Boat cos. anxious for word about Sail Boston
By Donna Goodison | Wednesday, April 29, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Photo by Herald file
Boston officials are preparing a new estimate for what it would cost the city to provide security and other services for a scaled-back Sail Boston 2009. But hungry Hub businesses looking to feed off the huge harbor event are growing more anxious by the day.
The ongoing number-crunching follows a dust-up earlier this month when Mayor Thomas M. Menino vowed to withhold city services for the tall ships event after Sail Boston Inc. missed a deadline for a funding plan on how the city would be reimbursed.
Menino is still smarting from Sail Boston 2000, when the city was left to foot a $1.2 million bill despite assurances that its costs would be covered.
Initial estimates put the city’s costs this year at $2 million. But that was before organizers said this month that they would cut the size of the July 8-12 event, originally expected to draw 4 million spectators to Boston. Those plans apparently have been revised again.
“We are now working on presenting to them, probably by Friday, a dollar figure associated with their new proposal,” Menino spokeswoman Dot Joyce said.
Tour boat operators say the city’s lack of commitment is sending the wrong signal to potential tourists.
Michael Glasfeld, owner of Bay State Cruise Co., expects a 50 percent drop in business from 2000 as a result.
“There’s uncertainty in the public’s mind when the only voice on the tall ships event is that of the mayor saying he’s not behind it,” he said. “This is a great event by all standards and all measures, and that our public leaders don’t embrace that message is a real shame.”
Entertainment Cruises, which owns the Odyssey, Spirit of Boston and Seaport Elite Yacht Charters and is a Sail Boston marketing sponsor, also said customers are holding off on reservations.
“Sail Boston, the city and the state need to come together for a solution,” general manager Bob Lawler said. “The sooner, the better, because people from outside the Greater Boston area are planning their trips now.”
Plans reportedly call for eliminating the Parade of Sail, expected to draw 1.2 million visitors alone on July 8, and confining berths to the World Trade Center and Boston Fish Pier.
Sail Boston declined to detail its plans yesterday, but said the full contingent of 50 ships from 16 countries is still headed to Boston.
“Sail Boston and the city . . . are in earnest discussions, and it’s too soon to comment, but we are very optimistic,” spokeswoman Sheila Green said.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1168811
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Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Boston Restaurants want City to Expand Patio Season
Restaurateurs want more days to dine alfresco
March 15-to-Nov. 15 calendar is possible
By John C. Drake, Globe Staff | April 29, 2009
It feels like winter in the Back Bay until restaurants break out their sidewalk tables and chairs, inviting diners to soak in the sun while they sip Chardonnay and nibble on expensive sandwiches. So yesterday, optimistic restaurateurs urged city officials to permit sidewalk dining even earlier in the season.
State law limits sidewalk dining to May through October. For the past several years, the city has bent the rules and allowed restaurants to open their sidewalk cafes earlier, in April, to accommodate unseasonably warm temperatures.
While that move has produced a payoff, with meals served outside on days like yesterday, when temperatures soared into the 90s, business groups now say they want even more flexibility.
"There are times that I would like to be out on a patio in November with friends enjoying the Back Bay," said Patrick Sarkis, of the Back Bay Restaurant Group.
City Council President Michael P. Ross said one restaurant owner told him he illegally set up his sidewalk cafe early during one 60-degree weekend in March, to take advantage of diners who wanted to enjoy the early taste of spring.
While Ross had initially proposed eliminating the calendar restrictions altogether, after hearing the concerns of city officials, his office said he was leaning toward introducing a measure allowing cafes as early as March 15 and as late as Nov. 15.
"When done right, these sidewalk cafes are some of the best assets our city has," he said. "Even into December sometimes, you can get some good weather."
The city's public works chief, Dennis Royer, said eliminating the restrictions would be difficult, because the city would have to ensure all restaurants with sidewalk cafes remove their equipment during snow emergencies.
"We could have a nice week in March and then a week later have 2 feet of snow," he said. "They would have to remove what they put in the public right of way."
He also said the city gives up a considerable amount of sidewalk when it leases the space to restaurants for outdoor seating. He said he was worried about the city being liable if a pedestrian slips on ice and falls into a sidewalk cafe fence.
But he said extending the cafe dates to March 15 and Nov. 15 may be a good compromise.
All businesses in the area benefit from the vibrancy of sidewalk cafes, one business leader said.
"In March, there are a lot of great days where people would like to sit outside, maybe even a few days in February," said Tom Brennan, of the Newbury Street League. "It brings more people down to the Back Bay."
John C. Drake can be reached at jdrake@globe.com.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
March 15-to-Nov. 15 calendar is possible
By John C. Drake, Globe Staff | April 29, 2009
It feels like winter in the Back Bay until restaurants break out their sidewalk tables and chairs, inviting diners to soak in the sun while they sip Chardonnay and nibble on expensive sandwiches. So yesterday, optimistic restaurateurs urged city officials to permit sidewalk dining even earlier in the season.
State law limits sidewalk dining to May through October. For the past several years, the city has bent the rules and allowed restaurants to open their sidewalk cafes earlier, in April, to accommodate unseasonably warm temperatures.
While that move has produced a payoff, with meals served outside on days like yesterday, when temperatures soared into the 90s, business groups now say they want even more flexibility.
"There are times that I would like to be out on a patio in November with friends enjoying the Back Bay," said Patrick Sarkis, of the Back Bay Restaurant Group.
City Council President Michael P. Ross said one restaurant owner told him he illegally set up his sidewalk cafe early during one 60-degree weekend in March, to take advantage of diners who wanted to enjoy the early taste of spring.
While Ross had initially proposed eliminating the calendar restrictions altogether, after hearing the concerns of city officials, his office said he was leaning toward introducing a measure allowing cafes as early as March 15 and as late as Nov. 15.
"When done right, these sidewalk cafes are some of the best assets our city has," he said. "Even into December sometimes, you can get some good weather."
The city's public works chief, Dennis Royer, said eliminating the restrictions would be difficult, because the city would have to ensure all restaurants with sidewalk cafes remove their equipment during snow emergencies.
"We could have a nice week in March and then a week later have 2 feet of snow," he said. "They would have to remove what they put in the public right of way."
He also said the city gives up a considerable amount of sidewalk when it leases the space to restaurants for outdoor seating. He said he was worried about the city being liable if a pedestrian slips on ice and falls into a sidewalk cafe fence.
But he said extending the cafe dates to March 15 and Nov. 15 may be a good compromise.
All businesses in the area benefit from the vibrancy of sidewalk cafes, one business leader said.
"In March, there are a lot of great days where people would like to sit outside, maybe even a few days in February," said Tom Brennan, of the Newbury Street League. "It brings more people down to the Back Bay."
John C. Drake can be reached at jdrake@globe.com.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Boston Square dedicated to Edgar Allen Poe
Nameless, here? Not evermore
Boston honors prodigious and prodigal poet
By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff | April 28, 2009
Like his famous raven that perched, never flitting, above the chamber door, Edgar Allan Poe claimed a permanent place of honor yesterday in Boston's literary lore, as city officials dedicated Poe Square near the writer's birthplace.
Born in Boston 200 years ago, Poe long had been overlooked as a native son because of his rancorous relationship with the city and its writers. But after an aggressive campaign by a devoted band of Poe enthusiasts, city officials agreed to pay tribute to the "master of the macabre" by renaming the corner of Boylston and Charles streets, across from Boston Common.
"Together again, at last," exclaimed Paul Lewis, a Poe scholar at Boston College who led the charge to honor the 19th-century author.
At the dedication ceremony, under sunny skies that seemed ill-suited for a tribute to the famously morbid writer, Lewis said the square would "celebrate the city's connection to Poe." He urged those who might harbor bitterness over Poe's hostility toward the city he derided as a provincial "Frogpondium" to let bygones be bygones.
"To these unforgiving folk I say: 'Wow, you really, really know how to hold a grudge,' " he quipped.
Despite his "literary war" against Massachusetts writers such as Thoreau and Longfellow, Poe expressed a desire near the end of his life to be buried in Boston, Lewis said. His grave in Baltimore, the city with which he is most closely identified, draws thousands of visitors each year, including a mystery man who leaves roses and a bottle of cognac to mark Poe's birthday.
The bicentennial of Poe's birth on Jan. 19, 1809, has sparked a resurgence of interest in his life and writings. Baltimore, in conjunction with the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum, is commemorating with a yearlong festival dubbed "Nevermore 2009." The Poe Museum in Richmond, Va., is doing likewise, with "Poe Revealed."
Baltimore and Richmond lay competing claims to Poe's legacy - along with New York and Philadelphia, cities the itinerant poet also called home - with each convinced it is the rightful heir.
"Richmond is the city he claims," Chris Semtner, curator of the Poe Museum in Richmond, said decisively, before striking a more conciliatory tone. "But Poe didn't belong to one city. He really belonged to the world."
Poe entered the world on Carver Street in Boston, where the State Transportation Building now stands. But his parents, who were traveling actors, soon left town. They both died before he turned 3, and Poe went to live with a foster family in Richmond.
The young man returned to Boston after dropping out of the University of Virginia, and, after enlisting in the Army, was briefly stationed at Castle Island, an experience believed to be an inspiration for his story "The Cask of Amontillado." In 1827, his first published work, an anonymous collection of poems called "Tamerlane," was signed "By a Bostonian."
Though he soon left the city, Poe returned to Boston again in 1848, a year before his death, and tried to commit suicide by swallowing a large quantity of an opiate.
Despite the connections, Poe's Boston roots are little known, probably because of the quarrel he had with the city and its literary elite. He derided Transcendentalists such as Emerson and Thoreau, calling their writing "obscurity for obscurity's sake," and once wrote that he was "heartily ashamed" of his Boston roots. He sometimes claimed Richmond or Baltimore as his hometown.
Before the square, nods to his local connection included plaques on Boylston Street, right beside the new square, and Fayette Street. Both are putative markers for his birthplace, but Poe specialists believe those are misplaced. Historic maps of Boston indicate the Poe Square named yesterday is not the first. A nearby intersection bore his name, according to one 1928 map, though the name in that incarnation was misspelled.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino, acknowledging that Poe and Boston had a "somewhat rocky relationship," said reconciliation was overdue.
"It's time to stake our claim to a major part of Poe's legacy," he said. "Time for the raven to join ducklings and swans on our list of favorite birds."
Poe was skilled, Menino allowed, at crafting "anti-Boston zingers" such as, "Their hotels are bad. Their pumpkin pies are delicious. Their poetry is not so good."
"Tough stuff," he said.
The city's poet laureate, Sam Cornish, praised Poe's "broad, universal voice" before reading the Poe poem "Alone."
"And all I lov'd, I loved alone," he said in a deep, commanding voice.
Lewis, who will curate a Poe exhibit at the Boston Public Library later this year, said he hopes to decorate the newly christened square with a statue of Poe and other public art. Maybe even a "Tell-Tale Heart" under the bricks at the newly dubbed square, he suggested, only half in jest. "I'm just saying it's a possibility," he said.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
Boston honors prodigious and prodigal poet
By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff | April 28, 2009
Like his famous raven that perched, never flitting, above the chamber door, Edgar Allan Poe claimed a permanent place of honor yesterday in Boston's literary lore, as city officials dedicated Poe Square near the writer's birthplace.
Born in Boston 200 years ago, Poe long had been overlooked as a native son because of his rancorous relationship with the city and its writers. But after an aggressive campaign by a devoted band of Poe enthusiasts, city officials agreed to pay tribute to the "master of the macabre" by renaming the corner of Boylston and Charles streets, across from Boston Common.
"Together again, at last," exclaimed Paul Lewis, a Poe scholar at Boston College who led the charge to honor the 19th-century author.
At the dedication ceremony, under sunny skies that seemed ill-suited for a tribute to the famously morbid writer, Lewis said the square would "celebrate the city's connection to Poe." He urged those who might harbor bitterness over Poe's hostility toward the city he derided as a provincial "Frogpondium" to let bygones be bygones.
"To these unforgiving folk I say: 'Wow, you really, really know how to hold a grudge,' " he quipped.
Despite his "literary war" against Massachusetts writers such as Thoreau and Longfellow, Poe expressed a desire near the end of his life to be buried in Boston, Lewis said. His grave in Baltimore, the city with which he is most closely identified, draws thousands of visitors each year, including a mystery man who leaves roses and a bottle of cognac to mark Poe's birthday.
The bicentennial of Poe's birth on Jan. 19, 1809, has sparked a resurgence of interest in his life and writings. Baltimore, in conjunction with the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum, is commemorating with a yearlong festival dubbed "Nevermore 2009." The Poe Museum in Richmond, Va., is doing likewise, with "Poe Revealed."
Baltimore and Richmond lay competing claims to Poe's legacy - along with New York and Philadelphia, cities the itinerant poet also called home - with each convinced it is the rightful heir.
"Richmond is the city he claims," Chris Semtner, curator of the Poe Museum in Richmond, said decisively, before striking a more conciliatory tone. "But Poe didn't belong to one city. He really belonged to the world."
Poe entered the world on Carver Street in Boston, where the State Transportation Building now stands. But his parents, who were traveling actors, soon left town. They both died before he turned 3, and Poe went to live with a foster family in Richmond.
The young man returned to Boston after dropping out of the University of Virginia, and, after enlisting in the Army, was briefly stationed at Castle Island, an experience believed to be an inspiration for his story "The Cask of Amontillado." In 1827, his first published work, an anonymous collection of poems called "Tamerlane," was signed "By a Bostonian."
Though he soon left the city, Poe returned to Boston again in 1848, a year before his death, and tried to commit suicide by swallowing a large quantity of an opiate.
Despite the connections, Poe's Boston roots are little known, probably because of the quarrel he had with the city and its literary elite. He derided Transcendentalists such as Emerson and Thoreau, calling their writing "obscurity for obscurity's sake," and once wrote that he was "heartily ashamed" of his Boston roots. He sometimes claimed Richmond or Baltimore as his hometown.
Before the square, nods to his local connection included plaques on Boylston Street, right beside the new square, and Fayette Street. Both are putative markers for his birthplace, but Poe specialists believe those are misplaced. Historic maps of Boston indicate the Poe Square named yesterday is not the first. A nearby intersection bore his name, according to one 1928 map, though the name in that incarnation was misspelled.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino, acknowledging that Poe and Boston had a "somewhat rocky relationship," said reconciliation was overdue.
"It's time to stake our claim to a major part of Poe's legacy," he said. "Time for the raven to join ducklings and swans on our list of favorite birds."
Poe was skilled, Menino allowed, at crafting "anti-Boston zingers" such as, "Their hotels are bad. Their pumpkin pies are delicious. Their poetry is not so good."
"Tough stuff," he said.
The city's poet laureate, Sam Cornish, praised Poe's "broad, universal voice" before reading the Poe poem "Alone."
"And all I lov'd, I loved alone," he said in a deep, commanding voice.
Lewis, who will curate a Poe exhibit at the Boston Public Library later this year, said he hopes to decorate the newly christened square with a statue of Poe and other public art. Maybe even a "Tell-Tale Heart" under the bricks at the newly dubbed square, he suggested, only half in jest. "I'm just saying it's a possibility," he said.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
Police seek tips in North End attacks
Police seek tips on attacks in North End
By Caitlin Castello, Globe Correspondent | April 28, 2009
Boston police released a sketch and surveillance video of possible suspects from two assaults in the North End.
The sketch is of the suspect in an assault on a woman Friday on Prince Street at the DeFilippo playground. The suspect was described to police as a male with olive complexion, 5 feet 10 inches, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, dark blue jeans, and sneakers. According to police, he spoke with an accent.
The surveillance video is of an attack on a woman on April 4 on North Bennet Court. The attacker was described as a 30-year-old light-skinned male with an olive complexion, Hispanic or Italian, about 5 foot 5 inches with dark sideburns and large brown eyes, wearing a light-colored jacket and blue jeans.
Both women were able to fight off their attackers. Police have yet to determine if the incidents are related, said Boston police spokesman Dave Estrada. Police have increased patrols in the North End, especially in the areas near the attacks, he said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sexual Assault Unit at 617-343-4400 or the CrimeStopper line at 800-494-TIPS.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
By Caitlin Castello, Globe Correspondent | April 28, 2009
Boston police released a sketch and surveillance video of possible suspects from two assaults in the North End.
The sketch is of the suspect in an assault on a woman Friday on Prince Street at the DeFilippo playground. The suspect was described to police as a male with olive complexion, 5 feet 10 inches, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, dark blue jeans, and sneakers. According to police, he spoke with an accent.
The surveillance video is of an attack on a woman on April 4 on North Bennet Court. The attacker was described as a 30-year-old light-skinned male with an olive complexion, Hispanic or Italian, about 5 foot 5 inches with dark sideburns and large brown eyes, wearing a light-colored jacket and blue jeans.
Both women were able to fight off their attackers. Police have yet to determine if the incidents are related, said Boston police spokesman Dave Estrada. Police have increased patrols in the North End, especially in the areas near the attacks, he said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sexual Assault Unit at 617-343-4400 or the CrimeStopper line at 800-494-TIPS.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
Swine Flu outbreak could deal big blow to the travel industry
A big blow for travel industry
By Jenn Abelson and Robert Gavin, Globe Staff | April 28, 2009
The bruised US economy, which had shown a few signs of life, took another beating yesterday with global concerns over the swine flu outbreak expected to hit travel and tourism the hardest.
The virus, which has sickened people across the United States and Europe and resulted in 149 deaths in Mexico, prompted the European Union's health commissioner to advise Europeans to avoid non-essential travel to Mexico and parts of the United States.
The warning yesterday could have a devastating effect on New England, where 95 percent of overseas travelers come from Europe.
Patrick Moscaritolo, chief executive of the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, said just a 10 percent drop in travelers to New England would mean a loss of more than $60 million, but it is too early to predict the fallout. The bureau had already expected a 5 percent to 9 percent drop in travel to New England because of the sour economy.
"This is like the perfect storm. We had people who were already holding onto their pounds and euros because of concerns about what is going on in their economy and now we have a major European body saying don't travel to America," Moscaritolo said. "It doesn't get much worse than that."
Travel and tourism business is one of Massachusetts' key industries. It is the fifth-biggest in terms of employment with 300,000 workers, according to the US Department of Labor.
Already, some companies are advising employees to rethink travel needs.
"We're encouraging employees if travel is not mandatory, to carefully consider their travel plans," said Sarah Alspach, a spokeswoman for GlaxoSmithKline, the British pharmaceutical giant that last year acquired Sirtris Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Cambridge. But the company has not made any formal travel restrictions, Alspach said.
Amy Peterson, spokeswoman at Avid Technology Inc., a Tewksbury-based video and audio editing software maker, said the company is taking steps after the US government cautioned Americans against nonessential travel to Mexico.
"In addition to communicating a reminder to the Avid staff about the swine flu and precautionary measures that they can take, we're also working with our corporate travel department to potentially hold back any employees that were slated to travel to Mexico on business."
John Dragoon, chief marketing officer of Novell Inc., a Linux software maker in Waltham, said the company was already investing in high-definition teleconferencing gear, as a substitute for costly plane trips. But the swine flu outbreak has given Novell one more reason to rely more on video technology.
"We're not putting a hold on travel. If you have to travel for business reasons, do so, but take extra precautions," he said.
The flu outbreak, coming weeks before the busy summer travel season, is another setback for the struggling travel industry, which was expecting the volume of total overseas visits to the United States to fall 3.1 percent from last year, according to the US Travel Association, an industry trade group.
Several airlines are waiving fees for passengers who were scheduled to fly through certain cities in Mexico and want to change their tickets.
Shares of travel companies suffered yesterday. The Amex Airline Index sank 11 percent and shares of Delta Air Lines Inc., the world's largest carrier, fell $1.13 to $6.75.
"The travel advisory from Europe would have a significant and detrimental impact on the travel community and moreover on the American economy when we can least afford it," said Geoff Freeman, senior vice president of the US Travel Association. "Now is time to urge measured restraint rather than panic."
Throughout yesterday, European leaders shifted positions on whether it was safe to travel to the United States and Mexico. But the contradictory advice left travelers confused.
Freeman said the panic caused by the outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, in 2003, resulted in $18 billion in economic losses. Travel in the first month of the outbreak declined anywhere from 20 percent to 70 percent, he said.
Beyond hurting the travel industry, the swine flu outbreak could also slow the massive trade between US and Mexico as goods from plum tomatoes to coffee to electronics receive heightened scrutiny crossing the border, according to economists and international trade analysts. Mexico is the country's third-largest trading partner and the seventh-largest for Massachusetts.
Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com, said if the swine flu outbreak lasted for two months, and spread to US cities, then it could severely damage the US economy.
If countries move to curtail trade and travel, it would be similar to putting up trade barriers, which would hurt the global economy, Zandi said.
"Confidence is already at all time lows, and that would just shatter it," Zandi said. "The recession would last into next year."
Hiawatha Bray, Steven Syre, and Robert Weisman of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Jenn Abelson can be reached at abelson@globe.com; Rob Gavin at gavin@globe.com.
By Jenn Abelson and Robert Gavin, Globe Staff | April 28, 2009
The bruised US economy, which had shown a few signs of life, took another beating yesterday with global concerns over the swine flu outbreak expected to hit travel and tourism the hardest.
The virus, which has sickened people across the United States and Europe and resulted in 149 deaths in Mexico, prompted the European Union's health commissioner to advise Europeans to avoid non-essential travel to Mexico and parts of the United States.
The warning yesterday could have a devastating effect on New England, where 95 percent of overseas travelers come from Europe.
Patrick Moscaritolo, chief executive of the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, said just a 10 percent drop in travelers to New England would mean a loss of more than $60 million, but it is too early to predict the fallout. The bureau had already expected a 5 percent to 9 percent drop in travel to New England because of the sour economy.
"This is like the perfect storm. We had people who were already holding onto their pounds and euros because of concerns about what is going on in their economy and now we have a major European body saying don't travel to America," Moscaritolo said. "It doesn't get much worse than that."
Travel and tourism business is one of Massachusetts' key industries. It is the fifth-biggest in terms of employment with 300,000 workers, according to the US Department of Labor.
Already, some companies are advising employees to rethink travel needs.
"We're encouraging employees if travel is not mandatory, to carefully consider their travel plans," said Sarah Alspach, a spokeswoman for GlaxoSmithKline, the British pharmaceutical giant that last year acquired Sirtris Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Cambridge. But the company has not made any formal travel restrictions, Alspach said.
Amy Peterson, spokeswoman at Avid Technology Inc., a Tewksbury-based video and audio editing software maker, said the company is taking steps after the US government cautioned Americans against nonessential travel to Mexico.
"In addition to communicating a reminder to the Avid staff about the swine flu and precautionary measures that they can take, we're also working with our corporate travel department to potentially hold back any employees that were slated to travel to Mexico on business."
John Dragoon, chief marketing officer of Novell Inc., a Linux software maker in Waltham, said the company was already investing in high-definition teleconferencing gear, as a substitute for costly plane trips. But the swine flu outbreak has given Novell one more reason to rely more on video technology.
"We're not putting a hold on travel. If you have to travel for business reasons, do so, but take extra precautions," he said.
The flu outbreak, coming weeks before the busy summer travel season, is another setback for the struggling travel industry, which was expecting the volume of total overseas visits to the United States to fall 3.1 percent from last year, according to the US Travel Association, an industry trade group.
Several airlines are waiving fees for passengers who were scheduled to fly through certain cities in Mexico and want to change their tickets.
Shares of travel companies suffered yesterday. The Amex Airline Index sank 11 percent and shares of Delta Air Lines Inc., the world's largest carrier, fell $1.13 to $6.75.
"The travel advisory from Europe would have a significant and detrimental impact on the travel community and moreover on the American economy when we can least afford it," said Geoff Freeman, senior vice president of the US Travel Association. "Now is time to urge measured restraint rather than panic."
Throughout yesterday, European leaders shifted positions on whether it was safe to travel to the United States and Mexico. But the contradictory advice left travelers confused.
Freeman said the panic caused by the outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, in 2003, resulted in $18 billion in economic losses. Travel in the first month of the outbreak declined anywhere from 20 percent to 70 percent, he said.
Beyond hurting the travel industry, the swine flu outbreak could also slow the massive trade between US and Mexico as goods from plum tomatoes to coffee to electronics receive heightened scrutiny crossing the border, according to economists and international trade analysts. Mexico is the country's third-largest trading partner and the seventh-largest for Massachusetts.
Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com, said if the swine flu outbreak lasted for two months, and spread to US cities, then it could severely damage the US economy.
If countries move to curtail trade and travel, it would be similar to putting up trade barriers, which would hurt the global economy, Zandi said.
"Confidence is already at all time lows, and that would just shatter it," Zandi said. "The recession would last into next year."
Hiawatha Bray, Steven Syre, and Robert Weisman of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Jenn Abelson can be reached at abelson@globe.com; Rob Gavin at gavin@globe.com.
TD Banknorth Garden offers Kosher options
TD Banknorth serves kosher
By Donna Goodison | Tuesday, April 28, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Kosher hot dogs and knishes are now available at TD Banknorth Garden at the touch of a button.
The Boston sports and entertainment venue last week began serving kosher food on level seven of its balcony.
Brookline-based Hot Nosh Boston has installed two of its kosher vending machines near section 304.
One machine sears and cooks refrigerated all-beef, glatt-style kosher hot dogs that are served on warm buns. The other cooks frozen kosher potato knishes, onion rings, pizza, ziti and mozzarella sticks.
“We’re always looking for new ideas and different things for our customers,” said Michael Zielinski, general manager of Delaware North Cos.’ Sportservice at the Garden, the venue’s food provider. “And we did have several requests at the beginning of the year for a kosher-type food specifically from our fans.”
Vending machine sales last week for a Celtics [team stats] game and two Bruce Springsteen concerts exceeded Zielinski’s expectations by 25 percent, he said.
“We just started last Monday at the Celtics game, and we were pleasantly surprised,” he said. “We’re one of the first Delaware North Sportservice arena venues that are trying this.”
Delaware North is considering adding additional kosher vending machines on level four of the Garden next year.
“The Garden had the insight to realize that there was a void that needed to be filled,” said Wayne Feder, Hot Nosh’s CEO. “There’s a lot of new people who haven’t seen the machines at Fenway, so it’s a little bit about educating the consumers - not just the kosher consumers - about how the technology works and how it is a great product.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1168550
By Donna Goodison | Tuesday, April 28, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Kosher hot dogs and knishes are now available at TD Banknorth Garden at the touch of a button.
The Boston sports and entertainment venue last week began serving kosher food on level seven of its balcony.
Brookline-based Hot Nosh Boston has installed two of its kosher vending machines near section 304.
One machine sears and cooks refrigerated all-beef, glatt-style kosher hot dogs that are served on warm buns. The other cooks frozen kosher potato knishes, onion rings, pizza, ziti and mozzarella sticks.
“We’re always looking for new ideas and different things for our customers,” said Michael Zielinski, general manager of Delaware North Cos.’ Sportservice at the Garden, the venue’s food provider. “And we did have several requests at the beginning of the year for a kosher-type food specifically from our fans.”
Vending machine sales last week for a Celtics [team stats] game and two Bruce Springsteen concerts exceeded Zielinski’s expectations by 25 percent, he said.
“We just started last Monday at the Celtics game, and we were pleasantly surprised,” he said. “We’re one of the first Delaware North Sportservice arena venues that are trying this.”
Delaware North is considering adding additional kosher vending machines on level four of the Garden next year.
“The Garden had the insight to realize that there was a void that needed to be filled,” said Wayne Feder, Hot Nosh’s CEO. “There’s a lot of new people who haven’t seen the machines at Fenway, so it’s a little bit about educating the consumers - not just the kosher consumers - about how the technology works and how it is a great product.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1168550
Swine Flu could affect Massachusetts Tourism and Hospitality Industries
Flu gives economy a cold
Massachusetts tourism drop feared, pharmacy sales may rise
By Jay Fitzgerald | Tuesday, April 28, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Fears of a major swine-flu outbreak are already being felt within the local and national economies.
Massachusetts tourism and hospitality officials say they expect a hit in business due to the European Union’s warning yesterday that travelers should avoid visiting North America because of the spread of the deadly swine flu.
“It’s not good news,” said Pat Moscaritolo, president of the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau. “I can’t estimate how much of a hit we’ll take, but there definitely has to be an economic impact.”
“It’s going to be a blow to the travel and tourism business,” said Paul Sacco, president of the Massachusetts Lodging Association, which depends heavily on European tourists filling area hotels.
At local drug stores, customers are already flocking in to buy protective masks to prevent catching the flu, which has spread to New York City.
“We’re preparing for an onslaught” of customers buying masks, said Rich Lane, the pharmacist at Gary Drug on Charles Street in Boston.
Maryesther Fournier, owner of Smith Drug in Wakefield, said she’s already ordered extra protective masks, which sell for about $3.50 each.
Other pharmacists expect a surge in requests for the anti-flu drugs Tamiflu , produced by Roche Holding AG, and Relenza, produced by GlaxoSmithKline.
CVS Caremark Corp. and other pharmacy chains are bracing for a possible surge in demand for hygiene products and pharmaceuticals.
Wall Street investors were cautious yesterday, sending the Dow down slightly amid fears of a possible pandemic.
George Hoguet, global investment strategist at Boston’s State Street Global Advisors Inc., said the flu outbreak in Mexico could harm that country’s economy and even slow money transfers between the United States and its southern neighbor.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1168548
Massachusetts tourism drop feared, pharmacy sales may rise
By Jay Fitzgerald | Tuesday, April 28, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Fears of a major swine-flu outbreak are already being felt within the local and national economies.
Massachusetts tourism and hospitality officials say they expect a hit in business due to the European Union’s warning yesterday that travelers should avoid visiting North America because of the spread of the deadly swine flu.
“It’s not good news,” said Pat Moscaritolo, president of the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau. “I can’t estimate how much of a hit we’ll take, but there definitely has to be an economic impact.”
“It’s going to be a blow to the travel and tourism business,” said Paul Sacco, president of the Massachusetts Lodging Association, which depends heavily on European tourists filling area hotels.
At local drug stores, customers are already flocking in to buy protective masks to prevent catching the flu, which has spread to New York City.
“We’re preparing for an onslaught” of customers buying masks, said Rich Lane, the pharmacist at Gary Drug on Charles Street in Boston.
Maryesther Fournier, owner of Smith Drug in Wakefield, said she’s already ordered extra protective masks, which sell for about $3.50 each.
Other pharmacists expect a surge in requests for the anti-flu drugs Tamiflu , produced by Roche Holding AG, and Relenza, produced by GlaxoSmithKline.
CVS Caremark Corp. and other pharmacy chains are bracing for a possible surge in demand for hygiene products and pharmaceuticals.
Wall Street investors were cautious yesterday, sending the Dow down slightly amid fears of a possible pandemic.
George Hoguet, global investment strategist at Boston’s State Street Global Advisors Inc., said the flu outbreak in Mexico could harm that country’s economy and even slow money transfers between the United States and its southern neighbor.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1168548
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Filene's Basement Letter to the Editor
BUSINESS LETTERS
A gap in Downtown Crossing
April 26, 2009
I wholeheartedly agree with the last paragraph in the article ("How Filene's Basement got sold at markdown," April 23). Boston needs the original Filene's Basement at Downtown Crossing.
There has been a huge hole, not only in the ground, but in the hearts of everyone who ever shopped there.
If Filene's Basement was the number one tourist destination, why was it allowed to close?
Why didn't someone push to have them relocate to the empty Barnes & Noble storefront? Would that have saved them?
Elizabeth D'Oliveira,
Charlestown
A gap in Downtown Crossing
April 26, 2009
I wholeheartedly agree with the last paragraph in the article ("How Filene's Basement got sold at markdown," April 23). Boston needs the original Filene's Basement at Downtown Crossing.
There has been a huge hole, not only in the ground, but in the hearts of everyone who ever shopped there.
If Filene's Basement was the number one tourist destination, why was it allowed to close?
Why didn't someone push to have them relocate to the empty Barnes & Noble storefront? Would that have saved them?
Elizabeth D'Oliveira,
Charlestown
Sportello Review
Lynch’s parlor baskin’ in greatness
By Mat Schaffer | Friday, April 24, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Dining Reviews
SPORTELLO: B+
“I hope they serve milkshakes,” said the guy next to me as he pulled up to the counter on a recent Friday night at Sportello, Barbara Lynch’s new Fort Point lunch and dinner counter.
Purportedly inspired by Lynch’s memories of Brigham’s, the Arlington-based ice cream and comfort-food chain, Sportello (translation: counter in Italian) is designed to evoke a 1960s ice cream parlor. With wooden stools, U-shaped, white lacquered counters, retro lighting fixtures and a bustling open kitchen and takeout corner, the place is parlor-gone-chic.
And, like at an ice cream parlor, getting a seat at Sportello may be tricky and the noise level is sometimes deafening. There are only two tables, plus a long, narrow counter with plastic chairs.
Sportello is not an especially comfortable place to dine, but it is a veritable Mecca for foodies who come based solely on Lynch’s reputation and Southie-to-Saveur Cinderella story. Simply stated, Lynch (the Southie-bred James Beard Award-winning chef behind No. 9 Park and cocktail hot spot Drink, conveniently located downstairs from Sportello) is one of the most talented chefs in the business.
The Sportello menu, under the supervision of executive chef Colin Lynch (no relation), is as compact as the room. Everything we tasted was exceedingly good.
Emerald-green broccoli soup ($9) comes topped with a poached egg, which you break into an already creamy broth. Hearty Tuscan bean soup ($10) is studded with garlicky sausage, wilted escarole and fregola, toasted Sardinian pasta.
A deliberately simple salad of shaved fennel, celery and arugula ($9) dressed with fruity olive oil and lemon and garnished with shaved parmigiano reggiano is a crunchy delight.
The antipasti della casa ($14) features buttery prosciutto and tangy salami from Lynch’s South End wine bar, Butcher Shop. Plus chickpeas tossed in yogurt, tangy eggplant caponata, red and yellow roasted peppers, pickled beets, olives and assorted cheeses. It’s plenty for two, but not so easy to share when seated side-by-side on stools that don’t swivel.
Pastas here are extraordinary. Homemade papardelle ($22) in thick and meaty Bolognese reminds me of Lynch’s cooking at the fabled Galleria Italiana, where she launched her career in the mid-’90s. Cauliflower risotto ($18) laced with capers, raisins and ribbons of lardo, cured pig fat, is delectably cauliflowery.
We loved escargot ravioli ($21), a snail in each ravioli, on a bed of lemony pureed artichokes and sprinkled with slivered artichoke, fried parsley and olive oil. It is defiantly not your nonna’s pasta.
Entrees are equally accomplished. Atlantic hake ($24) is moist, flaky and accompanied by a salad of poached radishes in basil sauce. Braised veal breast ($22) with pureed celeriac, minced celery and cardoons boasts a glazed fond du veau crust. It shreds on your fork like brisket.
Longtime Lynch associate Cat Silerie has assembled her characteristically smart, food-friendly wine list. It’s all Italian, with many unusual varietals. The least expensive bottle is $34.
The almondy 2007 Argillae Grechetto ($36) we ordered with the hake and veal was nothing like our server’s “childhood memories of a walk on a beach” description - and honestly wasn’t the optimal choice for either dish. A beety 2004 Colognole Chianti Rufina ($37) is great with the Bolognese andrisotto.
I did not appreciate the waiter’s attempts to cajole me into spending more on vino than I told her I intended to spend.
Desserts ($8) are grand. Toffee pudding-like caramel pudding cake with whipped creme fraiche and a sprinkle of salted caramel. And rich, bittersweet chocolate budino rice pudding in a cookie crumb crust, with a spritz of sea salt and drizzle of olive oil. This is not the stuff of milkshakes.
Service is surprisingly attentive given the cramped quarters, but woe to the hapless diner who shows up on a crowded evening without a reservation.
“I can put you here,” said the hostess motioning to two stools by the kitchen door. “But I need those seats back at 8:30.” It was 7:25 p.m.
Whether it’s Sportello - or Brigham’s - no one should be forced to eat under a deadline.
384 Congress St. (Fort Point Channel).
617-737-1234; sportelloboston.com.
Price: $20-$40
Casual
Hours: Lunch, Mon.-Sat., 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.; Dinner, Mon.-Sat., 5:30-10 p.m. Bakery: Mon.-Fri., 7 a.m.-7 p.m.: Sat., 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m.
Bar: Beer and wine
Credit: All
Recession specials: No
Accessibility: Accessible
Parking: On street
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/food_dining/reviews/view.bg?articleid=1167645
By Mat Schaffer | Friday, April 24, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Dining Reviews
SPORTELLO: B+
“I hope they serve milkshakes,” said the guy next to me as he pulled up to the counter on a recent Friday night at Sportello, Barbara Lynch’s new Fort Point lunch and dinner counter.
Purportedly inspired by Lynch’s memories of Brigham’s, the Arlington-based ice cream and comfort-food chain, Sportello (translation: counter in Italian) is designed to evoke a 1960s ice cream parlor. With wooden stools, U-shaped, white lacquered counters, retro lighting fixtures and a bustling open kitchen and takeout corner, the place is parlor-gone-chic.
And, like at an ice cream parlor, getting a seat at Sportello may be tricky and the noise level is sometimes deafening. There are only two tables, plus a long, narrow counter with plastic chairs.
Sportello is not an especially comfortable place to dine, but it is a veritable Mecca for foodies who come based solely on Lynch’s reputation and Southie-to-Saveur Cinderella story. Simply stated, Lynch (the Southie-bred James Beard Award-winning chef behind No. 9 Park and cocktail hot spot Drink, conveniently located downstairs from Sportello) is one of the most talented chefs in the business.
The Sportello menu, under the supervision of executive chef Colin Lynch (no relation), is as compact as the room. Everything we tasted was exceedingly good.
Emerald-green broccoli soup ($9) comes topped with a poached egg, which you break into an already creamy broth. Hearty Tuscan bean soup ($10) is studded with garlicky sausage, wilted escarole and fregola, toasted Sardinian pasta.
A deliberately simple salad of shaved fennel, celery and arugula ($9) dressed with fruity olive oil and lemon and garnished with shaved parmigiano reggiano is a crunchy delight.
The antipasti della casa ($14) features buttery prosciutto and tangy salami from Lynch’s South End wine bar, Butcher Shop. Plus chickpeas tossed in yogurt, tangy eggplant caponata, red and yellow roasted peppers, pickled beets, olives and assorted cheeses. It’s plenty for two, but not so easy to share when seated side-by-side on stools that don’t swivel.
Pastas here are extraordinary. Homemade papardelle ($22) in thick and meaty Bolognese reminds me of Lynch’s cooking at the fabled Galleria Italiana, where she launched her career in the mid-’90s. Cauliflower risotto ($18) laced with capers, raisins and ribbons of lardo, cured pig fat, is delectably cauliflowery.
We loved escargot ravioli ($21), a snail in each ravioli, on a bed of lemony pureed artichokes and sprinkled with slivered artichoke, fried parsley and olive oil. It is defiantly not your nonna’s pasta.
Entrees are equally accomplished. Atlantic hake ($24) is moist, flaky and accompanied by a salad of poached radishes in basil sauce. Braised veal breast ($22) with pureed celeriac, minced celery and cardoons boasts a glazed fond du veau crust. It shreds on your fork like brisket.
Longtime Lynch associate Cat Silerie has assembled her characteristically smart, food-friendly wine list. It’s all Italian, with many unusual varietals. The least expensive bottle is $34.
The almondy 2007 Argillae Grechetto ($36) we ordered with the hake and veal was nothing like our server’s “childhood memories of a walk on a beach” description - and honestly wasn’t the optimal choice for either dish. A beety 2004 Colognole Chianti Rufina ($37) is great with the Bolognese andrisotto.
I did not appreciate the waiter’s attempts to cajole me into spending more on vino than I told her I intended to spend.
Desserts ($8) are grand. Toffee pudding-like caramel pudding cake with whipped creme fraiche and a sprinkle of salted caramel. And rich, bittersweet chocolate budino rice pudding in a cookie crumb crust, with a spritz of sea salt and drizzle of olive oil. This is not the stuff of milkshakes.
Service is surprisingly attentive given the cramped quarters, but woe to the hapless diner who shows up on a crowded evening without a reservation.
“I can put you here,” said the hostess motioning to two stools by the kitchen door. “But I need those seats back at 8:30.” It was 7:25 p.m.
Whether it’s Sportello - or Brigham’s - no one should be forced to eat under a deadline.
384 Congress St. (Fort Point Channel).
617-737-1234; sportelloboston.com.
Price: $20-$40
Casual
Hours: Lunch, Mon.-Sat., 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.; Dinner, Mon.-Sat., 5:30-10 p.m. Bakery: Mon.-Fri., 7 a.m.-7 p.m.: Sat., 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m.
Bar: Beer and wine
Credit: All
Recession specials: No
Accessibility: Accessible
Parking: On street
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/food_dining/reviews/view.bg?articleid=1167645
Herald Editorial on "Tourism" line items proposed in Legislature
Eyeing earmarks in ‘tourist trap’
By Julie Mehegan | Friday, April 24, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Editorials
Looking down the barrel of a nearly $4 billion deficit, some unrepentant House lawmakers are still fighting to stuff next year’s budget with every last shred of pork.
Where is the shame?
Sure, it was a pleasant surprise, given Beacon Hill’s usual free-spending ways, to discover that House leaders had filed a budget plan that was virtually earmark-free and spared no one - not the powerful police unions, not state employees, not county sheriffs - from sharing in the sacrifice.
Even the tourism line item - a traditional hiding spot for legislative bacon - was unrecognizable.
Last year that infamous line item 7007-0900 stretched on for a full seven pages. This year, in the House plan, it is a single paragraph.
Sort of sends a message, doesn’t it?
Indeed, House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Murphy (D-Burlington) could not have made it any clearer to the rank-and-file members that there is no room whatsoever for extras in next year’s budget.
But too many individual members apparently believe that’s just for show. Because among the nearly 1,000 budget amendments filed by the April 18 deadline, a whole passel of them seek “tourism” set-asides - many of which have nothing to do with tourism, and that taxpayers can’t afford.
Rep. Stephen Smith (D-Everett) wants to jack the tourism bottom line by $300,000 to include, among other projects, improvement of Everett’s recreational playing fields. Because why get parents or local businesses to pitch in when you can bill it to beleaguered taxpayers.
Moving down to the Cape, where taxpayers expect to invest a fair sum in tourism promotion, Reps. Sarah Peake (D-Provincetown) and Matthew Patrick (D-Falmouth) are looking for a $50,000 earmark - not for whale-watch boats or a sailboat festival, but for the “Cape Cod Junior Technology Council.”
And the roof of the historic Mendon town hall needs repair. So Rep. John Fernandes (D-Milford) filed a request for $250,000 in, yep, tourism spending for that task. He wants another $17,100 earmark to buy a message board sign for the Hopedale Police Department. Surely the tour buses will be lined up to check it out.
True, a lot of this is playacting. Reps file amendments knowing they will go nowhere but they can tell the town officials and the voters back home, “I did my best.”
But whatever happened to the concept of leading by example - especially in a crisis?
Repeat - there is a possible $4 billion difference between projected state revenues and what Beacon Hill would normally plan to spend in fiscal 2010. And yet Reps. Katherine Clark and Mark Falzone think it’s just fine to put in for a quarter of a million dollars for performing arts promotion . . . in Wakefield.
Amendments seeking tax increases or the restoration of deep spending cuts are one thing. Their sponsors can credibly argue that they disagree with the budget priorities laid out by House leadership. But too many others just represent parochial cluelessness.
Debate on the House budget begins on Monday. In this round the buck stops with Murphy and DeLeo, and taxpayers had better pray the two of them have practiced the art of saying “No.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/editorials/view.bg?articleid=1167747
By Julie Mehegan | Friday, April 24, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Editorials
Looking down the barrel of a nearly $4 billion deficit, some unrepentant House lawmakers are still fighting to stuff next year’s budget with every last shred of pork.
Where is the shame?
Sure, it was a pleasant surprise, given Beacon Hill’s usual free-spending ways, to discover that House leaders had filed a budget plan that was virtually earmark-free and spared no one - not the powerful police unions, not state employees, not county sheriffs - from sharing in the sacrifice.
Even the tourism line item - a traditional hiding spot for legislative bacon - was unrecognizable.
Last year that infamous line item 7007-0900 stretched on for a full seven pages. This year, in the House plan, it is a single paragraph.
Sort of sends a message, doesn’t it?
Indeed, House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Murphy (D-Burlington) could not have made it any clearer to the rank-and-file members that there is no room whatsoever for extras in next year’s budget.
But too many individual members apparently believe that’s just for show. Because among the nearly 1,000 budget amendments filed by the April 18 deadline, a whole passel of them seek “tourism” set-asides - many of which have nothing to do with tourism, and that taxpayers can’t afford.
Rep. Stephen Smith (D-Everett) wants to jack the tourism bottom line by $300,000 to include, among other projects, improvement of Everett’s recreational playing fields. Because why get parents or local businesses to pitch in when you can bill it to beleaguered taxpayers.
Moving down to the Cape, where taxpayers expect to invest a fair sum in tourism promotion, Reps. Sarah Peake (D-Provincetown) and Matthew Patrick (D-Falmouth) are looking for a $50,000 earmark - not for whale-watch boats or a sailboat festival, but for the “Cape Cod Junior Technology Council.”
And the roof of the historic Mendon town hall needs repair. So Rep. John Fernandes (D-Milford) filed a request for $250,000 in, yep, tourism spending for that task. He wants another $17,100 earmark to buy a message board sign for the Hopedale Police Department. Surely the tour buses will be lined up to check it out.
True, a lot of this is playacting. Reps file amendments knowing they will go nowhere but they can tell the town officials and the voters back home, “I did my best.”
But whatever happened to the concept of leading by example - especially in a crisis?
Repeat - there is a possible $4 billion difference between projected state revenues and what Beacon Hill would normally plan to spend in fiscal 2010. And yet Reps. Katherine Clark and Mark Falzone think it’s just fine to put in for a quarter of a million dollars for performing arts promotion . . . in Wakefield.
Amendments seeking tax increases or the restoration of deep spending cuts are one thing. Their sponsors can credibly argue that they disagree with the budget priorities laid out by House leadership. But too many others just represent parochial cluelessness.
Debate on the House budget begins on Monday. In this round the buck stops with Murphy and DeLeo, and taxpayers had better pray the two of them have practiced the art of saying “No.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/editorials/view.bg?articleid=1167747
Friday, April 24, 2009
Gardner Museum Lays Off Staff
Museum cuts staff and budget
April 24, 2009 04:15 PM
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum will cut 12 jobs, or 9 percent, of its 140-person workforce, despite a significant increase in visitors this year, museum officials said today.
Director Anne Hawley said the layoffs were necessary after the value of the museum's endowment plunged 29 percent between July 2008 and February 2009. The endowment pays for 40 percent of the museum's operations, with additional funding coming through fund-raising donations.
"There will be no changes to admission prices, hours of operation, or major programming," Hawley said in a statement yesterday. "Our lively artistic programming is one of the main reasons that the museum continues to thrive."
The museum, which is modeled after a Venetian palace, has been in the process of raising more than $100 million to fund its first major expansion. The Gardner has hired Italian architect Renzo Piano to create a multistory building on the museum's Fenway site that would be connected to the ornate building that Gardner, a Boston socialite, designed.
Workers in the museum's administrative, development, conservation and curatorial staff have been eliminated, museum officials said. The museum's fiscal 2010 operating budget has also been reduced by 11 percent to $10.4 million.
(By Megan Woolhouse, Globe staff)
April 24, 2009 04:15 PM
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum will cut 12 jobs, or 9 percent, of its 140-person workforce, despite a significant increase in visitors this year, museum officials said today.
Director Anne Hawley said the layoffs were necessary after the value of the museum's endowment plunged 29 percent between July 2008 and February 2009. The endowment pays for 40 percent of the museum's operations, with additional funding coming through fund-raising donations.
"There will be no changes to admission prices, hours of operation, or major programming," Hawley said in a statement yesterday. "Our lively artistic programming is one of the main reasons that the museum continues to thrive."
The museum, which is modeled after a Venetian palace, has been in the process of raising more than $100 million to fund its first major expansion. The Gardner has hired Italian architect Renzo Piano to create a multistory building on the museum's Fenway site that would be connected to the ornate building that Gardner, a Boston socialite, designed.
Workers in the museum's administrative, development, conservation and curatorial staff have been eliminated, museum officials said. The museum's fiscal 2010 operating budget has also been reduced by 11 percent to $10.4 million.
(By Megan Woolhouse, Globe staff)
New Taco Place in Coolidge Corner, BerryLine to Expand, Restaurants Seek Patio Permits
It’s south of the border in Brookline
Spotlight on fish tacos
By Donna Goodison / Turning the Tables | Friday, April 24, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
When chef Douglas Organ added a fish taco as an afterthought to his menu at the former Cafe D in Jamaica Plain, it turned out to be his No. 1 best seller.
“It created a real buzz for me and a loyal following as well,” Organ said. “It was really the beginning of all of this for me.”
The taco was inspired by those sampled during trips to Ensenada, Mexico, while growing up in San Diego. And 2 years ago, he set about developing a new restaurant based on the flavors of the Baja Peninsula and Southern California.
The result is Dorado Tacos & Cemitas, which is expected to open in June on Harvard Street in Brookline, with 16 seats and plans for takeout service.
“It is definitely a different take on a taqueria,” said Organ, who sold Cafe D last August. “We’re trying to establish ourselves as the alternative to what I see as a proliferation of burrito places - Chipotle, Boloco and even Anna’s.”
Organ is bringing his fine-dining experience to Dorado, though prices will be more in tune with the current economic climate (two tacos for $3.99 and a whole Mexican-spiced, rotisserie chicken take-out meal for $16.99).
“It’s a chef-driven concept, rather than just a bunch of guys making giant vats of food and putting it inside a tortilla,” he said.
Dorado’s Ensenada fish taco, one of eight soft tacos on the menu, will be stuffed with crispy fried pollock and green cabbage, pico de gallo, pickled onions, Baja crema and lime.
The menu also will feature cemitas, a Mexican sandwich and street food adopted from the Lebanese population in Puebla, Mexico. Toasted sesame-seed egg rolls will be stacked with black beans, chipotles (smoked jalapeno peppers) in adobo sauce, avocado, Oaxaca cheese and a choice of portabella mushroom, house-made chorizo (sausage), beef or chicken asada, pork loin Milanesa or hamburger.
“It’s kind of our answer to that burrito thing - a more filling option that would be more portable,” Organ said.
Expansion plans are in motion for BerryLine, the Cambridge frozen yogurt spot started in 2007 by Pok Yang and Matthew Wallace, UCLA grad school friends who ditched their post-doctoral studies at MIT and Harvard Medical School.
New locations will open next week at 1668 Mass. Ave. in Cambridge and in late May at 1377 Boylston St. in Boston.
Outdoor dining season is upon us, and many Boston restaurants have been petitioning the city to open their sidewalks to customers.
Banq, which opened in February 2008 on Washington Street in the South End, this week sought approval for 46 outside seats, but its request was cut to 29.
The new Stephi’s on Tremont, meanwhile, won permission for 28 outside seats - not surprising given that predecessor Garden of Eden also enjoyed a patio.
Chef Scott Herritt resurrected the historic Marliave last year and now wants to add 30 patio seats to the Downtown Crossing eatery.
On the waterfront, the new Fairmont Battery Wharf hotel hopes to open an 86-seat patio in June for its Sensing restaurant. A separate 40-seat patio is planned for its Fairmont Gold, a premium guest lounge scheduled to open in June in its own building.
In the property’s unoccupied second building, which developer RBW LLC is marketing for commercial uses, plans call for another 7,600-square-foot restaurant with a 62-seat patio.
The Hen House could be the newest addition to Boston’s late-night eateries. The Mass. Ave. restaurant wants the city to extend its closing hour to 4 a.m., so it can serve its menu of wings, ribs, chicken and waffles, and barbecue.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1167689
Spotlight on fish tacos
By Donna Goodison / Turning the Tables | Friday, April 24, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
When chef Douglas Organ added a fish taco as an afterthought to his menu at the former Cafe D in Jamaica Plain, it turned out to be his No. 1 best seller.
“It created a real buzz for me and a loyal following as well,” Organ said. “It was really the beginning of all of this for me.”
The taco was inspired by those sampled during trips to Ensenada, Mexico, while growing up in San Diego. And 2 years ago, he set about developing a new restaurant based on the flavors of the Baja Peninsula and Southern California.
The result is Dorado Tacos & Cemitas, which is expected to open in June on Harvard Street in Brookline, with 16 seats and plans for takeout service.
“It is definitely a different take on a taqueria,” said Organ, who sold Cafe D last August. “We’re trying to establish ourselves as the alternative to what I see as a proliferation of burrito places - Chipotle, Boloco and even Anna’s.”
Organ is bringing his fine-dining experience to Dorado, though prices will be more in tune with the current economic climate (two tacos for $3.99 and a whole Mexican-spiced, rotisserie chicken take-out meal for $16.99).
“It’s a chef-driven concept, rather than just a bunch of guys making giant vats of food and putting it inside a tortilla,” he said.
Dorado’s Ensenada fish taco, one of eight soft tacos on the menu, will be stuffed with crispy fried pollock and green cabbage, pico de gallo, pickled onions, Baja crema and lime.
The menu also will feature cemitas, a Mexican sandwich and street food adopted from the Lebanese population in Puebla, Mexico. Toasted sesame-seed egg rolls will be stacked with black beans, chipotles (smoked jalapeno peppers) in adobo sauce, avocado, Oaxaca cheese and a choice of portabella mushroom, house-made chorizo (sausage), beef or chicken asada, pork loin Milanesa or hamburger.
“It’s kind of our answer to that burrito thing - a more filling option that would be more portable,” Organ said.
Expansion plans are in motion for BerryLine, the Cambridge frozen yogurt spot started in 2007 by Pok Yang and Matthew Wallace, UCLA grad school friends who ditched their post-doctoral studies at MIT and Harvard Medical School.
New locations will open next week at 1668 Mass. Ave. in Cambridge and in late May at 1377 Boylston St. in Boston.
Outdoor dining season is upon us, and many Boston restaurants have been petitioning the city to open their sidewalks to customers.
Banq, which opened in February 2008 on Washington Street in the South End, this week sought approval for 46 outside seats, but its request was cut to 29.
The new Stephi’s on Tremont, meanwhile, won permission for 28 outside seats - not surprising given that predecessor Garden of Eden also enjoyed a patio.
Chef Scott Herritt resurrected the historic Marliave last year and now wants to add 30 patio seats to the Downtown Crossing eatery.
On the waterfront, the new Fairmont Battery Wharf hotel hopes to open an 86-seat patio in June for its Sensing restaurant. A separate 40-seat patio is planned for its Fairmont Gold, a premium guest lounge scheduled to open in June in its own building.
In the property’s unoccupied second building, which developer RBW LLC is marketing for commercial uses, plans call for another 7,600-square-foot restaurant with a 62-seat patio.
The Hen House could be the newest addition to Boston’s late-night eateries. The Mass. Ave. restaurant wants the city to extend its closing hour to 4 a.m., so it can serve its menu of wings, ribs, chicken and waffles, and barbecue.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1167689
Grand Jury seeks papers from Hilton in spying case
Grand jury seeks Hilton papers in case alleging spying on Starwood
Updated 2d 1h ago
By Barbara De Lollis, USA TODAY
Federal prosecutors are investigating allegations that Hilton Hotels spied on Starwood Hotels & Resorts and used the information to launch a luxury hotel chain.
Hilton on Tuesday disclosed that it received a federal grand jury subpoena for documents related to allegations that Hilton and two employees, Ross Klein and Amar Lalvani, stole documents from Starwood (HOT) to develop a luxury hotel brand, Denizen.
Klein and Lalvani spearheaded Hilton's attempts to launch Denizen Hotels, a line intended to be Hilton's answer to Starwood's W Hotels chain. Klein was head of luxury and lifestyle brands, and Lalvani was head of development for the segment.
Hilton, the Beverly Hills-based hotel giant, said it has temporarily grounded Denizen's development. It also placed on paid administrative leave the employees in question, "pending Hilton's review of the situation," Hilton said in a release.
The subpoena, served by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, requests documents about Klein and Lalvani's hiring, as well as documents related to materials that Hilton returned to Starwood last February, Hilton said.
Federal prosecutors have the authority to pursue corporate espionage charges under the Economic Espionage Act of 1996, says Margaret Esquenet, an intellectual property lawyer at Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett and Dunner.
The subpoena is the latest twist in the surprising saga that pits publicly traded Starwood against Hilton, which was purchased by private equity firm Blackstone two years ago.
Last week, Starwood sued Klein, Lalvani and Hilton. In the lawsuit, it accused its former employees of stealing trade secrets to expedite Hilton's foray into the "lifestyle" market. Starwood, based in White Plains, N.Y., said that without those secrets Hilton wouldn't have been able to launch the Denizen brand in less than a year.
Hilton said last week that the lawsuit was without merit. It also said it intended to continue developing Denizen Hotels, a plan it reversed on Tuesday.
Both Klein and Lalvani were involved in the branding of Starwood's top-end W chain, but left for Hilton in June 2008.
Hilton, which was taken private by Blackstone, hired the pair to develop Hilton's own luxury chain and reinvigorate the Hilton name, which has been slow in entering the luxury market.
The lawsuit and federal investigation have the power to hurt Hilton's growth. A federal inquiry, combined with the lawsuit, is "certainly not good news for Hilton," says travel analyst Henry Harteveldt of Forrester Research. "Hilton will be distracted and have to invest resources," he says. "That means (some money) can't be spent acquiring other properties or marketing other brands. There's only so much money in the pot."
Updated 2d 1h ago
By Barbara De Lollis, USA TODAY
Federal prosecutors are investigating allegations that Hilton Hotels spied on Starwood Hotels & Resorts and used the information to launch a luxury hotel chain.
Hilton on Tuesday disclosed that it received a federal grand jury subpoena for documents related to allegations that Hilton and two employees, Ross Klein and Amar Lalvani, stole documents from Starwood (HOT) to develop a luxury hotel brand, Denizen.
Klein and Lalvani spearheaded Hilton's attempts to launch Denizen Hotels, a line intended to be Hilton's answer to Starwood's W Hotels chain. Klein was head of luxury and lifestyle brands, and Lalvani was head of development for the segment.
Hilton, the Beverly Hills-based hotel giant, said it has temporarily grounded Denizen's development. It also placed on paid administrative leave the employees in question, "pending Hilton's review of the situation," Hilton said in a release.
The subpoena, served by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, requests documents about Klein and Lalvani's hiring, as well as documents related to materials that Hilton returned to Starwood last February, Hilton said.
Federal prosecutors have the authority to pursue corporate espionage charges under the Economic Espionage Act of 1996, says Margaret Esquenet, an intellectual property lawyer at Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett and Dunner.
The subpoena is the latest twist in the surprising saga that pits publicly traded Starwood against Hilton, which was purchased by private equity firm Blackstone two years ago.
Last week, Starwood sued Klein, Lalvani and Hilton. In the lawsuit, it accused its former employees of stealing trade secrets to expedite Hilton's foray into the "lifestyle" market. Starwood, based in White Plains, N.Y., said that without those secrets Hilton wouldn't have been able to launch the Denizen brand in less than a year.
Hilton said last week that the lawsuit was without merit. It also said it intended to continue developing Denizen Hotels, a plan it reversed on Tuesday.
Both Klein and Lalvani were involved in the branding of Starwood's top-end W chain, but left for Hilton in June 2008.
Hilton, which was taken private by Blackstone, hired the pair to develop Hilton's own luxury chain and reinvigorate the Hilton name, which has been slow in entering the luxury market.
The lawsuit and federal investigation have the power to hurt Hilton's growth. A federal inquiry, combined with the lawsuit, is "certainly not good news for Hilton," says travel analyst Henry Harteveldt of Forrester Research. "Hilton will be distracted and have to invest resources," he says. "That means (some money) can't be spent acquiring other properties or marketing other brands. There's only so much money in the pot."
Hilton Hotels served Federal Grand Jury Subpoena
Hilton Hotels served federal grand jury subpoena
03:03 PM
The hotel battle brewing between Starwood and Hilton grew more interesting Tuesday, when Hilton announced that federal prosecutors entered the mix.
In what could prove to be a major distraction for Hilton Hotels, the company disclosed in a press release that it received a federal grand jury subpoena from the U.S. States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.
The subpoena seeks documents related to Hilton's hiring of ex-Starwood employees Ross Klein and Amar Lalvani, and other documents that Hilton had in its possession but returned to Starwood in February, according to Hilton's two-paragraph release.
Other news in Tuesday's release:
* Hilton placed Klein, Lalvani "and their luxury and lifestyle team" on paid administrative leave pending an internal review of the situation. The team is in charge of Hilton's efforts to develop the Waldorf Astoria brand, just as it prepares to open an enormous Waldorf resort in Orlando.
* Hilton has temporarily suspended development of the Denizen Hotels brand, the new luxury lifestyles brand (similar to the trendy W brand that Klein helped make successful) that Hilton had announced in January.
Federal prosecutors have the authority to pursue corporate espionage charges under the Economic Espionage Act of 1996, says Margaret Esquenet, an intellectual property lawyer for Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett and Dunner in Washington D.C.
New to the Starwood-Hilton war? Catch up here:
On April 16, Starwood filed a civil suit against Hilton alleging that its former employees, Klein and Lalvani, and Hilton, committed corporate espionage. It's an unusual accusation in the hotel world.
The suit specifically charges them with unlawfully obtaining and using Starwood's information and research to launch its own luxury chain, Denizen. (Hotels magazine has the actual complaint here.)
Read my original post and exclusive comments from Starwood CEO Frits van Paasschen during his week blogging for Hotel Check-In.
03:03 PM
The hotel battle brewing between Starwood and Hilton grew more interesting Tuesday, when Hilton announced that federal prosecutors entered the mix.
In what could prove to be a major distraction for Hilton Hotels, the company disclosed in a press release that it received a federal grand jury subpoena from the U.S. States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.
The subpoena seeks documents related to Hilton's hiring of ex-Starwood employees Ross Klein and Amar Lalvani, and other documents that Hilton had in its possession but returned to Starwood in February, according to Hilton's two-paragraph release.
Other news in Tuesday's release:
* Hilton placed Klein, Lalvani "and their luxury and lifestyle team" on paid administrative leave pending an internal review of the situation. The team is in charge of Hilton's efforts to develop the Waldorf Astoria brand, just as it prepares to open an enormous Waldorf resort in Orlando.
* Hilton has temporarily suspended development of the Denizen Hotels brand, the new luxury lifestyles brand (similar to the trendy W brand that Klein helped make successful) that Hilton had announced in January.
Federal prosecutors have the authority to pursue corporate espionage charges under the Economic Espionage Act of 1996, says Margaret Esquenet, an intellectual property lawyer for Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett and Dunner in Washington D.C.
New to the Starwood-Hilton war? Catch up here:
On April 16, Starwood filed a civil suit against Hilton alleging that its former employees, Klein and Lalvani, and Hilton, committed corporate espionage. It's an unusual accusation in the hotel world.
The suit specifically charges them with unlawfully obtaining and using Starwood's information and research to launch its own luxury chain, Denizen. (Hotels magazine has the actual complaint here.)
Read my original post and exclusive comments from Starwood CEO Frits van Paasschen during his week blogging for Hotel Check-In.
Starwood Sues Hilton over alleged corporate espionage
Starwood sues Hilton Hotels over alleged corporate espionage
BREAKING NEWS 6:25 pm, April 17: Starwood CEO's exclusive blog post about Hilton lawsuit
Hotel giant Starwood Hotels late tonight filed suit against rival Hilton Hotels, accusing it of stealing trade secrets to help it launch a rival luxury chain quickly and cheaply. The Wall Street Journal was the first news outlet to run a story about the filing.
Filed in federal court in New York, Starwood's suit alleges that Hilton stole more than 100,000 electronic and hard copy files containing trade secrets to help it expand its luxury hotel offerings. "The large volume of confidential information taken is extraordinary," the filing says.
Hilton last month announced the launch of Denizen, a chic, upscale chain that would rival Starwood's offerings. The brains behind Denizen include two executives who until last year ran Starwood's luxury hotels unit.
Among other things, Starwood asks the court to prevent Hilton from launching Denizen.
In a statement, Hilton senior vice president Ellen Gonda said that Hilton "believes this lawsuit is without merit and will vigorously defend itself." Hilton intends to move ahead with the development of Denizen, the statement said.
Starwood's suit suggests that Hilton was under pressure to perform because private equity firm Blackstone Group two years ago paid the "top-of-market" price of $20 billion for the hotel company.
Hilton stood to gain time and money from allegedly stealing Starwood's trade secrets, said Starwood's general counsel, Kenneth Siegel, in a statement.
"The wholesale looting of proprietary Starwood information, including a step-by-step playbook for creating a lifestyle luxury hotel brand, unfairly enabled Hilton to launch a new brand in only nine months instead of the usual three to five years," he said.
Starwood's suit names Hilton Hotels, as well as executives Ross Klein and Amar Lalvani, the former Starwood executives who last year went to work for Hilton. They knew Starwood's strategy for the St. Regis, W Hotels and Luxury Collection brands, the filing alleges.
Readers: It's not often that we see hotel companies duke it out like this, and I surely plan to ask Starwood CEO Frits van Paasschen tomorrow about it. Friday's his last day as Hotel Check-In's guest blogger as part of my new Checking in with the Chief series. Stay tuned...
BREAKING NEWS 6:25 pm, April 17: Starwood CEO's exclusive blog post about Hilton lawsuit
Hotel giant Starwood Hotels late tonight filed suit against rival Hilton Hotels, accusing it of stealing trade secrets to help it launch a rival luxury chain quickly and cheaply. The Wall Street Journal was the first news outlet to run a story about the filing.
Filed in federal court in New York, Starwood's suit alleges that Hilton stole more than 100,000 electronic and hard copy files containing trade secrets to help it expand its luxury hotel offerings. "The large volume of confidential information taken is extraordinary," the filing says.
Hilton last month announced the launch of Denizen, a chic, upscale chain that would rival Starwood's offerings. The brains behind Denizen include two executives who until last year ran Starwood's luxury hotels unit.
Among other things, Starwood asks the court to prevent Hilton from launching Denizen.
In a statement, Hilton senior vice president Ellen Gonda said that Hilton "believes this lawsuit is without merit and will vigorously defend itself." Hilton intends to move ahead with the development of Denizen, the statement said.
Starwood's suit suggests that Hilton was under pressure to perform because private equity firm Blackstone Group two years ago paid the "top-of-market" price of $20 billion for the hotel company.
Hilton stood to gain time and money from allegedly stealing Starwood's trade secrets, said Starwood's general counsel, Kenneth Siegel, in a statement.
"The wholesale looting of proprietary Starwood information, including a step-by-step playbook for creating a lifestyle luxury hotel brand, unfairly enabled Hilton to launch a new brand in only nine months instead of the usual three to five years," he said.
Starwood's suit names Hilton Hotels, as well as executives Ross Klein and Amar Lalvani, the former Starwood executives who last year went to work for Hilton. They knew Starwood's strategy for the St. Regis, W Hotels and Luxury Collection brands, the filing alleges.
Readers: It's not often that we see hotel companies duke it out like this, and I surely plan to ask Starwood CEO Frits van Paasschen tomorrow about it. Friday's his last day as Hotel Check-In's guest blogger as part of my new Checking in with the Chief series. Stay tuned...
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Items Found at Hotel Killer suspect's apartment
Craigslist suspect allegedly hoarded panties, gun
Cops unearth secret stash
By Jessica Van Sack, Jessica Fargen, Laurel J. Sweet and Marie Szaniszlo | Thursday, April 23, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage
The bombshell revelation that accused Craigslist killer Philip Markoff allegedly kept a secret stash of panties in his apartment and a gun hidden in his copy of “Gray’s Anatomy” had investigators yesterday zeroing in on a deeper, darker motive behind the depraved rampage.
“There are various items of all kinds of ilk that we feel are connected to (the) incidents . . . that are subject right now to forensic examination,” said Lt. Detective Robert M. Merner, referring to what one source called creepy “mementos” allegedly discovered in Markoff’s Quincy apartment.
Meanwhile, the Herald has learned that the mother of Markoff’s fiancee cautioned her before she left for Boston on Saturday that a murderer was on the loose in the city.
Cops were told of the ironic warning on Monday as they gently broke the news to Markoff’s fiancee, Megan McAllister. The 25-year-old New Jersey native was demanding to know why she was being hauled into BPD headquarters for questioning, cops said.
Investigators asked whether she had heard of the local attacks making national news.
“She said, ‘My mother warned me about that,’ ” a law enforcement source told the Herald.
McAllister broke down upon hearing cops say her beloved was allegedly the Web fiend preying on hotel-room hookers.
By then, Boston police were securing a search warrant for the 23-year-old Boston University medical student’s apartment. In addition to the twisted souvenirs, cops discovered a semi-automatic handgun inside a hollowed-out copy of the medical textbook “Gray’s Anatomy of the Human Body,” a source said.
Police also unearthed duct tape, restraints and ammo when they scoured the apartment of the seemingly clean-cut upstate New York native, who was set to marry his blond bride-to-be in August.
An aspiring doctor herself, McAllister remained in seclusion while relatives gathered at her parents’ home in Little Silver, four miles from the Jersey Shore site of their planned nuptials.
Markoff pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges that he murdered Julissa Brisman, 26, an erotic masseuse from New York.
A wake was held for Brisman at the Ortiz R.C. Funeral Home in Washington Heights, New York City, last night.
“This is my daughter; this is my life,” Brisman’s distraught mother, Carmen Guzman, wailed at her apartment yesterday, according to The New York Daily News.
One of Brisman’s closest friends, who identified herself only as Beth, recalled the aspiring model and actress as an empathetic woman who prayed for Beth’s nephew after he died. “She donated to SIDS research,” Beth said. “She was dearly loved, and I will miss her enormously.”
A Suffolk County prosecutor argued Tuesday that Markoff set up a masseuse appointment with Brisman after contacting her via Craigslist, arriving to rob her at gunpoint at the Copley Marriott April 14. Prosecutors say she was bludgeoned and shot three times at close range, one bullet piercing her heart.
Markoff is also charged with the April 10 armed robbery of a 29-year-old Las Vegas prostitute who was staying at the Westin hotel in Copley Square when she was attacked. That woman, Trisha Leffler, was also contacted by Markoff via Craigslist, prosecutors have said.
The Herald reported yesterday on Markoff’s alleged gambling habit, noting he and McAllister were headed to Foxwoods Resort and Casino when cops nabbed him.
Asked whether Markoff’s alleged gambling jones was a potential motive, Merner said, “That was not part of our investigation. I know he’s a medical student who wasn’t working.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1167475
Related Articles:
Cops unearth secret stash
By Jessica Van Sack, Jessica Fargen, Laurel J. Sweet and Marie Szaniszlo | Thursday, April 23, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage
The bombshell revelation that accused Craigslist killer Philip Markoff allegedly kept a secret stash of panties in his apartment and a gun hidden in his copy of “Gray’s Anatomy” had investigators yesterday zeroing in on a deeper, darker motive behind the depraved rampage.
“There are various items of all kinds of ilk that we feel are connected to (the) incidents . . . that are subject right now to forensic examination,” said Lt. Detective Robert M. Merner, referring to what one source called creepy “mementos” allegedly discovered in Markoff’s Quincy apartment.
Meanwhile, the Herald has learned that the mother of Markoff’s fiancee cautioned her before she left for Boston on Saturday that a murderer was on the loose in the city.
Cops were told of the ironic warning on Monday as they gently broke the news to Markoff’s fiancee, Megan McAllister. The 25-year-old New Jersey native was demanding to know why she was being hauled into BPD headquarters for questioning, cops said.
Investigators asked whether she had heard of the local attacks making national news.
“She said, ‘My mother warned me about that,’ ” a law enforcement source told the Herald.
McAllister broke down upon hearing cops say her beloved was allegedly the Web fiend preying on hotel-room hookers.
By then, Boston police were securing a search warrant for the 23-year-old Boston University medical student’s apartment. In addition to the twisted souvenirs, cops discovered a semi-automatic handgun inside a hollowed-out copy of the medical textbook “Gray’s Anatomy of the Human Body,” a source said.
Police also unearthed duct tape, restraints and ammo when they scoured the apartment of the seemingly clean-cut upstate New York native, who was set to marry his blond bride-to-be in August.
An aspiring doctor herself, McAllister remained in seclusion while relatives gathered at her parents’ home in Little Silver, four miles from the Jersey Shore site of their planned nuptials.
Markoff pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges that he murdered Julissa Brisman, 26, an erotic masseuse from New York.
A wake was held for Brisman at the Ortiz R.C. Funeral Home in Washington Heights, New York City, last night.
“This is my daughter; this is my life,” Brisman’s distraught mother, Carmen Guzman, wailed at her apartment yesterday, according to The New York Daily News.
One of Brisman’s closest friends, who identified herself only as Beth, recalled the aspiring model and actress as an empathetic woman who prayed for Beth’s nephew after he died. “She donated to SIDS research,” Beth said. “She was dearly loved, and I will miss her enormously.”
A Suffolk County prosecutor argued Tuesday that Markoff set up a masseuse appointment with Brisman after contacting her via Craigslist, arriving to rob her at gunpoint at the Copley Marriott April 14. Prosecutors say she was bludgeoned and shot three times at close range, one bullet piercing her heart.
Markoff is also charged with the April 10 armed robbery of a 29-year-old Las Vegas prostitute who was staying at the Westin hotel in Copley Square when she was attacked. That woman, Trisha Leffler, was also contacted by Markoff via Craigslist, prosecutors have said.
The Herald reported yesterday on Markoff’s alleged gambling habit, noting he and McAllister were headed to Foxwoods Resort and Casino when cops nabbed him.
Asked whether Markoff’s alleged gambling jones was a potential motive, Merner said, “That was not part of our investigation. I know he’s a medical student who wasn’t working.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1167475
Related Articles:
Gambling may be factor as Hotel killing supsect arraigned
Easy prey drew suspect, DA says
Officials think gambling may factor into case
By Maria Cramer, John R. Ellement, and Jonathan Saltzman, Globe Staff | April 22, 2009
This story was reported by Maria Cramer, John R. Ellement, and Jonathan Saltzman of the Globe staff and was written by Saltzman.
A Boston University medical student who allegedly trolled Craigslist for women he could rob in hotels may have been motivated by a gambling problem and a desire to dominate his victims, authorities said yesterday as Philip Markoff was arraigned on charges of murder, kidnapping, and armed robbery.
Speaking after the 23-year-old Quincy man appeared in a packed Boston Municipal Court room, Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said Markoff wanted easy targets. He found them, Conley said, in a masseuse he is accused of killing at the Boston Marriott Copley Place hotel April 14 and a prostitute he is charged with robbing at the Westin Copley Place April 10.
"He chose women, and he chose women who were living somewhat on life's margins, so that he could dominate them, abuse them," Conley said. "He seems to have no problem physically hurting women and dominating them."
Markoff's lawyer, John Salsberg, declared that his client is not the man some have nicknamed the Craigslist killer.
"Philip Markoff is not guilty of the charges," Salsberg told reporters. "He has family support. Philip is bearing up. It's obviously a difficult time, for anybody under these circumstances, for the charges that have been brought against him . . . He pleaded not guilty. He is not guilty."
Prosecutors contend that Markoff shot 26-year-old Julissa Brisman three times with a handgun after they struggled fiercely in the doorway of her room on the 20th floor of the luxury Marriott Copley. The fatal shot pierced her heart, Assistant District Attorney Jennifer J. Hickman said at the arraignment. He also bashed her head in, Hickman said.
Four days earlier, Hickman said, he tied up Trisha Leffler, a 29-year-old prostitute from Las Vegas, at gunpoint at the Westin Copley Place and stole her debit card, $800 in cash, and $250 in American Express gift cards.
Hotel security photographs of a tall man believed to have attacked the women in the upscale Back Bay hotels were widely released afterward. But another crucial break in the case, authorities said yesterday, came when a friend of Brisman's pointed investigators to e-mail messages her killer had sent before her fatal liaison. Investigators homed in on Markoff after examining and discarding more than 150 other tips and leads, according to a law enforcment official.
Markoff, an athletic-looking man who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs more than 200 pounds, was in the courtroom for his arraignment, his face betraying little emotion. His shoulders hunched, he seated himself next to his lawyer, folded his cuffed hands on his lap, and stared at Judge Paul K. Leary.
Markoff's face remained impassive as a prosecutor described the crimes. No one from his family seemed to be in the courtroom, which was packed with reporters, court employees, and curious prosecutors and defense lawyers with no connection to the case.
A plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf, and Markoff was ordered held without bail on the murder charge until his next court appearance on May 21.
Brisman's father, Hector, sat in the front row during the arraignment, next to a victim's advocate from the district attorney's office. He glanced at Markoff occasionally but appeared composed. After the arraignment, as police tried to steer him from reporters, he put his hand to his face and rubbed his eyes.
As reporters from across the country descended on Boston yesterday, fresh details began to emerge about Markoff's arrest Monday in Walpole as he drove south on Interstate 95. He was traveling, Conley said, with his fiancee, Megan McAllister, whom he had met at the State University of New York at Albany.
The couple had packed bags, Conley said, and Markoff told police they were heading to Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. They agreed to be questioned by Boston police and were driven back to the city in separate cars. McAllister was later released.
"He was en route to Foxwoods to spend the night there," Conley said. "The question on the nature and the extent of his gambling - whether he is a casual, periodic gambler or a regular gambler - I don't know the answer to that question. . . . As we explore various motives for the robberies, gambling is certainly a motive that we will look at."
Investigators believe Markoff was a gambler based on their interviews with witnesses and are trying to retrace his steps to find out whether he had been visiting casinos in the last week, according to a law enforcement official who asked for anonymity because of restrictions on public disclosures about the case.
When asked to respond to reports that Markoff had visited Foxwoods recently, perhaps even after Brisman's killing, a casino spokeswoman issued a statement: "We do not release information publicly concerning individual patrons; however, we are aware of this situation and are cooperating with the appropriate law enforcement authorities."
The arrest followed a frantic effort by federal, state and Boston law enforcement officials to find whoever had attacked two women in Boston who had advertised on Craigslist. Investigators believe the man may be the culprit in a third attack, on a prostitute who also used the online classified service, on April 17 at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in Rhode Island.
Police have not charged anyone in the third attack, but Warwick Police Chief Stephen M. McCartney said yesterday, "We remain confident that there is a strong connection here with the Boston incidents."
A break in the case came when a close friend and former roommate of Brisman's found e-mail messages Brisman had exchanged with the client she was to meet at the hotel, according to authorities. Investigators say Markoff had opened a new e-mail account the day before Brisman's death. The woman forwarded the e-mail messages to the police, who allegedly traced them to Markoff's apartment in Quincy.
Armed with the computer evidence and hotel surveillance photographs, which depicted a tall man who strongly resembled Markoff, police put the second-year medical student under surveillance over the weekend, said two law enforcement sources. But officers did not make an arrest right away, because they were sifting through scores of other tips. By Monday, the law enforcement sources said, police had ruled out other suspects and made their move.
A search of Markoff's apartment in a high-rise luxury tower in Quincy yielded a firearm, restraints, duct tape, and other items that authorities declined to disclose, Conley said. Leffler, the first woman attacked, was bound and gagged with duct tape; Brisman's attacker tried to tie her up, but she put up a struggle and was ultimately killed. A sport utility vehicle registered to a James McAllister of New Jersey was also taken from the Quincy property and impounded.
Conley has urged other women to come forward if they had been assaulted after advertising erotic services on Craigslist.
Salsberg said his client had "nothing to hide" and characterized the allegations as "just words that are spoken in a courtroom, rather than documents, or results of scientific tests, or statements of witnesses." He also said he was unaware of his client having gambling problems.
Yesterday morning, Markoff's fiancee defended him in an e-mail message she sent to ABC News, according to the website of "Good Morning America."
"Unfortunately, you were given wrong information, as was the public," McAllister wrote. "All I have to say to you is Philip is a beautiful person inside and out and could not hurt a fly! A police officer in Boston (or many) is trying to make big bucks by selling this false story to the TV stations. What else is new?? Philip is an intelligent man who is just trying to live his life so if you could leave us alone we would greatly appreciate it. We expect to marry in August and share a wonderful, meaningful life together."
Maria Cramer can be reached at mcramer@globe.com. John Ellement can be reached at ellement@globe.com. Jonathan Saltzman can be reached at jsaltzman@globe.com.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
Officials think gambling may factor into case
By Maria Cramer, John R. Ellement, and Jonathan Saltzman, Globe Staff | April 22, 2009
This story was reported by Maria Cramer, John R. Ellement, and Jonathan Saltzman of the Globe staff and was written by Saltzman.
A Boston University medical student who allegedly trolled Craigslist for women he could rob in hotels may have been motivated by a gambling problem and a desire to dominate his victims, authorities said yesterday as Philip Markoff was arraigned on charges of murder, kidnapping, and armed robbery.
Speaking after the 23-year-old Quincy man appeared in a packed Boston Municipal Court room, Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said Markoff wanted easy targets. He found them, Conley said, in a masseuse he is accused of killing at the Boston Marriott Copley Place hotel April 14 and a prostitute he is charged with robbing at the Westin Copley Place April 10.
"He chose women, and he chose women who were living somewhat on life's margins, so that he could dominate them, abuse them," Conley said. "He seems to have no problem physically hurting women and dominating them."
Markoff's lawyer, John Salsberg, declared that his client is not the man some have nicknamed the Craigslist killer.
"Philip Markoff is not guilty of the charges," Salsberg told reporters. "He has family support. Philip is bearing up. It's obviously a difficult time, for anybody under these circumstances, for the charges that have been brought against him . . . He pleaded not guilty. He is not guilty."
Prosecutors contend that Markoff shot 26-year-old Julissa Brisman three times with a handgun after they struggled fiercely in the doorway of her room on the 20th floor of the luxury Marriott Copley. The fatal shot pierced her heart, Assistant District Attorney Jennifer J. Hickman said at the arraignment. He also bashed her head in, Hickman said.
Four days earlier, Hickman said, he tied up Trisha Leffler, a 29-year-old prostitute from Las Vegas, at gunpoint at the Westin Copley Place and stole her debit card, $800 in cash, and $250 in American Express gift cards.
Hotel security photographs of a tall man believed to have attacked the women in the upscale Back Bay hotels were widely released afterward. But another crucial break in the case, authorities said yesterday, came when a friend of Brisman's pointed investigators to e-mail messages her killer had sent before her fatal liaison. Investigators homed in on Markoff after examining and discarding more than 150 other tips and leads, according to a law enforcment official.
Markoff, an athletic-looking man who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs more than 200 pounds, was in the courtroom for his arraignment, his face betraying little emotion. His shoulders hunched, he seated himself next to his lawyer, folded his cuffed hands on his lap, and stared at Judge Paul K. Leary.
Markoff's face remained impassive as a prosecutor described the crimes. No one from his family seemed to be in the courtroom, which was packed with reporters, court employees, and curious prosecutors and defense lawyers with no connection to the case.
A plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf, and Markoff was ordered held without bail on the murder charge until his next court appearance on May 21.
Brisman's father, Hector, sat in the front row during the arraignment, next to a victim's advocate from the district attorney's office. He glanced at Markoff occasionally but appeared composed. After the arraignment, as police tried to steer him from reporters, he put his hand to his face and rubbed his eyes.
As reporters from across the country descended on Boston yesterday, fresh details began to emerge about Markoff's arrest Monday in Walpole as he drove south on Interstate 95. He was traveling, Conley said, with his fiancee, Megan McAllister, whom he had met at the State University of New York at Albany.
The couple had packed bags, Conley said, and Markoff told police they were heading to Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. They agreed to be questioned by Boston police and were driven back to the city in separate cars. McAllister was later released.
"He was en route to Foxwoods to spend the night there," Conley said. "The question on the nature and the extent of his gambling - whether he is a casual, periodic gambler or a regular gambler - I don't know the answer to that question. . . . As we explore various motives for the robberies, gambling is certainly a motive that we will look at."
Investigators believe Markoff was a gambler based on their interviews with witnesses and are trying to retrace his steps to find out whether he had been visiting casinos in the last week, according to a law enforcement official who asked for anonymity because of restrictions on public disclosures about the case.
When asked to respond to reports that Markoff had visited Foxwoods recently, perhaps even after Brisman's killing, a casino spokeswoman issued a statement: "We do not release information publicly concerning individual patrons; however, we are aware of this situation and are cooperating with the appropriate law enforcement authorities."
The arrest followed a frantic effort by federal, state and Boston law enforcement officials to find whoever had attacked two women in Boston who had advertised on Craigslist. Investigators believe the man may be the culprit in a third attack, on a prostitute who also used the online classified service, on April 17 at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in Rhode Island.
Police have not charged anyone in the third attack, but Warwick Police Chief Stephen M. McCartney said yesterday, "We remain confident that there is a strong connection here with the Boston incidents."
A break in the case came when a close friend and former roommate of Brisman's found e-mail messages Brisman had exchanged with the client she was to meet at the hotel, according to authorities. Investigators say Markoff had opened a new e-mail account the day before Brisman's death. The woman forwarded the e-mail messages to the police, who allegedly traced them to Markoff's apartment in Quincy.
Armed with the computer evidence and hotel surveillance photographs, which depicted a tall man who strongly resembled Markoff, police put the second-year medical student under surveillance over the weekend, said two law enforcement sources. But officers did not make an arrest right away, because they were sifting through scores of other tips. By Monday, the law enforcement sources said, police had ruled out other suspects and made their move.
A search of Markoff's apartment in a high-rise luxury tower in Quincy yielded a firearm, restraints, duct tape, and other items that authorities declined to disclose, Conley said. Leffler, the first woman attacked, was bound and gagged with duct tape; Brisman's attacker tried to tie her up, but she put up a struggle and was ultimately killed. A sport utility vehicle registered to a James McAllister of New Jersey was also taken from the Quincy property and impounded.
Conley has urged other women to come forward if they had been assaulted after advertising erotic services on Craigslist.
Salsberg said his client had "nothing to hide" and characterized the allegations as "just words that are spoken in a courtroom, rather than documents, or results of scientific tests, or statements of witnesses." He also said he was unaware of his client having gambling problems.
Yesterday morning, Markoff's fiancee defended him in an e-mail message she sent to ABC News, according to the website of "Good Morning America."
"Unfortunately, you were given wrong information, as was the public," McAllister wrote. "All I have to say to you is Philip is a beautiful person inside and out and could not hurt a fly! A police officer in Boston (or many) is trying to make big bucks by selling this false story to the TV stations. What else is new?? Philip is an intelligent man who is just trying to live his life so if you could leave us alone we would greatly appreciate it. We expect to marry in August and share a wonderful, meaningful life together."
Maria Cramer can be reached at mcramer@globe.com. John Ellement can be reached at ellement@globe.com. Jonathan Saltzman can be reached at jsaltzman@globe.com.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
T to layoff 75 workers
MBTA to lay off 75 to trim deficit
T sets furloughs, freeze on wages
By Noah Bierman, Globe Staff | April 22, 2009
The MBTA, facing deepening financial troubles, will lay off 75 employees and impose furloughs and a wage freeze on its nonunion workers, General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas said yesterday.
The layoffs, which will include Transit Police and call center employees, along with office staff and managers, will save $4.5 million to $6 million a year, but will probably not be enough to prevent the agency's budget gap for the coming year from growing even larger than the previous projection of $160 million, said Grabauskas. The cuts will not have a direct impact on bus, rail, or other commuter services.
"I expect the deficit to be larger," Grabauskas said. "But I can't tell you how much."
He cataloged a multitude of new woes facing the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority yesterday - including fewer passengers, decreases in advertising revenue, and increases in pension costs - that could add millions to the deficit as the T begins a budget year fraught with uncertainty July 1. Grabauskas has said he will have to raise fares and cut service drastically unless the authority gets help from the State Legislature, far from a certainty, given leading lawmakers' lack of support for a gas tax increase.
Grabauskas also announced new rules preventing retired employees from working under consulting contracts with the T, or working for the T through employment agencies. Former T employees could still work for companies hired by the agency for outside projects, but companies will be required to disclose the relationships, Grabauskas said. The new rules were adopted after a recent report in the Globe that the T had hired four retirees as contractors, allowing them to collect both pensions and salaries.
"I want to avoid even the perception of favoritism," said Grabauskas.
His effort to build public support for a rescue has been hampered by the report of double-dipping retirees. Talking to reporters yesterday, Grabauskas pointed out a number of efforts he has made to reduce costs, including a 34 percent reduction in overtime expenses between 2005 and 2008.
The T announced furloughs and layoffs a week after Governor Deval Patrick imposed similar measures on other state agencies. The T, an independent authority, maintains a separate budget from the state, but also relies on sales tax dollars to pay the bulk of its operating costs.
"We're in a global recession," said Senator Steven A. Baddour, a Methuen Democrat who cochairs the Joint Transportation Committee. "We're going to be forced to make some very difficult decisions that will fundamentally change the face of state government."
The combination of lower-than-expected tax collections and increasing payments on the T's $8.1 billion debt have hurt the authority's efforts to escape a cycle of deficits. In recent years, the T has restructured its debt repeatedly to come up with cash necessary to stay afloat. Because of that, its debt payment will increase in the next fiscal year by $77.5 million, the biggest single factor in the looming deficit.
The T has about 6,244 employees. In addition to trimming 75 positions, the T has reduced its staff by 187 people since a 2008 hiring freeze and plans to reduce staff by an additional 70 positions in the coming budget year, Grabauskas said.
All but about 300 of the T's employees are covered under union contracts, meaning the 3- to 5-day furloughs and wage freezes announced yesterday will affect only a fraction of its staff. Union workers, as part of an arbitrated contract settlement, are scheduled to receive 4 percent pay raises in the coming budget year, costing the agency $14.7 million.
Grabauskas, who has said he will forgo an increase in his $255,000 salary, said he has held informal talks with union leaders about similar concessions, but has yet to sit down formally. The head of the T's largest union, the Boston Carmen's Union, could not be reached for comment yesterday afternoon.
The T has known about the higher union salary costs and the increased debt payments for months. But other issues have taken longer to emerge. Passenger counts, which reached record highs last year amid rising gas prices, have begun declining again, with drops of 4.9 percent in January and 4.8 percent in February.
The T had been assuming an increase in ridership of 1 percent for the coming budget year.
Public transit advocates have been warning of the T's problems for more than a year and are increasingly worried lawmakers will not rescue the agency.
"I don't think this is some political move; I think this is literally the T trying to balance its books," said Eric Bourassa, an advocate with the Massachusetts Public Research Interest Group who closely tracks the T's finances. "I am very frustrated that in the Legislature, the conversation quickly becomes a political one and not a substantive policy discussion."
Noah Bierman can be reached at nbierman@globe.com.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
T sets furloughs, freeze on wages
By Noah Bierman, Globe Staff | April 22, 2009
The MBTA, facing deepening financial troubles, will lay off 75 employees and impose furloughs and a wage freeze on its nonunion workers, General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas said yesterday.
The layoffs, which will include Transit Police and call center employees, along with office staff and managers, will save $4.5 million to $6 million a year, but will probably not be enough to prevent the agency's budget gap for the coming year from growing even larger than the previous projection of $160 million, said Grabauskas. The cuts will not have a direct impact on bus, rail, or other commuter services.
"I expect the deficit to be larger," Grabauskas said. "But I can't tell you how much."
He cataloged a multitude of new woes facing the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority yesterday - including fewer passengers, decreases in advertising revenue, and increases in pension costs - that could add millions to the deficit as the T begins a budget year fraught with uncertainty July 1. Grabauskas has said he will have to raise fares and cut service drastically unless the authority gets help from the State Legislature, far from a certainty, given leading lawmakers' lack of support for a gas tax increase.
Grabauskas also announced new rules preventing retired employees from working under consulting contracts with the T, or working for the T through employment agencies. Former T employees could still work for companies hired by the agency for outside projects, but companies will be required to disclose the relationships, Grabauskas said. The new rules were adopted after a recent report in the Globe that the T had hired four retirees as contractors, allowing them to collect both pensions and salaries.
"I want to avoid even the perception of favoritism," said Grabauskas.
His effort to build public support for a rescue has been hampered by the report of double-dipping retirees. Talking to reporters yesterday, Grabauskas pointed out a number of efforts he has made to reduce costs, including a 34 percent reduction in overtime expenses between 2005 and 2008.
The T announced furloughs and layoffs a week after Governor Deval Patrick imposed similar measures on other state agencies. The T, an independent authority, maintains a separate budget from the state, but also relies on sales tax dollars to pay the bulk of its operating costs.
"We're in a global recession," said Senator Steven A. Baddour, a Methuen Democrat who cochairs the Joint Transportation Committee. "We're going to be forced to make some very difficult decisions that will fundamentally change the face of state government."
The combination of lower-than-expected tax collections and increasing payments on the T's $8.1 billion debt have hurt the authority's efforts to escape a cycle of deficits. In recent years, the T has restructured its debt repeatedly to come up with cash necessary to stay afloat. Because of that, its debt payment will increase in the next fiscal year by $77.5 million, the biggest single factor in the looming deficit.
The T has about 6,244 employees. In addition to trimming 75 positions, the T has reduced its staff by 187 people since a 2008 hiring freeze and plans to reduce staff by an additional 70 positions in the coming budget year, Grabauskas said.
All but about 300 of the T's employees are covered under union contracts, meaning the 3- to 5-day furloughs and wage freezes announced yesterday will affect only a fraction of its staff. Union workers, as part of an arbitrated contract settlement, are scheduled to receive 4 percent pay raises in the coming budget year, costing the agency $14.7 million.
Grabauskas, who has said he will forgo an increase in his $255,000 salary, said he has held informal talks with union leaders about similar concessions, but has yet to sit down formally. The head of the T's largest union, the Boston Carmen's Union, could not be reached for comment yesterday afternoon.
The T has known about the higher union salary costs and the increased debt payments for months. But other issues have taken longer to emerge. Passenger counts, which reached record highs last year amid rising gas prices, have begun declining again, with drops of 4.9 percent in January and 4.8 percent in February.
The T had been assuming an increase in ridership of 1 percent for the coming budget year.
Public transit advocates have been warning of the T's problems for more than a year and are increasingly worried lawmakers will not rescue the agency.
"I don't think this is some political move; I think this is literally the T trying to balance its books," said Eric Bourassa, an advocate with the Massachusetts Public Research Interest Group who closely tracks the T's finances. "I am very frustrated that in the Legislature, the conversation quickly becomes a political one and not a substantive policy discussion."
Noah Bierman can be reached at nbierman@globe.com.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
North End Group opposes Government Center Tower Plan
N. End group slams plan for 2 towers
By Thomas Grillo | Wednesday, April 22, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Real Estate
Fearing a second Big Dig, a neighborhood group opposes plans for a $2.3 billion mega-office development in Government Center.
In a letter to the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the North End-Waterfront Residents’ Association said it opposes the Raymond Property Co.’s plan for a 3 million-square-foot development next to the John F. Kennedy building.
“The North End only recently gained relief from the construction impacts of the Central Artery project, which lasted more than 20 years,” said the letter.
The 300-member group also said the project’s height and density are out of scale.
Raymond hopes to demolish the Government Center Garage and replace it with two skyscrapers - 42 and 52 stories tall. The proposed complex would include a hotel, condominiums and retailers.
The North End group is not the only organization lining up against the project. The Impact Advisory Group, a panel appointed by Mayor Thomas M. Menino to advise City Hall on the project, has raised questions about the height of the towers.
Stephen G. Kasnet, Raymond’s chief executive, declined comment. But a BRA spokeswoman said the letter was one of four dozen that will be considered by the city.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view.bg?articleid=1167201
By Thomas Grillo | Wednesday, April 22, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Real Estate
Fearing a second Big Dig, a neighborhood group opposes plans for a $2.3 billion mega-office development in Government Center.
In a letter to the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the North End-Waterfront Residents’ Association said it opposes the Raymond Property Co.’s plan for a 3 million-square-foot development next to the John F. Kennedy building.
“The North End only recently gained relief from the construction impacts of the Central Artery project, which lasted more than 20 years,” said the letter.
The 300-member group also said the project’s height and density are out of scale.
Raymond hopes to demolish the Government Center Garage and replace it with two skyscrapers - 42 and 52 stories tall. The proposed complex would include a hotel, condominiums and retailers.
The North End group is not the only organization lining up against the project. The Impact Advisory Group, a panel appointed by Mayor Thomas M. Menino to advise City Hall on the project, has raised questions about the height of the towers.
Stephen G. Kasnet, Raymond’s chief executive, declined comment. But a BRA spokeswoman said the letter was one of four dozen that will be considered by the city.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view.bg?articleid=1167201
Menino to Run for 5th Term as Boston Mayor
Menino not ready to leave just yet
Launches campaign for unprecedented 5th term as mayor
By Donovan Slack, Globe Staff | April 22, 2009
He has been spotted filming a campaign commercial, and the headquarters across from City Hall is up and running. Today, Mayor Thomas M. Menino will make it official and formally announce that he is running for election to a fifth term, according to a member of Menino's inner circle.
Even though the announcement promises to be anticlimactic because of his earlier campaign activity, Menino will seek to maximize publicity with a whirlwind of events, including a downtown kickoff and two neighborhood rallies, according to the person who has been briefed on the plans and was only authorized by Menino to speak anonymously.
The 66-year-old Menino is already on track to be the longest-serving mayor in city history, with 16 years and six months in office when he finishes this term in December. If he wins and completes a fifth four-year term, he would have spent more than two decades as mayor.
A message left seeking comment at his campaign headquarters yesterday was not returned.
But the mayor's confidante who described today's plans said his campaign theme will be "Moving Boston Forward."
The mayor is also launching a campaign website and a platform with the overarching message, "Having a great record is something to run on, having a vision is something to run for," the person said.
The announcement is scheduled to take place this afternoon at Digitas, a high-tech company with 750 Boston-based employees and a headquarters downtown. Rallies are set this evening in Roxbury and Roslindale, where Menino announced his first run for mayor in 1993.
Menino joins two city councilors and a South End businessman in the race. Councilors Michael F. Flaherty and Sam Yoon and construction company owner Kevin McCrea have already announced their intentions to run against Menino.
All are hitting similar notes with their campaign slogans: "A new season for Boston" (for Flaherty); "A new way of politics" (for Yoon); and "It's time for a change" (for McCrea).
In his speech today, Menino is expected to say that while he stands on his record, he has "the vision, the dream, and the confidence that things can be even better," said the person briefed on his plans.
One Menino supporter, Suffolk County Sheriff Andrea Cabral, said she had been invited to attend one of the mayor's events today. "I genuinely believe that, especially right now, with the economic situation in this city, that he's the person best equipped to lead this city," Cabral said yesterday. "I really believe that."
As for the lack of mystery surrounding Menino's intentions in recent weeks, Cabral said she believed there were still questions swirling. "It isn't real until the candidate formally announces," she said. "When the candidate formally announces, they're formally in the race."
Donovan Slack can be reached at dslack@globe.com.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
Launches campaign for unprecedented 5th term as mayor
By Donovan Slack, Globe Staff | April 22, 2009
He has been spotted filming a campaign commercial, and the headquarters across from City Hall is up and running. Today, Mayor Thomas M. Menino will make it official and formally announce that he is running for election to a fifth term, according to a member of Menino's inner circle.
Even though the announcement promises to be anticlimactic because of his earlier campaign activity, Menino will seek to maximize publicity with a whirlwind of events, including a downtown kickoff and two neighborhood rallies, according to the person who has been briefed on the plans and was only authorized by Menino to speak anonymously.
The 66-year-old Menino is already on track to be the longest-serving mayor in city history, with 16 years and six months in office when he finishes this term in December. If he wins and completes a fifth four-year term, he would have spent more than two decades as mayor.
A message left seeking comment at his campaign headquarters yesterday was not returned.
But the mayor's confidante who described today's plans said his campaign theme will be "Moving Boston Forward."
The mayor is also launching a campaign website and a platform with the overarching message, "Having a great record is something to run on, having a vision is something to run for," the person said.
The announcement is scheduled to take place this afternoon at Digitas, a high-tech company with 750 Boston-based employees and a headquarters downtown. Rallies are set this evening in Roxbury and Roslindale, where Menino announced his first run for mayor in 1993.
Menino joins two city councilors and a South End businessman in the race. Councilors Michael F. Flaherty and Sam Yoon and construction company owner Kevin McCrea have already announced their intentions to run against Menino.
All are hitting similar notes with their campaign slogans: "A new season for Boston" (for Flaherty); "A new way of politics" (for Yoon); and "It's time for a change" (for McCrea).
In his speech today, Menino is expected to say that while he stands on his record, he has "the vision, the dream, and the confidence that things can be even better," said the person briefed on his plans.
One Menino supporter, Suffolk County Sheriff Andrea Cabral, said she had been invited to attend one of the mayor's events today. "I genuinely believe that, especially right now, with the economic situation in this city, that he's the person best equipped to lead this city," Cabral said yesterday. "I really believe that."
As for the lack of mystery surrounding Menino's intentions in recent weeks, Cabral said she believed there were still questions swirling. "It isn't real until the candidate formally announces," she said. "When the candidate formally announces, they're formally in the race."
Donovan Slack can be reached at dslack@globe.com.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
Developer Intends to Build 15 story hotel in South End
Builder sees room to grow hotel plan
By Thomas Grillo | Tuesday, April 21, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Real Estate
The developer of a mid-priced hotel in the South End has expanded the scope of the project.
BH Normandy of Newton notified the Boston Redevelopment Authority last week that it plans to build about 300,000 to 350,000 square feet on a former Teradyne parking lot at 275 Albany St. That’s bigger than the 265,000-square-foot hotel pitched in a letter of intent to the BRA last May.
A new letter of intent - sent by the developer’s attorney, Melvin Shuman of the firm WilmerHale - details a 15-story building with 130 parking spaces. The plan would require various zoning variances.
The new hotel is one of several proposals for an industrial section of the South End seen by some as the city’s last frontier.
“The project will help revitalize this part of the South End,” Shuman wrote, “and we are excited to be part of what we believe will be the rebirth of this area.” He also cited the proposed hotel’s proximity to the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in South Boston.
Blue Hawk Investments’ Paul Ferreira, who is part of the development team, did not return calls seeking comment.
In February, the MBTA selected BH Normandy to develop Riverside Station on the Green Line, near Route 128, with 420,000 square feet of office space, 60,000 square feet of retail and 190 apartments.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view.bg?articleid=1167002
By Thomas Grillo | Tuesday, April 21, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Real Estate
The developer of a mid-priced hotel in the South End has expanded the scope of the project.
BH Normandy of Newton notified the Boston Redevelopment Authority last week that it plans to build about 300,000 to 350,000 square feet on a former Teradyne parking lot at 275 Albany St. That’s bigger than the 265,000-square-foot hotel pitched in a letter of intent to the BRA last May.
A new letter of intent - sent by the developer’s attorney, Melvin Shuman of the firm WilmerHale - details a 15-story building with 130 parking spaces. The plan would require various zoning variances.
The new hotel is one of several proposals for an industrial section of the South End seen by some as the city’s last frontier.
“The project will help revitalize this part of the South End,” Shuman wrote, “and we are excited to be part of what we believe will be the rebirth of this area.” He also cited the proposed hotel’s proximity to the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in South Boston.
Blue Hawk Investments’ Paul Ferreira, who is part of the development team, did not return calls seeking comment.
In February, the MBTA selected BH Normandy to develop Riverside Station on the Green Line, near Route 128, with 420,000 square feet of office space, 60,000 square feet of retail and 190 apartments.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view.bg?articleid=1167002
Gambling Fever Increases in Massachusetts
Gambling fever develops 2 strains
Camps divide into casinos vs. slots
By Matt Viser, Globe Staff | April 22, 2009
For gambling proponents, it was like drawing a full house in poker when state Senate President Therese Murray raised her arm last week, mimicked pulling a slot machine lever, and said, "Ka-ching." But even with new momentum for legalized gambling in Massachusetts, disagreements abound over what form it should take.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Suffolk Downs racetrack, and a coalition of trade unions and North Shore politicians renewed their push yesterday to legalize full resort casinos in Massachusetts. Their vision mirrors the pitch by Governor Deval Patrick last year to license casinos on the scale of those in Las Vegas and Connecticut, complete with lavish hotels and other amenities.
Other political heavyweights, including state Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill and House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, have been making the case that major players in the casino industry have fallen victim to the economic downturn, are trying to stave of bankruptcy, and are not in a position to build lavish resorts. They argue that stripped-down slot machine parlors would be easier and cheaper to build and would produce money for state coffers sooner.
"I feel there has to be a component for slots at the tracks before we even have a discussion relative to casino gambling," DeLeo told reporters yesterday. "My position hasn't changed. . . . I see it as a relatively quick way of gaining revenue."
Resort casino advocates counter that Massachusetts needs to compete directly with Connecticut's destination casinos, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. They also want the higher number of jobs that resorts would generate.
"We don't have the luxury to continue a policy that exports Massachusetts tax revenues, jobs, and tourism to Connecticut and Rhode Island," Menino said yesterday in a statement. "We have an opportunity with the authorization of resort casinos to create a new and sustainable revenue source for the state and cities and towns that will also create thousands of new jobs and stimulate tourism and economic development growth. And we need to seize that opportunity now."
The coalition includes a range of local officials, from mayors to selectmen. Trade unions in the group include sheet metal workers, carpenters, and the Massachusetts AFL-CIO.
The topic of casinos dominated the State House last year before its defeat was engineered by House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi. DiMasi resigned in January and was replaced by DeLeo, who is a gambling proponent.
But some of those pushing for resort casinos are coming from DeLeo's own district, which includes Suffolk Downs and Wonderland racetracks
"I can say categorically and unequivocally, this is not a criticism of anything that Speaker DeLeo has proposed," said Mayor Thomas Ambrosino of Revere, who favors resort casinos. "Perhaps there's some compromise out there that says, let's move eventually to resort-style casinos but start with slot machines."
The letter from local officials, which is going out this week, was signed by Menino, Ambrosino, Mayor Kim Driscoll of Salem, and City Manager Jay Ash of Chelsea.
The coalition was initially formed last year to advocate for the governor's proposals, and it has largely been led by Suffolk Downs.
Last year, for example, the operators of Suffolk Downs enlisted Mayor Michael Bissonnette of Chicopee to be featured on a pamphlet, mailed statewide, that sought to make the case for resort-style casinos.
Suffolk Downs also paid for a 50,000-piece mailing that went out statewide in November 2007 and was signed by Robert J. Haynes, president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO.
Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
Camps divide into casinos vs. slots
By Matt Viser, Globe Staff | April 22, 2009
For gambling proponents, it was like drawing a full house in poker when state Senate President Therese Murray raised her arm last week, mimicked pulling a slot machine lever, and said, "Ka-ching." But even with new momentum for legalized gambling in Massachusetts, disagreements abound over what form it should take.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Suffolk Downs racetrack, and a coalition of trade unions and North Shore politicians renewed their push yesterday to legalize full resort casinos in Massachusetts. Their vision mirrors the pitch by Governor Deval Patrick last year to license casinos on the scale of those in Las Vegas and Connecticut, complete with lavish hotels and other amenities.
Other political heavyweights, including state Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill and House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, have been making the case that major players in the casino industry have fallen victim to the economic downturn, are trying to stave of bankruptcy, and are not in a position to build lavish resorts. They argue that stripped-down slot machine parlors would be easier and cheaper to build and would produce money for state coffers sooner.
"I feel there has to be a component for slots at the tracks before we even have a discussion relative to casino gambling," DeLeo told reporters yesterday. "My position hasn't changed. . . . I see it as a relatively quick way of gaining revenue."
Resort casino advocates counter that Massachusetts needs to compete directly with Connecticut's destination casinos, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. They also want the higher number of jobs that resorts would generate.
"We don't have the luxury to continue a policy that exports Massachusetts tax revenues, jobs, and tourism to Connecticut and Rhode Island," Menino said yesterday in a statement. "We have an opportunity with the authorization of resort casinos to create a new and sustainable revenue source for the state and cities and towns that will also create thousands of new jobs and stimulate tourism and economic development growth. And we need to seize that opportunity now."
The coalition includes a range of local officials, from mayors to selectmen. Trade unions in the group include sheet metal workers, carpenters, and the Massachusetts AFL-CIO.
The topic of casinos dominated the State House last year before its defeat was engineered by House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi. DiMasi resigned in January and was replaced by DeLeo, who is a gambling proponent.
But some of those pushing for resort casinos are coming from DeLeo's own district, which includes Suffolk Downs and Wonderland racetracks
"I can say categorically and unequivocally, this is not a criticism of anything that Speaker DeLeo has proposed," said Mayor Thomas Ambrosino of Revere, who favors resort casinos. "Perhaps there's some compromise out there that says, let's move eventually to resort-style casinos but start with slot machines."
The letter from local officials, which is going out this week, was signed by Menino, Ambrosino, Mayor Kim Driscoll of Salem, and City Manager Jay Ash of Chelsea.
The coalition was initially formed last year to advocate for the governor's proposals, and it has largely been led by Suffolk Downs.
Last year, for example, the operators of Suffolk Downs enlisted Mayor Michael Bissonnette of Chicopee to be featured on a pamphlet, mailed statewide, that sought to make the case for resort-style casinos.
Suffolk Downs also paid for a 50,000-piece mailing that went out statewide in November 2007 and was signed by Robert J. Haynes, president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO.
Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
JetBlue to begin Boston-BWI service in September
JetBlue adds flights to Baltimore-D.C. area
Plan could ignite fare wars between discount carriers at Logan
By Paul Makishima, Globe Staff | April 23, 2009
A lower-fare battle is beginning.
JetBlue Airways plans to announce today that on Sept. 9 it will begin daily flights from Logan International Airport to Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
Southwest Airlines earlier this month said it would launch service from Boston to Chicago Midway Airport and to Baltimore on Aug. 16.
JetBlue, which already has six daily nonstop flights between Boston and Washington Dulles International Airport, will offer four daily flights to Baltimore. Introductory prices will start at $39 for one-way fares purchased before May 4. Southwest said it will offer introductory fares as low as $89 one-way for Chicago and $49 one-way for Baltimore.
"JetBlue's in the business of giving customers more than the other guys, so today we are pleased to announce even more flights to the Washington area," said Scott Laurence, JetBlue vice president of network planning.
The new flights are good news for Boston travelers. When Southwest, which carries more passengers than any other US airline, enters a market, it tends to ratchet up pressure on rivals, driving down prices.
This may be particularly true at Logan, as it is not dominated by any single airline and already offers service from a number of other lower-fare carriers, including Virgin America, AirTran Airways, and Spirit Airlines.
"This move by JetBlue suggests that things will be much sweeter for the people in Boston," said Rick Seaney, chief executive of Farecompare.com, a website that tracks airline fares and trends.
Daniel M. Kasper, managing director of Cambridge aviation consulting firm LECG LLC, said yesterday that JetBlue's move is atypical of the so-called Southwest effect, in which "Southwest moves into a market and the legacy carriers cut their prices. This battle of discount carrier vs. discount carrier is a bit more unusual," he said.
But the move is in line with JetBlue's Boston strategy. The airline said in October that Boston was one of the three most important cities in its growth strategy, which focuses on luring more business travelers and charter flights for companies and teams. It also said it would increase its Logan operations this year.
"Baltimore will be our 32nd city from Boston," said Sebastian White, a company spokesman, in a statement. "And in a nod to the growing importance of Boston, it will be a city served only from Boston."
To be sure, the decision to start service to Baltimore is strategic, coming little more than a week after Southwest detailed its plans for service from Logan, with five daily nonstop flights each to Chicago Midway and Baltimore, two of the most popular of the carrier's focus cities.
JetBlue already offered direct daily service to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, but not to Baltimore.
Laurence said the decision had nothing to do with Southwest and everything to do with Boston.
"This is part of a bigger strategy involving Boston. We want to focus on the biggest destinations of the markets that matter most to us," he said.
Meanwhile, airline analysts said they were puzzled by the move. Kasper said that he expects JetBlue to encounter heavy competition on the new route on both ends.
"I'm surprised, really surprised. Southwest and AirTran are already going at it hammer and tongs in Baltimore," he said. "Why would JetBlue want to leap into the middle of that?"
Henry H. Harteveldt, principal airline analyst for Forrester Research Inc., agrees.
"Definitely a move that makes you go 'Huh?' unless it is part of a larger strategy to serve Baltimore. For example, I could see JetBlue eventually flying from BWI to West Coast cities," Harteveldt said in an e-mail. "And there's definitely a bit of 'Take that!' aimed at Southwest for entering Logan."
Southwest, on the other hand, said it was not surprised. "We knew when we entered Logan that we wouldn't be the only low-fare carrier there or entering there," said Paul Flaningan, a spokesman. "But we welcome the competition. We're very confident in the value of our no-hidden-fees guarantee and high-quality customer service."
Paul S. Makishima can be reached at makishima@globe.com.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
Plan could ignite fare wars between discount carriers at Logan
By Paul Makishima, Globe Staff | April 23, 2009
A lower-fare battle is beginning.
JetBlue Airways plans to announce today that on Sept. 9 it will begin daily flights from Logan International Airport to Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
Southwest Airlines earlier this month said it would launch service from Boston to Chicago Midway Airport and to Baltimore on Aug. 16.
JetBlue, which already has six daily nonstop flights between Boston and Washington Dulles International Airport, will offer four daily flights to Baltimore. Introductory prices will start at $39 for one-way fares purchased before May 4. Southwest said it will offer introductory fares as low as $89 one-way for Chicago and $49 one-way for Baltimore.
"JetBlue's in the business of giving customers more than the other guys, so today we are pleased to announce even more flights to the Washington area," said Scott Laurence, JetBlue vice president of network planning.
The new flights are good news for Boston travelers. When Southwest, which carries more passengers than any other US airline, enters a market, it tends to ratchet up pressure on rivals, driving down prices.
This may be particularly true at Logan, as it is not dominated by any single airline and already offers service from a number of other lower-fare carriers, including Virgin America, AirTran Airways, and Spirit Airlines.
"This move by JetBlue suggests that things will be much sweeter for the people in Boston," said Rick Seaney, chief executive of Farecompare.com, a website that tracks airline fares and trends.
Daniel M. Kasper, managing director of Cambridge aviation consulting firm LECG LLC, said yesterday that JetBlue's move is atypical of the so-called Southwest effect, in which "Southwest moves into a market and the legacy carriers cut their prices. This battle of discount carrier vs. discount carrier is a bit more unusual," he said.
But the move is in line with JetBlue's Boston strategy. The airline said in October that Boston was one of the three most important cities in its growth strategy, which focuses on luring more business travelers and charter flights for companies and teams. It also said it would increase its Logan operations this year.
"Baltimore will be our 32nd city from Boston," said Sebastian White, a company spokesman, in a statement. "And in a nod to the growing importance of Boston, it will be a city served only from Boston."
To be sure, the decision to start service to Baltimore is strategic, coming little more than a week after Southwest detailed its plans for service from Logan, with five daily nonstop flights each to Chicago Midway and Baltimore, two of the most popular of the carrier's focus cities.
JetBlue already offered direct daily service to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, but not to Baltimore.
Laurence said the decision had nothing to do with Southwest and everything to do with Boston.
"This is part of a bigger strategy involving Boston. We want to focus on the biggest destinations of the markets that matter most to us," he said.
Meanwhile, airline analysts said they were puzzled by the move. Kasper said that he expects JetBlue to encounter heavy competition on the new route on both ends.
"I'm surprised, really surprised. Southwest and AirTran are already going at it hammer and tongs in Baltimore," he said. "Why would JetBlue want to leap into the middle of that?"
Henry H. Harteveldt, principal airline analyst for Forrester Research Inc., agrees.
"Definitely a move that makes you go 'Huh?' unless it is part of a larger strategy to serve Baltimore. For example, I could see JetBlue eventually flying from BWI to West Coast cities," Harteveldt said in an e-mail. "And there's definitely a bit of 'Take that!' aimed at Southwest for entering Logan."
Southwest, on the other hand, said it was not surprised. "We knew when we entered Logan that we wouldn't be the only low-fare carrier there or entering there," said Paul Flaningan, a spokesman. "But we welcome the competition. We're very confident in the value of our no-hidden-fees guarantee and high-quality customer service."
Paul S. Makishima can be reached at makishima@globe.com.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
Suffolk Downs Could be open for gambling quickly
Suffolk ready to roll
Key owner: Track could quickly set up slots
By Thomas Grillo | Thursday, April 23, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
The owner of Suffolk Downs said he can transform the 163-acre racetrack into a slot machine parlor and entertainment center within 120 days.
“We have the infrastructure and the financial resources to put together a first-rate product very quickly,” said Richard Fields, the principal owner of the East Boston horse track. “We are very optimistic about an understanding among the Beacon Hill leadership to pursue some form of expanded gaming in the commonwealth.”
Last week, Sen. President Therese Murray surprised business leaders at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce breakfast when she said Gov. Deval Patrick, House Speaker Robert DeLeo and her office have agreed to support some form of expanded gambling legislation this fall. It’s unclear what would be contained in the measure - slots at racetracks, casinos or a combination.
Fields, who built a casino for Florida’s Seminole Tribe, is not the only developer hoping to take advantage of the changing landscape on Beacon Hill.
The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe is still pushing plans for a $1 billion resort casino in Middleboro. Sheldon Adelson, a Dorchester native, has floated the idea for a casino off Interstate 495 in Boston’s western suburbs. Operators of Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun are also geared up for a gambling resort in the Western Massachusetts town of Palmer. Northeast Resorts has plans for a waterfront gambling resort overlooking New Bedford Harbor.
Suffolk Downs would partner with rival Wonderland Greyhound Park to build a resort-style casino. The two tracks, located 2 miles apart, joined forces last year rather than compete for a single casino license.
“Suffolk could double the number of its employees to more than 3,000,” said Fields of the prospect of expanded gambling at the East Boston landmark. “We’re waiting to see the legislative outcome.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1167489
Key owner: Track could quickly set up slots
By Thomas Grillo | Thursday, April 23, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
The owner of Suffolk Downs said he can transform the 163-acre racetrack into a slot machine parlor and entertainment center within 120 days.
“We have the infrastructure and the financial resources to put together a first-rate product very quickly,” said Richard Fields, the principal owner of the East Boston horse track. “We are very optimistic about an understanding among the Beacon Hill leadership to pursue some form of expanded gaming in the commonwealth.”
Last week, Sen. President Therese Murray surprised business leaders at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce breakfast when she said Gov. Deval Patrick, House Speaker Robert DeLeo and her office have agreed to support some form of expanded gambling legislation this fall. It’s unclear what would be contained in the measure - slots at racetracks, casinos or a combination.
Fields, who built a casino for Florida’s Seminole Tribe, is not the only developer hoping to take advantage of the changing landscape on Beacon Hill.
The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe is still pushing plans for a $1 billion resort casino in Middleboro. Sheldon Adelson, a Dorchester native, has floated the idea for a casino off Interstate 495 in Boston’s western suburbs. Operators of Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun are also geared up for a gambling resort in the Western Massachusetts town of Palmer. Northeast Resorts has plans for a waterfront gambling resort overlooking New Bedford Harbor.
Suffolk Downs would partner with rival Wonderland Greyhound Park to build a resort-style casino. The two tracks, located 2 miles apart, joined forces last year rather than compete for a single casino license.
“Suffolk could double the number of its employees to more than 3,000,” said Fields of the prospect of expanded gambling at the East Boston landmark. “We’re waiting to see the legislative outcome.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1167489
New Basement Owner Seen as leaning toward rebuilding chain
New Filene’s Basement owner seen as rebuilding chain
By Donna Goodison | Thursday, April 23, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
The new owner of Filene’s Basement was silent about its future yesterday, but retail observers say that the Buxbaum Group’s CEO is known more as a turnaround expert than a liquidator.
A possible scenario for the cash-poor, Burlington-based chain of 25 stores is that Buxbaum will seek to restructure the off-price discounter, which could involve closing more stores or disposing of certain parts of the business to save the company.
Whether a restructuring would take place through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing would depend on timing and liquidity, and whether creditors cooperate.
“My perspective is that the Buxbaum Group will try to find ways - whether through a formal restructuring or not - to help a company with a historic past of 100 years survive,” said Andy Moser of Westwood’s Kairos Capital Partners, which has collaborated with Buxbaum but isn’t involved in the Basement deal. “Like any company that has troubles, there are often pieces that have to go away . . . so it certainly would not be uncommon to see that happen here.”
The Agoura Hills, Calif.-based Buxbaum Group declined comment, but a spokeswoman for Filene’s Basement said the company wasn’t liquidating.
Late Tuesday, Retail Ventures said it disposed of its Basement subsidiary to a newly formed entity owned by Buxbaum. The Ohio company, which had owned the Basement since 2000, essentially handed over the keys to Buxbaum, acknowledging it won’t receive any proceeds and still is on the hook for the Basement’s debt.
Buxbaum Group CEO Paul Buxbaum, who was chairman of Ames Department Stores in the 1990s, has 30-plus years of clothing industry experience. His company stepped in when L.A.-based Rampage faced Chapter 11 bankruptcy and after a two-year overhaul, the junior clothing brand was sold to Iconix Brand Group for $45.9 million in 2005. Last month, Buxbaum was named CEO of Haggar Clothing Co.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1167482
By Donna Goodison | Thursday, April 23, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
The new owner of Filene’s Basement was silent about its future yesterday, but retail observers say that the Buxbaum Group’s CEO is known more as a turnaround expert than a liquidator.
A possible scenario for the cash-poor, Burlington-based chain of 25 stores is that Buxbaum will seek to restructure the off-price discounter, which could involve closing more stores or disposing of certain parts of the business to save the company.
Whether a restructuring would take place through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing would depend on timing and liquidity, and whether creditors cooperate.
“My perspective is that the Buxbaum Group will try to find ways - whether through a formal restructuring or not - to help a company with a historic past of 100 years survive,” said Andy Moser of Westwood’s Kairos Capital Partners, which has collaborated with Buxbaum but isn’t involved in the Basement deal. “Like any company that has troubles, there are often pieces that have to go away . . . so it certainly would not be uncommon to see that happen here.”
The Agoura Hills, Calif.-based Buxbaum Group declined comment, but a spokeswoman for Filene’s Basement said the company wasn’t liquidating.
Late Tuesday, Retail Ventures said it disposed of its Basement subsidiary to a newly formed entity owned by Buxbaum. The Ohio company, which had owned the Basement since 2000, essentially handed over the keys to Buxbaum, acknowledging it won’t receive any proceeds and still is on the hook for the Basement’s debt.
Buxbaum Group CEO Paul Buxbaum, who was chairman of Ames Department Stores in the 1990s, has 30-plus years of clothing industry experience. His company stepped in when L.A.-based Rampage faced Chapter 11 bankruptcy and after a two-year overhaul, the junior clothing brand was sold to Iconix Brand Group for $45.9 million in 2005. Last month, Buxbaum was named CEO of Haggar Clothing Co.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1167482
How Filene's Basement got sold at a discount
How Filene's Basement got sold at markdown
By Robert Weisman and Erin Ailworth, Globe Staff | April 23, 2009
Through a succession of owners who expanded, pulled back, and tinkered with the brand, Filene's Basement has never been able to recapture the magic of its original Washington Street location.
"You always felt like you were treasure hunting," said Ellen Wallack, an interior designer living in Boston who shopped at Filene's Basement for 30 years.
In the decades after World War II, it was a Boston icon, a pioneer in the automatic markdowns and off-price retailing that drew swarms of budget-minded shoppers. This week, it was unceremoniously plucked from the bargain bin by a California liquidation company.
The two-decade slide of Filene's Basement, which was transferred to a subsidiary of Buxbaum Group in a no-proceeds transaction disclosed Tuesday, illustrates many of the changes that have transformed and ultimately weakened the retail business. Competition from discounters that offered high-end brands for cheap prices and a recession that forced upscale retailers to slash their prices and consumers to scrimp on purchases all combined to disrupt what once was a unique and unassailable business model.
Two years ago, the chain temporarily shut down its flagship store in Boston's Downtown Crossing for a mammoth renovation project that has since stalled. That store had generated as much as 20 percent of the chain's annual revenue, some analysts estimated. Without it, they said, Filene's Basement lost much of its ability to command wholesale discounts by purchasing large volumes of merchandise.
"They were tripped up by that big hole in the ground, the project that was supposed to remake Downtown Crossing," said Michael Tesler, a partner at the Norwell consulting firm Retail Concepts.
Executives of Retail Ventures Inc., the Ohio parent company of Filene's Basement, unveiled in 2006 an ambitious makeover for a retailer long known for its treasure hunts and the "running of the brides," in which shoppers scrambled in search of marked-down wedding gowns. The new plan was to take the chain upscale, raising prices, upgrading merchandise, and opening spiffed-up stores with flat-screen televisions and private dressing rooms in high-rent districts such as the Back Bay in Boston and Union Square in Manhattan.
But the timing could not have been worse. Filene's Basement already had been squeezed between big-box discounters like Wal-Mart and Target and other retailers offering off-price designer brands like J.C. Penney, Marshall's, and TJ Maxx. As the economy began to slow, it faced an unlikely new tier of price-cutting competitors: the very stores, like Macy's, it had hoped to challenge in the high-end market.
The slumping economy gave retailers little leeway to raise prices. Consumer spending, which made up 71 percent of US economic activity in mid-2008, has fallen back to 70.5 percent, according to the Commerce Department. Research firm Moody's Economy.com projects it will drop to 65 percent of economic activity in the next few years.
"After everything else that's happened to Filene's Basement, the bad economy has just choked their recovery around the neck," said Bob Gottlieb, president of Sceptre Marketing Group in Maynard.
But even before the economy soured, Filene's Basement, founded in Boston in 1908 by Edward A. Filene as a way to sell excess merchandise from his father's department store upstairs, was troubled. The business expanded to nearly 56 stores by the mid-1990s, but later scaled back after struggling in new markets.
The retailer developed an identity crisis, the result of a series of ownership changes as the it moved in and out of bankruptcy over the past decade. That confusion intensified as the chain sought to go upscale, replacing $99 men's suits with $200 ones and offering a variety of discounted designer jeans such as Antik Denim for $129. The changes came just as consumers began tightening belts.
"They've gotten extremely high-end," said Wallack, the Filene's shopper, adding that the chain is sending mixed messages to consumers. "Filene's has lost its identity . . . [and] to survive it needs to re-find its identity as a bargain basement where people can find treasures."
Waves of expansion in the 1990s failed to ignite enthusiasm for Filene's Basement outside the region, with some analysts complaining the stores had become too similar to other discounters.
"By opening branch stores, they diluted the brand," Tesler said. "The branch stores didn't have the automatic markdowns [of unsold merchandise], the lunchtime traffic, the running of the brides. Instead of seeing Filene's Basement as something special, people saw it as a store like any other."
Gottleib agreed. "The intrigue of shopping at Filene's Basement was mostly a Boston thing, a New England thing," he said.
Many younger shoppers may not even remember what the brand once represented. But they do have a taste for bargains.
Jahan Habib, 27, of Boston, said he's been shopping at Filene's Basement for about five years, but misses the Downtown Crossing store because he found better deals there. Yesterday, he dropped by the store's Boylston Street location, looking for a suit. "It's kind of tough in this economy for most people so it's great having discounts," Habib said. "But in the end, the price has to be significantly lower."
Tesler said the solution may be for the new owners, who specialize in liquidation and turnarounds, to resell the chain.
"I only see one possibility," he said. "Somebody who understands Boston, understands the brand, could buy it, close the branches, and run it as a one-of-a-kind store at the original location. That would put it back in Downtown Crossing and rebuild the brand."
Robert Weisman can be reached at weisman@globe.com; Erin Ailworth can be reached at eailworth@globe.com.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
By Robert Weisman and Erin Ailworth, Globe Staff | April 23, 2009
Through a succession of owners who expanded, pulled back, and tinkered with the brand, Filene's Basement has never been able to recapture the magic of its original Washington Street location.
"You always felt like you were treasure hunting," said Ellen Wallack, an interior designer living in Boston who shopped at Filene's Basement for 30 years.
In the decades after World War II, it was a Boston icon, a pioneer in the automatic markdowns and off-price retailing that drew swarms of budget-minded shoppers. This week, it was unceremoniously plucked from the bargain bin by a California liquidation company.
The two-decade slide of Filene's Basement, which was transferred to a subsidiary of Buxbaum Group in a no-proceeds transaction disclosed Tuesday, illustrates many of the changes that have transformed and ultimately weakened the retail business. Competition from discounters that offered high-end brands for cheap prices and a recession that forced upscale retailers to slash their prices and consumers to scrimp on purchases all combined to disrupt what once was a unique and unassailable business model.
Two years ago, the chain temporarily shut down its flagship store in Boston's Downtown Crossing for a mammoth renovation project that has since stalled. That store had generated as much as 20 percent of the chain's annual revenue, some analysts estimated. Without it, they said, Filene's Basement lost much of its ability to command wholesale discounts by purchasing large volumes of merchandise.
"They were tripped up by that big hole in the ground, the project that was supposed to remake Downtown Crossing," said Michael Tesler, a partner at the Norwell consulting firm Retail Concepts.
Executives of Retail Ventures Inc., the Ohio parent company of Filene's Basement, unveiled in 2006 an ambitious makeover for a retailer long known for its treasure hunts and the "running of the brides," in which shoppers scrambled in search of marked-down wedding gowns. The new plan was to take the chain upscale, raising prices, upgrading merchandise, and opening spiffed-up stores with flat-screen televisions and private dressing rooms in high-rent districts such as the Back Bay in Boston and Union Square in Manhattan.
But the timing could not have been worse. Filene's Basement already had been squeezed between big-box discounters like Wal-Mart and Target and other retailers offering off-price designer brands like J.C. Penney, Marshall's, and TJ Maxx. As the economy began to slow, it faced an unlikely new tier of price-cutting competitors: the very stores, like Macy's, it had hoped to challenge in the high-end market.
The slumping economy gave retailers little leeway to raise prices. Consumer spending, which made up 71 percent of US economic activity in mid-2008, has fallen back to 70.5 percent, according to the Commerce Department. Research firm Moody's Economy.com projects it will drop to 65 percent of economic activity in the next few years.
"After everything else that's happened to Filene's Basement, the bad economy has just choked their recovery around the neck," said Bob Gottlieb, president of Sceptre Marketing Group in Maynard.
But even before the economy soured, Filene's Basement, founded in Boston in 1908 by Edward A. Filene as a way to sell excess merchandise from his father's department store upstairs, was troubled. The business expanded to nearly 56 stores by the mid-1990s, but later scaled back after struggling in new markets.
The retailer developed an identity crisis, the result of a series of ownership changes as the it moved in and out of bankruptcy over the past decade. That confusion intensified as the chain sought to go upscale, replacing $99 men's suits with $200 ones and offering a variety of discounted designer jeans such as Antik Denim for $129. The changes came just as consumers began tightening belts.
"They've gotten extremely high-end," said Wallack, the Filene's shopper, adding that the chain is sending mixed messages to consumers. "Filene's has lost its identity . . . [and] to survive it needs to re-find its identity as a bargain basement where people can find treasures."
Waves of expansion in the 1990s failed to ignite enthusiasm for Filene's Basement outside the region, with some analysts complaining the stores had become too similar to other discounters.
"By opening branch stores, they diluted the brand," Tesler said. "The branch stores didn't have the automatic markdowns [of unsold merchandise], the lunchtime traffic, the running of the brides. Instead of seeing Filene's Basement as something special, people saw it as a store like any other."
Gottleib agreed. "The intrigue of shopping at Filene's Basement was mostly a Boston thing, a New England thing," he said.
Many younger shoppers may not even remember what the brand once represented. But they do have a taste for bargains.
Jahan Habib, 27, of Boston, said he's been shopping at Filene's Basement for about five years, but misses the Downtown Crossing store because he found better deals there. Yesterday, he dropped by the store's Boylston Street location, looking for a suit. "It's kind of tough in this economy for most people so it's great having discounts," Habib said. "But in the end, the price has to be significantly lower."
Tesler said the solution may be for the new owners, who specialize in liquidation and turnarounds, to resell the chain.
"I only see one possibility," he said. "Somebody who understands Boston, understands the brand, could buy it, close the branches, and run it as a one-of-a-kind store at the original location. That would put it back in Downtown Crossing and rebuild the brand."
Robert Weisman can be reached at weisman@globe.com; Erin Ailworth can be reached at eailworth@globe.com.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
Filene's Basement Sold to Liquidator
Picture dim as liquidator gets Filene's Basement
By Todd Wallack, Globe Staff | April 22, 2009
Filene's Basement, the landmark Boston chain best known for its bargains, has changed hands again and faces an uncertain future.
Retail Ventures Inc., the Ohio company that owned the struggling retailer, said it transferred the discounter to a subsidiary of the Buxbaum Group, a California liquidation company known for running going-out-of-business sales.
Filene's Basement's value has sunk so much that Retail Ventures said it essentially gave the chain away.
"RVI will not realize any proceeds from this transaction," the company said in a statement, adding that Filene's Basement has been plagued by "significant liquidity problems," meaning that it was running low on cash. The Globe has reported that some vendors have been unpaid for months and have threatened to push the company into bankruptcy.
"Future plans for the operation of the Filene's Basement business are uncertain and will be controlled by Filene's Basement and its new owner," the company added. A spokesman for Buxbaum, which calls itself one of the largest liquidators and appraisers in North America, declined to comment last night.
Filene's Basement spokeswoman Mariellen Burns said, "They are not liquidating," but would not elaborate on what could happen next for the chain.
Filene's Basement, which closed 11 stores earlier this year, still has 25 stores and a corporate office in Burlington. Its flagship store in Downtown Crossing closed two years ago to accommodate a massive renovation of its building. The store accounted for about 20 percent of the chain's annual revenue.
If the chain closes, it would be the latest in a growing line of famous retailers, including Circuit City Stores and Linens 'n Things, to be shuttered in recent months, amid one of the worst recessions in decades.
But Filene's Basement's disappearance would be a big blow for Boston. The flagship Downtown Crossing store was one of the city's biggest tourist attractions.
Dot Joyce, spokeswoman for Mayor Thomas M. Menino, said the mayor was not available for comment last night but that he, along with the Boston Redevelopment Authority, would reach out to the new owner, Buxbaum, to determine what its plans are and discuss ways to help Filene's Basement remain open. She said it was too soon to speculate on the company's future, but called Filene's Basement an important part of the city.
"The mayor obviously is a big fan of Filene's Basement and will have a hard time finding the suits he liked to find and the deals," Joyce said. "The mayor continues to believe Boston's a viable place to grow. And the city will continue to put its best foot forward to continue to attract businesses to its downtown and surrounding neighborhoods."
This is the second shake-up in a decade for Filene's Basement, founded in Boston a century ago by Edward A. Filene as a way to sell excess merchandise from his father's department store upstairs. Its "automatic markdown" policy was innovative: Unsold merchandise was marked down every few days or weeks. As the chain expanded, only the Downtown Crossing store kept the practice.
Filene's Basement also popularized discount wedding gowns, holding one-day sales during the year dubbed the "Running of the Brides" because they consistently drew hundreds of future brides, who scrambled for bargain-priced dresses.
At its peak during the mid-1990s, Filene's Basement operated 56 stores at shopping malls around the country. But the retailer grew so fast that it was unable to buy enough discounted designer merchandise to fill its stores, forcing it to buy lower-end merchandise that clashed with its reputation and put it in competition with nimbler discount chains. Filene's Basement was eventually forced into bankruptcy in 1999.
In recent years, Filene's Basement tried to revamp its image, offering more upscale merchandise, upgrading the stores, and opening in prime locations, including Newbury Street in Boston. But the chain has been hurt by increasing competition from discounters such as Target and JCPenney, according to retail analysts. As economic conditions deteriorated, Filene's Basement decided to close one-third of the chain earlier this year after it failed to negotiate rent reductions with landlords.
Retail Ventures, which acquired Filene's Basement in 2000, is a holding company that controls DSW, a specialty footwear retailer that operates 300 stores in 37 states.
The company said it would continue to guarantee certain Filene's Basement's debts under an agreement with creditors, who in turn have agreed not to demand payment immediately.
Filene's Basement has retained Pachulski, Stang, Ziehl & Jones LLP as counsel and Alan Cohen as chief restructuring officer, Retail Ventures said.
Todd Wallack can be reached at twallack@globe.com. Milton Valencia of the Globe staff also contributed to this report.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
By Todd Wallack, Globe Staff | April 22, 2009
Filene's Basement, the landmark Boston chain best known for its bargains, has changed hands again and faces an uncertain future.
Retail Ventures Inc., the Ohio company that owned the struggling retailer, said it transferred the discounter to a subsidiary of the Buxbaum Group, a California liquidation company known for running going-out-of-business sales.
Filene's Basement's value has sunk so much that Retail Ventures said it essentially gave the chain away.
"RVI will not realize any proceeds from this transaction," the company said in a statement, adding that Filene's Basement has been plagued by "significant liquidity problems," meaning that it was running low on cash. The Globe has reported that some vendors have been unpaid for months and have threatened to push the company into bankruptcy.
"Future plans for the operation of the Filene's Basement business are uncertain and will be controlled by Filene's Basement and its new owner," the company added. A spokesman for Buxbaum, which calls itself one of the largest liquidators and appraisers in North America, declined to comment last night.
Filene's Basement spokeswoman Mariellen Burns said, "They are not liquidating," but would not elaborate on what could happen next for the chain.
Filene's Basement, which closed 11 stores earlier this year, still has 25 stores and a corporate office in Burlington. Its flagship store in Downtown Crossing closed two years ago to accommodate a massive renovation of its building. The store accounted for about 20 percent of the chain's annual revenue.
If the chain closes, it would be the latest in a growing line of famous retailers, including Circuit City Stores and Linens 'n Things, to be shuttered in recent months, amid one of the worst recessions in decades.
But Filene's Basement's disappearance would be a big blow for Boston. The flagship Downtown Crossing store was one of the city's biggest tourist attractions.
Dot Joyce, spokeswoman for Mayor Thomas M. Menino, said the mayor was not available for comment last night but that he, along with the Boston Redevelopment Authority, would reach out to the new owner, Buxbaum, to determine what its plans are and discuss ways to help Filene's Basement remain open. She said it was too soon to speculate on the company's future, but called Filene's Basement an important part of the city.
"The mayor obviously is a big fan of Filene's Basement and will have a hard time finding the suits he liked to find and the deals," Joyce said. "The mayor continues to believe Boston's a viable place to grow. And the city will continue to put its best foot forward to continue to attract businesses to its downtown and surrounding neighborhoods."
This is the second shake-up in a decade for Filene's Basement, founded in Boston a century ago by Edward A. Filene as a way to sell excess merchandise from his father's department store upstairs. Its "automatic markdown" policy was innovative: Unsold merchandise was marked down every few days or weeks. As the chain expanded, only the Downtown Crossing store kept the practice.
Filene's Basement also popularized discount wedding gowns, holding one-day sales during the year dubbed the "Running of the Brides" because they consistently drew hundreds of future brides, who scrambled for bargain-priced dresses.
At its peak during the mid-1990s, Filene's Basement operated 56 stores at shopping malls around the country. But the retailer grew so fast that it was unable to buy enough discounted designer merchandise to fill its stores, forcing it to buy lower-end merchandise that clashed with its reputation and put it in competition with nimbler discount chains. Filene's Basement was eventually forced into bankruptcy in 1999.
In recent years, Filene's Basement tried to revamp its image, offering more upscale merchandise, upgrading the stores, and opening in prime locations, including Newbury Street in Boston. But the chain has been hurt by increasing competition from discounters such as Target and JCPenney, according to retail analysts. As economic conditions deteriorated, Filene's Basement decided to close one-third of the chain earlier this year after it failed to negotiate rent reductions with landlords.
Retail Ventures, which acquired Filene's Basement in 2000, is a holding company that controls DSW, a specialty footwear retailer that operates 300 stores in 37 states.
The company said it would continue to guarantee certain Filene's Basement's debts under an agreement with creditors, who in turn have agreed not to demand payment immediately.
Filene's Basement has retained Pachulski, Stang, Ziehl & Jones LLP as counsel and Alan Cohen as chief restructuring officer, Retail Ventures said.
Todd Wallack can be reached at twallack@globe.com. Milton Valencia of the Globe staff also contributed to this report.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Hotel Murder Suspect's Fiancee says he is innocent
Accused Craigslist killer’s fiancee: He’s innocent
By Jessica Van Sack | Tuesday, April 21, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage
Photo
The blond beauty set to wed Philip Markoff this summer is vowing to stand by her man.
Megan McAllister, 25, told the Herald, “I will stand by Philip as I know he is innocent.”
The New Jersey native and medical student gushed about her fiance, who is set to be arraigned today on murder, kidnapping and gun possession charges by authorities who say he’s the Craigslist Killer.
“Philip is a beautiful man inside and out,” McAllister said in a message to a reporter on a social networking Web site. “He is intelligent, loyal, and the best fiance a woman could ask for. He would not hurt a fly!”
McAllister, who met Markoff while volunteering at a local emergency room while the two were students at SUNY Albany, believes cops caught the wrong man.
“Unfortunately, the Boston Police try to make money out of these things and release things without my knowledge or consent,” she said. “I will stand by Philip as I know he is innocent. I love him now and always will.”
Markoff, 22, is scheduled to wed McAllister, in a picturesque dream wedding on the New Jersey Shore Aug. 14. She attends medical school in another state and is scheduled to graduate in 2013, while Markoff is a second year med student at Boston University.
McAllister today also sent an e-mail to ABC’s "Good Morning America, where she also said Markoff "could not hurt a fly." She called him "a beautiful person inside and out," according to the message read on the air this morning.
The Suffolk District Attorney’s Office said this morning that Markoff will be arraigned at noon, allowing "family members" of the victim to attend the proceedings in Boston Municipal Court.
Markoff is charged with killing Julissa Brisman, 26, who was found dead April 14 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. The New York City woman advertised massage services on Craigslist and had a massage table set up in the room where she was shot a week ago today, police said.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1167072
By Jessica Van Sack | Tuesday, April 21, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage
Photo
The blond beauty set to wed Philip Markoff this summer is vowing to stand by her man.
Megan McAllister, 25, told the Herald, “I will stand by Philip as I know he is innocent.”
The New Jersey native and medical student gushed about her fiance, who is set to be arraigned today on murder, kidnapping and gun possession charges by authorities who say he’s the Craigslist Killer.
“Philip is a beautiful man inside and out,” McAllister said in a message to a reporter on a social networking Web site. “He is intelligent, loyal, and the best fiance a woman could ask for. He would not hurt a fly!”
McAllister, who met Markoff while volunteering at a local emergency room while the two were students at SUNY Albany, believes cops caught the wrong man.
“Unfortunately, the Boston Police try to make money out of these things and release things without my knowledge or consent,” she said. “I will stand by Philip as I know he is innocent. I love him now and always will.”
Markoff, 22, is scheduled to wed McAllister, in a picturesque dream wedding on the New Jersey Shore Aug. 14. She attends medical school in another state and is scheduled to graduate in 2013, while Markoff is a second year med student at Boston University.
McAllister today also sent an e-mail to ABC’s "Good Morning America, where she also said Markoff "could not hurt a fly." She called him "a beautiful person inside and out," according to the message read on the air this morning.
The Suffolk District Attorney’s Office said this morning that Markoff will be arraigned at noon, allowing "family members" of the victim to attend the proceedings in Boston Municipal Court.
Markoff is charged with killing Julissa Brisman, 26, who was found dead April 14 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. The New York City woman advertised massage services on Craigslist and had a massage table set up in the room where she was shot a week ago today, police said.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1167072
Red Sox Roll out new ad campaign
With seats available, Sox roll out ads
Record sellout streak in jeopardy as fans try to save
By Johnny Diaz, Globe Staff | April 21, 2009
The Red Sox are hoping to hit a promotional home run with a new ad campaign that the team begins pitching today.
The "Greatest Moments" campaign will feature TV and online ads that highlight some of the team's more historic and recent moments with commentary by local fans and celebrities. The first of four ads, which will air tonight when the Sox play the Minnesota Twins, celebrates the famous steal by Dave Roberts in the ninth inning of Game Four of the 2004 American League Championship Series game against the New York Yankees and includes interviews with Sox manager Terry Francona and Celtics forward Paul Pierce about the play.
The Red Sox are losing corporate sponsors and selling fewer premium seats after ratings for regular season games on New England Sports Network dropped 30 percent last year. While the ads are not necessarily aimed at selling tickets, Red Sox officials say they are aware of how a weakening economy can discourage even the most passionate sports fans.
"There is definitely a concern and attention given internally to the effect the economy has on the Red Sox and all sports in general," said Sam Kennedy, chief sales and marketing officer for the Red Sox. Still, "We have been fortunate to have been able to sell tickets at a considerable pace."
But some local marketing professors say the Sox have a reason to try to fill more seats. After all, the team, which holds the major league record for consecutive sellouts (476 since May 15, 2003), have not sold out all home games for this season. That suggests the streak could be in jeopardy should the team experience a major slump or nasty weather.
"Teams need campaigns to sell tickets," said Stephen A. Greyser, a Harvard Business School professor who studies brand marketing and sports management.
The Boston Globe and 17 percent of the Red Sox are owned by the New York Times Co.
Greyser also said the Red Sox might be trying to revive interest in the team as other Boston professional sports teams command more headlines. "You have the Bruins and the Celtics on people's minds. While the Red Sox are the dominant team in the market, they are reminding people that there are all these games to go to Fenway Park" for, he said.
Geoff Klapisch, a media and marketing professor at Boston University, agrees. "They want to remind their core audience of reasons to be loyal to their team, especially now when people are being careful financially," he said.
But Red Sox officials say the new spots are intended to showcase Sox fans and pay tribute to the team's more memorable moments. The new campaign follows last year's "Here" promotions, which branded Fenway as a place for families. Those ads, including one with footage of Babe Ruth, are still airing.
Along with the Roberts ad, which will air through May, three other promotional spots will air this spring and early summer. One ad pays tribute to Sox legend Ted Williams. Another highlights former left fielder Jim Rice. The team would not give specifics for other ad.
"You see us celebrating the fans and the importance of what they have in the history of the franchise," Kennedy said.
As part of the campaign, the team is also asking fans to vote on one of nine other historic moments featured on www.redsoxnation.com through May 27. Some of the moments include Curt Schilling's famous bloody sock in Game 6 of the 2004 Yankees series. The most voted moment will be featured in a TV commercial to air on June 16.
"We wanted to use the fans to tell the story," said Grant Pace, executive creative director at Conover Tuttle Pace, the Boston ad agency that helped create the campaign.
"To us, there is a pride and sense of community with Red Sox Nation, and these spots just enforce that."
Johnny Diaz can be reached at jodiaz@globe.com.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
Record sellout streak in jeopardy as fans try to save
By Johnny Diaz, Globe Staff | April 21, 2009
The Red Sox are hoping to hit a promotional home run with a new ad campaign that the team begins pitching today.
The "Greatest Moments" campaign will feature TV and online ads that highlight some of the team's more historic and recent moments with commentary by local fans and celebrities. The first of four ads, which will air tonight when the Sox play the Minnesota Twins, celebrates the famous steal by Dave Roberts in the ninth inning of Game Four of the 2004 American League Championship Series game against the New York Yankees and includes interviews with Sox manager Terry Francona and Celtics forward Paul Pierce about the play.
The Red Sox are losing corporate sponsors and selling fewer premium seats after ratings for regular season games on New England Sports Network dropped 30 percent last year. While the ads are not necessarily aimed at selling tickets, Red Sox officials say they are aware of how a weakening economy can discourage even the most passionate sports fans.
"There is definitely a concern and attention given internally to the effect the economy has on the Red Sox and all sports in general," said Sam Kennedy, chief sales and marketing officer for the Red Sox. Still, "We have been fortunate to have been able to sell tickets at a considerable pace."
But some local marketing professors say the Sox have a reason to try to fill more seats. After all, the team, which holds the major league record for consecutive sellouts (476 since May 15, 2003), have not sold out all home games for this season. That suggests the streak could be in jeopardy should the team experience a major slump or nasty weather.
"Teams need campaigns to sell tickets," said Stephen A. Greyser, a Harvard Business School professor who studies brand marketing and sports management.
The Boston Globe and 17 percent of the Red Sox are owned by the New York Times Co.
Greyser also said the Red Sox might be trying to revive interest in the team as other Boston professional sports teams command more headlines. "You have the Bruins and the Celtics on people's minds. While the Red Sox are the dominant team in the market, they are reminding people that there are all these games to go to Fenway Park" for, he said.
Geoff Klapisch, a media and marketing professor at Boston University, agrees. "They want to remind their core audience of reasons to be loyal to their team, especially now when people are being careful financially," he said.
But Red Sox officials say the new spots are intended to showcase Sox fans and pay tribute to the team's more memorable moments. The new campaign follows last year's "Here" promotions, which branded Fenway as a place for families. Those ads, including one with footage of Babe Ruth, are still airing.
Along with the Roberts ad, which will air through May, three other promotional spots will air this spring and early summer. One ad pays tribute to Sox legend Ted Williams. Another highlights former left fielder Jim Rice. The team would not give specifics for other ad.
"You see us celebrating the fans and the importance of what they have in the history of the franchise," Kennedy said.
As part of the campaign, the team is also asking fans to vote on one of nine other historic moments featured on www.redsoxnation.com through May 27. Some of the moments include Curt Schilling's famous bloody sock in Game 6 of the 2004 Yankees series. The most voted moment will be featured in a TV commercial to air on June 16.
"We wanted to use the fans to tell the story," said Grant Pace, executive creative director at Conover Tuttle Pace, the Boston ad agency that helped create the campaign.
"To us, there is a pride and sense of community with Red Sox Nation, and these spots just enforce that."
Johnny Diaz can be reached at jodiaz@globe.com.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
Battle of Lexington Reenactment article
Reliving history at Battle of Lexington
Reenactors spend lot of time, money to get facts right
By David Abel, Globe Staff | April 21, 2009
LEXINGTON - It was a cold and foggy morning when the bell sounded.
Out of the mist, the militiamen began to assemble in a row with their muskets. Within a few minutes appeared their enemies, the wig-wearing redcoats of His Majesty's Tenth Regiment of Foot, their bayonet-tipped Brown Bess flintlocks at the ready.
When the mysterious first shot rang out around dawn yesterday, it was just like that fateful day 234 years before on the Lexington Green, except the gray-haired men squaring off looked a lot older than their ancestral combatants. There was also no blood and a lot of fake groaning, as well as sleep-deprived neighbors, history buffs, and members of the news media with cameras to chronicle every drumbeat. The annual reenactment of the Battle of Lexington has spawned its own traditions and veterans, with their own ahistorical gripes.
"A lot of us put considerable money and effort into this, and everybody still forgets about what the meaning of Patriots' Day is all about," said Tom Balcom, 47, of Melrose, whose redcoat paraphernalia cost him more than $1,200 and countless hours of training. "They think they get the day off because of the marathon. Well, it's a lot more than a bunch of people lining up for a run. This is a big deal."
After all the fireworks and garbled shouting during the mock attack - the real one in 1775 sparked the Revolutionary War and led to the creation of the United States - Balcom left formation and marched toward his car in a wool waistcoat, bearskin hat, and white breeches, the smell of sulfur still spewing from his Brown Bess. The six-year veteran of the reenactments, a history buff who served as staff sergeant in the US Army, said he does not mind playing the enemy, adding that he is considering expanding his portfolio to play a Nazi in an upcoming reenactment of a World War II battle.
"Somebody has to play the bad guy to make the good guy look good," Balcom said. "I've often said that when we get booed, we've done our job and done it good."
From his vantage point along the ropes at the edge of the Green, Aaron Foster, 10, of Newton agreed that Balcom and the others performed admirably, even if he was bleary eyed after waking up at 2:30 a.m. to get such a good view.
"This was much better than those History Channel TV shows that try to dramatize it," he said. "They show what really happened, which was cool."
Elizabeth Simms, 11, of Dover, was surprised by all the gunfire. In school, she learned about the Shot Heard Around the World, she said. "I learned today that they shot much more."
Among the shooters in vintage dress was David Kemper, 53, of Center Ossipee, N.H., who has performed in the reenactment for 10 years. With turkey feathers in his hat, gaiters over his boots, and a powder horn hanging from his shoulder, he now inhabits the part of Abner Mead, a colonial who was 30 years younger than he was at the time, and lived long enough to participate in the first reenactment of the battle, Kemper said.
As Mead, Kemper stood his ground briefly as the British charged the Colonial line and then retreated with the others, firing as many as three shots as the redcoats killed eight of his men and wounded 10. Of the hundreds of British regulars who marched into Lexington, they had one wounded. The redcoats would fare much worse as they fought losing battles from Concord to Charlestown.
For Kemper, the effort is well worth the expense and time.
"This is living history," he said. "It's a pretty overwhelming experience to bring history to life. This is where we earned our freedom."
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
Reenactors spend lot of time, money to get facts right
By David Abel, Globe Staff | April 21, 2009
LEXINGTON - It was a cold and foggy morning when the bell sounded.
Out of the mist, the militiamen began to assemble in a row with their muskets. Within a few minutes appeared their enemies, the wig-wearing redcoats of His Majesty's Tenth Regiment of Foot, their bayonet-tipped Brown Bess flintlocks at the ready.
When the mysterious first shot rang out around dawn yesterday, it was just like that fateful day 234 years before on the Lexington Green, except the gray-haired men squaring off looked a lot older than their ancestral combatants. There was also no blood and a lot of fake groaning, as well as sleep-deprived neighbors, history buffs, and members of the news media with cameras to chronicle every drumbeat. The annual reenactment of the Battle of Lexington has spawned its own traditions and veterans, with their own ahistorical gripes.
"A lot of us put considerable money and effort into this, and everybody still forgets about what the meaning of Patriots' Day is all about," said Tom Balcom, 47, of Melrose, whose redcoat paraphernalia cost him more than $1,200 and countless hours of training. "They think they get the day off because of the marathon. Well, it's a lot more than a bunch of people lining up for a run. This is a big deal."
After all the fireworks and garbled shouting during the mock attack - the real one in 1775 sparked the Revolutionary War and led to the creation of the United States - Balcom left formation and marched toward his car in a wool waistcoat, bearskin hat, and white breeches, the smell of sulfur still spewing from his Brown Bess. The six-year veteran of the reenactments, a history buff who served as staff sergeant in the US Army, said he does not mind playing the enemy, adding that he is considering expanding his portfolio to play a Nazi in an upcoming reenactment of a World War II battle.
"Somebody has to play the bad guy to make the good guy look good," Balcom said. "I've often said that when we get booed, we've done our job and done it good."
From his vantage point along the ropes at the edge of the Green, Aaron Foster, 10, of Newton agreed that Balcom and the others performed admirably, even if he was bleary eyed after waking up at 2:30 a.m. to get such a good view.
"This was much better than those History Channel TV shows that try to dramatize it," he said. "They show what really happened, which was cool."
Elizabeth Simms, 11, of Dover, was surprised by all the gunfire. In school, she learned about the Shot Heard Around the World, she said. "I learned today that they shot much more."
Among the shooters in vintage dress was David Kemper, 53, of Center Ossipee, N.H., who has performed in the reenactment for 10 years. With turkey feathers in his hat, gaiters over his boots, and a powder horn hanging from his shoulder, he now inhabits the part of Abner Mead, a colonial who was 30 years younger than he was at the time, and lived long enough to participate in the first reenactment of the battle, Kemper said.
As Mead, Kemper stood his ground briefly as the British charged the Colonial line and then retreated with the others, firing as many as three shots as the redcoats killed eight of his men and wounded 10. Of the hundreds of British regulars who marched into Lexington, they had one wounded. The redcoats would fare much worse as they fought losing battles from Concord to Charlestown.
For Kemper, the effort is well worth the expense and time.
"This is living history," he said. "It's a pretty overwhelming experience to bring history to life. This is where we earned our freedom."
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
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