In Brief

Garden of Hope Gets Fall Cleanup

Members of the Friends of Christopher Columbus Park (FOCCP) horticultural team spent several hours cleaning out the award-winning Garden of Hope.

With the garden cleaned, work began on replacing the leaking irrigation system.

FOCCP is working with the Boston Parks and Recreation Department to assure spring plantings will be well watered.

“The new system includes a rain sensor to save water,” President Joanne Hayes Rines said.

Christopher Columbus Woes Continues

Just when the Christopher Columbus statue removal from the Waterfront Park was thought to be over, the same group announced that all statues of Columbus be taken down, the park named after the navigator should be renamed and the Columbus Day holiday should be renamed and/or canceled.

Currently, the beheaded and vandalized statue is in storage and based on a City of Boston Arts Commission decision that the statue was structurally unsafe to be placed back in the park, an agreement was made to move the statue to North Margin Street, North End site of new housing development.

Mayor Martin Walsh said, “The city would pay for the repairs.”

As far as renaming the park, the Mayor noted that it would be up to the community.

Changing the name of the Christopher Columbus Day holiday is still an issue up for discussion and will not be determined as easily as removing the statue from the park.

The Knights of Columbus will most likely tackle this issue.