News Briefs 2-25-22

March Vigil in support of BLM

The March Vigil in support of Black Lives Matter will be held Thursday, March 3, from 5:30. -6:30pm on the lawn of the First Baptist Church of Jamaica Plain, 633 Centre St.   This month’s speaker is from the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, a Dorchester organization serving as a center of healing, teaching and learning for families and communities impactednby murder, trauma, grief, and loss.  Their well-known event is the Mother’s Day March for Peace, scheduled for May 8,2022.  Everyone is invited to participate in this monthly witness for racial justice and human rights.  For further information, contact Mary Lenihan at [email protected].

Urban Forest Plan Virtual Open House March 14

       Residents interested in the future of trees in Boston are invited to join the Boston Parks and Recreation Department for a virtual conversation about the progress of the Urban Forest Plan on Monday, March 14, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. To join the discussion, follow the event link at boston.gov/urban-forest-plan.

       Boston’s first ever Urban Forest Plan will help prioritize, preserve, and grow the tree canopy throughout Boston for decades to come. In Boston, all residents depend on the many benefits provided by the trees in our urban forest. The issues being addressed include policy, funding, workforce development, design, climate resilience, and more. The goal is to create a strategic plan based on science and defined by the needs and desires of the community to ensure that the urban forest will be better managed both today and in the future. 

       This project is a part of Healthy Places, a collaboration between the Heat Resilience Study, Urban Forest Plan, and Open Space and Recreation Plan. Healthy Places looks at cooling the city, expanding the urban forest, and improving the park system. For more information on any of these projects, please visit boston.gov/healthy-places. 

       Interpretation and translation services are available for the March 14 Open House at no cost. Please contact program manager Maggie Owens if you cannot attend this meeting, have any questions or comments, or if you need interpretation services, translated materials, or disability accommodations by emailing [email protected] or calling (617) 961-3025 by February 28, 2022.

       To stay up to date with news, events, and improvements in Boston parks, call (617) 635-4505, visit Boston.gov/Parks, join our email list at bit.ly/Get-Parks-Emails, and follow our social channels @bostonparksdept on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

WARD 19 DEMS TO CAUCUS via ZOOM TO ELECT DELEGATES TO DEMOCRATIC STATE CONVENTION

       Registered Democrats living in Boston Ward 19 (Jamaica Plain/Roslindale) will hold our annual caucus on Saturday March 5, 2022 to elect delegates and alternates to the 2022 Massachusetts Democratic State Convention. All Democrats who are registered or pre- registered in Ward 19 are invited to participate.

       This year’s Massachusetts Democratic convention will be held on Friday and Saturday, June 3-4, at the DCU Center in Worcester. Thousands of Democrats from across the state will come together to endorse candidates seeking statewide office — Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of the Commonwealth, Attorney General, Treasurer, and Auditor. A candidate for these offices must receive at least 15% of the delegate vote on the first ballot in order to be listed on the Democratic Primary ballot this September. Any candidate who receives the majority of the delegate vote will be the endorsed candidate of the Massachusetts Democratic Party.

       The Boston Ward 19 Democratic Committee caucus will again be held via Zoom. You must Register to attend; pre-registration is strongly encouraged. Our Zoom caucus will open at 9:00 a.m. From 9:30-10:00 am, candidates for statewide office are invited to speak for one minute apiece to introduce themselves to caucus attendees. Delegate selection starts at 10:00 a.m. To participate in electing delegates and alternates, Ward 19 Democrats must be in the Ward 19 caucus Zoom session or Zoom waiting room by 10:00 a.m. Anyone who arrives after 10 am may attend but will not be eligible to vote for delegates and alternates.

       To participate in the caucus, you must be registered as a Democrat in Ward 19. You can register to vote at the caucus – please arrive early so you’re sure to complete the online form before 10 a.m. Also, “Pre-registered” Democrats who are at least 16 by February 15, 2022 can participate.

       Ward 19 will be electing 27 delegates and 5 alternates. Anyone who registers for the caucus can be nominated to be a delegate or alternate to the Convention. All nominees will have an opportunity to speak in support of their candidacy. Youth, minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ individuals who are not elected as a delegate or alternate may apply to be an add- on delegate at the caucus or at www.massdems.org.

Register to attend the Ward 19 Democratic caucus at https://tinyurl.com/JPG-W19DEMS – pre-registration strongly encouraged.

       As of February 19, 2022, the following candidates have filed letters of intent and continue to seek endorsement:

Governor:

●      Chang-Díaz, Sonia

●      Healey, Maura

Lt Governor:

●      Bero, Bret H

●      Driscoll, Kim

●      Gouveia, Tami

●      Hinds, Adam

●      Lesser, Eric P

Secretary of the

Commonwealth:

●      Galvin, William Francis

●      Sullivan, Tanisha M

Attorney General:

●      Campbell, Andrea

●      Liss-Riordan, Shannon

●      Palfrey, Quentin

Treasurer:

●      Goldberg, Deborah

Auditor:

●      Dempsey, Chris

●      DiZoglio, Diana

       As stated in the rules, candidates may still petition for endorsement by collecting the signatures of 500 delegates by April 22, 2022.

       For further information and/or if you’re interested in getting involved with the Boston Ward 19 Democratic Committee, contact [email protected] or check out our website at www.boston ward 19 dems.

Rockland Trust Launches Annual Scholarship Program

       Rockland Trust announced the launch of its 2022 Scholarship Program for students who are enrolling in a part-time or full-time undergraduate study for the first time at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic year (2022-2023). Rockland Trust has expanded the program to provide up to sixteen $3,000 renewable scholarships. This year scholarships will be renewable up to three years or until a bachelor’s degree is earned.

       Rockland Trust has opened the program to high school graduates and GED recipients in addition to current high school seniors. Applications will be considered based on financial need, academic performance, participation in school and community activities, work experience, a statement of career and educational goals and objectives, and unusual personal or family circumstances.  Applicants must reside in one of the following counties to be eligible: Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, or Worcester in Massachusetts or Providence County in Rhode Island.

       “Rockland Trust is delighted to enhance our annual scholarship program to reach additional students throughout the communities we serve,” said Christopher Oddleifson, Chief Executive Officer at Rockland Trust. “With the renewable benefit of the program, we look forward to building a more meaningful relationship with the scholarship recipients throughout their post-secondary education as they prepare for their future.”

            Rockland Trust Scholarship applications will be available online at RocklandTrust.com/scholarship, beginning Tuesday, February 15th. To learn more about Rockland Trust’s scholarship application, guidelines, and eligibility criteria, please visit RocklandTrust.com/Scholarship.

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