Dear Members and Friends:
Here we are, in the midst of a New England winter, both beautiful and fierce. Be prepared, and take care during the upcoming freeze!
Feeling a bit housebound? Need some exercise? Check out some virtual offers from Boston Parks and Recreation’s fitness series or the Age Strong Chair Yoga.
NOW ON BLUESKY 
@parks.boston.gov
Boston Parks and Recreation has joined Bluesky, a new social media platform. Follow for updates on park events, programs, and initiatives. Join the conversation and get connected with community at: https://bsky.app/profile/parks.boston.gov
THE WEEK AHEAD
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/
Inauguration Day: Since 1901, and in accordance with the 20th Amendment of the United States Constitution, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) has been responsible for the planning and execution of the Inaugural Ceremonies of the President-elect and Vice President-elect of the United States at the Capitol. For a listing of the inauguration events, check this site.
Tuesday, January 21st date cancelled: City Hall on the Go.
Tuesday, January 21, 5:00 – 7:00 PM; Boston Civic Design Commission [BCDC] Design Committee Meeting (virtual)
BCDC meeting to discuss the public realm impacts of major projects currently under review. Committee meetings are open to the public. Two major projects being discussed are at
5PM: One Joslin Place, Dana Farber/Beth Israel, Longwood Medical Area
The Project is anticipated to involve the demolition of the existing Joslin Diabetes Center Building and the construction of a new approximately 14-story building containing approximately 300 inpatient beds and 20 observation beds for Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), together with clinical support space on lower floors for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a below-grade inpatient imaging department for DFCI and a below-grade garage containing approximately 250 accessory vehicle parking spaces.
6PM: Northeastern University 10-Year Institutional Master Plan
Northeastern owns or leases 101 buildings within the City of Boston, totaling approximately 8.8 million square feet. This IMPNF/PNF proposes eight redevelopment sites, six of which were included in Northeastern’s 2013 IMP but were not constructed. These eight redevelopment sites total approximately 2.2 million SF of new construction. In addition to these sites, Northeastern has identified at least nine buildings in need of significant renovations and capital renewal efforts within its existing footprint in Boston.
How to participate: please register in advance to join the meeting
Registration link: bit.ly/BCDCJan21B
Call in: 669 254-5252
Meeting ID: 160 629 5863
Thursday, January 23, 6:00 – 7:30 pm, ​​69-81 Kilmarnock Street Public Meeting (virtual) City of Boston Planning will host this virtual meeting. 69 Kilmarnock Street LLC, an affiliate of Samuels & Associates, has requested to make changes to the “West Site” of the previously approved 60 Kilmarnock Street project. The proposed changes will include the removal of 58 parking spaces, increasing the number of IDP units, and creating two residential components that will include multifamily housing and patient-family housing for use by Boston Children’s Hospital. The meeting will include a presentation followed by questions and comments from the public.
How to participate:
Use the following link to register for the meeting: http://bit.ly/3C4MdnQ
Meeting ID: 161 758 5476
Toll-Free Call-in Number: 833.568.8864
UPCOMING
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, 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
Community Survey – Your input welcome: Where does it flood in Boston? The City of Boston wants to hear from you about flood issues! Use this survey link to report past, current, and ongoing flooding problems across the City. The information you share will help Boston plan and prioritize projects to reduce flooding: Community-Based Flood Resilience and Green Infrastructure
.
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!
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: 1/29 – 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.
DEVELOPMENTS BY STATUS:
69-81 Kilmarnock Street, 409 Huntington Avenue, 262 St. Botolph St., 142-146 St. Mary’s Street
Kenmore Hotel, Fenway Corners (West), Fenway Corners (North), Fenway Center, Boston University – Warren Towers Renovation, 819 Beacon Street,
601 Newbury Street, 20 Charlesgate West, 2 Charlesgate West, 165 Park Drive, 1400 Boylston Street, 1241 Boylston Street, 112-114 Queensberry St, 109 Brookline Avenue
See you around!
Promoting a vital and sustainable neighborhood
Fenway Civic Association 