Mass. Memories Road Show on Boston Harbor Islands

Farm School Boys on Thompson Island, photograph courtesy of the Healey Library, UMass Boston

Granted I’m pretty sure I couldn’t construct a dollhouse, let alone a single-family home, without at least one trip to the ER, but I do see some similarities between writing about history and building a home. To me, I find that major historical events–and the newspaper accounts and government records associated with them–provide the basic framework to structure a narrative. They are the foundation and walls of the house, if you forgive the analogy.

But just as it’s the personal photographs, family heirlooms, and treasured items that make a house your home, I’ve found that small details unearthed from personal histories–photographs, diaries, etc.–add the necessary finishing touches that really add character to a story.

When I was writing Discovering the Boston Harbor Islands, I felt fortunate that I was able to view the personal photographs and hear the stories of not only present-day Bostonians, but of those of generations past. It reminded me that the history we learn in textbooks engages the mind, but the history we find in scrapbooks can tug at the heart. And both sources have the equal capacity to inspire our spirits.

Farm School Band on Thompson Island, photo courtesy of the Healey Library, UMass Boston

Needless to say I think it’s important that we capture these personal histories, and great work is being done every day in compiling digital histories. And if you happen to have photographs and stories related to the Boston Harbor Islands, I would encourage you to bring them with you to the Massachusetts Archives on Columbia Point in Dorchester this Saturday (September 17) for the Mass. Memories Road Show. This is an initiative of the Massachusetts Studies Project at UMass Boston and co-sponsored by Mass Humanities.

The organizers are encouraging anyone with family photographs of the Boston Harbor Islands (be they yours or your ancestors’) to bring a handful of them to the Road Show where they will be scanned and immediately returned them to you. You will be invited to share a 3-4 minute story about your photographs on camera. All photos and stories scanned at the event will become part of the UMass Boston digital archive, online at www.MassMemories.net.

The hours of the Road Show are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Click here for more information or contact Project Manager Heather Cole at heather.cole@umb.edu or 617-287-5929. Who knows? The memories you share might provide the perfect finishing touches for authors and historians writing about the Islands hundreds of years from now.

The Great Sunday Morning Art Switch

A few weeks ago, I volunteered to help the amazing team from the Boston University Center for Digital Imaging Art (BU CDIA) set up the Ethan Daniels exhibit at Trident Bookstore’s café. The folks at Trident are serious about their art: with the goal of never having art-free walls, they have the artists come in at the wee hours of the morning and hang their prints.

Now, I am a responsible working adult. I regularly get up before the sun rises to head to the gym, get chores done, maybe do a bit of emailing or writing before I head off to work. But on a Sunday, it just seemed…. so wrong. When the alarm went off around 5:45 AM, I quietly dressed and I slipped out the front door, grumbling slightly. Ah, I thought to myself- the less glamorous side of the publishing industry.

But then, I realized something. I had the entire city to myself. As it turns out, there are very few people out and about at 6:00 AM on a Sunday morning in Boston.  As I walked toward Trident, I crossed over Boylston Street, which usually is quite busy with cars, pedestrians, tourists and shoppers. Not that morning- just the sun glinting off the tall buildings and a lone runner in the distance.  Newbury Street was also abandoned, and seemed like a magical street right out of a fairytale. The quiet storefronts and cafes would soon be bustling with servers and clerks and people from the neighborhood- but in those few moments, it was like the city was all mine, and I took it all in like I was seeing it for the first time.

When I finally snapped out of it, I joined the BU CDIA team. They were great that morning: chipper, despite the hour, and extremely efficient. We were ready to go when the first diners showed up at 8AM, and I stuck around awhile to see if people were taking in the new prints. Some seemed to notice, while others were pretty absorbed in their cups of coffee and their books, which I understood.

With just a few days left to see Ethan Daniels’s stunning photography from Under Cape Cod Waters at Trident Books, we encourage you to take a trip over there. Grab a cup of coffee (and maybe a piece of rich chocolate cake) and hang out in the café for a while. Soak in your surroundings, and submerge yourself in Daniels’ underwater photography – before the next crew comes in to do the great Sunday morning art switch!

Trident Booksellers & Cafe  is featuring prints from award-winning underwater photographer Ethan Daniels in their gallery this month (July 10-August 21). Daniels, a trained biologist, is the author and photographer of Under Cape Cod Waters, a stunning and unique portrait of the world beneath the Cape’s near-shore waters.

Digital Arts Programs at Boston University Center for Digital Imaging Arts

BU CDIA Waltham Campus, from http://www.cdiabu.com

If you or anyone you know are interested in the world of digital arts and have yet to explore the offerings of the BU CDIA, it’s time. This fantastic center on Waltham’s Moody Street (with another campus in Washington DC) has been a great friend to Union Park Press since 2008. They’ve partnered with us on multiple projects: from introducing us to Ethan Daniels at a Chris Klein author event at Back Pages Books next door; to filming author events at the Boston Public Library and the BU CDIA; to hosting a book launch upon Under Cape Cod Waters’ release in June 2010.

Most recently, the BU CDIA was responsible for printing the seventeen 22” x 28” framed Cape Cod prints hanging on the walls of Trident Booksellers & Café from July 10-August 21. And what an incredible job they did! As Ethan Daniels explains, seeing the images enlarged, framed, and up on a wall brings every detail to life—a great feat for close-ups of flora and fauna beneath the Cape’s waterlines.  The BU CDIA instructors and staff chipped in for each stage of the exhibit, from planning and printing to framing and the actual installation.

What’s wonderful about the CDIA is the range of programs offered for those interested in exploring the world of digital imaging to those who want to actually make a career in the field.  Their curriculum includes Photography, Graphic Design, Web Development, Digital Filmmaking, Audio Production, 3D Animation, as well as regular workshops and high school summer programs. In a constantly changing digital age, the instructors and staff are there to keep up with the changes and keep students in the know—and from our experience, they do it with passion and patience, all the way until the final exhibit.

Next time you’re reminiscing about the “if only…” and “what if…” of being an artist in one medium or another, take a look at the BU CDIA website and see how to make it happen. And of course, be sure to share your future projects with us…they might lead to a new book in the Union Park Press collection!

The Greenway Open Market

I am a big fan of the SoWa Open Market. As a South Ender, I anxiously await opening day every year and trek over to the market any Sunday that I am in the city during the season. In the past few years, the weekly event has seen the addition of a farmers’ market, a vintage market and most recently, those much buzzed-about food trucks.  It continues to thrive after a venue change to the gallery-heavy Thayer Street area off of Harrison Avenue. The folks at New England Open Market group, who run the show at SoWa, certainly know their stuff and seem to set their sites on improving and expanding every season.

This past weekend marked a completely new venture for the group, with a Saturday market on the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway.  The Greenway, the linear park system that replaced the southeast expressway through the infamous and seemingly never-ending Big Dig, has been called “the world’s most expensive median strip” or portrayed as a dead park, more likely to feature lonely tumbleweed rather than the envisioned crowds of tourists and Bostonians.  I can attest that this is absolutely not the case, and that the Rose Kennedy Greenway is very much alive and kicking.

From my view, the Greenway—and now the Greenway Open Market— are both enjoying considerable success. On opening day, I saw tents selling beautiful paintings and funky jewelry mixed in with those hawking clothing for toddlers and handmade toys. The most popular tent belonged to the keen businesswomen who focused on the recent trend of attaching long feathers to one’s hair—I counted over 20 very excited tweens crowding the booth, waiting to get be-feathered.

The Greenway Open Market appears to have more of a focus on families and kids than others I’ve seen, and with good reason. Located in the Wharf District of the Greenway, the market is right in between family and tourist centered Faneuil Hall, a busy carousel, the Aquarium, and the Long Wharf docks, where boats depart for the Boston Harbor Islands.  What’s more, the most popular place in all of Boston on a gorgeous summer day is right next to the market—the extremely entertaining water spouts at Rings Fountain.  You’ll never see children happier than when they are anticipating being shot by unpredictable jets of water on a hot summer day.

Of course, the weather didn’t hurt: The Greenway Open Market could not have opened on a better Boston day. The park-lover in me was thrilled to see those bright white tents against blue skies and the fresh grass of the Wharf Parks; the smiling faces of the artists selling their wares; and to hear the happy squawks of kids enjoying summer. Get out there and check it our for yourself! The Greenway Open Market is on the Rose Kennedy Greenway on Saturdays from July 9-Sept 17, 11am-4pm.

Big Hit for Historic Fenway Park: NKOTBSB

With one of my best friends working in the music industry, I occasionally have the privilege of being his “plus one” to events around the city. This past Saturday, June 11, 2011, it was to the NKOTBSB Concert at Fenway Park – truly, a once in a lifetime event.

Admittedly, I’m not a huge pop fan and never got into the New Kids or the Backstreet Boys, so from the perspective of the thousands of loyal fans, I clearly didn’t deserve a ticket to this sold out show. However, I am a Bostonian and a strong supporter of all Boston traditions, so a concert at our beloved Fenway Park?!? Sign me up! This was not an opportunity I was about to miss—and wow, what a show!

Fireworks, flames, lights, smoke and sparkling team jerseys…the fans went wild as “the starting line-up” of band members appeared in Red Sox jerseys, running from home plate up to the massive stage. And for the next 2+ hours the boys, all grown up, belted out one memorable hit after another—with plenty of fan interaction in between.

Talk about flashbacks to my teen years: I may have grown up in London in the 90s but the Backstreet Boys were international pop-stars and their songs were everywhere, so the lyrics came back right away. As far as “Step by Step” and “You Got It (The Right Stuff)” by the New Kids – I’ve had them in my head ever since. It was incredible to listen as the whole of Fenway Park sang along. Picture it: Sweet Caroline but three times as loud, 2+ hours long, with deafening screams of adoration in between.

The rain got heavier as the show progressed—but our spirits were far from dampened. In fact, the show just got better: the bands praised the fans for their loyalty through the rain and became increasingly boy-like again, sliding down the catwalk (head first!), stomping in the puddles, and jumping off stage to run the bases, too.

They were clearly having the time of their life – and by the time we were all fully soaked, performers included, it was time for the grand finale, with one Boston-centric encore after another: Bruins pride, sparkling Celtics jerseys, an appearance by Naughty by Nature AND to really get the Boston die-hards going, a final song from the Green Monster itself, followed by fireworks and a series of bows. Quite the performance!

Another memorable night in the city of Boston – and another fantastic use of the historic Fenway Park.

Historic Boston Harbor Islands Photographs

One of the great things about the Internet for any history buff is the ability to access photographs and historical resources that were once buried deep inside archives and libraries. Case in point are the fantastic vintage photographs that the Boston Public Library posts on Flickr. The recent release of baseball photographs taken by Leslie Jones received considerable press, and deservedly so. (Check out this incredible shot of a Cubs player sliding into home at Braves Field.) But I was just as excited to see the recently posted vintage photographs of the Boston Harbor Islands.

Check out this photograph taken on Long Island sometime around 1930. It shows the contestants of the annual baby crib race down Long Island Head at the starting line. Gentlemen, start your cradles!

OK, just kidding. It’s a photograph of some of the children who were being cared for at Long Island Hospital along with some of the nurses out getting some fresh air.

The cool breezes and the open air of the islands were thought to have salubrious properties. Thus, the Boston Harbor Islands were a place of healing for generations of sick children from Boston. In addition to the hospital on Long Island, the Burrage Hospital on Bumpkin Island provided care and treatment for poor children with physical disabilities between 1902 and the start of World War I. And if you’ve always been confused as to why the Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center is fully landlocked, well, it’s because that it dates back to the days when it actually did sail on Boston Harbor. For 33 years starting in 1894, the Floating Hospital sailed the harbor so that its patients could benefit from its supposedly healing breezes.

(Photo courtesy of Boston Public Library)

Think Pink: Mother’s Day and Pink Space in Boston

Yes, it’s almost Mother’s Day, which means it’s time to admire the pale purple, dark purple, and ever so slightly purplish white blooms at Lilac Sunday at the Arnold Arboretum. But as every Disney princess knows, pink is also an acceptable feminine hue. There’s a nice bit of pink available for viewing this Sunday in Wellesley, and an overwhelming roiling traffic-stopping marshmallow fluff blob of pink coming to Fort Point Channel this summer.

Wellesley is the home of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s charming gardens at Elm Bank. I was there for the Garden Club Federation of Massachusetts Speakers Bureau this week, and stopped by the Alan Payton Garden of the American Rhododendron Society Massachusetts Chapter. And behold! Pink galore!

Rhododendron enthusiasts can deduce the identity of this bright bit of shrubbery from the Rhododendron Society’s map of the 88 different species and cultivars on display. Mere gawkers can stare at the flowers until their eyes hurt. They’re lovely, and some of the blossoms are delicate as a young girl’s tresses—but some of them are just pink, Pink, PINK.

In other PINK news, it looks like someone has answered my call for putting a giant jellybean on the Greenway… or at least fairly nearby in Fort Point Channel.

On May 5 the Boston Globe reported that SHIFT Boston had awarded first prize in its design competition for what to put on a Fort Point Channel Barge to, well, a giant pink cloud, which will appear in Boston “next summer.” According to SHIFT Boston’s web site,

“Lighter Than Air is a large pink helium and steam balloon… Lighter than Air is comprised of a 3-D camouflage net held up by helium-filled weather balloons, forming what the designer and architect call a “camovapor” climate system that floats above the barge…

“Visitors are invited to use an outdoor gym of bicycles to generate “pedal power” that inflates additional weather balloons and transforms liquid water into water vapor—either as mist or steam. As the water vapor condenses on the cool surfaces of the camouflage nets, the 3-D perforation of the camouflage net will temporarily retain this water. When combined with the harbor breeze, cool micro-climate zones will be created.”

How cool is that? I guess it depends on how much water vapor is floating around… The Blob will be available for viewing, pedaling, micro-climate creation and stupefied admiration in September and October 2011.

I admit that I’m slightly partial to the Grow Boston runner-up entry that would create living gardens that would float away, even though it would pollute the Harbor. Boston could always use more green space. But I’m delighted to see more pink space, too. It’s about time we had some fun around here.

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Events at Union Park Press!

We have some great author events coming your way this spring. For times, dates, and locations, visit our News & Events page. But to highlight some that are open to the public:

• 4/17/11—Meg Muckenhoupt, author of Boston’s Gardens & Green Spaces, being a true Patriot is ready to spread the word about local gardens, parks, farms, rooftops, etc. this Patriots Day weekend in—of all historic places—Concord, MA. Spend Sunday morning learning about your New England roots, Sunday afternoon with Meg at the Concord Bookshop—learning about New England’s roots (literally!)—and then Marathon Monday cheering on the runners and the Sox in the city.

• 5/27/11—You can also catch Meg in May and participate in the Green Streets Initiative’s Walk/Ride Day* too! On Friday, May 27th at 3PM, join Meg in the beautiful Reading Garden at the Valente Branch Library as she travels through the verdant world of her book, Boston’s Gardens & Green Spaces. Hosted by the library, Green Streets Initiative, and Cambridge Local First, this event is a wonderful opportunity to support your local green and book and business communities!

*The Green Streets Initiative invites all community members to travel sustainably and celebrate the benefits of walking, biking and using public transportation on Walk/Ride Day, the last Friday of every month. Visit www.gogreenstreets.org to join, for more information, and to find out how local businesses reward participants on Walk/Ride Day.

• 5/3/11 & 5/12/11—Christopher Klein, author of Discovering the Boston Harbor Islands and The Die-Hard Sports Fan’s Guide to Boston will be speaking at the Winthrop Historical Society (May 3rd, Winthrop, MA) and Flint Memorial Library (May 12th, Reading, MA) this May about the hidden gems in Boston’s backyard.

Stop by either lecture and grab a copy of the newest edition of Discovering the Boston Harbor Islands, described by author Dennis Lehane as “A wonderful companion piece to the hidden treasure islands off Boston’s coast.” And if you can’t make it, not to worry, Chris will be out on Georges Island this summer—a great reason to get island hopping!

• 5/14/11—Finally, for Boston’s die-hard sports fans, Chris will be leading a Sports Fan’s Walking Tour of Boston through the city streets on May 14^th at 5PM (don’t forget to order a copy of The Die-Hard Sports Fan’s Guide to Boston in advance!). To register, go to the Lincoln-Sudbury Adult Education website—and send us your tour photos to post on Read Local Boston.

As always, thanks for supporting Union Park Press and our authors – and enjoy Boston’s springtime!

In time for Opening Day in Boston: What’s new at Fenway Park in 2011?

Good news: You can now get a good stiff drink at Fenway Park. Bad news: The way the season has started, you’re going to need it.

On Friday afternoon, the Red Sox blissfully return to Fenway Park and hopefully benefit from some home cooking after a horrendous road trip to kick off the 2011 season. Friday’s home opener will mark the start of Fenway Park’s 100th  season, and just as they did for their first-ever game in the ballpark, the Sox will take on the Yankees. Hopefully history can repeat itself as Boston beat New York in Fenway’s inaugural game.

So what’s new at Fenway Park in 2011? Well, the biggest changes were supposed to be on the field with the additions of Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, and an overhauled bullpen. So far, the biggest change has indeed been on the field: losing. I’m confident (well, hopeful?) though, that they are simply getting the losing out of their system really early in the season.

There are changes off the field as well, that fans will see when they return to the ballpark on Yawkey Way:

New scoreboards. Perhaps the most notable will be three new high def, LED scoreboards. The biggest one will be directly above the bleachers in center field. It is 38 feet high and 100 feet wide. By comparison, the old scoreboard was 23 feet high and 30 feet wide. So it’s going to be a really noticeable difference. In fact, the huge screen makes it looks like our computer overlords have come into Fenway to keep an eye on things.

The previously existing hitters and pitchers board in left center field, which recorded pitch counts and speed, has been transformed into a 17 feet high by 100 feet wide video display. A third video screen, 16 feet high by 30 feet wide, will be above the bleachers in right field. These video systems will prominently feature real-time information such as batter and pitcher stats, pitch speed and type, box scores, and other messaging. Another element added beyond the right field bleachers is a large analog clock sponsored by security company ADT.

New right field seats. This off-season marked the completion of the repair and waterproofing of the concrete lower seating bowl, a project that started in 2007, with work done in right field. What fans will notice most from the project are new seats in the dugout, field box, loge box, and right field box sections. The new seats sport cup holders, and padding was added to field box seats. Grandstand seats in right field were refurbished and now have self-rising mechanism that allow seats to retract automatically when they are empty. Your knee caps will particularly appreciate that change.

Gate D improvements. The Sox made improvements to Fenway around Gate D, which is located near the corner of Yawkey Way and Van Ness Street. There are new and expanded concession and merchandise stands. And a walk-in team store! Can’t imagine where they came up with the space to get that done since the area around Gate D can oftentimes resemble a cattle call. There’s now a ticket booth at Gate D where will-call tickets for any gate will be available for pick-up. There are also new, big televisions in what is now dubbed the “Home Plate Concourse.” The concourse has also been freshly paved, so say goodbye to those discarded pieces of gum that have been stuck to the ground there since Ted Williams roamed left field.

New concessions. Now about the new lineup additions that most fans care about: the food. Among the new concession items for 2011 are sushi from BASHO Japanese Brasserie and a Jamba Juice stand in the Big Concourse behind right field. In the new Home Plate Concourse concession stands there are brick oven pizza and a fishmongers dream: lobster rolls, fried clam rolls, Cajun shrimp rolls, fish sandwiches, and fish and chips. There will be season fresh fruit (didn’t see that one coming) along with saltwater taffy and assorted nuts (not of the Bill Lee variety). Out on Yawkey Way, a new “Wally’s Favorites” stand will sell fried dough, funnel cake, kettle corn, and cotton candy. The “Taste of Fenway” stand will have a menu comprised of different seasonal selections and offerings from Fenway’s restaurants such as the Absolut Clubhouse Burger. The popular Fenway Smokehouse will now have a picnic area by the NESN pre-game stage near Gate D.

Fans can get in on the action to finalize the menu by choosing one of two signature sandwiches: the Monster Roast Beef Sandwich (with sautéed onion and barbecue sauce) and the Turkey Gobble Sandwich (with cranberry sauce, hot stuffing, and gravy). Both will be sold throughout the first half of 2011, and you can vote at www.redsox.com/sandwich. The winner at the All-Star Break will be called up to the big show for the rest of the season. The other, presumably, will be sent down to Pawtucket. If I were the Turkey Gobbler, I’d get ready for the chopping block.

Those looking for “lighter fare” will find vegetarian pizza, veggie dogs, and veggie burgers, and chef and garden salads among the new menu items.

Wally’s World. The family-friendly play area launched last July, and it will be back this year for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday home games from the 2nd inning through the 7th inning (weather permitting). Located on Yawkey Way, it includes games, activities and concession items targeted towards children, and an opportunity for kids to see Wally the Green Monster during the 3rd and 4th innings.

Mixed drinks. Finally, now it’s not just the hoi polloi who get to souse themselves on mixed drinks at Fenway. There’s a tentative agreement that could allow the Red Sox to sell mixed drinks at multiple locations throughout the ballpark starting next month. Sales would stop two hours after the game starts (beer sales currently shut down two-and-a-half hours after first pitch). The team said that the alcohol content of the mixed drinks would be no greater than the alcohol content of a beer, so don’t get too excited. While those in premium seats can get straight alcohol, either on the rocks or in shots, the rest of the park will still miss out. And mixed drink concessions will not be located in the bleachers. For some reason I guess they think bleacher creatures have a problem holding their alcohol. Hmm…wonder why.

For more on the changes at Fenway Park, visit the Red Sox website. Don’t forget to check out The Die-Hard Sports Fan’s Guide to Boston for more on Red Sox history and all you need to know to have a great day at Fenway—from where to eat and drink before and after the game, to where to get tickets and autographs, and even how to snag a foul ball and get on TV.

Fenway’s Incomplete Street

Some wayward bit of internet flotsam recently turned my attention to Boston’s Complete Streets web page about the Audubon Circle project  in the Fenway. This “circle”—or, rather, this expanse of pedestrian-imperiling imitation highway—was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, sort of. Olmsted, the landscape genius who designed most of Boston’s Emerald Necklace, wanted to connect Beacon Street to the Back Bay Fens. He extended the Fens’ Park Drive to meet Beacon Street, and voila! A circle was born!

Do you doubt me? Audubon Circle is featured on Unmapped Boston’s map of public squares and thoroughfares. You can also see a rather demure illustration of it in this 1894 map Olmsted’s firm produced titled “Plan of Portion of Park System from Common to Franklin Park.” (Looking at Olmsted’s map, it’s clear there was a severe street shortage around Jamaica Pond in 1894. That deficiency has been corrected.) Olmsted’s map calls Park Drive “Audubon Road.” Apparently, the name Audubon was too controversial to persist in proper Boston—or perhaps it was wishful thinking on Olmsted’s part. I simply don’t know.

Over time, though, bits of Audubon Circle have disappeared. Olmsted’s plan shows Audubon Circle lined with pretty trees. Today, there’s one, and a patch of lawn next to the Ruggles Baptist Church. Olmsted’s plan does not show the endless caravan of cars cutting over to the Riverway from Memorial Drive via Mountfort Street and… Audubon Circle. Oh woe to the circle placed in such a popular spot!

Today, this circle of pretty houses intended to connect the Fens with Beacon Street and the Charles River has at least fourteen different traffic travel  lanes spread out across a circle 250 feet wide.  The Complete Streets site states, “Audubon Circle has a history of speeding and traffic accidents.” Judging by how hard it is just to count how many traffic lanes there are, it’s astonishing anyone can get across this Mad Max free-for-all safely—in a car, by bike, or on foot. Take a look at the overhead map: pedestrians have to use four separate crosswalks just to cross the street. It’s an excellent facility for discouraging people in all modes of transportation from visiting the Back Bay Fens.
View Larger Map

The Complete Streets plan calls for eliminating the bizarre extra diagonal travel lanes and planting, yes, trees! And grass, so you can hug the ground after escaping death traversing the remaining half-dozen traffic lanes to get across the street. Actually, the “grass” will consist of greenery sloped planters leading to rain gardens below street level. See the design here.

And here is the connection to Olmsted; the Back Bay Fens were designed to correct Boston’s storm water problems in a beautiful way. The wide, winding channels, sloped banks and islands would let flood waters rise without damaging nearby properties, and the salt marsh would filter noisome sewage that spilled into the Muddy River. Alas, Olmsted’s plan didn’t really help with flooding, and Boston started filling in the Fens’ artificial oxbows almost as soon as they were finished. If they hadn’t, the Fenway Victory Gardens would be under water. Audubon Circle is poised to continue this tradition, and improve on it by actually working.

The Audubon Circle plan is only at the 25% design stage; it could still change with public input. For example, I’m not sure where all the bicycling college students are supposed to go. (Perhaps they’re expected to stay in their dorms and study. Heh.) But the plan is a big improvement over the current fragmented space. With shady trees, paths for walking, and a place for water to flow, Audubon Circle may yet become whole.