Boston Battles Over Park Name

26 September 2006 - 7:00am

"A tree grows in Dorchester.

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Actually, seven trees in this particular spot on Columbia Road: one hawthorn, two honey locusts, and four red maples.

All of them sit wistfully on a frumpy and faceless triangle of city land hard by the Southeast Expressway off-ramp.

They are joined there by a regal rose of Sharon bush, which residents planted several weeks ago, along with the trees, in honor of the late neighborhood activist Sharon Yokaitis .

Neighbors want to dress up the tiny swath with accessories like a dog run and a stone bearing a memorial plaque that would officially proclaim the space 'Sharon's Park.'

To do that, they must first win the approval of the city's Parks and Recreation Commission, a process that could get ticklish."

In Boston, the naming of public spaces can be more challenging than actually building it in the first place.

"A tree grows in Dorchester.

Actually, seven trees in this particular spot on Columbia Road: one hawthorn, two honey locusts, and four red maples.

All of them sit wistfully on a frumpy and faceless triangle of city land hard by the Southeast Expressway off-ramp.

They are joined there by a regal rose of Sharon bush, which residents planted several weeks ago, along with the trees, in honor of the late neighborhood activist Sharon Yokaitis .

Neighbors want to dress up the tiny swath with accessories like a dog run and a stone bearing a memorial plaque that would officially proclaim the space 'Sharon's Park.'

To do that, they must first win the approval of the city's Parks and Recreation Commission, a process that could get ticklish."

Source: Boston Globe, Sep 24, 2006