The City Council has approved by an 11-2 vote today a redistricting plan that would retain Forest Hills in the Jamaica Plain council district, while also adding Egleston Square and Mission Hill’s Back of the Hill, according to At-Large City Councilor Felix Arroyo. Woodbourne would leave JP’s district under the plan. City Councilor Matt...
Monthly Archives: October 2012
Developers’ donations stir debate; JPNC chair’s role questioned
The head of the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council (JPNC) has stirred controversy—including about his own leadership—by issuing a report about campaign contributions made to elected officials this year by developers of two disputed S. Huntington Avenue housing projects. As a result of the report issued by Benjamin Day earlier this month, City Councilor Mike...
Pro-bridge group petitions mayor to reboot Casey project
Bridging Forest Hills, the group that advocated unsuccessfully earlier this year for the Casey Overpass to be replaced by a new bridge instead of new surface streets, is circulating a petition to Mayor Thomas Menino that asks him to pressure the state to go “back to the drawing board.” “Please, Mr. Mayor, help stop...
Fight to keep Forest Hills in JP council district under way; Woodbourne to switch
Woodbourne appears likely to leave the Jamaica Plain Boston City Council district when the latest redistricting plan is voted on tomorrow during the City Council meeting. A question remains whether or not Forest Hill stays in JP, but there is an effort to make sure that happens. City Councilors Matt O’Malley, who lives in...
Trees down as storm largely spares JP
Trees and large limbs are down around Jamaica Plain and the rest of the city in the wake of Hurricane Sandy yesterday. While the gigantic storm devastated New Jersey and New York City and killed people as far away as Toronto, it was not as strong as predicted here. Unlike some coastal areas and...
Hurricane begins hitting JP
Hurricane Sandy is already affecting Jamaica Plain with high wind gusts that will increase as the day goes on. Trees and tree limbs are likely to blow down. Power outages are a serious possibility. Residents should stay indoors if at all possible. The storm is forecast to produce winds up to 65 m.p.h. in...
Forest Hills, Woodbourne may move out of council district; Arroyo protests
As the Boston City Council’s redistricting process speeds toward a likely approval of a final map on Wednesday, proposals on the table would move the entire Forest Hills and Woodbourne areas out of the local Jamaica Plain district into Dorchester/Mattapan’s District 4. That would mean City Councilor Charles Yancey would represent them instead of...
Hurricane may strike area; state offers tips
Hurricane Sandy may strike the Boston area early next week as a major storm with heavy rain and strong winds. Even if the storm does not directly hit Massachusetts, it still may have significant local impact. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) says that residents should prepare now for possible power outages, flooding and...
Report: Police spies called anti-war event ‘criminal’
A 2007 anti-war event at a Jamaica Plain church was labeled a possible “criminal act” by “extremists” in a secret Boston Police Department (BPD) file, according to a report that accuses BPD of illegal spying on peaceful protest groups for years. Speakers at the event included famed activist Cindy Sheehan as well as City...
Safety report: Casey often drops debris
The most recent Casey Overpass state inspection report states that the safety netting currently installed over parts of the overpass is catching concrete debris that would otherwise fall to the ground. But the fabric itself is suffering from “scattered minor tears.” The Structures Inspection Field Report, prepared by the state Department of Transportation (MassDOT)...