'Superheroes' To Face Off With MBTA Finance Committee Today

The 'Fast Five,' a project of the T Riders Union in which members dress up as superheroes representing MBTA debt solutions, are attending today's public MBTA Finance Committee meeting.

The Fast Five have attended multiple MBTA meetings in colorful garb, and today they're going to try and "take back our public transit system" during an open MBTA Finance Committee meeting with their proposals, which are matched 1-1 with each "superhero's" identity.  The meeting will be at today at 11 a.m. at 10 Park Plaza in Boston in the MBTA Boardroom on the third floor, and all are welcome to attend.  For those who can't make it, here's a rundown on the Fast Five and what they represent, from their website:  Snow Removal Man seeks to "Transfer MassDOT's snow removal funds to the MBTA, as a mild winter has left much of the money unused." MBCR Rock Star recommends we "Hold MBCR accountable for service!," since "in the past two years, …

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Waltham Man Lends Knowledge of Lake Lingo for New Play

Born and raised in Nonantum, Alan Flynn helped show a playwright and director a thing or two about The Lake, the setting for the new play "The Prince of Atlantis."

When one stops and thinks about the city of Newton, one doesn't often consider that a translator may be needed to walk through its village streets.  But when former Oak Hill resident and playwright Steven Drukman decided to base his newest play in Nonantum, he needed some help with the local dialect.  Enter: Alan Flynn, who now lives in Waltham. "I went through [the play] and corrected some words, added some words...I took them down to The Lake and we drove around, I showed them the sights," says Flynn. "That's where I grew up." Flynn, the city's supervisor of custodians, recently acted as a consultant for Drukman's new play The Prince of Atlantis, which will premiere this spring in California. The play takes place in The Lake (or Nonantum…

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Top 5 Waltham Arts Stories of 2011

A roundup of the year's coolest arts stories.

Doo wop, steampunkers and other creative arts happenings filled the city during the past year. Check out our roundup below.

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Get Out

Get Spooked In Waltham Today

Hear some ghost stories at Gore Place.

Waltham residents won’t need to travel far to get spooked this weekend. Gore Place will host a guided tour of the mansion featuring ghost stories today, Friday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m. Actors dressed in period costumes will guide participants through the historic home of former Massachusetts Gov. Christopher Gore. There are admission fees — 415 for adults, $10 for kids ages 6-12. Tours start at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.. Call 781-894-2798 for advance tickets. “It's not scary. We had children as young as 10 and they enjoyed it,” said Gore Place spokesman Thom Roach. “There is nothing particiular gruesome aobut them.” As to whether the mansion itself is haunted, that is anybody's guess, but Roach issued his belief. “We’ve never really had evidence of …

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Rosh Hashanah Recipes: Squash Melange And More

Part II of my recipes for Rosh Hashanah. B'tayavon (the Jewish version of 'Bon Appetit')!

Rosh Hashanah ends at sundown tonight, but you still have time to make these easy and quick dishes. Or, if your menu is already planned, you can save them for pre- or post-fast meals for Yom Kippur, which begins at sundown on October 7. Squash mélange (serves four as a side dish) When I was younger, my mom used to write letters to me at sleepaway camp and would tell, in excruciating detail, of the pounds and pounds of zucchini she’d picked. Whenever I make this dish now, I think of those letters and miss the fresh-picked squash. Thank goodness for the farmers’ market! Ingredients: Directions: Panko-crusted Salmon with Herbs (serves 6) My mother, who is my culinary Yoda, makes this salmon dish for practically every Sabbath she and my father…

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Tasty Recipes For Rosh Hashanah

These easy and tasty recipes for a side dish and dessert will help make your Jewish holiday deliciously simple.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins at sundown on Wednesday Sept. 28 and goes until sundown on Friday, Sept. 30. This is the year 5772 on the Jewish calendar, and every year, Jewish families gather together to celebrate the occasion with traditional foods. Over the next two weeks, I will be sharing with you the recipes for some of the most beloved dishes from my family including side dishes and dessert. Next week will be entrée and a special holiday challah bread. Ingredients can be purchased a any Waltham grocery store, as well as the weekly farmer's market each Saturday on Moody Street. Mama Betty’s Noodle Kugel  (serves 8 as a side dish) Mama Betty is my paternal grandmother and was the very personification of the notion that …

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Fun Day Coming To Waltham

Have some in the fall.

Get ready for some fun in the city! Waltham Day, a city festival, will be held Saturday, Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the city common adjacent to City Hall, according to an announcement from Mayor Jeanette McCarthy. Pony rides, musical performances and amusement rides will be available, as well as raffles and food. If you would like to volunteer for the event, call the mayor’s office at 781-314-3100.

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Get Out: Comedy, "Rent" Opens, And A Labor Day Picnic

Check out our picks for activities to do and new places to explore in and around the Waltham area over the Labor Day Weekend.

Improv Comedy Jason Russell House and the Smith Museum Tours New Repertory Theatre: "Rent" Open Traditional Irish Session Labor Day Picnic in the Park If you have any favorites that we missed, share them in our comment box below.

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PHOTOS: Doo Wop Show A Hit in Waltham

Annual show draws hundreds.

Mayor Jeanette McCarthy’s fifth-annual annual doo wop concert drew hundreds to the City Common Saturday night, for four hours of music and fun in the beautiful weather. Check out our photos in the photo box to the right.

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‘The Cops’ Sent Home on ‘Expedition Impossible’

Local team finishes last in week nine.

After surviving eight weeks on an ABC reality show, a local group of competitors is finally coming home. This week’s Expedition Impossible began with the Gypsies team once again taking a head start on the competition. While the local Cops might not have started in first, they were entering the ninth episode riding a wave of success from week eight. “It seems like the competition is getting tougher,” said James Vaglica of The Cops. “We need to represent police officers all over the country and we’re not gonna let them down.” A victory at stage nine would ensure a final four berth for any team not eliminated. Teams began the mission on rafts, but The Cops ran aground when their raft was washed up onto a rock. With water rushing into the boat…

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