By Sonia Essabi
Special to the Reporter

Thanks to a $150,000 grant, the Friends of Edward Everett Square plan to finish "beautifying" their adopted intersection by the end of October.

In conjunction with landscape architects and an artist, the group will use the Grassroots Open Square Grant to add 10 bronze sculptures that will surround the already well-known Clapp pear statue on Columbia Road near East Cottage Street, plant various flowers, and install signs that will provide information about the artwork, the history of Dorchester, and give credit to the project's contributors.

The artist, Laura Baring-Gould, is in the process of creating a series of sculptures titled "Dorchester Voices/ Dorchester History." Each sculpture will feature two to three descriptive quotes that detail the Dorchester experience both past and present.

One will mimic a plate of maize, squash, and beans, with crow prints. The lip of the statue will read: "Three sisters, a gift from Creator brought by crow," and attributed as "traditional Algonquian History." Another quote on that statue will read, "On this farm we create life and try to create a better life for others," signed: "Youth, the Food Project, 1994."

Another statue will be of a Dorchester three-decker, with a quote reading, "the smell of nana's cooking rose through the floors," signed, "Dorchester resident, 1986."

John McColgan, chair of the Edward Everett Square Project Committee, said that Baring-Gould has been designing this research-rich project for years.

"She's really dived into this project and with the Dorchester community and she talked to hundred of people," McColgan said.

With the installation of several creeping juniper, yellow daylilies, coneflowers, and daffodils -all hearty enough to withstand endless traffic - McColgan hopes to add bursts of color to the plot. Landscape architects at SiteCreative will design the beds.

Tonight (Thursday, July 3) at 6 p.m. the committee will train volunteers to wash and wax the Clapp pear statue&emdash;put in place just over a year ago. A group of people will be chosen to maintain the statue each year. Residents are also encouraged to bring their old keys to this event to be used as part of the three-decker sculpture, or mail them to 525 Franklin Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139 by July 14.