The hopes and fears of this past year by Thomas F. Schiavoni Christmas Eve will soon fall softly upon an ancient burying ground and the former tenements atop Copp’s Hill. There will be no movement, no sounds of traffic, nor the machinery of commerce at the epicenter of a major American city. There will only be empty Read More…
The three-month closure of Boston’s parks and cemeteries during the covid-19 outbreak led to the remarkable reappearance of Copp‘s Hill in its natural state. They’re gone now, likely never to reappear — wildflowers and meadow grass swaying gently in the harbor breezes on the lower slopes of an ancient graveyard. During the three-month shutdown of Read More…
One recent morning we awoke to the first snow of winter coating the lindens and elms on Copp’s Hill. The holiday calendar season had now officially arrived although the mad rush of getting and spending was already well underway. But, for that brief moment at dawn, the sounds of traffic, sirens and construction were muffled Read More…
(An illegal deck, installed a few feet above the statues and flowers of the Peace Garden at Saint Leonard Church on Hanover Street, has eradicated the serenity of a sanctuary cherished by North Enders and visitors from around the world.) If asked to identify a special place in the neighborhood where one can momentarily escape Read More…
(They say it is the journey, not the destination that matters. But, there are exceptions, especially when it comes to ocean crossings in autumn. Sometimes it takes a lifetime to appreciate the true worth of such an experience and the strange things encountered upon reaching the safety of dry land.) I was misinformed. No one Read More…
(Some people worry about government surveillance and loss of privacy. But, one North End family is literally facing a more imminent threat.) Renato Climaco holds the distinction of being the earliest riser among his neighbors on Copp’s Hill. From a Hull Street apartment, he greets the sunrise through his living room window overlooking the ancient Read More…
It’s that time of the year again when Earth tilts away from the life-giving sun and creatures big and small seek sanctuary in the warmth of a burrow or hearth. Thoughts bend backwards to the past — sometimes all the way to childhood — as creeping darkness slips over late afternoons, shrouding us in remembrance Read More…
(The celebration of Halloween evokes childhood memories, both fun-filled and fearful, and provides a commercial warm-up to the approach of the winter holidays. In this mad rush, the religious significance lies trampled and forgotten along with the saints we fail to recognize in our midst.) It was Halloween night in Boston’s North End. In the Read More…
The homegrown vegetable stand at the corner of Salem & Cooper Streets is back in business! A recent column by Tom Schiavoni brought attention to the code enforcement closure, that was quickly rectified by City Hall to get the needed authorizations for the stand. The operation has been run for over 45 years by the Tammaro family who Read More…
(A cherished mom-and-pop vegetable stand was targeted for closure this by city code enforcement officials.) It was Saturday morning of Labor Day weekend, and something was out of place at the intersection of Salem and Cooper Streets. To the untrained eye, there were three potted plants discarded along the sidewalk on the corner. On closer Read More…
(You never know what you will encounter on an early morning stroll.) Ok, Ok – so it turned out not to be a corpse. But, I was only semi-conscious when I turned down Salem Street and found the body. I had awoken at 6:00 a.m. and assumed that I was in store for a quiet Read More…
(Sometimes we are thrust into situations which come without an instructional guide) My wife sternly admonished me that I should not be telling you this story — that I should be embarrassed by even mentioning it. But, there must be a statute of limitations of some sort for child neglect or parental ineptitude. And besides, Read More…