The Friends of Symphony Park are pleased to announce FREE programming for Summer 2012! This year, bootcamp exercise classes will be added to our popular Beginning Tai Chi class series. Series information as follows:
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Tai Chi for Beginners, taught by Sifu Huan Zhang of Huan’s Tai Chi. All ages are welcome! Please wear comfortable clothing.Class details: 8 Thursdays from 10:00-11:00 a.m. at Symphony Park, located at the corner of Edgerly Road and Norway Street in the East Fenway. In event of rain, classes will be held indoors at Morville House, 100 Norway Street.
Class dates: 6/21, 6/28, 7/5, 7/12, 7/19, 7/26, 8/2, 8/9
Thanks to the City of Boston Parks and Recreation Department and ParkARTS for making these classes possible.
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FREE – “Bootcamp” Group Exercise Classes, taught by Certified Master Personal Trainer Celeste Platt from Boston Sports Club. Please dress in comfortable workout attire and athletic shoes. Bring a water bottle and towel. Yoga Mat optional.- Strength, core, cardio, speed, agility, flexibility, and injury prevention training
- High energy and motivation group exercise classes
- Fun, dynamic, and challenging
Class details: 8 Thursdays from 7:15-8:00 a.m. at Symphony Park, located at the corner of Edgerly Road and Norway Street.
In event of rain, classes will be rescheduled with rain dates posted in the park.
Class dates: 6/14, 6/21, 6/28, 7/19,7/26, 8/2, 8/9, 8/16
Thanks to the Mission Hill-Fenway Trust for making these classes possible
The Friends of Symphony Park are an all-volunteer organization working to maintain Symphony Park
For more information, contact friendsofsymphonypark@gmail.com
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Please join us for the annual Rose Garden Picnic!
Date: Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Time: 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Location: Outside the Kelleher Rose Garden in the Back Bay Fens (across from 77 Park Drive).
The Rose Garden will be open for casual viewing, and visitors usually bring a picnic supper. Soft drinks and sweets will be provided. It is a great night to visit with neighbors, take in the colorful roses, and enjoy the outstanding blue grass music of The Whiskey Boys quartet (Violin, Guitar, Bass, and Banjo). This year’s Whiskey Boys performance will be courtesy of Emmanuel College.
Note: This is a fair-weather event only; in the event of rain, the FCA Rose Garden Picnic will be cancelled.
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Please save the date for these upcoming events in the Fenway.
Thursday, April 19th: Fenway Park Open House!
In celebration of Fenway Park’s 100th anniversary the Red Sox have invited their neighbors to join them for a Fenway Park Open House on Thursday, April 19th from 9am until 7pm (the eve of the 100th anniversary of the first game ever played at Fenway Park.)
This special event is free and will give fans an opportunity to explore 100-year-old Fenway Park at their own pace. Fans will have the ability to discover distinctive areas of Fenway and learn more about the ballpark by following the “Fenway Park: A Living Museum” plaques, displays and historical markers. Throughout the day, fans can enjoy presentations of artifacts, “touching the game” exhibits and other unique presentations. During the Open House attendees will be able to walk the warning track, peek inside the Green Monster scoreboard and visit other spaces within the ballpark not normally available or accessible to fans. There will also be autograph signings throughout the day.
Saturday, April 21st: Muddy River Cleanup
9 am – 12 pm. Hosted by the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, this annual event draws many volunteers. Equipment and directions will be provided.
RSVP: Kevin O’Grady at projectassistant@emeraldnecklace.org
Saturday, April 28th: Boston Shines
The annual event fosters neighborhood pride, providing more than 5,000 volunteers with tools and materials to clean parks, recreational spaces and business districts to beautify Boston for the spring and summer. For more information and to sign up for Boston Shines, visit http://www.cityofboston.gov/ons/bostonshines/
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Please join us for Fenway Civic Association’s beloved
annual Birds of the Back Bay Fens guided bird walk. This year the walk will be led by naturalist Stephen Baird of the Friends of Jamaica Pond. Thrill to the sight and sound of the array of birds that inhabit the Back Bay Fens each spring. All levels welcome. Bring binoculars.
Date: Saturday morning, April 28, 2012
Time: 7:00 AM
Location: Back Bay Fens park in Boston’s West Fenway neighborhood. Meet at the Japanese Bell outside the Kelleher Rose Garden (by the footbridge across from the Museum of Fine Arts)
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Local Fenway representatives City Councilor Mike Ross and State Senator Will Brownsberger will be holding office hours in the Fenway throughout the spring. Drop by to meet your representatives, share your thoughts and ideas, and let your reps know what issues are important to you.
Councilor Mike Ross will be Panera at 201 Brookline Ave on Friday, May 4th and at L’Aroma Cafe at 85 Newbury Street on Friday, May 11th. Click here for Councilor Ross’s full schedule of community coffee hours.
Senator Will Brownsberger will hold monthly office hours in the Fenway on Tuesday evenings at Thornton’s Fenway Grille, at 5:30 pm. Upcoming dates include May 8, June 12, July 10, and August 14. Click here for Senator Brownsberger’s full schedule of community office hours.
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Please join us on Thursday evening, March 29th, for light refreshments, a beautiful view, and an exciting panel discussion on the new community-based design for Symphony Park.
Seating will be limited, so please email your RSVP to mbcgregory@aol.com if you plan to attend.
Vital Spaces, Vibrant Lives:
A New Vision for Symphony Park
Join COGdesign and the Fenway Civic Association for a panel discussion about the collaborative process of developing a new design for Symphony Park in the East Fenway neighborhood of Boston.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
5:30 – 7:30pm
Church Park Apartments PENTHOUSE
221 Mass. Ave.
Boston 02115
(near Symphony Hall)
PENTHOUSE seating is limited; send your RSVP now!
Panel
Marie Fukuda, Fenway Civic Association
Jon Pate, COG designer
Paul Sutton, Boston Parks Department
Heather Heimarck (moderator), Director, Landscape Institute
The Penthouse, courtesy of Boyd/Smith Inc., is a beautiful gathering place on the 12th floor of Church Park Apartments, overlooking Symphony Park and many gorgeous Boston views!
The Penthouse is wheelchair accessible.
Light refreshments courtesy of Whole Foods, Sebastian’s, Choice Fine Wine & Spirits, and Milk Street Cafe.
This event is approved for 1.5 CEUs for APLD.
FREE to the public but donations appreciated.
PARKING
Street parking or Westland Avenue Garage, 35 Westland Ave., Boston 02115. Discounted parking for event attendees.
MASS TRANSIT
Green Line Symphony Station, corner of Mass. Ave. and Huntington Ave. next to Symphony Hall.
For local bus lines please visit the MBTA’s schedules.
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A big thank you to all who came out for the Fenway Civic Association’s 50th Annual Meeting! We enjoyed seeing so many of our members. Many thanks to the Museum of Fine Arts for hosting our group, and to Katie Getchell for the wonderful guided tour of the Art of the Americas wing.
Annual Meeting Report
Fenway Civic’s Annual Meeting was held on January 4, 2011 at 6:30 pm, in the newly opened Riley Seminar Room of the Linde Family Wing at the MFA. The meeting was well attended, with over 60 members turning out on a very cold January evening.
Review of the year’s accomplishments and special recognitions:
Year of the Tree – FCA announced a campaign in 2011 to raise funds for the reahabilitation and replacement of ailing trees throughout the Fenway. This complex undertaking has involved coordination with the various landholders in and around the Back Bay Fens, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Parks Department, the City, and Historic Parks. FCA conducted walkthroughs with representatives of all these agencies to identify trees in need of rehabilitation or replacement. Collectively, we identified 35 trees along Park Drive sidewalks within DCR jurisdiction, 41 trees and/or tree pits within Parks Department jurisdiciton in the East Fens, 10 trees and/or tree pits within Parks Department jurisdiction in the West Fens. We are also working with the City / Historic Parks to identify replacement planting opportunities for trees lost in the Back Bay Fens. In the Spring of 2012, FCA will supplement existing agency budgets with our privately raised funds to support the planting of dozens of new trees throughout the Fenway! Thanks to the generosity of our members, FCA will be contributing over $7,500 to this effort. (Marie Fukuda, Fredericka Veikley, Marco Baldassarre)
East Boylston Street – FCA worked to negotiate a new standard closing time for all new restaurants along East Boylston Street as each one came online, including uniform closing hours on patios. (Walter Hunt)
Symphony Park – FCA has been working with neighborhood advocates for the past few years to improve conditions at Symphony Park, which serves as the primary open space for the seniors at Morville House in the East Fenway. In 2010, FCA worked with the Community Outreach Group for Landscape Design to develop a community concept for a redesign of Symphony Park. Park users include many senior citizens, music and art students, and residents in wheelchairs. Through a series of public charettes and stakeholder meetings, we arrived at a design which improves the usability and appearance of the park, making it a safe and inviting place for all. In 2011, FCA worked with the design team and the Boston Parks and Recreation Department. FCA will continue to work with park advocates to secure public and private funds to see the proposed design implemented. (Marie Fukuda)
Neighborhood Tai Chi Classes – This year FCA worked with the Mission Hill Fenway Neighborhood Trust, the Berklee College of Music, and the Mews Condominium Trust, the Boston Parks and Recreation Department, and the Friends of Symphony Park to fund Tai Chi classes in Symphony Park. 10 classes were held in 2011, and were quite popular with the senior residents in the adjacent Morville House. FCA has secured funding to return this wonderful program to the park again in 2012. (Marie Fukuda)
Ramler Park – FCA and the Friends of Ramler Park, with support from the Mission Hill Fenway Neighborhood Trust, sponsored a number of wonderful special events in Ramler Park this year, including the Summer Sunset Concert Series. Many thanks are due to our individual and institutional neighbors, who continue to donate countless hours of weeding, raking, and other maintenance services to keep this public private partnership going. (Fredericka Veikley)
Agassiz Road / Duck House – In 2011, FCA raised $13,000 from area organizations and was selected as a Matching Partnerships Grant recipient by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. The $13,000 was double matched by DCR and the funds were used for a transportation feasibility study of Agassiz Road. The aim of the study was to identify environmentally sound opportunities that will enhance the Agassiz Road experience. The study commenced in the spring of 2011 and concluded with a community charette in the fall, at which area residents and other stakeholders had an opportunity to view and provide feedback on parkway improvement proposals. In the coming year, FCA will be looking to raise additional funds to apply for another DCR Partnerships Matching Funds Grant, this time for the purpose of design work that will build off of 2011 work and bring closer to reality the improvements to Agassiz Road. This process will involve preliminary and final designs, as well as permitting, and public meetings (Erica Mattison).
Elections:
The results of this year’s board elections were announced at the annual meeting. Re-elected this year were:
Kathleen Brill, First Vice President
Walter Hunt, Secretary
Steve Chase, Second Assistant Secretary
Elected for the first time to fill a vacated position:
Paul Guglielmino, First Assistant Secretary
Paul has been a West Fenway resident since 2002. He has been involved with the Fenway Young Professionals organization for many years, and most recently is serving as an officer of the organization’s event planning committee.
Special Recognitions / Elected Officials:
Rep. Byron Rushing – As part of the redistricting process, Rep. Byron Rushing will be losing parts of the Fenway from his district (although he will remain the representative for the majority of the Fenway). FCA recognized Rep. Rushing with a gift of flowers for everything he has done and continues to do for our neighborhood.
Rep. Will Brownsberger – Rep. Will Brownsberger has won the democratic primary and is running for the State Senate seat vacated by former Sen. Steve Tolman. This district includes much of the Fenway. Rep. Brownsberger stopped by to introduce himself to the Fenway neighborhood.
Councilor Mike Ross – Councilor Mike Ross was recognized for everything he has done for the Fenway neighborhood. Councilor Ross noted that the City’s own redistricting process is underway and there may be additional changes from the draft plan as originally proposed that will impact the Fenway neighborhood.
Erica Mattison – Former long-time Board Member Erica Mattison resigned this year after she moved to Dorchester. Erica was recognized for all that she has contributed to the Fenway neighborhood during her time here, including co-founding the Fenway Young Professionals, co-founding the Fenway Graffitti Squad, bringing Big Bellies to the neighborhood, and encouraging property owners to adopt recycling in their buildings. Erica was recognized with a gift of flowers from FCA and a resolution from the Boston City Council commending her for her many contributions.
At the conclusion of the official business, the meeting adjourned for a tour of the MFA’s Art of the Americas wing with Katie Getchell, Deputy Director, Curatorial at the Museum. She provided FCA members with an insider’s view of the vision behind the MFA’s new wing and the process that went into designing and arranging the galleries.
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As the year draws to
a close, there are a number of upcoming end-of-year events we wanted to make you aware of.
Wednesday, December 7, 6:30 pm – West Fenway Christmas Tree Lighting!
Please join us for this annual tradition outside the Kelleher Rose Garden (across from 77 Park Drive).
We will have cookies, cocoa, carols, and a special appearance by Santa!
Special thanks to the Mayor’s Office, the Department of Public Works, Boston D-4 Police, and the Boston Fire Department
Thursday, December 8, 6:00 pm – State Senate Candidates Forum for the Second Suffolk & Middlesex District
As you may know, a special election is going to be held on Tuesday, December 13, to replace retired Senator Steve Tolman, whose district encompasses part of the Fenway. On Thursday, a meet-and-greet will be held with the candidates, followed by a candidates forum. The event will be held at the Elks Lodge, 326 Washington Street, Brighton Center (free parking behind building, enter lot from Winship Street)
Candidates: State Rep. Will Brownsberger, State Rep. Jon Hecht, Bob McCarthy, Tim Schofield
Moderator: Michael Pahre, Editor, Brighton Centered Blog
For more information, contact Lauren Mattison at lauren269@yahoo.com
January 4, 2012, 6:30 pm – Fenway Civic Association Annual Meeting
Please mark your calendars for our Annual Meeting, which will be held just after the close of the year in early January. Plan on joining us for an exceptional evening at the Museum of Fine Arts! Join your friends and neighbors for an inspiring evening among some of the world’s greatest works of art and architecture.
The meeting will begin at 6:30 PM in the Riley Seminar Room in the renovated Linde Family Wing, with a recap of FCA’s activities, socializing, and refreshments. Following the business meeting will be a tour of the new Art of the Americas Wing specially conducted for FCA members by Katie Getchell, MFA curator and Vice President of Facilities.
We hope to see you there!
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