The Walk of Stars Cod

Totally ready to chalk it up to yet another hare-brained scheme by Menino, we read on and found out that the Walk of Fame idea was presented by one of our favorite city councilors, John Tobin. In even more shocking news Bostonist is on the same page as Globe columnist Brian McGrory. The proposed Walk of Fame, an idea which St. Louis, Mo., Lansing, Mich., and Toronto, Canada among others have already stolen, would spice up the already shimmering sidewalks in the Theatre District. You’ve noticed too that the sidewalks in the Theatre District on Washington St. heading into Downtown Crossing have a bit of glitter mixed in, right? The glitz is especially noticeable on sunny afternoons.

Bostonist’s sentiment about Menino’s other recent initiatives is the same here: we guess it could work, but do we need it? Along with the calls for traditional good ideas to provide economic vibrancy (better schools, less crime, and especially for the Theatre District: better theatre) McGrory suggests that if Boston is to create a Walk of Fame it would be better to make it novel. Excuse the pun. Creating a “Literary Walk of Fame” outside the Boston Public Library’s flagship branch at Copley could follow Boston’s rich history and historical tourism business as well as honor authors from Henry David Thoreau to Robert Parker. Sure, novelists and poets don’t have the same glamour as a Hollywood-type, but Boston’s b-listers and has-beens that we would honor on the walk, like NKOTB, might find us looking at our intended gala unveilings in the same way we watch VH1’s Celebreality.

After months of contemplation the Boston Redevelopment Authority seems resolved to move forward with the Walk of Fame/Walk of Stars for Boston. BRA officials were quoted yesterday indicating that he walk may actually be adorned with something more Boston related like a Cod or Lobster. Canada's got a star that sorta looks like a Maple Leaf. Cod or Lobster is a trite effort to make a walk our own, the whole “me too” idea needs something more than a shape gimmick to make it outstanding.

Image: a trip to Photoshop shows what Menino’s “cod” could look like.