Neighborhood Round Up

Charlestown Historical Society seeks volunteers

The mission of the Charlestown Historical Society is to preserve and promote the history of Charlestown, the cornerstone of America.  We are looking for volunteers to join our committees. Please visit charlestownhistoricalsociety.org to learn more about us or email [email protected] if you’re interested in being part of the Charlestown Historical Society and preserving our history! 

Maps of Charlestown’s Historic Structures Are For Sale at our Library

Maps of historic structures in Charlertown are available for sale at our library at 179 Main St. They are sold at the circulation desk during regular library hours.   The black-and-white ones sell for $10 and the colored ones sell for $20.   The maps make great gifts and they can fit into a standard-sized frame.  Proceeds from the sale of these maps are used for programs and events in our branch library.   

Astronomy Talk at Charlestown Branch Library

Robert A. Gonsalves, Emeritus Professor of Engineering at Tufts, will present a talk with photos on Astronomy and Telescopes at Charlestown Branch Library, 179 Main St., on Monday, Feb. 25, at 6:30 p.m.  Professor Gonsalves will show the universe as seen through the eyes of the Hubble telescope. He will also discuss the design of telescopes over time, including the James Webb Space Telescope, scheduled for launch in 2021. Come, see some beautiful pictures, learn a little about our universe, and ask some questions.

For more information, call the branch at 617-242-1248.

Girls Softball Spring Registration

Registration and instructional clinics for girl who want to play softball will be held on Monday evenings at The Harvard Kent School Gym, 50 Bunker Hill St.

Softball in Charlestown welcomes players from age 4 to 14 (players 14 or younger before January 1, 2019)

Registration runs every Monday through March 25, clinics run during registration. For ages 4-8 sessions are from 6-7 p.m. for ages 9-13 from 7-8 p.m. For further information please contact Jack Schievink 617-201-4507 or email [email protected]

Harvest on Vine Food Pantry

The Harvest on Vine Food Pantry is requesting this week boxes of cereal, beef stew and soup and cans of coffee. Any donation of non-perishable foods that you could make would also be greatly appreciated.

Donations can be dropped off at the Food Pantry at 49 Vine St. (Hayes Square), The Cooperative Bank at 201 Main St. and at the Parish Center on 46 Winthrop St. (across from the Training Field).  Financial donations can be sent to: Harvest on Vine, Parish Center, 46 Winthrop St., Charlestown, MA 02129. For more information, call Tom MacDonald, director, at 617-990-7314.

Maritime Festival with LEGO® at USS Constitution Museum

LEGO® Maritime Festival February 16 – 24, 2019 10:00-5:00 Let your imagination set sail this February School Vacation Week! Inspired by the different ship designs on display in Masters of Miniature, head to the USS Constitution Museum to build your own ship with LEGO® and DUPLO® Bricks! In the hands of a creative kid – or kid at heart – a pile of colorful bricks can become an aircraft carrier – or USS Constitution! The nautical fun continues with a “Float Your Boat” LEGO® Challenge, “Picture Yourself” LEGO® Selfie Masks, a scavenger hunt through our Masters of Miniature exhibit, and much more!

Michael P Quinn Scholarship Applications Available

The Michael P. Quinn Scholarship is an award of ten thousand dollars given for the recipient’s first year of college.   To apply for the 2019 Michael P Quinn Scholarship the student must be a resident of Charlestown for the past four years and graduate from High School with the Class of 2019.  Applications for the 2019 Michael P Quinn Scholarship are available at the Charlestown Boy’s and Girls Club, the Charlestown Public Library or writing to the Quinn Fund at P O Box 290216, Charlestown, Ma 02129. Deadline to apply is  April 1, 2019                                                   

USS Constitution to commemorate 1815 Battle

USS Constitution and USS Constitution Museum will host a ceremony aboard USS Constitution on Wednesday, February 20, 2019 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to commemorate the 204th anniversary of the 1815 battle between USS Constitution, HMS Cyane, and HMS Levant.

The program will highlight deck log entries from the ship’s captain, sailing tactics and seamanship, and a gun salute from USS Constitution at noon followed by a moment of silence. Tours given aboard the ship that day will focus on the Cyane and Levant battle.

Captain Charles Stewart (10th Commanding Officer of USS Constitution) and his crew cruised the sea lanes of the eastern Atlantic for two months looking for British convoys to capture as prizes. On February 20, 1815, east of the Madeira Islands, two ships were spotted and USS Constitution quickly gave chase. During the four-hour battle that ensued between USSConstitution and the two British ships, exceptional ship handling tactics kept Constitution from sustaining mortal damage while her foes suffered many casualties and impairment to their rigging and sails. USS Constitution prize crew took control of both vessels to end the battle.

This battle between USS Constitution and the frigates of His Majesty’s Royal Navy proved to be one of the last engagements of the War of 1812. Unbeknownst to the parties involved, the Treaty of Ghent, signed on December 24, 1814 and ratified by the U.S. Senate February 17, 1815 (three days prior to the battle), called for a ‘status quo antebellum,’ or for all things to return to the way they were before the war – thus creating peace between Great Britain and the United States. Thanks to a time-late clause which allowed a 12-day period after the ratification for all parties involved to learn of the news, the battle was legitimate and demonstrated a final showcase of American sea power during the War of 1812.

For more news and information on USS Constitution, visit: www.navy.mil/local/constitution or www.facebook.com/ussconstitutionofficial

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