Well, it only took a friggin’ Medal of Freedom award and a heavy hint from President Obama to prod city hall into action, but it looks like there’s serious talk about giving Bill Russell a statue! It’s not like the issue has totally gone ignored by Bostonians. There’s a Facebook page specifically called “Boston, give Bill Russell A Statue, A Tunnel …. SOMETHING“.

Go over to the Facebook page and post an encouraging message — let’s get this done Boston!

So, what about the crime rate in Boston? Yes, there is a problem, but it might not be as bad as you might think. There are many studies and the one I am quoting today says that across the country Boston didn’t even make the top 100 of cities with the worst crime.  Check it out….

If you haven’t used Google today (which usually means you haven’t woken up yet), you’ll see today is a special tribute to JFK on the 50th anniversary of his inauguration. Words used in the speech make up the word “Google.” If you click on the words it sends you to a page of info and videos on the inaugural speech. One time when visiting the JFK Museum, they had the actual inaugural speech on paper available for viewing, which was fairly awesome. I tried to find it last time I was there (some time ago) and couldn’t find it.

The Globe takes a look at the coming $300 million Longfellow Bridge renovation – and expansion of sidewalks and bikes lanes. The story is accompanied by a terrific graphic.

The two competing visions for the post-renovation Longfellow have more in common than all the loud arguing suggests: They both strive to make walking and biking across the bridge a more pleasant experience.

They also all agree: The current configuration for the most heavily used side (upstream – or the side closest to community boating) is absolutely absurd: Only 9 feet and six inches for both pedestrians and bikers vs. 27 feet and six inches for two lanes of cars.

The state would change the numbers to 15 feet for pedestrians and bikers vs. 22 feet for two lanes of cars. The LiveablesStreets Alliance would go further: 24 feet for pedestrians and bikers vs. only 11 feet for only one lane of cars.

Though the alliance’s design clearly looks better, one has to wonder if we’d merely be trading one inconvenience (too little room for walkers and bikes) for another inconvenience (too little room for cars). We’re no traffic experts. So we’ll let the two sides argue away.

But it’s great to see, no matter what plan they go with, that improvements are on the way.

File under: Singing in the rain

From today’s Boston Herald: Film celebrates long history of Hub department store. A one-hour documentary about the original Filene’s Basement in Boston’s Downtown Crossing will premiere this spring. More than five years in the making, the film recounts the now-closed Basement’s history and stories of its workers and shoppers – including, “60 Minutes” newsman Mike Wallace, Congressman Barney Frank, former Gov. Michael Dukakis and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.