People and Happenings
Mount Auburn presented“ The Birds of Spring at Mount Auburn,” a bird identification workshop led by Jim Barton, a former Brookline Bird Club and Massachusetts Audubon field trip leader, on Wednesdays, from April 16 to May 7. During the multi-session class attendees learned methods for identifying warblers, thrushes, vireos, and other spring migrants by eye and ear. Following the classrooms sessions, two morning bird walks were held for participants.
People and Happenings
Cultural historian Marilyn Yalom of Stanford University and Reid Yalom, her son, discussed their book, The American Resting Place, Four Hundred Years of History through Our Cemeteries and Burial Grounds( Houghton Mifflin, 2008) during a lecture and slideshow at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square on May 15. The evening was cosponsored by Mount Auburn, the Boston Athenaeum, Historic New England, the Massachusetts Historical Society, and the New England Historic Genealogical Society.
Top: Baltimore Oriole by George McLean Bottom: Common Yellow Throat by John Harrison
The New England Conservatory’ s Parker String Quartet— made up of graduate students pursuing degrees in performance and chamber music— played in a concert at Story Chapel on November 17, 2007. The event was made possible by the generosity of Harry and Frances Pratt. Harry is a member of NEC’ s Board of Trustees, and Frances is a longtime volunteer at Mount Auburn( see profile on page16).
The Mount Auburn Cemetery staff extends our deepest sympathy to the families and friends of George L. Doherty, owner of the Doherty Funeral Home in Somerville; Marion Bedrosian, mother of Paul Bedrosian, owner of the Bedrosian Funeral Home in Watertown; and Andrew( Andy) Valkanas, our neighbor, across the street, at Mt. Auburn Memorials in Cambridge, who recently passed away.
Natalie Wampler was appointed Preservation & Facilities Planner in April 2008. She had worked at Mount Auburn part-time, as an intern, supporting the Preservation Initiative, while finishing her M. A. in Preservation Studies at Boston University. In her new position, she will identify and assist in prioritizing care for the Cemetery’ s vast collection of structures and monuments. Natalie holds a B. F. A. in Interior Design from Maryville University in St. Louis, and has also worked at Harvard’ s Peabody Museum. Says Vice President of Preservation & Facilities Bill Barry,“ Natalie’ s hiring is one of the critical first steps of a carefully planned evolution of our department, directly resulting from the Preservation Initiative. Her planning skills are essential to our work, and she participates in hands-on conservation when necessary.”
Security Supervisor Willie Torres won the President’ s Award for outstanding service at the staff holiday party in December. Willie has been at Mount Auburn since 1989 and worked on the grass crew, as a mason, and as a security guard. Both his father and grandfather also worked at Mount Auburn. Willie lives in Boston’ s South End, with his wife Maria; they have four children, Wilmarie, Ileana, William, Jr., and Luis.
Mount Auburn Senior Vice President of Finance & Administration / Chief Financial Officer Mike Albano won a special President’ s Award for superior service this past year. Mike became a Mount Auburn employee nine years ago and has numerous major accomplishments to his credit. Mike lives in Watertown, MA, with his wife Diane and their teenaged sons, Eric and Adam.
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