April is the Cruelest Month -- Unless You're a Rat

Today is Tuesday, April 26. Here are five things you need to know today.

1. 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. There, I said it. I hate to bring it up, but it seems worth mentioning just in case anyone has taken note of an increase or sudden problem in their corner of the neighborhood. (And if you have, please let me know about it.) 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 rats? The obvious: keep your trash cans covered tight and check for holes in the foundation of your home. Something as small as a quarter is, apparently, large enough for a rat. 

2. The Good Shepherd School is hosting a this week at Ned Devine’s in Quincy Market. From 5:30-9:30 p.m., there will be hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar, plus a silent auction and raffle prizes. All proceeds will help support the growth of the Good Shepherd School and create scholarships. Tickets are $45 at the door. Visit www.gsscharlestown.org for more info or email tickets@gsscharlestown.org to reserve tickets. 

3. Speaking of fundraisers. The fabulous women behind the are organizing a at the athletic field at Bunker Hill Community College. This will be the first major fundraising effort for the initiative, which seeks to improve the resources for women in the community who have been impacted by substance abuse. Interested? Click for more details -- including how to start collecting for your walk.

4. There’s a at the this week -- that is, at least, as long as the performers can safely make it into the US. Seventh Sense, an acclaimed dance theater performance from a group based in Armenia, was scheduled to open on Wednesday. But Jennifer Johnson, who co-directs the theater, sent out an announcement yesterday, saying the Armenian artists have not been granted the travel visas that were approved more than a week ago. She said she hopes the issues will be resolve quickly, and that the actors will be in town in time for the second show, scheduled on Thursday. For more details and tickets, visit www.charlestownworkingtheater.org.

5. It's going to be warm today! High near 70, but partly sunny -- after a chance of thunderstorms in the morning.

For more info on what's happening around the neighborhood, visit our events calendar.