I’m sure many people have fond memories of the late Sami Saba—proud father and hardworking owner of the Sami’s restaurants. (“Obituary: Ghazi Sami Saba; founded Sami’s falafel restaurants,” Feb. 11, jamaicaplaingazette.com.) He was also a generous supporter of the Boston Public Schools, as I learned during my years as a fellow parent at various...
Opinion
Letter: JP has too much litter, and everyone can clean up
Last month, while walking through central JP, we were grossed out by the amount of trash both on the sidewalk and in the gutter. That day it was on the pond side, but frequently it can be both sides of the street that are littered with paper, coffee cups, lottery tickets, pizza paper plates,...
Letter: No sense in swapping bridge for lights
Everyone driving over the Casey Overpass must start at one rotary and finish at the other. It is one mile exactly and takes me two minutes. The “at-grade” plan to replace the overpass adds five sets of traffic signals to this drive. Does this make sense? John Lovett Jamaica Plain
Letter: Thanks for great auto service
It is so very refreshing to find a place that really takes care of you these days. This is the way I feel every time I visit the best service and gas station in Jamaica Plain: JP Auto Service, located on Centre Street near Whole Foods. I always get my gas there. The folks...
Editorial: Win or lose, lawsuits raise good points
Two recent, high-profile lawsuits against JP real estate developments may or may not have legal merit. But they certainly raise excellent points about a City planning system that is in desperate need of fundamental reform. Last year’s lawsuit by neighbors against the 461 Walnut Ave. homeless care facility was thrown out of court before...
Editorial: No-cost lab fixes
The state lab system needs reform, and a lot of it will cost money that may or may not come. But a couple of reporting requirements could be established in state law to nip problems in the bud at no additional cost. First, public health authorities should testify annually in person to a relevant...
Op-Ed: The State of the Neighborhood in 2013
By Juan Gonzalez, Orion Kriegman and Greg Buckland Special to the Gazette When Hurricane Sandy hit last October, many of us were shocked by images of New York and New Jersey under water. While 2012 was the hottest in U.S. history, and this is the second mild Boston winter in a row, the AccuWeather...
Letter: Thanks for holiday miracles at Stone House
The holiday season begins at the Elizabeth Stone House with Halloween. Our initial Halloween party was cancelled because of Hurricane Sandy, but we rescheduled and managed to pull off a remarkable event with traditional costumes and games. We moved right into Thanksgiving, catered by ICatering at the Pine Street Inn. Our generous corporate partners Natixis...
Letter: Gun rights and free speech deserve equal respect
I see from your editorial that the Gazette is concerned about any infringement of the First Amendment. (“Shooting the messengers of shootings,” Jan. 18.) I can only hope that the editor is as concerned about infringement of the Second. To illustrate the absurdity of the arguments in favor of restricting the Second, I’ll apply...
Letter: School Committee should be partly elected
Our children in the Boston Public Schools are not failing; the Boston Public School system is failing our children. Last week, I filed a home-rule petition in an effort to change the City Charter and create three elected positions on the Boston Public School Committee. The purpose of this petition is to create some much-needed accountability...