UPDATE: An anonymous donor is offering a $250 reward for the return of the "Real Men Fry Turkies" chef's hat. No questions asked. Email joyce@ashmontmedia.com or call 617-265-8444.
You may have seen some mention last weekend of a neighborhood mystery: a chef's hat placed on the Sleeping Moon sculpture in Peabody Square, by Ashmont. It was stolen, and we'd like to get it back.
The Boston Phoenix had this post about it:
http://thephoenix.com/BLOGS/phlog/archive/2011/01/08/ashmont-moon-mystery-wha...
The whole story about how the chef's hat came to be on the Sleeping Moon is a very moving one. It was a tribute to Vince Droser, a beloved neighbor, who died suddenly on Jan. 4. Vince was a visionary civic leader, who is largely responsible for the revitalization of the Ashmont neighborhood. I could go on and on about his contributions, but let's just say that he left this neighborhood an even better place than it was when he came here.
The chef's hat was made by his children, who stayed up all night before his funeral making it. Among the many things Vince was well-known for around here was his family's annual post-Thanksgiving turkey fry, which I had the privilege to attend several times. The whole neighborhood got together and friend a bunch of the most delicious turkeys you've ever tasted. The hat said "Real Men Fry Turkeys," and included his initials, VAD III, on the top. The kids affixed it to the Sleeping Moon so that it would be seen by the people attending Vince's memorial service at All Saints, as they made their way to Tavolo for a reception with friends and family.
Unfortunately, the chef's hat was removed and taken, sometime after the memorial service last Saturday afternoon, in broad daylight, with lots of people around. I just learned about this today. I assumed the family had taken it home. We would LOVE to return it to Vince's children, who would really like to have it back. Have you seen it? Can you help me? No questions asked. I can be reached at joyce@ashmontmedia.com or 617-265-8444.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/01/08/an_urban_pioneer/