Removal of Weeping Willow in Boston Public Garden, Boston Public Library & Tanglewood & Boston Symphony Orchestra partnership with NEADS World Class Service Dogs for Red Vest Accessible Training Program, Boston Public Health Commission & Boston Community Health Collaborative & Atrius Health $10M community investment for equitable health care, Annual Summer Solstice Plant Market in Somerville, Capoeira MDP Roxbury, Interview with Ilyse Robbins & Lauren Elias about The Hub Theatre Company's "46 plays for America's First Ladies".
WBCA Podcasts
Boston Neighborhood Network News
(upbeat music) - Good evening, Boston. Welcome to BNN News. I'm Faith Maffodon. Thanks for tuning in. Since 1837, the Boston Public Garden has been Boston's nature sanctuary, with over 80 species of plants and more than 7 million visitors every year. But now, one of the prized weeping willow trees will no longer cast its shade over the duck pond. Swan boats glide by on majestic canopy of 17 weeping willow trees here in the Boston Public Garden. This weeping willow has captured the imagination of Bostonians for 110 years. But now friends of the public garden are saying farewell to their old friend. - It's been clear to us how much these trees matter to thousands, tens of thousands of people. The grief that was the outpouring of grief when we had to take down one in April made us realize that we need to stop and have a ceremony to honor and thank this tree and recognize that as time has come and that we all get to say goodbye ceremonially and as a community because we all are so impacted by these trees in our midst. - The life expectancy of a weeping willow is approximately 50 years. Yet this giant withstood the test of time and doubled the expected lifespan, defying all odds. - This willow is 110 years old, so it's long past the expected life of a willow. So I know that there are so many benches nearby and folks come and sit near this willow day in and day out and it's been with us for a long time. - So everything has a beginning and in the end a circle of life. These trees out here have provided us as humans with so much. We can come out here and sit underneath their beauty and decompress and kind of take a deep breath from our stressful days and just observe the beauty and I'm just so thankful for everything they've provided us with. - But due to extensive decay, the city of Boston made the difficult decision to remove this legendary landmark and replace it with a new willow sapling. - When you see a tree stump, it's a, it feels almost like a lost friend, especially people who frequent this park often. And it's going to be a noticeable difference in everyone's day, I think. It's sad to see something that's so large and so prominent fall. - Throughout its long life, the tree has been the site of weddings, community gatherings and served as a getaway from the hustle and bustle of Boston city life. - Any time we lose a tree, it's a big loss to the community and to the environment. And this is because it takes a long time for a tree to gain back its full power and beauty and benefits to the environment. So it will take the new tree, the new sapling that they'll plant. It will take that sapling a long time to develop into the grand beauty that this weeping willow is now. - The farewell ceremony honored the tree's long history while celebrating the new seedling that will keep the spirit of the old weeping willow alive. - And if I look at that tree, I say that it looks magnificent. I understand that it has some problems inside and that's why they have to cut it down. But it's still magnificent and it's sad that it will be gone. And I hope they'll plant something beautiful to replace it. - Friends of the public garden say about 140,000 people visit the beloved landscape each season. And the new sapling will have its chance to impact thousands more as it continues the legacy. - Boston Public Library joins Tanglewood and Boston Symphony Orchestra in a partnership with needs world class service dogs as they launch the Red Vest Accessible Training Program, an initiative to create more accommodating spaces for residents with disabilities and their service dogs. - Kathy's the mightiest of needs world class service dogs will be the first to say she's not walking a pet. This is Verna, a needs service dog ambassador. And she's reporting for duty at Boston Public Library Central Branch as part of the Red Vest training program. - So I think it's important to recognize that these are working animals, working dogs in most cases. And they're here to do a job accompanying their human companion on their visit to the library. And so it's really important that we understand that they're here to do a job as well and that we welcome them as part of the visit. - BPL is one of three new partners of the Red Vest program which started as a pilot in 2020 to recognize venues that provide a welcoming, accessible space for people with disabilities. And those that respect the public access rights of service dog teams. Library staff learn the fine details of how to interact with service teams and what sets of service or assistance dog apart from a pet. - Service dogs are an extension of the individual that they're assisting. And we want everybody to be able to come here and enjoy our resources, enjoy our building. And if their service animal is going to help them have a better experience then we obviously want to welcome them. - And what does it take to be a need service dog? For starters, they're specially bred for temperament and receive training 18 to 24 months before placement. Service animals like Verna learn up to 60 tasks and commands to execute with precision. From picking up dropped objects, fetching leashes and even turning on lights. But most importantly, these dogs build a unique bond with their human partners, making it possible for those with disabilities to navigate their lives with independence. - Any dog will give us comfort and companionship. It's important to remember that these incredibly unique and highly trained service dogs from needs and other ADI organizations not only bring us comfort and companionship, but they bring us their skills and their patience to help someone with a disability. It's so important to understand service dogs role in society, to understand their work ethic and to understand that they should not be interfered with when they're out in public and working. - Neat says they've trained over 2,000 service dogs since their founding in 1976, with 300 to 400 service dog teams active in the United States. So the next time you see a dog with one of these red vests, know that she's a world-class health on a mission. - Last week, healthcare organizations in Boston brought city officials and residents together, the strategized solutions for achieving equitable healthcare and every corner of the city. - In Boston, star-cracial disparities in healthcare are a troubling issue, creating massive health inequities for neighborhoods throughout the city. In response, Boston Public Health Commission and partnership with Boston Community Health Collaborative and Atreus Health, are investing $10 million in the community to promote healthier, longer lives for all residents. - Through my work with the Boston Community Health Collaborative and Matapan Food and Fitness Coalition, we have heard again and again from residents that we need to address the many inequities that impact our health, like racial discrimination, low wages, limited access to housing, the need for quality education, and much more. This health inequity also leads to that shorter life expectancy. We must address all these issues by working in partnership with community. I just wanna say that collectively, we can do this. - Housing discrimination kept black and brown families in Boston from living in any community they wanted to. We now are dealing with this issue of health equity, that the disparities mean that you are more likely to die of a disease and live shorter and live sicker, depending on what zip code you're in, what neighbor you're in. We can do something about that. And in this year of anniversaries of civil rights victories, this is about creating new victories. - Last year, Boston Public Health Commission shared data revealing a 23-year life expectancy gap between residents in Back Bay and Roxbury, largely due to diabetes, high blood pressure, and chronic kidney disease. - There's a difference between Back Bay and Roxbury isn't just distance. It's income, it's parks and green spaces. It's access to healthy, affordable food, education, and opportunity. And so our health equity agenda is designed to take these gaps on directly, and to build on all the work that's already happening in community across every department in the city, every neighborhood across Boston, so that we can truly be a city where every family is flourishing. - To improve these numbers, a Boston Public Health Commission is starting a new program to build the health wealth connection by supporting longevity and boosting economic mobility. - I think right now what we need to focus in on is the fact that many of the factors that are driving these inequities are actually not about what's happening in the healthcare system. It's not about what's happening between you and your doctor, particularly in a city like Boston, where we have so many healthcare resources, and where 96% of people are actually insured. What it is, is that we have neighborhoods where there's been chronic community disinvestment, there's been structural racism, there's been systemic inequity. These are factors that, in a sense, are a bit outside the control of individuals, but it's not outside of our control as a system to fix them. - Over in Somerville, residents are embracing their green thumb, thanks to a market focused on everything plants. BNNs, Akua Deval, spoke to the merchants behind the budding annual event. - The smell of florals permeated throughout arts at the Armory in Somerville, as part of the annual summer solstig plant market on June 23rd. The event brought together plant enthusiasts, vendors, and newcomers to experience the joy of viewing and buying the many plants on display, as well as the greenery-themed visual art and ornaments. The organizer behind the event, Kat Yem, says that she debuted her plant market in 2022 after developing a passion for house planting during quarantine, which later blossomed into an idea to create a space for plant lovers like herself. - It's a lot of organizing and is very stressful, but it's so rewarding. I have so many people come to me at the end of the market, saying, "I can't wait for the next one. "We were at the last one. "We love these markets. "Please continue to do them." And that's exactly why I continue to do them. - Bender Will Hall says that they love the wide range of designs, along with the community, planting has given them. - And I'm really into plants, and I wanted that to be sort of part of it, because the liveliness of succulents and sort of the bizarre shapes and bizarre colors go really well with my other art. It's like a big community thing for me. Like, I know a lot of the vendors here from other plant markets, and it's great to have that vendor community, and then it's also great to just get to talk to all the people who are walking through the market who are just so passionate about it. Like, whether or not someone buys something, you know, is sort of secondary to me. I love the community aspects of it. I love talking to people about their plants and about their passion for it. For attendees, many say being immersed in such greenery makes them feel lively and carefree. - When I come home on the weekends, and take care of my plants on the weekends, it's just, you just get this way, fuller vibe and just relaxing, especially working with your hands and being in the dirt. So, it's just nice to be able to do something that you don't have to get stressed out about. - I just bought this Hoya, so hopefully I'll be able to root it and get it to grow. So, we'll see. I haven't had much luck with them yet, but hopefully. It's been really cool to see just all the creative, different ways the pots people have made and the different plants they're growing and earrings and all of that stuff. So, I don't know, everything's so unique, it's awesome. - The goal of the event might be to take away a plant, but many are finding a new found passion. - I think a lot of people here who are starting out as like their first market, or they've done all of my markets, I think they really see that, you know, putting yourself out there, taking that chance, taking that risk and collaborating with a lot of people to get to what we have today. - Reporting from Somerville, for BNN News, I'm Akua Jival. - Versatility and play are two words that come to mind when talking about Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines dance, spirituality and music. BNN dropped in on a class with Capoeira MDP Roxbury at the Reggi Lewis Center, and discovered how the students are discovering themselves and the power of movement. - One, Lewis, today's. One, two, step, twist, step, one. - Capoeira was an art that was created by slaves that were brought over to Brazil. And those people were brought over from various parts of West Africa, there is different cultures, many different traditions that they brought with them. And during their times of hardship, they only had small amounts of time together and they would bring all of the cultural elements that they brought with them. And over time, those all sort of merged together. So some of those were martial arts traditions, some of those were dance traditions, some of those were musical traditions, and they all forged together with local Brazilian music and style to become a uniquely original Afro-Brazilian martial art. - Capoeira is for everybody. We have students as young as 10 years old who come into our class. We have teenagers who come into our class. We have adults from 20s, 30s, 40s. We have folks even in their 50s doing Capoeira. There's ways to do Capoeira for anybody who is interested. We have musical elements. There are the martial arts elements and advanced elements. We can adjust the movements based on where people are and where they're coming from. And the important thing is that we bring all of those people together. (upbeat music) - Nothing, the rhythm, the vibes, the drums. It's like, I don't know, you feel it? The drums make you move without rhythm. So, be part of that. It's like everyone gets to the same rhythm and then try to go with the music and have the same language there. Body wise, I see doing stuff like I never managed to do a car wheel. I'm getting there with the training. So, I see like the strength and my body doing stuff that I didn't do a year ago. And I'm very shy, but everyone is so welcoming that I kind of have a space to just be. (upbeat music) - I like that it makes sense. Like, I guess when I was first introduced to it, I was like, quote unquote, dance fighting. And I love dancing and I did martial arts, like a different martial arts as a kid. So, I like that it merges kind of both. And it's also like a conversation that you have with other people. I like that component of it. (upbeat music) - I think most of the time I have, then maybe one of the few women in, maybe some of the classes that I've been in. But I think it's given me a lot of confidence, more than anything. Just 'cause I think this group is really great about kind of just come as you are and try it and doesn't matter what rank you are. I'm proud of myself at the end of class. Really proud of myself. 'Cause I usually learn something new. I get to like practice it. I get to kind of interact with people in doing it. Maybe weave it as part of the conversation. So, I think I've come away with a lot of pride. (upbeat music) - There's so many things that Cuplet has taught me. And I think one of them is how to be playful in moments of challenge and how to use that to give yourself options that maybe you wouldn't have been able to see otherwise. When you're coming from a place of stress, it can be very difficult to see ways out of a situation. But Cuplet has fundamentally a game. (upbeat music) I think that's what these first students is something I talked a little bit about earlier. This idea of finding your own voice, your own way of being in the world and being able to be comfortable with that voice in a lot of different circumstances. - Capoeira MDP Roxbury has moved to a new location. The Tony Williams Dance Center at 284 Amory Street in Jamaica Plain. To learn more about the group and how you can take a class at www.roxburycapoeira.com. The next presidential election is just a few months away. And to lighten the mood, the Hub Theater Company of Boston is bringing residents 46 plays for America's First Ladies. An exciting ride through American history viewed through the eyes of the women of the White House, running Saturday, July 20th until August 3rd at Club Cafe. Director Elise Robbins and Hub Theater Artistic Director and actress Lauren Elias joined us in studio to discuss the play and why it's important to tell these stories in anticipation of the election. - Can you tell us a little bit about this play and why you chose to include it in the season? - Well, it sort of fell into my lap. I was, it fell into my inbox by Providence divine. And I said, I have to do this play. If there was ever a time to do this play, it's right now. It's so funny and so heartfelt and so important. - Yep. - And then I've been trying to get Elise to work with us for about 10 years now. And Elise was free and I said, all right, she's free. This play is great, we're doing it. I just thought it was really important to in a accessible, fun way, bring this topic of women in history and people that we've forgotten in history to like. - As she was saying, this is your first time working with the theater. - It is, it is. The play is a follow-up to 44 plays for 44 presidents by the Chicago based group, The Neo Futurist. Can you tell me a little bit about what resonated to you about this play and what it means to you? - Sure, so it's, I mean, so excited to be working with hub. I have known Lauren for about 10 years and I had been working out of the state many summers and this, I happen to be here. And when Lauren gave me this play, I read it and immediately said yes, it is a piece, I've never seen 44 plays for America's presidents. But when I saw this play that focused on the women and the women who were often in the background, forgotten, sidelined, we learned so much about the first ladies. I'm sure most people think of first ladies as just wives and so many of these presidents relied on women who were sisters, who were daughters, daughters in law, enslaved people. There are so many women that supported these men in ways that we don't even know. And I, for me being a woman, I am always wanting to work on pieces that empower women and I feel like this one does that. - I love that. And can you talk about some of the themes of this play and what you discovered bringing these women who've been in the background to the foreground? - One of the major themes for me is that you can hold two truths at one time. You can hold multiple truths at one time. We talk about women who opposed votes for women but upheld freeing their enslaved people. We have women who did not love their husbands but stood by them. We have women who ran our country without being elected. So there are so many themes. And sometimes, so it really is 46 plays. It's 46 vignettes about, based on the president, so it's more than 46 women. Some of the presidents had multiple women supporting them in one way or another. And they are all written in different manners. One is like a French 1960s film. One is a puppet show. One is a dance piece. One is a rock anthem. Several are monologues. Several are scenes. - I think we've got a, I guess it wouldn't be a barber shop quartet in this case but a beauty shop quartet. - Exactly, exactly. - We have sort of an 80s after school special. It's really fun. - That was my favorite. - It's really fun. - Oh my god, so-- - Did I answer your question? - I don't even know. - I don't know if I answered your question. - So I'm hearing quite a variety and a lot of women that you talked about like not being seen, a lot of women behind the scenes, multiple women supporting these men. - And so many women who didn't really wanna be in the spotlight, there are many, many of these women did not choose the role of First Lady. It was thrust upon me. - Yeah, it is really amazing how the play does show us, and I didn't realize until I started working on this play, how, what we think of now as First Lady, you know, Jackie O, Michelle, all of these sort of modern First Ladies, it's a very modern idea. Back then, it was a very different thing and I think one of my favorite lines in the play is that we're discussing the role of First Lady, a job that technically does not exist because what we discovered while doing research is that there is a stipend for being president. There is no pay for being First Lady and yet we do expect it. And so it's really just this, just all these things we never even thought to think about. - Very interesting. And since you already touched upon it, Lauren, you're one of the five actresses who are in this cast. Can you talk about what's been most rewarding for you too to tackle as part of this ensemble? - I think what's been, I mean, getting to know these women has been absolutely extraordinary. They're all amazing. And I mean, the quick change artistry that they pull off, I mean, it's, I mean, I think we all lose 10 pounds of sweaty tonight and I'm grateful to them in every way and my team is extraordinary. But I think what's been so amazing is, I mean, what's been so amazing about this play is getting to do this and getting to play these women in a very real way. That it's not like the typical fourth grade history blocks where they're put up on pedal stools and we don't talk about certain things. These are real humans. And I think it's really important in this day and age to remind ourselves that our country was founded by flawed humans. And so democracy is not a spectator sport. Democracy is something that requires active participation and sometimes active reworking because they were human. And that's okay. It's okay that they were human. - Definitely. And who are some of your favorite first ladies and why? - Oh, that one's hard. - I mean, I will always love Jill Biden just because we're, she's a fellow Eagles fan. We gotta represent. - But it's hard for me not to say Jackie O. I think she was so young and so poised and so gracious. I really, I lean toward her, but there are so many. There's so many that, I mean, just like in the middle chunk of our history, so to speak, that I knew nothing about Lou Henry Hoover, she did so much. I'm just learning about her now at the age of 36. Like, that's a crime in and of itself. - We won't tell no one. (laughing) - I mean, it's super interesting because we all love Michelle Obama. We all, I love Betty Ford. And they're the modern people, the people that we know. It has really been fascinating learning more about our early first ladies. - Yeah. Particularly the ones, I feel like the later early ones, almost 'cause like everyone knows about Martha and Blia, 'cause she's iconic. But they're certainly, yeah, in the early, it's like, who are, I had no idea. - And I will always say Abigail Adams. - Oh, Abigail Adams. - Because she was a feminist before it was a word. - Yes. - And she's also got a fabulous rock number in the show. I mean, it's something straight out of "Six the Music." Oh, it's great. - Oh my. - Who can say no to a good rock number? - Well, it's something that I found very interesting about the production. There's going to be a voter registration drive held in conjunction with the show. - The Loria, yes. - There'll also be registration forms available. Why was it important for the theater to do this? - It was really important. We always like to do some sort of community outreach or something with our show. Sometimes we'll do a food drive. Sometimes during our show around Thanksgiving, we'll do a toy drive to get ready for the Christmas holiday and the holiday season. But it was really important for this one because I know a lot, this is not an easy election we're about to have and I get that and I know people are a little tired but I really wanted to remind people that it's not, you have to be an active participant in your government and it is ridiculously easy to fill out this form. You can fill it out with a cocktail in your hand at our box office. I promise it will take four minutes and it will have a tremendous effect on the next four years. And I know that I wanted to make it accessible. I want people are already, I want to meet people where they are. You're already at our show and we are so grateful for that. You've got your drink. This way you don't need to schlep down to City Hall. I mean, I just moved and having to change my voter rate was such a pain in the key start. So I really wanted to, I don't want people to have any, I don't want there to be any reason to not. There is no reason not to take, I don't want to, I want to take away any barrier between voting. I want to take away barriers between our art and our audience. - I think that's a beautiful thing that be able to meet people where they are, especially with a cocktail. - Yeah. - And what do you hope that viewers are able to take away from 46 plays for America's First Ladies? - Well, I hope they're able to take away many things. I hope they're able to take away a lot of side-splitting laughter because despite being about heavy topics, it is an absolutely hysterical play. There are moments where, I mean, we've had to stop rehearsals because we've just been laughing so hard. But I really want them to take away that it's their government too and that there were people that were forgotten and let's make sure that doesn't keep happening. So vote, get out there. Vote, don't let, it happened. There are so many people that built this government that we don't remember and it's time we started. - Absolutely. Thanks for tuning in, Boston. As a reminder, you can stream or watch the news on demand at bnnmedia.org. Each episode will be re-broadcast at 9.30pm and 11pm on Xtunity Channel 9, a Stone Channel 15 and Fios Channel 2161. And make sure to check out our BNN HD Xfinity Channel 1072. You can also hear us on the radio, Fridays at 7.30 and 9pm and Monday through Thursday at 9pm. And now you can watch BNN News on the go with a cable cast app. For BNN News, I'm Faitha Mathadon and I'll see you next week. (upbeat music)