Brahmin Boston to get a taste of Mexico by Suzanne Besser
In a few days, the final papers will be signed. Anna’s Taqueria is coming to Cambridge Street. Michael Kamio, owner of the popular Boston chain of Mexican restaurants, is purchasing the new 2600-square-foot, duplex commercial space located on the lower levels of the newly renovated building at the Garden Street corner. He hopes by spring to serve burritos and quesadillas, fajitas and tamales to Beacon Hillers and West Enders craving for the tasty, spicy south-of-the-border food, according to commercial realtor Donald Forde, who is brokering the deal. Seating for 40 will be offered on both levels and food can be taken out.
The Cambridge Street location will be the fifth for Kamio, who now operates taquerias on both Beacon and Harvard streets in Brookline, Porter Square in Cambridge and Davis Square in Somerville. He is currently renovating those properties, Forde said.
Anna’s classic Mexican recipes, especially its burritos, are legendary in traditional Beantown. Since 1998, the chain has collected a string of “best awards.” Both Boston Magazine and the Improper Bostonian gave it the Best Burrito award every year from 1999 to 2004, and the Zagat Survey called it the ‘Number One Best Buy in Boston” during the same time. Recently, the students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology petitioned the university for an Anna’s of its own.
The food’s low cost is legendary too. The Tab Readers Choice Award not only called it the Number One Mexican restaurant but also the Number One Cheap Eats. Two good-sized steak burritos, stuffed with chilies, salsa, cheddar, sour cream and the works, costs just under $8.00 at Brookline’s Beacon Street location.
Gray McLetchie, developer of the mixed-use condominiums located in the former Christian Assembly building, said Kamio has been a good business neighbor in the communities where he owns restaurants. “I think he and his restaurant are great fits for the neighborhood,” he said.
After Kamio signs the final papers to purchase the condominium this week, he plans to appear before the neighborhood at the Beacon Hill Civic Association zoning and licensing board. He does not serve beer or wine at his restaurants and thus must only obtain a standard food service and take-out license from the Boston Licensing Board. After he secures the permits, he will begin the construction process, aiming for a spring opening.
Everyone agrees - Cherry trees will be moved - By Suzanne Besser
“We are amenable to moving the trees.” These words spoken at the Boston Conservation Commission hearing on December 15 by Patrice Kish of the Department of Conservation and Recreation were simple but their implication huge.
The words marked the end of an acrimonious debate between the state agency which planted 100 cherry trees along the Storrow Lagoon on the Esplanade and neighborhood groups including the Esplanade Association, Mass Historical Commission and others who were happy about the gift but disheartened with its deployment.
Larry Fish, president of Citizen’s Bank, and his wife Atsuko Fish donated the cherry trees and an endowment for their ongoing maintenance to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of Boston’s Japan Society. The original intent was to locate the trees near Community Boating, but that was changed because the boating organization believed the trees would block the sight of boats in trouble. The DCR then planted the trees along Storrow Lagoon, in what opponents charged was too hasty a manner that lacked public process, ignored the state’s carefully crafted master plan for the Charles River Basin, and blocked river views.
“A lot of mistakes were made in the process. The gifts were given in such good intent, and everyone wants the same thing – to improve the Esplanade we all love so much. False steps were made in the process and now we will step back and together rearrange them,” said Herb Nolan, a landscape architect who works part-time as director of planning for the Esplanade Association.
It will not be an easy process for the group, which would like to include a representative from the Fish Family Foundation in the newfound collaboration. They want to relocate the trees by the end of March while they are still dormant. “It’s a very aggressive time frame, which will include a public process,” said Nolan.
The Boston Conservation Commission was visibly moved by the spirit of cooperation and anxious not to place any roadblocks in the way. “I am encouraged by what I’ve heard,” said Vivien Li, acting chair. The commission asked the stakeholders to appear at its January 19 hearing with a progress report that would include a rough draft of where the trees would be relocated and how the plan fits in with the Esplanade’s Master Plan. At its February 16 meeting, the group will most likely need to file for a wetlands permit, based on where they plan to relocate the trees, according to Chris Busch, administrator of the commission. By following this timetable, the late March deadline for moving the trees can be met, he said.
To help that process, the DCR convened a working group with representatives from that agency, the Massachusetts Historical Commission, the Boston Preservation Alliance, the Conservation Commission, Community Boating, the Esplanade Association, the Beacon Hill Civic Association, the Garden Club of the Back Bay and the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay. Kish said the group, which met on December 13, is moving in a positive direction and that the trees would most likely be relocated using the historic Shurcliff plan to identify appropriate locations.
Landscape architect Arthur Shurcliff designed a that was referred to as the Storrow Memorial Embankment, first in the 1930s and then again in the 1950s. His plans relied on a rich layer of shrubs massed at intersections of paths to separate and create dramatic transitions between areas of the Esplanade, according to Nolan, and called for massing trees at each end of Storrow Lagoon.
Kish said the working group is considering clustering trees according to Shurcliff’s plans into locations most appropriate for their survival, in addition to replacing existing trees that are dead or dying. She feels it is realistic to assume that the group can identify such spots by March.
Lessons from the cherry trees Editorial
It looks as if everything has been worked out between the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Esplanade Association and others over the cherry trees, donated by the Fish family to honor the Japan Society’s first hundred years. The trees, which were planted last spring in the form of an allée between a lagoon and the Charles River, will be moved. Neighborhood representatives will work with state officials and historic plans to find many sites along the river where the trees can be arranged in clusters. State and neighborhood officials seem happy with the outcome. It will have taken more than a year, but all is well that ends well.
There are lessons, in no particular order, that can be learned from this.
For state officials, some of whom may have worked in the private sector where some executives can make lateral decisions with little consequence, it is an important lesson with many previous examples: In Boston, where public space is at stake, the public needs to be included in decision-making. Neighbors can and will make life difficult and embarrassing for public officials who ignore this most basic of tenets.
Neighbors should compromise. The take-no-prisoners approache favored by some activists is unproductive and ends up only making such activists objects of disdain. In this case, Esplanade advocates focused on achieving their main goal of relocating the trees but dropped a lesser goal, explained in the state’s own master plan for the Esplanade, of rejected cherry trees altogether. After all, cherry trees are pretty and aren’t like barberry, for example, which has spread ferociously through southern and central New England’s woods, or purple loosestrife, that attractive plant now devouring New England’s swamps. The goal of diversifying the plants in the Esplanade can still be achieved, even with these trees in place.
In an historic city, rely on history. In this case, it is Arthur Shurcliffe’s original landscape plan for the Esplanade. He specified that the area where the trees were planted last spring was to be kept open as a contrast to other areas of the Esplanade that are more densely planted. Now those who are in charge of relocating the trees have dug out Shurcliffe’s plans and will use them as a guide.
Look a gift-horse in the mouth. When someone wants to benefit a public space, public officials should involve them closely in the planning. It is unlikely that the Fishes wanted to cause a contretemps when they offered the trees. It is also unlikely that they knew about the state’s master plan. It seemed as if the Fishes’ status and largesse blinded public officials to their duty to the public and ultimately caused embarrassment to the gift-giver.
Make the Esplanade worthy of the Fishes’ gift. The trees come with a maintenance fund, but the rest of the Esplanade doesn’t. If the grass isn’t mowed, as it rarely is before the Fourth of July on much of the Esplanade; if the steps to the river are crumbling; if the ground is bare and other landscaping is neglected, what good is the gift?
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SERVICES
QUALITY PAINTERS the careful touch. Call us for a free estimate and references. 617-742-5144 or 617-233-2251.
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
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.
UNITED SOUTH END SETTLEMENTS needs computer tutors at its Timothy Smith Computer Learning Center for one three-to-four hour shift each week. Call 617-375-8108.
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 needed for The American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery program. Work from home or in our Weston office. For further information call 1-800-ACS-2345.
SPAULDING REHABILITATION HOSPITAL in Boston has opportunities for volunteers and matches 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 needs volunteers 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 needs volunteers 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 seeks volunteers 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 needs volunteers to provide support and companionship to patients and their families. Call Robin Hansen at 617-242-4872.
THE HORIZONS INITIATIVE needs volunteers 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 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.
RECORDING FOR THE BLIND AND DYSLEXIC in E. Cambridge seeks volunteers for days and evenings to read and record textbooks in digital format for students of all ages. Call 617-577-1111 ext. 17.
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.
THE HOME FOR LITTLE WANDERERS needs volunteers for its parental stress hotline that offers parents and caregivers in Massachusetts help in coping with the challenges of parenting. Training, supervision and weekly shifts available. New training begins April 8. Call 617-267-3700 or visit www.thehome.org.
ANIMAL SHELTER needs donations: 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.
BECOME A BIG BROTHER OR A BIG SISTER. volunteer and spend a little time with one great kid-just like someone once did for you. call 1-888-412-BIGS or log on at www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org.
COMMUNITY SERVINGS needs people to deliver meals to individuals and families with HIV and AIDS. Flexible shifts from 7 am to 8 pm Mon-Fri. Call Betsey 617-445-7777.
MA ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND needs volunteers 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.mablind.org.
SAMARITANS OF BOSTON needs volunteers to provide telephone counseling to lonely and suicidal callers. Training provided. 617-536-2460.
MATCH-UP INTERFAITH VOLUNTEERS seek dog owners to visit nursing home residents 2-4 hours per month. 6-month minimum required, training provided. 617-536-3557, www.matchelder.org.
ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION in Cambridge needs volunteers for its telephone Helpline service to answer caregiver calls. Training provided. Call 617-868-6718.
ADBAR ETHIOPIAN WOMEN'S ALLIANCE needs volunteers to help with its newsletter, website, grant writing, special events and fund raising. Near Harvard Square. 617-234-8981.
THE BOSTON HOME in 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.
PEACE GAMES, a violence prevention program is seeking committed individuals to volunteer a few hours a week to teach in Boston-area elementary schools. Visit www.peacegames.org or call Kori at 617-464-2600 ext. 29.
