Fancy faucets and upgraded city water mains may sound like good news, but they can be hidden sources of lead in the tap water for some Boston homes.

The trouble can start with the faucet itself, and it’s not necessarily inexpensive models that might contain lead.

“It’s more likely that higher end fixtures like faucets contain more lead,” said Eloise Lawrence, an attorney with the Conservation Law Foundation, adding that lead in a high end brass faucet helps the mechanism last longer.

The CLF has been working with the city and with community groups to increase awareness of the lead in tap water, including an ordinance before the city council that mandates in all city contracts, the pipes and fittings must be lead free.

Under Massachusetts law, 3 percent is the maximum amount of lead that fixture can contain, said Lawrence, adding that under federal law it could be labeled “lead free” but contain up to 8 percent lead. If the fixture isn’t labeled, it satisfies the less stringent federal standard.

After a home’s fixtures have been ruled out, lead could be leaching into the home’s water from the water service lines that connect to the main water line.

BWSC conducted a major water meter replacement project in the last two years and took the opportunity to note the properties that had lead services, said Jeanne Richardson, director of communications at Boston Water and Sewer.

“There may still be properties with lead service not on the list, but this is a complete listing [per the meter project],” said Richardson, adding that the only way to confirm that is there is a lead service line is to do an inspection.

To increase the public’s awareness of lead service lines, Richardson said that brochures were went to all 87,000 BWSC accounts in September 2005 and two letters have been sent to each property owner notifying them of the lead service line.

Property owners are not required to notify tenants of lead service lines in a home, unlike the law that requires disclosure of lead paint to tenants with small children.

“The property owners own the pipe so we can’t require them to make changes,” said Richardson. “We can advise them that they have a private lead service [line] on their property.”

Richardson added that the BWSC has an incentive program to encourage property owners of one, two and three family homes to replace pipes. The program, which is voluntary, offers property owners $1,000 off the cost of replacement if BWSC does the work.

There are currently no programs to encourage larger residential building owners to replace lead service lines, said Richardson. Beacon Hill Addresses with Lead Pipes per BWSC, May 2006

Address
30 Anderson St.
43 Anderson St.
1 Bellingham Place
126 Bowdoin St.
33 Bowdoin St.
46 Cedar Lane Way
109 Charles St.
110 Charles St.
112 Charles St.
23 Charles River Sq.
124 Chestnut St.
29 Chestnut St.
40 Chestnut St.
63 Chestnut St.
67 Chestnut St.
7 Chestnut St.
15 Garden St.
25 Garden St.
45 Garden St.
16 Grove St.
53 Grove St.
9 Grove St.
40 Hancock St.
59 Hancock St.
69 Hancock St.
18 Irving St.
10 Joy St.
11.5 Joy St.
17 Joy St.
22 Joy St.
43 Joy St.
70 Joy St.
71 Joy St.
12 Louisburg Sq.
7 Louisburg Sq.
118 Mount Vernon St.
150 Mount Vernon St.
50 Mount Vernon St.
74 Mount Vernon St.
75 Mount Vernon St.
81 Mount Vernon St.
100 Myrtle St.
105 Myrtle St.
12 Myrtle St.
24 Myrtle St.
86 Phillips St.
42 Pinckney St.
41 Revere St.
43 Revere St.
52 Revere St.
70 Revere St.
16 River St.
32 River St.
14 South Russell St.
25 South Russell St.
6 Strong Pl
41 Temple Pl

The task force formed under the Article 80 process to give input to the Boston Redevelopment Authority regarding its proposal to amend its Institutional Master Plan and construct a 31-story dormitory at 20 Somerset Street is off and running.

Well, not exactly running. At its second meeting last Wednesday, task force members continued discussions begun at its first meeting held on May 18 about where it was running to and what it was going to talk about on the way.

As seems par for the course with any committee whose members hold such polarized views, it has not been easy for this one to set its agenda.

Philips Street resident Rob Whitney, who chairs the committee, had prepared a list of meeting topics to discuss at the seven scheduled meetings. The list started with a review of comments submitted by public agencies and the general public, and then continued on with a discussion of Suffolk campus evolution past, present and future—all of which some committee members felt was necessary in order to guide them on their way to the ultimate goal: determination of the social and physical impacts of the large project and recommendation of mitigation to address these impacts.

But Gerald Autler, who is the BRA senior project manager responsible for the Suffolk project, felt Whitney’s agenda was much too ambitious to cover in the time allocated, and, besides that, he had not had the time to make copies of the requested documents which, he said, were at least 4 inches thick. He assured them that he would have the ready for the next meeting.

But one member, David Thomas of Pinckney Street, argued that the committee needed such background material before they could even start evaluating the building. “We are looking at this building out of context and need to review Suffolk’s larger long range plan, ” he said. “We want full disclosure of the documents Suffolk has.”

But the three Suffolk University representatives on the task force said they wanted to talk about the present, rather than undergo a scrutiny of the past. And, they said, there is no secret plan anyway. Each university is different in the way it develops its long-range plans, they said.

“We are happy to discuss our thoughts on how to be a good neighbor in this city,” said John Nucci. “We have committed to discussing the social and other impacts, like shadows, as part of a planning process that looks to the future. We have spent 45 minutes talking about documents that don’t exist, and I would rather be answering your questions.”

By this time, the night had grown late and task force members were shuffling their feet. Whitney said he would establish a subcommittee to review the comments from the public and agencies before the next meeting, and then report back to the task force.

“The members of the Task Force are clearly committed to the process and take their roles very seriously and are anxious to begin reviewing the materials that are directly relevant to the BRA's scoping determination that will now take place some point in late July,” said Whitney.


SIDEBAR:
Landmark Commission to get first say
by Suzanne Besser

Suffolk University and the Boston Redevelopment Authority have agreed to extend the Article 80 timetable so that the Boston Landmarks Commission can first decide whether to designate the building now at 20 Somerset Street as a landmark.

The action was asked for and applauded by the task force whose job is to comment on the 31-story dormitory proposed for the site of the former Metropolitan District Commission headquarters, according to Chair Rob Whitney. The ruling by the Landmarks Commission will directly affect the Boston Redevelopment Authority’s scoping determination, and the extension gives the task force more time to comment in detail on the large project, Suffolk’s institutional master plan and the proposed amendment to the plan.

It is expected that the Landmark Commission’s determination will be made in late June or early July.

Credit: Tom Godfrey



The fourth-grade class at the Advent School on Brimmer Street hosted their own Greek Olympics last week in celebration of completing a semester of study on ancient Greece. Opening ceremonies followed by oration were held at the school, after which the Olympians marched down Charles Street to Boston Common for the athletic portion of the events.

Students made and wore shields that represented who they are, said teacher Sarah Hinkle, West Cedar Street. “They designed symbols of things that were important to them,” she said.

Hinkle and co-teacher Candace Kerner led the running of the torch and events in shot-put, 50-yard dash, long jump and an olive relay race. Closing ceremonies—where all Olympians got a gold medal and laurel wreath—were followed by a Greek feast.

Credit: Tom Godfrey


The Garden Club of America gave Henry Lee of Beacon Street one of its most coveted awards last Wednesday night. Lee was nominated by the Beacon Hill Garden Club, host of this year’s GCA Zone 1 meeting, and received the GCA Zone Historic Preservation Certificate of Acknowledgement. “Henry has made an enormous impact on the public’s appreciation of urban green space,” said Susan Spooner of Chestnut Street, who steered the nomination. The award was presented in grateful recognition of his many years of inspired and dedicated leadership of the Friends of the Public Garden.



Mr. Lee (“Henry or Harry, please” he immediately suggests to anyone when they first meet him) is best known around Beacon Hill for being one of the founders and long-time President of the Friends of the Public Garden, the Boston Common, and Common-wealth Avenue Mall.

Lee likes to remind everyone that these three historic parks are amongst the most visited and beloved in Boston and perhaps the nation. “They have always had a special place in the affection of the public, but they have almost always been under siege and close to peril,” he said.

One such siege was the encampment of the British on the Common during the War of Independence in the 18th century. Less well known is that in the 19th century the construction of townhouses on filled land on the site of the current Public Garden was averted only by public outcry and a few determined citizens.

Perhaps most forgotten is the sad state of the three parks, par-ticularly the Public Garden, in the 1970s, when a small public-minded group removed trash, reinvigorated the plantings, and re-installed the cast-iron fencing.

This small band, the Friends of the Public Garden, staved off the construction of a 30-floor tower on the site of what is now the Four Seasons and the Heritage on Boylston Street. The project would have cast the Public Garden in permanent shadows. While initially just 20 strong with resources of less than $200, the Friends managed to change the city’s plans for the site and to expand the organization’s mission of historic park preservation to the Com-mon and the Commonwealth Avenue Mall.

“Even today, these parks are constantly threatened by over use and a lack of funds,” Lee said.

Contrary to common belief, Lee did not grow up on Beacon Hill but on the North Shore in Beverly Farms. He never did ride the swan boats as a child. He went to Harvard as an undergraduate and courted future wife Joan Metcalf Lee there, who had grown up in Beverly and Louisburg Square in Boston. Her support, he says, was critical in all his endeavors.

His years as an undergraduate at Harvard and his Master’s Degree at Stanford in History made him appreciate the historic na-ture of the three parks, recognize the need for their refurbishment, and develop his vision for their future.

Personality and skills acquired working in the diplomatic corps of the US State Department, helped him forge a truly unique public/private partnership with the city.

As is often the case, Lee emerged as a leader at a critical juncture in the development of the Friends of the Public Garden. In hindsight it seems as though he had prepared himself just for this task.

He modestly claims now that he was elected president of the Friends because he was the only one who had summers off, work-ing as he did in the 1970s as administrator and teacher at Dexter School and later at the Carroll School. He said he agreed to be president, because “he didn’t know any better. From agreeing to looking after tulips, I was suddenly thrown into Boston politics, appearing before City Council, and giving press interviews.” He remembers “within a year we were suddenly embroiled in a dispute that affected all agencies in the city.” Speaking of the original Park Plaza high-rise planned from Chinatown to Arlington Street that would have shaded the Public Garden and the Common year-round and forever, he says, “ It seemed a hopeless cause: the mayor, gov-ernor, Herald, Globe, construction unions, business community, all were in favor of Park Plaza. Just a few tulip lovers seemed op-posed.”

Nothing he says, prepared him for being president of the Friends. “I am not a botanist, planner, environmentalist, or archi-tect, just a civic-minded resident,” he said.

Current and former members on the board of the Friends dis-agree with Lee’s modest assessment of why they chose him to be president. They point to his unique qualifications for productive and innovative leadership and for crediting not just his board members, but anyone who contributes to the parks’ wellbeing. His thank-you letters are prized. The endowment, his board says, is due in no small part to his frugal stewardship, and the fact that only this year did the Friends hire their first executive director, proving how thorough his leadership has been. Until then the Friends’ office was a “cottage industry” with Lee recruiting members, collecting dues, coordinating many volunteers, all with only the help of a phone, computer, and printer in his study. But he credits the self-less work of the great number of Friends who held fundraisers, de-veloped brochures, and collaborated on three books (two on the Public Garden, one on the Common).

Mayor Menino, at the celebration to mark the start of the renovation of the fountain of the Ether Monument last week, said that few citizens care so much about green space and the Public Garden as Henry Lee, truly “the Father of the Public Garden.” At the return of the swans to the Public Garden ceremony, Toni Pol-lack, the parks commissioner, said working with the Friends and Henry Lee was a pleasure. “He is the most dedicated parks advo-cate I ever encountered. He always has the long vision of what it takes to make a park flourish and how to work with everyone. I hope he is not stopping ever!” Mary Hines, parks department spokesperson, described Lee as guardian angel, top care-giver and special friend to everyone working in the Parks Department.

His interest in urban green space led him to support other “green start-up non-profits” intent on revitalizing and stewarding parks and urban landscapes, such as the Esplanade Association and the Charles River Conservancy.

“He set the example of an absolutely tireless advocacy group and how to best complement public partners” says Renata von Tscharner, the President of the Charles River Conservancy. She is not the only one to remark on his wonderfully written annual newsletters. Linda Cox also appreciated Lee’s wit and his advice to her as one of the founders and former President of the Esplanade Association.

It is not widely known that Lee follows in the tradition of others in his family who broke new ground in public service. His great-grandfather, Colonel Henry Lee, served as associate park commissioner from 1879 to 1884. His great uncle, Thomas Lee, contributed the Ether Monument to the city in 1877 and in 1936 his uncle, Joseph Lee Jr., started what is now Community Boating by designing and building wooden boats with boys in a basement in the West End, and then getting permission to launch them in the Charles River.

Lee wishes that he had a little more time to do more writing. Above all he hopes that the successful completion of the capital campaign of the Friends will enable them to continue to fulfill their mission to preserve, enhance, and protect the three parks. His sup-portive board, the grateful citizenry of Boston, and the multitude of appreciative tourists attest to his unique contribution to preserving three truly unique historic spaces, and to reinvigorating them for future generations.

Boxhead
AUCTION
ONLINE AUCTION. Vacations, art, jewelry, household items and more! Online at www.bostonlivingcenter.org, click “Auction.” Ends June 16th, 5 p.m. Boston Living Center serves people with HIV/AIDS.
CLEANING SERVICES
CLEANING BY PATRICIA. Good job, good references. Call 781-244-9998.
MARIA’S HOUSEKEEPING. Good references. Call 617-629-0553 or 857-991-3351.
EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
LOOKING FOR A TUTOR? First & Second grade Beacon Hill private school teacher available for summer tutoring before beginning her graduate degree at Harvard in mid-September.
Available immediately. Call Sara at 617-429-9159.
FOR SALE
BEDDING. Like new, single mattress, box spring, frame and Pierre Deux covered headboard, $195.00. Call 617-723-3624.
PERSONAL ORGANIZER
TOO MUCH CLUTTER? Home, offices, mail/filing, closets, basements, kitchens, toys, moves, charity deliveries and spring clean outs. Call Katrina 617-723-8877.
VACATION RENTAL
Boxhead
LOON MOUNTAIN. Immediate vacation rental. Call 781-395-7529.
NEWPORT R.I. Roommates needed to share house off Thames Street from Memorial Day to Labor Day. $2275. Call John at
617-327-4491.
WELLS BEACH, MAINE. 1 bedroom condo-weekly rentals starting at $600. Call 781-405-9004.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
CAREER COLLABORATIVE. Practice interviewers needed Fridays 9 a.m.-12 noon to run practice interview sessions for low income people seeking permanent jobs. Individuals with extensive interviewing experience please call 617-424-6202 or email Valerie@careercollaborative.org.
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS. The Arlington Boys and Girls Club is coordinating a campaign to support local programs. They are asking people with unwanted cars to donate them for auction with the proceeds going to local clubs. Call 1-800-246-0493.
MADD. Are you or is someone you know the victim of a drunk driving accident? We offer many free services including court-accompaniment, referrals for counseling and literature to help. Call 1-800-633-MADD.
HORIZONS FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN. Volunteers needed to play with children living in homeless shelters in your neighborhood and in Greater Boston. A two hour weekly commitment for 6 months is required. Call 617-287-1900 ext 314 or visit www.horizonsforhomelesschildren.org.
BECOME A BIG BROTHER OR BIG SISTER. Being a “Big” means simply sharing a little time with one great kid just like someone once did for you. Become a “Big” today. Call 800-412-BIGS or logon to www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org.
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 9 a.m.-12 p.m. 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 song leaders 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 or visit 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 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 a.m.-5 p.m. 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 4th grade students in math. Training and placement will be provided. Join this proven program and be a vital part of a student’s success story. Contact Barbara Harris at 617-451-6145 x 620, or apply online at www.bostonpartners.org.
WALKBOSTON. Volunteers needed for walks, legislation and newsletter/e-news committees. Also occasional office work including membership mailings. Call 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 Laraine Kohler at 617-242-4872.
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. Help prevent suicide and alleviate the pain of isolation. 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.

Will Cambridge Street ever be finished?

You’ve probably noticed that Cambridge Street is still not finished. That’s two full years after those in charge claimed they couldn’t finish because of the Democratic Convention.

It is four full years after construction began. Little did we know that the electric sign directed at traffic which Mass Highway installed at that time would be pathetically prophetic: “Cambridge Street Under Construction,” it said. “Expect Delays.” The delays turned out to be in construction, not traffic.

It’s not that some work isn’t being done. Between Bowdoin and Somerset streets a crew has been working steadily since March on underground utilities and drains, according to John Lepore, who has managed the project for the last year or so for Mass Highway. Crews are also setting curbs in this block.

But from Charles Circle to Bowdoin Street, the situation is much the same as the crews left it last fall. The orange barrels are still falling over. The holes in the street where mast arms and other traffic signal structures are still covered with temporary covers. Old mast arms are still in place. The lights in the center are still not working reliably.

Lepore said that we shouldn’t expect to see the project finished now until next spring, when he thinks the plantings will go in. He doesn’t expect the missing bricks on the sidewalks to be laid now, even though the weather is good. The plan is to finish the bricks all at the same time along the whole street until the work is finished past Bowdoin. He thinks brick laying could start in June, but there are no promises.

The situation is depressing for neighbors. Pedestrians perceive it as dangerous. Businesses suffer because the street has looked like a war zone for four years.

Lepore, who always responds to calls from The Beacon Hill Times in a timely fashion, knows exactly what is going on and patiently explains the problems he is facing at the moment. The problems don’t seem to stem from his management. One wishes he had been heading the project four years ago. He spent last summer getting the right soil mixture so that the trees and the plantings will have the best chance of surviving and the bricks near them will not get displaced or sink. Soil of that type wasn’t even invented when construction started on the street, much less than when it was designed in the mid-1990s.

Despite finally assigning Lepore, neither Mass Highway nor Boston’s transportation department has had any sense of urgency about this project. Maybe this is because the Cambridge Street project came from a community initiative, not from their departments. They may look upon it as a frill.

There was a period of time when the agencies and actors on the street blamed one another for the delays. It was the city, said the state. City officials said it was state incompetence. Everyone blamed the contractor. Everyone also blamed Mass. General and the Davis Companies for their projects, which were under construction at the same time. Mass. General and the Davis Companies have long finished their buildings and are on to other things. Now there is no one left to blame.

This is no tragedy. Baghdad is a tragedy. Cambridge Street is only an embarrassment. Embarrassment for Mass. Highway, who couldn’t manage a half-mile project, when we expect them to build roads of hundreds of miles. Embarrassment for Boston’s Transportation and Public Works departments, who couldn’t oversee an important street in their own territory. Embarrassment for a mayor and a governor, who apparently don’t care what their constituents and businesses have had to endure. And embarrassment for Beacon Hill and West End residents who naively thought ten years ago that this was a good project run by responsible people that would soon be done.