CAPTION: Bud Magaldi and his wife, Mary Ellen, display Bud’s Dream Car models, which will be on exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts on Aug. 9 and 10.

Cars have fascinated Bud Magaldi for as far back as he can remember.
Growing up on Medford Street in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, the 64-year-old Charlestown native said he would often ride his bike to watch ships unload the latest models at the Moran Terminal on Terminal Street. But a visit to the Clarence R. Edwards Middle School from engineers from General Motors and its Fisher Body Division, coupled with what Magaldi described as an “insatiable desire to draw,” set him on the career path as an automotive designer when he was just 13.
“I had this crazy desire to design cars after the presentation,” Magaldi said. “A couple of my friends wanted to do it, too, but I was the only one who followed through.”
As part of the “Dream Car” design competition, each boy from the Edwards School received a packet explaining how he could build and design his own 1:12 scale prototype, measuring approximately 18 inches long. Between 1937 and 1968, General Motors sponsored the contest and awarded $2.5 million in college scholarships to youth, ages 11 to 20, whose cars won in the categories of Design and Craftsmanship. The contestants modeled their work after the sleek concepts created by GM’s Vice President of Design Harley Earl, many of which were patented after jet planes.
Magaldi crafted his first auto prototype at the Boys Club workshop from pinewood he received courtesy of a Sullivan Square furniture maker. He estimated he spent 400 hours building his first model, although later cars would take him closer to 500 hours to complete.
The first car Magaldi entered in the 1958 contest earned him an honorable mention. Two years later, his second design won the Fist State Award and he received a $150 college scholarship. “Simple but Stylish” is how Magaldi described these and his subsequent Dream Car designs.
As a student at Charlestown High, Magaldi said the faculty was very supportive of his interest, including his shop teacher, Mr. Robilatto, and the school’s headmaster, Louis Welch. Magaldi graduated from high school in 1961 and enrolled at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, where he majored in transportation and eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial design.
During his junior year in college in 1965, Magaldi submitted his fifth and final Dream Car design, which he fashioned using primarily fiberglass instead of wood. The car won the First State and Regional awards, as well as a Styling Award with a $1,000 scholarship prize. This prototype was put an exhibit in New York City as part of the 1965 World’s Fair and would remain on display there for two years.
In 1966, Magaldi graduated from college and relocated to Detroit, where he went to work as a design trainee for Ford. For the next two and a half years, Magaldi said he visited different automotive studios, learning about everything from product design to traffic design and “all the cars and trucks in between.”
Magaldi became a full-fledged, Grade 7 designer for Ford in 1969 and was named to a Grade 11 executive position with the company 18 years later. Before his retirement in January of 1999, Magaldi left his imprint on many of the automotive giant’s most popular designs, including the ’83 Thunderdbird, which he described as the first “jellybean” or aerodynamic car; the ’86 Taurus, for which he was the principal designer; the ’94 Mustang; and the ’02 Explorer. Between 1987 and 1990, he also helped design the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique – Ford’s “world cars” which were sold in both American and European markets.
Following all the success Magaldi enjoyed during his professional career, visitors to the Museum of Fine Arts will have an opportunity to view his early designs next month as part of the 1950s and 1960s “Dream Car” Model-rama exhibit. His 1960 and 1965 prototypes will be on display with more than 60 models from the GM scholarship competition.
For Magaldi, he said the exhibit will offer a personal “nostalgia trip” and a chance for camaraderie with his fellow Dream Car designers, 90 percent of whom he estimates went on to work as industrial and graphic designers.
“The contest was a breeding ground for designers,” Magaldi said. “And if you had any talent, GM would contact you and say you should think about being a car designer.”
And fortunately for auto enthusiasts everywhere, Magaldi decided to follow their advice.
The 1950s and 1960s “Dream Car” Model-rama exhibit is on display at the Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 9 and 10. For more information, visit www.mfa.org or call 617-267-9300.

On July 24, the Boston Transportation Department sponsored the first meeting at the Knights of Columbus Hall to begin the public process for the proposed reconfiguration of Rutherford Avenue and Sullivan Square.
“Most of this meeting will be spent listening to you because we want to bring out all the concerns and opportunities for this corridor,” BTD Director of Planning Vineet Gupta said to the more than 75 in attendance. “We want to find a way to give Sullivan Square and Rutherford Avenue back to the neighborhood.”
According to Gupta, the BTD will collaborate with both city and state agencies on the project and has pledged to work “hand in hand” with the Charlestown Neighborhood Council, Friends of Sullivan Square, Friends of City Square Park and other community organizations. The BTD plans to hold future meetings in regard to the project at the Knights of Columbus Hall every two months, Gupta said.
The city has allocated $600,000 and an additional $13 million in federal funding has been earmarked for the project, which aims to facilitate traffic flow in the areas of Sullivan Square and Rutherford Avenue, Gupta said.
Per the project schedule, the first phase is set for the fall of 2008 and will entail the establishment of design principles and the identification of conceptual alternatives. The second phase, slated for spring 2009, includes the analysis, review and selection of conceptual design. The third and final phase is planned for the summer and fall of 2009 and will include a review of the preliminary design.
“We hope to finish the project in about a year,” Gupta said.
Mike Hull, senior project manager for Framingham-based Tetra Tech Rizzo, said the preliminary study would examine the existing conditions of Sullivan Square and Rutherford Avenue, including proposed development at both locations. Preliminary design will also include pedestrian and bike accommodations and the placement of road signals, he said.
Steven Cecil of the Cecil Group, a Boston design and architectural firm, said the project would allow residents to have input on the usage of open spaces in the area, as well as “where people walk and shop.”
“You’re going to define the character of the streets,” Cecil said. “It’s an opportunity that comes along once in a generation to put the pieces together.”
Cecil said the project would also provide a prime opportunity to reintegrate Bunker Hill Community College into the neighborhood, adding that the college “has been isolated from the community for a long time.”
Meanwhile, Ken Stone, governor of the Friends of City Square Park, urged the design team to not view Rutherford Avenue as a highway.
“Turning Rutherford Avenue back into a city street will tie the whole community back together,” Stone said.
Gupta countered that the design team believes that while regional traffic should use the highway rather then Rutherford Avenue, it cannot be eliminated from the roadway.
“We don’t see it as a highway but as a road belonging to the neighborhood,” Gupta said. “At the same time, we want to keep peak connections.”

CAPTION 1: Young Leaders Joe Gonzalez, Jakai Adams, Thomas Hagerty, Mariah Smalls, Lauren Mahoney, Yvonne Skinner and Katrina Cruz get ready to head off for a hike at Willowdale State Forest.

CAPTION 2: Young Leaders work on beading with residents at the Zelma Lacey House.

The Charlestown Boys & Girls Club is providing more than 240 kids in with a summer of great experiences and some valuable supervised down time that does not involve being perched in front of a TV or video game.
Approximately 120 6- to 10-year-olds attend Camp Aruba and Camp Bahamas each day. These groups share a bus, which means that every other day one group takes a field trip, primarily to a local beach or lake. Meanwhile, the other group uses the facilities in the club to entertain themselves. At the Club, they are able to use the pool, the computer clubhouse, the library and the games room, as well as participate in soccer and tennis clinics at Charlestown High School.
Another 40 children, ages 10 to 12, are members of Camp Caribbean. Their routine is similar to the younger children, but with field trip locations more appropriate to their age and interests. These include attending a Patriots practice at Gillette, going to Plymouth Plantation and local museums (such as the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Science), swimming at Hampton Beach and taking a harbor cruise to Spectacle Island.
Eight young teens are enrolled in the Young Leaders program, which provides them with the opportunity to volunteer with camp and take part in other leadership development. For their assistance with the younger children, they are paid a small stipend. This program is supervised by the Club's social worker, Jessica Rubin. “The goal of the program is to introduce participants to leadership experiences and the idea of giving back in a fun way,” Rubin said.
An additional 40 children, primarily young teens, attend the Teen Camp. In addition to recreational activities, these teens have the opportunity to earn back a portion of their camp fees by performing community service projects both inside and outside the Club. The programming for these 12- to 14-year-olds aims to strike a balance between fun, recreational activities and an exposure to discussions and experiences that will enable them to make good decisions as they embark on the sometimes rocky road of adolescence.
Through a funding from Massport and teens hired through the Boston Youth Fund, the Club employs approximately 50 high school and college students to help supervise the camps. This high number of summer staff enables the camps to have a staff to camper ratio of less than 5:1. These young workers, many of whom are former campers have a big impact on the younger kids. Campers Jeremy and Matthew, both age 7, reported that the best thing about this summer has been going to Morton's Pond in Plymouth. What they especially love doing there is hunting for frogs and turtles with their counselor, John Caldwell. Although the team has yet to find a single frog or a turtle, they are still on the prowl and having a great time!
Camp hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with extended hours available to accommodate parent schedules. Camp continues through Aug.15. Contact Jenny Atkinson or John Killoran at 617-242-1775 for more information. Some financial aid is available.

Lifelong Charlestown resident Kathy Monroe Farris died on June 11 at age 60, but her kindness, generosity, easygoing nature and infectious laugh live on with all who knew her.
“She didn’t know the word ‘no’ when it came to helping a friend,” said her mother-in-law, Pat Farris. “I never heard anyone say a word against her. I lucked out when it came to daughters-in-law. She was a peach.”
Kathy, one of 15 children, met her future husband Dan Farris in 1954 when both of their families were living at the same building on Polk Street where Charlestown High School now stands.
“She would sit on the steps and wait for Dan to come home from school,” Pat recalled.
After graduating from Charlestown High in 1966, Kathy went to work as a housekeeper at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Brighton. She remained in the position for the next 27 years until she stepped down for health reasons.
“She loved her work and met all kinds of people,” Pat said.
In 1967, Kathy received a kidney transplant, courtesy of her brother, Peter Leech of West Roxbury. According to Dan, Kathy was the longest living recipient of a kidney transplant in the area at the time of her death.
Kathy and Dan Farris were married at Boston City Hall on June 27, 1989, with Pat and Kathy’s brother, Jim Leach, both in attendance, although Dan said Kathy didn’t believe that people were actually married outside of a church.
“She didn’t believe we were married,” Dan said. “She thought it was a joke.”
Around the neighborhood, Kathy would frequently stop to offer a ride to anyone carrying his or her groceries home and could always be counted on to drive a friend to an appointment. She was also always eager to lend a hand to seniors. “She had a lot of elderly friends she took care of,” Pat said.
Her generous spirit was also evident to the children in her family, whom she enjoyed showering with gifts.
“She was good to her nieces and nephews,” Pat said. “They’re all going to miss her on their birthdays and Christmas.”
Kathy also enjoyed arts and crafts, and her friends were often the thankful recipients of her handmade lamps, clothing and other items.
Besides spending time with her family and close friends Kay Rose and Barbara Chambers, Kathy’s favorite pastimes included bingo. She would travel to Somerville, Malden, Medford, Cambridge and even the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Conn., to play the game.
Several months ago, Kathy made another trip to Foxwoods, this time for the “Oldies But Goodies” Awards Ceremony. “It was the biggest thing in her life next to her marriage,” Pat said.
In remembering her daughter-in-law, Pat extended her appreciation to Jack Sawyer of the John H. Sawyer Funeral Home, who handled Kathy’s funeral arrangements. “He made her as beautiful outside as she was inside,” Pat said.
Meanwhile, Dan is thankful for the nearly 19 years of marriage he shared with Kathy.
“She was not only my wife, she was my best fiend,” Dan said. “We’ll always remember her with a smile.”
“And a tear,” Pat added.

Three Charlestown-based organizations were recently named as the recipients of the fourth and final round of the city’s Small Changes grants, Mayor Thomas M. Menino announced last week.
The Mishawum Park Tenant’s Association, the Warren-Prescott Foundation and the Charlestown Mothers Association were among 27 organizations to receive more than $158,000 in Small Changes grants. Launched with a donation from the host committee of the 2004 Democratic Convention, the Small Changes program is a four-year grant program offered by Mayor Thomas M. Menino and the Boston Parks and Recreation Department to non-profit organizations for beautification projects throughout the city. All projects eligible for a Small Changes grant must be “visually accessible from a public way and have city-issued permits and approvals,” and certain grants require matching donations from non-profits, according to city officials.
The Mishawum Park Tenant’s Association was awarded $5,000 for the installation of a flagpole and lighting at the corner of Essex and Main streets, as well as a GFI plug that will be used to light up the Christmas tree at the site.
. “The lighting will be used to illuminate the Mel Stillman plaque and tree and the American flag,” said Don Young, resident services manager for the Mishawum Park Apartments, which are managed by Braintree-based Peabody Properties Inc.
The Warren-Prescott Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises money to finance arts and other extracurricular programs at the K-8 Boston Public School, was granted $5,000 for a sustainable native garden on its campus.
“It’s so wonderful that the Warren-Prescott School continues to improve with community support,” said Warren-Prescott Foundation board member Pat Simpson. “The Small Changes grant will undoubtedly further the Warren-Prescott School’s mission of becoming a true community school that involves residents and expands on the educational curriculum.”
The Charlestown Mothers Association was also awarded a $2,000 grant.