News Briefs

Parks Department Announces 2019 Fenway Challenge Series

The Boston Parks and Recreation Department, the Boston Red Sox, and Highland Street Foundation team up once again to present the Fenway Challenge featuring the Red Sox Showcase in local parks on three Tuesdays in July and August. 

The free series gives children ages 7 to 14 the opportunity to test their pitching accuracy, swing in a batting cage, and practice base stealing.  Food and entertainment including virtual reality, a replica Green Monster, and Red Sox mascots Wally and Tessie will provide participants with an unforgettable field day.  Participants will also have the opportunity to win Red Sox tickets. 

The Fenway Challenge will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon.  The dates are July 16 at Doherty Playground (Town Field), 1545 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester; July 30 at Lee Playground, 775 East First Street, South Boston; and August 6 at Carter Playground, 709 Columbus Avenue, South End.

Sponsored by the Boston Red Sox and Highland Street Foundation.  For more information, contact Cheryl Brown at (617) 961-3085 or [email protected]. To register please go to https://www.mlb.com/redsox/forms/fenway-challenge.

Annual Award Recognizes Those Who Make Apowerful Difference in Their Community

AARP is now accepting nominations for its 2019 Massachusetts Andrus Award for Community Service, which honors 50+ Commonwealth residents who are sharing their experience, talent, and skills to enrich the lives of their community members. 

“AARP Massachusetts is excited to shine a light on 50+ Bay Staters who are using what they’ve learned in life to make a difference in the lives around them,” said Mike Festa, AARP Massachusetts State Director. 

 Nominations will be evaluated by the Massachusetts state office based on how the volunteer’s work has improved the community, supported AARP’s vision and mission, and inspired other volunteers. The award recipient will be announced in early fall.

 AARP Massachusetts Andrus Award for Community Service nominees must meet the following eligibility requirements:

 ·   Nominee must be 50 years or older.

· The achievements, accomplishments, or service on which the nomination is based must have been performed on a volunteer basis, without pay.

· The achievements, accomplishments, or service on which the nomination is based must reflect AARP’s vision and purpose.

·  The achievements, accomplishments, or service on which the nomination is based must be replicable and provide inspiration for others to volunteer..

· Couples or partners who perform service together are also eligible; however, teams are not eligible.

· This is not a posthumous award.

 Please visit www.aarp.org/andrus for further information and a nomination form.  The application deadline is July 15, 2019.

 The AARP Andrus Award for Community Service is an annual awards program developed to honor individuals whose service is a unique and valuable contribution to society.  Last year, AARP recognized 50 outstanding individuals and couples from around the country.

Community Input Sought

Primary, the owner of 3326 Washington (formerly JP Auto Glass, near the intersection of Washington and Green Sts., seeks community feedback as they create their development plans for this site.  Interested neighbors are invited to attend this meeting on Thursday, June 6 at 7 p.m. at the Brookside Neighborhood Health Center, 640 Washington St.

Police Officer Injured

Officer Hernandez, the District E-13 walking beat officer who patrols Egleston Square, was injured in an incident.  

On Wednesday morning, May 15, Officer Hernandez identified a person with outstanding warrants, and attempted to arrest him.  When the person ran, Officer Hernandez gave chase, and both men were hit by a car on Washington Street.  Both men were taken to the hospital, and have remained there.  

“Officer Hernandez is recovering and resting. HIs injuries are serious and his recovery time will be long. The doctors will meet to decide on the next steps. He is a very strong man and determined to make a full recovery.

Parks Department Summer Guide Now Online

If you are looking for some outdoor fun this summer in City of Boston parks simply go to the City of Boston website where you can view the Boston Parks and Recreation Department’s full schedule of free summer events under the Spotlight section at www.boston.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation#spotlight.

Concerts, movies, fitness, sports centers, watercolor painting workshops, and a wide range of children’s activities – there’s something for everyone, all offered free of charge.  The schedule includes the popular Artists in Residence Craft Workshops for ages 3 to 10 in parks citywide July 9 through August 16, the Boston Children’s Summer Festival at Franklin Park on August 20, park visits from the New England Aquarium, Movie Nights in 11 locations, and the opening of the Boston Common Frog Pond spray pool on June 27.  

Musical offerings include the annual Dorothy Curran Wednesday Night Concert Series sponsored by Bank of America kicking off July 17 with the Total Access Chicago tribute band on City Hall Plaza at 7 p.m., ParkARTS Citywide Neighborhood Concerts from July 10 to August 5, Summer Sundays in the Park at Jamaica Pond on July 28 and August 11, and the sizzling hot Tito Puente Latin Music Series in the South End, East Boston, Mission Hill, and Jamaica Plain from July 11 through August 15. 

For more information, please view the full summer guide and other Parks Department events and programs at www.boston.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation. 

Footlight Club to Close out 142nd Season

The Footlight Club, America’s oldest continuously operating community theater and one of Jamaica Plain’s hidden gems, is proud to announce its final show of its 142nd season: Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest”, for six performances this June at its Eliot Hall home, 7A Eliot St, Jamaica Plain.

The play is widely considered to be Wilde’s masterpiece, as well as the most often revived of his plays.  The Importance of Being Earnest” brought Wilde to the peak of his career, mere months before his reputations would come crashing down, forcing the show to close out its West End debut only months after opening.

Written in 1894 and first produced in 1895, The Importance of Being Earnest is a farcical comedy set in late Victorian era London, in which the leading characters maintain fictitious personae to escape burdensome social obligations. In the hands of talented director David Marino, and a cast of vets and newcomers to the Club, the lush, clever dialogue crackles with wit and charm.

Led by Michael Jay and Bradley Boutcher as Jack and Algernon, and Gabriells Jaques and Elizabeth Loranth as Cecily and Gwendolen, come enjoy a comic night of determined plans and desperate measures, secrets hidden and told, the folly of youth and the slyness of age, as have generations of Footlight attendees in the past.   The first production was mounted at Eliot Hall in 1904.  JPers have been enjoying Wilde’s best lines for over a century – come join the club!

Performance Details

“The Importance of Being Earnest” opens June 1st and runs for six shows through June 15. All but one performances are at 8pm- there will be only a 2 p.m. matinee on June 2. Tickets $22/$20 for students & seniors. Available online at www.footlight.org or at box office, the night of the show.

The Footlight Club located at 7A Eliot Street, Jamaica Plain.  The Footlight Club is America’s oldest continuously operating Community Theater, currently in its 142nd season.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *