Beacon Hill

PRICES WERE out of control at the end of third-century Rome, and the Emperor Diocletian was determined to rein them in. In AD 301 he issued his famous Edict on Prices , a complex piece of legislation that banned speculation and established price ceilings for a wide range of goods and services. But the ambitious law failed. Though violators could be punished with death, inflation and speculation persisted. Goods were hoarded, or sold on the black market. The economic crisis worsened.

By Johanna Kaiser, Town Correspondent In 19th century Boston, the center of African American life and the city's growing abolitionist movement was focused on the north slope of Beacon Hill. The neighborhood was home to about 2,100 black citizens by the start of the Civil War, and those residents helped build and support Boston's first integrated schools, underground railroad stations, and the oldest standing black church in America. The neighborhood has taken great pride in this history.

Reader Tunie Hamlen asked why the sidewalk near the corner of Beacon and Park streets is in such shabby condition, given its high traffic and prestigious location atop Beacon Hill. "Several times I have reported how deplorable the sidewalk is across from our glorious State House!" Hamlen wrote in an e-mail. The owner of a tour company, she called it "embarrassing to walk visitors down Beacon St. - after visiting the Shaw Memorial and the magnificent State House - and then see how deplorable the sidewalk [on]

By Johanna Kaiser, Town Correspondent The Beacon Hill Civic Association is set to celebrate its 90th anniversary when it holds its annual meeting Monday. The annual meeting includes votes on a proposed by-law amendment , and the election of officers and board members, but also kicks off a year of celebrations for the neighborhood association. The Beacon Award , now in its 16th year, will be presented to an individual or group for their ongoing contributions to the community and a local historian is set to give a talk about Beacon Hill.

Following the same-sex marriage debates on Beacon Hill, a small group of lawmakers is considering whether to start a legislative caucus to advocate for gay and lesbian issues in the Legislature. A memo circulated in the State House yesterday invited lawmakers and staff members to a brown bag lunch tomorrow to discuss whether to create a gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender group or caucus. Representative Carl M. Sciortino Jr., Democrat of Somerville, a gay lawmaker elected in 2004, said he was surprised when he arrived at the State House to discover that there was no such group.

Welcome to Beacon Hill! Your new neighborhood is roughly half-a-mile by one-quarter-mile in size. Beyond those famous cobblestone streets, the golden dome of the State House, and the streetlamps, window boxes, and steep hills —you'll probably want to know a few other things about your new hood. Here's a quick guide. Transit: From Beacon Hill, one has easy access to other parts of the city. At the top of Charles Street is the Charles/MGH station, on the MBTA's Red Line. Here you can catch the T northbound, towards Cambridge, or south, to Park Street station and points beyond.

I AM glad to see that the casino bill is dedicating resources to the treatment of gambling addiction (Page A1, Sept. 23). May I suggest that the first patients be the legislators and our governor, who insist on betting the state's future on casinos? Surely, like the grandmother in the article, they "rationally know that what [they're] doing is absolutely crazy" - trying to make up state revenues on the backs of the elderly and the vulnerable, those who can least afford it. As every gambler finds, the losses of this approach are sure to outweigh the winnings in...

For diners eager to know the last words of their porterhouse, now there's Mooo . . ., which is lodged at the foot of the XV Beacon hotel. The up-up-upscale-minded owners - Commonwealth Restaurant Group, keepers of Mistral, Teatro, and Sorellina - have opted to salute the new restaurant's culinary subject. The walls hold large framed prints of cows and calves, and mounted on a wall toward the back are grooming bristles. It's simultaneously cute, crass, and classy - and weird enough to make you say, "I'll have the scallops," which you should since they're excellent.

In the mood for some early holiday shopping? Beacon Hill businesses will be serving up refreshments and/or discounts tomorrow evening for an inaugural "Third Thursday" event. Specific deals include markdowns on vintage clothing at Artifaktori and 20 percent off jewelry at Moxie . Crush Boutique , Blackstone's of Beacon Hill , and Cibeline are just a few of the other shops taking part; all will be open until 8 p.m.

By Johanna Kaiser, Town Correspondent The Beacon Hill Civic Association is set to celebrate its 90th anniversary when it holds its annual meeting Monday. The annual meeting includes votes on a proposed by-law amendment , and the election of officers and board members, but also kicks off a year of celebrations for the neighborhood association. The Beacon Award , now in its 16th year, will be presented to an individual or group for their ongoing contributions to the community and a local historian is set to give a talk...

After many months of work, the House and the Senate have now both unveiled plans to contain the cost of health care in Massachusetts. The Senate legislation is mostly a worthwhile effort; despite a number of laudable provisions, the House bill is marred by regulatory overreach. But both have important areas of common ground that should help keep care affordable — as long as both chambers are willing to compromise and scale back. Unveiled in a way that seemed designed to upstage the Senate, the House plan has created considerable unease, particularly among providers.

By Johanna Kaiser, Town Correspondent The Beacon Hill Civic Association is considering an amendment to its by-laws that would clarify who is eligible to vote at member meetings. The amendment, which will be considered and voted on at the association's annual meeting on May 21, would clarify that both spouses or domestic partners are entitled to vote if they hold a non-individual or family membership. The proposed change comes after there was some confusion at the annual meeting regarding voting rights last year, according to the...

The Unitarian Universalist Association, headquartered in the heart of historic Beacon Hill, is seeking a new home that will offer more open space and modern facilities. The 51-year-old association has been at 25 Beacon St. since it was established with the merger of the Unitarian and Universalist churches. The American Unitarian Association had used the building as its base after it was built in 1927. Now the association, which has 1,000 congregations and 200 staff members nationwide, has outgrown its headquarters.

Dan Winslow's official title is state representative, but a more apt moniker would be ideas merchant. During the first two days of this week's House budget debate, the 53-year-old Republican freshman from Norfolk offered a plan to squeeze another $70 million or so out of cigarette sales without raising the price of the product — and proposed using that money to offset some of the 23 percent MBTA fare hikes scheduled for July 1. He also...

The 83rd Annual Tour of the Hidden Gardens of Beacon Hill will be held Thursday, May 17, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm (rain or shine). Tickets are $30 in advance - $40 the day of the tour. By Mail: Send check for $30 payable to the Beacon Hill Garden Club by May 8, 2012, along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Beacon Hill Garden Club 2012 Tour, Box 302, Charles Street Station, Boston, MA 02114. Purchase tour day tickets at: Corner of Charles and Chestnut Streets Corner of Charles and Mt. Vernon Streets Church of the Advent, garden entrance, off Mt. Vernon Sq. Cash or...

PROBLEMS ON the Red Line Thursday morning got me to work nearly an hour late. But what a pleasant delay it was. Kudos to the train conductor who gave us regular updates, whether she had any new information or not. Thanks to the MBTA employee at Porter Square who kept us safe while boarding, and kept apologizing profusely for a problem he did not cause. Thursday's experience, coupled with the recent 23 percent fare hike proposal (Page A1, March 29), reignited my frustration, not with the T, but with the lawmakers on Beacon Hill who refuse to...

By Johanna Kaiser, Town Correspondent In 19th century Boston, the center of African American life and the city's growing abolitionist movement was focused on the north slope of Beacon Hill. The neighborhood was home to about 2,100 black citizens by the start of the Civil War, and those residents helped build and support Boston's first integrated schools, underground railroad stations, and the oldest standing black church in America. The neighborhood has taken great pride in this history.

(Photo courtesy Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk) Jamie Brown receives her award for Volunteer of the Year for her work with the Boston marathon Jimmy Fund Walk. By Johanna Kaiser, Town Correspondent A Beacon Hill woman has been named Volunteer of the Year by the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk . Jamie Brown is the first person to receive the newly established award that honors walkers who raise more than $1,250 for the Jimmy Fund's annual 26.2-mile walk along the Boston Marathon route benefiting the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute . ...