The bright green tickets Code Enforcement doles out to residents who put their trash out at incorrect times are issued with the hope that the fine will motivate transgressors to see the error of their ways and never make the mistake again.

But at $25 per violation and with no penalty for not paying the ticket, few residents are learning their lesson or changing their behavior. City Councilor Michael Ross is sponsoring a home rule petition that, if passed by the council and the state legislature, would allow the city to place a lien on the violator's property.

"It is more than a revenue item, it's a behavior-changing item," said Ross at a hearing co-sponsored by both Ross and City Councilor Maureen Feeney last week. There is plenty of revenue being left on the table, however. About $3 million dollars worth of tickets have not been paid, according to Chief Financial Officer for the City of Boston Lisa Signori, though some of those fines are under appeal.

Ross's legislation would work best for the big-ticket violators. According to Signori, 93 people owe at least $2,500 in Code Enforcement tickets. "We are talking about the person who has accumulated dozens of tickets and has virtually ignored them," said Ross. Placing a lien on the property of violators would attach the balance owed for tickets onto the property owner's real estate tax bill. There is also a $75 fee for filing the lien and another $75 fee for removing the lien, both of which would be passed on to the violator, said Ross.

But many violators don't even owe as much as it would cost to place the lien - according to Signori, the average amount owed is $60 per transgressor. For this broad pool of violators, an administrative approach might cast the widest net, said Signori.

Bill Good, acting commissioner of the Inspectional Services Department, the umbrella agency for Code Enforcement, agreed that the primary intent of the tickets is to modify the behavior of the violators. Ideally, an unpaid Code Enforcement fine would have to be taken care of before a violator could get a building permit, for example. So, if you want to build a roof deck on your property, but you have a few unpaid tickets, you have to take care of one before you start the other. The problem, however, is that ISD doesn't have a centralized database. "A problem with the current system is our inability to organize the data," said Good. Good hopes to have a database in place in the next 15 months that would streamline ISD's efforts.

"The administrative approach is useful for the matter of principal," said Ross. "We shouldn't be issuing permits and licenses to individuals who aren't even doing the bare minimum."

Ross will continue discussions with ISD and others before finalizing the home rule petition. "I will have a series of discussions with ISD and sit down with folks from the real estate industry, and I think I will build an even stronger case for this legislation," said Ross.

SIDEBAR
ISD to develop database
At last week's hearing on Code Enforcement tickets a number of ideas were offered up as ways Inspectional Services might use the information gathered by its five different divisions to both streamline enforcement and keep scofflaws in check. The problem, however, is that ISD has no centralized database. "I am not fond of saying that we are probably the last department in the city that buys carbon paper by the carton," said Acting Commissioner Bill Good.

But, that is all changing. "We are in negotiations with a vendor that would establish an integrated permitting and inspection system and centralized database that would have information from all our various divisions," said Good.

The database, which will go on-line in phases over the next 12 to 15 months, will have a centralized address system that would help ISD coordinate inspections. The database will also help ISD track landlords that have problem properties in several neighborhoods that because they are scattered and therefore don't draw the attention of one neighborhood inspector. "None of them may rise to the level, but if you pull them all together in a database, I can approach that differently," said Good.

Good will also use the database to proactively track people who pull building permits. ISD can't efficiently track expired permits with its current system.

Good will be putting all of ISD's records into the city's accounts receivable system, which will be triggered anytime an individual wants a city service. If you want a mooring permit or a parking sticker, but you owe money for a Code Enforcement ticket, you will have to settle up. "We think it would be more efficient," said Good. "A better use of our resources."

When Pinckney Street resident Mary Marshall clips into her bike pedals Saturday, she'll be one of 150 Beacon Hill bicyclists to cycle the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge from Sturbridge to Provincetown. Even Senator John Kerry of Louisburg Square has registered to be part of the pack.

The ride is a challenge that brings together cyclists who range in age from 12 to 80 and in ability from weekend warrior to trained triathlete. Each can choose to ride one of six routes, logging between 89 and 192 miles through 46 towns over one or two days. The tradition is for those who pass the finish line first to greet the ones who ride in later. "And you should see the determination on their faces," Marshall said.

Determined they are, but not because the ride is about winning a yellow jersey. It's about raising funds for cancer research and the treatment of cancer patients at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and around the world.

Many riders are cancer survivors themselves or have lost someone to the disease. Thousands of volunteers and spectators who line the roads to cheer the cyclists have also been affected by the disease, Marshall said. There is a special camaraderie that is fun, inspirational and exhilarating for the riders, each of whom pledges a minimum of $2,000 to $3,000. PMC organizers hope the more than 4,000 cyclists participating this year from 35 states and six countries will raise $21 million.

"There are so many good causes," said Marshall. "But cancer touches everyone. Riding in the PMC is a constructive way to deal with one's feelings." It is her sixth year to do so.

At a young age, Marshall's life was changed by cancer when it took the life of her father. It was a form of cancer that research and new treatments have now made curable. Marshall has also seen a good friend achieve positive results after a rigorous treatment program and so has decided to work proactively to raise funds for research and the development of new treatment.

An attorney, Marshall will ride in the bike-a-thon this year as part of a team from her firm, Ropes & Gray, to support three colleagues who are suffering from cancer. Last year she was part of a 10-person team from the firm which raised $65,000, including $34,000 from co-workers. She said she enjoys the dynamics of riding with a group.
"For as grueling as it is, riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge is a marvelously reaffirming experience," said Marshall.

In the past, the most enticing attraction in Boston has been its rich history. But now, state and city tourism officials think new dollars can be generated by looking at the city through a whole new set of eyes - Hollywood.

It turns out that glitzy, glamorous Beacon Hill, especially one mile of it, is the part of Boston most sought after by movie producers, who have used it as a backdrop for more than 30 of the almost 400 movies and television shows filmed in the city. Getting a glimpse of these film locations and talking Tinseltown trivia is intriguing enough to entice visitors to set foot on a whole new walk, predicted movie buff and entrepreneur Jeff Coveneny and his wife Rachel. Recently they launched the Boston Movie Mile Walking Tour.

So far, their predictions are turning out to be true. The inaugural 90-minute tour - conducted in mid-July with movie-loving members of the press and a few Hub movie stars, including Ken Howard, star of NBC's Sunday night crime drama "Crossing Jordan" (filmed on Court Street) and Michael Badalucco who played Jimmy Berluti on the legal drama "The Practice" (exterior shots filmed at the old courthouse at Pemberton Square) - was characterized by non-stop laughter, trivia-tossing and fun commentary on the films.

"I think we're really on to something here," said Jeff Conveneny. "People love it. The most fun is the friendly competition that exists between the folks on the tour when answering the local movie trivia questions."

Conveneny, who leads more than half the tours himself, drops a piece of trivia on every street corner, ranging from who walked out of the office building at 1 Beacon Street in the 1993 film "Malice" (Nicole Kidman) to the day in 1994 when "Blown Away" literally blew Boston away, shattering thousands of windows when the film's crew blew up a ship in the waters off East Boston.

Everyday, Coveneny said, he learns more and more trivia, primarily from the Beacon Hill residents who join him on the tours. He's given a supply of free passes to his tours to Hill House, who will distribute them to its members, and hopes more will join him.

Conveneny said he is doing these tours to promote spending in Boston. "On the micro-level," he said, "people will spend more money when exposed to a new area, and on a larger scale we want to encourage more films to be made in Boston which generates more money for the city."

Babak Bina, president of the Beacon Hill Times Business Association, is excited about the new walking tour and hopeful that it will impact businesses favorably. "Any tour, especially if promoted by business-minded people, cause people to walk into the businesses. On walking tours, people will get an even greater opportunity to look at the individual stores and restaurants.

The tour kicks off on the steps of the Massachusetts State House, the site of the 1982 legal thriller "The Verdict" starring alcoholic ambulance chaser Paul Newman, and Stephen Spielberg's 1997 "Amistad." It ends at Bull & Finch Pub, the inspiration for the 1982 hit television show "Cheers," where tour guests receive a special discount on drink, food and merchandise.

Along the way, visitors are treated to a full menu of movie locales and photographs, such as the Boston landmark filmed in 1989 "Glory" (the Shaw Memorial), the street of the famous 1994 "Blown Away" runaway car crash (Joy Street), the building used for Ally McBeal's exterior shots (14 Beacon), a scene from the 1999 "the Boondock Saints (Charles Street Jail) and the Thomas Crown Affair (85 Mount Vernon Street). The tour also points out the backdrops of more recent films shot in the neighborhood, such as the 1998 production of "A Civil Action" (Cedar Lane Way), the 2001 "What's the Worst That Could Happen" (Mount Vernon Street Firehouse) and 2004 "Spartan" (Charles Street).

The economic impact of the Charles Street segment of the tour was immediately evident on the first tour. Participants excused themselves to purchase water at 7-Eleven, bought snacks at Café Venile, and heard tales of how movie crews ordered pizza daily from Nino's. Even Badalucco and his wife ran into the Red Wagon to purchase an outfit for their kids.

While no plans have yet been made for a regular tour by van, Coveneny said that in the fall he plans to offer custom "Theater-on-Wheels" tours for private groups, which will make use of a minivan equipped to show film clips so that when the van goes by a certain location, the clip from the film will play and the guide will provide commentary. Visits will be extended to locations off Beacon Hill, such as the fictitious Emerald Bar from Mystic River and the L street Tavern from Good Will Hunting.

Plans for a regular van tour for the public have not yet been finalized, but Conveneny said he would work with the neighbors in this and other parts of the city before doing so. "I am well aware of the concern about vehicles being on the side streets," he said.

Businesses would rather he stick with walking tours, however, since they allow for a greater economic impact, said Bina.

The Boston Movie Mile tour currently runs weekends twice a day at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and on weekdays at 1:30 p.m. The price is $20; seniors and students, $17; kids ages 6-12, $10. For reservations, call 866-MOVIE45.

Change is good, yet change is difficult. A good example is Charles Street.

This street used to be filled with antiques shops, some of them dusty, poorly lit and unwelcoming. Yet behind the unwashed glass, they might have offered museum quality pieces. In the 1970s, the street also had several ugly chain stores and a lot of poorly designed signs, indicating that the good old days weren't necessarily good.

Now Charles Street seems to be affected by both its own momentum and outside forces. How the street will evolve in the next five years is unclear.

Women's clothing stores have been an important addition over the last five years. Female residents now find it easy to outfit themselves at Jari, Room 125, Boutique Eskil, Holiday, Moxie and Wish. But it is not just the residents who are attracted to these shops. These independent shops with their unique merchandise have now formed a critical mass that also attracts suburbanites and tourists tired of the predictable mall fare. This mix of customers is good for the shops and good for us, since it helps them succeed.

Broader forces may be affecting one of Charles Street's important categories - home decorating. On the one hand, new home decorating shops such as Silk Surplus have added to the mix started by Linens on the Hill, Good and the Design Shop. On the other hand, the antiques shop owners face problems they've not previously encountered. Trendy catalogues and stores like Pottery Barn have helped make a warm, contemporary, moderately-priced style popular, but this style doesn't need antiques to be successful. Moreover, good quality antiques are harder and harder to come by, say antiques dealers.

Another problem is that those interested in antiques can now sit at a computer and furnish their homes without taking a step.

We don't know whether to be concerned about these new developments. But we have a pretty good idea how the neighborhood would like Charles Street to evolve.

First, we want to keep a mix - clothing, antiques and other home decorating, restaurants, art galleries, florists, gift shops and all the daily necessities such as groceries, framing, hardware, pharmaceuticals, cleaning and repair. The mix is good for us, since we can satisfy most of our needs and desires without having to get in our cars. The mix is good for the street's merchants because it attracts all sorts of outside buyers.

Second, we want only shops that are unique. We don't want something that sells in Palm Beach, New York or San Diego. We don't want chains at all. The uniqueness is what makes Charles Street businesses thrive. Antiques shops are some of the best examples of uniqueness. The brass and steel chandelier one buys at Gallagher Christopher will never be mistaken for even the nicest Pottery Barn item. No one will ever see the small-scaled black and gold Italian secretary found at Regency Antiques in a Crate and Barrel catalogue. If we lose that quality of uniqueness, we will have lost our main attraction.

Third, we want only retail at street level. Offices create dead space that presents a disincentive for shoppers.

Real estate brokers need to help achieve these goals. We urge them to search for shops that will fill holes - we no longer have a kitchen supply store, for example, or a nice distinctive men's shop - and to discourage business owners who don't contribute to the health of the street.

Residents can help by shopping locally. An antique chest of drawers is sometimes better made and no more expensive than a new one. It is also easier to get home. Some of the younger Pottery Barn-addicted types should consider such an addition. Gurari's art is as sophisticated and as beautiful as offerings in New York or L.A. and it is only ten minutes away from any neighbor.

Beacon Hill, the West End and nearby neighbors in the Back Bay, Bay Village and around the Common are some of the luckiest in any American city because of Charles Street. Let's keep it healthy.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
REALITY TELEVISION. Contestants wanted "serious applicants apply". Call 1-416-414-0852/www.nlm-ipn.com.

FOR RENT
BACK BAY PARKING. Space outdoors near Arlington Street, $325 per mo. Call 857-205-3397.

OFFICE RENTAL.
Unique office with fireplace/waiting room, available 9/1 on flat of hill. Quiet, non smoker please. Call Ron 617-367-8191.

OFFICE RENTAL. Available immediately in financial district, 160 sq foot office with T-1 internet line, receptionist, copier, fax and conference room at $1,000/monthly. Please call 617-338-2110.

VACATION RENTAL. MOOSEHEAD LAKE, MAINE. Luxurious 3BR custom built lakefront home in picturesque Greenville. Mountain views, private dock, soaring ceilings, fireplace. Year-round activities: kayaking, whitewater rafting, moose safaris. From $1375/wk. Call 860-680-1708/www.mooseheadhideaway.com.

FOR SALE
BEACON HILL STUDIO. Fireplace, common washer/dryer and roof deck. 325 sq ft., $285K. Call Mary Louise 617-973-4899.

FOR PURCHASE
LOOKING TO BUY CONDO. One bedroom condo TO BUY $250K-$350K in Beacon Hill on north slope. No studio. No garden level. Not on the flat of the hill. Prefer (W-E) West Cedar to Garden, (N-S) Phillips to Myrtle sts. Sept. 1st occupancy a must. Call 216-991-3359.

HOME SERVICES
CLEANING SERVICES. Maria's Cleaning, good references, 617-629-0553 or 857-991-3351.

HANDYMAN. Painting/tiling/wallpapering. Works evenings and weekends. Call Ernie 617-515-3785.

WE WAX AND BUFF WOOD FLOORS. We buy and arrange fresh flowers for your home. Beacon Hill Housecleaners. 18 years on Beacon Hill. Call Dan or Marguerite at 617-739-1306.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
HORIZONS FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN. Volunteers needed to play with children living in homeless shelters in your neighborhood and throughout Greater Boston. A two hour weekly commitment for 6 months is required. Call 617-287-1900 ext 306 or visit www.horizonsfor homelesschildren.org.

BECOME A BIG SISTER. Create "Little Moments and Big Magic" for a girl between the ages of 7 and 15. Call 617-236-8060 or visit www.bigsister.org to attend weekly orientation session.

PARENTS HELPING PARENTS. Needs volunteers with good interpersonal skills and a commitment to strengthening families to facilitate support groups aimed at assisting individuals who are anxious, overwhelmed, frustrated or feeling isolated in their role as a parent or guardian. A commitment of several hours a week for one year is required. Call 1-800-882-1250 or e-mail www.parentshelpingparents.org.

COMMUNITY SERVINGS. Volunteers needed one Saturday per month to deliver meals to homebound individuals with life threatening illnesses. Shifts are from 9am-12pm. Call Jennifer at 617-445-7777 or e-mail JPOCKOSKI@servings.org.

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY. Seeks literacy volunteers to tutor adults with limited English writing and reading skills. Two hours a week, compatible with your schedule. One year commitment required, must be 21 years old with a minimum of a GED or high school diploma. Contact Nora 617-859-2446 or VolunteerBPL@yahoo.com.

BOSTON MINSTREL COMPANY. Needs singers, musicians, and songleaders to facilitate sing-along songfests at Boston-Cambridge homeless shelters. Amateurs welcome. Call 617-787-2122 or e-mail Bostonminstrel@aol.com.

MATCH-UP. Interfaith Volunteers needs people to commit to making a weekly visit to an elder in need of companionship. Call 617-482-1510 see www.matchelder.org.

THE GREATER BOSTON FOOD BANK. Needs volunteers to inspect and sort donated food at the Food Bank´s headquarters at 99 Atkinson Street in Boston. Call Laraine Kohler at 617-427-5200, ext. 5030 or visit www.gbfb.org.

AFC MENTORING. Needs volunteers over 18 experienced with adoption/foster care to mentor adopted children. One year commitment desired. Karlee, 617-695-2441 or karlee@afcmentoring.org.

BLIND AND DYSLEXIC in East Cambridge. Needs volunteers with liberal arts, scientific and/or technical backgrounds to record textbooks. Call Peggy at 617-577-1111, ext 17 for more info. www.rfbd.org/bostonhome.htm.

GENERATIONS INCORPORATED. Needs older adults to volunteer as reading coaches and mentors to children in Dorchester, S. Boston and Roxbury. Training provided. Call 617-423-0408 or see www.generationsinc.org.

WGBH. Needs volunteers to assist with computer projects and office support during weekday business hours, Monday-Friday, 9 am-5 pm. Call Liz Hagyard at 617-300-5715.
LITERACY VOLUNTEERS OF MASSACHUSETTS. Help an adult learn English. Call 617-367-1313 for information.

VOLUNTEER COORDINATORS. The American Cancer Society's Road to Recovery program. Work from home or in our Weston office. For further information call 1800-ACS-2345.

SPAULDING REHABILITATION HOSPITAL. Boston. Opportunities for volunteers. We match volunteers´ skills and talents with the needs of the hospital´s patients and staff. Training provided. For more information contact volunteer services at 617-573-2740 or jburke11@partners.org.

BOSTON PARTNERS IN EDUCATION.Volunteers needed to tutor students grades K-12 in both math and literacy. Training and placement will be provided. Join this proven program and be a vital part of a student's success story. Contact Martha Redding at 617-451-6145 x 621, or apply online at www.bostonpartners.org.

WALKBOSTON. Volunteers needed for its advisory board, special events and occasional help in preparing membership mailings and help with general office support. 617-367-9255,www.walkboston.org.

MASS SUBSTANCE ABUSE HELPLINE. Volunteers needed for phone service to help people affected by alcoholism and substance abuse. Must have computer experience. Call 617-536-0501 ext. 201 or see www.helpline-online.com.

BEACON HOSPICE .Volunteers needed to provide support and companionship to patients and their families. Call Robin Hansen at 617-242-4872.

THE HORIZONS INITIATIVE.Volunteers needed to play with children living in family homeless and domestic violence shelters. Day and evening hours available. Must commit 2 hours per week for 6 months. Training sessions held monthly. 617-287-1900 or www.horizonsinitiative.org.

COMPUTER TUTORS. Volunteers needed for coaching senior and disabled citizens at the Blackstone Apartments. Daytime and evening hours needed. Call Al at 617-557-9121 or email xAlbert3259@aol.com.

BEACON HOUSE. Housing for elderly, needs volunteers for front reception desk, a few flexible hours per week. Training provided. Please apply in person at 19 Myrtle St. to fill out an application.

ANIMAL SHELTER. Donations needed: dog and cat toys and treats, blankets and towels for the cages, paper towels, clay cat litter, postage stamps, animal nail clippers, dog and cat collars and leashes. 617-522-5055.

DR. SOLOMON CARTER FULLER. Mental Health Center in the South End needs volunteers for several committees. Call C. Curtiss Carter at 617-626-8726.

MAB COMMUNITY SERVICES. Volunteers needed to read or shop with a blind neighbor. 2-3 hours per week, flexible hours. Training provided. Call Donna Bailey 800-852-3029 or see www.mabcommunity.org.

SAMARITANS OF BOSTON. Volunteers needed to provide telephone counseling on our 24 hour listening line.Training provided. 617-536-2460.

ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION. Cambridge chapter needs volunteers for its telephone Helpline service to answer caregiver calls. Training provided. Call 617-868-6718.
ADBAR ETHIOPIAN WOMEN´S ALLIANCE.Volunteers needed to help with its newsletter, website, grant writing, special events and fund raising. Near Harvard Square. 617-234-8981.

THE BOSTON HOME. Dorchester seeks volunteers of all kinds in this long term care facility for adults with physical disabilities. Pet visits welcome. Call Sally Gorman 617-825-3905 ext. 299 or gormansally@aol.com.