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| The Newsletter of the High Street Hill Association | April 2010 |
Please Join Us for Your Neighborhood Association's
Annual Meeting
Monday, April 26
6:00 PM Family Potluck Dinner
7:00 PM Featured Speaker Barbara Brown
With Special Invited Guest State Representative
Jeffrey Sanchez
Few people are aware that from the time of the Pilgrims slavery and slave trading were an integral part of the New England economy and culture. Among the slave owners in Brookline were some Sewalls, Boylstons, Cabots and Gardners. Barbara Brown will give a brief overview of the history of slavery in Brookline.
Barbara Brown chairs the Hidden Brookline Committee of the Town's Human Relations and Youth Resources Commission. Professionally, Dr. Brown directs the program in public education on Africa at Boston University where she consults for school districts and publishers as they teach about Africa.
HSHA Annual Business Meeting to Follow
Latvian Church • 58 Irving Street
Those with last names beginning with A-F please bring a main dish, G-M a desert, and N-Z a salad.
The High Street Hill Association has been lobbying for years to enforce the Town's promise to keep good pedestrian connections to Olmsted Park and to reduce traffic speed on Pond Avenue. And more recently, after the series of accidents at the intersection of High and Allerton Streets, the Town promised the neighborhood they would do a study of traffic conditions in the Pond, High, Allerton and Cumberland area.
On April 8, representatives from the Town's Engineering and Transportation Divisions, Peter Ditto, Todd Kirrane and Kurt Fraser, presented the results of that traffic study to 30 or residents. The most prominent recommendation is the installation of 5 raised crosswalks on Pond Avenue designed to reduce traffic speed (see the HSHA website for detailed drawings and photos). This is a major traffic calming proposal for the town and our neighborhood, costing approximately $60,000 and is scheduled to be completed next year.
While most, but not all, accepted the concept of raised crosswalks as effective and necessary speed reduction devices, many complained that the 40 "required" florescent signs constituted an "unacceptable visual blight" along our historic park. And, although the presenters were praised for the effective four-way stop signs at Allerton and High, they were criticized for lack of a comprehensive traffic plan by seeming to neglect the rest of the High Street corridor. After listening to dozens of comments, Todd Kirrane explained that "tonight's meeting represented the begiining of the discussion with the neighborhood" and offered that his department would work with the neighborhood to develop acceptable solutions.
As we learned with traffic calming on Walnut Street, we need to fully envision the proposed changes since once they are installed we'll live with them for a long time. All of Precinct 5 needs to work together to get it done right.
Come pitch in and do your part to spruce up your park as part of Earth Week. It's been a long winter and a nasty, wet spring but the weather's getting nice and Olmsted Park needs some grooming from its nearest and dearest neighbors. We will be edging beds, mulching and planting replacement shrubs. Get a free "Friends of Leverett Pond" tee shirt. Tools will be provided. Sponsored by HSHA's Friends of Leverett Pond in cooperation with the Brookline GreenSpace Alliance and the Town of Brookline Division of Parks and Open Space. For more info please call Rob Daves at 617-566-7334 or Hugh Mattison at 617-232-6083.
9AM to 1PM Saturday, April 17. Meet at the Allerton Overlook.
Our webmaster Tom Elwertowski has updated his amazing and useful BrooklineBuildings site: http://www.brooklinebuildings.highstreethill.org.
Check out the new features:
On Saturday, April 10, the HSHA held a wonderful Window Restoration Workshop at Dave and Linda Hamlin's house. About 30 people got a chance to learn the whys and hows of fixing old windows from window repair experts Alison Hardy of Topsfield (aka The Window Woman) and Linda Lesyna from the Boston Building Materials Coop (BBMC), a not-for-profit located in Roxbury. There was significant interest in having a more intensive, hands-on workshop for those who would like to tackle repairs themselves so the HSHA and the BBMC expect to be hosting such a event in our neighborhood in the near future. See our website for window repair links.
San Francisco authors Lisa Brown and Adele Griffin tell us that their new young adult historical fiction novel, Picture the Dead, will be released on May 1. The ghost story, set in Brookline in 1865, features the Old Burying Ground, First Parish Church and the Putterham School. Neighbors Tom Elwertowski and Frances Shedd Fisher, two Friends of the Old Burying Ground, helped to make sure that the historical details in the story were correct. Lisa Brown will appear at the Brookline Booksmith on May 15.
Neighbor Dennis DeWitt, who has reason to suspect that his cat's recent disappearance was due to a coyote, is trying to identify anyone who has encountered a coyote in order to determine if there is a pattern of behavior that should be reported to the animal control officer. Contact Dennis at 617-738-5950.
There is no mistaking we have a healthy population of coyotes in Brookline, but why? Join MassWildlife Furbearer Biologist, Laura Hajduk, for an evening presentation as she highlights their behavior. 7PM Wednesday, May 5, Brookline Main Library.
There are six candidates for five Precinct 5 seats in the May 4 election: Up for reelection are Rob Daves, Tom Elwertowski, Mary Harris and Neil Wishinsky. Blake Cady and Elizabeth Childs round out the slate. Thanks to Sue Senator, who has a new book coming out and has decided not to run, for her service as our TMM.
On March 7 we had a thrilling hour of music at our Annual Musicale. We would like to thank performers Karine Bagdasarian, Anna Mikaelian, Anna Shneyderman and Eliana von Krusenstiern and, especially the Brookline Music School for sharing their wonderful space. Thanks also to Rita's Cafe on Cypress Street for providing coffee and to HSHA board member Maria Conner for making all the arrangements.
Presenting the 2010 HSHA Board Candidate Slate
(to be presented at our Annual Meeting on April 26)
Rob Daves, President
Bill Weber, Vice President
Elizabeth Craig-Olins, Secretary
Blake Cady, Treasurer
Maria Conner
Olivia Fischer Fox
Betsy Shure Gross
Kristin Leader
Margot Balboni
Richard Robb
Jennifer Shea
How a humble immigrant couple quietly made a difference
Submitted by Jeine M. Kamberidis
The congregation of the Greek Apostolic Church at 133 Walnut Street in Brookline Village's "Pill Hill" neighborhood, was first gathered in 1949. Its founders, Jeine Theophilis Stavrou and Asklipios (Steve) Stavrou, had both emigrated from Greece. Jeine came from Sparta, the daughter of a physician and mayor, and Steve came from Thessaloniki and served during the First World War in the United States Army under Douglas MacArthur in the 42nd "Rainbow" Division, fighting in the Argonne Forest. Jeine and Steve bought the property with a partial loan from Jennie Signore, of the Brookline Ice and Coal Company.
Through a thorough reading of the Bible, which she had observed her father often reading in his study, Jeine came to a serious faith in Jesus Christ and followed through to ordination - a very unusual occurrence for a woman at that time. It was through her love of God and fellow man that she and Steve began opening their home to fellow Greek immigrants to study God's Word and worship together in community. Eventually, a small sanctuary was appointed within the property.
The couple had three daughters, Anastasia (Anne), Georgia and Lydia. In the '40s, the girls wrote often to WWII G.I.'s to keep up their morale - so much so, that they were photographed and interviewed for the newspaper. All three girls were musical and active in church life. They attended Lincoln School, and each graduated from Brookline High School, from where Georgia retired as a cafeteria worker and Lydia, the beloved Mrs. X (Xypteras), retired from teaching Culinary Arts at BHS.
Along with the church, the Stavrous were involved in the restaurant business, with Steve a part of the beginning years of the New Paris Bakery on Cypress Street and Jeine using her special candy-making skills at her fudge and candy store - The Boylston Candy Kitchen - in the Village. Then, for many years they owned the Boylston Spa at 111 Washington Street in Brookline Village, which stood across from the Fire Station. Here they served many, including those who were in need. Jeine was ahead of her time in many ways, including hanging "No Smoking" signs in the restaurant way back in the '40s.
Daughter Anne went on to marry Rev. Spiridon (Speros) Vouriotis, of Coney Island, New York. He was the son of Rev. Constantine Vouriotis of Sparta, Greece, who served the church for many years. Georgia married Dimitrios Moschouris from Chios, Greece, and Lydia married Triantafylos (Tony) Xypteras from Mytilene, Greece. Each of the couples lived and worked in Brookline. Dimitrios owned Jim's Home Improvement Service, and Tony ran Tony's Landscaping.
Many of the Stavrou's grandchildren were educated and worked in Brookline, with graduates from BHS, St. Mary's High School on Hurd Road, and Hellenic College on Goddard Ave. Grandson Nicholas Vouriotis, a Vietnam Veteran, retired from the Brookline Police department.
Jeine was fascinated with the idea of using radio to spread the Message, and had a weekly program with music and gospel in the Greek language that aired live on '50s and early '60s. Later on, the church continued this technological trend and initiated airing "Zontas 100 tois 100" (Living 100%) and the "Greek Christian Hour" over Brookline Cablevision. The latter still airs today over Brookline Access Television.
Over the years the congregation has supported various religious and humanitarian causes, including ministries in Greece to orphans, homeless, and those with addiction challenges; purchasing a bus for transportation of village children to school in Southern India; numerous causes here in the U.S.; and, most recently, earthquake victims in Haiti. Visiting pastors and missionaries have come to speak at the Greek Apostolic Church from Canada, India, Australia, Romania, Yugoslavia, and Greece. Three of the youth, great-grandsons of the founders, have traveled to Nicaragua and Belize for humanitarian efforts.
Teddy Kamberidis, who emigrated from Katerini, Greece and has served as the church's pastor since 1997, is a graduate of Gordon-Conwell Seminary's CUME program for urban and ethnic ministers. He indicates that the Board of the church has decided to move the ministry in a different direction at this point in its history. He is confident that God has led the board and the congregation to a sound decision, and that He will continue to guide. "To all those in the neighborhood and in Brookline, we will continue to pray for you and wish God's love and blessings on you and your families."
It is yet undecided what will become of the cross that has lit up the night on Walnut Street over the years. Its fluorescent pink light that bounced off the winter snow will be missed. But it has completed the job that Jeine and Steve had asked it to do, to shine forth the message that was the focus of the Greek Apostolic Church, "Jesus Saves" and "God is Love."
The Greek Apostolic Church -- 60 years in Brookline -- 1949-2009
We ...
These are just a few of the important ways that the committed volunteers of the High Street Hill Association have helped our neighborhood in the past year. But it takes support from you to continue the activities and the advocacy. We hope you agree your $15 per year dues brings quite a return. Thank you for your support.
Do you think our neighborhood would be as special without the HSHA?
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High Street Hill Association
Blake Cady, Treasurer
24 Walnut Place
Brookline, MA 02445
The Highlight is printed several times a year and is distributed on foot or by bicycle by HSHA Board members and their usually willing family members. If you have a comment or contribution contact the editor, Rob Daves, at 617-566-7334 or robdaves@rcn.com.