When Charlestown Fought the City -- And Won

Today is Wednesday, March 16. Here are five things you need to know today.

1. The story of what happened in the West End is well known around Boston. How, in the 1950s, this densely populated neighborhood was destroyed in the name of urban renewal, displacing generations of immigrants – many Italian and Jewish people among them, though the area was initially settled by Irish. What many people don’t know is that . But it was spared, thanks to the heroic efforts of residents who banded together and fought the Boston Redevelopment Authority. Our contributor Helen O’Neil in a two-part series that we published on Monday and Tuesday. If you haven’t already read it, . It’s a testament to the strength of community that Charlestown was built on, and is still famous for today.

2. Do you know someone who is helping make Boston a “greener” place? The mayor would like to know. The deadline to make a nomination for the mayor’s 5th Annual Green Business, Residential and Bike Awards is Friday. The awards go to companies that implement sustainable business practices in their regular operations. Click here to submit a nomination.

3. Speaking of sustainability… If you’re a bit obsessed and neurotic like me, you’ve stopped throwing your food scraps in the regular trash and started composting them. (It’s amazing how much this reduces the amount of waste you produce.) But if don’t have the space or patience for a compost bin, a will pick up your food scraps from you and compost the waste into soil -- for 8 bucks every two weeks. You'll also get a five gallon bucket where you can dump your kitchen scraps, as well as paper, coffee grounds and meat in there. .

4. If you’re looking for some free music and something to do with kids today, musician Jean Schwartz is visiting the Charlestown Branch Library at 11 a.m. and playing music to sing and dance to. It’s a great event for children ages 5 and younger. The show is free and open to the public.

5. The forecast today: A chance of wintry mix before 10 a.m., then just rain. High near 46.

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