The bears before they went boom:

FirstNight tweets.

More FirstNight updates.

About ten years ago, the Boston Parks and Recreation Department switched its Common holiday tree lighting from the multi-colored lights they had used for many years to all-white lights, except for the one Christmas tree.

This followed a trend in many communities, where multi-colored displays began to be seen as vulgar and all-white lights as "tasteful." Perhaps it was Martha Stewart or some other middlebrow tastemaker who put out the fatwa on multi-colored lighting, but many towns fell into line.

Because they don't think the in-debt-to-its-eyeballs T can come up with its 40% share of the $1.5-billion bus tunnel, the Globe reports.

The Outraged Liberal can't wait, says this might finally be the kick in the teeth the state needs to come up with an actual, serious plan for dealing with all of the region's transportation issues:

... But then again, this is Massachusetts. If we could tax words, we would be swimming in cash.

On Switchback, Bill picks up on something in that recently released proposal for improving Boston Common: That city councilors Mike Ross, Bill Linehan and Sal LaMattina really wish the MBTA would stop with all this nonsense about putting a Silver Line tunnel under the park. They write:

The Silverline project will rip up the entire stretch of the Common along Charles Street for up to 10 years, for the staging area for heavy equipment. It will snarl traffic as they close a lane for the construction of a new tunnel, and it will make an entire stretch of the Common nearly unusable during that time. All of this will be done for the purpose of putting in bus transit that is unnecessary, when tunnels already exist for light rail, and when it is nearly universally agreed that the bus system as set up does not work, and is not nearly as effective or efficient as light rail.

The Silverline Project is a mistake. The plans in place will disturb sacred grounds, such as the historic graveyard. Unused light rail tunnels already exist below ground, and the MBTA, with its multimillion dollar deficit, should be looking at ways it can build a system around what is there, and ensuring that we have opportunities to become a greener, more efficient city while not tearing up our precious parks system during the construction.

Ed. note: The T has a multi-billion dollar deficit.

Here (3.8M PDF file).

The report, by councilors Michael Ross, Bill Linehan and Sal LaMattina, calls for some major changes to the Common, including:

• An ornamental fence along Tremont to delineate the park and keep Tremont Street pedestrians off the grass while keeping it open to sunbathers;
• A "Grand Entrance" to the park at a rebuilt visitors center;
• a low-cost cafe on the site of either the old men's room or parks maintenance building; a dedicated dog run;
• A permanent carousel at the Frog Pond
• Permanent underground facilities for storing equipment needed for events at the bandstand.

In addition, the report calls for increased maintenance (everything from sidewalk to the Soliders and Sailors Monument are in poor shape) and efforts to help the homeless who congregate on the Common find permanent housing. To pay for it, the councilors propose a betterment fund paid for by neighboring landowners and gradually increasing the amount of money now raised by Boys and Girls Club kiosks on the Common dedicated to the Common.

Some initial comments by Kevin McCrea.

Rae4dmb is posting updates even as I type this:

The high school choir changed the lyrics 'jesus is king' to 'ding dong ding ding'.

7:49 update: Alright, who tripped over the Boston Common extension cord? Looks like power at the Common just went poof.

Kevin McCrea relays the news that the City Council's Special Committee on Boston Common, chaired by Councilor Ross, is holding a "working session" on Monday, Dec. 8, starting at 3:30 p.m. in City Hall's Curley Room.

Councilor Ross explains what he and councilors LaMattina and Linehan are thinking up for Boston Common, which they say deserves to be not just America's oldest park, but it's greatest:

... The proposal that I'm most excited about is the establishment of a restaurant on the park. Our vision is a popular eatery that entices a diverse and vibrant crowd. When our Committee visited New York City, we saw two sites that were intriguing models for the Common: The Shake Shack at Madison Park, which serves $7 hamburgers and draws huge lines; and the Boathouse at Central Park, which provides a cafeteria, indoor and outdoor bar, and moderately priced restaurant, all with a great view.

There are several ideal locations for this establishment that will be presented in the report. We see great opportunity in this effort for improvements in the park, the neighborhood, and the city as a whole. A restaurant provides benefits by increasing year-round, late-evening traffic on the Common, which has a positive impact on crime in the area, and helps reinvigorate the neighborhood. ...

Kevin McCrea, meanwhile, provides the opposing viewpoint, at least when it comes to creating a conservancy for the Common.

Hi. My name is Reuben, and I am Boston City Councilor Mike Ross's Chief of Staff.

Mike and I have read with interest the writings regarding the Boston Common on these pages. We are energized to see so many people who are as interested in the future of the Common as we are.

At Boston Daily, Mike has posted his Ross Report on the topic. We are excited about a number of the proposals that we'll have in this report, and wanted to clear up a few misconceptions.