CREDIT: Courtesy of Wendy Withington

PHOTO 1 CAPTION: The promenade in Doherty Park parallel to Bunker Hill Street.

PHOTO 2 CAPTION: The staircase in Doherty Park facing north towards Medford Street.

In the mid-‘90s, the Friends of Doherty Park was established with one goal in mind: preserving one of the neighborhood’s few existing green spaces.
The idea was broached at a Charlestown Preservation Society meeting by board member Maureen Lauran, and an ad hoc splinter group was formed under the auspices of the CPS soon afterwards. The new group’s first order of business was to gain the Boston Parks and Recreation Department’s support in making several long overdue renovations to the approximately four-acre park located between Bunker Hill and Medford streets at St. Martin Street.
These improvements included restoration of the Roxbury pudding stone on the overlook wall facing Medford Street and the replacement of the granite staircases that wind through the park’s northern edge, as well as the walls of the staircases. The city committed to the project and the Parks Department completed the project in 1996 at a cost of approximately $400,000. Friends also played an instrumental role in getting the park listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998, according to founding Friends board member Wendy Withington.
Doherty Park, originally known as “Charlestown Heights,” was planned and designed by Frederick Law Olmsted & Co. in the 1890s. Olmsted, widely regarded as the father of American landscape architecture, designed countless urban parks including Central Park in New York City and Boston’s Emerald Necklace. Olmsted’s intention was to provide open recreation areas in increasingly congested U.S. cities.
Among the features of the early park was a two-story pavilion located between the promenade and central lawn area, which offered scenic views of the park and beyond. A granite fountain is also located on the park’s east end adjacent to Bunker Hill Street. The fountain appears to have been a drinking trough for horses, although it is no longer functional and now filled with concrete.
Perhaps the most unique feature of the original Doherty Park is that combines features of a traditional park with playground elements. According to the Park Department’s 1995 document entitled “A Master Plan for the Restoration and Improvement of Doherty Playground,” Olmstead believed “it would be most cost effective, rather than building separate facilities for active games and landscape parks.”
In 1942, Charlestown Heights was renamed Ensign John J. Doherty Jr. Playground after a Charlestown-born aviation cadet with the Naval Reserves who was shot down over the Pacific Ocean during World War II. The park underwent a major transformation prior to 1945 when the pavilion was razed. Three years later, the Clougherty Pool swimming complex, which includes two pools and a bathhouse, was completed in the central terrace area. Other new features were added adjacent to the pool, including a splash/wading pool, two basketball courts, swings, a concrete shade structure and a playground.
Today, under the guidance of current President David Hawk, Friends of Doherty Park carries out light maintenance at the park, but the group has bigger plans. It has applied for a grant though the city’s Small Changes program and received a generous donation from the Charlestown Mothers Association to plant additional trees and perform additional landscaping.
Friends has received a commitment from the National Park Service to replace the National Register of Historic Places plaque that was stolen several years ago. The group also hopes to erect a new plaque honoring the park’s namesake, Ensign John Joseph Doherty Jr., as well a plaque that details the park’s history.
As for the Friends’ “pie-in-the-sky dream,” Withington said the group hopes to raise money to restore the fountain and make it operational once more.
For more information on Friends of Doherty Park, email Wendy Withington at wrestarick@aol.com.

The Fourth Annual Spring Art Exhibition, sponsored by the Artists’ Group of Charlestown, was held April 11 through April 13 at the StoveFactory Gallery.
The Annual Spring Show included 26 artists from the Charlestown community exhibiting 60 pieces of artwork. The diverse exhibit included: a sculptured, hand-painted sun by Deborah Nypaver: a finely carved teal-winged duck decoy by John Beasley; and paintings created by Nedret Andre, Anne Pennington, Ellen Hermanos and Didier Delepine, to name only a few. A stunning photograph, “Portsoy, Scotland” by Russ Bolt, and an intriguing etching by Charles Turner were also included. Watercolor paintings from Winnie Burns, Cindy Sorensen and Sarah Libby were shown, as well as unique mixed media pieces from Anthony Abate, Karla Quattrocchi and Dara Pannebaker.
Dorothy “Dotsie” Parker, a plein air watercolorist from Newburyport, judged the Annual Spring Art Exhibit, awarding first place to “Portsoy, Scotland” by Russ Bolt, second place to Joe Trepiccione for his oil painting “Cypress” and third place to Deborah Nypaver for “Confetti Sun.” Honorable Mention awards went to Anne Pennington for ”Spring Chicken,” Margaret Burns for “No Frigate Like a Book” and “Vanished Off the Face of the Earth” by Anthony Abate.
The Annual Spring Art Exhibit opened on April 11 with a wine and cheese reception for the community. The John Frazee Jazz Trio played for the guests, who enjoyed conversations with the artists, as well as eloquent comments by watercolorist Dotsie Parker on her selections. The exhibit continued Saturday, April 12, and Sunday, April 13. Some very happy patrons went home with three of the award-wining pieces and five additional works in the show.
The Artists’ Group of Charlestown wishes to thank all the participating artists who exhibited their work, the volunteers who contributed their time to staff the gallery,
Bunker Hill Florist for their beautiful floral arrangement, Sorelle Bakery Café for their delicious baked goods and the members of the Charlestown community who attended and expressed their support of our mission to bring visual arts to the community.
For more information about the AGC or the events at the StoveFactory, visit www.artistsgroupofcharlestown.com

CAPTION: The USS Constitution is seen on a winter’s day.

Charlestown’s oldest resident is taking a couple years off to have some work done.
The USS Constitution, which has been docked at the Charlestown Navy Yard for over 75 years, is taking a break from her usual underway demonstrations in 2008 and 2009, so that she can undergo restorations to make her look like she did nearly 100 years ago.
During underway demonstrations, the USS Constitution leaves its dock, pulled by a tow boat, to go out to the nearby Castle or Deer islands, according to Petty Officer Clayton Weis, who is currently stationed aboard the ship. The demonstrations have seats open to the public, which can be won via an online lottery on its Web site, and winners will ride along with the ship’s crew and a number of VIPs.
The destination of the ship depends on the reason for the demonstration and would be linked to a series of annual events, usually tied to specific dates, or activities, according to Petty Officer Weis.
“On the Fourth of July, we go out to Castle Island and have a 21-gun salute to the nation,” said Petty Officer Weis.
The lottery to get onboard for one of these underway demos is currently not taking place but will start up again next year for underway demonstrations to be held in 2010.
Set to begin later this year, ship restorations are taking place because the U.S. Navy, whose full-time job since the ship’s retirement from active duty has been to keep her as close to her 1812 configuration as possible, recently discovered that the top deck was originally built camber. This means that the deck used to be curved down at the sides so that water that washed onto the top deck would rush off again, allowing sailors to focus on their duties, instead of bailing seawater.
The ship’s top deck was rebuilt flat, in the early 20th century to house a building that was constructed on it, according to Petty Officer Weis. In those days, he said, the ship was used for training purposes and as a barracks, so that the deck did not need to be curved. This way, there was no fear of water retention, since the warship rarely spends any significant amount of time at sea.
“The configuration of the ship depends on what its mission is,” said Petty Officer Weis.
The USS Constitution, or “Old Ironsides,” as she is better known by some, has gone through several configurations since the War of 1812, the last time she was used in battle. Her last major cosmetic overhaul was more than a decade ago.
The Navy’s civilian maintenance personnel will be replacing the top deck one third at a time, according to Petty Officer Weis. Weis also said that the top-deck restorations would be ongoing until the summer of 2010 at the very earliest.
The good news for visitors is that the ship has not been dry docked but will remain open for guided tours during construction, every half hour as usual. The underway demonstrations that have been postponed until after the reconfiguration is complete were only performed six to eight times a year on the average, according to Petty Officer Weis.
The underway demonstrations in the past have also coincided with trips made by Old Ironsides Across the Nation, a group run by the USS Constitution Museum. The group’s mission is to teach people across the country about the history of the ship, as well as to raise awareness and funds to keep the ship shipshape.
Through the years, over 85 percent of the ship’s original wooden body has been stripped away and replaced. The keel, which is made of 300 tons of wood, is the only part of the ship that has not been swapped out for newer materials.
As of yet, no work has begun on the top deck itself , but the civilian maintenance crew has had to remove other parts of the ship, starting in the fall of last year, just to have access to the deck that needs the repairs. The work to replace the top deck will begin in October of this year, barring any unforeseen problems.

Caitlin Mason is a journalism student at Boston University.

On April 4, the state’s Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) released a report that recommended approving a proposed amendment to the Municipal Harbor Plan in regard to the Navy Yard on certain conditions.
The proposed amendment, consisting of the Waterfront Activation Plan and the Water-Dependent Management Plan for the Charlestown Navy Yard, marks the first significant changes to the Boston Redevelopment Authority’s 1991 Municipal Harbor, which put in place new regulations for waterfront development in the city. First submitted by the City of Boston on May 25, 2007, the proposed amendment was revised following a June 27, 2007, public hearing at City Hall and a 60-day public comment period ending Aug. 10, 2007, as well as an extended consultation session with staff from the EEA, the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Management (OZM) and the Waterways Regulation Program of the Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP).
According to the EEA report, the decision to approve the proposed amendment was “triggered” by the 1991 Municipal Harbor Plan, which allowed for “private tenancy over flowed tideland” at Pier 5 in the Navy Yard and two other locations in the city. The Pier 5 project proposes a five-story building with residential space on the top floors and commercial space on the ground floor, as well as interior and exterior public spaces. The EEA report recommends that the city not recommend a Certificate of Occupancy for any portion of Pier 5 until specific public facilities, improvements and enhancements can be made.
Of particular interest to some critics of the proposed amendment, the EEA report recommends designating 34,000 square feet of waterfront space as special public destination facilities (SPDF). (The amendment proposed reducing the 34,000 square feet of SPDF space to 15,000 square feet). The EEA also recommends that seemingly less desirable waterfront locations (i.e. the Ropewalk and Chainforge buildings) not be designated for SPDF space.
Among the public destination facilities proposed by the EEA is a 10,000 square-foot site at Pier 4 that would include a year-round pavilion, a new interpretative exhibit and signage for a special park and gathering space at the end of the pier.
The EEA also proposes using the exterior of the historic Pumphouse at Drydock #2 as the center of the Story Look network that was proposed by the amendment. The BRA’s Story Loop network would provide narrated tours on pedestrian walkways on the HarborWalk that would focus on five distinct aspects of Yard lore: commerce and trade; national historical sites; seamanship; maritime technology; and the environment.
Another EEA recommendation is the formation of the Charlestown Navy Yard Partnership – a group composed of various Navy Yard stakeholders that would assist the city “with coordinating programming, use, interpretation and access to the waterfront,” the document states. Special consideration would be given public and non-profit organizations seeking affordable waterfront spaces.
The EEA report also recommends that the city make capital improvements including new signage and historic exhibits along the waterfront and $100,000 for renovated access ways that would connect the Navy Yard with other parts of the neighborhood.
As for the BRA’s current proposal to relocate MBTA water shuttle service from Pier 4 to its current site at Pier 3, the EEA report states specific water transportation weren’t taken into consideration and instead the agency defers to MassDEP on this matter.
Michael Parker, chair of the Friends of the Charlestown Navy Yard, a group which has been involved with the amendments for the past three years, said, “While many parts of the amendments are laudable and visionary, the BRA’s continued insistence on reducing special public destination facility space along the Charlestown waterfront is alarming. In particular, Pier 5 and Parcel 5 at Yard’s End are prominent locations that deserve more public access than is presently contemplated. The decisions made today to reduce public space are irreversible and merit additional consideration.”

On April 7, the Basic Services Committee of the Charlestown Neighborhood Council held a public meeting regarding two proposed operations at the Autoport on Medford Street, including the construction of a wind-turbine-blade testing facility and the relocation of the Partners Healthcare fleet of vehicles to the site.
The proposal alternative-energy testing facility would be used to test fiberglass blades horizontally for rigidity and durability using an oil-powered piston, according to Ian Springsteel of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. The facility, which would test between 6 to 10 blades each year, is currently in the design phase and could be completed by the end of 2009, Springsteel said.
“If the operation is successful we expect it will be there for 15 to 20 years,” Springsteel said, adding that the only other wind-turbine blade testing facility nationwide is located in Colorado.
Autoport consultant Lanny Johnson believes that the project represents a major opportunity for Massachusetts’ technology industry and economy.
“New England has the highest development potential for wind energy anywhere in the country,” Johnson said. “We looked at this in the context of what the impact would be on the Greater Boston economy…and it was a no brainer.”
A City of Boston official was on hand to svoice Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s support for the project and said the mayor had worked with Gov. Deval Patrick to help bring the project to Massachusetts.
CNC representative Dave Whelan expressed concerns regarding the noise impact of the facility, which is expected to be operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week for two to four months out of the year, and asked Springsteel to return to the CNC after a design had been finalized.
CNC Chairman Ton Cunha, meanwhile, requested that 60 to 80 percent of materials, including blades, be shipped to the facility via the Mystic River to help mitigate traffic impacts.
As for the proposal to relocate Boston-based Partners Healthcare’s fleet of vehicles to the Autoport, Johnson said the terms of the lease were still under negotiation, but he expected they would be finalized within a few weeks.
The fleet, consisting of a total of 82 buses and vans, would leave the Autoprt between 4:45 and 5:30 a.m. and return to the site at around 9:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and one bus would run on Saturdays, said Autoprt General Manager Dennis Kraez.
Kraez said the vehicles would be parked so they could drive straight out and would exit the facility onto Chelsea Street.
Bill Galvin, chairman of Basic Services Committee, requested that the truck route be codified into the lease and that minimum maintenance take place on site.

CAPTION: Steve Tower, health coordinator for Sport in Society at the MGH Charlestown HealthCare Center, who will run in this year’s Boston Marathon.

On April 21, tens of thousands of runners will challenge their physical and mental limits when they take off on a 26.2-mile journey from Hopkinton to Boston’s Back Bay. Four of those runners will be running for Charlestown Lacrosse and Learning Center (CLLC) and the Charlestown community as a whole.
Steve Tower, Alison Connolly, Kurt Graham and Carla Manganaro have spent the past several months training for the Boston Marathon with the same worthy goal: to raise money for CLLC programs and, in turn, help the youth of Charlestown succeed on the field, in the classroom and in life.
Each of the marathoners is running to sponsor a specific program offering at CLLC. Steve Tower, health coordinator for Sport in Society at the MGH Charlestown HealthCare Center, brought a unique and ambitious vision to this fundraising challenge -- he wants to send 15 Charlestown youth to summer camps all over the East Coast this summer. Thinking back on his own childhood, Tower recalled, “If it was not for the experience I had while attending summer camps, I would never have been able to play or coach basketball at the levels that I have reached. Every child should have that opportunity.”
Tower recognizes that not every teenager in the Charlestown community wants to attend a lacrosse camp this summer. He knows that our youth dream of success in a wide range of academic and athletic pursuits. The money Tower raises on Marathon Monday will allow our kids to attend a camp of their choosing. Some may want to go to a hockey or baseball camp, while others may want to spend the summer exploring their love of science or theater. “The important part is that the child has the chance to gain new experiences and make new friends in a safe and challenging environment,” Tower said.
Tower’s goal was a perfect fit for Charlestown Lacrosse and Learning Center. Bob Cutler, executive director of CLLC, remarked, “I would love for every student in Charlestown to play lacrosse, but I recognize the sport is not for everyone, so let’s find an activity that is a good fit. As long as it is a positive activity that can open doors to education and life skills, we want to make it work.”
To support Tower in this effort, or to learn more about the fundraising goals of the other CLLC runners, please visit www.charlestownlacrosse.com/marathonteam.