Winter Play Days With Project Play Start This Saturday!
This Saturday 1/6 will be the first in a new series of bi-weekly indoor play days hosted through a new partnership between Project Play and Harbor City Church. Every other Saturday from 10:00-12:00 pm, from January to March, young children ages 0-5 and their caregivers can come to the Harbor City Church space upstairs in the Wadsworth Building (214 Winthrop Street) for free, indoor play on Project Play’s signature pop-up play equipment of mats, climbers, walkers, ride ons and musical instruments. There will also be free children’s musical entertainment and programs, starting with a Jeff Jam sign-along at 10:30 this Saturday!
These play days are free and open to all, however donations to Project Play and Harbor City Foster Closet are kindly encouraged, including specific items for donation that can found at harborfosterclosetma.org. Project Play also welcomes donations of play equipment in good condition (email [email protected]). Thank you to our local sponsors for making these free events possible, including Winthrop Charities, the Winthrop Marketplace, former Speaker “Papa” Deleo, Sen.Lydia Edwards, Rep.Jeff Turco! More information can be found online at projectplaywinthrop.org
More Than One-Third of Christmas Tree Home Fires Occur in January
More than one-third (34 percent) of U.S. home fires involving Christmas trees occur in January. With this post-holiday fire hazard in mind, the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) strongly encourages everyone to keep the festive memories and remove the hazards by disposing of Christmas trees promptly after the holiday season.
“As much as we all enjoy the look and feel of Christmas trees in our homes, they’re large combustible items that have the potential to result in serious fires,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy at. “The longer Christmas trees remain in homes, the longer they present a risk.”
Carli notes that fresh Christmas trees, which continue to dry out and become more flammable over time, are involved in a much larger share of reported Christmas tree fires than artificial trees.
According to the latest statistics from NFPA, there was an estimated annual average of 150 home structure fires that began with Christmas trees, resulting in one civilian death, 10 civilian injuries, and $14 million in direct property damage between 2017 and 2021. Overall, fires that begin with Christmas trees represent a very small but notable part of the U.S. fire problem, considering that they are generally in use for a short time each year.
To safely dispose of a Christmas tree, NFPA recommends using the local community’s recycling program, if possible; trees should not be put in the garage or left outside. NFPA also offers these tips for safely removing lighting and decorations to ensure that they remain in good condition:
• Use the gripping area on the plug when unplugging electrical decorations. Never pull the cord to unplug any device from an electrical outlet, as this can harm the wire and insulation of the cord, increasing the risk for shock or electrical fire.
• As you pack up light strings, inspect each line for damage, throwing out any sets that have loose connections, broken sockets or cracked or bare wires.
• Wrap each set of lights and put them in individual plastic bags or wrap them around a piece of cardboard.
• Store electrical decorations in a dry place away from children and pets where they will not be damaged by water or dampness.
For more information on home fire safety all winter long, visit “Put a Freeze on Winter Fires,” a winter safety campaign NFPA promotes annually with the U.S. Fire Administration.
Lyric Stage Boston Presents ‘Trouble in Mind’
A tale that was meant to be told over 60 years ago, Dawn M. Simmons brings to Lyric Stage Boston, Alice Childress’s unflinching look at the standards of 1950’s Broadway in Trouble in Mind.
Meant for a Broadway run in 1957, Trouble in Mind never made its debut after producers urged Childress to subdue the content. Childress refused, and after a successful Broadway run in 2021, Lyric Stage is proud to present this re-discovered theatrical marvel as the playwright originally intended.
It’s 1955, and after enduring indignities and lost opportunities, Wiletta Mayer, a seasoned Black actress, is finally making her Broadway debut. Written by a white playwright, her star vehicle is the allegedly progressive “Chaos in Belleville,” which turns out to be anything but. Leading a cast of both younger and experienced actors, Wiletta challenges not only the soft racism of her white director but also the veiled prejudice that limits her aspirations and success. With warmth, humor, and sharp insight, this moving backstage look at identity and stereotypes cracks open searing truths about the American theater that remain heartbreakingly contemporary.
Director Dawn M. Simmons says, “Have you ever read something so relevant, so fresh that you wondered who’s been reading your texts? That’s how I felt when I first read Trouble in Mind. It’s funny, “on time”, smart, and so maddeningly current I knew it had to be written by someone working in the theater today. But Trouble in Mind first premiered in 1955. I’ve put together a cracking team of Boston’s finest artists, and we’re gonna put on one heck of a show for you. Laugh, cry, and be outraged with us, but most importantly, be in community with us as we hold the mirror up to nature and take you back to 1950s New York, which sometimes doesn’t feel all that long ago.”
Performances begin Friday, Jan. 12 and run through Sunday, Feb. 4.
Sullivan Square Traffic Advisory
Motorists should be advised that the Sullivan Square Underpass will be closed beginning on Tuesday January 2 through Friday May 31 to perform repairs to the structure.
Motorists are encouraged to plan accordingly and/or seek alternative routes.
If you have any questions, please contact: