NOVEMBER 29, 2018 TTHEHE BBEEACONACON HHILLILL TTIMESIMES THERE ARE NO TIMES LIKE THESE TIMES VNA CARE'S HEROES IN HEALTH CARE RAISES $250,000 ‘Holiday Stroll’ returns Dec. 6 will be closed to vehicles from 6 By Dan Murphy to 9 p.m., clearing the way for One of the neighborhood’s holiday shoppers to visit neigh- most anticipated annual events, borhood restaurants, shops and the “Beacon Hill Holiday Stroll” businesses while enjoying free returns Thursday, Dec. 6. snacks and refreshments. Santa “The Beacon Hill Business Claus will in attendance for Association is excited to present the 7 p.m. tree-lighting at Mt. the Beacon Hill Holiday Stroll Vernon and Charles streets, at again for the 16th year, with which time the winners of the many returning crowd-pleasers, annual Charles Street Storefront including the Back Bay Ringers, Decorating Competition will be the Brass Quartet, the Apollo announced and presented with Club, Kings Chapel carolers and certificates. everyone’s favorite - the com- “The Joint Charles Street plimentary horse-drawn car- Committee is looking forward riage rides by Bridal Carriage to conducting the contest and Co., Inc.,” said Lucy Grogan, award first, second and third Cyan who serves as co-president of places to deserving business who the organization alongside Ali have creatively enhance and Magenta Ringenburg. beautify Charles Street during VNA Care recently honored industry leaders while raising more than $250,000 at the 13th annual Both sides on the five blocks the 2018 holiday season,” said Heroes in Health Care Gala at the Mandarin Oriental, Boston. The Gala is VNA Care’s signature fund- of Charles Street between raising event and has raised millions in essential funding for home health care. Cambridge and Beacon streets HOLIDAY STROLL Pg. 4) Yellow Rami Karjian of Medically Home, a Patron Sponsor of the Gala; Kimberly Nelson, Chief Legal Officer at Atrius Health; Dr. Joe Kimura, Chief Medical Officer of Atrius Health; and Dr. Amanda Beacom. See more photos on Pages 6 and 7. Black Beacon Hill Civic Association Community Corner Garlands & Greens Chocolates, Rouvalis Flowers & Gardens, Linens Beacon Hill Holiday Decorating 2018- on the Hill, Tip Tap Room, Benefit Cosmetics, 2019 got off to a great start last week at our LexRx, Bacardi, NRO Sports, Savenors, and Garlands & Greens cocktail party fundraiser at DeLuca’s Market. Your generous donations will the Hampshire House. Many thanks to all who help to beautify Beacon Hill once again for the attended. holidays. Many thanks as well to our members The Beacon Hill Civic Association would also and neighbors who have responded to our pole like to acknowledge our local businesses for their sponsorship mailing. Your support is critical! If support and donations to the Garlands & Greens you have not responded, please send your spon- fundraiser: Mr. Tom Kershaw and Hampshire sorship today. House, XV Beacon, Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro, The Liberty Hotel, Bin 26 Enoteca, Beacon Hill Holiday Decorating Come with friends and neighbors to the Otis House, Trustees President and CEO Barbara Erickson with Amos Hostetter 141 Cambridge St. on at 127th Annual Meeting Saturday, Dec. 1, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., to help assemble the garlands needed to decorate Hostnetter receives Charles Elliot the 1,100 gas lamps on Beacon Hill. At 2 p.m., gather at our Conservationist of the Year Award new meeting place between (HOLIDAY PETS Pg. 12) Tatte and Peet’s to help deco- The Trustees of Reservations for many years, serving as a rate Charles Street. On Sunday, (The Trustees) recently hon- Corporate Trustee since 1991, Dec. 2, volunteers can meet ored Amos B. Hostetter, Jr. with and as a longtime member of the there as well to help decorate its prestigious Charles Eliot Nantucket Property Committee. the rest of the hill. Kids are Conservationist of the Year Award He is a passionate advocate for welcome! Come anytime and at the nonprofit’s 127th Annual conservation, the environment, stay as long as you can, and Meeting held in the State Room arts, and education in Boston 2017 Holiday Decorators at the Otis House. L-R Kjerstan Fonzi, in Boston. (BHCA Pg. 9) Regan O’Malley, Meredith Braunstein, Annabel Kupke, and Amy Hostetter has been a friend (HOSTETTER Pg. 2 ) Tsurumi. and supporter of The Trustees 2 PAGE 2 THE BEACON HILL TIMES NOVEMBER 29, 2018 editorial CLIMATE CHANGE IS HAPPENING NOW The report released last Friday by 13 U.S. government agencies con- curring in an assessment that the effects of climate change will result in a 10 percent decline in the U.S. gross national product and the loss of $1 trillion in real estate by the year 2100 is sobering -- if not depressing -- and should be a wake-up call to our elected officials to take action immediately to lead the world in reversing the effects of man-made con- tributions to climate change. The U.S. report comes on the heels of a similar study released by the United Nations two months previously that essentially stated that we are reaching a point of no return with climate change -- that even if the goals set by the Paris accords (from which the U.S. withdrew) are met, they probably are not sufficient to halt the deterioration in our environment and the negative effects of climate change. In addition, there were two big stories in the New York Times this weekend about climate issues. The first story detailed the ever-increasing use of coal in third world countries such as Vietnam, India, and Pakistan to generate electricity. Coal production is a dying industry in the U.S. and other Western nations, but its low price and availability in third world countries, includ- ing China, has made it the fuel of choice in the undeveloped world. OSTETTER (from pg. 1) Even those who refuse to accept the science of climate change will H Black admit that coal plants contribute greatly to air and water pollution -- and and beyond through his work tor and chairman of C-SPAN ognizes an individual or orga- the multitude of new plants in Asia will have effects on our country even as co-founder and trustee of the and of Cable in the Classroom, nization that has made a sig- from half a world away. Barr Foundation, which also and a founder of Cable Labs. nificant impact to conservation The second story pointed out that the palm oil industry is destroying seeks solutions to protect Boston’s He has been inducted into the in Massachusetts with the pres- the rain-forests in Indonesia -- with the result that 35 times more carbon waterfront from the increasing Broadcasting Hall of Fame, the tigious Charles Eliot Award. is being released into the world's atmosphere than from all other sources threats of our changing climate. Cable Television Hall of Fame, Charles Eliot, a landscape archi- combined. Through his work with the Barr and the Cable TV Pioneers in tect and protégé of Frederick Law We don't pretend to be experts on anything, but, to paraphrase Bob Foundation, he has also been a recognition of his leadership and Olmsted, founded The Trustees in Dylan, we don't need a scientist to tell us which way our climate is supporter of The Trustees’ One contributions to the field. response to the effects of growing heading. Waterfront Initiative designed to Hostetter has given tire- populations and industrialization The evidence of the past 12 years of unprecedented climate events: seek and create climate resilient, lessly of his time and exper- on Boston residents. At the time, accessible open spaces and parks Superstorms Katrina, Sandy, Harvey, Maria, and Michael; the past few tise, serving on multiple boards Boston was losing its open space along Boston’s vulnerable water- throughout his career and life- years of destructive wild fires in California; the loss of sea ice in the as the nation's fourth largest man- front. time, including the boards of the ufacturing center with plants and Arctic; and the destruction of coral reefs because of warming ocean “We were honored to celebrate Children’s Television Workshop temperatures -- is right in front of us and brought into our living rooms factories springing up everywhere Amos Hostetter for his incredible (Sesame Street) to which he and consuming farmland, coun- almost on a daily basis legacy of leadership and advocacy was appointed by President tryside, riverfronts, and even his- Hopefully, the ubiquity of these catastrophic climate events is not around conservation and climate Ford and the Corporation for toric sites. As Boston’s population numbing us into a sense of unreality such that we fail to see the big action in Boston and beyond,” Public Broadcasting. He has also swelled and living conditions were says Trustees President and CEO picture. served on the boards of Colonial deplorable, Eliot had the radical Barbara Erickson. “His long-term Williamsburg Society, Nantucket A report prepared by scientists hired by the oil industry in the 1960s idea to set aside land for country vision to create a vibrant, livable, Conservation Foundation, New predicted that carbon dioxide emissions would cause global warming parks that would provide fresh and environmentally healthy city England Medical Center, Museum with catastrophic effects -- and a study commissioned a decade later by air, scenic beauty, and opportu- and resilient waterfront is awe-in- of Fine Arts Boston, Perkins School none other than Exxon confirmed those findings. nities for quiet repose – antidotes spiring. We are grateful for his for the Blind, North Bennet Street to the ills of urban life. In a letter In our view, climate change is happening faster than even the worst- tireless dedication, contributions, School, and Belmont Hill School.