a r t i s t s

Michael Barsanti - South Royalton, VT
Nadine Boughton - Medford, MA
Elsa Campbell - East Boston, MA
Gloria Carrigg - Jamaica Plain, MA
Michael Cirelli - Londonderry, NH
Ryan Cheney - Malden, MA
Monique Cousineau - Jamaica Plain, MA
Mark Dyer - Colorado Spring, CO
Tomislava Franicevic - Toronto, Canada
Eric Gould - Pawtucket, RI
Leah Guzman - Worcester, MA
Donald Jacobson - Portland, OR
Michael Jewell - Framingham, MA
Liz Johnson - Canon City, CO
Fred Levy - Watertown, MA
Mark Lies - Beverly, MA
Joan McCandlish - Medford, MA
Denyse Murphy - West Newbury, MA
Leah Oates - Brooklyn, NY
David Powell - Winchester, MA
Todd Prussman - Haverhill, MA
Cristina Pujol - Somerville, MA
Andrew Rapp - Medford, MA
Sandra Salamony - Cambridge, MA
Isabel Seliger - Berlin, Germany
Patric Shurden - Norman, OK
Chen Su - Malden, MA
Milos Toth - Somerville, MA
Dotty Tribeman - Lexington, MA
Lynn Wiles - Somerville, MA
Ian Winters - Berkeley, CA

Donations to the Red Cross for Katrina Victims.

2005-09-01T08:44:00.000-04:00

I haven't been able to get onto the Red Cross' web site for two days, so I'm hoping that it's overflowing with people trying to contribute. If you are having the same problem, you can donate to the Red Cross through Amazon.com. They also did this during the tsunami relief campaign. Please follow this link to donate through Amazon.com

Red Cross donations via Amazon.com

There are also lots of other organizations soliciting donations for Katrina victims. The NY Times has set up a page of links to those organizations (including the actual Red Cross site) here. They also provide phone numbers for everyone which is great if you prefer to donate via phone. Sometimes it's hard to find an actual phone number for these places.

Inspired by the impending sense of doom

2005-08-26T18:46:00.000-04:00

I feel when I think about the invading student hordes just waiting to storm the gates of our fair city; I present you with a partial list of things that I have seen on the T that I wish I hadn't.

1) The lady with the handcrafted cloth bookcover. Setting aside the fact that nobody over the age of 11 should have a bookcover, are you kidding me? Not only do you have a book cover, not only is it handcrafted in a fabric covered with images of cats (Cats!!), not only does said bookcover have handles (Can someone please tell me why a book would ever need handles?), but you felt the need to put this amazing contraption on a dime-store paperback. It's not like it was an original edition of Johnson's Dictionary. It wasn't even a spiffy new supermarket copy of The Davinci Code. From where I was standing it looked like it was a used copy of some romance novel form the 70s. Why not just make a t-shirt that says "I live with 59 cats" and be done with it?

2) The lady with pigeon feathers in her hair. Yes ladies and gents, you heard me right. I said "pigeon feathers" and I said "in her hair." Dirty-ass, rat of the sky, picked up off the street pigeon feathers.

3) Live Strong bracelets. Seriously people. You gave a whole dollar to charity like a year ago. Get over it already. What do you want a cookie?

4) Suitcases big enough to hold a dead body. Unless you are leaving town never to return again and you are carrying all of your worldly possessions, or you are, in fact, carrying a dead body around with you, I'm pretty sure you overpacked.

5) Hipster kids on the Blue Line. You think you look hot in your vintage 80's gear, don't you? Ok, kiddies, take it from me, a person who lived through the 80s. That stuff was not that attractive the first time around. If you are too young to remember when Madonna didn't have a fake British accent, you definitely should not be dressed like you are a back-up dancer from her Like a Virgin tour.

6) Dudes with their legs all splayed out in the middle of train as if they are on their living room couch; and, their close cousins, the dudes who read their newspapers bent over so that the newspaper takes up half the standing-room on the train—Didn't your mother's teach you to sit up straght? Newsflash—the world does not revolve around you!!

7) The people sitting on the remote interiors of the train who feel the need to crawl their way to the doors so that they are the first person off the train at a stop where everyone else is getting off anyway. Why? If you need to be the winner of the getting off the train race then why the hell are you sitting in the most inner seat? If you are that late for work or you are in that much of a rush, you desperately need to reexamine your life.

8) The "leaners" and the “huggers.” These are the people that think the upright bars on the train are for leaning their whole bodies against or for embracing in a bear hug. Normal, fully evolved members of the human race stand at a reasonable distance from these bars, holding on with one hand for balance, thus allowing other humans the chance to hold onto the same pole for balance. What is wrong with you people? It’s there for the convenience of passengers forced to stand on the train. It's not your girlfriend. It's not a stripper pole. It's not your mamma! Back off!

9) B.U. students. Need I say more?

This is Pepsi.

2005-08-25T18:58:00.000-04:00

pepsi
Originally uploaded by marilora.

He is my former dog. I say former dog because I had to give him up when I moved. He was taken in by some family friends, though, so he is being well cared for and I get to see him every once in a while. (He's an Eastie resident, too.) He is a 14-year-old poodle and he actually does have eyes under all that fuzz.

Snaps for Rep. Petrucelli.

2005-08-25T08:43:00.000-04:00

From yesterday's Boston Globe:

State Representative Anthony Petruccelli, an ally of Senate President Robert E. Travaglini, has told a local newspaper he will not vote for a proposed amendment to ban gay marriage and create civil unions that Travaglini sponsored last year. Petruccelli's decision is the latest signal that the amendment -- which he backed last year -- could be headed for defeat in the second and crucial vote by the Legislature expected later this year. Petrucelli, an East Boston Democrat, told Bay Windows that legalized gay marriage has ''made stronger unions among people who have not had the opportunity up until that time to get married."

And on a completely different note:

Some Canadian Geese enjoy the
New Philharmonia Orchestra warming
up last night at the Hatch Shell.

Revolutionizing Motherhood.

2005-08-21T16:25:00.000-04:00

madres
Originally uploaded by marilora.

The title of my post comes from a book called Revolutionizing Motherhood: the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo by Marguerite Guzman Bouvard. In all this attention on Cindy Sheehan and her quest to make President Bush accountable, I couldn't help thinking about the Madres of the Plaza de Mayo. Like Cindy Sheehan, they were mothers who had lost their children. The difference was that most of the "Madres" children had been disappeared by the Argentine government during the Dirty War.

In her book Bouvard argues that the Madres took the traditional passive role of motherhood and used it against the military dictatorship. When they marched in the Plaza de Mayo in front of the Casa Rosada (the Argentine presidential palace) holding pictures of their missing children, demanding to know what had happened to their lost loved ones, the government had what amounted to a public relations nightmare. How does a government undermine grieving mothers demanding answers about their children? The bottom line was that they couldn't. They tried. Three of the orignal founding mothers were actually disappeared as well. Their offices were vandalized. There were attempts to discredit them and their children. But the government could never quite get rid of them.

I see Cindy Sheehan's efforts as similar to what these women did. She's asking the President to be accountable. By being there in Crawford and refusing to keep quiet, she puts a human face on the issue of this war and the pain that thousands of families are feeling. At some point, even if he refuses to deal with Cindy Sheehan personally, Mr. Bush is going to have to deal with the issues that she is raising. It's reported today that the Army is planning for another 4 year in Iraq at current troop levels. At the same time we know that recruitment continues to go down. How will they keep current troop levels for four more years? How many tours of duty can these poor soldiers and marines pull? At some point, somethings gotta give. Even Pat Buchanan has figured this out. (God, I know the world is ending, if I'm citing Pat Buchanan) The conservatives can attack Cindy Sheehan all they want, but the more they attack her personally, the more obvious it becomes that they have no way to answer her politically. Somebody please tell the administration that their slip is showing.

Mothers of the Disappeared
from the Joshua Tree album
by U2

Midnight, our sons and daughters
Were cut down and taken from us
Hear their heartbeat
We hear their heartbeat

In the wind we hear their laughter
In the rain we see their tears
Hear their heartbeat
We hear their heartbeat

Night hangs like a prisoner
Stretched over black and blue
Hear their heartbeat
We hear their heartbeat

In the trees our sons stand naked
Through the walls our daughters cry
See their tears in the rainfall

P.S. I wrote this post before I saw this, so I promise I'm not a plagiarist. :-)

If I wasn't so dang lazy,. . .

2005-08-16T08:49:00.000-04:00

maybe I could write stuff like this. Anyway, a nice post by Calla on the people in her [my] neighborhood.

Menino rocking the Latino vote?

2005-08-12T08:57:00.000-04:00

menino
Originally uploaded by marilora.

I saw this sign in a shop window in Kelly Square. I think it's the first time I've seen a political sign in Spanish.

However, all is not well at City Hall. It seems that the Department of Justice has brought a suit against the city for violations of voters' rights. According the Globe:

In a lawsuit filed yesterday [July 29th], the Justice Department alleges that the city and its poll workers interfered with voters' rights by ''improperly influencing, coercing, or ignoring the ballot choices of limited English proficient Hispanic and Asian-American voters" and of generally ''abridging" their voting rights by treating Hispanic and Asian voters disrespectfully at the polls and by failing to provide adequate translation services for them.

The lawsuit says the Justice Department has been urging the city to comply with the Voting Rights Act since 1992, spanning a period when the city's Hispanic and Asian populations have swelled, making the groups a potentially formidable political force. Justice Department lawyers contend that the city has failed to respond to repeated requests to improve the city's treatment of Hispanic and Asian voters with limited English skills. It does not provide specific instances of violations of voters' rights.

''The violations of the Voting Rights Act that we discovered in Boston are deeply disturbing, and there is no place for such misconduct in 2005," Bradley J. Schlozman, acting assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, said in a prepared statement released yesterday. ''Furthermore, despite having had an unequivocal obligation -- for 13 years -- to provide Spanish language information to voters who need it . . . the City of Boston has consistently fallen well short of the mark."

Under the Voting Rights Act, if more than 10,000 of a city's voting-age citizens are members of a single-language minority with limited English skills, all elections materials must be available in their first language. The city is required to offer all ballots and instructions in Spanish for the 34,000 Hispanic citizens of voting age in Boston. The federal law also forbids officials from imposing any requirement or procedure that denies or abridges the rights of minority citizens to vote.

I love this city!!!

2005-08-04T23:01:00.000-04:00

tito
Originally uploaded by marilora.

I'm riding the bus home from Maverick Station and as we get to the stop for Kelly Square, I notice that there is a stage set up in the middle of the square. So I decide to hop off the bus and see what's going on. It turns out to be Tito Puente Jr. with Edwin Pabon & orchestra and they are playing hot salsa music with a dance floor set up on the street and everything. Apparently this was part of the Parks Department, ParkARTS program. Tito Puente Jr. was so sweet. He let all the little kids salsa dancing on the dance floor, go up and dance on the stage with him as you can kind of see in the crappy picture I've posted. (Tito is the one in the white suit.) Oh yah. I almost forgot. The Mayor was there, too, but he's everywhere.

Here's a camera-phone video of some salsa dancers. Sorry about the crappy sound. Imagine that dancing to really good salsa music.

Is it me, or is it groundhog day?

2005-08-03T22:54:00.000-04:00

I swear that every two weeks the New York Times has some variation of this headline:

Insurgents Using Bigger, More Lethal Bombs, U.S. Officers Say.

This just seems completely inane to me. First of all, the more they do this without anyone figuring out a way to stop them, the better the insurgents will get at it. That's just logic. Second of all, the last time I checked, we were at war with these people. Why does the New York Times continually seem surprised by the fact that they want to bomb our soldiers? Oi.

Preserving the Neighborhood?

2005-07-27T09:12:00.000-04:00

Gentrification is all the rage in Boston, especially, it seems, in Eastie. Everyone wants the waterfront developed, new parks built, and beautification of the neighborhood. But what about the increased rents that comes with these improvements? In the end, what gentrification has meant in the past is making the neighborhood too expensive for the neighbors, thus killing the neighborhood. Councilor Scapicchio, however, has a plan to try and lessen the downside of the process. According to the Weekly Dig:

“A little while ago, a new building went up at 226 Causeway,” Scapicchio explains. “There were 20 affordable units, and not one family from the area got in—it was all law students and graduates. I don’t think there was one family from anywhere. Something’s wrong with that.”

In response, Scapicchio filed legislation that would give some preference to neighborhood residents in Boston’s affordable housing lottery. Currently, the housing lottery is weighted toward city residents, as opposed to those seeking to move in from other places, and Scapicchio wants to add another tier of preference to the lottery, so that some affordable units—between one-fourth and one-fifth—would be set aside for residents of the neighborhood where the units are being built.

Scapicchio argues that the city has changed so much over the past 30 years—and even over the past 10—that racial integration no longer has to be the primary concern when shaping housing policy; in most neighborhoods, class, not race, should be considered most important. And nowhere is this more evident, Scapicchio argues, than in his own district, Eastie.

“East Boston is one of the most integrated neighborhoods in the city,” he says. “Salvadorans, Columbians, Irish and Italians all live next to each other. But as it’s becoming a desirable place to live, who’s getting forced out? It’s not just the old Italian families—it’s also the Latinos who are just putting their roots down in the neighborhood. We need to take care of these working folks who want to stay.”

Oddly enough, Scapicchio’s plan has received enthusiastic support from his colleagues who have traditionally been most sensitive to racial equality: Chuck Turner and Felix Arroyo.

“There is a lot more diversity in the neighborhoods now,” Arroyo says. “I’m not saying that diversity is not important. But the idea of a neighborhood is also important, and there’s a place for both concepts. If you can’t afford to live in the neighborhood you’ve lived in for 20 or 30 years, that shouldn’t be a penalty, regardless of race. Gentrification doesn’t integrate; gentrification displaces.”

“If you look at where these units are being developed, a vast majority are in JP, Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan,” Turner argues. “Affordable development is happening in communities that are very integrated, so a neighborhood preference would not do anything to offset the concept of integration.”

Of course, there is another side to the story:

Victoria Williams, director of Boston’s Office of Civil Rights, agrees. According to her, Scapicchio’s neighborhood preference plan runs counter to the letter and spirit of the Fair Housing Act —a charge that’s especially volatile, given the city’s past of fostering gross segregation in public housing.

“Preferences are not permitted because they’re an impediment to equal housing access,” Williams told the Dig. She said that a municipal preference for Boston residents is allowed “because of the change in demographics—the city is more diverse as a municipality. It’s important that people who live in the city be able to stay in the city, but anything smaller than [a citywide preference] would be an impediment to equal housing access, and illegal.”

Asked whether race should continue to define housing policy, even in the face of the city’s rapidly dwindling middle class, Williams responded, “Race is the lens through which we look at the Fair Housing Act, because racial groups are protected classes of people, and economic groups are not.” She added that Scapicchio’s plan “may sound racially neutral, but because the city’s neighborhoods are very homogeneous, what sounds neutral will have a disparate impact on protected categories of people.”

I think that this is a fair concern. Eastie is very diverse, perhaps one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Boston, but what works in East Boston will not necessarily work in every neighborhood. It also means that people, may get stuck in a neighborhood they don't want to be in anymore. I love East Boston, but what if I wanted to live in Dorchester or someone in Dorchester wants to move to Eastie. I realize affordable housing is not the only option available, but for some people it may be the only option that will work. I do think, however, that Scapicchio's concerns about families moving into these new places is valid, however, in my opinion, many of these new developments are not really family-friendly designs. For example, the condos at Porter 156 are "loft-style condos." Some of them are reserved for low-income housing. I'm not saying you couldn't raise a family in a loft-style apartment, but I don't think that they really appeal to families either. I don't know what the answer to these questions are, but I'm glad to know that our city councilors are at least thinking about them.

I've been a very bad blogger lately. . .

2005-07-24T18:29:00.000-04:00

I've been shirking my normal blogging duties. Frankly, there just hasn't been anything exciting happening in this corner of the world and too much exciting in other parts of the world. However, I would like to point people to a couple of items.

First of all, I would like to introduce you to a wonderful artist named Patricia De Los Reyes. She is based in California and she happens to be the mother of one of my best friends, Rachel. Rachel has recently set up a web site to show off Patricia's paintings and I'm sure that they would love to have some feedback, so check it out if you have time. The web site is www.belovedspirits.com.

Also, if you are looking for something to do in the next couple of weeks, check out the 10th Annual IberoAmerican Film Festival which is being held at the Boston Public Library. The inauguration of the festival will be Tuesday, July 26th at 6:00 at the Rabb Hall in the BPL. The inauguration will be hosted by Roberto Escobar, the Consul General of El Salvador (whose consulate is in East Boston). Here is some information about the festival and the schedule: (I haven't the foggiest idea why the table for the shedule is displaying 20 miles further down the web page than the rest of the article. Sometimes I think I'll never understand blogger templates, so please forgive me and keep on scrolling until you get to it.)

INAUGURATION OF THE TENTH IBEROAMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL OF BOSTON

The IberoAmerican, Spanish and Portuguese Consulates in Boston, Massachusetts, will inaugurate the Tenth IberoAmerican Film Festival of Boston, on next Tuesday July 26 at 6:00 PM in Rabb Hall of the Boston Public Library located at 700 Boylston St., Copley Square.

The event will be headed by the Consul General of El Salvador, Roberto Escobar, and will have the special participation of the Salvadoran Director Paula Heredia, whom has won many film awards including a Creative Emmy (2001) for her documentary “In Memoriam”.

During the Inauguration Act, the consular representatives will donate a series of history and literature books to the library as an act to disseminate the Iberian culture.

Over the years, many award-winning feature films have been made in Iberian countries. However, outside the countries where they have been produced and the festivals where they have won awards, these films are rarely screened. The Film Festival will start with the projection of the movie from El Salvador, “Medio Tiempo/Part Time” directed by Francisco Menéndez.

The Festival will be open to all general public and free of charge starting on July 26 and ending on August 30, 2005. The countries that will be hosting the festival and their movies´ projections are as follows:

date	country	Movie Name	Director
July 26	El Salvador	Medio Tiempo (Half Time)	Francisco Menendez
27	Mexico	Corazon de Melon/ The Way to a Man´s Heart	Luis Velez
August 2	Spain	Solas	Benito Zambrano
3	Argentina	Un Oso Rojo ( A Red Bear)	Adrian Caetano
9	Colombia	Maria Llena Eres de Gracia ( Maria Full of Grace)	Joshua Marston
10	Brasil	Villa-lobos	Zelito Viana
16	Portugal	Jaime	Antonio Pedro Vasconzelos
17	Venezuela	La Pluma del Arcangel (The Archangel´s Feather)	Luis Manzo
23	Costa Rica	Marasmo	Mauricio Mendiola
24	Dominican Republic	Perico Ripiao	Angel Muniz

Thanks again to Gloria Carrigg of the Eastie Artists' Group for giving me the heads-up on the film festival.

Quien mucho habla mucho yerra*

2005-07-14T20:42:00.000-04:00

My Dear Senator Santorum:

I am writing you this letter to commend you on your bravery and leadership. It takes a man of keen insight to take a mere G.O.P. talking point and turn it into a work of art. I mean President Bush only had the nerve to refer to John Kerry as the Senator from Massachusetts as if Massachusetts was a synonym for Sodom or maybe Gomorra. But you took that talking point to the next level by actually condemning the entire City of Boston as an incubator for pedophilia. It takes a brave man to attack a city where he will never run for office; where he will never lose votes for his party; and where he will probably never even have to visit if he doesn't want to. It takes a man of political genious to make pronouncements about a city he knows nothing about. I'm sure that the great state of Pennsylvannia is proud to know that you are taking time away from the business of your own state to minister to the wayward Citizens of Boston.

With deep admiration,

A Citizen of Sodom. . .uh, I mean Boston.

P.S. A word of advice from a friend. It is always wise to keep in mind that when we do not know anything about the particular subject that we are speaking about, the best course of action is usually to SHUT THE F@CK UP!!!

P.P.S. I'd like to invite you to East Boston this weekend for the Italia Unita Festival. I'd love to show you around the city and introduce you to the fine Catholics fighting to not be thrown out of the Church that their own donations built. And I'm sure that you'll have a lot to talk about with The Village People.

*Translation of title "He who talks much, errs much."

London.

2005-07-07T08:50:00.000-04:00

I don't feel like I really have anything to add to the the discussions that I'm sure are to come about the terrorist attacks on London, except to say that this is a horrible tragedy and I am truly sorry for the people of London. However, knowing the history of London during the Blitz, my instinct is that the people who did this attack should have read their history books a little bit closer because I don't think that these attacks will have their intended effect. It just may do the opposite.

On a personal note, not generally being a person given over to panic, I have to admit that this morning's news did not make for happy T-riding. Especially when I realized the the MBTA's version of stepping up security was to incessantly play it's "See Something, Say Something" campaign announcements in Government Center station and for T drivers to keep asking people to "please take all their belongings." Ummm. That's all well and good, but how about some real, actual security MBTA? I did not see any MBTA police in Maverick or Government Center this morning. I didn't really expect to see any at Maverick, but I figured Government Center, being literally under City Hall, might get a little bit of extra security this morning. Silly me.

Music at Maverick

2005-07-05T22:59:00.000-04:00

concert
Originally uploaded by marilora.

Zumix's Tuesday night concert series in Maverick Square began this evening. Tonight's act was supposed to be "Toussaint" and his band, but unfortunately for some reason he coldn't make it. His sister "Ebony" stepped up and took his place and put on a great show. She has an amazing voice and she blew away Maverick Square. This summer along with its Tuesday night concerts, Zumix plans a series of Sunday evening concerts at Piers Park. If today's concert was any indication of the kind of music concert-goers can expect, it should be a great summer. Best of all it's all for free (although, I'm sure if you would like to make a small donation to Zumix, your generosity would be much appreciated.) Just take the Blue Line to Maverick. Tuesday night concerts are at Maverick Square from 6 p.m to 8 p.m. and run until August 30th. Sunday concerts are at Piers Park from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m and run until September 11th (No concert on Sept. 4th). For more information and to find out about the great work that Zumix is doing with the young people of East Boston check out Zumix's web site.

Here is a short camera phone video of Ebony singing. The crappy mic on the cell phone does not do her voice justice. You will need Quicktime to view it.

"Average" Eastie Boy Makes Good. . .

2005-06-30T08:23:00.000-04:00

It seems that Boston reality TV fans have a new star to follow. Forget Boston Rob--who needs him? We've got Eastie Brian. The Boston Herald reports that Brian Worth, an Eastie native, is now famous for being the runner-up for Average Joe: Hawaii. He returns to the screen in Average Joe 4: The Joe's Strike Back. I say good for Brian. Milk it for al it's worth. However, not being a big fan of reality TV a couple of things struck me when I read this article.

1) We are already on Average Joe 4?? There have actually been 3 previous seasons of this show? Where the hell was I?

2) At first I thought he was runner-up Average guy, so I wondered is that a good thing or a bad thing? Does it mean you're not average enough or too average? Then after reading further in the article, I realized that he lost out to a "pretty boy." So that means Brian was the Numero Uno average guy, so snaps for Brian.

3) People in Sweden are watching this show? This is the representation of our culture to the people of Sweden? Gud förbjude (That's "God forbid" in Swedish.)

Art for Art's Sake.

2005-06-27T21:13:00.000-04:00

Gloria Carrigg of the East Boston Artists' Group emailed me about another exhibit, although this time not in Eastie. (Hence my clever title as opposed to "Art for Eastie's Sake." Ok, it's not that clever. Whatever.) Please check it out if you have time and support Boston's wonderful community of artists. Here is the info from the flyer:

Contact: Sabrina Avilés (617) 640-8919

or sabaviles@yahoo.com

Theresa India Young (617) 421-0095

Gallery at the Piano Factory presents

“Senses”
Photographs and etchings by Mariliana Arvelo
Exhibit dates: July 7 – 30, 2005

Organized by Mariliana Arvelo and Sabrina Avilés

Opening Reception: Thursday, July 7, 20056 to 8:30 PM

Gallery at the Piano Factory

791 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02118

Boston, MA – The Gallery at the Piano Factory announces the first solo exhibit of Venezuelan photographer, Mariliana Arvelo. Opening reception takes place on Thursday, July 7 from 6 PM to 8:30 PM at the Piano Factory, 791 Tremont Street, in the South End. Exhibit will run through July 30th. Gallery hours are Fridays, 5 PM to 8 PM, Saturdays and Sundays, 12 PM to 5 PM or by appointment. The exhibit has been made possible in part by a grant from the St. Botolph Club Foundation. For more information, call Sabrina Avilés at (617) 640-8919, or the gallery’s curator, Theresa India-Young at (617) 421-0095.

Mariliana Arvelo’s “Senses” project documents the experience of the deaf/blind community in Boston through a series of photographs and etchings that are intended to be touched. Arvelo explores the interdependence of our senses and the private, intimate and expressive qualities of communicating with sign language.

Mariliana Arvelo was born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1979. She graduated in 2002 from the New England School of Photography, specializing in editorial and photojournalism. Her work has appeared in several international publications and was recently awarded juror’s and viewer’s choice awards at a group show at MIT. Arvelo’s work focuses on the beauty, character, and experience of those struggling to cope with adversity. Her work has been shown at the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester Massachusetts, the ARC Gallery in Chicago, the Panopticon Gallery of Photography in Boston, and the Danforth Museum of Art, among others.

She was the July 2004 featured artist at Boston University’s Photographic Resource Center. “Senses” is Arvelo’s first solo exhibit.

As Leslie K. Brown, curator of Boston University’s Photgraphic Resource Center states: “Her work transcends traditional realms of commercial and documentary work, uniting social concern with aesthetic mastery. Her beautiful composed, thoughtful images convey meaning though placement, color, and mood.”

About the Gallery at the Piano Factory

The Piano Factory, originally the Jonas Chickering Pianoforte (1853) was the first factory to combine all aspects of the manufacturing of pianos under one roof. Converted to affordable housing for artists in 1974, it is home to the Color Circle Art Publishing Company founded by nationally known artist Paul Goodnight and dedicated to making widely available the imagery of African Diaspora visual art. Some of the many artists who live and work in the Piano Factory include Erich Allen, Howard Armstrong, Barbara Ward Armstrong, Nora Mae Carmichael, and
Milton Derr. For more information, please contact the gallery’s curator, Theresa India-Young at (617) 421-0095.

Note to Congress--The following words should be banned from American political discourse:

2005-06-23T22:49:00.000-04:00

-gate
Nazi
Nazism
Hitler
Fascist
Fascism
Stalin
Stalinist
Communist
Commie
Marxist
Socialist
Gulag
Evil
Patriot
Patriotism
Free
Freedom
Judeo-Christian
Values
Secular Humanist
Christian
Bias
Founding fathers
Elite
Elitist

Upcoming East Boston Artists' Group Events.

2005-06-20T21:09:00.000-04:00

Gloria Carrigg, one of the coordinators of the East Boston Open Studios was nice enough to email me some flyers for upcoming events. If you can, please come out and support these wonderful artists. To quote Gloria in her email, "We want everyone in the community and the surrounded towns to come, enjoy and participate in our events." For more information about the East Boston Artists' Group in general, please visit their web site at
www.eastbostonartistsgroup.org. (I apologize for the formatting weirdness, it's a result of cutting and pasting stuff directly from Word.)

First on June 24th, they will hold the closing ceremonies for the Boston 375 People's Choice awards. I'll just quote from the flyer:

Even if you missed the 5th Annual East Boston Open Studios, there is still time to see this year’s special exhibit to commemorate Boston’s 375th anniversary.

Our exhibiting artists were asked to submit Boston inspired art pieces, and during Open Studios, visitors chose their favorite and elected a People’s Choice Winner.

Come see if your favorite “People’s Choice” artwork was chosen.

Our Closing Reception will be held

Friday, June 24th 2005

80 Border Street, 2nd Floor
From 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM

For directions visit: www.eastbostonartistsgroup.org or call 617-569-4888.

Second, on June 28th they will hold the 4th Tuesday Pot Luck Poetry and Art night. Again, I quote from the flyer:

4th Tuesday Pot Luck Poetry and Art

at 80 Border Street

Tuesday, June 28 – 6:30 pm to whenever

Hosted by Joda and Ejay Khan
Open Mike sign up starts 6:30 pm
Come One, Come All to a Feast for the Body, Mind and Soul

Hear established and up and coming poets, storytellers and musicians

Spit your words or the words of someone you feel

or take the mike to share your special talent

Share some potluck and good vibes (we provide beverages –

bring along a snack or favorite dish to share)

Featured Artist for June is Francisco Garcia – His Exhibit of Exquisite Nudes and Apple Oil Paintings is entitled:

Apples and Eve

Francisco was born in Marinilla, Antioquia, Colombia in 1959. He finished his painting studies at the Institute de Bellas de Medellin, and his sculpture studies at the Antioquia University. Francisco has had numerous national and international exhibitions including San Lucas Gallery in Bogota, the El Castillo Museum in Medellin, Museum of Modern Art in Bogota, Bellas Artes Institute in Medellin, Tufts University, New England Medical Center and Logan Airport in Boston, San Lorenzo Gallery in Italy, to name a few.

3^rd Floor, 80 Border Street, East Boston, MA

Free Parking Available and located within walking distance of Blue Line Maverick T Station

Call Khan Studio 617-567-7693 for directions or more info,

Email khanstudio@comcast.net, or visit www.khanstudiointernational.com

Hmmmm. I thought immigrants refused to learn English. . .

2005-06-13T08:47:00.000-04:00

From the Boston Globe:

. . .The city of Boston is scrambling to deliver [English classes]. These classes are a common good. Learning English unlocks doors, enabling immigrants to find jobs, join community volunteer efforts, and help their children thrive in school. And there are simpler pleasures to indulge in, like reading and watching movies. Employers can draw on a larger pool of employees, and the city gets dynamic and productive new residents.

But in 2001 there were an estimated 2,400 names on a waiting list for English as a Second Language classes in Boston. So Mayor Menino and his Office of New Bostonians responded with a four-year program to create more classroom spots, expand small programs, and create a directory of classes. For the last four years, the city's efforts have helped an annual average of 30 percent more people than were served by state-funded classes, according to the Rev. Cheng Imm Tan, director of the Office of New Bostonians.

Now the city is launching phase two, a promising three-year effort to increase private support, add more technology, and run experimental pilot programs.
The most common reason people drop out of English classes is a change in work schedules, according to Tan. So the city is setting up a distance learning pilot program, in which students will meet face-to-face with teachers twice a month and do other work using the Internet. Immigrants increasingly have Internet access, Tan says, because they use it to stay in touch with their native countries.

The city is also organizing a pilot program to teach English in the workplace, starting in Boston's Marine Industrial Park, where a survey found 125 potential students. This experiment would be supported by several small businesses.

Two ships in two days.

2005-06-12T21:46:00.000-04:00

The U.S.S. Constitution ("Old Ironsides") turning around
in Boston Harbor on Saturday morning.

Police helicopter patrolling Boston Harbor to protect the Old Ironsides

There were all kind of boats out on the water, but the most
striking was this tall ship with the red sails.

Children performing a traditional Columbian dance
during the Seaport Festival at Piers Park on Saturday.

An LNG tanker heading up the Mystic River on Sunday.

The small boats surrounding the tanker are police boats.
There was also a police helicopter patrolling the area. I'm
not sure, but it also looked like they closed the Tobin Bridge
while the ship was passing under it. I wonder how much
it costs the state every time one of these things comes in.

As long as we're on the subject of beaches. . .

2005-06-10T08:55:00.000-04:00

Revere Beach ca. 1925

the Phoenix also had a nice write-up of Revere Beach.

. . .While Revere Beach may be seedier than it once was, it remains a local treasure — and its charms are especially winsome given the current state of Boston. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re well on our way to becoming another Manhattan. Gentrification is running amok: thanks to its inexorable march, we’re swapping gritty idiosyncrasy for a soulless diet of luxury condos, day spas, and yuppified bistros. Somerville, too, is in great danger; if the Green Line extends to Union Square, get ready for Davis Square redux. As for Cambridge, once Harvard Square lost both the Tasty and the Bow and Arrow, the battle was as good as over.

Which brings us back to Revere Beach — which, it should be noted, is the oldest public beach in America. If the boutique-ification of Boston has you craving the chaotic weirdness that should define urban life, get on the Blue Line, exit at Revere Beach or Wonderland, and follow the scent of salt water. . .

It's like deja vu all over again.

2005-06-10T08:38:00.000-04:00

Hey, this is an original concept for an article. Oh, but wait. . .it's actually not.

The Boston Phoenix on Constitution Beach. (I don't know when this beach was named Constitution Beach, but it is more commonly known to the locals as "Shades Beach" or "Orient Heights Beach."):

Constitution Beach (Orient Heights, East Boston, 617-626-1250). Like Revere Beach, East Boston’s Constitution Beach is on the Blue Line, though it’s not nearly as well known to city dwellers. That’s too bad, considering that it boasts groomed sand, a newer bathhouse, and a convenient pedestrian overpass across the MBTA tracks.
The beach’s close proximity to Logan Airport also means it’s louder than most swimming holes. But the upside is that it offers plenty of plane-watching as a diversion for sunbathers. If you seek sea breezes but aren’t in the mood for swimming or sunning, you’ll be happy to find a range of other options, including a picnic area, tennis and handball courts, and shade shelters.
There are lifeguards on the premises, as well as a concessions stand. Get here by taking the MBTA Blue Line to Orient Heights, or MBTA bus number 120. The free parking spaces fill up quickly on sunny summer days, so public transportation is recommended.

And ditto from the Boston Herald. (Except for the phone numbers. I don't know which one is right and frankly, I can't be bothered to find out. . .who needs a phone number for a beach??):

Constitution Beach. If the sound of planes taking off and landing doesn't bum you out, this East Boston beach is the one for you. Located across the bay from Logan International Airport, this pleasant half-mile stretch offers picnic areas and a renovated bathhouse. Route: Take the Blue Line to Orient Heights. Call 617-727-8865

Open Studios Comments

2005-06-07T08:45:00.000-04:00

I'm promoting a comment on my original Open Studios post from Sandra Castillo the Coordinator of the East Boston Open Studios:

Thanks so much for letting people know about East Boston Studios and thanks so much if you got a chance to attend. My biggest worry was that no one was going to attend and I really tried hard to get the word out...But to see our own neighbors promote Open Studio means a LOT to me and mean a lot to us Artist. If you missed Open Studios don't fret!! We will be having a closing recepetion for the People's Choice/ 375 annniversery Exhibit at the end of the month and if you get sign our mailing list you can get information about up comming shows. Which if you haven't heard are pretty amazing. If anyone attended let me know what you thought about it...but please be gentle...it was the first time I ever did anything like this.Thanks again!Sandra CastilloEast Boston Open Studio 2005 Coordinator

I went to the Open Studios on Saturday and it was really wonderful. To know that there are so many talented people working right in my backyard is such a pleasure. I felt very welcomed by all the artists whose studios I visited. There were so many pieces that I would have loved to buy. I did leave with two beautiful prints of works by Elizabeth Hathaway. Orange, the group exhibition, was a collection of works all on the theme of "orange." It was very cool to see all the different ways that "orange" could be interpreted. Orange will be up until July 30th, so definitely check it out if you have time. Next weekend is Eastie's Seaport Festival at Piers Park, so you can check out the exhibition and then head over to the park.

They better hurry up before all the grittiness is gone

2005-06-06T08:30:00.000-04:00

Per the Herald:

The Departed'' director Martin Scorsese plans to film in seven Boston neighborhoods - South Boston, Beacon Hill, Chinatown, Dorchester, Charlestown, Eastie and the North End - during the film's six weeks of filming. As you are well aware by now, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg and Jack Nicholson are headed to the Hub for three weeks this month to shoot their set-in-Boston mob flick. They will return for three weeks in August. We are breathless with anticipation. . . .

Saturday afternoon in Eastie.

2005-06-05T20:39:00.000-04:00

Eagle Hill Community Garden

These flowers are absolutely gorgeous. I wish I knew what they were called.

Iglesia Jesus Sendas de Fe. (Which I think translates very roughly
as something like Jesus' ~~Footprints~~ Path of Faith Church. I'm sure my
Spanish-speaking friends will correct me if I'm wrong) I never see anyone go
in this door,but then again I'm never around this building on church days.

I love the ivy on this building.

You never know what you will find in a shop window.

Most Holy Redeemer Church. While all those other churches are closing, Holy Redeemer is running 6 masses per weekend. Three in English and three in Spanish.

I was kind of amazed to find the door wide open.
Anyone could go in and say a private prayer.

The sign announcing Open Studios at Atlantic Works.

A window in the gallery space at Atlantic Works.

This is part of an old fence outside of Atlantic Works.
I'm assuming it was the original fence around the factory.

I thought this graffiti was so cute. There are a whole group of
"Dig Safe" markings around this manhole cover, so I wonder
if it was the Dig Safe people that made the happy face.

What Would Che Do?

2005-06-03T08:38:00.000-04:00

People-watching on the Blue Line this morning leads me to a philosophical quandary. Can one in fact be a subversive when one is wearing a T-shirt that says "Subversive" and carrying a Louis Vuitton messenger bag? Discuss.

Eastie Open Studios This Weekend.

2005-06-01T08:35:00.000-04:00

Always wanted to see what's outside the airport? Maybe you've been dying to try that pizza at Santarpio's? Like art? Well now is your chance. The East Boston Artists Group will hold it's annual open studios June 4th and 5th from noon to 6:00 p.m. I went to this last year and it was so much fun. All of the artists were so nice, there was wine and cheese and other snacks for the visitors, and if you are looking to purchase some art this is a great opportunity to do that. I love the idea of having a studio. I want to have a studio. I'm not an artist, but maybe I could be if I had a studio and a community of artists to work with. Does crochet count?

For more information, check out the Eastie Artists Group web site here.

P.S. If you are going to Santarpio's, keep in mind that they do not take credit cards and they don't serve dessert, so head over to Cafe Italia for dessert. If you don't want pizza here are some other suggestions. (FYI: Angelo & Son's Seafood does not exist anymore, but Boston.com has not caught on yet.)

Update: Another reason to come to the open studios on Saturday. From today's Boston Globe:

Drill will simulate terror attack at Logan

The mayor's Office of Homeland Security and the Massachusetts Port Authority announced that they will conduct a simulated terrorist attack Saturday at Logan International Airport. Code-named Operation Atlas, the full-scale exercise will simulate a terrorist hijacking of an airliner en route from Paris to Chicago. The exercise will help officials assess the ability of first-responders to react to a high-level threat under US Department of Homeland Security guidelines.

Massport's description of the exercise here. I find it amusing that there is a "rain date" scheduled in case of severe weather conditions. This must be because the terrorists are deathly afraid of severe weather. They would never attack unless the weather was fair.

First impressions.

2005-05-28T23:02:00.000-04:00

Here is a great post by Donna about her first visit to East Boston. It made me think about the first time that my friend Rachel met me at Maverick Station. Almost the first thing she said was "I feel like I got on the train in Boston and got off the train in San Salvador. "

The madness must be stopped!!!

2005-05-28T00:30:00.000-04:00

The dreaded "EaBo" virus is spreading. I wonder if this is an effort to trick unsuspecting yuppies into thinking that they are moving to a new, previously undiscovered neighborhood of Boston. By the way Salem Group Properties, Eastie has 4 major areas: Jeffries' Point, Orient Heights, Eagle Hill and The Flats. We find, however, that the linked article by Frank Conte is a little bit out of date because, in fact, the Flats are also starting to be gentrified as you can see here.

Dear Boston Globe:

2005-05-24T08:52:00.000-04:00

Since you now own the Metro and your hawkers see fit to shove a copy of it into every living soul on the T's hands, maybe you could think about putting some Metro recycling bins into the T stations where the paper is given out. I have long thought that Metro was Boston's best newspaper--because there was pretty much no spin to the stories. I don't know if that is still true now that the Globe owns it because I don't take the Metro. I think that paper newspapers are a colossal waste of paper. I do most of my newspaper reading online. However, the people who do take them seem to have a problem taking it to a trash bin when they are done reading it resulting in Metro's scattered all over the T station. Perhaps if there were clearly labeled recycling bins available, then less copies would end up on the T floor and less paper would be wasted.

If I had a million dollars. . .

2005-05-20T21:56:00.000-04:00

Actually, if I had $1,449,000 this is what I'd buy. I'm really going to have to start playing the lottery.

Update: (5/22/05) It just ocurred to me that even if some fairy godmother were to bestow $1 mil. on me, I still could not afford this place, because there would still have to be a mortgage for $449,000. The Globe did a huge write-up of the property and the real estate situation in Eastie on the front page of this week's Sunday real estate section. Here's the gist of it:

On one side, 60 Marion is a stalwart row house, a fixer-upper with a small yard, oak kitchen cabinets, and a low price tag: $299,999. On the other, 64 Marion is a renovated firehouse; a loft-style ''smart home" where your digital music collection can be voice-activated from the steam shower. With an asking price of $1,449,000, the loft may well be among the most expensive residential properties in East Boston history. . .

In this tale of two houses, these side-by-side properties represent an even larger story within East Boston's turbulent real estate market. It's a neighborhood in the infancy of gentrification, where an immigrant, blue-collar community brushes shoulders with a trendy, more affluent crowd. It's luxury condominiums mingling with tumbledown three-deckers as merging communities carve out identities in a changing neighborhood. . .

Most of East Boston is still affordable right now, but the firehouse loft could prove to be its tipping point, as more upscale housing in the pipeline promises similar price tags. . .

''East Boston right now reminds me of Charlestown in the late 1980s," said Sherry A. Grancey, principal of Grancey & Company Real Estate in Charlestown. ''The same kind of people who left the Back Bay for Charlestown in the 1970s and 1980s are flocking to East Boston with that same pioneering spirit."

Lord, help us all. What I want to know is where are all the poor people supposed to live when Eastie becomes EaBo?

10 Things I love about East Boston

2005-05-19T23:32:00.000-04:00

cappuccino,
originally uploaded by marilora.

#4 Cafe Italia

The best cappuccino in Boston. That's right! I said best. Even better than in the North End. Cafe Italia has a little something for everyone: good quality, up-market Italian food including pizza; a lounge with a full bar; and, of course, the cafe. The cappuccinos in the cafe are made with good Italian coffee. What I mean by good is that the coffee is strong, but it doesn't taste burnt. The foam--and I do mean foam not that anemic stuff Starbucks tries to pass off as foam--is so thick you might get a foam mustache. If you add sugar, it will sit up on top until you stir it in. This combination is served in a small cup, not the big gulp sized cups that Starbucks serve their "caps" in. In a cup that big, your little shot of espresso doesn't stand a chance of holding up to the milk. At Cafe Italia, you can actually taste the coffee in your cappuccino. Finally, the Cafe Italia cappuccino is topped off by a generous dusting of cocoa. Have you never had a cappuccino outside of Starbucks? Well, then get thee to Cafe Italia to find out what the real thing is supposed to taste like. Oh, and the pastry and gelato aren't half bad either.

New Photos.

2005-05-15T22:37:00.000-04:00

I was going to make this an architecture of Eastie photo essay, but unfortunately the weather did not comply on Saturday morning. It was too gray out, so my pics were not popping. I also realize that I am woefully behind in my "10 Things I Love about East Boston" posts. I'll get to all 10 eventually. In the meantime, enjoy the pics I did take this weekend.

Meridian Street

Meridian Street: I love this old wrought iron.

I don't know who put this birdhouse up on this a/c, but
I think it must have been a hopeful soul.

A shop window with communion and quinceanera dress. It's
hard to tell from this photo, but the skirt of the pink dress is
all lace. The mannequin is also wearing a tiara.

I saw this tiny baby cowboy boot in a shop window on Bennington
Street. I just wish the window wasn't so dang dirty. Too cute!