School pauses in front of their work
on the storefront that housed El Pelon
before the January 5 fire.
Photo by Kerry Mooney
BY KERRY MOONEY
After the devastating fire on “restaurant row” on Peterborough Street this past January, several projects have been in the works to bring some life back into the neighborhood.
A once busy and bustling block remains a stark and lifeless row of boarded-up restaurants to passers-by who are grieving the loss of their favorite foods from an assortment of countries and day-to-day chitchat with the business owners, who are like family to many residents.
First, perservering through a series of rainstorms and extreme heat, are a group of five students from the McKinley Prep School led by their art teacher, Janet Lynch, in a collaborative mural project organized in conjunction with the Fenway CDC and intended to cover the complete boarded-up space of 150 feet. Students painted a flag on the door of the each restaurant representing the country the restaurant was from, and then painted something of significance from the country on the boarded-up storefront.
The McKinley School is located right across the street from the location of the fire, which had a strong impact the students. They have been involved in several other projects to help raise money for the victims of the fire, including an art show at Massart in the “Inspiring Artists Gallery,” where they auctioned off their work. One of the students, Mario Darjet, wrote the lyrics to a CD called,“The Fire Songs,” while his teacher, Mr. Rochas, produced the music. (The CD is $10 and is still available for purchase through the McKinley School).
The community mural project has also included several visits from the small and inspiring younger artists from the Operation PEACE after-school program, and this writer, a local “artist-in-residence” and 10-year-veteran of collaborative art-related projects in Boston who has worked with Sidewalk Sam, Children’s Hospital, and the Boston Housing Authority in East Boston. From the director of the Peterborough Senior Center, Penina Adelman, comes word that a few seniors may be stopping by shortly to join the fun.
Next up on the agenda is an event that grew out of an emotional meeting organized by the Fenway CDC in February at the restaurant and club, Church. At the meeting—with the burned-out building’s owner, Monty Gold, present—Lori Frankian, a 20-year Fenway, resident spoke out and “expressed her wish to bring back the energy, the happy, busy vibe, and most importantly, the beauty of the Fenway” to the site of the fire. Frankian says she “was deeply affected by the tragedy…the fire was one of the most gut-wrenching experiences of my life, and the pain lingers daily.”
Frankian was elected to the CDC board in June, and her fellow board members encouraged her to “create some kind of bittersweet diversion in the neighborhood from the wake of the fire.” With a small grant from the Mission Hill Fenway Neighborhood Trust, Frankian has been working tirelessly since July on the planning of a lively multicultural event intended to bring some life back to Peterborough Street—if only for a day. From obtaining permits from the city, to researching and viewing an assortment of dance troupes and bands, to requesting donations from local businesses, to acquiring detail work from the Boston Police, Frankian has left no stone unturned.
In reference to the event, Frankian says, ”We hear about tragedies all of the time, but we never hear about the outcomes…. Personally speaking, my time and effort is a gift to the entire Fenway community and neighborhood residents. The Fenway will return as we once knew it. It is just going to take some time and patience.”
Frankian credits many people and businesses for their support for the event, including Kinko’s and Burton’s Grill (in the Trilogy development) Gene Johnston, guitar player for the band “Dead Friends;” and Laurel Peters and Laura Souza, art students who will be face painters for the event, to name a few.
Don’t miss the “Revitalizing Peterborough Street—A Beautification Celebration in the Fenway” on Saturday, September 26, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. It will be held on the McKinley School basketball court on Peterborough Street. The event will include a presentation of the community mural project by the McKinley School and the Fenway CDC; an accoustic concert by the popular band Prospect Hill; live performances by SideKickz, a Mattapan dance troup; and a powerful drum circle performed by Mission Hill’s Sociedad Latina. Face painting will be available, along with food, and Frankian and the rest of her committee have invited (and expect) City Councilor Mike Ross and Mayor Tom Menino to stop by.
Frankian states that building owner Monty Gold “does plan to rebuild…. He is currently trying to iron out the extensive details and regulations with a number of different insurance companies.” Frankian reports that Gold lists as Thornton’s, Rodee Thai, and El Pelon as three of the former restaurants committed to returning to the site. Until they’re back, take a walk down Peterborough Street and enjoy the 150-foot mural whose international subjects brings a touch of the United Nations—and the promise of a revitalized restaurant row—to the neighborhood.
Kerry Mooney lives in the West Fens.
A version of this article was published in the September 2009 Fenway News.
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