Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have added to the gracious atmosphere at Marcoz Antiques on Newbury Street for more than 30 years. Owner, Marc Glasberg is currently training India, his new canine companion, to greet customers and behave like a perfect lady while she's in the store.
Each morning, Glasberg and his puppy leave their home on Commonwealth Avenue, pausing to chat with friends and neighbors as they begin their quarter mile commute to work. In the park in front of their home, India zooms around and burns off energy to prepare for her day of behaving adorably and keeping everyone at Marcoz smiling.
This tiny dog has a storied history to uphold. In 1999, "DogGone" (a publication about traveling with dogs) featured two members of an earlier generation in an article about Newbury Street's working dogs. They said, "Basil, a King Charles Spaniel, and his son Xander delight passers-by as they arrange themselves among the treasures in the window of the very elegant Marcoz Antiques."
Basil was the first of the Marcoz dogs. Like many of the antiques Glasberg featured at that time, Basil was imported from England. Wanting a very British name for his dog, Glasberg bought a book of English baby names. But, it was a colleague who suggested "Basil" saying it was a very old-fashioned, proper English name.
India's name follows in this tradition. India has been a fairly common woman's name in England since the colonial era. Another of Glasberg's friends suggested it, pronouncing it with a clipped British accent.
Xander was Basil's son, the pick of the litter. His name came about on another buying trip in England. Glasberg kept hearing a woman at a school near his hotel calling, "Xander, Xander!" He asked about the name and learned it was a common English shortening of Alexander. He was immediately sold on it for his new pup.
In 2000, Phoebe came along to assist Basil and Xander with the hard work of snoozing in the display windows. Glasberg adopted her, giving her a British name as she entered a new life with the boys.
While the breed of dogs has remained consistent, the shop and its contents have evolved. Last year it relocated from 177 to 173 Newbury Street. And, its selection of antiques and accessories has changed with the times.
The more ornate English and French Country antiques they carried in Basil's day have been replaced by merchandise that is a better fit with today's home decor. "I buy many things that are cleaner in line. Things that you can mix into a modern setting," said Glasberg.
Marcoz is currently featuring many items that will appeal to Valentine's Day shoppers. "We've always carried stemware," he said, pointing to a silver tray of Venetian style, hand-blown, champagne flutes. Another case housed a collection of Agraria Home Fragrance. While the shop is known as a place to buy gifts for collectors, a recently added line of vintage costume jewelry will charm a whole new audience.
Glasberg is always happy to have neighbors drop by. He'll let you poke around the shop to see what's new, take time to learn about his latest exhibit, or use his skill and resources to find the perfect item to add a fresh note to your home. And, he loves to introduce people to India.

December brought both good news and bad news for groundwater issues in the Back Bay when both some of the highest and lowest levels in history were recorded in the neighborhood.
According to Elliot Laffer, executive director of Boston Groundwater Trust, the city-commissioned organization that monitors groundwater levels throughout Boston, the highest levels in history were recorded at some of the wells between Hereford Street and Massachusetts Avenue, which was an area of concern in the past.
In contrast, the lowest levels in history were recorded at many of the wells in the central part of the Back Bay in the vicinity of Beacon Street and Commonwealth Avenue between Clarendon and Dartmouth streets. “There’s a substantial reason for concern around Dartmouth Street,” Laffer said.
To remedy the problem, the Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) is in the process of repairing cracked pipes in the areas of Dartmouth and Beacon streets. “[BWSC officials] are very hopeful that the repair will bring up the levels quickly, if the leak is where they say it is,” Laffer said.
Other ongoing BWSC work in four of the Back Bay’s public alleys includes the installation of new sewer pipe to repair leaks, as well as 12-inch PVC perforated drainpipe to remediate the groundwater system.
Elsewhere, the groundwater levels in a well located near the Copley Branch of the Boston Public Library on Boylston Street saw a dramatic drop of nearly 3 feet.
MBTA officials responded that this drop was likely due to dewatering work done in conjunction with excavation for a new elevator shaft for the Copley Square T station, located next to the library.
More recently, Boston Groundwater Trust readings from January showed higher levels than December throughout the Back Bay – a trend that Laffer attributes to last month’s high level of precipitation.

Annoying and Accosting
01/18/10 – At about 12: 43 p.m., officer responded to a radio call for a disturbance at Crate & Barrel, located at 777 Boylston St.
On arrival, police spoke with a store employee who stated that an unknown white male had been bothering female customers. Officers observed a person matching the description of the suspect at Fairfield and Boylston streets. Police had also FIO’d (filed a field intelligence observation report on) the suspect on Jan. 14 after receiving several complaints about him.
A witness on the scene told police that the suspect approached her at an earlier time and said, “Will you go on a date with me? Can we go have supper?”
The witness also told officers that the suspect had previously followed her in a manner that made her uncomfortable until she told the suspect to leave her alone.
Officers stopped the suspect and conducted another FIO. The suspect told officers that he hadn’t approached any women, further stating that he was going to “plead the Fifth.” Officers advised the suspect not to return to Crate & Barrel and escorted him from the area.

Robbery – Unarmed – Street
01/20/10 – At approximately 11 a.m., an officer on patrol was flagged down by bystanders, who stated that a young black male wearing a red-and-black coat had just robbed a white female at Dartmouth Street and Columbus Avenue before fleeing on foot on Dartmouth Street toward the Copley Mall.
The officer provided Boston Police headquarters with a description of the suspect. Numerous District Four officers responded to the crime scene and interviewed witnesses.
Upon arrival at the Copley Mall, police met with two witnesses, who both stated they exited their vehicles at a stoplight and pursued the suspect on foot after witnessing him punch the victim and rob her of an Apple i-Phone. The witnesses then attempted to apprehend the suspect inside the Dartmouth Street entrance to the mall. As the witnesses struggled with the suspect, a mall security officer handcuffed the suspect and helped restrain him until police arrived.
The victim walked to the Copley Mall, where she positively identified the suspect. The victim told police that she was exiting Back Bay station with her son in a baby carriage when the suspect began smiling and waving at the child. The victim walked to her car at the intersection of Dartmouth Street and Columbus Avenue, and the suspect, who appeared to be friendly with the child, followed.
When the victim placed the child in the vehicle, the suspect asked her the time of day. The victim removed the phone from her pocket to view the clock when the suspect then struck her in the arm, causing the phone to fall to the ground. The suspect then snatched the phone from the ground and fled.
The suspect was placed under arrest for assault and battery with injuries and unarmed robbery and transported to District Four headquarters for booking. He was found to be in possession of the stolen i-Phone, which was returned to the victim.

Robbery – Firearm – Business
01/20/10 - At approximately 6:45 p.m., officers responded to 201 Newbury St. for a report of an armed robbery.
On arrival, police learned that a suspect, described as a 5-foot 10-inch masked white male wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and gloves, had entered the premises and brandished a black pistol. The suspect informed the clerk he didn’t want to hurt her and said he just wanted the money.
The clerk called the business manager, who opened the register drawer and gave the suspect the money. The suspect then demanded the money in the safe. When the manger told the suspect that there was no money in the safe, the suspect ordered employees and a customer into the back office. The suspect then robbed a female victim of a pink Blackberry after she entered the business before ordering her into the office with the others.
The suspect fled the premises on Newbury Street in the direction of Massachusetts Avenue. A search of the area was to no avail.

Groundwater levels

For all owners of homes in the Back Bay, the groundwater level is one problem that can keep you up at night.
We are constantly wondering how safe our pilings are with water levels always fluctuating due to new construction or groundwater leaks into the sewer system that drops the water levels.
It is hard to believe that all the buildings are built on wood pilings.
The construction to accommodate these buildings to the average homeowner is remarkable.
Basically, first came the pilings that are driven down into the ground maybe to a depth of about thirty feet. Then huge granite blocks about 20 inches high by about 36 inches wide and a good 15 feet long rest on the piling. Then there is another granite block about the same size on top of the first granite block. On top of this granite is a rough foundation of stone and then the finished brickwork starts.
And the Achilles heel with the wood pilings is that the top 18 inches may fail if they are exposed to air when the water levels drop. If this happens accept to spend upwards of $500,000 to fix the problem. Money is one thing, but expect the dirt and dust that is necessary to fix the problem to permeate the house.
City officials have added a number of water level reading wells to many streets in the Back Bay to show the exact level at their locations.
Last week the Boston Groundwater Trust held their quarterly meeting. There was a mixture of news.
In some areas of the Back Bay, water levels are the highest that they have been, in other areas, there is cause for concern.
We urge all residents to get the number of the well that is located near their home and monitor the water levels.
This problem for many homeowners is truly a silent killer.