A “pack rat” was removed from his condemned Back Bay brownstone and relocated to a South End homeless shelter last week after Boston firefighters responded to his home for a suspected gas leak last Tuesday to find the home stacked to the ceiling with debris.
Herbert Hamilton, the 73-year-old homeowner of the four-story townhouse located around the corner from Symphony Hall at 32 St. Stephen St., was transported to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for evaluation Tuesday, but was released the following day. He was reportedly allowed to return to the home Wednesday to collect some personal belongings before being transported to the Pine Street Inn.
On Monday, March 1, Hamilton had to climb over mountains of clutter and exit his home through the back door when firefighters arrived. Among the items found in his backyard were plastic storage bins, many boxes of kitty litter and an old Volkswagon bus covered by a tarp.
The house remains boarded up and uninhabitable, pending a hearing by the city’s Inspectional Services Department (ISD) scheduled for today.

As part of “Go Green 2010: A Community Day for the Environment,” Hill House welcomed a local contractor who discussed the sustainable features of Beacon Hill and offered environmentally conscious tips to neighborhood homeowners Thursday evening.
Finley H. Perry Jr., founder of Hopkinton-based F.H. Perry Builder, Inc., a certified green professional, director of the National Association of Home Builders and past president of Builders Association of Greater Boston, was on hand for an informational perspective and question-and-answer seminar entitled “Living Green in Beacon Hill: A Contractor’s Perspective on Your Historic House.”
“Beacon Hill offers a pretty attractive overview,” Perry said in contrasting the neighborhood to suburbs, like Weston, which he described as auto-based and commonly featuring newer construction.
Among the sustainable features of Beacon Hill that Perry noted are the preservation and reuse of historic buildings, the “walkability” of the neighborhood, its dense development and the frequent presence of common walls, which allow abutting homes to share heat.
In offering suggestions for preventing heat loss, Perry described installing insulation as the “least expensive, highest impact thing you can do.”
A common cause of heat loss, Perry said, was ice dams, which are ridges of ice that form at the edge of a roof and prevent melting snow from draining.
Regarding lighting, Perry pointed out that the high cost of Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs were offset by the savings in electricity costs over an extended period of time.
Perry recommended that homeowners hire a contractor for jobs such as installing insulation, upgrading HVAC systems and replacing windows. Other tasks, such as paining and installing low-flow plumbing fixtures, he suggested homeowners could do themselves.

Forgery or Uttering
02/22/10 – At about 11:40 a.m., police were dispatched to the CVS Pharmacy, located at 587 Boylston St., on a report of a person attempting to pass an altered or fraudulent prescription.
Upon arrival, officers spoke with a store employee who stated that a male suspect passed a fraudulent prescription in an effort to obtain 30 Percocet pills. The pharmacist also told police that she had contacted the Physician’s Office in Seekonk, Mass., and was advised that the prescription was fraudulent. The pharmacist and pharmacy intern further stated the suspect was last seen leaving the store on Dartmouth Street in the direction of the Back Bay MBTA station.
A description of the suspect and his last known direction were broadcasted, and an officer stopped a person matching the suspect’s description outside of the station a few minutes later. A witness was then transported to the station and positively identified the suspect.
The suspect was then advised of his Miranda rights and charged with forgery and uttering a false prescription. The suspect was then transported to Area D-4 headquarters, where he was booked. At the station, the suspect was also determined to have several outstanding warrants out of Fall River, Taunton and Milford district courts. The arresting officer also contacted the Boston Police Warrant Unit regarding the suspect.
The fraudulent prescription was turned into the Area D-4 property clerk and held as evidence. Police also contacted the store manager, who said he would turn in a DVD featuring footage of the incident as evidence.

Breaking & Entering, Non-Residence, Night – Force
02/25/10 – At approximately 8:27 a.m., an Area D-4 officer responded to a radio call for a breaking-and-entering report at the Clarendon Wine Company, located at 563 Clarendon St.
Upon arrival, police met with the business owner, who said the store was broken into at some point over the night. The owner stated that he opened the store at about 7:30 a.m. and saw that the door to his basement office had been kicked in. The officer observed a footprint on the door and substantial damage to the doorjamb, which was consistent with being forced open.
The business owner also showed the officer another door, which secures the store’s basement storage area and leads out into a long hallway containing heating and electrical components, was also damaged. The officer determined that the door was forced open from the outside.
The business owner then showed the officer a door leading to Public Alley #439 that had also sustained damages. The door had a large hole punched through it, allowing access to the locking mechanism from the outside. A screwdriver, which could have been used to access one or more of the store’s doors, was found in the alley near the door.
The business owner stated that he was contacted by the alarm company at approximately 1:30 a.m., but was later advised that the alarm was triggered as the result of a “low battery” warning. As a result, police were not dispatched to investigate the activation of the commercial alarm.
Despite the extensive damages to the doors, the business owner said no items were removed from inside the store. The basement storage are did not appear to be disrupted in any way, and electronic equipment, scratch tickets and cash were all in their proper places.
A detective responded to the scene to gather photographic evidence, including the screwdriver found by the door. The business owner was also instructed to contact police if he later found any items to be missing.

Liquor – Drinking in Public
02/26/10 – At about 10:30 p.m., officers responded to 145 Dartmouth St. for a report of a fight.
On arrival, police observed the first suspect drinking from an open container of Miller Genuine Draft bottled beer. He was engaged in a loud argument with a second suspect in front of Dunkin’ Donuts at the Back Bay MBTA station.
The first suspect was placed under arrest and was being placed in the wagon when the second suspect stepped into the roadway, causing traffic to stop and a crowd to gather. The second suspect was instructed to go back on the sidewalk, but he refused and was placed under arrest as a disorderly person.
Both suspects appeared intoxicated and were transported to Area D-4 headquarters for booking.