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311 complaint of the day: How did Boston selectmen allow a woke nightmare on the side of a West Roxbury school?

By adamg on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 1:58pm
New Joyce Kilmer mural

The mural in question.

A West Roxbury resident filed a 311 complaint yesterday about what he or she considers a completely "woke" graffiti mural that just went up on the side of the Joyce Kilmer School on Baker Street, in one of the largest spleen ventings we've seen on 311 in many a year:

This is a Disgusting [piece of vomit] ! I have lived here all my 58 years and my parents and Grandparents grew up in West Roxbury over 175 years ... We the the community was never informed. ... You have to go in front of a board of Select men and city council! This Is illegal . We don't want this !!! Get rid of it !! Our Relistate just Plummet Down ! We pay taxes to the city of Boston and our tax money is going to this painting! ... this is Illegal and it is Graffiti. This is West Roxbury Massachusetts. Suburban of Boston . Not Down town Boston . Graffiti .

This morning, though, another Killmer neighbor filed a 311 compliment - and the photo that tops this post:

No issue. Just wanted to compliment the artist and say that as an abutter to the school - we will enjoy looking at this art every day. Thank you Mayor Wu, for supporting artists!

The Kilmer hasn't seen this sort of brouhaha since the Great Robotic Goose controversy back in aught-five.

Neighborhoods: 
West Roxbury
Free tagging: 
311
Baker Street
Boston Public Schools
Joyce Kilmer School


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Comments

By anon on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 2:13pm.

Anyone with a brainworm to English translator care to share what is wrong with this mural?

Side note - the new bike lanes on Centre St in WR are a huge improvement and have had zero impact on parking.

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By Waquiot on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 3:00pm.

Did they really paint the windows? That does seem bad.

Otherwise, it's a nice freshening up of the side of the building. When we have the town meeting next spring, I'll be sure to mention it to the selectmen.

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By lbb on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 3:55pm.

Did they really paint the windows?

Maybe it's the kind you can see through, like the ad wraps on MBTA buses?

By Frelmont on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 4:32pm.

About the bus ads… I know the city is hard up, but one of the pleasures in life is to look out of windows. See the Charles and the skyline crossing the S&P shaker bridge. I’d pay extra to avoid the indignity of riding in an ad-wrapped bus or train. Plus, these ads are a safety and ADA issue.

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By Waquiot on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 4:58pm.

The City doesn't run the buses. The state does.

But yeah, ads are great for revenue, but stink for passenger experience. Surely one can wrap a bus without blocking the windows.

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By Frelmont on Sat, 08/03/2024 - 11:33am.

Thanks. I knew that. It’s right there in the name: Mass Bay TA. I was thinking in city terms. All levels of government are hard up fighting for scraps.

By lbb on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 6:32pm.

...that you've ever been on one of these buses?

one of the pleasures in life is to look out of windows

You can see out of these windows. I just explained that.

I’d pay extra to avoid the indignity of riding in an ad-wrapped bus or train.

"indignity"? That's...pretty fragile.

Plus, these ads are a safety and ADA issue.

How?

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By Frelmont on Sat, 08/03/2024 - 11:42am.

Barely. I don’t have great eyesight and the adwrap makes the view worse. I don’t have my head buried in my phone and life is short, I like to look out the window. I’m a day dreamer. Sure, when the busses are coated with roadsalt it’s hard to see as well and doubly obscured both salt and crap ads.

Yeah, it is an indignity living in the world’s wealthiest country and our public agencies like the MBTA have to shuffle up to the private industry hat in hand begging for scraps.

By Ari O on Sat, 08/03/2024 - 10:03am.

Crossing the Longfellow … either there’s a red line diversion, or you are very lost.

By Kathleen on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 4:04pm.

I think they put paper over the windows before painting, and they will remove it when painting is done, leaving the glass unpainted. Masking off the windows is much easier than carefully avoiding them.

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By 02132 on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 6:56pm.

Just an FYI, that's the NW side of the school, no sun is getting anywhere near those windows during a school day, if that's any concern.

By Tabitha on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 8:25pm.

The windows have paper that will be removed when he’s done.

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By MattyC on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 3:53pm.

175 years in 3 generations is certainly a datapoint

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By TiminSouthie on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 4:35pm.

Scene: Boomer/ late GenXer with NewsMax or Fox on, bleating about stuff,
yelling in a thick accent:

" No that's my fahkin privilege to decide what change is allowed and I don't like change! Go fahk yahself. Follow the law! But not against Donald Trump!"

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By SwirlyGrrl on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 11:01pm.

I always find it amusing when random white straight men think they get to make the rules for everyone.

Amusing delusion.

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By tblade on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 2:15pm.

Anyone earnestly using “woke” as a pejorative in 2024 is a knuckle-dragging ass clown who should be laughed out of every conversation. Same with using DEI as a pejorative.

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By anon on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 2:41pm.

How woke of you!

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By SwirlyGrrl on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 11:03pm.

Then being a drugged out zombie is ideal?

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By SouthBoston02127 on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 2:21pm.

Please paint one in Southie!

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By Rwgfy on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 2:25pm.

It is only fair to use West Roxbury and Down town as pejoratives.

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By Starluna on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 2:27pm.

I am genuinely curious who these Select men are supposed to be in the mind of this complainant. And how does one become one of these Select men? Are they actually only men in the mind of this person?

I also hope that this is parody.

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By mg on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 2:34pm.

I guess the Select men are the ones who are devaluing all that relistate out there.

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By MattyC on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 3:47pm.

:chef's kiss:

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By adamg on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 2:40pm.

Granted, not since 1822, when Boston became the state's first official city, but Bostonians never forget.

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By lbb on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 4:07pm.

...many towns in Massachusetts have a select board. A few cities do as well, but Boston is not one of them. It makes me wonder if this is one of those with, shall we say, roots in West Roxbury, but who does not live there any more.

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By HPboy on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 2:32pm.

Anyone particular represented or just random kids? It looks fine.

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By SwirlyGrrl on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 11:06pm.

Anyone who thinks having a mural with kids who look like this is "woke" needs to look up how diverse the under-18 age group is. HINT: the youngest Americans do not have a white majority and really haven't for about 20 years now.

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By brianjdamico on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 2:39pm.

You have to go in front of a board of Select men and city council!

Boston hasn't had a Board of Selectmen since *checks notes* 1822?

No permit was issued.

It's illegal! Follow the Law ! If we have to get permission to get permits for our own house in Boston . Follow the Law !!

If there's one thing you can do to your property without a building permit, it's painting.

From the photos, it's a nice looking mural. Nicer than looking at faded brick. It's what, faces of children, on the side of an elementary school? Seems appropriate.

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By APB on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 2:45pm.

If the author of the complaint attended that school, as he or she alleges, there are clearly some very serious problems on the inside, rather than outside.

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By Rob on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 4:41pm.

"Were", not necessarily "are".

But, yeah! Exhume her fourth -grade teacher and let's get to the bottom of this!

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By anon on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 2:48pm.

Since when is West Roxbury a suburb of Boston?

Other than that, the post has something of a William Burroughs cut up technique Naked Lunch type vibe to it.

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By Anon on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 3:01pm.

An argument can be made that was a frivolous use of tax dollars especially considering the financial landscape of BPS. I’m neutral on the mural itself. If the kids like it then wonderful. But if my child went to school there, I think I would prefer those funds be spent on furthering the education.

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By lbb on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 4:08pm.

Do you know how the mural was funded? I went looking for that information and could not find it.

I think I would prefer those funds be spent on furthering the education.

Do you think attractive surroundings interfere with the educational process?

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By Anon on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 4:24pm.

The city paid for it one way or another. I would not expect that it came from Bps budget. Probably an artist grant.

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By Cleary Squared on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 3:49pm.

West Roxbury had the Dapper O'Neill/Mayor Curley diptych on the side of the West Roxbury bar for years until it got replaced, and it was updated to celebrate a West Roxbury veteran.

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By Vicki on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 4:15pm.

Does the complainant really believe that they'd have trouble selling a house in Boston because of the mural painted on a neighborhood school?

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By adamg on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 4:17pm.

More details - the Bates School in Roslindale is also scheduled for a mural.

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By Angry Dan on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 5:49pm.

YES... HA HA HA... YES!

- Sickos

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By Frelmont on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 4:40pm.

Speaking of 311.. Boston had both 311 and See Click Fix for quite some time. Did Boston provide any statement on why it ended public reporting and dialogue via SCF? Why did the mayor opt for less speech over more speech?

By TGR on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 5:08pm.

I believe there were concerns that any attempt at content moderation for comments could be seen as curtailing free expression. A private entity can moderate the speech on its site in accordance with terms of use an agreement; but a public entity will have a harder time taking down problematic posts.

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By MC Slim JB on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 4:41pm.

hopped up on goofballs.

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By MassMouse on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 5:22pm.

I am sure this complainant is also wondering how Kamala “turned black” a few years ago…

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By xyz on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 6:58pm.

Noting the multiple failures of logic and language, and that the ticket was opened at 12:38 AM, I wonder if the complainer was egged on by his buddies Jim Beam and Jack Daniels.

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By 02132 on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 6:59pm.

I stopped up at the Kilmer last night before 8, talked to the guy doing the painting. He's from Denver, and a few months ago he met with the students and the mural is the product of all the designs they put together. Wish I got his name, but he was up on the cherry picker still working. Really cool stuff.

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By Tabitha on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 8:22pm.

His name is Thomas Evans, goes by detour @detour303 on instagram

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By Frelmont on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 7:51pm.

It doesn’t look finished, or maybe that’s an artistic aspect. At least we’re spending tax dollars on a public school and not a charter, or religious school. Remember, charter schools are a noecon scam to undermine the public’s trust in public institutions and their very “success” is two fold.

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By Tabitha on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 8:23pm.

He’s here til next week, it’s still in progress

By 02132 on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 9:24pm.

The artist expects it to be done Wednesday the 7th.

By Ron Newman on Fri, 08/02/2024 - 10:37pm.

A mural lovely as a tree

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By Rob on Sat, 08/03/2024 - 9:34pm.

Of course!!! I can see it clearly now!!!

This mural is obviously being done by the same pernicious forces that did that infernal coronation portrait of King Charles a few months ago!

All that red! Coincidence? I think not!!!