UPDATE -- Ashmont Moon Mystery: What about fried turkeys, now?

Published Jan 08 2011, 06:50 PM by Shaula Clark

Peabody Square's Sleeping Moon (which snoozes on the plaza outside the Ashmont T station in Dorchester) is no stranger to festive adornment. The Santa hat has come and gone -- but as of this morning, Joseph Wheelwright's massive bronze sculpture (pictured au naturel here) is flaunting some new headgear.

Seems some fryolator zealots are trying to tell us something: "Real men fry turkeys." And maybe this isn't coming through in the photo, but whoever made this chef's toque was not messing around -- that hat's got a whole chicken-wire support rig underneath and everything. As messages go, though, this one's a bit inscrutable.

So, since we're stumped, we put the question to you, readers: Any idea who "VAD III" is? Google's not really coming through for us here.

May this mark the first of many Sleeping Moon cosplay outfits in store for us this year.

UPDATE: While Google didn't help us crack this case, the Ashmont Hill neighborhood mailing list sure did. And the truth is vastly more poignant than we could have imagined. Turns out, it's a tribute to the memory of local real-estate visionary Vince Droser, who passed away at his home this past Tuesday. Droser held an annual neighborhood turkey fry, we're told.

The former operating officer of the Boston Housing Authority, Droser made a huge impact on the area. From the Dorchester Reporter's article on Droser:

Droser served as Vice President for Development at Trinity Financial, the development company that created the Carruth building at Ashmont station. Over the last 14 years, Droser has helped the company successfully complete some of Boston's most acclaimed and innovative building projects, including Mattapan Heights, Davenport Commons, the Shaw's supermarket in Lower Mills and the Carruth.

You can read more about Droser in his Globe obit here; Adrian Walker also devoted today's column to him.

Filed Under: Dorchester, RIP, culture, Ashmont Hill, Peabody Square

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5 Comments

Will said:

It's for Vince Droser, all around great neighborhood guy, whose memorial service was right around the corner this morning.

January 8, 2011 7:50 PM
Michael Jonas said:

The hat is to honor the memory of Vince Droser, a much beloved civic leader who died tragically on Tuesday at age 55. Among his many pursuits was an annual turkey fry. See Adrian Walker's tribute to Vince in his column in today's Globe and a lengthy obituary on page B10.

January 8, 2011 8:37 PM
Ashmont said:

Vincent A. Droser III. Your google-fu will pick up a nice obit and column about him in today's Globe, and a couple recent articles about him in the Dorchester Reporter.

January 8, 2011 8:41 PM
Haberdasher said:

Shame!! Shame!!! Shame!!!! on the party responsible for removing this fitting and moving tribute to one of Boston's best and brightest. Please (!!!), would the persons responsible for the disappearance of the chef's hat kindly restore it to its proper place? - The Angry & Mad Hatter.

January 9, 2011 4:38 PM
Judy T. said:

Whomever the heartless person(s)were who removed the hat while Vince's fmly celebrated his life just feet away please contact me, no questions ask, I will pick it up and return it to the famliy.

January 11, 2011 3:07 PM

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UPDATE -- Ashmont Moon Mystery: What about fried turkeys, now?

5 Comments

Will said:

Michael Jonas said:

Ashmont said:

Haberdasher said:

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