FOREST HILLS—The William A. Hinton State Laboratory Institute meets standards for safety and quality, but also has management “threats” that could cause future problems, according to an independent report obtained by the Gazette. Those “threats” include a lack of an overall lab safety program, flawed employee reviews and a lack of a full-time, dedicated...
Monthly Archives: December 2012
Mini library wrecked, revived
The “JP Free Tiny Library,” a book-swapping box that has become a popular South Street attraction, was destroyed during a Dec. 26-27 storm. But it was back in business by Dec. 28 with a few more bolts and wooden bracing and a fresh stock of books. The house-shaped wooden box at South and Bardwell...
City: JPNC is not a government body
The Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council (JPNC) is not a government body, despite its claims to be one in a recent lawsuit, according to the City of Boston. “No. The JPNC is not a municipal body of the City,” said John Guilfoil, deputy press secretary for Mayor Thomas Menino, in an email to the Gazette....
School shooting memorial removed; pieces go to Newtown
A homemade memorial in Monument Square to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass murder was taken down earlier this week, and parts of it are now on display in Newtown, Conn., where the killings happened. The memorial display, composed of crosses, flags and toy animals, was erected Dec. 18 by peace...
JPNC claims to be government body in lawsuit
The Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council’s lawsuit against the City and a developer is based on a claim that the council is a government body. That claim appears to be unprecedented, and two former JPNC chairs told the Gazette that the council was always understood to be an independent resident group. Just last year, the...
JPNC lawsuit unclear about who is doing the suing
Who exactly is doing the suing is unclear in the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council’s recent lawsuit against the zoning approval for the 161 S. Huntington Ave. project. The lawsuit was filed by JPNC chair Benjamin Day “in his representative capacity, as chairperson of the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council.” While a quorum of JPNC members voted...
Editorial: The JPNC’s big gamble
In its unprecedented move of taking legal action against the City and a developer, the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council is engaged in a high-stakes gamble on its political credibility. Win or lose, the JPNC’s change of roles from advisors to litigants will impact the council’s power for years to come. And this is a...
JPNC files legal appeal against 161 S. Huntington
The Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council today filed a legal challenge in Suffolk County Superior Court to the City’s zoning approval of a controversial luxury apartment building at 161 S. Huntington Ave. The formal appeal says the developer, Boston Residential Group, failed to present proper evidence of its need for zoning variances, and that the...
Latino grocer eyes 225 Centre, draws protest
JACKSON SQ.—A Latino grocery store chain is in discussions with the developers of the new building going up at 225 Centre St. about opening a store there. The Hyde/Jackson Square Business Association (HJSBC) is reportedly protesting the plan because a Latino grocery chain could compete with local bodegas. Representatives of developers The Community Builders...
School shooting memorial erected
A homemade memorial to the 20 children and others mass-murdered in a Connecticut elementary school last week was set up Dec. 18 in Monument Square, the work of well-known peace and anti-war activists Carlos and Melida Arredondo. Carlos Arredondo spoke to the Gazette while erecting the memorial with zip ties on the Civil War...