CAPTION: Laughter at the End of the World host Scott Lombardo is seen outside Tavern at the End of the World on Cambridge Street.

Stand-up comedy is on the rise in Charlestown following the launch of a weekly show at Tavern at the End of the World, a recent addition to the Sullivan Square area.
Every Wednesday, Laughter at the End of the World showcases a diverse group of comics trading barbs on subjects ranging from politics to family life. The program is the brainchild of Scott Lombardo, a Somerville native who serves as emcee. Lombardo, who works directly next door at the Acme Bookbinding Co. on Cambridge Street, approached Tavern proprietor Raymond O’Neil about the possibility of using the comedy venue in October, and the comedy show got its start soon afterwards.
“There are people showing up at the club, you’d expect to pay $25 for,” Lombardo said, adding that local comedy legends Shane Mauss, Dan Crohn and Charlestown’s own Tony V have all made recent appearances.
Charlestown native Tim Gilgunn is among those who perform at the show each week. After getting his start in stand-up nearly 19 years ago at the now-defunct Catch a Rising Star in Cambridge, the 57-year-old has amassed a backlog of material touching on topics including dating older women, his Irish heritage and toupees.
And Gilgunn is now reaching a wider audience each week at Tavern at the End of the Earth. “It’s starting to pick up by word of mouth,” he said.
As an added incentive, Tavern sponsors a contest each week that allows audience members to compete for cash and other prizes. Contest categories have included trivia and a take-off on the TV game show “Let’s Make a Deal” to date.
“I want to get this place on the map as much as I want to get the show on the map,” Lombardo said.
So far, bar owner O’Neill is happy with the results and invites residents to visit his establishment.
“It’s the Tavern at the End of the World, and everyone’s welcome,” O’Neill said.
Laughter at the End of the World takes place Wednesdays at 8 p.m. at Tavern on the World, which is located at 108 Cambridge St. in Charlestown, just west of the Sullivan Square MBTA station. Admission is free. For more information about Tavern at the End of the World, call 617-241-4999 or visit www.endoftheworldtavernboston.com in the coming weeks. (The Web site isn’t operational yet).

Approximately 20 abutters and neighbors attended a meeting sponsored by the Charlestown Neighborhood Council Monday night, largely to oppose the proposed rehabilitation and expansion of 2 and 3 Cary Place.
Developer John McAuliffe of Newtown-based Cary Sullivan Realty Trust and architect Philip Hresko of Boston’s Hresko Associates Inc. outlined plans to transform two adjoining single-family homes located on a narrow private way off of High and Sullivan streets into a pair of three-story dwellings, each with a two-car, below-grade garage. The renovated structures, which would occupy 3,100 and 3,200 square feet respectively, would each contain two bedrooms. Neither building would exceed 35 feet in height, according to Hresko.
Hresko described the project as a “work in progress” and acknowledged that he didn’t have sufficient time to integrate all the suggestions made at a Jan. 26 Charlestown Preservation Society Design Review Committee meeting into the latest plans. At that time, the more than 15 abutters and neighbors present unanimously opposed the proposed renovation.
Direct abutter Alice Krapf said the project wasn’t appropriate for the neighborhood, since 27 of the 30 closets structures were small, single-family homes. She added that the renovations would nearly double the footprint of the existing building.
Density also appears to be an issue: A residential development commonly has three direct abutters, but this project would have 11, sources said.
In response to concerns about the shadows that would be cast by the renovated structure, Hresko said the impact would be minimal because of the placement and height of nearby buildings.
CPS Design Review Committee Chair Bill Lamb requested that Hresko provide diagrams showing conditions at sunrise and sunset. “I think there’s much more shadow impact than you’re acknowledging,” he said, adding that shadows would be cast over buildings on Bolton Place until mid-morning.
McAuliffe said that he would use non-combustible materials in construction and outfit both buildings with interior and exterior sprinklers to reduce the risk of fire. He also said he would contact the city about the possibility of installing two new fire hydrants in the vicinity of the buildings.
As for the history of the project, McAuliffe filed plans with the city to construct two adjoining six-bedroom homes in August of 2007 but later withdrew his proposal. In July of 2008, he filed new plans and later asked for a deferral after the city’s Inspectional Services Department cited the project for three building code variances and eight zoning variances. The zoning variances include: insufficient lot frontage; excessive height; insufficient usable open space; insufficient front, side and rear yards; insufficient off-street parking design; and conformity with the existing building alignment.
The project is on the agenda for the March 23 CPS Design Review Committee meeting, and the developer is scheduled to appear before the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals at an April 28 hearing.

While the nation’s economy took its hardest hit last year in recent memory, Charlestown had the lowest number of foreclosures citywide.
“Since there weren’t many foreclosures, prices are stable,” said Frank Celeste, a real estate broker for Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty.
According to The Warren Group of Boston, 27 of the 2,133 “petitions to foreclose” citywide were reported in Charlestown last year. (A petition to foreclose is the first step in the foreclosure process, which can occur when a homeowner is as little as 30 days past due on a mortgage loan). Dorchester had the highest number with 807 during this time period, while East Boston came in second at 202.
Celeste said the stable value of homes in the neighborhood is bringing many prospective homeowners from the North End, South End and Back Bay to Charlestown “because they still get a bigger bang for their dollar per square foot.”
In addition, Celeste attributed the low number of foreclosures in Charlestown to the fact that homeowners typically put between 10 and 20 percent down on their purchases and were often eligible for lower mortgage rates as a result. “People could refinance because of the pricing stability of what they bought,” he said.
Celeste added that few homeowners in Charlestown bought their homes with sub-prime loans, unlike in other city neighborhoods with higher foreclosure rates like Dorchester and East Boston.
Meanwhile, petitions to foreclose in Charlestown dropped nearly 29 percent last year from 2007 when 38 were reported. (Charlestown also had the lowest number of petitions to foreclosure of any city neighborhood in 2007). Citywide, petitions to foreclose dropped 32 percent between 2007 and 2008 from 2,818 to 2,313.
As for the decrease in foreclosures in Charlestown last year, Celeste points to the large number of layoffs took place in 2007.
“People really discounted the first wave of layoffs,” he said. “The initial layoffs were not highly publicized because people didn’t want to acknowledge them.”

A reader submitted this photo of what appears to be a pigeon hawk that was spotted on Parker Street Monday.

CAPTION: Lt. Michael Bonislawski of the Charlestown Militia Co. is seen speaking at the First Flag event on Somerville’s Prospect Hill on Jan. 1.

CAPTION 2: Militia Co. members are seen after being order to poise firelocks to salute their new flag.

Twelve people recently attended a recruitment meeting of the Charlestown Militia Company, Gardner’s Regiment held at the Cambridge Public Library. Historically, the regiment include all men above 15 years of age who resided in Charlestown, Cambridge, Watertown, Woburn, Malden and Reading. At the meeting, Lieutenant Michael Bonislawski (re-enactor) of Gardner’s Regiment described the life of a re-enactor:

We meet all year round on the first Sunday of the month on Bunker Hill and practice the maneuvers used in 18th century battle. During inclement weather, we meet in the basement of the Bunker Hill Museum. Our reenacting season is actually all year round and will find the Charlestown Militia Company, Gardner’s Regiment participating in parades, memorial dedications, historical events (Concord Bridge, Battle Road/Hartwell Tavern/Percy’s Retreat), etc. We also publish a newsletter, The Powder Alarm.
What and who do we portray? Gardner’s regiment portrays both a military and civilian impression, which is often referred to as living history. What did a Colonial Militia Regiment look like in 1775? The answer to this question requires participants to understand the American Revolution (life in the 18th century) in intimate terms. We know that the 18th century was a very complex time and we attempt to understand all sides of the American Revolution. The Battle of Bunker Hill proved the British were not pushovers, and neither were the colonial militias. If Bunker Hill proved one thing, the protagonists now knew the war would last a long time.
To begin re-enacting, you do not need to be a historian, but instead each member must come with a love of history and a common commitment to do things right. To do things in a focused coherent way. To get people to focus on where they came from – where our society came from. Where and how do we get information? All of us have become researchers and historians because we are always looking for more information and to improve on what we know. After discussions with members over a particular point or event, we usually arrive at a story that is accurate and informative; however, what is correct is an educated guess in some cases. In addition to portraying a person or event as accurately as possible, we also change our “look” all the time – making our “kit” more accurate.
All members of the Charlestown Militia Company are unpaid, volunteers portraying people who lived in the 18th century. We are a dues paying organization ($50/year) and we purchase our own clothing. Most of all, we are a group of people who are embarked on a great adventure of discovery. Our discovery of the American Revolution will allow us to know what the militia and the people were like and what they believed in, but the journey may also teach us something about ourselves. The Charlestown Militia Company, Gardner’s Regiment hopes you will consider joining our ranks.
If you would like further information about the militia unit or our living history guild check out our web site at www.charlestownmilitia.org or contact Lt. M. Bonislawski at recruiter@charlestownmilitia.org.

After the five of us, Tommy Crilley, Fred “Buster” O’Brien, Jimmy “Nubbins” Clarke, Joe Woods and myself, joined the Knights of Columbus on High Street, we got together one night to plan a trip to Bermuda for college week.
We looked at broachers showing beautiful beaches, with pink sand, crystal clear waters and great nightlife. We rented two small bungalows on a hill overlooking Elbow Beach that just happened to be right next to another two other bungalows rented by co-eds from Bridgewater State College. We made our plane reservations and planed the trip, what to bring and what not to bring.
Somewhere along the line, Joe was convinced by Tommy that we should all bring food with us to cut down on our expenses; after all, Bermuda is an island, Tommy reasoned. The rest of us went along with it: Tommy would bring bacon, Nubbins cereal, Buster ham, and Joe’s assignment was to bring four-dozen eggs for breakfast.
We arrived at the airport in Bermuda and proceeded to customs for baggage inspection. Of course, we let Joe go first in line. The agent asked Joe to open his carry on duffel bag and then pointed inside
“Are these eggs?’’ he asked.
“Yeah,” Joe replied with a straight face.
The agent shook his head and asked, “What are these for?”
Joe looked at us, and we were laughing. He shrugged and replied timidly, “I’m going to eat them.”
The agent looked rather confused and said, “You know, we have eggs here, and we even have chickens, and you know what? Chickens lay eggs.”
At this point, the other four of us were cracking up. The agent waved Joe past and then called Nubbins up next.
“And what do you have? Roast beef?” the agent asked.
Nubbins laughed and said, “No, no, just regular clothes.”
The agent looked at us laughing and said, “ Go ahead, the five of you and enjoy your stay.”
The island was every thing the brochures advertised. We rented motorbikes, checked into the bungalow and set out to explore the island. Everything went fine for the first day, except for Nubbins first motorbike accident when he ran into the back of a truck because he had trouble figuring out that the brakes were on the handle bars.
On the second day, we went to Elbow Beach for some sun. That night, Nubbins had gotten so much sun that he glowed in the dark and spent the next few days wrapped in a sheet, shivering. We went out that night except for Nubs. A few days passed, and Nubbins was still laid up with a sunburn. Finally, he was ready to go out and enjoy the nightlife of Bermuda. He went to the closet for his suit, only to discover that it was gone. Joe, who had a date with a co-ed, wanted to look his best and was wearing the suit.
The next night, all was back in order, Nubbins had his suit, and we all had our motorbikes. We started down the steep winding driveway. Halfway down the drive, Nubbins went flying past me, right into the wall. He never got it straight that the breaks were on the handlebars, not the pedals.
The final day, Nubbins was still laid up, and the rest of us went to Elbow Beach. Tommy decided to swim out to the reef. He did fine going out and started to walk on the reef. I saw him jump the air, then dive into the water and swim back to shore. He swam like Tarzan with alligators in hot pursuit. He got out of the water holding his foot, shouting, “I got bit by a shark! I got bit by a shark!” He then fell into the pink sand. The lifeguard ran to his aid and inspected the wound.
“Call an ambulance!“ Nubbins shouted.
The three of us became alarmed and followed the lifeguard to the telephone. “What’s going on?” we inquired.
We could hear him the phone. “Portuguese man-of-war,” he told us. “It’s nothing serious. We’ll take him to the hospital for some shots. His foot will hurt for a few days, and he’ll have to stay off it, but he’ll be alright.”
After hearing he’d be alright, we looked at each other and smiled. We walked back down to the beach, and there was Tommy laid out on a blanket.
“You Ok Tommy?” we asked sympathetically.
I sat on the blanket beside him. He griped my arm. I looked at him with a sad expression “Tommy, you were stung by a Portuguese man-of-war, but before you pass out, is there anything you would like me to tell the folks back home?” I asked him.
“Tommy, can I have your car?” Buster asked from the other side of the blanket.
Joe was standing over the blanket and said, “Tommy, I’ m going on the rum swizzle boat ride. I’ll see you. Well maybe.”
We all started laughing, and the he three of us assured him that he would be alright.
When we got back to Boston, we walked through the concourse Nubbins was pealing from the sunburn and limping. Tommy was on crutches. Buster walked over to an advertisement on the wall and pointed.
“Hey, Nubs and Tommy, look at this,” he said. “’Enjoy the Bermuda experience.’”
“That’s not funny, Buster,” Tommy quipped.
We all laughed and left the airport.