A lot has been said recently about the characteristics of the people of Jamaica Plain—and often with some passion. Results of the 2010 census came in last year. Whole Foods, with its hip image, moved into a spot occupied for a long time by Hi-Lo Foods, with its Latin flavor. The change gave rise...
Opinion
Editorial: Leading Bromley-Heath
Just like that, 40 years of tenant management at Bromley-Heath is at an end and the Boston Housing Authority is in charge. The silence from key players is deafening and the situation looks strange. But we believe this can become an opportunity for even more input from the housing development’s residents. And we trust...
Editorial: All aboard for T solution
Unreliable transit service that doesn’t even run every day. Funding that disappears to pay someone else’s debt. The prospect of transportation users paying far more for little or no benefit. It sounds like the MBTA’s hated plan to cut service and boost fares. But it’s actually a description of what rural Massachusetts faces if...
Letter: Overpass choice must consider trade-offs, details
The article in the Feb. 3 Gazette on delays and traffic has a need for clarification (“Overpass delay continues”). I am the author of the traffic report submitted to state Rep. Liz Malia. I announced up front that I would not state a preference for either the bridge or the at-grade option. My job was...
Letter: Overpass traffic questions still not answered
As a Casey Overpass Working Advisory Group (WAG) member, representing the Stonybrook Neighborhood, I have participated in a year’s worth of Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) meetings. During that time, traffic flow has been a major concern, especially for those representing nearby neighborhoods and commuters through and to Forest Hills. The WAG has spent...
Letter: Thanks for holiday help
The holiday season at the Elizabeth Stone House began with our annual Thanksgiving dinner. Staff and board members served over 125 adults and children, which included current residents, past residents and members of our community groups. Dinner was provided by one of our Natixis charitable partners, Community Work Services. Adults and children shared what they were thankful for...
Letter: Traffic calming should be part of overpass project
As advocates and residents who care deeply about the future of the Forest Hills area, we believe that our neighborhood streets are a vital element of a vibrant community. Every day, though, we see on those streets the unwanted impact of poor driver behavior, including increased commuter traffic, unsafe vehicle speeds and driver inattention...
Letter: Forest Hills should have beautiful bridge
I don’t live near Forest Hills, but I feel that the future of the Casey Overpass is important to all Jamaica Plain residents and not just those who live in or commute through Forest Hills. The current bridge is unattractive and, according to MassDOT, “structurally deficient.” But why is the DOT’s vision limited to...
Letter: In support of ‘three strikes’
Potential conservatives have been described as liberals who haven’t been mugged yet. If so, the six-dozen or so attendees of a recent Jamaica Plain Forum and Union of Minority Neighborhoods meeting in Jamaica Plain have the potential of being de facto conservative recruiters by advocating leniency for habitual criminals. (“Officials rally against ‘three strikes,’”...
Editorial: Make the Casey decision
It is time for the state Department of Transportation to publicly announce a Casey Overpass replacement plan and then carry it out forthwith. MassDOT followed our advice in December to delay its decision until after the holidays so the community could have discussion and debate. That debate has occurred and it is time to...