Dear Members and Friends:
This week, the horrible LA Fires are dominating the news. Sadly, scammers are already taking advantage of people’s goodwill. Before making a donation, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell suggests verifying organizations with websites like Charity Navigator and the Better Business Bureau. Or start with a trusted charity you have used before.
In FCA News: we are happy to announce the recent completion of repairs to the Johnson Memorial Gates with the support of the George B. Henderson Foundation, the City of Boston, and local partners. For more details on this project, including historic and current photos, please check out our FaceBook posting at https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Aqj8oq9LD/
Here in the Fenway, we’re experiencing New England winter this week. But as many old-timers will tell you, if you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute. A note of caution, with fluctuating temperatures, please do not assume that ice on the Muddy River is safe to walk on. It takes a minimum of 4-inches of clear ice to support one person. For more details and guidance on ice safety, check this Mass.gov site on ice strength. Ice formed over flowing water and currents is often more dangerous. Please, enjoy winter’s beauty from a safe vantage point.
THE WEEK AHEAD
Wednesday, January 15, 3:30 p.m.until done, Fenway Cares Food Distribution (full details in ONGOING section below)
January Events hosted by the Charles River Watershed Association [CRWA]
Since 1965, the CRWA has advocated for a better Charles River watershed using science, advocacy, and the law in developing science-based strategies to increase resilience, protect public health, and promote environmental equity as we face a changing climate. This week CRWA hosts two informative events relevant to the Fenway. Events are free. Titles below link to the CRWA website with full details.
Wednesday, January 15, 6-7:30 PM, Flood Mapping and Green Infrastructure Planning (hybrid – join in person, or virtually)
Thursday, January 16, 6-7:30 PM., How Your Voice Can Help Make the Charles River Swimmable (virtual only – zoom meeting)
UPCOMING
Monday, January 20 – Is both Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
and Inauguration Day.
City of Boston Holiday schedule – what’s open/closed etc.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Boston is a special place to celebrate Dr. King’s life and legacy. Dr. King considered the city his second home, as it was in Boston that he met his wife, Coretta Scott King, and earned his Ph.D. in Theology from Boston University while living on Mass Ave.
The Roxbury Love Story mural, created by local artists @problak and @gofive, was unveiled in the fall of 2020. Roxbury is where Dr. King was an assistant minister at the Twelfth Baptist Church and where he and Coretta met. In 1965, Roxbury marked the starting point for the Northeast’s first Civil Rights March, a procession that culminated on Boston Common, where Dr. King delivered an inspiring and iconic speech, and where The Embrace monument is located. Designed by Hank Willis Thomas, an internationally acclaimed African-American conceptual artist, the memorial commemorates the legacies of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King, and the many civil rights leaders who worked alongside them in Boston.
For a list of greater Boston events, click on Meet Boston’s website: https://www.meetboston.com/events/holidays/martin-luther-king-day/
Thursday, January 30, 5:30PM – 7:30PM Town Hall on Affordable Housing and Community Programs at Simmons University (300 The Fenway).
Fenway CDC will host the first of three town hall-style meetings Share your thoughts on affordable housing development, community organizing, and other programs.
For more information and to RSVP, click here!
Tuesday, March 11, 2025 | 6:00 PM, Making History Gala, Fairmont Copley Plaza, Boston. The year 2025 marks the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. The Mass Historical Society is kicking off the celebration with a gala in March. Learn more at www.masshist.org/gala.
ONGOING
BOSTON FAMILY DAYS – FREE ADMISSION TO MUSEUMS (AND MORE) Boston Family Days take place on the first two Sundays of each month from January 2025 to December 2026. REGISTER HERE.
Mondays, 9-10 a.m., Age Strong Chair Yoga (virtual) Join the City of Boston sponsored free virtual class. Repeats weekly through June 16, 2025.
Boston Parks and Recreation Fitness Series
Check this site for a wide variety of free offerings! Get Fit, Enjoy your parks!
Arts Offerings – we’re fortunate to live amidst world-class cultural offerings… find your bliss at any one of these events:
New England Conservatory NEC (here’s just one of many of their concerts):
Boston Conservatory: https://bostonconservatory.berklee.edu/events/music
ISGM First Thursdays: https://www.gardnermuseum.org/calendar/free-first-thursday-january-2025
Discounts at the MFA: https://www.mfa.org/visit/free-and-discounted-admission
FCC programs: https://fenwaycommunitycenter.org/calendar/month/2025-01/
Kaji Aso Studio: https://www.kajiasostudio.com
For a citywide listing of cultural events, check the ArtsBoston calendar.
FENWAY CARES
Every Other Wednesday, 3:30 p.m.until done, Fenway Cares Food Distribution
Next date: 1/15 – at 2 locations:
West Fenway – Fenway Community Center, 1282 Boylston (enter-Jersey)
East Fenway – Symphony Community Park, 39 Edgerly Road
Volunteers are welcome to sign up for all dates and both locations! Volunteer
MGH/MBG Community Care Health Clinic – 1-5 p.m. on Fenway Cares dates, East Fenway, in Morville House, 100 Norway Street. Offerings may include blood pressure monitoring, blood sugar testing, COVID-19, flu, and pneumonia vaccines.
Councilor Fernandes Anderson /Boston City Council news
At the January 8 Boston City Council Meeting, Councilors Flynn, Fitzgerald and Murphy voted in favor of establishing an ethics committee at the Boston City Council. (The discussion starts at the 3:49:32 timestamp on the video recording.) With 8 votes opposed, the measure failed. Some councilors suggested the state ethics committee has jurisdiction. In December, Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson was arrested on federal public corruption charges, plead not-guilty and is due in court on Jan. 29.
From your friends at
Fenway Civic Association 