Wilkerson, Turner charged with conspiracy

By JOHN RUCH December 19, 2008

Both plead innocent

The federal bribe-taking charges against City Councilor Chuck Turner and former state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson were merged last week when both were indicted as co-conspirators. Turner and Wilkerson both pleaded innocent to all charges at a Dec. 9 court hearing.

Vandals’ New Weapon: Acid

By JOHN RUCH December 19, 2008

Gazette
Photo by John Swan Molly Kile of JP waits for her bus in front of the backdrop of grafitti etched into the glass of the bus kiosk at the South Street Mall. The Harvest Coop across the street (in background) was also tagged.

SOUTH ST.—Vandals in Jamaica Plain have unleashed the latest weapon in their arsenal: acid or corrosive chemicals used to permanently etch graffiti onto store windows.

The chemicals, sold under such brand names as Armour Etch, are normally used by artists to etch letters or designs into glass. Etched glass has a whitish, “frosted” look.

“Now the weirdos have decided to make a new use of it,” said Sydney St. James, president of Armour Products, maker of Armour Etch.

The dripping, whitish tags were burned into the surfaces of windows at Harvest Co-op Market and the Yesteryear antique shop sometime last month. The glass-walled bus stop shelter at South Street and Carolina Avenue was also vandalized with the glass-scarring chemical.

T looks at Rt. 39 bus stops

By DAVID TABER December 19, 2008

The MBTA offered a “first cut” proposal for consolidating and redesigning bus stops along its Route 39 corridor at a Dec. 15 meeting of the bus corridor improvement Citizens’ Working Group at the Agassiz School on Child Street.

College student population drops

By JOHN RUCH December 19, 2008

Jamaica Plain’s college student population appears to have dropped about 1 percent in the past year, according to a city census that found at least 1,053 students living in the neighborhood.

JP’s Student Population

December 19, 2008

This chart shows how various schools contribute to JP’s student population. The list covers only the 02130 ZIP code and does not include every institution with students in the neighborhood. The figures include only full-time undergraduate and graduate students. Harvard’s count includes only its Boston-based schools of business, medicine, dentistry and public health.

Terrell enters council race

By John Ruch December 19, 2008

Bob Terrell, chair of the Roxbury Neighborhood Council (RNC) and a well-known activist in Jamaica Plain’s public transit debates, has entered the race for an at-large Boston City Council seat. That makes five new candidates who already have announced campaigns for the at-large, or citywide, council seats in next fall’s election.

Candidate fined for stickers

By JOHN RUCH December 19, 2008

Doug Bennett, a candidate for an at-large Boston City Council seat, has been fined $300 by the city for putting campaign bumper stickers on public property in Dorchester.

E-13 Police head ill, focus of SWAT ‘stand-off’

By JOHN RUCH December 19, 2008

Capt. Christine Michalosky, commander of the local E-13 police station, is seriously ill and had her home entered on Dec. 5 by a SWAT team because fellow officers feared she could be armed and suicidal, according to media reports confirmed by the Boston Police Department (BPD).

Word on the Streets

By DAVID TABER December 18, 2008

Centre/South planning process begins

Passions ran high among the about 50 participants at the inaugural community meeting to develop a city-sponsored action plan to deal with streetscape and transportation issues along two of Jamaica Plain’s main thoroughfares, Centre and South streets.

Rink’s opening day is a slippery subject

By SANDRA STOREY December 19, 2008

SOUTHWEST CORRIDOR—When the Kelly Rink will open for the 2008-2009 season and whether it will open in time for the normally busy school vacation time are up in the air this week—literally. So much depends on the weather.