Category: JO 310: Beat Reporting

By Dan Shulman

On Friday June 23, 2017, the Boston Red Sox retired David Ortiz’s iconic number-34 in an efficient ceremony on the field. What many saw on television and in person was a seamless celebration featuring a myriad of moving parts.

But behind the scenes, Fenway Park assistant security director Mark Cacciatore was hard at work ensuring the ceremony ran smoothly.

“Any time something happens in the ballpark – whether a regular tour or a game – we’re involved,” Cacciatore said. Everything that happens in the ballpark, we’re required to have a hand in it.”

It is not just Cacciatore’s responsibility to facilitate special events like this ceremony, but to help oversee everything happening at Fenway.

“You definitely look forward to nights like this,” Cacciatore said of Friday’s festivities. “You’re at the park, you might as well enjoy it, keep busy, and see some cool stuff too.”

LOCAL ROOTS

Mark Cacciatore grew up in Waltham, a short 15-minutes from the stadium. From birth, he was a Red Sox fan and remembers going to games throughout his childhood and as a young adult.

At age 34, going to Red Sox games became more than a recreational activity. As an employee for Fidelity Investments, Cacciatore grew tired of working a typical day-job.

Looking for a new, more adventurous job, Cacciatore decided to apply for a day-of-game staff position.

“It’s something I sort of fell into,” Cacciatore said. “A friend from my town was working there and asked if I’d be interested.”

Sure enough, he got the job. His first duties were as ticket taker and usher before being promoted to supervisor and later assistant director of security. Rising through the ranks, Cacciatore has always loved where he works.

“It’s been great,” he said. “It’s a non-traditional job. You’re not sitting at a desk for a 9:00-5:00 type thing; it’s a lot more hours. You see a lot of different things you’re not exposed to.”

CH-CH-CH-CH-CHANGES

Working in a 105-year-old building named a historical landmark

Following the events of September 11, 2001, security at Fenway and all venues across the country changed forever. Any fan with a bag would be subject to more stringent checks at the gate to ensure prevention of a terrorist attack.

12 years later, security became even tighter when terrorism struck far too close to home during the Boston Marathon bombings.

“Of course, after the marathon bombings, we went to all metal detectors [at gates],” Cacciatore said. “More equipment is being used: walk-through metal detectors and handheld metal detectors. We were doing some form of that prior to 2013. But when [the marathon bombings] happened, every person coming in goes through metal detection.”

The heightened security presence is noticed by many fans, including Alex Crane. The Minnesotan was in town for the week while his team visited Boston and was impressed with the extra measures taken at the gates.

“It definitely makes you feel safe knowing the extra precaution has been taken,” Crane said. “It’s thorough and organized and the risk of something awful happening is no longer there.”

Crane, who said Target Field in Minneapolis took similar measures during the 2014, noted that the Red Sox go above and beyond in making Fenway safe.

“The stadium scoreboard showing the code of conduct, security guards helping you find your seat, it’s really special how this stadium makes you feel welcome.”

GAMEDAY!

Typical weeknight Red Sox games begin at 7:10 p.m. For Cacciatore, his day begins ten hours earlier. At 9 a.m., Cacciatore arrives at Fenway Park and heads to office, checking emails and looking over incident reports from the previous game to research trends are problem areas in the ballpark.

This early preparation allows Cacciatore to staff different areas of the park and address problems to ensure they do not happen again. Various meetings and researching accompany this preparation.

As afternoon approaches, players begin to arrive at the park for workouts and batting practice. On the security front, activity begins to pick up.

“Around 3 p.m., it starts to get busier,” Cacciatore said. “There’s a lot more people around the park and a lot more radio calls and questions being answered.

“We find our time researching what’s going on inside the park that night and responding to game day staff questions about the day’s events.”

With the game approaching fast, gates are opened 90 minutes before first pitch and fans begin to swarm inside. However, Season Ticket Holders and Red Sox Nation members have been in the park for an hour at this point.

“Anywhere in the seating bowl is open during BP,” Cacciatore said. “You can only go where you have a seat from 5:30 p.m. onward but there are no restricted areas.”

One of the busiest times over the course of the whole day for Cacciatore and the security staff at the park is the on-field pre-game ceremonies. After years of facilitating what is now a well-oiled machine, the ceremonies, according to Cacciatore, pretty much run themselves.

“It’s pretty well-organized,” Cacciatore said. “We know ahead of time where people are going and they’re escorted by our staff.

“It’s all about communication. Guys that we have up in the office are consistently updating the staff about when people are coming in.”

With the ceremony underway on the field and the game anxiously approaching, Cacciatore and his crew are manning the gates to supervise the staff as fans flood Fenway concourses. But when the game begins, things drastically slow down for Cacciatore.

“We get a chance to look at the operation and a few of us sit up in the command center behind home plate to get a full view of the field. This way if a call comes in, we’ll be able to see it from there and on CCTV.”

When the game ends, Cacciatore makes sure the staff stays in place and the park is vacated. Security guards inspect all corners of the stadium to prevent trespassing. With the crowd usually dispersing within an hour after the final out is made, Cacciatore briefly reviews reports and discusses incidents with his staff before he heads home.

INCIDENT CONTROL

If you attend any event at Fenway, you’ll see several employees walking around the park with navy blue polo shirts and walkie-talkies. Posted up in every section and at every vomitorium throughout the stadium, these staff members are in charge of keeping Fenway an enjoyable place.

Even when the park is dormant, the security department ensures Fenway Park and the area around it are safe.

“In addition to the 81 games and other auxiliary events that go on inside the park, we’re responsible for 24/7 security here at the park,” he said. “Making sure nobody gets in the park at night. A lot of camera work but also research after-the-fact. Trying to find out what happened if someone did sneak in or someone’s car was broken into on the street.”

WATCH: Coming through the gates at Fenway

Various different incidents take place over the course of a game which involve security to intervene. During the past weekend series against the Los Angeles Angels, section 36 experienced a medical incident involving a sick fan.

A woman, presumably intoxicated, was removed from the stadium by ballpark security and paramedics after vomiting. She was led away by security personnel, one of them being usher Tom Grogan.

“Occasionally, we’ll see rowdy fans,” said Grogan, who has worked in section 36 for a decade now. “Sometimes ticketed fans in this section tend to enjoy themselves a bit too much sometimes and it leads to things like this.

“We’re told to diffuse every situation in a calm manner without causing drama. What happened here was a perfect example of that.”

SOUND OF DA’ POLICE!

For bigger incidents of misbehavior, the Boston Police are often called upon to help not only with crowd control, but with apprehending and punishing offenders.

During high profile games like David Ortiz’s number retirement or even bigger stages like the World Series, heavy police presence is noticeable.

Walking to the ballpark during the 2013 World Series, the street was lined with cops on horseback and empty patrol cars parked along the sidewalks. Although the streets smelled like manure, there was order.

Inside the park, police only intervene for select incidents such as fights in the stands or when a person runs on the field.

“We don’t handle runners,” Cacciatore said. “BPD handles that and charges the person with disturbing an assembly. As for fights in the stands, our guys step in first and then BPD arrests any involved party with a charge of disorderly conduct.”

Even outside the park, it’s important for Fenway Security and Boston Police to remain vigilant in making sure fans are safe and, of course, no one is breaking the law. Every day presents a unique challenge – like August 18, 2015.

The Red Sox were playing the Indians late in the season and Eduardo Rodriguez was having a career night on the mound. High above the diamond, a drone was overhead taking footage of the game in progress. Police were alerted to the “aircraft incident” and forced the owner of the drone to land it.

 

The offender was in violation of FAA regulations as the drone was flying above 500 feet. The operator also faced federal charges from the FBI as Red Sox games are copyrighted by Major League Baseball.

It just goes to show, you never know what mightmay happen at the ballpark.

HARD WORK PAYS OFF

Almost every day of the year, Cacciatore is inside the park attending meetings to discuss the day’s events. Rain or shine, summer or winter, Cacciatore is always working to keep Fenway secure.

As a lifelong Red Sox fans, Cacciatore relishes the opportunities to watch his hometown heroes each night at work. During the 2013 World Series, Cacciatore and his staff maintained order at Fenway Park on baseball’s biggest stage and during a year where vast changes to security protocol were abound.

Lo and behold, the Red Sox won the World Series at home for the first time in 95 years, and Cacciatore was on hand to witness a historic event.

“Obviously my favorite day on the job,” Cacciatore said. “Seeing the World Series when they won that, being involved with that, and traveling with the team all over.

Perhaps even more rewarding for Cacciatore is seeing the many great shows and concerts at Fenway Park each year.

“Even more rewarding is seeing some of your favorite artists,” he said. “Like Bruce Springsteen and Jimmy Buffett, dealing with their security people and meeting them.”

Though some days might not go according to plan, for Cacciatore, it’s hard to have a rough day when working a job you love at America’s Most Beloved Ballpark.

“Things do get hectic here,” he said. “You got people pulling you in all different directions.

“Some days are crazier than others but no day is ever a bad day at Fenway.”

By Dan Shulman

This past week, the Senate Intelligence Committee continued its probe into investigating Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential election.

Although Donald Trump ultimately won the election, votes in many of America’s major cities, especially Boston, were vastly in favor of other candidates. The Fenway neighborhood was one of Trump’s worst showings, with the Republican winning just 9.54% of the vote in that ward.

Several constituents in the area already were unhappy with the results of the election. Now, with the scandal of election tampering coming to light, some Bostonians are bitter about the whole situation.

“I’m upset about it because it makes me feel like my voice wasn’t heard,” said Maureen Bennett, who voted for Clinton in November. “It’s as if my vote never counted.

“It doesn’t matter because this isn’t what I asked for and now it turns out it may have been tampered with.”

While waiting at the Kenmore Square bus stop, Rita Brown, also a Democrat, said she didn’t think it was fair that “Trump has gotten away with it.”

“It seems obvious to me that he tampered with the results, and now people who had nothing to do with it have to deal with the consequences,” Brown said.

Then, there are Republicans in Boston who feel as if the President is simply being targeted.

“I feel like the media is just accusing people before evidence is presented,” said Andrew Carlson, who voted for Trump???. “That’s leading to the case, not facts.”

Carlson, who is registered as an independent was waiting for the bus to take him back to his apartment in Longwood, said he is unsure of past election results given the election tampering. The situation rings alarm bells, Carlson said, and now he is unsure of past election results.

“I’m concerned about our national security,” he said. “Who’s to say this hasn’t happened before? We need to ramp up security.”

Some members of the Libertarian Party who live in Fenway also said they are disappointed with the election and the president.

Although Gary Johnson collected a paltry 3.37% of the vote in the Fenway neighborhood, some, like Massachusetts College of Pharmacy student Alicia Hackett, feel his platform was run with more integrity than both Clinton and Trump.

“Does America really seem great now?” said Hackett, a student at the College of Pharmacy.

“As far as [election tampering] goes, it’s sketchy and a breach of justice not to investigate,” she said. “It sure sounds like Comey has a lot more evidence to back up his story than Trump.”

Not only has the election come under scrutiny from disgruntled voters, but the way the situation is being handled now also has incited anger.

“This whole thing is being handled poorly,” Bennett said. “Trump is still President and until then; it’s not being handled right.”

Some Boston voters like Rita Brown are convinced that this investigation was inadequate yet remain unsure of the perfect solution.

Hackett, meanwhile, was quick to point out other inconsistencies about Trump.

“Let’s talk about the [expletive] he’s spewing about cutting off ties with Cuba because they’re communist,” she said. “But Russia is still his best friend — Russia is literally going through scandal now for oppressing in so many ways”

Regardless of political orientation, many said they think that some form of punishment must be given to anyone found responsible for the tampering.

“If someone knew about it they should be punished,” Carlson said. “Just because it was in Trump’s favor doesn’t mean he should be punished if he didn’t know about it.”

As the investigation presses on, many in the largely Democratic community in Fenway said they feel despair.

“I really hope there are changes,” Bennett said. “I’m still worried about what happen.

“I just don’t have any faith that whatever happens will be good.”

By Dan Shulman

In the city of Boston, the average pay for a public school teacher is about $79,760 a year. At McKinley Middle School on St. Mary’s Street in the Fenway neighborhood, a teacher’s average salary is higher, at about $90,980 for the 2016 fiscal year.

But it’s not the neighborhood that contributes to the difference in average salary. It’s the type of school. McKinley Middle School focuses on teaching children with various behavioral and learning needs. It is one in a network of three schools in the city with resources to handle such students and is one of the highest staffed schools in the city.

“It’s a therapeutic day school serving students with severe social and emotional disabilities,” Principal Anne De Barros said. “They are assigned by their schools within Boston Public School with an Individual Education Plan.”

Most children come into the school with extreme academic gaps and often gain about a grade-and-a-half to two grades in a school year, according to De Barros.

“The students are able to get back on track or close to it,” he said. “Our academic program is very rigorous and accelerated.”

In addition to educational assets, the McKinley School also provides therapeutic and guidance components that don’t exists in regular Boston Public Schools.

“Students meet with therapists daily and often guidance advisors,” De Barros said. “These meetings help students meet academic, social, and emotional needs.

“Companies like Best Team and WEDIKO are called upon for evaluation and therapy, and we also have prescribers who look at prescriptions of our students who are mostly on medication.”

The school not only hires a full complement of teachers and therapists, but a staff of around 40 paraprofessionals – classroom aids – to assist in the classroom.

“Teachers work longer hours and get extra stipends,” De Barros said. “Regular meetings are required by law to go over students’ needs because of the therapeutic nature of the school.”

The many paraprofessionals at the school serve as aids in the classroom for teachers and students who may need assistance.

“The lessons are taught the same in the classroom but some children still have trouble following along,” said De Barros. “That’s where the paraprofessionals come in.”

The school is a restricted environment, meaning paraprofessionals accompany students out of class to the bathroom and triage student needs in the classroom.

Some parents of students said they are thankful for the expansive staff at the school who they said are skilled to help the students develop academically and socially. One parent, Lynn Yarlis, waiting for her child outside after school, said she was “extremely grateful” for the way the school helped her son, Dominic.

“My son has always had difficulty paying attention and was never the strongest reader,” Yarlis said. “He’s been here since October, and I couldn’t be happier with the results.

“He comes home and actually wants to read at night.”

De Barros has felt this gratitude first hand, he said, as parents often choose to keep their children at McKinley much longer than necessary given its proficiency in preparing students to assimilate back into regular school.

“Students are assigned here usually for 45 days but can end up staying for an entire school year or academic career,” De Barros said. “Most parents ask that the student stay longer.”

For parents of children with social and emotional disabilities, McKinley provides an educational haven.

“I feel safe with my son here,” said Yarlis. “I’m happy; he’s happy.”

20170626 Environmental Story

By Dan Shulman

The summer season officially arrived last Wednesday, as temperatures finally begin to climb steadily and rain becomes less plentiful, city life looks to finally be returning to normal. The past week has been a stark contrast to the soggy and chilly conditions that have plagued the Fenway neighborhood throughout much of the spring.

The Fenway neighborhood has recorded 23.4 inches of rainfall so far in 2017, only 4.4 inches shy of the total for the entire 2016 calendar year. The abundance of wet weather has affected local businesses and city attractions throughout the past couple months.

Around Fenway Park, Red Sox games in April were postponed due to rain while several others in May were played in brutal conditions in a sparsely populated ballpark.

One vendor manning a sausage and steak tips stand, Anthony Diviccio, said business has declined sharply from last year.

“We can’t drag the cart out in the rain,” Diviccio said.

Diviccio went on to explain how a lot of his food was wasted this spring due to wet and cold weather

Diviccio’s  cart has been a mainstay on the corner of Yawkey Way and Van Ness St. He recently had his liquor store on Boylston St. go out of business and is heavily relying upon his street vending for a source of income.

“It’s unfortunate but we’ve got to fight through it,” Diviccio said. “We had a couple years without any rain and now it rains twice a week. ”

On the other side of the ballpark on Lansdowne Street, souvenir stores across from the stadium remained shuttered on non-game days. When the team is in town, sales have dropped as cold and wet weather force fans to opt for cozy couches instead of frigid Fenway.

“Most fans just come in to escape the rain for a few minutes,” Red Sox team store employee Beth Gabriello said. “We don’t sell a lot. “I can’t remember wearing a jacket to work in June. It’s been real cold.”

Over in the Fenway Victory Gardens, flowers and plots are just now coming into full bloom. But some plots still remain barren, victimized by the chilly spring.

South Boston resident Helen O’Grady looked deflated as she arrived at the garden on Thursday afternoon, attempting to salvage anything she could in her withering plot. None of her tomato, basil or thyme plants survived, she said.

Pathways around the garden are muddy with several puddles littering the grounds.

“This year was just too cold,” O’Grady said.

By Dan Shulman

BOSTON — The cross-examination of Rachelle Bond finished Wednesday in Suffolk County Superior Court as she continued to provide a testimony against her ex-boyfriend Michael McCarthy, accused of murdering her two-year-old daughter Bella back in 2015.

Bond has been on the stand since Friday when Defense Attorney Jonathan Shapiro began questioning Bond about her account of the murder. She is the prosecution’s main witness in the trial where McCarthy pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.

The trial proceeded around 10 a.m. this morning with the latest round of questioning. Bond reaffirmed her account, on several occasions, that McCarthy was the one who killed Bella.

“Michael McCarthy killed my daughter,” she said in tears as the defense completed questioning.

Bond admitted her guilt as an accessory to murder after the fact in a plea arrangement with the prosecution. She said she was sorry and ashamed for not calling 911 and is taking responsibility for her actions. She also described her emotional state about possibly being released from jail if McCarthy is found guilty.

“I’m anxious about it,” she said. “I have nothing to go back to.”

As a term of her plea deal, Bond will be released from jail for time served and will get an additional two years of probation if McCarthy is found guilty. Shapiro wrapped up questioning around noon Wednesday in a heated exchange with Bond where he stated there was an incentive for her to testify in favor of the prosecution.

In response, Bond simply stated that the prosecution wanted her to tell the truth.

If McCarthy is found not guilty, Bond will be subject to additional sentencing for her crimes as well as perjury, according to Shapiro.

“Are you aware that perjury during a murder trial carries a maximum sentence of life in prison?” Shapiro asked.

But Bond said she was unaware and appeared to be shaken by the question.

Shapiro introduced several new pieces of evidence during Wednesday’s hearing, including comments Bond posted on Facebook before she met McCarthy.

One from March 2014: “I’m the kind of friend who will help you hide a dead body. But if you betray me just remember I know how to hide a dead body.”

Shapiro also read text messages between Bond and McCarthy from June to September of 2015. Bella Bond’s body was discovered on June 25, 2015 on Deer Island.

In messages after Bella’s death, Bond continued to address McCarthy as “hon” and would often say “I love you” in texts.

In one message from July 2015, McCarthy told Bond not to mention anything about her daughter while in housing court. The text exchange occurred after Bella’s body was found.

In addition to accessory charges, Rachelle Bond is facing charges of larceny. According to Shapiro, Bond continued to collect benefits from the state after her child was dead.

Shapiro went on to cite several of Bond’s journal entries. Bond claimed she wrote some of her own thoughts along with McCarthy’s conspiracy beliefs.

“Mike said he would have epiphanies,” Bond said. “His beliefs, you almost get caught up in them; apparently I started to.

“It’s crazy now. I can’t take those mistakes back.”

In a report from Rachelle Bond’s September 2015 therapist appointment, which  Shapiro admitted as evidence, Bond told her therapist she believed there was a dark shadow around her.

“I believed in spiritual things before I met Michael,” Bond said. “I believed there was a huge shadow of negative energy following me.

“A lot of bad things happened in my life.”

The trial will continue on Thursday and is expected to carry into next week.

By Dan Shulman

CANTON, Mass. — Police are continuing to search for a suspect accused of shoplifting from Shaw’s Supermarket in Canton on Thursday night.

The incident took place in the Cobb’s Corner Plaza around 8:30 p.m. The suspect was spotted leaving Shaw’s Supermarket with stolen items in his hand and ran into another store inside the shopping center, police said.

“He nabbed some food out of Shaw’s and ran into Marshalls,” said Joseph Kelleher, a Canton police officer. “I don’t want to get into it at the moment as we’re still trying to gather information.”

Authorities are unsure if the suspect stole any merchandise from Marshalls, but they said he walked out of that store and then drove away in a Toyota Camry with Massachusetts license plate 4PS387.

Police traced the car to an apartment on Washington Street in Canton where a stakeout began for the suspect. Officers approached the unit and found no one home at the time.

The suspect, whose name was not revealed, is described as a white man about 6-feet tall. He was said to be wearing black, nylon pants with white stripes on the side and a grey hooded sweatshirt.

The store manager at the Marshalls was unable to disclose any details about the case and refused to comment further.

Anne Rooney, a retired teacher and frequent shopper at Shaw’s, was puzzled by the incident.

“It seems pretty rare for something to like this to affect Canton,” she said.

Brett Casey, a student at Massasoit Community College in Canton, said he hadn’t heard about many crimes in the neighborhood.

“Hopefully this isn’t a trend of things like this in the area,” he said.

This is not the first time the Canton Shaw’s has been targeted for shoplifting; a similar incident occurred in January 2016 when a man stole more than $500 worth of baby formula from the store.

The branch manager at the Canton Shaw’s was not available to comment.

One store employee, Dan Goldberg of Stoughton, was unaware of what had happened until he saw the police officer enter the store.

“Honestly I didn’t think anything had happened,” Goldberg said. “My manager came downstairs frantically and then started speaking with the cops and then I realized something was wrong.”

Anyone with additional information about the incident is urged to notify the Canton Police Department by visiting the Online Tips page on their website.

By Dan Shulman

They say April showers bring May flowers. But this year, it seems April and May showers will be bringing June flowers in Boston.

Specifics aside, May 30 marked National Water a Flower Day, when gardeners are encouraged to give their plants love in the form of watering across America.

In Boston, the Fenway Gardens were scattered with city patrons on Tuesday morning. In the shadow of the Prudential Tower, several people of all ages tended to their plots in the Fens, dousing their plants with water. Water a Flower Day comes at a crucial junction in late spring when many gardeners are preparing their land for the balmy summer months ahead.

This May however, the chilly, soggy spring has made life for gardeners and plants a dismal one.

“The tomatoes aren’t doing too well,” said Greg Babunovic, a Harvard graduate student from New Jersey. “None of my plants are.

“Of course you never know what weather you’ll get in Boston.”

No one is sure how the tradition of National Water a Flower Day began. In the Fenway neighborhood, many remained unaware of its existence. However, owners of the plots at Fenway Gardens said they appreciate their plants every day.

In 1942, Fenway Gardens opened as Victory Gardens, providing a way to grow food during World War II. Jean Krasnow, a Jamaica Plain resident in her 70s, was not alive during the early days of the garden but has heard stories from family members and fellow gardeners.

“It’s neat to see how it’s evolved,” Krasnow said. “Over the past few years there have been some cool changes — Northeastern engineers have created a wheelchair garden, there’s an herb garden and even a teaching garden in the back plots.”

Krasnow, who was not aware of the horticultural holiday, has had a plot for two years now, after a relatively short three-year stay on a now lengthy waiting list.

“It’s a late life hobby,” Krasnow said as she installed chicken wire in an attempt to keep critters out.

She said she tends to her plot once a week, mostly to weed and water.

“When I got the plot it was all dirt and weeds,” she said. “I used to be an interior designer so I figured it would be a nice project for me.”

Krasnow’s plot includes two — and soon to be three — circles with herbs planted in them and a mulch path surrounding around the garden.

The plot next to hers is owned by a garden legend, a man simply known as Arthur. It features a brick pathway around several flower beds and a solitary green chair.

“He’s here every day,” Krasnow said. “Every morning bright and early he comes to check his garden and sit for a few hours.

“He’s put a lot of time into his plot and taught me everything I know.”

The garden doesn’t just provide a place for hobbyists to escape from the rigors of city life. Young adults such as Babunovic, also unaware of Tuesday’s holiday, have plots as a place to grow food and hang out quietly with friends.

“If it’s a nice day, we’ll drag the table out from under the peach tree and have a few friends over,” Babunovic said..

Babunovic came to the garden May 30 to check the plot that he and a friend have tended to for two years now. His plot features a self-designed apparatus made out of small wooden poles for supporting tomato plants.

The graduate student is not allowed to own the plot, however, as there is a strict rule in place requiring plot owners to be full-time Boston residents. So his friend from the city offered to share it with him. The duo’s plot is unique, as the peach tree in the middle is one of the tallest plants in the garden.

“You’re not allowed to have anything over four feet,” Babunovic said. “The tree was here when we got the plot and is grandfathered in.

“It might actually yield some fruit this year, which I’ve been told hasn’t happened in a while.”

As for his tomatoes, Babunovic hopes to turn things around this summer.

“I’m not as experienced so it’s partially my fault,” he said. “Hopefully they can grow because our friends are hoping for some fresh tomatoes this year, as am I.”

Boston residents looking to get involved will need to apply on the Fenway Victory Gardens website as well as attend a New Applicant Session and volunteer for three Community Participation Days. The cost for a standard 15’x25’ plot is $40.00 and $25.00 for seniors age 65 and older.