Crude vandalism: A caller on Gerry Road reported vandalism to a car at 6:01 p.m. that had genitalia carved into it.
An egging: At 6:01 p.m.someone reported that eggs were thrown at their house on Stanton Road some time on Saturday night.
Pedestrian hit: An elderly woman was struck on Griggs Road near Washington Street at 2:33 p.m.
Brookline Police arrested a Cambridge man wanted for threatening an FBI officer. In the process, he hit them over the head with a Snapple bottle, adding more charges to those for which he was wanted.
Federal agents located Polito by tracking the location of the cell phone to Washington Street – down the street from the Brookline Police Station and alerted the Brookline Police Department, which had already sent around FBI photos of the suspect. Agents warned officers in the area that the man might have a knife.
Officers arrived and said they recognized the wanted man from the FBI photo. When they went to arrest Carmen J. Polito, 35, of Pemberton St., Cambridge, he attempted to pull away, according to the police report, and hit an officer over the head with a plastic Snapple drink bottle.
Polito was eventually placed in handcuffs and because of his resistive behavior, leg shackles were added, according to the Police report.
He was charged in federal court in Boston in connection with making threats to a FBI Task Force Officer, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He was charged in a criminal complaint with knowingly transmitting in interstate communications containing a threat to kidnap or injure an FBI Task Force Officer in Miami, Florida.
At his initial appearance on May 5, U.S. District Court in Boston, Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley ordered a competency evaluation. According to court documents, on May 3, 2017, Polito, an individual known to the FBI Miami Division, allegedly left threatening voice mails and sent threatening text messages to an FBI Task Force Officer assigned to the Miami Field Division.
In those voice messages, Polito allegedly threatened to stab the officer and made statements such as, “an officer is going to die.”
Polito also allegedly sent threatening texts with accompanying photographs including, various weapons, Boston City Hall, and police vehicles.
If you do not make a habit of wearing your seat-belt, which is the law, Brookline Police could pull you over this month. It is part of a campaign to get people to use their seat-belts more and bring down the number of fatal crashes or serious injuries related to folks not wearing their seat-belts.
The Massachusetts Highway Safety Division of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, the Massachusetts State Police, and up to 200 other Massachusetts local police departments, including Brookline’s, are taking part in the national Click It or Ticket campaign between May 8 and May 29.
“More people buckling up means more lives saved,” said Deputy Superintendent Michael Gropman in a press release. “Our officers will be out enforcing the seat belt and child passenger safety laws so that fewer people are needlessly injured or killed in crashes in Brookline.”
Massachusetts seat belt usage is significantly lower than the national average – 78 percent compared to 90 percent according to the state’s annual seat belt observation study.
Sixty-four percent of the 172 people killed in motor vehicle crashes on Massachusetts roads in 2015 were known to be unrestrained, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Some 41 lives could have been saved in 2015 if everyone involved in an accident used seat-belts, according to the traffic safety administration, which added that seat-belts saved an estimated 72 lives in Massachusetts in 2015.
“The simple act of buckling up will give you a fighting chance in the event of a crash – increasing your chances of surviving by at least fifty percent,” said the state’s Director of the Highway Safety Division Jeff Larason. “We’re asking all drivers to protect themselves by wearing a seat-belt on every trip – short or long, day and night – and to keep their eyes on the road.”
Here is the state’s 2017 PSA video they say is aimed at young men. Can you see why?
What is the RMV’s Driver’s Manual say about the State’s Safety Belt Law?
In 2013, 10,458 people who were not wearing a safety belt were killed in crashes in the United States. Massachusetts law requires every person in a passenger motor vehicle (including vans and small trucks under 18,000 lbs.) to wear a safety belt or sit in a child passenger restraint.
• Any driver who is not wearing a safety belt can be fined $25. Any passenger 16 years old or older who is not wearing a safety belt can be fined $25.
• A driver can also be fined $25 for each passenger age 12, 13, 14, or 15 who is not
wearing a safety belt.
• You can only get a fine for the safety belt law when you are stopped for a traffic violation. The following people do not need to wear safety belts:
• Drivers and passengers of vehicles made before July 1966
• Drivers of taxis, liveries, tractors, buses, and trucks with gross weights of 18,000 pounds or more (However, drivers of some commercial motor vehicles do need to wear safety belts.)
• Passengers of emergency vehicles and drivers of police and fire vehicles
• An employee of the U.S. Postal Service who is driving a motor vehicle while working
• A person who physically cannot wear a safety belt because of a disability. A physician must certify that the person has this disability.
A crash can happen any time. The best way to protect yourself is to always wear your
safety belt. Safety belts save lives for both drivers and passengers.
If you are the type to spend money on lottery tickets here and there “just in case,” this is a story for you. If you are the type of person who shakes their head at the idea of spending a couple extra dollars at the convenience store to get said ticket. Also a story for you.
This weekend a Brookline resident was given such a ticket as a gift. The ticket, however, was nothing to scoff at. Yoko Imai of Brookline is the $1 million instant prize winner in the Massachusetts State Lottery’s “Ultimate Millions” instant ticket game, the state lottery announced this week.
Imai opted to receive her prize in the form of a one-time payment of $650,000 (less tax withholdings). Her winning ticket was purchased at Palace Spa, 415 Washington St. in Brighton. The store will receive a $10,000 bonus for its sale.
Two $15 million prizes and 37 of the $1 million instant prizes remain in the “Ultimate Millions” $30 instant game.
No word if Imai will be splitting the prize money with the person who gave her the ticket.
The following programs will take place at the Brookline Senior Center, 93 Winchester St. For information, call 617-730-2770 or brooklineseniorcenter.org.
May Spotlighted Volunteer Opportunities: This month’s spotlighted opportunities include: Preparing coffee and breakfast snacks early morning weekdays at the BSC; Food Commodity program on third Wednesday of each month — Russian interpreters afternoons and people able to help lift 30-35 pounds in the morning; and assistance for seniors with their Smartphones from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. To apply, contact Patricia at 617-730-2743 or pburns@brooklinema.gov.
Annual Volunteer File Audit: Check your mail! In the next few weeks we will be mailing you any missing or very outdated forms from your particular volunteer file. Keeping our records up-to-date is a requirement of the town of Brookline and must be taken seriously. The mailing will include a self-addressed envelope to either mail or drop off for Patricia, the volunteer coordinator, in her mailbox on the second floor or in her office. Any questions, or if you need a new copy of the forms, please contact her at 617-730-2743 or pburns@brooklinema.gov.
Integrative Wellness Workshop: 11:00 a.m. May 11. Allyson Steinmetz, an Integrative Wellness practitioner licensed in North American herbalism and restorative yoga, leads an engaging workshop comparing prescription drugs to their herbal counterparts and what actions hinder or harness a body’s natural ability to combat some of the most common ailments experienced by adults and seniors today. To register: 617-730-2777.
Greater Boston Food Bank Food Commodity Program: The Greater Boston Food Bank Commodity Program provides shelf-stable food to low-income seniors. Two shopping bags of food for each approved participant are delivered to the Brookline Senior Center, 93 Winchester St.; Sussman House, 50 Pleasant St.; and O’Shea House, 61 Park St. on the third Wednesday of each month. New applicants are being recruited to participate in this program. Those interested in applying or finding out more about the program, call Patricia at 617-730-2743 to set up an appointment.
Individual Job Search Skills Appointments: Patricia Burns, the REAP Program Job Skills counselor, is available for one-on-one/individual appointments to assist with essential job search tools — resume writing or updating, job-specific cover letters and LinkedIn profile development, interviewing — phone, Skype, in-person or mock — as well as identifying transferable skills from past experience to use in your next job. Appointments required. Contact Patricia at 617-730-2743 or pburns@brooklinema.gov.
SHOP Program: The Students Helping Older People Program has been a community service program at Brookline High School for many years. It is a win-win volunteer opportunity where students grocery shop for an elder in Brookline, and seniors share their actual history and experience with students. It is a weekly to biweekly commitment that is usually shared with a partner. It starts with visiting the elder’s home to get a grocery list and money, then shopping, and returning with the groceries. Besides getting the groceries for the senior, the most important part of this program is developing meaningful multigenerational relationships. Some students have shopped for the same person throughout high school and consider their elder an important part of their life. And the feeling is always mutual. Brookline High School will start recruiting students to shop. For senior who would like to have a student shop for them: Patricia, volunteer coordinator, 617-730-2743; pburns@brooklinema.gov.
Modern Beading Bead Expo: 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. May 12: A jewelry exhibition in Marlborough by the Recreation Deptartment. The expo brings hundreds of companies, designers and manufacturers together to provide customers with high quality jewelry at the lowest prices. The show features gems, beads, fine jewelry, estate collections and more. Marge Harvey will be at the Senior Center at 10:30 a.m. to discuss the show. Cost: $22; $16 for residents. To register: 617-730-2069.
Ukulele Fun: 1:00 -2:30 p.m. May 15. For those who like singing and want to pick up the ukulele as well. The group plays and sings mostly oldies but also some modern songs. Also open to those who just want to sing along.
Balance Exercise Workshop: 1:00 p.m. May 15. Improving strength and balance can often help to minimize the risk of serious injury in the event of a fall. Personal trainer Steve Shain will hold a one-hour workshop in which attendees learn valuable exercises to help improve balance. Space is limited to first 30 registrants. To register: 617-730-2770.
American Songbook Reimagined: 1:00 p.m. May 22. Artists-in-residence from the Metropolitan Chorale celebrate the heritage of American music. Bethany Worrell, soprano; Megan Roth, mezzo-soprano; and Julia Scott Carey, pianist, will perform tunes from the Golden Age of Song by composers like Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin and Cole Porter as well as songs by contemporary American composers. To register: 617-730-2770.
Telling Your Story: 10:15 a.m. May 24. The annual public reading of memoirs by members of the BA&CE autobiographical writing group, Telling Your Story. Attendees will hear stories that reaffirm the richness of resources that older writers offer. Free; open to all.
Wisdom and Memories: Brookline Seniors and The Reunion Project: The Brookline Senior Center and Goddard House are hosting the Reunion Project, a photography exhibit displaying photos by Lora Brody of about 50 women from age 65-100 as they appear now as well as photos of their younger selves. This exhibit may be viewed at both the Senior Center and Goddard House until June 30. A reception will be held from at 2:00 p.m. April 29-30 at Goddard House. The project is sponsored by Brookline Senior Center, Brookline CAN, Goddard House and Center Communities.
Blood pressure screening: Barbara Westley, the nurse from the Brookline Department of Public Health will provide blood pressure screening from 1-2 May 18 at the Senior Center and 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. May 24 at O’Shea House, 61 Park St. There will be no screening at the Senior Center this month.
Brookline Hearing: 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. May 18. The staff from Brookline Hearing Services will be visiting the Brookline Senior Center to provide hearing aid cleanings maintenance and patient counseling at no charge. They will also be selling all sizes of hearing and batteries for $5 per pack. All services will be provided on a first come, first served basis.
Memory Connections Café: 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. May 24. A free monthly Memory Connections Café for people with early memory challenges and their carepartners to connect with their peers. Both participate in socialization and can partake in refreshments and a variety of programming to gain support and engage with others in a relaxing environment. Either party can attend by themselves but a carepartner must accompany those who require any care assistance. For information or RSVP: Jamie, 617-730-2753. This program is supported by a grant from the Brookline Community Foundation. This month’s event is sponsored by Rogerson House Assisted Living & Day Program.
Zumba Gold: 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Thursdays, through May 11. Led by Emily Brenner, the Zumba Gold instructor. Cost: $7 per class; free to Brookline Housing Authority residents.
South Brookline Senior Game Day: 12:30 – 3:00 p.m. Thursdays, Putterham Branch Library Community Room. Games to bring out one’s inner child. Open to all levels. For information or to volunteer: Regina Millette Frawley, 617-469-0052.
Low Vision Group: 1:00 p.m. May 17. A peer-led support group for individuals with limited eyesight.
Acupuncture update: We want to say a big thank you to our wonderful acupuncturist, Julia Herskowitz, who has volunteered her time for the last several months by providing acupuncture consultations to seniors in need at the center. Julia is retiring her license in May, and so she will no longer be able to provide this service. However, Julia is an active participant at the center, and so we are glad that we’ll still be able to enjoy her company.
Luncheon Specials: Reservations for all lunches must be made by 10:30 a.m. on the weekday preceding the day on which you want to have lunch. For reservations for Monday, call the previous Friday by 10:30 a.m. Call 617-730-2747 to reserve a lunch on the business day prior before 10:30 a.m. Please be aware that Springwell can only guarantee your lunch reservation until 12:15 p.m. each day. If you are going to be arriving late for lunch, please let Kristine know in advance. If you arrive after 12:15 p.m. with no advance notice, Springwell cannot guarantee that you will receive a meal for that day. May birthdays will be celebrated at the monthly Birthday Lunch on May 16. Wingate at Chestnut Hill will provide birthday cake. Springwell will also offer a Mother’s Day brunch at noon May 11. Those interested should call 617-730 2747 to reserve a lunch on the business day prior before 10:30 a.m. to register for this lunch.
Book Discussion Group at the Putterham Library: 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. May 15. A discussion of “The Wright Brothers” by David McCullough. Meetings are in the community room at the Putterham Branch Library led by Charlotte Millman and Roberta Winitzer. Open to new members. The book club will be taking a vacation for the month of April.
LGBT Out 2 Brunch Bunch: 11:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. May 20, Goddard House, 165 Chestnut Street, Brookline. Goddard House, in partnership with the Brookline Council on Aging, ETHOS, the LGBT Aging Project and the city of Boston Commission on the Affairs of the Elderly, supports the LGBT Older Adult Out 2 Brunch Bunch. The group meets monthly on the third Saturday of the month. RSVP: Zoraida, meals@ethocare.org; 617-522-6700, ext. 306.
Public Issues Nonfiction Book Discussion Group: May 23. Tom Faulhaber challenges the thinking of attendees every month with a nonfiction book discussion centered on public issues, history, current events and other nonfiction topics. “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot will be discussed. The Coolidge Corner Branch Library will have copies of the books available several weeks ahead of each meeting.
TRIPPS – MIT Age Lab Presentation: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. May 23. Lisa D-Ambrosio, from the MIT AgeLab. will give a talk titled “Keeping People Mobile Today and Tomorrow: Research at the MIT Age-Lab.” This talk will describe the purpose and perspective of the MIT AgeLab and present the results of several recent projects at the lab. She will describe research on changes drivers make to how they drive and get around as they age, and what older drivers think about new vehicle technologies and self-driving cars. She will introduce AGNES, The Age Gain Now Empathy Systems Suit, to the audience and describe how this tool is used in AgeLab work. To register: 617-730-2644.
ELF: The Equipment Loan Fund has two floor peddlers available for one’s exercise needs. If you or anyone you know could use these, call Jamie at 617-730-2753.
Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group: The Senior Center offers two ongoing support groups designed to help caregivers cope with the stress and demands of loved ones struggling with Alzheimer’s Disease. The daytime group meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month, May 23. If you are interested in this group, please call the facilitator Debby Rosenkrantz at 617-571-3741. The evening group is primarily composed of adult child caregivers and meets on the last Thursday of each month, April 27. If you are interested in this group, please call the facilitator Susan Kanian‐Andriole at 617-730-2754. Note: This group is currently full. Please call to add your name to the waiting list.
Mahjongg: 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays. A social game of mahjongg.
Tuesday Morning Dance Party: 11:00 – 11:45 a.m. Tuesdays. Led by Lynn Modell. Suggested donation: $2 per class.
The Brookline Police Department will be participating in Placard Abuse Prevention Week to help reduce the misuse of placards statewide. Placard Abuse Prevention Week, which runs from May 6th -13th, is led by a task force through the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV). The initiative aims to reduce disabled parking placard abuse so that parking spaces are always available for those who need them.
The Department will be on the lookout in parking lots, commercial and congested residential areas for expired and/or misused placards.
Violators can be issued a $505 citation as a first offense under M.G.L Ch. 90 s 2. ($1005 for 2nd offense).
Officers will send the placard’s information to the RMV for confiscation. Placard owners/holders can face penalties even if they’re not present at the time of the misuse.
The most common forms of handicap parking abuse include:
• Using a placard that belonged to a deceased relative
• Using a spouse’s placard without the spouse present
• Using an expired placard
• Using placards with altered expiration dates
Brookline Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:BRKL) announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The bank reported $0.19 EPS for the quarter, meeting the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.19. Brookline Bancorp had a return on equity of 7.53% and a net margin of 19.97%. The business had revenue of $69 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $56.36 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.18 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 20.4% on a year-over-year basis.
Brookline Bancorp (NASDAQ:BRKL) traded down 0.35% during midday trading on Friday, hitting $14.15. The company had a trading volume of 1,185,629 shares. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $15.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $15.22. Brookline Bancorp has a 1-year low of $10.40 and a 1-year high of $17.45.
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 26th. Investors of record on Friday, May 12th will be given a $0.09 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 10th. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.54%. Brookline Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio is currently 48.65%.
In other news, Director John M. Pereira acquired 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 27th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $14.50 per share, for a total transaction of $145,000.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.82% of the company’s stock.
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Russell Investments Group, Ltd. acquired a new position in Brookline Bancorp during the fourth quarter worth $26,849,000. Whalerock Point Partners, LLC acquired a new position in Brookline Bancorp during the third quarter worth $4,761,000. Moors & Cabot Inc. raised its position in Brookline Bancorp by 0.8% in the third quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 78,872 shares of the bank’s stock worth $956,000 after buying an additional 625 shares during the period. Hartford Investment Management Co. raised its position in Brookline Bancorp by 5.7% in the third quarter. Hartford Investment Management Co. now owns 14,800 shares of the bank’s stock worth $180,000 after buying an additional 800 shares during the period. Finally, Catalyst Capital Advisors, LLC acquired a new position in Brookline Bancorp during the third quarter worth $171,000. 77.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Several equities analysts have recently commented on BRKL shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods downgraded Brookline Bancorp from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $17.00 to $16.50 in a research report on Thursday, April 27th. Compass Point upgraded Brookline Bancorp from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 26th.
About Brookline Bancorp, Inc.
Brookline Bancorp, Inc. operates as a multi-bank holding company for Brookline Bank and its subsidiaries; Bank Rhode Island and its subsidiaries; First Ipswich Bank and its subsidiaries, and Brookline Securities Corp. As a commercially-focused financial institution with approximately 50 banking offices in greater Boston, the north shore of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the Company offers commercial, business and retail banking services, including cash management products, online banking services, consumer and residential loans and investment services in central New England. The Company’s activities include acceptance of commercial; municipal and retail deposits; origination of mortgage loans on commercial and residential real estate located principally in Massachusetts and Rhode Island; origination of commercial loans and leases to small- and mid-sized businesses; investment in debt and equity securities, and the offering of cash management and investment advisory services.
Who’s up for a game of BINGO….
Who: LEDP Parents and Children
What: Come and play one game or all!
When: Tuesday, May 9, 2017 5:15 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Where: Lawrence Cafeteria at the Amos A. Lawrence School, Brookline MA
Why: To have fun with your kids!
Looking forward to seeing you all at our BINGO night!
Friday, May 5
Person down: A passerby called to report someone fell near Capital One near the corner of Beacon and Harvard streets. They had to be taken to the hospital.
Fight: Someone called to report a fight at a dorm on Heath Street at 12:43 a.m. The night before someone called the around he same time to report something a group of women were fighting there.
Eggs: A Stanton Road resident called to report a group of teens hanging around the high school were throwing eggs and possibly paint at houses near the High School.
Saturday, May 6
Wallet: A Brookline resident called to report someone stole his wallet while he was at Gymn It on Commonwealth Avenue.
Drunk: An intoxicated woman called to ask to be taken to the hospital around 2:40 p.m.
Shoplifting: A business on Harvard Street called to report someone shoplifting. Two people were arrested.
Loud mouths: At least nine people called in to report loud noises after midnight, including on Longwood, Beacon, Gibbs Street, Pond, Kent, Stanton and Gerry Road.
Sunday, May 7
Slashed: A Tappan Street resident called to report all four tires on their Honda CRV were slashed.
Everything OK?: Someone called to report there was a man laying in the road near the corner of Freeman and St. Paul streets and wanted to make sure everyone was ok. The person was awake and breathing. He was transported to the hospital.
Stolen: Someone called to report a bicycle was stolen overnight from Harvard Street.
Punched: Someone called to report they were punched in the face on Babcock Street. Turned out two patients at a Babcock Street facility were summonsed for assault and battery on three staff members.
The Jewish community in Brookline will join 21 towns and cities across the country this week in hosting a candlelit vigil to welcome refugees, while also remembering a dark day in America’s past.
The #NeverAgain vigils will be held Tuesday, June 6, marking the same date in 1939 when the MS St. Louis, carrying a ship full of Jewish refugees, was forced to turn around at American borders and sail back to Europe.
“In 1939, the U.S. government denied safety to the hundreds of Jewish refugees on board. In 2017, our community will stand together to call on our elected officials not to make the same mistake again by denying safe haven to today’s victims of violence and persecution,” the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society said in a statement.
The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. Tueday evening in front of the Pierce Building on the corner of Beacon and Harvard Streets. HIAS lists at least 23 scheduled vigils across major cities like New York, Baltimore, Los Angeles and San Fransisco, as well as a number of small towns.
The nationwide vigil comes on the heels of President Donald Trump’s controversial reaction to terror attacks in London over the weekend. The vehicle-ramming attack on London Bridge and stabbing spree at Borough Market left seven people dead and 48 others injured late Saturday, prompting Trump to send off a series of Twitter messages, one of which called on courts to revive his failed executive orders to ban people from six majority-Muslim countries, “We need the Travel Ban as an extra level of safety!”
Trump’s original order halted refugee resettlement for 120 days and banned Syrian refugees indefinitely, while a revised travel ban removed the restriction on Syrian refugees. Both orders were suspended by federal judges.
HIAS, the group organizing the Jewish community vigils across the country, works to “protect and assist refugees of all races and ethnicities,” marking a sharp contrast to the policies of the Trump administration.
“Show your Members of Congress that the American Jewish community fully supports welcoming refugees to the United States,” HIAS said in a statement.
Feeling like pizza? The charity Cops For Kids With Cancer, Inc. wants you to go get pizza Monday or Tuesday. Heck, if you go both days they would love it.
Cops is teaming up with Bertucci’s restaurants to raise money for families who have a child battling cancer.
On Monday, May 8, and Tuesday, May 9, Bertucci’s restaurant in Massachusetts – including the South Brookline location – will donate 15 percent of those days’ proceeds to Cops For Kids With Cancer. The donated percentage applies to dine-in, carry out and delivery proceeds.
Cops For Kids With Cancer, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charity run by police officers and retired police officers, with 94 percent of all money raised given directly to qualifying families who need financial help, according to a press release from Cops with Kids for Cancer.
Since its establishment in 2002, Cops For Kids With Cancer, Inc. has helped more than 500 families through donations totaling more than $2.57 million. The organization is run entirely through a volunteer board of directors, has no paid employees, keeps its expenses low, and does not pay for fundraising assistance. Its funding comes solely from donations from police departments, police officers, companies, and compassionate individuals.
The Brookline Bertucci’s is in South Brookline along the VFW Parkway near Hancock Village.
More information on Cops For Kids With Cancer could be found here.
On May 4th, the School Committee welcomed new member Suzanne Federspiel, and welcomed back re-elected members Julie Schreiner-Oldham and Michael Glover.
Ms. Federspiel has been a Brookline resident since 1985 and has been an educator for more than 30 years, first serving as a special education instructor in Connecticut and Massachusetts. She was a principal in Boston for 15 years, leading two different elementary schools. Ms. Federspiel has been a professor and guest lecturer at a number of local colleges and universities, and holds an M.B.A. from Boston University. Prior to her career in education, she worked at Lotus Development Company in training and sales. Ms. Federspiel has two children, both of whom attended the Pierce School and graduated from Brookline High School.
Ms. Schreiner-Oldham was elected to her first full term on the Committee after being appointed to complete Rebecca Stone’s term in January 2017. Mr. Glover was elected to his second term on the Committee.
The Committee voted unanimously for David Pollak to become Chairman and for Michael Glover to become Vice Chairman.
The Brookline Arts Center will present its third annual “ART Off The Wall,” an exhibition and fundraiser, from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. on May 13, 2017.
ART Off The Wall features works by artists who support the mission of the BAC. The two-week exhibition culminates in a wonderfully thrilling evening of art, where everyone who holds a Collector’s Ticket will have the opportunity to take home a piece of art from the collection.
Collector’s Tickets are $200 and are limited. All Collector’s pieces are valued at $200 and higher. General admission to the event is $50. All ticket holders will be treated to hors d’oeuvres, libations, swag bags, and the opportunity to win prizes like gift cards and Red Sox tickets.
Participating artists include: Martinas Andrius, Evelyn Berde, Lauren Blais, Cathie Brenner, Frank Criscione, Tricia Deck, Craig Eastland, Minoo Emami, Rachel Eng, Tatiana Flis, Julie Graham, Nicole Gsell, Alison Horvitz, Iwalani Kaluhiokalani, Mirela Kulovic, Peik Larsen, Leonie Little-Lex, C.J. Lori, Karen Moss, Peg O’Connell, Sara Oliver, Marcus Parsons, Hannah Perrigo, Diane Piktialis, Ponnapa Prakkamakul, Lillian Rodriguez, Claudia Ruiz-Gustafson, Katha Seidman, Alexandra Sheldon, Vaughn Sills and Ashley Vick.
Individuals who would like to participate but cannot attend the event can arrange a proxy for the Collector’s pieces. To arrange a proxy, please call Lauren at 617-566-5715.
For information or tickets, please call 617-566-5715 or visit here.
Tomorrow Brookline voters have the chance to vote the next two School Committee members. Three seats are available, as Michael Glover and Lisa Jackson both finished up their terms on the nine-seat board and Rebecca Stone stepped down late last year.
Glover is running to keep his seat, while Jackson has decided to step away. Julie Schreiner-Oldham who was appointed to the School Committee in January 2017 to temporarily fill Stone’s seat, is also running.
This year two others, Suzanne Federspiel of Greenough Circle, and Paul Harris of Centre Street are also vying for a seat at the School Committee table. Federspiel is the teachers union candidate for School Committee.
Aside from Glover there are no other minority candidates running for School Committee. The election comes as a number of residents have lobbed criticism at the current School Committee, for protracted contract negotiations and ninth school location decisions.
A Brookline resident since 2012, he’s served on the School Committee since 2014. He was a member of the Brookline Override Study Committee in 2013 and 2014, on which he served as chairman of the Municipal Services Subcommittee, and as a member of the School’s Subcommittee and the Population and Special Education Task Force.
“I am running for re-election to the Brookline School Committee because I believe that we can tackle the challenges facing our system in a responsible way without diminishing the academic experience of our students or compromising our core values,” Glover said on his website.
Glover, originally from Maryland, became the first person in his family to graduate from college when he graduated from Northeastern University in 2000 with a degree in journalism. He went on to get his law degree from American University in 2006.
He has worked as an attorney in the Office of General Counsel at Northeastern University for the past two years. Prior to that, he worked for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and in private practice. His wife is an attorney at Kids in Need of Defense, an organization that provides legal representation for unaccompanied immigrant and refugee children. He currently has two children in the Brookline School District.
Schreiner-Oldham, a South Brookline resident, is the mother of three girls, including first and fourth graders who attend the Baker School, and she is an employment and labor attorney litigating employment discrimination. She joined the committee in January to replace Rebecca Stone who resigned in December.
Before joining the School Committee she was co-president of the Baker School Parent Teacher Organization, and served on the executive committee of the Baker PTO for two years. She holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a J.D. from Vanderbilt University.
“She is committed to ensuring that all voices are heard while working to find the best possible solutions. She is committed to clearly communicating with the community and approaches her position with an open mind,” reads her website.
Harris, a Brookline resident for the past 40 years, said he was running for School Committee in response to the protracted union negotiations, according to a website that supports him. Harris has grown children who went through the town’s education system a mother who taught at Devotion and a wife who was a teachers aide at the Brookline Early Education Program. Harris said he has taught courses in the Brookline Adult and Community Education Program.
He is the founder of “Creating a Hopeful World,” a seminar. And he is a co founder of Green Caucus, and former co-chair of Climate Action Brookline.
“We need rigorous, efficient and effective long-term school planning and override processes,” he said, noting when it came to funding school district programs and responding to growing enrollment was to encourage donors, carefully design overrides, and appropriately balance the interests of children and taxpayers.
Federspiel has lived in Brookline since 1989 and sent her children through the school system. She spent 19 years as a school special education instructor at the elementary level in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and 15 years as the lead principal at two different Boston Public elementary schools.
“I support Brookline’s values of low student-teacher ratios, individual attention for all students, and excellence and equity in education,” she said.
It was reported that one woman alleged Federspiel treated her differently than younger, white teachers while she was an administrator at the Kenny School in Boston and is currently suing her for racism and ageism, according to court document. Federspiel denied the allegations. Per state statute, the job of the committee members, who are not paid, are to evaluate the superintendent, review and approve budgets for public education in the district, and to establish educational goals and policies for the schools in the district. School Committee members put in long hours every other Thursday at Town Hall, and commit to acting as liaison to local organizations and serve on various sub committees.
This year the duties for the School Committee includes focusing on building projects such as a ninth elementary school, construction of the Devotion School and high school expansion to relieve growing class sizes. The School Committee Chairwoman Susan Wolf Ditkoff has also said this year it wanted to prioritize a positive school climate when it came to race and diversity.
Annual Town Election: Tuesday, May 2, 2017.
For more information, please visit the town’s website here.
Application deadline: May 19, 2017
Posted: April 30, 2017
Starting date: July 1, 2017
Job Description
St. Mary of the Assumption is a private, Catholic School in Brookline, MA, serving Pre-K – Grade 8. We are searching for an experienced admission professional to serve as Director of Admission. The successful candidate will lead and direct all aspects of the marketing, recruitment, and interviewing process leading to the selection, enrollment, and retention of the student body. Knowledge of proven marketing techniques in admission, capacity for strategic data-driven planning, strong interpersonal skills, effective oral and written communication abilities, and sound managerial and organizational abilities are essential. Proficiency in admission and financial aid software is integral to the role. This is a year-round position with benefits. This position reports directly to the Principal.
Cover letter, resume, list of three current references are required.
We seek a motivated and flexible admission leader who understands a K-8 day school environment and who can work in a cooperative, dynamic setting. This position requires a bachelor’s degree (master’s degree preferred) and a minimum of five years of independent or Catholic school admission experience or equivalent.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The Archdiocese of Boston does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices (consistent with those religious exemptions provided in statutory and constitutional law) on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Job Requirements
Contact Information
Theresa Kirk
St. Mary of the Assumption
67 Harvard Street
Brookline, MA 02445
Tel.: 617-566-7184
E–mail: tkirk@stmarys-brookline.org
No phone calls please.
Current and past School Committee members and Superintendent Bott honored outgoing member Dr. Lisa Jackson during a celebration of her service to the Public Schools of Brookline before the April 27th School Committee meeting.
Also in attendance were Dr. Jackson’s husband and two children, along with Selectmen Bernard Greene. Her colleagues and friends hailed Dr. Jackson as a leader on issues related to bias and equity in our schools, and noted her skill in asking difficult questions in ways that could engage others.
In addition to other accomplishments, she was praised for leading the Superintendent search that occurred in 2016.
The School Committee reflected on Dr. Jackson’s friendship, and thanked her for her mentorship during her term as a School Committee member.
The District wishes the best to Dr. Jackson and her family, and is grateful for her commitment to the Brookline Schools.
Lisa R. Jackson, Ph.D. was elected to School Committee in 2014. Dr. Jackson is the Co-Founder and Principal of Jackson-Ellis Associates, a philanthropic advising firm that works with clients who have an appetite to create impact in the world through their giving.Prior to this endeavor she was the Managing Partner for Portfolio Investments at New Profit, Inc., a venture philanthropy firm that invests nationally in nonprofits seeking to scale their impact.
Dr. Jackson serves on the national boards of Year Up, the National College Advising Corps Single Stop USA, and the Reset Foundation. She and her husband have two children and are parents at Pierce School.
She has a Ph.D. and M.A. in Education from Stanford University, and a B.S. in Psychology from Howard University.
In observation of the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, the Brookline Police Department’s lobby is open 24/7, where you can drop off your unwanted prescription drugs in a designated Prescription Drug Dropbox.
Calling all preteen readers for a Tween Author Fest at the Brookline Public Library!
Meet local authors Erin Dionne, Jen Malone, Lee Gjertsen Malone, Luke Reynolds, and Anna Staniszewski.
When:
Saturday, May 20, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Where:
Brookline Public Library
361 Washington Street
Brookline, MA 02445
Admission:
FREE
Categories:
Art, Festivals & Fairs, Food, Kid Friendly, Performing Arts
We will have book signings, crafts, cookies, and a “Writing Tween” author panel at 3:00 p.m.
All are welcome!
Did you know that Brookline has 250 natural gas leaks under our roads, leaking methane gas near our schools, homes and businesses? That is a daunting number of leaks. Half of all the leaked methane gas comes from just 7% of the largest gas leaks. Fixing these gas leaks will dramatically reduce emissions and save ratepayer money in the fastest, most efficient manner.
Please join us to tag us on Saturday to tag the reported #gasleaks. We will give a brief overview of why gas leaks are so toxic to the environment and our public health, then we will split into teams and tag the leaks around #Brookline. You will be provided with instructions, maps and materials. You can give as much or as little time as you have that morning. Bring the whole family – kids welcome!
The meeting will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on May 13, 2017.
Brookline Town Hall
333 Washington Street
Brookline, MA, 02445
Our goal is to get National Grid (our gas utility) to know that Brookline wants our biggest leaks fixed fast.
The event is co-sponsored by State Senator Cynthia Creem, Climate Action Brookline, Temple Sinai, Temple Israel, 350 Mass for a Better Future, Brookline TEEN Center, Green UP team of United Parish Church of Brookline, Elders Climate Action, Mass Health Care Providers Against Fracked Gas, Girl Scout Brownie troop 62564, BHS Environmental Action Club, and Rep. Frank Smizik.
Analyst Ratings For Brookline Bancorp (NASDAQ:BRKL)
Today, Brookline Bancorp (NASDAQ:BRKL) stock was downgraded by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from “Outperform” to “Market Perform”.
There are 2 hold ratings, 1 buy rating on the stock.
The current consensus rating on Brookline Bancorp (NASDAQ:BRKL) is Hold (Score: 2.33) with a consensus target price of $13.00 per share, a potential 11.56% downside.
Some recent analyst ratings include
Dividend information for Brookline Bancorp (NASDAQ:BRKL)
Brookline Bancorp (NASDAQ:BRKL) pays an annual dividend of $0.36 with a yield of 2.45%.
Dividend History for Brookline Bancorp (NASDAQ:BRKL)
Recent Insider Trading Activity For Brookline Bancorp (NASDAQ:BRKL)
Brookline Bancorp (NASDAQ:BRKL) has insider ownership of 2.82% and institutional ownership of 77.36%.
About Brookline Bancorp, Inc.
Brookline Bancorp, Inc. operates as a multi-bank holding company for Brookline Bank and its subsidiaries; Bank Rhode Island and its subsidiaries; First Ipswich Bank and its subsidiaries, and Brookline Securities Corp. As a commercially-focused financial institution with approximately 50 banking offices in greater Boston, the north shore of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the Company offers commercial, business and retail banking services, including cash management products, online banking services, consumer and residential loans and investment services in central New England. The Company’s activities include acceptance of commercial; municipal and retail deposits; origination of mortgage loans on commercial and residential real estate located principally in Massachusetts and Rhode Island; origination of commercial loans and leases to small- and mid-sized businesses; investment in debt and equity securities, and the offering of cash management and investment advisory services.
Specialties
Explore 12,000 specimens drawn from Harvard’s vast research collections at the University’s most visited museum – dinosaurs, meteorites, gemstones, and hundreds of animals around the globe.
See the world’s only mounted Kronosaurus, a 42 ft-long marine reptile; one of the first Triceratops ever discovered; a 1,642 lb. amethyst geode; whale skeletons.
Do not miss the world famous exhibit of 3,000 “Glass Flowers”, amazingly realistic models of plants, fruits and flowers created by father-son glass artists Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka from 1886 – 1936. Current exhibitions include New England Forests, Language of Color, & Mollusks.
The museum is on the Harvard University campus, just a short, 7-10 minute walk through historic Harvard Yard from the Harvard Square MBTA Red Line T station, 15 minutes from downtown Boston.
Open daily, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., 361 days/year. Handicapped accessible.
Explore the museum’s website for parking info, new exhibitions, lectures, classes for all ages, year round
History
Established in 1998.
The Harvard Museum of Natural History was created as the public museum of the University’s three natural history research institutions – the Mineralogical and Geological Museum; the Museum of Comparative Zoology, and the Harvard University Herbaria (which used to be called the Botanical Museum.)
The University has over 21 million specimens in the research institutions’ collections, and some 12,000 of the most fascinating are displayed in 17 galleries open to the public at the Harvard Museum of Natural History.
Harvard Museum of Natural History
26 Oxford Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Tel.: 617-495-3045
URL: hmnh.harvard.edu
Hours:
| Monday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Thursday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Friday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Saturday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Sunday | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
Specialties
The Metropolitan Waterworks Museum is dedicated to historical interpretation on the themes of engines & engineering, architecture, social history, and public health. The is no admission fee to enter.
We offer science & engineering (STEM) education programs for students and adults.
We host permanent & temporary exhibits celebrating Boston’s legacy of water engineering.
We also provide space for social or corporate private events.
History
Established in 2011.
The Metropolitan Waterworks Museum is a nonprofit preservation & education organization in Boston, MA, dedicated to the interpretation of one of the nation’s first public drinking water systems.
Based in an historically significant building from the 1880’s opposite the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, the Waterworks invites you to step back in time to the Golden Age. View our 3 story tall, coal-fired, steam engines that pumped millions of gallons of water for over a century. Learn more about the technology behind the engines, the science of clean water, and the impact on public health. Walk the reservoir to appreciate the building’s Romanesque architecture, and enjoy the beauty of such a thoughtfully designed structure.
Join us for a walk through the Great Engines Hall (No Admission Fee for regular visitors), plan a special social or corporate gathering, or book an exciting educational program for a modest fee.
The Metropolitan Waterworks Museum welcomes you to engage with the history of Boston.
Metropolitan Waterworks Museum
2450 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02467
Tel.: 617-277-0065
URL: WaterworksMuseum.org
Hours:
| Monday | closed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | closed |
| Wednesday | 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. |
| Thursday | 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. |
| Friday | 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. |
| Saturday | 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. |
| Sunday | 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. |
MOBA’s public gallery is in Dorchester Brewing Co. in
the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston.
Of over 800 pieces in the permanent collection, about 40 are exhibited. Each piece is accompanied by a written interpretation, helping the public grasp many of the complexities inherent in the works.
There are usually no MOBA staff on premises, but our friends at Brookline Interactive Group are available try to answer your questions and sell official MOBA merchandise.
MOBA
Dorchester Brewing Co.
1250 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, MA 02125
Tel.: 781-444-6757
URL: museumofbadart.org
Hours:
| Monday | 11:30 a.m. – 09:00 p.m. |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 11:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 11:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. |
| Thursday | 11:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. |
| Friday | 11:30 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. |
| Saturday | 11:30 a.m. – 11:00 p.m |
| Sunday | 11:30 a.m. – 09:00 p.m |
Note: No one under 21 is admitted on Friday or Saturday nights after 06:00 p.m.
We are grateful to Dorchester Brewing Co. for sharing their space with us.
The Museum contains documents, artifacts, artwork, and more pertaining to Mary Baker Eddy and those who assisted her in establishing Christian Science. Mary Baker Eddy (1821 – 1910) was born near Concord, New Hampshire, and did most of her work in establishing Christian Science in Lynn, Boston, and Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and in Concord, New Hampshire.
Longyear Museum was founded by philanthropist Mary Beecher Longyear (1851 – 1931) to provide future generations with documentary evidence and facts about Mrs. Eddy and the early history of the Christian Science religion.
In 1937, the Museum opened in Mrs. Longyear’s former home in Brookline, Massachusetts.
The Museum moved to its present location in nearby Chestnut Hill in 1999; the new exhibit halls were opened to the public in 2001.
The Longyear Story
Longyear Museum was founded by noted philanthropist Mary Beecher Longyear (1851 – 1931), who had been greatly benefited by Christian Science. Personally acquainted with Mary Baker Eddy, Mrs. Longyear began in 1911 to assemble a remarkable collection of documents and artifacts. She founded the Longyear Museum to provide future generations with facts rather than myths and legends about this religious leader.
Before moving to Massachusetts, Mary Longyear, her husband, John, and their children lived in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where John had amassed a fortune in timber and mining. Their home in Marquette, built in 1892, was an imposing stone mansion on the shores of Lake Superior (photograph above shows the house circa 1900).
In 1903, when the Longyears decided to move to Brookline, Massachusetts, Mrs. Longyear was reluctant to leave her beloved home. So her obliging and financially able husband arranged for the house to be disassembled and moved by rail — more than 1,300 miles — from Marquette to its new site in Brookline.
The Longyears were known for their philanthropy and were generous patrons of art, music, and education. They contributed to many institutions organized for benevolent purposes, including the extension of the teaching of the blind by the Braille system and the publication of the Bible in Braille.
Mrs. Longyear generously provided funds to purchase a portion of the land adjoining The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, known as The Mother Church. The land is now part of the Christian Science Church plaza on Huntington Avenue in Boston.
At a time when development threatened landmarks in the name of progress, Mrs. Longyear collected paintings, furniture, documents, photographs, and artifacts on the life and work of Mary Baker Eddy, including four houses in which Mrs. Eddy lived. (Two additional houses were donated to the Museum, and thanks to generous donations the Museum was able in 2006 to purchase two other former homes of Mrs. Eddy.)
After Mrs. Longyear’s death, her home was opened to the public as Longyear Museum. Here the collection was exhibited from 1937 to 1998, when the home was sold to build the new museum at 1125 Boylston Street in nearby Chestnut Hill.
The former Longyear residence and its grounds are now the site of the condominiums known as Longyear at Fisher Hill.
Longyear Museum
1125 Boylston Street
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
Tel.: 617-278-9000
URL: longyear.org
Hours:
| Monday | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | closed |
| Wednesday | closed |
| Thursday | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. |
| Friday | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. |
| Saturday | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. |
| Sunday | 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. |
Specialties
The MFA is one of the most comprehensive art museums in the world. Experience art from ancient Egyptian to contemporary, special exhibitions, and innovative programs.
The centerpiece of the MFA’s expansion is a spectacular new wing for the Art of the Americas collection, which doubled the number of objects from the collection on view, including several large-scale masterpieces not displayed for decades.
History
Established in 1876.
The original MFA opened its doors to the public on July 4, 1876, the nation’s centennial. Built in Copley Square, the MFA was then home to 5,600 works of art. Over the next several years, the collection and number of visitors grew exponentially, and in 1909 the Museum moved to its current home on Huntington Avenue.
Museum Of Fine Arts
465 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
Tel.: 617-267-9300
URL: mfa.org
Hours:
| Monday | 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 10:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. |
| Thursday | 10:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. |
| Friday | 10:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. |
| Saturday | 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. |
| Sunday | 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. |
Isabella Stewart Gardner first welcomed visitors to her museum on New Year’s Day, 1903. On that evening guests listened to the music of Bach, Mozart, and Schumann, gazed in wonder at the courtyard full of flowers, and viewed one of the nation’s finest collections of art.
Today, visitors experience much the same thing. The Gardner Museum has remained essentially unchanged since its founder’s death in 1924. Unchanged but certainly not stagnant.
Three floors of galleries surround a garden courtyard blooming with life in all seasons. The galleries are filled with paintings, sculpture, tapestries, furniture, and decorative arts from cultures spanning thirty centuries.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
25 Evans Way
Boston, MA 02115
Tel.: 617-566-1401
URL: gardnermuseum.org
Hours:
| Monday | 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | closed |
| Wednesday | 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Thursday | 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. |
| Friday | 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Saturday | 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Sunday | 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
About Isabella Stewart Gardner
The museum which bears her name also stands as a testament to her vision. Isabella Stewart Gardner, known also as “Mrs. Jack” in reference to her husband, John L. (“Jack”) Gardner, was one of the foremost female patrons of the arts. She was a patron and friend of leading artists and writers of her time, including John Singer Sargent, James McNeill Whistler, and Henry James. She was a supporter of community social services and cultural enrichment. She was an ardent fan of the Boston Symphony, the Red Sox, and Harvard College football. Isabella Stewart Gardner was also the visionary creator of what remains one of the most remarkable and intimate collections of art in the world today and a dynamic supporter of artists of her time, encouraging music, literature, dance, and creative thinking across artistic disciplines.
Over three decades, Isabella Stewart Gardner traveled the world and worked with important art patrons and advisors Bernard Berenson and Okakura Kakuzo to amass a remarkable collection of master and decorative arts.
In 1903, she completed the construction of Fenway Court in Boston to house her collection and provide a vital place for Americans to access and enjoy important works of art.
Isabella Gardner installed her collection of works in a way to evoke intimate responses to the art, mixing paintings, furniture, textiles, and objects from different cultures and periods among well-known European paintings and sculpture.
Isabella Stewart
Isabella Stewart Gardner was born in New York City on April 14, 1840. She was the child of David Stewart, of Scottish descent, who made his fortune in the Irish linen trade and later in mining investments. Her mother was Adelia Smith, descendant of Richard Smith, an Englishman who had settled in Boston in 1650. She was named for her beloved paternal grandmother, Isabella Tod Stewart, herself a remarkable woman and successful farmer. (A portrait of her hangs in the museum.) Isabella Stewart Gardner was also a descendant of royal Stuarts (although this genealogy is spurious) and took great pride in this lineage.
Isabella Stewart was educated at private schools in New York and Paris. Her first connection with Boston came through her schooling, between 1856 and 1858 in Paris, where a friendship with schoolmate Julia Gardner led to her eventual marriage to Julia’s older brother John (“Jack”) Lowell Gardner Jr. (1837-1898) on April 10, 1860. The couple was married in New York City and moved to Boston, Jack’s hometown, where they settled into a house, a wedding gift from her father, at 152 Beacon Street in the Back Bay section of the city. In June 1863, Isabella Stewart Gardner gave birth to a son, John L. Gardner III, known as “Jackie.” At just two years of age, Jackie died of pneumonia in March 1865, and during the two years that followed his death, Isabella Stewart Gardner endured depression and illness. At a doctor’s suggestion, John Gardner took his wife to Europe to travel throughout Scandinavia, Russia, Vienna, and Paris and, upon returning home, Isabella Gardner was in good health and spirits. Although the Gardners had no more children, they raised their three nephews following the death of Jack’s widowed brother.
A Lasting Legacy
In 1919, Isabella Stewart Gardner suffered the first of a series of strokes and died five years later, on July 17, 1924. Her will created an endowment of $1 million and outlined stipulations for the support of the museum, including that the permanent collection not be significantly altered.
In keeping with her philanthropic nature, her will also left sizable bequests to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Industrial School for Crippled and Deformed Children, Animal Rescue League and Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Isabella Stewart Gardner is buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, between her husband and her son.
When Fortune Magazine unveiled their list of “The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders,” the top spot didn’t go to an outstanding CEO as it often does.
It was not a strong world leader, nor a particularly philanthropic celebrity. Fortune went outside the box. Heck, the Pope finished third.
The No. 1 spot belonged to the man that has done the unthinkable in baseball, Theo Epstein, born in Brookline, MA.
Epstein was the architect of the teams that slayed the two biggest dragons in his game’s history. He made his name as the whiz kid that broke the Red Sox’ 86-year World Series drought, and cemented it last fall, ending the Chicago Cubs’ 106-year title-less run.
Tonight Epstein returns to Fenway Park with the Cubs, a future Hall of Famer.
But long before he was passing Pope Francis, Epstein was just another junior-varsity baseball player at Brookline High School.
On those dusty fields almost three decades ago, Epstein was already beginning to display the intellect, drive, and people skills that would mold him into the greatest leader in the free world.
####
In the spring of 1989, Epstein was a sophomore on Harvey Soolman’s JV team. As a teenager, Epstein was not blessed with great physical talent. He was a scrawny pitcher, but one determined to make an impact. He played alongside his best friend, Red Sox President Sam Kennedy.
“Even though he was a pretty small and slender kid, he never had any fear,” Kennedy said. “He was never afraid of the other team. He was a grinder, he wanted to play because he just had an incredible passion for the game.”
Epstein stood out to Soolman in one game in particular, a 24-1 thrashing. It was a Brookline Warriors loss.
“We were getting killed by Brockton,” Soolman recalled. “It was only the second inning. There was nobody out and my starter is getting plastered all over the place. So I bring Theo in, and he got killed. But he went six innings getting the stuffing kicked out of him and that really showed me a lot. He really worked hard. He was throwing just as hard in the seventh inning as he was in the second.”
This is not a tall tale Soolman explains, as he opens the score book.
“He went six innings, gave up 12 hits, 13 runs,” Soolman read. “I remember thinking this at the time, he really showed me a lot. The starting pitcher wanted to know if we can all go home already. We didn’t have 10-run mercy rules or anything, but (the starter) is looking at me like, ‘Well I’m out of the game, we’re getting killed, do we have to finish?’ He actually said something like that to me. Theo on the other hand, was very professional about it as much as he got slaughtered out there. That did show me quite a bit.”
Inning after inning, Epstein wanted to go back out. It was an early sign of the drive that would make him a champion.
“I was proud of him. He just went out and did the job,” Soolman said. “I really enjoyed having him on the team. Although, I’m shocked at his baseball success, I never saw that coming, but I’m certainly not surprised that he’s a big success at whatever he tried, because he was really a very sharp kid.”
####
By senior year, Epstein had made it to Brad Cohen’s varsity team. Epstein was playing the infield now, but made some of his most valuable contributions coaching third base. His mind for the game was undeniable.
“It was like having an assistant coach, he was so intelligent,” Cohen said. “We used to talk strategy. I always had him coaching third base because he was so bright and such a good baseball guy, really.”
Like Soolman, there is one game in particular that Cohen goes back to.
The Warriors were playing Norwood, Eastern Massachusetts’ top team in 1991. Brookline was in the midst of a forgettable season, but they were matching the Mustangs stride for stride. Late in a tied game, Epstein approached his coach in the dugout.
“Theo and I were talking about a situation that might come up the following inning. He brought it up, and said ‘it might be a good time to have so-and-so bunt.’ Sure enough, it came up,” Cohen said.
So Cohen went with Epstein’s suggestion and bunted the go-ahead runner along. Kennedy came to the plate.
“Sam got the game-winning hit and Theo thought of it before I did,” Cohen said. “That’s the type of kid Theo was. He wasn’t playing all the time, but he was so helpful. If you had kids like that all the time coaching would be so much easier.”
“He would have made a great coach, a great baseball manager, because he knew the game so well,” Cohen said. “He was so interested.”
Cohen did not know where Epstein would wind up after graduation, but like Soolman he knew one thing: the kid would be successful.
“When he was in high school he just loved baseball to death. It’s hard to know with a guy like that,” Cohen said. “He could have been a great lawyer.”
“Theo would be successful at anything he tried. He was just that intelligent and bright.”
####
But through it all, Epstein has never taken himself too seriously. Whether it’s donning a disguise to see a Pearl Jam concert, or sitting with the fans at Wrigley Field, he’s always come across as relatable. That has not changed.
“He fooled around, he was fun, but he wasn’t a wise guy.” Soolman said. “He was funny, a good teammate. Guys liked him.”
Kennedy has a story he likes to tell to illustrate this.
“The two of us were widely known as the two slowest members of the baseball team,” Kennedy explained.
So when the Warriors would run sprints at the end of practice, the two that finished in last place would have to race each other around the diamond. One would go clockwise and the other counter-clockwise.
Epstein and Kennedy were frequent last-place finishers, and liked to have some fun with it.
“We’d always have to race each other, and he’d try to hit me with a punch below the belt as we rounded second base. We’d try to throw each other off,” Kennedy laughed. “We loved baseball, we were very passionate about it, but we didn’t have much of a (playing) future in front of us.”
And who won most of the races?
“I’m embarrassed to admit, Theo,” Kennedy said. “He had a little more foot-speed given he was a soccer player. But we were definitely the two slowest.”
Cohen believes Epstein’s people skills have helped him to become such a revered executive. A lifelong Red Sox fan, it makes sense to Cohen that Epstein was the general manager to banish The Curse of the Bambino.
“He’s not only bright, but he’s also very perceptive. He’s a very good reader of people,” Cohen said. “So honestly, I wasn’t that shocked. As a Red Sox fan I was over the moon, but if anybody would do it, I would have thought it was him because he’s just that capable and that motivated.”
Almost thirty years have passed, but some things never change.
– A Fairway Road resident called to report someone broke into their home overnight. The resident told police that three Apple laptops were missing from the kitchen and living room area. Detectives came out to fingerprint the scene and the alarm company noted that someone opened the garage door 10:38 p.m. leading to the mud room. It appears the suspect or suspects entered the home through the garage mud room door and stole the items.
– A woman who worked on Holden Street called to report an ex boyfriend showed up at her place of work and started to harass her. The woman told police he was yelling at her through the house window. When the woman called 911 the man walked over to her car, which was parked in the driveway and began to kick it. While kicking the back and driver side of the vehicle, he also kicked the driver’s side mirror causing it to hang down from the car. Police said at one point he also got inside the car. The man was placed under arrest and charged with assault and B&E during the day time with intent to commit a felony and vandalism of property (damage to car).
– A woman reported her daughter missing and gave a description and photo. This information was provided to all Brookline Units who began canvassing the area. The missing girl was found in Griggs Park, and appeared to be in good health and well cared for. She was returned to her mother and advised of the seriousness of what had just happened.
– An employee at a Harvard Street business called to report a elementary school aged girl came into her shop and she saw her place several items into a black bag and walk out the store. The employee described the girl as wearing a black jacket, dress, black tights, and black shoes and between 9 and 11 years old. The shop employee reported that more than $200 worth of “Thinking Putty.” The Officers requested a copy of the security surveillance and will conduct a follow-up with the detective division.
– A man was walking on Pleasant Street in Brookline, when he found a wad of cash tied in a hair band. The money was placed into an evidence locker for safe keeping until it is claimed by the rightful owner.
– Someone on Beacon Street called to report a fight. Two parties were discussing the possible sale of a car. A third party joined the discussion, but the third party apparently felt they were not getting a fair chance to make the purchase. Words were exchanged and each felt as though they had been insulted. One party threw a stapler striking the other party in the neck. The offending party left the area before the officers arrived on scene; several units checked the area for him and his vehicle but were unable to locate him at that time. Charges have been filed, Assault and Battery Dangerous Weapon (Stapler).
– An Euston Street resident reported that UPS had delivered a package at an unknown time and her son discovered the package opened with the contents taken from it. The package was in the vestibule behind the unlocked front building door. The resident mentioned that she has had packages stolen in the past, three or four times within the last four months or so.
On Tuesday, students, teachers and members of the Brookline community came together for a flag-raising ceremony on Cypress Field honoring Adam, Peter and Prince, three slaves from Brookline who fought in the Revolutionary War at the Battle of Lexington.
After an introduction from history teacher Malcolm Cawthorne, who emceed, Town Meeting Member and Vietnam veteran Neil Gordon read the Board of Selectmen’s Proclamation. Gordon said that we must acknowledge the past even if we cannot change it.
“Whereas we do not have the power to heal the wounds these men endured in our town, we can and must recognize the pain of our past,” Gordon said. “And whereas, it is fitting that the town of Brookline honor and memorialize these men.”
Several high school students participated throughout the ceremony, starting with junior Karina Lorenzo’s reading from the Declaration of Independence. Her recitation was skillful and moving.
Next, Barbara B. Brown, Ph.D in African Studies Center at Boston University, spoke. She pointed out that the honored men were only three among 80 slaves in Brookline at the time of the Revolutionary War.
“Today, we come together to honor three Brookline men, Adam, Peter and Prince, for their part in establishing our country,” Brown said. “Sadly, we know exceedingly little about them. But, I can tell you a great deal about the men who believed they owned them because they were among the most prominent members of our town.”
According to Brown, all we know of Prince besides the fact that he fought in the war was that he ran away and was successful. Cawthorne held up a sign showing the ad Prince’s owner, Joshua Boylston, posted in hopes of finding him. The sign was met with cheers and clapping from the crowd.
Brown finished by speaking about unity and acceptance of the men.
“I call on all of you, all of us who are here today, to be Adam’s family, to be Prince’s family, to be Peter’s family. We claim them as ours. We claim them as part of who we are,” Brown said. “And so, let us stand together in sorrow for the cruelty they suffered, and stand together, finally, to give them the honor and respect that has been their due for 242 years.”
Under Brown’s lead, the crowd said the names of Adam, Peter and Prince together aloud.
Cawthorne introduced the flag raising, which was performed by Commander of the Brookline American Legion Post 11 Elmon Hendrickson. Following the flag raising, John Bassett played “TAPS” on the bugle, and the crowd stood together for a meaningful moment of silence.
Following the flag raising, senior Coleman Hayes sang a stirring rendition of the first verse of “America, the Beautiful.”
Cawthorne finished the ceremony with closing remarks. He said that we should feel proud Brookline is attempting to correct the abuses of our history, but that we also need to be aware.
“It is for us, the living, to make sure that future Brookline ancestors are not apologizing for our past and current actions,” Cawthorne said. “As much as it is to correct the wrongs of citizens’ past, we hope today is both a history lesson and a closing reminder to pay attention to what is happening today so that it won’t make us sorry tomorrow.”
Boston-based Fantini & Gorga recently arranged $2,500,000 in first mortgage financing for a 7,700-square foot, retail plaza located on 1427-1431 & 1441 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA 02446, which is in close proximity to Coolidge Corner.
The site is located on a corner lot on Beacon Street which is one of the main retail corridors in Brookline. The borrower was a former Massachusetts resident but has since relocated to California.
The retail property is 100% occupied and is anchored by a new ten year lease to East Boston Savings Bank which commenced in 2016. The plaza has two other long time tenants which service the neighborhood and the surrounding areas as a ballet school and a day care.
The Fantini & Gorga team was led by Derek Coulombe, Managing Director, and Chris Miller, Director, who together arranged the refinancing on behalf of the borrower. The loan was placed with a major Massachusetts-based financial institution. “This assignment generated a great deal of interest from a variety of lenders, all of whom recognized the high quality of this asset as well as the property’s excellent location and occupancy history. The result was an attractive fixed rate option, non-recourse loan,” stated Mr. Coulombe.
When you think of a police officer, “approachable” and “friendly” might not be the first two qualities that come to mind. But the heads of the Brookline, Boston, Newton and Cambridge police are working on finding ways to lock up the perception that police are robotic law enforcers and are instead caring members of the community who are trying to keep folks safe.
That is not the easiest task. Events in the recent past (from the Cambridge Police Arrest of Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates as he was trying to get into his own home in 2009, to a couple of fatal shootings in Boston at the hands of police officers, to allegations of racism within the Brookline Police Department) have thrust a spotlight on a side of policing that has at times created a spirit of defensiveness within police departments and those in the community. Add to that shrinking number of people signing up to become police officers and concerns such as terrorism that were simply not as prevalent decades ago and it is a complicated mix.
“We’re looking at how we do business. I think every chief here would agree. We cannot arrest our way out of problems in the community,” said Cambridge Deputy Superintendent Christine Elow.
Police Departments are looking more and more at ways to work with the community rather than parallel or on different tracts, she said, and others echoed this at a panel discussion of four area police chiefs including Cambridge, Newton, Brookline and Boston. The panel was organized by the Brookline Office for Diversity, Inclusion and Community Relations and hosted at Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill.
Speaking mostly to a small audience of residents watching Brookline Police interactions closely, Pine Manor staff and police, top police brass said policing was changing.
“We are all going through a tough time [in policing], but I hope people realized tonight that the people representing the area’s police departments are very caring and compassionate. And that would indicate the direction they’re taking their departments,” said Chief Daniel O’Leary of the Brookline Police Department.
Of course, there are challenges to that.
“In Boston building respect and trust is a big part of what we’re doing. We’re a majority minority city now. Our biggest challenge is have an impact on the violence and at the same time respecting the rights of the community,” said Boston Police Commissioner Bill Evans.
Newton Police Chief David McDonald said the low number of police officers on the force made it a challenge to get out in the community in a more visible, personal way. But police were doing it on their own time, he said he was surprised to discover, volunteering and coaching more than he realized when he first became chief about a year and a half ago.
Brookline Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:BRKL)
Q1 2017 Earnings Conference Call
April 27, 2017, 01:30 p.m. ET
Executives
Marissa Frerk – Associate General Counsel
Paul Perrault – President and CEO
Carl Carlson – CFO
Analysts
Mark Fitzgibbon – Sandler O’Neill and Partners
Laurie Hunsicker – Compass Point
Collyn Gilbert – KBW
Operator
Good day and welcome to the Brookline Bancorp Incorporated’s First Quarter 2017 Earnings Conference Call. All participants will be in listen-only mode. [Operator Instructions] After today’s presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions. Please note this event is being recorded.
I would now like to turn the conference over to Marissa Frerk, Associate General Counsel. Please go ahead.
Marissa Frerk
Thank you, Ryan. Good afternoon and welcome to Brookline Bancorp Inc.’s first quarter 2017 earnings conference call. This afternoon’s call will be hosted by Brookline Bancorp’s Executive team, Paul Perrault, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; and Carl Carlson, Chief Financial Officer.
Before we begin, please note that this call may contain forward looking statements with respect to the financial conditions, results of operation and business of Brookline Bancorp.
Actual results may differ from these forward looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ include those identified in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our earnings press release. Brookline Bancorp cautions you against unduly relying upon any forward-looking statements and disclaims any intent to update publicly any forward-looking statement, whether in response to new information, future events or otherwise.
And now I am please to introduce Brookline Bancorp Inc.’s Chairman and CEO, Paul Perrault.
Paul Perrault
Thank you, Marissa. Good afternoon and welcome to Brookline Bancorp’s first quarter earnings call. I’m accompanied today by our Chief Financial Officer, Carl Carlson, who will walk you through our quarterly financial results following my comments.
Yesterday, we reported $13.4 million in net income or $0.19 per share for the first quarter of 2017 compared to $12.8 million or $0.18 per share for the first quarter of 2016. Loan balances grew $63 million or 4.7% annualized and our deposits grew $41 million from the end of the year.
We’ve opened a new branch in Danvers, Massachusetts and we are very happy with the reception by the community. We are confident that we have the right team in place to grow our brand in that particular market.
Although we are still operating in a challenging interest rate environment, the recent rate hikes in December and March suggest that the headwinds of margin contraction may have finally ended.
Our net interest margin for the first quarter was 3.53%, an increase of 13 basis points from the fourth quarter. Non-interest income grew by $10.5 million from the fourth quarter due to an $11.4 million gain on sale of securities related to the acquisition of Northeast Retirement Services by Community Bank Systems. We received stock in cash in the transaction and the CBU stock received had been sold by the end of the first quarter.
Excluding this gain, our efficiency ratio increased slightly to 58.6% due to seasonal compensation related expenses and increased occupancy expenses associated with the opening of the branches in Danvers and Middletown, Rhode Island.
We have a great team of employees that come to work every day to serve our customers and our communities making Brooklyn Bancorp one of the region’s leading commercial banks.
I will now turn you over to Carl, who will review the company’s first quarter results in some more detail.
Carl Carlson
Thank you, Paul. In the first quarter, average loans from $71.5 million total interest-earnings assets grew $35.4 million from fourth quarter. Net interest income increased $1.2 million from the fourth quarter as loan growth and higher short-term interest rates drove interest income with only modest increases in interest expense.
About Brookline Bancorp, Inc.
Brookline Bancorp, Inc. operates as a multi-bank holding company for Brookline Bank and its subsidiaries; Bank Rhode Island and its subsidiaries; First Ipswich Bank and its subsidiaries, and Brookline Securities Corp. As a commercially-focused financial institution with approximately 50 banking offices in greater Boston, the north shore of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the Company offers commercial, business and retail banking services, including cash management products, online banking services, consumer and residential loans and investment services in central New England. The Company’s activities include acceptance of commercial; municipal and retail deposits; origination of mortgage loans on commercial and residential real estate located principally in Massachusetts and Rhode Island; origination of commercial loans and leases to small- and mid-sized businesses; investment in debt and equity securities, and the offering of cash management and investment advisory services.
