Spillane Announces Candidacy for City Councilor At
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MARCH 18, 2021 BOOK YOUR POST IT Call Your Advertising Rep TTHEHE BBEEACONACON HHILLILL TTIMESIMES (781)485-0588 THERE ARE NO TIMES LIKE THESE TIMES Remembering Neighborhood Garden Clubs Jane Webster find new ways to make ends meet By Dan Murphy The idea was inspired by the during Women’s virtual tour that the Concord As gardens and greenspace have Museum hosted last year, which, History Month become more essential than ever Sherden said, proved to be a suc- before during the pandemic, it’s cessful outing for them. So Sherden By Elizabeth B. Eaton also made fundraising for groups said she reached out to Jennifer like the Beacon Hill Garden Club Craig, the museum’s development Jane dePeyster Hovey Webster/ and the Garden Club of the Back Mrs. Edwin S. Webster (1870- director and “quizzed her about Bay, which were both forced to how they pulled it together and 1969) continued her family’s pro- cancel in-person events last year, pensity to enrich the community. did what they did.” more challenging and subsequent- Filming for this year’s virtual Her ability to recognize important ly compelled them to find new and sites and secure them for use into Hidden Gardens Tour will take creative ways to make ends meet. place in May, Sherden said, so “the the future as private and public The Beacon Hill Garden Club spaces is apparent as she spear- gardens are in a state of bloom,” had to cancel the Hidden Gardens and so that the videographer will headed the acquisition, renovation of Beacon Hill Tour, which typi- and restoration of 55 Beacon St., then be allotted a full month to cally draws around 2,000 visitors edit the video before its release. Boston, in 1944 to serve as The to the neighborhood, last year due National Society of The Colonial While Sherden looks forward to to the pandemic, but it’s returning the Hidden Gardens Tour return- Dames of America in The Com- this year, albeit as a virtual event monwealth of Massachusetts ing as in-person event, she said, this time. “We hope this will be the one year Headquarters. Molly Sherden, president of the Declared a National Historic where people can see it from any- Beacon Hill Garden Club, said the where in the world.” Landmark in 1964, the William Hidden Gardens Tour would take Hickling Prescott House museum Advance tickets for the Hidden place as a virtual event debuting Gardens of Beacon Hill Tour will is open to members and the pub- June 30 and feature seven gardens, lic for meetings, tours, lectures be available at the Beacon Hill at least two of which have never Garden Club’s website at beacon- and events enabling people to been seen before on a previous congregate and enjoy an historic tour. (GARDEN CLUB, Pg. 3) Beacon Hill townhouse. It houses the 7,000-piece Costume Collec- tion and Society archives. Prescott House is named for the noted his- Spillane announces candidacy torian of late Renaissance Spain and the early Spanish Empire who for City Councilor at-Large lived at 55 Beacon from 1845- 1859. Eminent American architect By Dan Murphy A Beacon Hill resident and lifelong Bostonian with firsthand (WEBSTER Pg. 3) Portrait of Jane Webster- John Singer Sargent 1920 experience at City Hall and a proven commitment to afford- able housing, Jon Spillane has announced his candidacy for City Outdoor dining to return March 22 Councilor at-Large. Spillane, a 29-year-old Irving Crust Pizzeria, The Paramount this challenging time,” said Mayor By John Lynds Street resident, has taken a leave and Figs took part in the city’s out- Walsh. “I’m thrilled we are able to Numerous Beacon Hill restau- a leave of absence from his role door dining pilot program. start this program even earlier, and as City Councilor Kenzie Bok’s rants are expected to take advan- With the success of last year’s I look forward to businesses and tage of the City of Boston’s 2021 Director of Budget and Constitu- program Mayor Martin Walsh residents taking advantage of it.” ent Services to focus on his cam- outdoor dining program set to said the city will continue many of The Mayor said the city has begin on March 22. This is an ear- paign. He grew up in Hyde Park as the successful initiatives from last also focused on providing resourc- the son of two civil servants – his lier start than the previously-an- year’s program, such as stream- es to businesses of color, and has nounced date of April 1. father was a police officer and his lined permitting. Applications for made more than 200 personalized mother the city’s deputy commis- Last year the restaurants that outdoor dining licenses on both outreach calls to every business City Council at-Large hopeful Jon dotted Charles Street received a sioner of elderly affairs – so, he public and private property are that applied for outdoor dining said, community organizing and Spillane. special permit from the city that now open, and businesses can last year. The Mayor’s Office of civic engagement, such as taking ane spent several years working in allowed them to set up outdoor apply online at the city’s website. Economic Development has met part in neighborhood cleanups multi-residential real estate sales patios on roadways and sidewalks “Outdoor dining was one of the with the Boston Black Hospitality or helping to turn out voters on and financing, which, he said, throughout the neighborhood. bright spots last summer and fall, Coalition to ensure added techni- Election Day, were “part of his made him aware of the city’s hous- The program helped restaurants and we’ve seen the benefits it has cal assistance is available for busi- family’s everyday life,” as well as ing crisis and subsequently com- increase capacity during the had on our neighborhoods: sup- nesses to apply. Weekly “Help Ses- something that has left an “indeli- pelled him to find employment COVID-19 pandemic while keep- porting local businesses, a safe and sions” were held from December ble impression” on him. that would combine his experi- ing customers and staff safe. enjoyable experience for restaurant through January to help business- Last year, Beacon Hill restau- A graduate of Boston Latin patrons, and an added resource for School and Boston College, Spill- rants like Bin 26 Enoteca, Upper Boston’s small businesses during (DINING Pg. 4) (SPILLANE Pg. 5) PAGE 2 THE BEACON HILL TIMES MARCH 18, 2021 editorial THE FILIBUSTER MUST END The pros and cons of maintaining the filibuster in the U.S. Senate have reached the forefront of political discussion as never before -- and with good reason. Whether one believes that the filibuster protects the minori- ty from the so-called tyranny of the majority or provides a means for the minority to obstruct the majority, the filibuster clearly is anti-democratic. The filibuster is not part of our Constitution. It simply is a Senate rule upon which the Senate has carved out exceptions over the years, most notably for Presidential nominations and budget matters. The latter is referred to as reconciliation, which is how President Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill was enacted by a simple majority, as was the Repub- licans’ $2 trillion tax cut for the ultra-rich in 2017. The rule allowing a filibuster may have made sense in the early 1800s when the U.S. was not divided between two parties. Political coalitions were much more fluid in the early days of our nation and compromise was common among senators. However, after the Civil War, the battle lines were drawn between Democrats and the newly-formed Republican party (which only had come into existence in 1854), principally on the issue of race -- with the Democrats from the Solid South coalescing around the issue of segrega- tion. The so-called Dixiecrats -- embodied by Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina -- used the filibuster from the 1940s through the 1960s in an attempt to stymie Civil Rights legislation, especially the Voting Rights Act. Though the racist efforts of Thurmond and others ultimately failed (only because the Senate obtained a 2/3 majority to end filibusters on those issues), the filibuster likely will be employed by Senate Republicans to obstruct voting reform measures that are necessary today. The national Republican playbook to limit voting among non-white citizens once again is surging. Republican state legislators have filed more GUEST OP-ED than 200 bills that would restrict voting in the coming elections in their states. The very foundation of our democracy rests on the right of every cit- March Madness – Would you like to coach? izen to vote. Legislation presently before Congress would ensure that voting rights are not abridged in any state. However, thanks to the arcane Dr. Glenn Mollette igan State will earn $3,984.00. from coaching professional bas- filibuster rule, the passage of a new Voting Rights Act faces little chance And, the list goes on. Chris Mack, ketball in Greece will earn just Have you ever thought chang- of success in the Senate. Louisville, $4 million. Brad Under- over $1 million dollars at Iona. ing jobs? Have you ever aspired The truth is this: The anti-democratic state efforts to limit voting rights wood, Illinois, $4 million. Larry This is a far cry from the $70 mil- to be a college basketball coach? most likely will be allowed to proceed because of the anti-democratic Krystkowiak, Utah, $3,961.519. lion-dollar contract he had with Now is a great time to get your Bob Huggins, West Virginia the Boston Celtics.