SONG OF THE DAY: "For Me This Is Heaven" by Jimmy Eat World Good morning, Back Bay! Here are five things you need to know today, Tuesday, June 18: 1. NO LONGER NATIONAL: In case you missed this, the annual 4th of July Boston Pops concert and fireworks show will not be televised nationally on CBS for the first time in 20 years due to declining ratings. It will still be broadcast locally on WBZ. 2. THE FINAL DEBATE: Ed Markey and Gabriel Gomez are set to tussle in their final debate before the June 25 U.S. Senate special election. Here's our preview here. 3. GET THE PATCH NEWSLETTER: Have you …

SONG OF THE DAY: "Ya Hey" by Vampire Weekend Good morning, Back Bay! Here are five things you need to know today, Monday, June 17: 1. THEY SOLD FOR HOW MUCH?!?!?!: In case you missed it from late last week, a pair of off-Commonwealth Avenue parking spaces sold at auction for a whopping $560,000. How much would you be willing to fork over for parking spots in the neighborhood? 2. POST YOUR EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS: Did you know Back Bay Patch is an awesome, free way to get your events and announcements out to the public? It's ridiculously easy, go here to post an event and here to post an …

SONG OF THE DAY: "Wooly Mammoth" by Local Natives Good morning, Back Bay! Here are five things you need to know today, Friday, June 14: 1. GREEN AND WHITE BALL: The Friends of the Public Garden recently held their annual Green & White Ball. Here is a wrap-up of the festivities as they posted on Patch. If you have an announcement you'd like to post on Patch, you can do so here. It's free and ridiculously easy. 2. WHAT DOES YOUR FATHER MEAN TO YOU?: Father's Day is right around the corner, and the sale signs and circulars are everywhere promoting gifts like ties, electronics and other gadgets …

SONG OF THE DAY: "You Were Good" by Jimmy Eat World Good morning, Back Bay! Here are five things you need to know today, Friday, June 7: 1. SUSPICIOUS LETTERS AT BOSTON SCHOOLS: Boston Police are investigating several suspicious letters sent to different Boston Public Schools Thursday. The letters contained "threatening and disturbing" content, said police, but contained no dangerous subtances. Police said the letters were addressed to public schools in different areas of the city and were all postmarked from Texas.  2. BOSTON PRIDE: Boston Pride Week is wrapping up this weekend with their …

SONG OF THE DAY: "You Are The Best Thing" by Ray Lamontagne Good morning, Back Bay! Here are five things you need to know today, Monday, June 3: 1. MAKING HISTORY ON THE COMMON: The Friends of the Public Garden are holding the annual "Making History on the Common" day along with numerous other city organizations. They include: The Freedom Trail Foundation, Historic New England, the Ancient Fishweir Project, the Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers, Codman Community Farms, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment, the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, Commonwealth …

SONG OF THE DAY: "Baby Get Worse" by Divine Fits Good morning, Back Bay! Here are five things you need to know today, Wednesday, May 22: 1. COMM AVE MALL FORUM: The Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay is presenting a neighborhood forum on the history of the Commonwealth Avenue Mall and its unique role as the green axis of the Back Bay. This event is free and open to the public. It's being held at French Cultural Center, 53 Marlborough St., from 6:30 to 8 p.m. 2. SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT THURSDAY: Massachusetts State Police will be operating a sobriety checkpoint this week at an undisclosed …

SONG OF THE DAY: "You Are A Tourist" by Death Cab For Cutie Good morning, Beacon Hill! Here are five things you need to know today, Tuesday, May 21: 1. COFFEE WITH THE MAYOR TODAY: As part of his 15th annual Boston Parks and Recreation Department Neighborhood Coffee Hour Series, Mayor Thomas Menino will appear at Clarendon Street Play Lot, 260 Clarendon St. in Back Bay today from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. 2. BIKE CRASHES SPIKE: Bike-related crashes spiked a small amount given the higher ridership in the Boston area over the course of the last two years. Mayor Thomas Menino’s office released the City…

SONG OF THE DAY: "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk Good morning, Back Bay! Here are five things you need to know today, Thursday, May 16: 1. ONE MONTH LATER: Read our recap of the last month in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings April 15. 2. WHO WILL REPLACE WALZ?: One local political observer believes it could come down to who has done the most retail politics in the race between Joshua Dawson and Jay Livingstone to fill Marty Walz's former House seat. 3. GET THE PATCH NEWSLETTER: Have you signed up for the Back Bay Patch Daily Newsletter yet? Each morning you can get Back Bay Patch news …

1. Public Garden gala: Tickets are available for the Friends of the Public Garden's 2013 Green and White Ball on Friday, May 17, at 6:30 pm at the Taj Boston. The gala will feature a cocktail reception and dinner followed by dancing to the Sultans of Swing. Tables and individual seats can be purchased here. For more information contact Mary Halpin at (857) 239-8937. 2. Restaurant Week: The North End Chamber of Commerce’s fourth annual North End Restaurant Week continues April 7-12. Get dinner for $38.13 per person at participating North End restaurants.   3. Running the marathon? Share your …

1. Train to the Cape: Did you catch our post about the new train going from Boston to the Cape this summer? I'd pay $35 not to sit in the bumper-to-bumper traffic heading south on Friday afternoons.  2. Fix a Feral Cat Clinic:  The Animal Rescue League of Boston is kicking off its 2013 “Fix a Feral Clinics” on Sunday, April 7 at its shelter at 10 Chandler St. This is the first of four clinics in 2013, and the League has the capacity to accept 75 cats for spay/neuter surgery per clinic. See here for more information. 3. Free concert: The Boston Conservatory Wind Ensemble, Eric Hewitt, …

1. Park serve: Registration is now open for the Department of Conservation and Recreation's Park Serve Day, on April 20. Last year, the DCR hosted over 4,797 volunteers in 53 park sites across the commonwealth for Park Serve Day. Those volunteers planted 1,742 flowers, 187+ trees and 167 shrubs, and had collected more than over 19.5 tons of trash. To register, click here.  2. Scholarship deadline: Today is the deadline to apply for the Greater Boston Real Estate Board’s scholarship program. GBREB will award more than $100,000 in scholarships to about 60 students from 54 cities and towns …

1. BPL talk: Author and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin will appear onstage with writer Rebecca Miller during a Wednesday 6 p.m. author talk at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square. Miller is the author of the century-spanning novel Jacob’s Folly. Goodwin is known for her grand examinations of U.S. presidents. One of Goodwin's books, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, was adapted into the Academy Award-nominated film Lincoln, which stars Miller's husband, actor Daniel Day-Lewis. 2. Phoenix closing: In the bummer department, longstanding Boston weekly newspaper The …

1. Brewer Fountain project: This fall the Friends of the Public Garden will will begin the final phase of the Brewer Fountain Plaza renovation. The $1.2 million project will include "restoring the historic fence along Tremont Street and distinguishing the Common as parkland once again," according to the Friends' website. 2. Icelandic authors: Discover Icelandic history through the literary art exhibit, “Fabulous Iceland: From Sagas to Novels – Portraits of Contemporary Icelandic Artists,” individual short stories and coupled with portraits taken by Kristinn Ingvarsson, in the lobby of the …

1. Boston Calling: Early bird tickets for May's Boston Calling Music Festival, featuring bands Fun and The Shins, at City Hall have already sold out. But don't worry, regular tickets go on sale today at 10 a.m. Get them at www.bostoncalling.com or www.ticketmaster.com. 2. Volunteer on the Esplanade: The Esplanade Association will be starting its 2013 season of Drop-in Saturdays tomorrow. Every Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m – holidays excepted – volunteers can just show up, no registration needed, and get their hands dirty! For more information, click here. 3. Irish cupcakes: Sweet will …

1. Photo exhibit opening: The Boston Center for Adult Education is hosting a free reception Friday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. to celebrate the launch of "The Road Show," a new exhibit featuring the work of Cambridge-based photographer Mikki Ansin. Best-known for her behind-the-scenes stills of Hollywood films, Ansin has travelled the world as a photojournalist for over 40 years. "The Road Show" exhibits her travels to China, Russia, Turkey, Morocco, Italy and France. The exihbit will be on display through March.  2. New Athenaeum director: Robert L. West has been appointed Director of Development at…

1. Longfellow discussion: Back Bay's State House representative, Marty Walz, will be at the West End Museum Thursday from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. to discuss her part in the renovations of Longfellow Bridge. Her talk,"Bringing a 20th Century Bridge into the 21st Century," is free and open to the public. Register here.  2. And speaking of: Marty Walz, this weekend Democrat Nils Tracy of Beacon Hill announced that he will be running for her 8th Suffolk District seat after she leaves to take over Planned Parenthood in Massachusetts this month. Read more about Nils here.  3. Boston During Climate Change…

1. Christian Science sites get developer: The First Church of Christ, Scientist, announced that it has selected Carpenter & Company, Inc. as the master developer for two development sites adjacent to the 14.8-acre Christian Science Plaza in Boston’s Back Bay.  The parcels are part of the master plan designed to revitalize the plaza and enliven its open space. Read more about the announcment here.  2. Spanning the Charles: The West End Museum is hosting a free lecture tonight at 6 p.m., "X-ray Vision: Peering into the History of River Crossings Visible Today." Bill Kuttner, Senior Analyst at …

1. BU plan approved: On Friday The BRA unanimously approved Boston University’s 2013-2023 master plan, the culmination of about 14 months of public review including 11 meetings held by the BU Community Task Force. The 10-year plan calls for six new institutional projects totaling about $750 million.  2. Burrito Bowl III: On Feb. 2 from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Poe's Kitchen at the Rattlesnake will host Burrito Bowl III, a culinary competition that brings together some of Boston’s best chefs to determine whose burrito creation reigns supreme. In honor of the following day’s Super Bowl XLVII, each …

1. Happy New Year's Eve! Here is everything you need to know about First Night in Boston, including schedules of performances, what not to miss and more.  2. It bears repeating: The city will collect Christmas trees for composting from January 7-18. Remove all ornaments, decorations, and stands from trees and place trees at the curb by 7 a.m. on your recycling day. Do not put trees in plastic bags, and don't forget to recycle your holiday cards, catalogs and wrapping paper as well. 3. Did you miss any news on Back Bay Patch last week? Get caught up with our Week in Review.  4. Or, for a …

1. Christmas tree collection: Public Works will collect Christmas trees for composting from Jan. 7-18. Remove all ornaments, decorations, and stands from trees and place trees at the curb by 7 a.m. on your recycling day. Do not put trees in plastic bags, and don't forget to recycle your holiday cards, catalogs and wrapping paper as well. 2. New historical society exhibition: To commemorate 150th anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Massachusetts Historical Society will open two exhibitions on Jan. 1 featuring several rarely seen Lincoln artifacts on display, …