Monthly Archives: March 2012
Local leaders named to bank positions
Eastern Bank has named two local leaders to its governing boards as part of its outreach to the Latino and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. Rebecca Haag, president and CEO of the Jamaica Plain-based AIDS Action Committee, and JP resident Gunner Scott, executive director of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC), are among...
Police Spotlight: Fraud and ID theft on the rise
Fraud and identity theft complaints in Jamaica Plain have been on the rise over the past three months. Seniors are especially being targeted. The frauds involve credit cards, debit cards, prepaid cards, bank checks and unfulfilled promises to provide services, among other scams. In one case, on March 11, a scammer pretending to be...
Romney gets primary win
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won the state’s Republican Party presidential primary vote on March 6. Incumbent President Barack Obama was the only Democrat on his party’s ballot. The Green-Rainbow Party ballot-winner was still unclear as the Gazette went to press, though it appeared likely that Jill Stein would top the ballot, according to...
Student dropout prevention bill moves ahead
A bill that proposes new ways to prevent students from dropping out of school, sponsored by Jamaica Plain’s state Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, is gaining momentum in the State House. The bill (S. 185) would: raise the mandatory school attendance age from 16 to 18; expand a program to identify at-risk students; create a “graduation...
Tension continues between T police and youths, survey says
The Hyde Square Task Force (HSTF) has completed a follow-up survey that, while showing some improvement, tension continues between MBTA Transit Police and urban youths. “What the findings show is that while there has been some improvements in the last 18 months, we still have major problems in how Transit Police interact with urban...
Legislation aims to plug natural gas leaks
There is legislation moving through the State house that aims to put a clamp on natural gas leaks, a problem one local resident says probably killed several trees on the Arborway. “Personally, I get upset,” said Sarah Freeman, a member of the Arborway Coalition, who acknowledges some trees on the Arborway have died due...
Traffic committee reunites
The Boston Police E-13 Traffic and Parking Committee is reconvening after a year absence. The committee, which is a collaboration among the local E-13 Police Station, residents, city agencies and elected officials geared to improving traffic safety, stopped meeting when its representative from the Boston Transportation Department retired and a replacement was not available....