The Last Week in Brookline: July 5 to 11

It was a hot, muggy week of news in Brookline.

The mercifully shortened week got started with blistering heat that sent residents seeking shelter in one of many "cooling centers" set up around in town. The more adventurous, meanwhile, sought the relief from one of the town's many spray pools and splash pads.

And while Brookline Patch was still trying to find a free table at one of Brookline's air-conditioned cafés, we got word that several Asian longhorn beetles, the devastating tree-killer that wiped out whole forests in Worcester two years ago, had been discovered less than a mile from Brookline's border. While experts scoured the area for more bugs and officials imposed a wood-product quarantine on much of Brookline and Jamaica Plain, local environmentalists hoped the infestation would be isolated. To date, that appears to be the case.

We reported also this week on a longtime Brookline tradition, the summer concert series, as well as a new one, monthly "Summer Strolls" in Coolidge Corner. We also looked at a failed effort to launch a airport shuttle service in town and stopped by the Brookline Farmer's Market to see what's good this time of year.

In crime, we learned about not one, but two completely unrelated incidents of men walking around Brookline completely naked below the waist. Police also broke up a vicious attack on a woman on Egmont Street, while firefighters put out a sizeable dumpster fire on Newton Street.

From all us here at Brookline Patch, have a great weekend and stay cool!