Public/Private Alleyway Hearing Scheduled Wednesday

1. Today's forecast calls for showers and thunderstorms mixed with clouds and patchy fog. Temperatures should reach the upper 50s.

2. The City Council is holding a public hearing on Wednesday on the topic of private and public alleyways. Officials from the public works, inspectional services and transportation departments will be on hand to testify along with the Boston Water & Sewer Commission. Comments from the public are welcome - the hearing starts at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers.

3. After 10 years of planning and construction, the LandWave sculpture on Washington Street is finally complete. The Mayor joined project leaders, city officials and residents to dedicate the project on Monday. Click here for the full story. 

4. In addition to being gray and rainy and colder than we would like, the month of April is also marked in the city as prime breeding time for rats. According to a Boston Herald report, city workers have already put out 300 traps and killed 75 rats. More than 100 sewer lines have been baited and the city has fielded more than 200 complaints about rats since March 1. Best defense against rodents? The obvious: keep your trash cans covered tightly and check for holes in the foundation of your home. Something as small as a quarter is, apparently, large enough for a rat. 

5. On Friday - also Arbor Day - the Esplanade Association is planting 10 weeping willow trees at the Otis Grove area on the Esplanade. DCR Commissioner Edward M. Lambert, Jr. will also stop by for the 11 a.m. planting. Willow trees were important to the original design of the park, and over the years many of them have been lost. The 10 new ones are largely thanks to the Beacon Hill Garden Club, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.