The following is an excerpt of a letter sent to local elected officials and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation regarding the Casey Arborway design set to replace the Casey Overpass in Forest Hills: We look forward to this section of the Arborway becoming a common ground—a uniter, not a divider, physically and metaphorically—for all...
Opinion
Letter: Mission Hill School should regain citywide status
A version of this letter was sent to Boston Public Schools officials, Mayor Thomas Menino and the Boston City Council: We are writing to express our deep concern about the impact of the proposed school assignment plans on the Mission Hill School (MHS) specifically. In summary, MHS is a phenomenal, unique, internationally recognized school....
Editorial: Doctor’s orders at Martha Eliot
The opaque, top-down decision-making at Martha Eliot Health Center that is kicking out 5,000 adult patients and putting future service details up in the air has left the neighborhood speculating about what is really going on. The Gazette was among those left guessing, and last month, we guessed wrong in this space when we...
Editorial: A race we all win
It is great news that City Councilor John Connolly will run for mayor. Whether incumbent Mayor Thomas Menino runs again or comments from some other prominent role in civil life, this competition of ideas guarantees a serious discussion of Boston’s present and future. The highly competitive mayoral race in 2009 was one of the...
Letter: Brigham and Women’s had no role in health center change
As a clarification to your Feb. 15 editorial (“Health center changes a sick idea”) regarding the closure of the adult primary care services at the Martha Eliot Health Center (MEHC), the decision to end patient care for adults at MEHC was made solely by Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH), which owns and operates MEHC. It...
JP Observer: My month with Wowl the owl
When I got up from my desk and turned around, I saw a face staring at me through the window a few feet away. I was especially startled because I live on the third floor of a Jamaica Plain three-decker. I felt like screaming, but something told me to run out of the room...
Editorial: Health center change a sick idea
Does anyone seriously believe we need less health care in Jackson Square? Not even Boston Children’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), who are kicking out their 5,000 adult patients at the Martha Eliot Health Center, can possibly believe that. It’s a move deplorable in substance and outrageous in lack of public notice....
Editorial: Yes to the JP Branch expansion
The plan to expand and renovate the Jamaica Plain Branch Library should get full political support and proceed promptly. The plan adds useful, welcoming space to the library, while sensibly rearranging the existing spaces. It also respects the historic building. It is a smart plan designed with good community input. Brick-and-mortar libraries remain crucial...
Editorial: Dealing with snow
Gov. Deval Patrick and Mayor Thomas Menino did a great job prepping residents for last weekend’s historic Blizzard of 2013, though cleanup has been a mixed bag. JP residents responded well with a community spirit of playfulness and responsibility, from the Hyde Square snowman to many quickly cleared sidewalks. Patience and flexibility are required...
Op-Ed: Defining ‘quality’ schools and improving access to them
By Craig Lankhorst, Special to the Gazette A year ago, Mayor Menino asked me to serve on the External Advisory Committee on School Choice (EAC). The mayor formed the EAC to help create a stronger school choice system. After a year of work and 70 meetings, we will soon make our recommendation. As a...