Daily Archives: December 18, 2020


Wreath of the Day, From the Archives – The Power of Needle Nose Pliers

We feel that, in a year we are unable to provide our beautiful wreaths to the public, we should give a hint or two to help people decorate their own. Not that we want to give away ALL our secrets, but fair is fair. So here is a tool to acquire – a small pair of needle nose pliers. They range in price from a few dollars to up to $100, but there is no need to go crazy for this purpose. We even see that you can order them from Instacart, and they’re available at all hardware stores. After you tie on a few pieces of greenery, perhaps a dried flower, and a pine cone to a wired pick, you are faced with the task of getting it to attach firmly to the wreath. Yes, you can just shove it in, but if you can pluck it right out again after doing that, it’s ultimately going to fall out. Wreaths shrink as they dry out and unless you place that pick deep into the core of the wreath, the results won’t last. The needle nose pliers amplifies your hand strength so by delicately gripping the top of the pick with the tool and pushing, the items, either a single item or a “bouquet”, goes in deeply and stays put. So now you know.

Thank you Diane Schmalensee, member and generous customer, for sponsorship of today’s Wreath of the Day.


Daylight the Muddy River

On October 15th, 2019,  at a public meeting at the Harvard Club, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) shared work that needed to be done to the eastbound Storrow Drive bridge in the area of Charlesgate that we call The Bowl and Bridge. Their preferred option 3A at that time  enabled “possible daylighting of Muddy River under Storrow EB bridge.”

In response to these plans by MassDOT, the Charlesgate Alliance commissioned new drawings by Landing Studio to show people what a “daylit” or exposed Muddy River to Charles River connection could look like. These were unveiled on November 19th at a public meeting.

Read the letters of support from Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Boston City Councilor Kenzie Bok to Governor Baker.

Karen Mauney-Brodek, Pam Beale, and Parker James then wrote a letter to Governor Baker, which garnered the support of 33 area organizations.