BPD and sponsors bring National Night Out to Hyde Square
On Monday, July 31, officers from the Boston Police Department District E-13 and local sponsors brought the National Night Out celebration to Hyde Square in Jamaica Plain. Hundreds of neighbors and guests enjoyed live music, food, dancing, games, demonstrations, information tables, elected officials and much more. This free, fun, family event has become an annual celebration and was made possible by many, generous, local sponsors. The officers & staff of District E-13 thank our many sponsors, including: The Hyde Square Task Force, Hyde Jackson Square Main Street, Egleston Square Neighborhood Association, Stop & Shop, Whole Foods Market, Miami Restaurant, Target, Mildred Hailey Tenants’ Task Force, Urban Edge, Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation, JP Coalition/ Tree of Life, Bikes Not Bombs, Senator Chang-Diaz’ office, Representative Liz Malia’s office, Mayor Walsh’s office, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department and others.
Awards for Excellence in Community Service were presented by the District E-13 Commander, Capt. Alfredo Andres, to 3 neighborhood stars. Ms. Samantha Montano of Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corp., Ms. Allison Cruz of Real Kidz Boston and Mr. Corey Stallings of the South Street Youth Center were all honored for their vital contributions to the quality of life in their neighborhoods.
Awards for Community Policing were presented by Ms. Carolyn Royce of the Egleston Square Neighborhood Assoc. and the E-13 Neighborhood Advisory Council. Detective Michael Aziz and Officers William Jones, George Kayes, Sean Cullen & Joshua De La Rosa were all honored for their dedication to community service and public safety.
Officers and Staff of Boston Police District E-13
Letter to JP, Roslindale and Beyond
We are writing to describe the recently launched “Chairs and Beyond” fundraising campaign for supporters of the fabulous Footlight Club in Jamaica Plain, our local community theater housed in historic Eliot Hall at 7A Eliot Street. Our hope is to inspire many readers to contribute whatever they can, and also to become members, come see the shows, and help us spread the word about this fundraising campaign, and the theater itself, to other friends and neighbors.
The Club is an incredible asset to our community, a real gem. Beloved by many, it has been a destination for countless of us over decades. Think about all the theater we’ve been able to see there over the years, from Ragtime to Tommy, from Rocky Horror Picture Show to Pride and Prejudice. Carol Christmas, Annie, Oliver, Into the Woods. You can see the list of past seasons’ shows on its website, and it’s really impressive. Some of us have seen 20 or 30 shows there; some even more.
In fact, the Footlight Club has been with us for so long (continuously operating since 1877, so make that 140 years) that many of us simply take it for granted. But we can’t afford that anymore. At this point in its long life, the theater is in need of major, costly updating.
Local code requires some critical renovations. First up is new seating. The seats there now have been there since 1939, yes, 78 years. They are hard as rocks, worn and torn, and, on top of that, the Fire Department has determined that they are a fire hazard. They have to go, now. Other major improvements are needed, especially an elevator to make the hall fully accessible.
The difficult truth is, the Club needs about $3 million. The loyal all-volunteer leadership at the Club has been working hard to raise needed funds, but with no paid staff, it’s pretty daunting. They need us, their audience, to help out. They are looking for the larger community to step up.
So let’s start with the chairs. $80,000 is the price tag to cover the full purchase. Individuals who give $500 will be honored with their names on a plaque to hang in the hall. But a donation of any amount will help get this done.
We, the undersigned, are just audience members ourselves, like most of you. We want to help preserve Eliot Hall for future generations, and we hope you’ll join us in supporting this important effort.
You can donate on line, at www.footlight.org (click on Donate and then the Restoration Fund), or send a check to the Footlight Club, 7A Eliot St., JP, MA 02103.
If you’d like to do more to help raise the money, even better! The Club has a very active volunteer group. Go on line at footlight.org to learn more.
Thank you.
The “Posteriority Team”
Eileen Costello, Mary Horst, Julie Knopp, and Shailah Stewart
Community Choice Energy
We are writing in response to the Community Choice Energy (CCE) article written by Sandra Storey (JP Observer: Boston needs to opt for cleaner electricity) that appeared in the July 28 issue. Ms. Storey makes clear the reasons for Boston to opt into CCE. The list of supporters, including now at least 9 City Councilors, is extensive, yet the City’s Chief of Energy, Environment and Open Space, Austin Blackmon, is not on board yet.
Here are reasons why he’s holding back, followed by reasons to support CCE. Blackmon cited situations in Chicago and Melrose, which “sent consumers back to basic service electricity due to increases in prices.” CCE is a flexible tool. It can be used when its in our favor and put on the shelf temporarily when market forces turn against us. If Boston’s CCE broker finds that it can’t beat Eversource’s price, Boston does not need to sign a CCE contract at that time. It can wait till market forces favor Boston. Switching between Eversource and Boston’s CCE would be a seamless process.
Blackmon also stated that “Boston would need to use more staff and other resources…to ramp up and run CCE.” Other Eastern Massachusetts towns have built into their CCE plans a dedicated fund for the town to use to implement CCE. What other climate change policy is Boston pursuing that would not only dramatically decrease the climate change impact of our residential electricity load, but also is self-funding?
Boston Climate Action Network Board
Paula Georges
Loie Hayes
Judy Kolligian
Stef Komorowski
Ninya Loeppky
Mike Prokosch
Ray Soohoo
Slow Streets program
I read with interest the July 28th story “Neighborhood Slow Street Program leaves many residents disappointed.”
As a member of the Woodbourne Neighborhood Association we as a group submitted an application to the City’s Neighborhood Slow Streets Program in hopes of being selected. As disappointed as I am that our neighborhood was not selected, I am equally disappointed that the JP Gazette did not include our neighborhood association in its recent Slow Street article.
There are more than 3 neighborhoods in Jamaica Plain. Our neighborhood, as many in the City of Boston seen by the 47 Slow Street applications, is profoundly impacted by commuters attempting to find an easy way to navigated the very congested streets of the Forest Hills area, partly due to the profound construction in Forest Hills. Hyde Park Avenue and Walk Hill Street which define the borders of our neighborhood are quite simply race tracks. Hyde Park Avenue has become a dangerous road, one that I will not park on to go to our corner store. To cross Hyde Park Avenue, even at a traffic light to use Pagel Playground is difficult and risky. Accident after accident occurs on Walk Hill Street, a road narrowed by parking on both sides, used not only by cars but by cyclists, joggers, children and adults and the many seniors that live in our neighborhood.
The Woodbourne neighborhood is being used as a cut though for commuters. It is unfortunate that the City pits neighborhoods against neighborhoods in a program that should be institued
city-wide in all neighborhoods.
The City is on a building spree, and that comes with a trade-off, and that trade-off is frustrated and reckless drivers attempting to find the shortest route to their destination. This must be addressed by the City of Boston, city-wide.
Martha Heath
Bourne Street
Jamaica Plain